Paint strippers for powder-coated items

[mangocrazy]

I've had a set of motorbike bars powder coated and now find that I can't get them to fit in the bar clamps. In the past I've used Nitromors to remove excess powder coating, but the latest generation of paint strippers are atrocious and scarcely fit for purpose (thankyou Mr. EU - not...)

I bought some Wickes 'green' paint stripper and it didn't even touch the powder coating. I've now ordered some Sodium Hydroxide pellets and intend to make up my own caustic soda solution and see if that works any better.

Anyone got any other things to try?

 

[Chipper]

Hog out the clamps a bit? Done that before a time or two, there's usually enough meat before you get close to bolt holes etc.

 

[mangocrazy]

The clamps are anodised aluminium, so I'm a bit reluctant to go a-reaming away...

 

[rtbcomp]

Atlas-T from a firm called Eurochem (Northern) Ltd.

I've shifted powder coating in my meth chloride bath, but it's not the best stuff.

Caustic soda will eat aluminium.

 

[triumph]

o eck don,t bring ally and soda together its will destroy it,

 

[mangocrazy]

No, the powder-coated bars are steel. It's the clamps that are aluminium, and the caustic soda won't be going anywhere near that...

 

[rtbcomp]

Give Jason at Absolutely Scooters 0114 276 0508 a ring, I think he uses Atlas-T to strip powder coating off scooter bits. He probably dunk them for a small consideration.

 

[mangocrazy]

Give Jason at Absolutely Scooters 0114 276 0508 a ring, I think he uses Atlas-T to strip powder coating off scooter bits. He probably dunk them for a small consideration.

Thanks Roger. The only problem is that I just need a small section of the coating removing. Most of it needs to stay on. I was going to mask off the bits I wanted to stay coated and paint on some solution to remove the bit I wanted removing, but it doesn't sound as simple as that.

Eurochem have told me their minimum order quantity of Atlas T is 5 litres, so perhaps Jason can sell me 100ml or similar...

 

[rtbcomp]

It's probably not suitable for brushing because I believe it's very volatile. It'll probably evaporate before it soaks in.

 

[Qwertyco]

There was a product called 'BJ Stripper' that did this a few years ago.

I never had any luck finding a supplier, as it always came up as blocked websites on the company computer, for some strange reason.

 

[Chipper]

Frost do a powdercoat stripper, not used it though, but trying to strip a narrow band seems iffy. Bare steel will rust in time, prob creep under the powder edge? Paint won't stand the clamps.
Suppose opening the clamp recesses might show slightly though unless the anodizing is a pale colour. Last ones I did only really needed the "width" filing out a bit, not the whole hole... as it were, so easy enough to do neatly.

 

[graffian]

I use starchems synstrip, paint shops sell it.
I used to strip cars with it and would mask areas off, openings and seams
mainly. You don't get a sharp line when you remove the masking you have a
soft edge.
I would probably try and sand it off, mask the edges as a guide, glue some
production paper to a block of wood and sand away.