Topic: Paint stripper advice needed...

[HondaMan]

OK, now Colorado's legislature has become completely Californicated, and they have passed "no VOC" laws that have outlawed the paint stripper I've used for decades, called "Aircraft Stripper". It works on steel or aluminum without damaging either, but I can't get it here.

I need to strip a 550 tank for repaint, currently in its OEM sun-faded Sunrise Gold. For those of you in VOC-limited States, what stripper works well? I don't wish to spend a week sanding paint off an already-thin sheet-steel tank.

[CycleRanger]

This stuff. I've used it a lot. Safe for metal, paint melts away, cleans up with water.
I didn't have to sand that tank at all.

[Flyin900]

I can't speak to your situation in your state and the availability of what I will recommend. Here in Ontario Canada the same thing has happened over the past few years, where the stuff available now from Home Depot or Napa has no teeth anymore. Yes it works after numerous re coats and hours of work.
I do  my own painting and buy my supplies from a body shop supply house, so not an average DYI shop for the masses. The last time I was there I asked about their paint stripper. Which was called Aircraft Stripper by the manufacturer Pro Form and it was quite expensive vs the Home Depot stuff. Like twice as much in the $50.00 Canadian for a litre can. It works like the old school stripper and attacks the paint immediately and is done in 10-15 minutes vs an hour with the new stuff at HD. It is quick with a one coat strip, or two if there are multiple layers of heavy coats on there.

[M 750K6]

DOT4 brake fluid? Seems to work when I don't want it to!

[beemerbum]

This stuff. I've used it a lot. Safer for metal, paint melts away, cleans up with water.
I didn't have to sand that tank at all.

Looked like a nice 1971 CL 350 tank. What did it become? Good to know about the stripper

[Ozzybud]

That's unfortunate you can't get the good stripper in your state. I  just bought another quart on Amazon.I have been re-laceing rims and not sure hiw you would strip the clear off the hubs without a stripper.
80 grit 6'discs on  DA and you should be able to strip a tank in minutes. Follow up on the edges with a 3M black wheel.

[CycleRanger]

This stuff. I've used it a lot. Safer for metal, paint melts away, cleans up with water.
I didn't have to sand that tank at all.

Looked like a nice 1971 CL 350 tank. What did it become? Good to know about the stripper

Yes, unfortunately it had a dent on the other side.
This is how it looks now. 

[pjlogue]

Today's paint strippers have been neutered by the green people.  Basically, they suck now and don't work well.  The government removed Ethylene Chloride and MEK from the allowed formulas.  You can still buy these chemicals in gallon quantities.  This is what I do.  The Ethylene Chloride and MEK are quite nasty to use but they work well at most stripping projects.  They will eat up most gloves and will enter your body through the skin.  Very bad for the liver and other organs inside you.  Only use it outside and keep it off your skin. 

-P.

[Rayzerman]

My 350F tank is sun-faded, etc. and needs a repaint.  I used a paintless dent removal kit to remove 3 large dents.  Basically, you glue tabs onto the tank with hot melt glue and the tool pulls on them.  Start at the edge of the dent and work your way into the middle.  Took me about 3-4 hours, so lots of patience required.  After I glued each tab on, I waited ~15 minutes for the glue to cool, which takes up a lot of time.  Anyway, worked a treat, got them out to the point of needing spot putty perhaps... now I need to strip the tank, the old paint is just too far gone.

[MauiK3]

I've been using Citrus Strip, it comes (here at least) in a thick gel form that can be spread on with a trowel and does not drip off. The thick version comes in a small tub. Most things with high VOC are harder to get here due to shipping. Lithium batteries are another hard to get item via Amazon and such.
It takes a little patience but it works and isn't going to hurt metal. Cleans up with water, with a little work, hot water works better. I've removed cured POR15 with it.

https://www.amazon.com/Citristrip-Stripping-Gel-40-oz/dp/B0CL5JQCMS/ref=sr_1_1?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.L4aFMTKM-l0L0DFHTDqMC2ZYDtputCMpNs4dCPJjFgovy4R_KONbr6Ld8pPv2-4oBQl99ICqKetil7d8f4cBddeH-SoT2Tzt9OpGM_xmAnuVufb8CoWAAbTYGIdiCOoi4cGY6hOPknJdE4BljbCgsj1pGX3xVuvyUGgQKvkOBN_MZvPmb2T7JxhnS0TPqpARTH18FNvFqk-QDeweUIvdkJnZ4kcpiq3jh8dRCRUaPH26CQYLahcy-ehho1mmnQodDEpSV_IG2WF71dSFDafW7Ei4jV2bRVM_mTf05FEmlGA.wdz6VsMsAkHRLgDg3QkfPfC8J_9kDQv-C6vsoU_v5vc&dib_tag=se&hvadid=409958983132&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9032772&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=17316080882643228150&hvtargid=kwd-3185300130&hydadcr=24663_11410898&keywords=citrus+strip&qid=1730644733&sr=8-1

[CycleRanger]

Today's paint strippers have been neutered by the green people.  Basically, they suck now and don't work well.  The government removed Ethylene Chloride and MEK from the allowed formulas.  You can still buy these chemicals in gallon quantities.  This is what I do.  The Ethylene Chloride and MEK are quite nasty to use but they work well at most stripping projects.  They will eat up most gloves and will enter your body through the skin.  Very bad for the liver and other organs inside you.  Only use it outside and keep it off your skin. 
-P.

Methyl Ethyl Ketone is absolutely lethal, terrible stuff and should be regulated.
I bought a gallon a couple of years ago to assist in removal of a particularly stubborn failed tank liner.
Mostly because I was too impatient to let other, less lethal solvents do their work.
It cost about $70 and it did work but I don't think I'd do it again.

[HondaMan]

Thanks for all the advice!

Yep, MEK is one of my go-to strippers when I have had it. It is one of the components in the Aircraft Stripper, IIRC (my old can is gone). The issue with MEK is storage: it can eat at crimped joints (like on the square-ish cans it often comes in) by dissolving the non-rust coating and/or painted can surfaces, then the can leaks and the MEK gets away. That's just what happened with my last can of the Aircraft Stripper. My only MEK left is in a clear glass bottle with plastic cap and seal, about enough to do a model car.

DOT4 brake fluid? Seems to work when I don't want it to!

I've actually tried that on a CT70 frame: it seemed to work in a very hit-and-miss way, and the remaining paint wouldn't budge - until I bought my first can of Aircraft stripper (this must have been 15 years ago now?). I've noticed that it doesn't work on the areas that got the most heated, nearest the engine and exhaust pipe's mounts, like the cured-and-heated paint was tougher than the rest of it.

I think I'll try CycleRanger's Clean Strip next: I saw that in a store near me. I'll report back...

[CycleRanger]

The Klean Strip is cheap enough and available. I brush it on and let it soak a bit then hose it off with water and bit of wire brushing. Then re-apply and repeat.
Yes, MEK will corrode the metal can. I found that out too.

[Swoop]

How about brake fluid….always works on my paint when I don’t want it to…🤬

[MauiK3]

Any of the new strippers will be slower, a few actually work.

[denward17]

I'll let you know in a day or so....first step is sanding the finish a bit, I used 220 grit.

[denward17]

I started stripping the tank.

I first handed sanded with 220, then applied some stripper, not much paint coming off.
I then got the palm sander out with 100 grit, then re-applied some stripper, that seemed to help some.

This old Honda paint just doesn't want to come off, the 550 tank was much easier.

I'm letting the stripper soak for 30 minutes, then using a brass brush on it.

Will keep at it........

[RAFster122s]

Plastic wrap over your stripper helps with some strippers...slows any evaporation of solvents

[CycleRanger]

I think in the later years Honda moved away from the "candy" colors and went with a base coat/clear coat that might take a little more effort to remove.

[Flyin900]

I am curious as to the chemicals used in the Kleen Strip product to see how they compare to the ProForm product.

[MauiK3]

To get the best results with Citrus Strip I let it go over night. I cover the item to limit evaporation. As I mentioned, takes patience but it works.
The smell is even not bad, citrus of course.

[denward17]

Got it done, but used all of the quart of stripper, and could have used more on this K8 tank.

I probably could have used it better, not in direct sun light and using cellophane as a wrap.

But between the stripper and 100 grit palm sander, got it done.

[pjlogue]

Got it done, but used all of the quart of stripper, and could have used more on this K8 tank.

I probably could have used it better, not in direct sun light and using cellophane as a wrap.

But between the stripper and 100 grit palm sander, got it done.

Good job!  I'm in the process of restoring a caliper.  The aircraft stripper from 10 years ago would peel the snott out of a gorilla's nose in 15 seconds.  4 days of the new stuff and lots of wire brushing, flushing and reapplying the stripper is very frustrating.  I may end up using Horbor freight sand blaster and instead of sand us their coarse soda grit.  It is really messy and will destroy any greenery it lands on.  May try a large garbage bag to contain the dust. 

-P.