Paint remover to get down to the original color

[moe1965 741]

Bought this tractor that was repainted with I'm presuming house paint of some kind because I can see brush strokes in it.  Some spots it didn't stick and I could see the original paint showing through.  Wondered how to remove the top coat and leave the other without stripping it away as well.   I'm using a paper towel soaked in white vinegar. I let it sit on there for about 20 minutes and take a plastic razor blade and it is removing it quite nicely.     Any other ideas are welcome but this is the best I've come up with so far.

[ri702bill 8,347]

MAYBE the judicius use of a hair dryer from above in one hand, plastic scraper in the other may either make it easier, or mak a BIG mess....

I have been removing latex paint on the front porch this last week using a heat gun, it works well, but way too hot to save the original tractor paint.

[rmaynard 15,516]

12 minutes ago, moe1965 said:

Bought this tractor that was repainted with I'm presuming house paint of some kind because I can see brush strokes in it.  Some spots it didn't stick and I could see the original paint showing through.  Wondered how to remove the top coat and leave the other without stripping it away as well.   I'm using a paper towel soaked in white vinegar. I let it sit on there for about 20 minutes and take a plastic razor blade and it is removing it quite nicely.     Any other ideas are welcome but this is the best I've come up with so far.

 

The problem is, as you take the paint off you will probably find the reason why he painted it in the first place. Then, after all the trouble you went through to take the top layer off, you'll probably have to sand blast, sand, or use a strong paint remover to get the rest of the paint off. Then repaint the whole thing again properly. I personally would not waste my time hand scraping with a blade.

[pacer 3,173]

I agree with @rmaynard here, Gotta feeling after youve done all that scraping, theres not gonna be much useable finish under there.

 

A stiff cupped wire wheel on an angle grinder would prolly do as good as what you are doing --- and a whole lotta less pain! Then. of course, theres sand blasting for the best results, but..... everybody aint got a blasting rig.

[Skwerl58 704]

Some paints can be removed with mineral spirits or lacquer thinner. Use gloves and wipe on and rub off. Try a small inconspicuous area like under the seat to see what works. Also try some good finish, rubbing or buffing compound. I hope you get the results you want. 

[953 nut 55,324]

3 hours ago, moe1965 said:

 I'm using a paper towel soaked in white vinegar. I let it sit on there for about 20 minutes and take a plastic razor blade and it is removing it quite nicely.

Never thought of using Vinegar to remove paint.         You could also try some "Goof Off"  https://goofoffproducts.com/  or some TSP.

[Jeff-C175 7,202]

I might try pressure washing.  Start with low pressure and test.  If there's a poor bond between that and the original, it might just come off in sheets.

[wallfish 17,014]

The citrus paint remover is what I used before. It'll take off new paint fairly quick but it takes a while for it to do much on that old paint.

It will get down into the nooks and crannies so you can't leave it there so use a hose or better yet a pressure washer to get it all off. Results may vary so try a spot on an inconspicuous place first.

[D_Mac 8,623]

I was going to say power wash it as well. If it is a poor paint job might just come right off. I also agree with since it wasnt a color change you can bet on there was a reason it was repainted.

[Heatingman 971]

If the original paint was not prepped right for recoat, which seems to be the case, a pressure washer will probably make short work of the second coat.

 

Found that out by mistake on my 06 GMC while washing it once. And that was the OEM single stage paint.

 

They did not prime or prep properly, pressure washer got under a chip and started taking off huge portions.

 

Wound up having a local body shop strip down the entire roof of the cab, etch prime, and recoat.