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Success Stories If you have successfully repaired or restored a piece of equipment, why not write up what you did and post details here. Particularly if it was interesting, unusual or challenging. PLEASE DO NOT POST REQUESTS FOR HELP HERE!

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Old 11th Apr 2020, 1:09 am   #1
Bazz4CQJ
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Default Windscreen de-icer; a very gentle paint remover ??

I had been using an aerosol paint spray, and on account of my age, I managed to get some of it on to the front of a panel meter . That was made of the sort of crystal-clear plastic which really does not like solvents and I knew not to use anything other than IPA on it. However, initial efforts to remove the over-spray got nowhere.

For reasons I cannot remember, I picked up bottle of Halfords concentrated windscreen de-icer (blue-coloured stuff, with a trigger type pump), sprayed the meter generously and left it with the front horizontal. I expected to come back and find it quite dry, with the liquid evaporated, but in fact came back much later to find a kind of greasy layer, and a little rubbing got a rid of a few spots of paint. I kept this going for about 2 days, and I've got all the paint off.

Now, the paint was just specs rather than a coating, but it was a primer paint so should have stuck well. It didn't dissolve, but lost its adhesion. The de-icer just admits to containing nothing more than enough IPA to stop freezing down to -20'C. However, I'm sure I've heard suggestions in the past that such mixtures may contain a trace of glycerol, and I guess that (glycerol or something like that) has the effect of keeping some IPA on the surface continuously, and possibly also has some effect on the paint itself?

Whatever the case, this an example of a very vulnerable plastic slowly being cleaned using a particular windscreen de-icer. Interesting, but proceed with care cleaning your plastics.

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Old 11th Apr 2020, 7:40 am   #2
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Default Re: Windscreen de-icer; a very gentle paint remover ??

If it was a paint stripper that worked on spray paint formulations, then it might not be too good for its primary purpose. Perhaps the alcohol in it affected the plastic substrate? This fits with the specs seeming to have floated off of the surface they were on.

David
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Old 11th Apr 2020, 3:21 pm   #3
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Default Re: Windscreen de-icer; a very gentle paint remover ??

Take my word for it that the meter cover is still crystal clear. The specs of paint don't float off, they still need quite a lot of sidewards force to shear them off.

Considering how my heart sank when I first saw what had happened, I'm really pleased with the final outcome. Of course, leaving the process to proceed for 2 days makes all the difference, and I really like to know what it is in the de-icer that leaves the 'greasy' film behind.

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Old 11th Apr 2020, 4:59 pm   #4
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Default Re: Windscreen de-icer; a very gentle paint remover ??

Was the spray paint cellulose or acryllic? I don't use acryllic but I know that meths softens emulsion paint but doesn't touch oil-based paint.
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Old 11th Apr 2020, 6:12 pm   #5
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Default Re: Windscreen de-icer; a very gentle paint remover ??

The paint was a make called Canbrush, specifically in this instance, a high-build primer with a semi-matt finish, but I have no more specific info on it. It's very durable paint and is "petrol-resistant" (a subjective term!). I was using it on the tank of a Qualcast mower.

Since my first post, I've also had the de-icer work well on a drill gauge that was also affected by specs of overspray. I think the numbers on that are etched in the steel, but I was still a little cautious about using strong solvents on it, just in case they are not.

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Old 12th Apr 2020, 7:24 am   #6
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Default Re: Windscreen de-icer; a very gentle paint remover ??

I took a look at the SDS for the Halford's product and it says it can contain up to 5% ethylene glycol, which has a boiling point of 197'C, so that would help to identify the non-volatile greasy substance. There also up to 5% methanol in there too.

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