Nic Posted May 19, 2005 Share Posted May 19, 2005 What would be the best way to strip paint of a set of dash panels? I want to take them back to the plastic, sanding will mark the plastic, which I'm trying to avoid if possible. Has anyone used paint stripper? I'm just a bit nervous about it melting the plastic as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merckx Posted May 19, 2005 Share Posted May 19, 2005 You'll never get them back to the original finish though, they should have been keyed before the paint was applied. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jake Posted May 19, 2005 Share Posted May 19, 2005 STOP! I destroyed a section of dash panel with paint stripper. It turned to mush before my eyes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MONKEYmark Posted May 19, 2005 Share Posted May 19, 2005 great question nic i have all mine off and started to sand with fine paper, going to take forever sanding. would it be possible to fine sand coating then paint it with undercoat and build up layers of paint. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dangerous brain Posted May 19, 2005 Share Posted May 19, 2005 try plastic filling primer, that should build up a decent layer quickly. As for stripping paint off unless the existing paint is very chipped I would leave it and paint over it. if its chipped in places try filling the low spots with plastic filling primer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jake Posted May 19, 2005 Share Posted May 19, 2005 I can't see the problem with sanding it. (We're not talking about the rubber coated crap here are we?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homer Posted May 19, 2005 Share Posted May 19, 2005 try plastic filling primer Thats exactly what worked for me, though I sanded off all the crappy plastic stuff off first. The plastic primer fills in any marks and can itself be sanded back before painting. I posted a detailed description of how to do it a while ago but can't find the thread now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dangerous brain Posted May 19, 2005 Share Posted May 19, 2005 Thats exactly what worked for me, though I sanded off all the crappy plastic stuff off first. The plastic primer fills in any marks and can itself be sanded back before painting. I posted a detailed description of how to do it a while ago but can't find the thread now. Yeah I think his question is how to remove paint so i am assuming that the rubbery cack that is on it as standard has allready been removed to facilitate the painting. If thats the case and the paint has taken OK to the plastic panels then I would just paint over it (I'd prime it first though). If the paint has gone to rat sh*t and is falling off then its probable that the rubber cack wasn't removed prior to painting then it will all need taking off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homer Posted May 19, 2005 Share Posted May 19, 2005 DB, you're right, I didn't read Nic's post correctly, doh! Plastic primer should still do the job of filling in any imperfections... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colsoop Posted May 20, 2005 Share Posted May 20, 2005 Is this for your carbon dash experiment Nic ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nic Posted May 20, 2005 Author Share Posted May 20, 2005 Is this for your carbon dash experiment Nic ? Yes, this is the plan, which is the reason why I wanted to take it back to the plastic, as I'm not sure how well the water transfer process will work over paint. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colsoop Posted May 20, 2005 Share Posted May 20, 2005 How about something like turps or white spirit i dont think it will damage the plastic but i dont know if it is strong enough to take away the paint. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jspec Germany Posted May 20, 2005 Share Posted May 20, 2005 I have to take the the dash apart to troubleshoot my O/D OFF issue and install my newly arrived TRD 320 Kmh speedo, so the dash is probably gonna' get done in the process. I believe it's got the originally rubber coating on it (which is chipped all to hell here and there). Any lessons learned taking that crap off would be outstanding. Keep us posted on the how to's/in's-and-outs on your ordeal. Pics are always a plus. Can't wait to see the finished product. best of luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nic Posted May 23, 2005 Author Share Posted May 23, 2005 After about 6 hours of sanding to remove paint and rubbery coating the dash panels are smooth and back to the plastic. The rubbery finish is really stubborn to remove, this took most of the sanding time to get it all off. If anyone finds a solvent that can strip the rubber without effecting the plastic it would save a lot of time. Something mild that softens the rubber so it can be scrapped off would be ideal. Here is a picture of all the finished panels, ready for the carbon fibre coating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kopite Posted May 23, 2005 Share Posted May 23, 2005 pic isn't workin mate well it isn't for me lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dangerous brain Posted May 23, 2005 Share Posted May 23, 2005 So they had sprayed over the rubber then, amatuers lol. Acetone used in moderation will shift the rubber easily enough more commonly known as nail varnish remover. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nic Posted May 23, 2005 Author Share Posted May 23, 2005 So they had sprayed over the rubber then, amatuers lol. Acetone used in moderation will shift the rubber easily enough more commonly known as nail varnish remover. Yes the painting was cr*p, on some panels they hadn't even used a primer and the paint was really thin and bubbled, they look pristine now, with it all stripped off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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