silentbob33
...I've read that using oven cleaner can also strip off paint. I would imagine you could mask the cockpit, spray on the oven cleaner, and scrub the paint off. Just make sure you have gloves and a well-ventilated area to work. This is conjecture on my part, does anyone else have input?
I used to use oven cleaner, till I saw a build online where a modeler used Super Clean to remove the chrome from Tamiya's chromed P-51 kit. I tried it out, to strip the chrome from the chromed fret in the Monogram Red Baron hot rod kit (AMS took over on that build). The chrome dissolved into the liquid in under 2 minutes, and since SC is a de-greaser, it left the styrene grease- and oil-free, literally squeaky-clean. I started using it to strip paint, from that time.
I see several advantages to using SC instead of oven cleaner. For one thing, though the active ingredient in both is lye, SC is not nearly as caustic as oven cleaner, though I still have good ventilation. I don't use gloves, though, when I use SC, though I do tweezers to remove items from the liquid. I clean the pieces in a work sink, under running water. Most of the paint softens and dissolves into the liquid in a matter of minutes, and what's left, I scrub away gently with an old toothbrush. Old paint does tend to stick longer in relief detail, like panel lines, clothing folds, etc, but it eventually all goes away.
For another thing, oven cleaner is once-and-done, while a batch of SC can be used over and over. And at around eight bucks a gallon, it's a bargain.
I also use it for cleaning my paint brushes, particularly for removing built-up acrylic paint. Since it's a de-greaser, I do apply oil to the brushes after cleaning, to preserve the natural fibers.
And heck, it has household cleaning uses. I've used it on clogged drains, too.