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Removing Paint

J_Long

Member
Patron
Does anybody know if Jasco Premium Paint and Epoxy Remover is ok (or not) to use on our aluminum parts? I've had a couple of instances in my build where my 2nd paint coat wrinkled and I ended up completely removing the paint using Jasco Paint Stripper and starting over... now I'm wondering if years later I might have corrosion or other issues on those parts?
 
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After you strip make sure that you wash the area that you stripped with soap and water very well. Don’t let it sit for days before you wash. Get it clean as soon as you’re done stripping.
 
According to the SDS (MSDS) it is methylene chloride, methanol, and mineral spirits. I would not worry about inherent corrosion due to the ingredients.

Some paint removers do use caustic chemicals that react badly with aluminum, these don't.

I have never stripped an aircraft, but remember a PBS program that demonstrated use of denatured alcohol, and buckets of wood shavings (like from a planer). They lathered on the remover, waited, scraped, then immediately washed (before totally dry) with a brush and denatured alcohol, and while still wet . . . piled on the shavings & dust to soak all up and scrubbed around to leave the surface amazingly clean. The dust soaked/dryed and the shavings became a scraper, the initial alcohol kept the removed material soft. Last was an alcohol wipe with cheese cloth for final surface clean. This process has worked well for my furniture adventures. Use heavy rubber gloves and respirator for the methylene chloride vapors.
 
According to the SDS (MSDS) it is methylene chloride, methanol, and mineral spirits. I would not worry about inherent corrosion due to the ingredients.

Some paint removers do use caustic chemicals that react badly with aluminum, these don't.

I have never stripped an aircraft, but remember a PBS program that demonstrated use of denatured alcohol, and buckets of wood shavings (like from a planer). They lathered on the remover, waited, scraped, then immediately washed (before totally dry) with a brush and denatured alcohol, and while still wet . . . piled on the shavings & dust to soak all up and scrubbed around to leave the surface amazingly clean. The dust soaked/dryed and the shavings became a scraper, the initial alcohol kept the removed material soft. Last was an alcohol wipe with cheese cloth for final surface clean. This process has worked well for my furniture adventures. Use heavy rubber gloves and respirator for the methylene chloride vapors.
In the bulk strippers that I can buy now, methylene chloride is unobtainium. It the good stuff though. Everything that I can buy is hydrogen peroxide based. It works ok as long as the weather is warm. One trick I do is keep a 5 gallon bucket of water nearby when I’m stripping. If I get any on me I want to wash it off quickly. If you wear gloves, make sure they are very thick and heavy duty. Thin gloves don’t work. Methylene chloride can burn you through a thin glove. Myself, I never wear gloves.
 
Paint stripping

Several years back I had the honor of stripping an entire RV-6 wing. It's not one of the most exciting jobs there is. But, after applying the stripper over the painted surface, cover it with a piece of clear plastic film. The film will help keep the stripper from quickly evaporating and then, when it's done it's magic, you can pull the plastic film off and most of the paint will come with it. It makes clean up a lot easier. Good luck.
Chuck Brietigam
RV-6XXL
 
Thanks everyone for the great comments! -I'm very relieved to learn that my use of the Jasco Methylene Chloride isn't a terrible mistake.
 
Sigh

Methylene chloride seems to be pretty much banned here in California. Tried to use a locally sourced stripper on a cracked battery box recently. Apparently it had polyurethane paint on it, maybe the early “real” Imron. Stripper did literally nothing. Had to sandblast the paint off, which disappointed my welder. Apparently the residual silicon in the aluminum makes welding impossible. So then I had to go back and do some filing and cutting. That’s now a VERY valuable battery box.
 
Methylene chloride seems to be pretty much banned here in California. Tried to use a locally sourced stripper on a cracked battery box recently. Apparently it had polyurethane paint on it, maybe the early “real” Imron. Stripper did literally nothing. Had to sandblast the paint off, which disappointed my welder. Apparently the residual silicon in the aluminum makes welding impossible. So then I had to go back and do some filing and cutting. That’s now a VERY valuable battery box.

Next time try coal slag over silica abrasive. Works slightly better and safer to breath. Suspect residual material will be less of a problem for the welder.
 
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