ThreeSheds Posted September 18, 2007 Share Posted September 18, 2007 Hi, I have a rather sad NATO hitch that has seen 'a few' coats of NATO green in it's time and I am looking to clean it up a bit. Functionally it is fine, but looks a mess. So I was wondering - what is the best way of removing this paint? I was thinking a bucket of Nitromors, but don't want to shell-out if it is perhaps some kind of special stuff that paint stripper won't touch.. Any suggestions would be welcome please? TwoSheds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
russ3120 Posted September 18, 2007 Share Posted September 18, 2007 the old wire brush on a drill works for me, or the wire brush attachment for an angle grinder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swanny Posted September 18, 2007 Share Posted September 18, 2007 we used to use paint striper or burn it off worked well when we we petrel bombed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest diesel_jim Posted September 18, 2007 Share Posted September 18, 2007 Wheni rebuilt a couple last year, i just stripped them right down to their component parts and took the box of bits to a local shot blaster. think it was £10 or £15, but they came back like new (they also prime the parts for nothing, so they don't start rusting straight away), for £15 it's definately worth it, as they get into all the little nooks and crannies that you'll never get to with a wire brush. I then hung all the bits up and gave them several (about 7 or 8!) coats of black aerosol gloss black. bought some new pins and the clips from Dixon Bate (about £20 worth all told) fan-dabby-tastic! too bloomin nice to use now! they're wrapped in bubble wrap stashed away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThreeSheds Posted September 18, 2007 Author Share Posted September 18, 2007 Wheni rebuilt a couple last year, i just stripped them right down to their component parts and took the box of bits to a local shot blaster.think it was £10 or £15, but they came back like new (they also prime the parts for nothing, so they don't start rusting straight away), for £15 it's definately worth it, as they get into all the little nooks and crannies that you'll never get to with a wire brush. I then hung all the bits up and gave them several (about 7 or 8!) coats of black aerosol gloss black. bought some new pins and the clips from Dixon Bate (about £20 worth all told) fan-dabby-tastic! too bloomin nice to use now! they're wrapped in bubble wrap stashed away. WoW! If' mine comes out looking half as good as that I'll be delighted! Shot-blasting it is then! Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest WALFY Posted September 18, 2007 Share Posted September 18, 2007 Jamie You should know better than to paint recovery/towing equipment!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
callum Posted September 18, 2007 Share Posted September 18, 2007 i thought you were talking about panels at first, but noted that its just the hitch. if it was the former, i would have suggested nuclear force. nato paint is one of the more resiliant substances i have come across. it has killed maybe 3 or 4 of my sanders just trying to get a smooth finish. it also consumed ridiculous quantities of sandpaper and even proved quite resistant to nitromors, which would tend to shift paint from only certain parts, where presumabley the paint was not applied so well. blow torch removed paint, but didn't do the aluminium too much good and whilst the flap disc could remove the paint, it also left my panels somewhat pock marked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
russ3120 Posted September 18, 2007 Share Posted September 18, 2007 see squaddies can paint things well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThreeSheds Posted September 19, 2007 Author Share Posted September 19, 2007 i thought you were talking about panels at first, but noted that its just the hitch. if it was the former, i would have suggested nuclear force. nato paint is one of the more resiliant substances i have come across. it has killed maybe 3 or 4 of my sanders just trying to get a smooth finish. it also consumed ridiculous quantities of sandpaper and even proved quite resistant to nitromors, which would tend to shift paint from only certain parts, where presumabley the paint was not applied so well. blow torch removed paint, but didn't do the aluminium too much good and whilst the flap disc could remove the paint, it also left my panels somewhat pock marked. Yes - this is what I was worried about - spending on chemicals and/or consumables and still ending up with paint in all the crooks and nannies Knowing my luck though I be the best quote I can get for shot blasting is higher than the hitch cost in the first place... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les Henson Posted September 19, 2007 Share Posted September 19, 2007 I stripped mine and cleaned it with a wire brush in an electric drill/ angle grinder. Yellow is soooo this year Les. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest WALFY Posted September 19, 2007 Share Posted September 19, 2007 Yellow maybe this year but it's still dangerous Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les Henson Posted September 19, 2007 Share Posted September 19, 2007 Isn't a NATO hook rated to 50-odd tons or something? I can't see how it would suffer anything near that kind of strain on a Land Rover. Unless of course I had to give Nige a tow Les. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest WALFY Posted September 19, 2007 Share Posted September 19, 2007 It's all to do with H &S now. Metal fatigue producing hairline cracks blah blah blah. The usual rubbish. It's the same reason why you can't buy painted ladders now. Either ali or plain wood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest diesel_jim Posted September 19, 2007 Share Posted September 19, 2007 It's all to do with H &S now. Metal fatigue producing hairline cracks blah blah blah. The usual rubbish. It's the same reason why you can't buy painted ladders now. Either ali or plain wood. Don't they come in brown primer from the manufacturers? or is that a special paint. I've seen (and i suspect Walfy has) hitches bent outwards. even the bigger ones that are fitted to tanks, god knows what they've been pulling, but the lower hook bit bent out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimAttrill Posted September 19, 2007 Share Posted September 19, 2007 Next thing you won't be able to paint cars. That would keep the manufacturers very happy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Posted September 19, 2007 Share Posted September 19, 2007 Brand new ones are supplied in what appears to be red oxide primer, well the ones supplied to JCB do anyway Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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