[martin028]

So I dont know if anyone here has or had a Dye Rotor with that cloth camo or whatever you want to call it, but you have probably noticed that it peels and looks like crap. I also have a little bit of a case of OCD so even the slightest imperfection pisses me off, so stripping the entire thing seemed like the next step.

I was thinking, Well if a measly paintball can make this peel off with ease, paint thinner will do even better. That was most definitely not the case, as whatever was about to peel off was now once again thoroughly stuck back on. So I guess the question I'm trying to ask is, How do I effectively strip this paint/hydrodip/latex whatever it is? I was going to dye the plastic once it was stripped to match my gun, a unigue color not actually offered, and maybe some laser engraving/milling since I'm relearning my cad/cam program. Any help at all will be appreciated.

tl;dr How do I strip that stupid cloth pattern off of a rotor if paint thinner cant?

[americanidiot748]

sand it out? not sarcasm i'm just saying you could always sand it off then clean it up after

[martin028]

I didnt sand it because I wanted it to be as even as possible, and it was rubbing off on bunkers so I thought that it would come off easily anyway.

The second part of my first post is: The plastic is currently a baby blue. If I want to make it purple with some spots of blue still on it, how could I prevent dye from dying certain areas? Hot glue?

[theblindchicken]

You could try using paint stripper (it's usually thicker than paint thinner), but there is a large chance that this will damage the shells as well (Warning: Will cause chemical burns on skin and eat right through latex gloves).

Maybe try a mineral oil or perhaps an adhesive remover (such as Goo Gone)

[turbowagonman]

In the Automotive Detailing profession they have a Pin Stripe Remover/Eraser. It's like a big rubber disc that goes on your Drill or Grinder. I just typed "pin stripe eraser" into ebay and this is what I came up with:

http://motors.shop.ebay.com/i.html?_...506.m270.l1313

I agree with theblindchicken you want to remove it in way you aren't softening the plastic or making it weaker on a chemical-compound base BUT I also agree with americanidiot748 along the lines of sanding it.

If it were me I'd try the eraser, then sand, then mineral spirits. I don't know if I'd try a chemical any stronger than mineral spirits though.

[martin028]

I like the variety of ideas. I'm willing to try anything really. I will try mineral spirits tomorrow. I also have this stuff that I use at work called On Off to clean boats. I'll try it on an inconspicuous area like the feedneck in case I discolor the plastic.

Also, once I strip off the whatever it is, I was thinking dying the entire thing except for a line on the side, specifically the one from an ekg machine on the seam where the shells come together. I am going to dye the plastic so that it turns purple, and leave the line the original color. What should I do to prevent that line from being dyed?

Or, if I figure out whether or not the plastic burns, I could laser engrave a design on the side.

[theblindchicken]

I do not know much about dying plastics, but from what i've read on PbN, I believe that the Hot Glue idea would work.

Check out Disturbed's thread: Splash Dye Spire. He used vinyl stickers to mask off the design. I'm sure he'd give more information as to what stickers he used if you asked nicely.

[martin028]

Thanks for the help everyone! I was also thinking about doing some custom milling, but I just thought about what would happen if I got shot in one of the milled windows..

[B3ARC1AW]

Were you planning on leaving the windows just open space? You could cut some lexan or plexiglass pieces to fit in the windows you mill so the paint on the inside isn't ruined if you get shot on the loader.

[martin028]

I could do that. I was originally planning to just leave them open, possibly dropping weight.

[martin028]

So I've tried mineral spirits, paint thinner, on off (boat hull cleaner, basically acid in a bottle), dish soap, rubbing alcohol, acetone, and that woolite powder stuff to get this paint back to that peeling state, and nothing has worked. I've started the process of sanding and it sucks. This is possibly the most perplexing thing I have ever encountered.

Edit: I found some paint and varnish remover in my garage, it worked great. Today after paintball I will be preping it for the dye. Does anyone know if the hotglue idea would work? Or should I use vinyl stickers like Disturbed?

[kool_aid22]

Paintball is an expensive sport to have OCD in. If it works, use it

[the gun show]

Originally Posted by martin028

I didnt sand it because I wanted it to be as even as possible, and it was rubbing off on bunkers so I thought that it would come off easily anyway.

The second part of my first post is: The plastic is currently a baby blue. If I want to make it purple with some spots of blue still on it, how could I prevent dye from dying certain areas? Hot glue?

as for doing spots, i did this to an old halo i had for some fun. take clear nail polish and drip it onto the shell for smaller spots or for bigger actually paint out the spot

as for stripping the "cloth" off use nail polish remover. works like a charm

[the gun show]

im doing my rotor right now and will post pics later.
i have the liquid red one that i am sanding down the top half to go almost pink. may just dye it pink/purple but only the top half. then i would do a splashed white color on top

[NeCanes]

acetone

[the gun show]

[i_bunker_u]

seems like fun time haha^ how thick is finish or pattern? take quite a bit of sanding or not to bad to get down to pure red

[the gun show]

Originally Posted by i_bunker_u

seems like fun time haha^ how thick is finish or pattern? take quite a bit of sanding or not to bad to get down to pure red

It's taken a little while. I mean as you can see the darker streaks seem to be deeper. I'm probably going to try to put a "polish" on it. Make it shine a little? Or I'm just gunna custom dye it I'm not sure yet

[GR!MM]

buffer wheel

[masterofTHUMBS]

You might not be able to dye that assuming you are using RIT. I remember dying lacrosse stick heads but those were white plastic. You probably don't have much choice for colors; probably just various shades of purple, orange, black if you dye it long enough, and whatever green+red make (I'm guessing brown).

[NickRowell]

What you could do is dura coat it