dave88sw Posted April 12, 2016 Share Posted April 12, 2016 Hi, i bought a rear ladder for my discovery from newbury, unfortunately, the plastic coating is coming away in a few areas but I thought it would be easy enough to scrape it off and give it a coat of paint. WRONG The plastic coating is tough as hell, i was getting nowhere with a nice sharp scraper. Gave up on that idea and have covered it in paint stripper (strong stuff, never failed before) and it's not touched it, not even softened it. Has anybody got any suggestions before i attack it with a flap wheel in the grinder? Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reb78 Posted April 12, 2016 Share Posted April 12, 2016 I've just had a mate sand blast a load of stuff for me. That got the plastic coating off! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maverik Posted April 12, 2016 Share Posted April 12, 2016 But if it's proper plasticoat my sand blaster man refuses to work on it, as it just blisters up. Best thing is heat and scraper... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eightpot Posted April 12, 2016 Share Posted April 12, 2016 My preference would be a polydisc in a grinder, won't clog up like a flapwheel and should flick it off pretty quick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowie69 Posted April 12, 2016 Share Posted April 12, 2016 Petrol + lighter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anderzander Posted April 13, 2016 Share Posted April 13, 2016 Chemical stripping can work, chap near me drops it in a big vat of nasty stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reb78 Posted April 13, 2016 Share Posted April 13, 2016 But if it's proper plasticoat my sand blaster man refuses to work on it, as it just blisters up. Best thing is heat and scraper... Interesting. My mate did my bull bar and side steps (along with the bulkhead). The side steps had a poor coat of something on them, the bull bar seemed to be properly coated though and but he didnt say he had an issue blasting it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffR Posted April 13, 2016 Share Posted April 13, 2016 Petrol + lighter Works for me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maverik Posted April 13, 2016 Share Posted April 13, 2016 Interesting. My mate did my bull bar and side steps (along with the bulkhead). The side steps had a poor coat of something on them, the bull bar seemed to be properly coated though and but he didnt say he had an issue blasting it. Could be dependant on media used, I'll ask them next time I'm in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les Henson Posted April 14, 2016 Share Posted April 14, 2016 Grit blasting generates heat so the plastic coating goes soft and is murder to get off. The time spent doing it will be expensive. Wire brushes, flap wheels, etc, will do the same thing. I did an A-bar once and just burned it off. Les Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snagger Posted April 14, 2016 Share Posted April 14, 2016 I used a heat gun and scraper - the trick is to get it hot enough to weaken but not hot enough to start melting; don't let it blister. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anderzander Posted April 14, 2016 Share Posted April 14, 2016 The chap I mentioned said the same - which is why he chemical strips it. Grit blasting generates heat so the plastic coating goes soft and is murder to get off. The time spent doing it will be expensive. Wire brushes, flap wheels, etc, will do the same thing. I did an A-bar once and just burned it off. Les Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonr Posted April 15, 2016 Share Posted April 15, 2016 Notwithstanding environmental concerns - but burning it off works pretty well. Once it's charred, a sander / brushwheel etc will take it off easily. Don't let it get hot enough for the steel to deform (by, for example sticking it in a bonfire). A blow lamp works OK though. Si Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave88sw Posted April 17, 2016 Author Share Posted April 17, 2016 Thanks guys (sorry it took so long to respond, just got home from a stag weekend) Sounds like, without resorting to buying extra kit, my best bet is to get the blowlamp on it (although i might try the heat gun and scraper idea first). I'll let you know how i get on Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
landrovermanuk Posted April 22, 2016 Share Posted April 22, 2016 Caustic soda will get most stuff off... You should be able to find a local company locally... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave1607 Posted April 22, 2016 Share Posted April 22, 2016 I had the same problem with a NAS tow step, the powder coaters advised chucking it in a fire as he wouldn't be able to blast it off. I had some Paint Panther paint stripper from Toolstation lying around so gave that a go and it worked ok, took ages as you have to do it a layer at a time (e.g. it wont do the full thickness in one go) and it's very awkward in fiddly areas but it got most of it off. Did the rest with a wire brush in a grinder. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boris113 Posted April 22, 2016 Share Posted April 22, 2016 I tried stripper, thinners, sand paper and flap wheels on an old roll cage and it didn't seem to work too well. Now I tend to throw things on the bonfire (albeit not hot enough to damage the metalwork) then go over the items with a twist cup on the grinder, it seems to remove most paint/powdercoating. For small items I use waste DOT4 applied with a paint brush and left for 24 hours then a wire brush. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave88sw Posted April 24, 2016 Author Share Posted April 24, 2016 In the end, i actually found, if you applied enough paint stripper (3 or 4 goes), although it didn't bubble up as paint would, it softened it up nicely, i could then peel it off with a scraper. I did also wave the heat gun around it at the same time so maybe a combination of things? Either way i wouldn't like to do anything bigger! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oppositelock Posted April 25, 2016 Share Posted April 25, 2016 I don't know why some people think plastic powder coating is a good idea because if a knock or scratch penetrates it, water gets in and the metal underneath rusts and lifts the coating. Good quality painting is a much better answer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
landroversforever Posted April 25, 2016 Share Posted April 25, 2016 I don't know why some people think plastic powder coating is a good idea because if a knock or scratch penetrates it, water gets in and the metal underneath rusts and lifts the coating. Good quality painting is a much better answer. Its the same with both, good quality powder coating should also not lift. Paint will lift in just the same way if water and rust gets under it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stobbie Posted May 11, 2016 Share Posted May 11, 2016 put in in a pyrolyse oven.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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