I'm at the North Carolina Transportation Museum working on bringing back a Southern Heavyweight Coach (built ~1920) for the train. The interior paint is peeling and the remainder difficult to remove (see pictures). It has been painted many times somewhat sloppily. The majority of the walls and ceiling is galvanized sheet metal. Some has been replacement thin Masonite. Except for one end and a few other spots the metal is in good shape. It was suggested I power wash it. All that did was get me wet and cold. The pictures are post power washing.

I have no interest in spending a couple weeks on a ladder working over my head with paint stripper so I'm looking for other ideas. If you are into using paint stripper over your head, come on down.

Sand blasting has been suggested but the sheet metal is rather thin and the paint quite hard. (The outside of the car will be sand blasted.)

Ideas please. Thanks.

Afraid there is no easy way to strip paint off the roof of a passenger car that doesn't involve a lot of overhead scraping work. From the looks of the pictures, I'd say 100% probability of lead paint involved too, so keep that in mind while inhaling the dust (At least using chemical stripper minimizes that risk). I might suggest you try a needle gun in an inconspicuous place to see if the paint can be removed without pock marking the steel. Failing that you could try a heat gun (Like an industrial strength hair dryer) and see what if any effect it has on the paint. One way or another though, you are in for a lot of overhead work if you want it to look pretty again...been there, done that.

If you lay the car on its side you won't be working overhead.

Heat plate or heat gun followed by a wash with chemical stripper is probably your best bet for heavy build up.

dave

Marty,

Since you mention that the coach was built Circa 1920, there is a good chance the masonite is the original and the galvanized was the replacement. If you remove the trim boards (the 1/4 x 3" flat bars) you will probably uncover tacks or flat head screws holding the panels on to the framework of the roof. Just the fasteners, number the panels so you know where they went, and work on a bench. On the masonite go slowly, you may uncover artwork, if the car had leafing or pinstriping.

Rich C.

At the Museum of Transportation in St. Louis, I've helped strip various interior components on St. Louis Public Service PCC car #1743. We disassembled the inteiror components as much as we could, so we could strip them at ground level. Of course, this approach may not be practical for your application.

We used a gooey chemical stripper that is orange based (I think). It worked very well, and we were able to strip some components layer by layer, uncovering original interior paint colors and stenciling. It took a lot of work, but the end results are worth it.

Yes, the heat gun trick. I'll try it.

I hate needle guns, but will try it. My bet it will pock mark the metal.

The galvanized metal sure looks original. This car was part of the 1970s - 1980s Southern steam program. Lots of rebuilding. Some done, I'm sure, under the pressure to get the car out there for the next excursion. Then it spent years outdoors in Maine.

PCCs are small compared to this monster. I have done major work on the interior of LATL 3100 at OERM.

Management already rejected laying the car on its side. Upside down I could dip it in the turntable pit! I have not asked if they would accept that. Doubtful.

Thanks guys for the ideas. Please keep them coming.

Sponge Blasting is an option. Not as messy as sand and can work with a lighter touch. Somewhat on the expensive side though.

Bruce Backus

Have you tried one of the nylon (or similar) paint stripping 'pads' that fit on a 4" angle grinder? Four or five bucks at Harbor Freight...

How about corn cob or baking soda blasting? On something like a metal coach interior, with lots of formed moldings and angles, some form of mild blasting media will take the paint off comparatively easily. Shouldn't do any harm to the underlying metal, or anything else for that matter. A bit of a mess to sweep up afterward, but much faster than any traditional heat gun or paste/liquid stripper.

Howard P.

We are currently soda blasting the interior of an E.M.D. cab. About 3 layers of paint. Went quick. Masonite looks almost like it was just put up. Steel parts look great. The Soda blasting rig was about 100 bucks from Eastman.
Many benefits over traditional abrasives. We use fine black beauty and it is great outside but would never dream of doing what we a doing with Soda.
From what I saw in the pictures it would make short work of it, wipe it off the blasting dust and you would probably be OK to paint.
One other thing claimed with soda blasting is it leaves a light film that slows up rust.

I'm working on this car alongside Marty, and I attacked the paint problem this weekend myself. I ended up taking a pretty heavy-duty wire brush on an angle grinder, and that started having a good effect. The peeling sections disappeared, and the areas where paint was not stripped properly before painting over it was smoothed down as well. In short, attacking it with the wire brush worked. However, it is a daunting proposition to hold an angle grinder above your head with a 5 in steel wire brush all day to get the ceiling. :) Additionally, the hardboard/masonite sections likely would not survive such a brush.

Thank you for everyone's input!

-Eric Shock

The Eco-Strip Company sells their Speedheater Infrared Paint Remover kit at http://www.eco-strip.com/

We bought one for removing paint on Central Pacific coach 123 and NWP baggage car 605. It works well for softening paint without vaporizing the lead or charring the wood, if used as directed.


Mike Manson

NWPRRHS

I have had good luck with this product. It takes a LONG time to work, but chances are if you liberally brush it on and come back the next day, much of the paint will be wrinkled or softened. At that point it should easily flake off or come off with a stripping wheel on a grinder. I would try it on a small section first. It is a bit messy, but will save you hours of labor. Beware of lead paint! Respirators are a must!!

http://www.homedepot.com/buy/klean-stri ... Kug3FIeDKQ

RCman2626 I find it strange that you say wait a week. By then it would be hard and difficult to scrap off, almost as bad as the paint without it. Right? Maybe I'm missing something.

It is regular paint stripper with high VOC so it can't be shipped to/sold in California or Oregon because those states care about their folks. It works in 15 minutes. Scrapes off easily. Sometimes additional coats are needed.

Mike, I have used an infrared paint remover on the interior of a wood car both with wood on and off the car. It is gentile on the wood as opposed to a heat gun and slower. But have you ever done a ceiling with it. I expect that would be difficult and even dangerous to self. Talk about things I don't want over my head.

Also has anyone used it on metal?

Comments Mike please.