Topic: Removing caliper paint?

[Don R]

 The title says it all, has anyone made them silver? I have a pair of F1 calipers that are rebuilt but could use a facelift. I'm considering soda blast but I'm also wondering about aircraft stripper. 
 I also have a K type Tokiko #2 that's black and it would look better in silver on a K0.

[BenelliSEI]

My new favorite is a local guy that is vapour blasting. Gives a lovely finish……

[seanbarney41]

Ha ha yeah usually mine have been soaked in old crusty brake fluid for so long that what little paint is left juat kinda falls off when I pick up a piece of 80 grit sandpaper.

Yeah, paint stripper works.  I have polished several of these calipers and sanding is the hard part.  Just gotta be meticulous with all the nooks and crannies...and then let your process do the work and be happy with less than perfect.

[Ujeni]

Bead blasting or vapor blasting will give you a great surface to refinish the calipers.

I have started using POR15 silver engine enamel for my calipers. Extremely strong paint once cured and it goes on super nice if you have a spray gun. I'm also a big fan of Cerakote. Amazing stuff.

[Don R]

  Thanks for the ideas, I want to get some cerakote for my turbo headers, maybe an order from them is due. I can try soda blasting here if I get away from the vinyl siding, it's like a magnet for soda dust. I recently missed out on a nice blast cabinet for $700, it had a media recycler and air filter. 

[jwurbel]

Vapor blast.  Never have to paint.

[MauiK3]

To remove paint I’ve been having good results from Citrus Strip. Requires overnight soak but really works well. No bad fumes etc. the gel hangs on nicely.

https://www.amazon.com/Citristrip-QCSG801-Paint-Varnish-Stripping/dp/B07LF8T6PM/ref=asc_df_B07LF8T6PM/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=309770451066&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=14292163512232566549&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9032772&hvtargid=pla-660816841394&th=1

[WideAWAKE]

Paint stripper is a pain.

Soda blasting should clean it up no problem.

It did mine.

[RAFster122s]

Sometimes the calipers just won't clean up nicely and are a pain to sand if you are going to polish them. I redid the sanding multiple times on an inboard pad body because the curved sections of the grooves just wouldn't come up to the same luster as the rest of the body. I finally realized it was due to the metal in the casting in these areas and I wasn't going to be able to get it to take on the same luster. It certainly was not for lack of trying.

[seanbarney41]

Yeah, RAFster.  I have had the same experience.  The polished shine seems to have varying depth.  But you can get them to look ok.  Just don't expect to get them perfect.  One nce thing though, brake fluid wipes right off polished aluminum.

[WideAWAKE]

Use dot 5 (not 5.1) brake fluid and it won’t damage paint.

Make sure your system is dry/new as it doesn’t play well with others (dot 3,4,5.1)

[Don R]

 I don't mind painting them silver, if it gets rubbed there is silver underneath. L0L. I just like the look of my silver K0 calipers and these black calipers have been treated poorly over the years.
 This bike was bought as a total custom and very unlike what I've been doing the last few years. I've collected a lot of non-stock goodies as well as what I think are the best parts of different years and models.
 

[Kelly E]

I have a tall cylindrical plastic bottle full of cleanish brake fluid from filling and bleeding brake systems. I use it to strip paint and old yellowed clearcoat. It's cheap and works great. Some stuff I'm just not comfortable putting in the blast cabinet even with glass beads. I use it on tank badges, fork lowers, calipers, masters and other fragile parts.

[Don R]

 I've been cleaning a gas tank and getting my drag car winterized so haven't tried the paint stripper that I got. I'm planning to spray it on and put in a plastic coffee can, to control the fumes.

[RAFster122s]

Applying plastic wrap on top of most paint strippers slows the evaporation down and makes them penetrate a bit better. But, on cooler weather sometimes the temps work against you and the stripper is not as effective.
FWIW,
David

[MauiK3]

The bottle of brake fluid is genius!

[Don R]

 I did the hardware store paint stripper, it got most of the paint and softened the rest. I left all parts in a coffee can overnight, and washed with lacquer thinner. I then used a soft wire wheel with easy pressure. Next, a flap wheel with red Scotchbrite between 80 grit flaps. Then Green Dragon aluminum polish that has carnuba wax in it.
 I still need to re-assemble and decide double or single.