Model Railroading > I just destroyed my tender shell for a new BLI engine. replacemen

I just destroyed a brand new BLI heavy mike tender.  I was trying to strip the paint and I guess I used too much thinner and I melted the plastic.  Does anyone know where I can get a replacement tender shell or does anyone have one I could buy?

Try BLI.

Thinner will generally melt plastic thought that people used auto brake fluid on them. Never tried it but think the person who said contact BLI might have the answer.

I just put in a request to BLI.

I looked up online how to remove paint on a plastic model and someone said Lacquer thinner.  It worked great at first, but then suddenly things went all wrong, (only on one side).  I left the chemecal on it while I worked on the other side, and when I turned it around the plastic was melting.

steam290 Wrote:
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> I just destroyed a brand new BLI heavy mike
> tender.  I was trying to strip the paint and I
> guess I used too much thinner and I melted the
> plastic.  Does anyone know where I can get a
> replacement tender shell or does anyone have one I
> could buy?

I noticed there was a used one on fleabay. 

steam290 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I just put in a request to BLI.
>
> I looked up online how to remove paint on a
> plastic model and someone said Lacquer thinner. 

NOOOOOOO!!!! (As you found out.) Lacquer thinner removes paint from metal (such as brass) and dissolves plastic. (In a pinch you can use it as a plastic cement.) Automotive brake fluid, 90% isopropyl alcohol, and I've heard Pine Sol work on plastics.

I remove paint with 91% isopropyl alcohol. Its pretty gentile on the plastics.

I'm going to bid on it.  Hopefully I can aquire it and I'll have solved my problem

Cupolau Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> steam290 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I just destroyed a brand new BLI heavy mike
> > tender.  I was trying to strip the paint and I
> > guess I used too much thinner and I melted the
> > plastic.  Does anyone know where I can get a
> > replacement tender shell or does anyone have one
> I
> > could buy?
>
> I noticed there was a used one on fleabay. 

 Be carefull with brake fluid. Different types react differently with different types of plastic. I learned the hard way that brake fluid doesn't like whatever plastic Spectrum GP30's were made of.

Doug Wetherhold
Macungie, PA

ALCO630 Wrote:
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>  Be carefull with brake fluid. Different types
> react differently with different types of plastic.

Yes, sometimes if you leave the shell in too long it'll get brittle.

Stick to 91% isopropyl alc. I've used it on plastic and brass models without damage.

Better luck next time!

Posted from Android

Switch from steam to diesels! LOL!

No seriously though I have used the 91 % Isopropyl alcohol. Works great!

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?3,3456911,3456911#msg-3456911

Jim

I've used brake fluid back in the 60's and recently used 91% alchol on an Atlas shell. Worked very good. Don't ever use lacquer thinner on plastic, it will destroy the plastic. It makes a good cement for plastic not stripping -paint from plastic.

Stanley Jackowski
Valrico, FL

Pine Sol turned my P2K GP18 paint removal project into a lump of soft plastic - don't use it !   There is a product called "Chameleon" that is a safe paint stripper for plastics - I have used it many times with good results.  You can re-use it many times before it weakens & needs to be replaced.

No chance!! Haha. My layout is 100% steam

tq-07fan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Switch from steam to diesels! LOL!
>
> No seriously though I have used the 91 % Isopropyl
> alcohol. Works great!
>
> http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?3,3
> 456911,3456911#msg-3456911
>
> Jim

Posted from iPhone

And seems people dont like ebay, well gee too bad go find another place for hard to get items. Yup found my oil tender shell there about six months ago for my Lionel HO 3985 amazing was trying to figure out how to change it from coal. Also bought a Harbor Freight mini media blaster havent used it yet uses baking soda.
-------------------------------------------------------
> I'm going to bid on it.  Hopefully I can aquire
> it and I'll have solved my problem
>
> Cupolau Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > steam290 Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > I just destroyed a brand new BLI heavy mike
> > > tender.  I was trying to strip the paint and
> I
> > > guess I used too much thinner and I melted
> the
> > > plastic.  Does anyone know where I can get a
> > > replacement tender shell or does anyone have
> one
> > I
> > > could buy?
> >
> > I noticed there was a used one on fleabay. 

ALCO630 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>  Be carefull with brake fluid. Different types
> react differently with different types of plastic.
> I learned the hard way that brake fluid doesn't
> like whatever plastic Spectrum GP30's were made
> of.

I destroyed a Stewart F7 with brake fluid.  Got brittle and then just disintegrated. 

NYSWSD70M Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ALCO630 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> >  Be carefull with brake fluid. Different types
> > react differently with different types of
> plastic.
> > I learned the hard way that brake fluid doesn't
> > like whatever plastic Spectrum GP30's were made
> > of.
>
> I destroyed a Stewart F7 with brake fluid.  Got
> brittle and then just disintegrated. 

Brake fluid was great for stripping paint from the older plactic shells from the 60's - 70's when the shells had thicker and harder plastic, not so today!

Scalecoat paint remover. Non-toxic and easy on plactic.

steam290 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I just put in a request to BLI.
>
> I looked up online how to remove paint on a
> plastic model and someone said Lacquer thinner. 
> It worked great at first, but then suddenly things
> went all wrong, (only on one side).  I left the
> chemecal on it while I worked on the other side,
> and when I turned it around the plastic was
> melting.

To others reading this NEVER use laquer thinner or other such things to remove paint on plastic models....brass or metal models....fine....but plastic....big no-no.....that is in fact a plastic solvent. 

Bob