Thumpic

Does anyone have a good technique for removing consumer applied paint to a factory finish? This Raleigh appears to have been sponged with black paint over a factory applied blue.

ideas for removing just the black?

https://s246.photobucket.com/user/thu...tery%20Raleigh

Thanks,,,

Germany_chris

heat gun?

Velognome 

Try to determine the type of paint used. I've used these 3 methods with mixed results For latex, something like Oops or Goof Off may soften it enough. I've removed a non-baked enamel finish once by softening it was a paste made of warm laundry detergent and then scaped it off carefully with an old credit card. ( don't let the paste linger too long, you only want to soften one layer of paint). Also, light machine oil and a combination of a bronze wool pad ( not steel or SOS) and a scotch bright pad (be careful with the pad) to abraid some overpaint, while it worked, it left the original finish hazed by a miriad of fine scratches. Good luck! If you don't heAr from Ftwelder and rhm, PM them, they both have posted bikes with great finish restorations. I think the rule of thumb is GO SLOW, DO LITTLE, BE GENTLE.

Hudson308 

If you're lucky enough that the black is rattle can lacquer, you may be able to take it off with quick swipes of lacquer thinner on a paper towel. The factory finishes are usually baked acrylic enamel, urethane or powder coat, all of which should hold up to light exposure to lacquer thinner. Just don't let the thinner sit on the paint, and don't try to completely remove everything at once in one area. Take a light swipe and let that area dry for an hour while moving on to another. This won't work if the overspray is enamel. On another note, I've had decent luck removing the hazing that Velognome described with a 3-bottle product called Novus, available at some Ace Hardware stores. It was originally developed for polishing plexiglass fighter plane canopies, but works great on well-cured paint or powdercoat as well.