brake fluid as paint remover?

[apeers]

hi guys,
I'm soon to be stripping paint off a ks p90 to take a spray painted black then green stock back to the original green injected plastic stock if that makes sense, now I think it's ABS but not quite sure. Can I use brake fluid to strip it without melting the plastic? I've heard people say you can while other you can't. And what type some say dot 4 and others dot 5?
thanks
Andy

[deadmonkey]

Re: brake fluid as paint remover?

Dot 4 brake fluid works very well without any apparent damage to the plastic.
It is advisable to take a sample of same or similar plastic & throw into the fluid for a timed period to avoid possibility of damage to plastic parts of models in the event it proves damaging.
i have personally tried it on plastics painted with acrylics & enamels & results are good after 2 hours, very good after 4 hours & excellent after 12 hours but, this will depend on the amount of layers, the paint used & the plastic that the paint is applied to.
this was achieved by "immersion" in a sealed glass container(coffee jar)& regular checks on progress.
for larger items it is for yourself to find a container
that meets your needs.
paint will bubble after time.
when satisfied it has had long enough, wash under cool/cold
running water & gently rub with an old toothbrush.
this will remove most of the paint(if not all).
dry thoroughly with kitchen paper towels(or equivalent).
if the plastic feels greasy or sticky, wash under "warm"
(not hot) water with washing up liquid(dish soap) & dry
completely before trying a thin layer of new paint.
If spraying it is advisable to wash under
"warm water"(after the dish soap stage)to remove possible
soap residue as soap or brake fluid will react with the new
paint finish.

Good luck.

[kingadamb]

Re: brake fluid as paint remover?

I used to use brake fluid to strip the paint off toy soldiers. As said above, it seems to work very well, but always test it first!