Opinions on Brake Fluid as Paint Remover.

[Dan/Panther]

I think I read somewhere here about using Brake fluid to remove paint from a WE repainted shell.  Does this work for soft and hard plastic as well, or just for hard. What cautions should be followed ?
D/P

[Dennis Markham]

Dan, I heard about using brake fluid also, several years ago.  I tried it on two hard plastic handset caps.  I put the parts in a plastic bag (I think I was following the directions someone posted somewhere---I don't recall the source) and covered them in brake fluid.  I let them sit for a while until the liquid started turning red and the parts turned white.  The paint I was trying to remove was red paint atop a red handset.  It ruined the caps.  I could not get the color back.  I scrapped the idea.  That doesn't mean I didn't do something wrong or it wouldn't work on soft plastic, but I'm not trying that again.

[dsk]

I will not try, but spilling break fluid on a painted car may cause dissolving the paint, and making it difficult to repaint. The oil may dissolve some plastics and bakelite too.

dsk

[Dan/Panther]

Thank guys, so much for that idea...
D/P

[AET]

I know there is no paint on the inside of my master cylinder...

[McHeath]

About 20 years ago I was rebuilding the brakes on my VW bug and was getting my hands soaked in brake cleaner all day.  I had about 5 or 6 warts at that time on my hands, some fairly large, and by the end of the day they all hurt from the soaking and were white and flaky looking.  Well, in a few days they all fell off and never came back.  Not sure that's a good way to get rid of warts, but it was a good by product of that brake job.

[bwanna]

have not ever used brake fluid as a cleaner. but the SO is always telling "brake fluid is what you need to use."     next time he says that i will tell him to go soak that wart on his hand

i would maybe try rubbing paint off with a rag & the brake fluid. just my .02cents

[Greg G.]

About 20 years ago I was rebuilding the brakes on my VW bug and was getting my hands soaked in brake cleaner all day.  I had about 5 or 6 warts at that time on my hands, some fairly large, and by the end of the day they all hurt from the soaking and were white and flaky looking.  Well, in a few days they all fell off and never came back.  Not sure that's a good way to get rid of warts, but it was a good by product of that brake job.

Reminds me of the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding, remember the guy who used Windex for every skin ailment?

[bushman]

     I know years ago when I was turning wrenches at the dealership, I had a bad experience. I was running late on a brake job, and had just got done bleeding the brakes. I was using my Makita flashlight, and just threw it on my cart. It was Friday and I was late for an after work appt. I came back in Monday morning, figuring on cleaning up my tools before I got started. I grabbed my flashlight and it crumbled in my hands, leaving me standing there holding my battery. Ever since then I try not to get brake fluid on any of the plastics.

Bushman

[bingster]

You might also try Dawn Power Dissolver to remove the paint.  I accidentally discovered it's paint removal properties when I cleaned the buildup of ear grease off a red six-hole receiver cap.  It got rid of the gunk instantly without harming the plastic.  Of course, it also instantly removed the painted date on the inside, but still... no harm to the plastic.

[rp2813]

I have found that it doesn't take much at all to remove the vermillion date paint on WECo phone components.  Long ago I got a drop of something (can't recall what anymore) on a 10/56 dial and the date smeared away instantly.  I used a red pencil to write 10/56 on it again, but it hardly looks like an official WECo date next to that faint orange smear, and I'll never know for sure but I presume it's a 7C or D.  At the time, I thought only recording the date mattered.