ItsaBass
New member
Re: stripping MIM poly..
I think I can see three seam lines on mine, just barely, so that's four pieces. That don't matter none to me, as I have a metallic color. It doesn't look too hot on a sunburst, though.
P.S. People will say that no stripper works on poly, but it ain't true. The stuff I got at the local hardware store works fine. I'd never sand the stuff off. I don't want fine plastic dust all over the place, in my pores, ears, eyes, and lungs, or in the soil in my yard. With stripper you get a big messy pile on some newspapers, which you let dry and then take to a haz-mat roundup site. Much easier to get perfect quality results, and much cleaner IMO.
You want a stripper with methylene chloride in it. Be sure to read the precautions about that chemical here and take safety measures when working with it: http://woodzone.com/Merchant2/articles/paint_stripper.htm.
"MC = Methylene Chloride
Methylene Chloride is one of the oldest and most common solvents used in paint and varnish strippers. Although MC is non-flammable it is also toxic and a suspected carcinogen. It metabolizes in the blood to form carbon monoxide. This causes the heart to pump harder and can trigger heart attacks in people with existing heart conditions. For this reason, if you have a heart condition, avoid using a paint remover with MC as a listed ingredient.
"MC based strippers are available in different strengths and consistencies. Liquid and semi-paste are the most common consistencies. The semi-paste stripper is often used for vertical objects where the stripper needs to cling to the paint. The solvents in these strippers evaporate very quickly so paraffin wax is added to help slow evaporation. The wax will rise to the surface and help form a protective skin. Disturbing the wax skin will cause solvents to escape and weaken the stripper.
"Alkali fortified MC is often used in "marine grade" finish removers and are available at most marine supply store. Alkali fortified MC strippers are effective on tougher coatings such as epoxy and polyester. They are more expensive and hazardous to work with so additional care should be taken when selecting and using these stripping agents.
"Note: The waxes used in MC based strippers must be removed from the wood before refinishing. Failure to thoroughly remove the wax may cause interference with the new finish. A clean cloth and solvent such as naphtha, lacquer thinner, or alcohol should be used to remove the wax residue left behind when the stripper is removed."
In short: It's potentially nasty stuff, but it works, and it is nothing that you can't use safely at home.
I think I can see three seam lines on mine, just barely, so that's four pieces. That don't matter none to me, as I have a metallic color. It doesn't look too hot on a sunburst, though.
P.S. People will say that no stripper works on poly, but it ain't true. The stuff I got at the local hardware store works fine. I'd never sand the stuff off. I don't want fine plastic dust all over the place, in my pores, ears, eyes, and lungs, or in the soil in my yard. With stripper you get a big messy pile on some newspapers, which you let dry and then take to a haz-mat roundup site. Much easier to get perfect quality results, and much cleaner IMO.
You want a stripper with methylene chloride in it. Be sure to read the precautions about that chemical here and take safety measures when working with it: http://woodzone.com/Merchant2/articles/paint_stripper.htm.
"MC = Methylene Chloride
Methylene Chloride is one of the oldest and most common solvents used in paint and varnish strippers. Although MC is non-flammable it is also toxic and a suspected carcinogen. It metabolizes in the blood to form carbon monoxide. This causes the heart to pump harder and can trigger heart attacks in people with existing heart conditions. For this reason, if you have a heart condition, avoid using a paint remover with MC as a listed ingredient.
"MC based strippers are available in different strengths and consistencies. Liquid and semi-paste are the most common consistencies. The semi-paste stripper is often used for vertical objects where the stripper needs to cling to the paint. The solvents in these strippers evaporate very quickly so paraffin wax is added to help slow evaporation. The wax will rise to the surface and help form a protective skin. Disturbing the wax skin will cause solvents to escape and weaken the stripper.
"Alkali fortified MC is often used in "marine grade" finish removers and are available at most marine supply store. Alkali fortified MC strippers are effective on tougher coatings such as epoxy and polyester. They are more expensive and hazardous to work with so additional care should be taken when selecting and using these stripping agents.
"Note: The waxes used in MC based strippers must be removed from the wood before refinishing. Failure to thoroughly remove the wax may cause interference with the new finish. A clean cloth and solvent such as naphtha, lacquer thinner, or alcohol should be used to remove the wax residue left behind when the stripper is removed."
In short: It's potentially nasty stuff, but it works, and it is nothing that you can't use safely at home.
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