# Bachmann lettering removal...



## Ted_Roy (Jan 2, 2008)

Brake or ATF fluid to remove?


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## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

Try a product called "Super Clean" first. You can get it at the auto parts store. I know it works well on Bachmann's gold lettering, at least. (See Feb. '08 Garden Railways for more). 

Later, 

K


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## Ted_Roy (Jan 2, 2008)

I just when out and got a spray bottle of the stuff from Wallyworld.  I q-tipped it on and it seems to evaporate before it lifts the lettering.  Ideas?


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## Ted_Roy (Jan 2, 2008)

Its now been 2 hours and I have only the major lettering off one side of the car I am doing. I am going to try to soak the side and see what happens....


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## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

It does have to soak for around 15 minutes or so, then it wipes right off. 

Later, 

K


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## Ted_Roy (Jan 2, 2008)

The paint on the side of my Bachmann open car must have Teflon in it. Very stubborn. But I have one side almost clean, and the other soaking. I am doing this without disassembling the car, in hindsite probably not the best idea. Thank you for your help....


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## tj-lee (Jan 2, 2008)

K, 

Every try your hand at taking off the fake window frost on like the Bachmann Sam's Club 2006 passenger cars? The glazing is plastic but glued into the car so as to make removing it to work on impossible. I've tried various solutions on Q tips but you're working so close to the window edge I always wind up taking off the paint on the car along with the white frosting. 

Any ideas for a better removal methodology? 

Best, 
TJ


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## Madstang (Jan 4, 2008)

Maybe try removing the windows that came with the car and replace them with the clear plastic that comes from Evergreen and Plastic Struct.

Just pry them up very softly, this way you won't bother the paint finish...just a thought.

bubba


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## Stan Cedarleaf (Jan 2, 2008)

TJ, I've removed the window sections from the cars and soaked them in "Super Clean" or the equivalent until the paint just lifted off.  Painted the car, put the decals on, overcoated them, then put the windows back in and put the car back together.  After the soaking, I just washed them in soapy water and let dry. 
Ted_Roy, a couple of questions....    What are you removing the lettering from and are you going to repaint the entire model?  

If the latter is to be answered yes, I might share my amateur techniques that work quite well on standard Bachmann products. (haven't done any of the new Spectrum models yet.)  

I've just read K's fabulous article in the Feb 2008 explaining the makeover of the 4-4-0.  It's a great, wonderfully detailed explanation of the process.  My techniques are much more crude but work very well for me and the resulted end product.  The qualifying words here are "work well for me".  While the 10 foot rule may be a bit "crude",  I do like my makeovers to look good even close up in bright sunlight even though I'm certainly not nor have been "a rivet counter".  /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/satisfied.gif

When I paint a Bachmann boxcar, I will remove the roof, the roof walkways, the brake wheel, undercarriage with trucks and grabrails.  Then I gently sand the edges and surface of the lettering with 1200 wet dry sand paper to scuff them up.  After that, I'll take a mixture of acetone and denatured alcohol dipped in an old Tee shirt and rub over the sanded lettering.  The denatured alcohol cuts the acetone into a workable solution and won't allow the acetone to damage the plastic.  I do work quickly, keeping watch on the process.  I do not remove the lettering completely because of the planking.  On the smooth sided stuff, it's much easier.  

The next step is to prime the car.  I generally prime the car with Krylon Ultra Flat Black.  It is a great hiding color, applies without runs and drip, dries quickly and is ready to overcoat in a matter of minutes.  If the car is to be painted with a light color, (yellow, gray, or........) I'll follow the black with Kylon flat gray or white primer, allowed to dry for 1-15 minutes and then apply my final Kyrlon color.  The local ACE Hardware carries a great assortment of Krylon colors.  Again, not being a rivet counter, a close color is good enough for me. /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/blush.gif

The finish coat is usually a "glossy" or smooth finish so when that coat in dry, (after about an hour) I can reletter the car with decals, let them dry for 24 hours and overcoat them with Krylon Acrylic Satin followed by Matte.  Put all the stuff back on the car and run it.

Like Henry Ford, my favorite color is black.  When the ALPS goes out and I can no longer print white and light colored lettering, I'll have to change my mind... 

There is a very important technique for rattle can painting.   It's very easy to get a smooth, even coating but it's hard to explain in words.  If you're interested, email me so I can send you my phone # and we can chat if you'd like.  I can 'splain it better than I can write it... /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/ermm.gif  Or come to one of the clinics at the National Convention in Phoenix in May where I'll be doing two on repainting and relettering.    

Anyway, this may be more information than you ever needed but this works simply for me.


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## Ted_Roy (Jan 2, 2008)

Stan, 
I am stripping a Bachmann single truck open car. I have made a striping template for re-lettering this car into a Connecticut Company car. I do not have to repaint it as it already yellow. I will have pictures of my progress shortly. 

Ted.


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## tj-lee (Jan 2, 2008)

Stan, 

>I've removed the window sections from the cars 

How'd you do that without splintering them? Seems like someone in China was a bit glue-happy with mine. 

Best, 
TJ


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## Madstang (Jan 4, 2008)

They sell a green capped bottle of stuff that looks like a bottle of super glue at hobby shops that will remove the glue, but it also softens plastic so it has to be used spareingly! or else you will have very soft plastic to deal with ruining the plastic....so careful...very careful!

Bu it works. 

That is what I used to remove the back section on my Sierra passenger car that Aristo makes, to properly orientate the stove to match the Railbus they make...moving the observation deck to the oposite side of the car so on both cars the stove is in the same place on both cars.

Try it first on  a test project to see just how it should be applied so as not to compramise the plastic around the window.

Bubba


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## Biblegrove RR (Jan 4, 2008)

Perfect!    I just picked up a Bachmann "Durango & Silverton" set and need to remove the lettering from the caboose! It is for the Church Train set,  how cool is that! I am going to replace with my 1st try at adhesive backed decal paper for Inkjet printer. Local Hobby LLobby only had Inkjet paper and not laser. Too bad because I have several laser printers to pick from at work including a color one! Does anyone know if the inkjet paper will work in laser printer or vise versa? Also, most importantly....Is this super clean the purple multi purpose de-greaser product I'm thinking of?

thanks!


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## Ted_Roy (Jan 2, 2008)

Yes, I think it is. Good luck with the decal paper. I just did the lettering for my open car with a similar product from BelDecals. 

http://www.beldecal.com/rubon-paper.html 

It worked great...


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## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

Super Clean is a multi-purpose degreaser. Whether it's the one you're thinking of, I don't know.  Note that different paints may or may not react to it, though. While the Bachmann gold lettering came off after a 15-minute soak, the gold lettering on my Accucraft passenger car did not. I resorted to fine steel wool on that one, as it was quick, convenient, and didn't have to be a 100% clean removal. 

Later, 

K


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## paintjockey (Jan 3, 2008)

TJ, i used denatured alcohol and a q-tip to get the "snow" off my bachmann passenger windows. It takes a bit of scrubbing but leaves them in good shape when done. I tried super clean one one but it stained one set of windows. Another set it did not stain, go figure. The denatured alcohol works but it takes time, it is also good for removing any adhesives. 
Terry


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## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

As with any solvent, try it on an inconspicuous spot first. I found denatured alcohol to attack the red paint on my SPC 4-4-0, but didn't do a thing to the lettering. Go figure... 

Later, 

K


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## Biblegrove RR (Jan 4, 2008)

Hey Ted, I got this emailed to me from the mfg.... it the same rubon type stuff, how does it work exactly?

Here is the link from our website for Rub-onz: 
http://grafixarts.com/rubonz.htm

also Computer Grafix: http://grafixarts.com/computer_grafix.htm

I have decided to return my adhesive backed inkjet paper and try to find the laserjet type, maybe staples has it/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/doze.gif?


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## Ted_Roy (Jan 2, 2008)

It work pretty much exactly like the instructions say. 

Print on the rough side of the paper, let dry completely. Then cut out a section of adhesive paper, slightly larger than the design. Remove backer paper, and stick to design. Remember, this is a one shot deal, no re-positioning. Rubout any air bubbles, and cut tight to design. Now comes the really tricky parts. 

Peel off the thin plastic from the back of the adhesive side of the sandwich. You can tell if you have the right layer when the film peels off, but you can still see the design. If your design goes cloudy and you cannot see it, you have peeled off the wrong layer and need to change corners to peel the correct layer. 

Once off the design is positioned, again no repositioning, and placed down and rubbed in. Then the cloudy plastic is peeled off showing the design attached to the model. 

I only wish it was possible to get a minor amount of re-positioning out of the product, which I see as its only drawback so far. 

Ted.


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## tj-lee (Jan 2, 2008)

Terry, 

Thanks for the tip on the denatured alcohol. I'll give it a shot when I'm at the bench again. Right now I'm gearing up for another trestle project. 

Best, 
TJ


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## Paul Norton (Jan 8, 2008)

When I went into Home Depot and asked for denatured alcohol all I got were strange looks. Finally a chap at Canadian Tire directed me to Methyl Hydrate. It is sold as camping stove fuel.
 
As Terry said it is great for removing the glue left by labels and double-sided tape, as well as, cleaning circuit boards, etc. It dries quickly and leaves no residue. It will remove the paint from most large scale products, so caution is advised.
 
If denatured alcohol fails to remove a label or glue, WD-40 is the next product I reach for. To remove labels, I spray a cotton ball with it and rub it on the label. After about 60 seconds the paper part of the label will peel right off leaving the glue. A second wipe with the cotton ball will remove the glue. I wipe up any excess residue with a Kleenex. If any of the glue remains I will know right away. Then I use a second cotton ball moistened with either rubbing alcohol or denatured alcohol to clean the area. We used to use this technique to remove the labels from the floppy disks for our Atari and Commodore computers back when Dysan disks were 10 for $25.


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## paintjockey (Jan 3, 2008)

I bought my last can of denatured alcohol at Home Depot. It is in the paint section, usually right by the laquer and paint thinner. It comes in rectangular quart cans with a white cap. I asked for it too and they looked at me like i had an elephant on my back. (i checked and i didn't) One can should last you a lifetime. I had to get a new one cause i spilled mine. 
Terry


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## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

One can should last you a lifetime. 

Unless you've got an alcohol-fired live steamer!  

Later, 

K


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