Gently removing paint

try paint stripper or acetone

But I hold out little chance of success.

You dont say what type of gloss paint.

To be honest, not sure what type it is. Will either damage the rubber? Tried acetone to clean a rubberised remote control the other day and it seemed to slightly melt it :)

ow managed to remove the valve and it has a fair amount of dried gloss pain t on it. The valve is metal and has a couple of rubber seals embedded on th e body. I have tried white spirit to clean it and also soaked it over night but no difference. Anyone have any ideas as to a gentle way of removing th e paint without damaging the rubber seals?

methylene chloride is the usual stuff. The vapour is toxic. Lime paste is a nother approach.

NT

Methylene chloride

OOPS, too late.

Re my answer, You poms can not be trusted so you will probably have trouble getting it. :)

it's freely on sale, but not allowed to be promoted as paint stripper any more.

NT

Does it go by a product name rather than Methylene chloride? Just googling it seems to bring up Methylene chloride free strippers.

Just thought... Would dabbing some Nitromors work?

try amazon/ebay

NT

if it's methylene chloride :)

NT

No that's been emasculated for years, DCM is available for plastic welding, or in lab grade, do have a look at the precautions for working with it ...

Great thanks.

There are no gentle ways that will get gloss paint after it has fully cured and polymerised. You might try various organic solvents and various amounts of scrubbing, scraping or mechanical abrasion.

The solvents that might work will possibly damage the rubber seals (assuming they are not made of Viton). Genkleen (a now banned Trichloroethane) would be my first choice as more gentle but failing that methylene chloride (still I think sold as a solvent glue for Perspex) and formerly as aggresive chemical paint stripper.

Another option might be drain cleaner strength caustic although this will spell doom for any aluminium parts the spray head might contain.

All the things that will shift long dried gloss require the right PPE.

Brake fluid might work. It tends to attack paint but is used with rubber seals.

I didn't think Genclene would touch gloss paint, methylene chloride would be my first thought. (Old-style Nitromors). That's aggressive to everything up to and including Viton, only Kalrez survives it according to this:

But I'd think you need to remove and replace the O rings anyway, as they are likely to be gummed up with dried paint.

Benzyl alcohol is available as a less aggressive paint stripper.

Yes, normal glycol based brake fluid (DOT3, DOT4) is fine with most rubbers but I'm not convinced that it will tackle old gloss paint. A safe and easy thing to try, though.

My recollection is that it wrinkles the surface and softens it enough that a plastic dishscrubber will get it off. Long time since I had any.

Moral of story is always clean your tools carefully after use.

Even more important with the epoxy paints - nothing shifts that stuff once it has cured except perhaps grit blasting and angle grinder.