From: David Jensen (dj362@gorge.net)
Date: Wed Apr 02 2003 - 22:50:52 PST
From: David Jensen <dj362@gorge.net>
Date: Wed Apr 2, 2003 10:34:18 PM US/Pacific
To: <mil-veh@mil-veh.org> (Military Vehicles Mailing List)
Subject: [MV] Using oven cleaner to remove paint?
Here is a long note to tell a small amount. Removing paint with oven
cleaner is an old sign-painters' trick. I have used it to remove a few
signs from commercial truck doors for my dad and brother (who are
traditional sign painters, no computers or vinyl).
OC is nasty stuff, it will make your fingernails turn soft and maybe
even fall off. It can burn your eyes badly. In this case, the label
warnings have some real meaning. Do not use it on a windy day, it will
end up in your eyes and you will probably inhale some of it too.
Temperature is important, it works better on a warm sunny day. My dad
tells me there's some difference in the strength of various brands,
and the stuff on the market now is weaker. He didn't know what it would
do to plastic (I'd guess nothing beneficial in the long run) or rubber,
but did say it was rough on aluminum.
Signs are removed by spraying some OC on the lettering, letting it sit
awhile, and then experimenting with rubbing it off using a rag. Water
is used to clean up. I have used regular dishwashing gloves. Latex
seemed too thin. You wouldn't want to get it on your skin inside a
glove.
The idea is it acts slow so you can eat off the lettering and rub it
away, leaving the background color (automotive finishes) a little
faded. After it's washed down, the painter is just going to put another
sign on. It will dull metal-flake paints.
Oven cleaner would not be my choice for a paint remover for rims. It's
caustic enough to be a hazard but weak enough to be slow acting. Just
my opinion.
DJ
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