Best Way to Remove OD from Body Tag

[Galen]

What's the best way to remove OD paint from the aluminum body tag (the one behind the passenger's seat)?

[Warhawk]

I don't know if this is the best way or not, but I used several applications of Aircraft Remover on mine. I would spray on an application from an aerosol can and would let it just start to crinkle the paint. I would then flush it off with water in the shop sink and wipe gently with paper towel. I repeated this process until 99.7% of the paint was gone. It looks like it was put on the jeep yesterday. I was quite pleased with my results.

[Galen]

Where is Aircraft Remover available . . . Napa, Autozone, etc?

[Warhawk]

I got mine at Autozone, however it should be available at most auto parts suppliers. It quite literally says Aircraft Remover on the label and is available in aerosol cans or jugs of varying size. It's pretty powerful stuff which is why you have to be careful with it. My plate had at least six layers of paint on it and I was able to get them off using the method I laid out above. Perhaps someone else has a better idea, I don't know. I was guessing when i did mine and it worked really well. The Aircraft Remover rinses off with water. Flush it off in the sink and dry with some paper towel. The paint should peel off as you dry. Repeat as many times as needed.

When I repainted my jeep I went through quite a bit of that stuff and it made a believer out of me. This is just one mans opinion, like I said maybe someone else has a better idea.

[Galen]

Sounds like solid advice, I'll let you know how mine goes.

[ChuckW]

Galen - before you spring bucks for the aircraft stripper, try a little brake fluid. Let the tag sit for a few hours in a pie pan full of standard brake fluid. You might need to scrub it a few time with an old tooth brush. You can control the layers of paint that you take off...the aircraft stripper may take ALL the paint off.

[CJ3B]

Galen:

Did you know that Brake Fluid is a jeleaous woman's best friend? Whene she's mad, she will typically pour a bottle of Brake Fluid on a man's most prized possesion... his car, effectively removing the paint AND rendering it virtually unpaintable! How do I know? I had a very jeleaous neighbor, and her husband liked to "fool around..."

Brake fluid works just fine for delicate paint removal. One other thing to consider is that Aircraft Remover is so strong, I don't know if it will mar the aluminum on the tag, but again, most of the aircraft's fuselage is made out of aluminum. Opinions anyone?

[Bob_C]

You can use any one of those products on aluminum - just make sure you drench your part in a solvent like Mineral Spirits afterwards. Strippers like that are pretty corrosive to paint, and unless you dunk it in a solvent when you're done stripping, the new paint you may apply will peal up and not adhere.

Don't worry about using that stuff on aluminum. It sounds like normal paint stripper -- and we probably used two gallons of that stuff on our airplane when we redid the landing gear. Didn't do a thing to the aluminum.

[Galen]

Guys . . . thanks for the advice, the brake fluid really worked on the layers of OD on the tag. I'll try to post a pic, but if it doesn't work, here's the address of my gallery: http://galenm38a1.mypicgallery.com/

The tag on the right in the picture is off the M38A1; the tag on the left is from the M38 tub that came on my CJ2A. Wes, can you help with production dates for both? I seem to have lost the links I had to the lists. Here are the serial numbers.

M38 Tub: MC 33157
M38A1: MD 56155

Pic:

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[wesk]

M38 Tub: MC 33157 Sep 1951
M38A1: MD 56155 Aug 1953

Send me the full file size copies of your photos.

Here's the plates you wanted to post here: