Removing "Aftermarket" Paint

[Coyote]

So my neighbor told one of his friends I am interested in fixing up old bikes and he dug
an old Stingray (1966) frame out of his basement that I could have as long as I brought
it back and showed him once the resto was complete.
Problem is one of his kids had spraybombed it back in the day and covered up the
original paint and some bare spots.

Does anyone have any recommendations as to how to remove the old paint without
stripping the original Schwinn paint?
I know their paint is pretty darn durable and I was able to clear a test spot with some
Aircraft Stripper with success.
Any experts have a better method?
I don't mind if it's tedious, just don't want to mung up the original paint in the process.
Thanks!

 

[Freqman1]

Take a look here https://thecabe.com/forum/threads/house-paint-removal.191889/#post-1299052

 

[Coyote]

Alright, thanks!
I will get some Goof-Off and give it a try.

 

[tacochris]

Alright, thanks!
I will get some Goof-Off and give it a try.

I know Freq probably got you covered on this one but I would like to chime in because Ive got extensive experience in this department and you mentioned "durable" in regards to the overpaint.

My method is as follows and its never failed me:
Aerosol aircraft stripper
4/0 steel wool
Soft bristle brush for delicate spots
bucket of warm water
water hose or quick water source for dilution.

Directions
Do a test spot first, generally the bottom of the chain stay or bottom bracket so if you mess up its not visible
Spray the stripper on a spot no bigger than you can handle at one time, count to 5 or 10 (depending on paint response), scrub with medium pressure with the steel wool.
When you feel you have removed as much as EASILY will come off without pressing too hard, IMMEDIATELY dilute the spot with the regular water making sure you remove all stripper solution and make sure you put your steel wool back in the bucket to keep it diluted for the most part.
This formula and its time frames depends heavily on the repaint as some will fall off and some will take a few rounds.
Repeat this all over the bike, being very careful to always dilute and never try to force the repaint off. If the spot is stubborn, move around so you dont focus too much
Leave any tiny spots, or fog of repaint alone as its too risky and you can remove those spots when you cut and buff the original paint at the end. Or use rubbing compound later for those.

TIPS
When you see a good section of original paint, STOP and move over and leave the "fine tuning" till the end and handle that with more localized care.
Do NOT force the repaint off as it will destroy the original paint underneath with each gouge.
If there are multiple layers, focus on one layer at a time as rushing will cause greater issues
If you see original paint thinning, move to another spot.
If you see pinstriping, be VERY careful as that stuff will disappear with great ease before you even know it, some with one wipe
Take your time, dont get frustrated and let it sit for a day or two if you find it gets too much

Ive done two complete vehicles, alot of car parts, countless bikes, signs, toys etc. This is my own personal proven method.

 

[Junkman Bob]

Is the Aircraft stripper readily available at your local Hardware stores by chance ??

Bob

 

[tacochris]

Is the Aircraft stripper readily available at your local Hardware stores by chance ??

Bob

I get mine from Orielly or Autozone pretty easily. About 6-7 bucks a can and a pretty decent size can. Should do 2 bikes depending on how good ya are with it.

 

[Junkman Bob]

Thanks For the Info Chris … would a soft bristle toothbrush help as you mentioned …

 

[tacochris]

Thanks For the Info Chris … would a soft bristle toothbrush help as you mentioned …

A soft bristle brush is really for areas like frame joints and frame transitions so you dont destroy the nearby paint trying to weasel your fingers in the tight spaces.
This method is highly dependent on the nature and thickness of the repaint in question. Some thick, sun-baked repaints cant take 5-6 rounds of the method and weeks off your life....and some repaints literally fall off with the water hose pressure once stripper is applied. Generally the tougher ones are vehicles since they see so much sun. Ive only had one bike that really ate my lunch and it was due to having 6 layers of repaints. Took me an entire evening...Lol

 

[SirMike1983]

This is one of the most miserable jobs in bike repair. I'd rather deal with oil and grease than stripper, gloves, masks, etc. But sometimes, you have to do what you have to do, as they say. You'll want a pair of heavy rubber gloves, lots of paper towels, rags, and bronze wool to get started. Also use a mask if working indoors. The question then is what kind of paint is it, and what chemicals are available to you readily.

I've used Goof Off and Xylene to strip housepaint (separately - don't mix them). They take a fair amount of wiping and work, but eventually get there. Work slowly and check the rag for the color on it. Obviously spray/house paint color is good, and original paint color on the rag is bad.

I found that oven cleaner spray is more difficult because it's heavily dependent on the type of spray (organic/eco-friendly versus old school) and the amount of time the spray is present. It's really, really easy to ruin the original paint with oven spray if you leave it on for too long. I won't use this method any more.

I've used acetone on heavy spray paint, and it worked similar to the Goof Off, though tended to evaporate faster.

Recently, I've been using old-school, True Value "Stripz 'Em" stripper. It's especially effective on spray paint. I wipe a little on a rag, and then just quickly wipe the areas of spray paint. It comes off in 1-2 passes and leaves the original paint. It absolutely will pull the original paint off as well if you use too much or just leave it on too long, but a quick wipe or two and off the spray paint goes. You don't paint this stuff on your frame, rather it's a rag and wipe method, but seems to work substantially faster than Goof Off, Xylene, or Acetone. I have no idea if it is still sold. The can I have dates to the late 1980s and still has not run out.

Remember to properly dispose of the rags when done; they are quite flammable.

Do not mix solvents because you don't know for sure how they will react. Do not expose solvents to heat, the gas products can be harmful or lethal.

 

[nick tures]

thanks for the helpful info this seems like it will work good, i am going to try it next time i get a painted bike