Macintosh 512K painted black - paint stripping options?

[mitchW]

Hey I just got this 512K in somewhat sorry shape. Has some screen burn in, the case is super yellowed.
And of course, the machine doesn't work - fuse is missing, this was told to me by a previous owner who examined it before.
But it has SCSI and RAM upgrades (some snap on thing)

But the main thing is that somebody decided it would be good thing to paint front of it black. And he also painted the keyboard black.

I think the only option is to strip it as it looks horrible. Looks like it was done with spray paint. Paint can be fairly easily scratched off though.
Any recommendations on paint stripper? I used one years ago on some thing, but it had damaged the plastics.
Perhaps getting a citrous based one?

 

[Daniël]

I would try some high percentage isopropyl alcohol first. Shouldn't damage the plastics, and I think it has a decent chance at removing the paint, given it doesn't look like much care was taken in actually properly painting it (might not even have primer, probably doesn't have clear coat). Getting a plastic tub just big enough to put the pieces means you'll need less of the stuff. Make sure it has a decent sealing lid to keep evaporation to a minimum.

 

[Paralel]

Some might say that black is an improvement over orange.

 

[Concorde1993]

I remember reading a thread on the forums here years ago about a Mac (could also have been a Lisa) that had been painted black by the previous owner. The solution was DOT 3 brake fluid to remove the paint without damaging the plastics.

 

[Juror22]

It really depends on what kind of paint it is, but I know of a few options that should work.
I can't recall where I first heard of it, but yes, as Concorde1993 mentioned, brake fluid is supposed to work for removing paint safely from plastic (most folks have some around).
I have also used Simple Green for removing paint from models (it worked for that and did not harm the models at all)
Apparently others have used a product called 'Super Clean' for removing paint from resin miniatures, etc and it works without damaging those - I have never used this personally.
All should work, but like with all recommendations, please adhere to the following:
Wear personal protective gear when necessary (the Super Clean can hurt your skin, if left on, so wear gloves with it) safety glasses, chemical resistant gloves, follow recommendations for dealing with contact, etc.
Test it in a small inconspicuous area, first.
Good luck with your project and remember, if the stripping goes badly, you could always paint it a different, better color (there is much better plastic paint out there now).

 

[mitchW]

I tried DOT3 brake fluid on one 512K before (it was really bad shape, and painted with some quite thick paint), and it didn't go that well.
The plastic became weakened around the top vents which then cracked. I managed to glue it back together, but it is really bad. Also the plastic got streaks all around. And the whole process took multiple days or even a week if I am not mistaken. The brake fluid just wasn't that effective on that paint...

I still have it in the attic, luckily it was a total loss even before paint stripping.

So I'll probably try something else than brake fluid at least at first

 

[ymk]

If it can be scratched off easily, ultrasonic cleaning might remove it.

 

[ddoxey]

I've never done this. But I've seen modeler's talk about removing paint, which requires weakening paint without damaging the relatively fragile polystyrene models. They talk about using oven cleaner.

This page also mentions Dettol disinfectant and high concentration isopropyl alcohol.

How To Remove Paint From Plastic Models - My Hobby Models

Knowing how to remove paint from plastic models safely and without damaging your models is a skill every hobbiest should know! Find out how today!

myhobbymodels.com

 

[MacUp72]

I wouldnt try out any hard chemicals on that old vintage brittle plastics..the weakening is much worse. If I wanted to restore this I would respray it with a vintage white spray color. And before that I would check how good that old black spray job was done.. meaning, looking for color run offs/drops/blobs and remove them, sand it completly smooth ( not down). The advantage of that old black spray job is, you dont have to prime it..
Maybe some here have some recommendations on good 'millenium white' looking spray paints, I'd like to know, too.

and black, why not? this is looking awesome:

Project: Modern Macintosh Plus mini conversion + paint job

Hi everyone! I was able to recently finish a Macintosh 512k / Plus conversion to a modern Mac by fitting a 2018 Mac mini inside. Really the main secret is that a modern Mac mini will fit into a Plus rear housing just fine if the Mac mini is placed upside-down into the Mac Plus rear housing. The...

68kmla.org

 

[ChadVDR]

Apparently others have used a product called 'Super Clean' for removing paint from resin miniatures, etc and it works without damaging those

Old thread but I came to recommend exactly this. Once you use Super Clean you will never touch Simple Green or Mean Green etc. Super Clean is simply in a league of its own. I cannot say enough good things about the results I get with this product and how fast it works. No real fumes, although always ventilate your work area, and you MUST wear gloves 100%. This stuff HATES grease so it will actually break down and strip the grease from your fingers. Again, this stuff HATES greases and oils!

If there's anything negative about the product it's that if you leave aluminum soaked in it the metal will darken and stay dark dull gray. For cleaning car parts I just let it soak for half an hour then start brushing away all of the oil etc. Keep rinsing and brushing and then the oil just jumps off the parts. Rinse immediately to avoid the dark coloring on aluminum. Not sure how it effects shiny steel.

I had to redo a car interior that had a lot of painted plastic parts. I was shocked that it turned paint to goo in no time at all and the ABS wasn't harmed or softened in any way. No sanding was needed, the paint simply sloughed off and the rest could be pushed and rolled away with a finger.

I can't believe this isn't a better known product. It is to degreasers what 3M is to adhesives.

 

[thellmer]

I can attest to the caustic lye based EasyOff Oven Cleaner (or generic) - the one that warns you about the fumes. It doesn't harm plastic at all but will really remove paint after letting it soak on for a couple hours. I also prefer it to acetone or other flammable spirits when stripping furniture or really anything that I want to do indoors. It does have hazards as it will eat your skin and also chokes you when you first spray it as the mist gets airborne just like it warns you of the same danger when actually using it to clean your oven or gill...so you might spray it on outside before bringing it inside as well as wear gloves like when cleaning your oven when it comes times to remove the paint. BUt the good thing is it washes off along with the paint and won't melt the plastic and isn't flammable. I recently stripped exactly the same kind of black paint from an SE/30 using the oven cleaner method and it came right off and looks good. Also you will want to pop out the emblem as no matter what you choose to use any of them would discolor or could completely strip its paint as well.

 

[iJol]

I had a similar problem with my Lisa 2/10 which was painted black. After a lot of research, I found a few threads in model making forums about removing paint from ABS plastics. They recommended Methoxypropanol or Propylenglycolemethylether which is used as a solvent in art and painting. It doesn’t affect with the plastics. So I went to a local artist’s store and bought a few liters and gave it a try and indeed: it removed the paint from my Lisa almost instant, without a lot of scrubbing or damaging the plastics. Even tried some other things like school or owner markings on my Apple IIgs and it even works perfectly.

 

[superjer2000]

I see a Fat Mac and I want it painted black…

I think that’s a song?