MG TD TF 1500 Another paint remover BBS discussion at MG-Cars.net

MG TD TF 1500 - Another paint remover

I have been using the paint stripping pads with good success, but today, i went back to an old method I have used in the past to remove paint. This is a Lye tank. Lye and water with a burner under it. It runs about 30 to 40 dollars for the lye if you buy it at the hardware store (100% lye drain cleaner), but you can buy it in bulk on ebay for a lot less. I use 10 cans in a 50 gallon drum. I like this because I can just set it up, put the parts in and do other things. It comes out totally without paint. But be careful as it will eat up aluinum. When the part comes out, I use muratic acid to neutralze it. This also removes any rust from parts that stick out of the tub. There is one big caution with this. You need to wear a face shield, goggles and long sleeves/gloves, the Lye will damage skin and destroy eyes if it gets on or into them. When done, you can seal the drum and use it later, or you can use the muratic acid to neutralize the lye. I use a swimming pool pH tester to get it to pH 7. Nice thing about using Muratic acid is you end up with salt water as the final result. I strain out the paint gunk and dump the water on our property. No environmental issues.

Bruce Cunha

Might I suggest that you look into "Electrolytic Cleaning" In this process you use a tank of electrolyte. You make the part to be cleaned the Cathode (Negative lead), You arrange a set or series of anodes around the part,(Positive Lead) and you apply a voltage, about 12 Volts is Good. The current flow causes the paint (and grease and oil and plating) to lose its bond and fall into the tank or collect on the anode. It also removes rust by converting it back into iron. The most common electrolyte is "Washing Soda" commonly used to assist in cleaning clothes. (Sodium Carbonate). Available at most Supermarkets. Anodes are not critical, but Lead Plates are good but no longer available. I have used old Cast iron window sash weights. Sheet steel is also usable, but expect erosion. CI and Steel will need periodic cleaning. Avoid Stainless. This can erode and cause a very bad TriValent chrome solution in the electrolyte. This should not be dumped anywhere. The attached picture shows my last tank. I am using Carbon plates, for the anodes, about 12" by 10" by 1/2" thick. The red arrows point to the anodes. The green arrow is pointing to a side screen Frame. It was being striped 1/2 at a time. The board across the top, has tow cleats and restrains the electrolyte from fracturing the sides. It can also be used to hold parts to be cleaned. The second picture shows a basket of bolts, being leaned, in a shop made conductive basket. I have used this system for over 16 years now with excellent results. It is safe for Steel, brass, bronze and aluminum. The one difference in mine is using TSP (Tri-Sodium-Phospate) as the electrolyte. Trisodium phosphate is the inorganic compound with the chemical formula Na3PO4. It is a white, granular or crystalline solid, highly soluble in water, producing an alkaline solution. TSP is used as a cleaning agent, builder, lubricant, food additive, stain remover, and degreaser. The item of commerce is often partially hydrated and may range from anhydrous Na3PO4 to the dodecahydrate Na3PO4 • 12H2O. This is now getting hard to find, but paint stores usually still carry it. Do nit use TSP substitute. I once worked in a small company which had a plating shop. Everything went into a similar tank, for cleaning, prior to cleaning. I use an old 12 battery charger. New ones may not work since they don't see a proper charging load, but if you insert a Battery in parallel it will trick the supply into working. If you do use a battery also fuse the line. Batteries have huge current capability, and you will, invariably get a short some day. You need at least a 10 Amp charger. Its is a slow process but it requires little attention. After striping, just rinse in water and blow dry. However immediately protect the part. The process has stripped all moisture protection and it will rust instantly. The old paint and grease will form a sludge on the bottom. Treat it with respect. There could be Lead residue in it. Jim B.

JA Benjamin

This thread was discussed between 30/08/2020 and 01/09/2020

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