Lifer

My Feedback: (1)

Any recommendations on removing paint from a cowl? Obviously, sanding it off is one option, but how about a chemical strip? Hopefully one that won't damage the fiberglass cowl in the process. I am going to start on a Tarheel Hal in a few weeks and am considering some changes.

Thanks in advance!

spaceworm

Try your local boat yard and ask for paint remover for fiberglass. However, most boats are polyester resin, your cowl may be that, or epoxy. probably need to know which resin it is. good luck.

speedracerntrixie

My Feedback: (29)

I would go with good old elbow grease. The chemical strippers have a high probability of damaging your fiberglass and/or contaminating the surface so that your new paint won't stick.

STUKA BARRY

Acetone works great, but you don't have to remove all the paint, just enough to make a smooth surface. WARNING: Acetone stinks and is flammable, use a soft clean rag. If the cowl has decals on it, Goof-Off from Home Cheapo does a great job along with the Acetone.

Truckracer

My Feedback: (19)

Acetone may or may not work. Many of the new cowls are painted with catalyzed urethane paints that solvents such as acetone will hardly touch.

I would ask, why remove the paint in the first place? Why not just sand it well, prime, block sand until smooth, lightly re-prime, scuff and paint with the new colors? Removal seems way over the top for me, especially on a warbird that usually needs weight up front anyway.

If I had to remove the paint, I would use an aggressive commercial stripper. Lightly sand the surface first so the stripper can get to the paint film easier. As soon as the paint starts to wrinkle, remove it and most of the stripper will go away with the paint. Rinse as directed, sand smooth and paint as directed above. It isn't difficult to strip thin fiberglass parts without surface damage, you just have to be careful and follow directions. Epoxy or polyester doesn't matter much and both will soften slightly while the stripper is present but will firm up after a bit of time and as soon as the stripper becomes inactive. Yes, I've done this before.

Tony Hallo

I would sand as well with 220 wet, then 320 wet, prime and paint. It will take less time because any filler and pin holes will be exposed and make more work.

Lifer

My Feedback: (1)

There are ridges where there are color changes as well as the back of the cowl where the stars are painted on. Would you use a sanding block? Also, will primer fill in the voids?

Also, are there services that can match the paint and put it in an aerosol?

Sorry about all the questions, but I haven't used paint since the early 70's.

Truckracer

My Feedback: (19)

You can easily block sand the ridges out of the paint using 220 wet as Tony described. Come back with a fairly heavy coat of sandable primer and reblock .... removing most of this primer. This will show and fill any remaining surface defects. Come back with a light coat of primer and lightly scuff sand with 320 to 400 and paint. Its tough but not impossible to get decent matching paint in a spray can. What colors are you trying to match?

Lifer

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If you are familiar with Top Flite's giant scale Tarheel Hal, I'm matching the Sapphire Blue that is on the front of the aircraft, and the first inch of the cowl. I'm considering removing all the stars and having the cowl solid blue.

Truckracer

My Feedback: (19)

That color is a Monokote color so it could be matched with spray can paint fairly easy but not without cost or problems. Here are a few solutions but certainly not the only ones. If you can get some of that Monokote, iron it on to a fairly large scrap of balsa, maybe 3" by 6". This is necessary as all Monokote is a bit transparent so the color of the base under it has an effect on what the finished color looks like. Take your scrap of wood to an automotive paint store that matches paint and makes spray cans. These are fewer than they once were but they are still out there. The problem here is that you are limited to an air dry paint such as a lacquer or enamel where most modern automotive finishes are catalyzed urethanes. The spray can may be quite expensive so maybe an alternative may be in order. The end result may or may not be to your liking.

Spray can Rustoleum paints are very durable and reasonably quick drying enamels. Maybe you could find one of their blues that comes close to your needs. These spray and cover quite well and the finished product is fuel proof, especially with gasoline. This could be a cheap alternative that still looks quite good.

Another alternative, take the ready to paint cowl to a body shop and have them match the paint and spray the cowl for you. This will be expensive but you'll like the finished product.

One more ..... does someone in your club do paint work? If so matching paints are available from Radio South or the company that took their paint line on. Also Klass Kote epoxy paint is available in many Monokote matching colors. These are very durable paints and anyone who has the place, the equipment and the ability could spray them for you.

Some people have had good luck with latex house paints but I have no experience with these.

Hope this helped at least a little bit.

Lifer

My Feedback: (1)

Truckracer,

It helps a lot! Thanks! I'm going to check out Klass Kote paints next.

sensei

The use of a DA sander purchased from Harbor Freight +180 grit DA stickit sanding disks also purchased from H/F and about twenty minutes of your time will smooth the entire surface and feather all previous paint lines perfectly with just a little practice. These two items are so inexpensive to buy and will help you for years to come.

Bob

Lifer

My Feedback: (1)

sensai,

Sounds great, but what does DA stand for?

HoundDog

My Feedback: (49)

Sell that one on Ebay or RCU and purchase an unpainted replacement. Save ya a lot of grief believe me.
Had a friend that does body work (Vettes) and he screwed one up for me melted the damn thing. Good luck with the projects
What paint scheme U going with???

speedracerntrixie

My Feedback: (29)

When doing opaque colors I have had pretty good success with running into Auto Zone or any auto parts stores that carry the Duplicolor touch up paints. Usually enough selection to get something really close, they come in spray cans and can be fuel proofed with urethane clear. The cans run about 4.00 to 5.00.

speedracerntrixie

My Feedback: (29)

Dual action. Very useful tool to have in the shop. Only drawback is you need a reasonably large compressor to run one. About 30 gallon or larger.

HoundDog

My Feedback: (49)

u might want to check out an automotive paint store they about every thing there is about paint and what works on what

sensei

I forgot to mention that a compressor is also a must own, at least in my shop... No kidding though, having shop air makes building so much nicer to do for many reasons including painting.

Bob

Lifer

My Feedback: (1)

Hounddog,

Haven't decided on a color yet. Still exploring the issue.

GREG DOE

Is there no one here familiar with "media blasting"? Paint stripper is dangerous on fiberglass. You might be successful, but then you might destroy the part. Same thing with a DA sander. Even if you have a delicate touch, it only takes one slip to mess it up. There are sand blasting business that have special "media" for fiberglass. I've seen demonstrations of them removing the paint one coat at a time. There is a good chance that there is a local business that could do your cowl. Start out by contacting body shops that work on Corvette's and classic cars. they probably won't do it themselves, but can recommend someone. One of my "full scale" projects was saving a pair of polyester wheel pants for a Luscombe that took first in class at Sun & Fun, and Oshkosh. The owner had used paint stripper on them, and it leached out the resin from the cloth. What a mess! Good luck, Greg

Truckracer

My Feedback: (19)

The problem with media blasting (walnut shell or other organics on fiberglass) on thin delicate parts like model cowls is the modern paints and primers used now days. In past years, paint films were not as strong as they are now and the bond to the substrate was also not as strong. With careful application of various media on older paints, you could sort of peel away the various layers and sort of get a feel for when you hit the substrate (the fiberglass in this case). With modern paints such as catalyzed urethanes and epoxy or urethane primers, the paint and primer layers may be stronger and more durable than the fiberglass. You blast away and all looks good until you expose the fiberglass then your media digs a hole. With traditional lacquer, acrylic lacquer or any of the various air cure enamels, the paint films were much softer and the blaster could feel his way to the bottom of the various paint / primer layers where the harder fiberglass was. In short, I would think blasting thin parts like a model cowl would be extremely tedious and expensive work. When complete you would still have to build up a primer layer and block sand to create a paintable surface once again. Disclaimer: If the fiberglass parts were not well prepared, cleaned and sanded, the paint might just fly off when the blaster hit them then everything stated above would go out the window. But if the paint bond was good ..... good luck removing it by media blasting.

With care, stripper works just fine on fiberglass. You just have to be extremely careful not to leave the stripper on the parts too long as it can destroy them just like it does the paint film. Put it on, let it do its work, get if off, rinsed and neutralized. But as stated before, in the OP's case there is really no reason to remove the paint in the first place!

HoundDog

My Feedback: (49)

Not for the paint but they can tell U how to strip it with out destroying it.

I sell it and buy and unpainted one.

Lifer

My Feedback: (1)

I had contacted Top Flite to order an unpainted cowl for the ARC version of the Tarheel Hal. Although that version of the model comes with an unpainted cowl, there is none available as a replacement part. Only the fully painted cowl is available.

Tony Hallo

I would had a quarter of it wet sanded in the time it took me to read this post. If you need to ask then you probably don't the experience necessary to strip, blast or sand with a machine. Slow and steady by hand is the way to go. Less filling as Truckracer points out, not about the taste.

TomCrump

Just sand and paint.

In the days that this discussion has been going on, I've done just that, with an ARF cowl.