Removing Plasti-Dip?

[special-K]

My son has a Tacoma X-Runner. He bought a second set of wheels to get two good tires he needed, like now, then get a set of winter tires mounted on these to save his originals. He ran about 3 hrs for them and got back late. When I went out in the morning it was a "What the...?" moment, then I wondered, "I hope he doesn't like this" (he doesn't). The truck is red and the new wheels he mounted before running home make it look like a clown car...that bright greenish yellow pedestrian color! Made me puke a little in my mouth!

The good news is these wheels had been powder coated gloss black first with a tastefully done (in yellow) TRD Racing Development logo applied to one spoke. The guy had plasti-dipped over that for some strange reason. You can scratch through it and peel away, all except the edges nooks and crannies. With preserving the powder coat in mind, are there any suggestions on what to do about getting the harder areas stripped? I scrapped a little with a plastic pry tool and it didn't do so well. Is there anything that will eat up/melt/dissolve the plasti-dip or get between and lift it? I wondered about a 3M abrasive wheel, if it wouldn't hurt the PC. But, wouldn't help us with the nooks and crannies. Wuddaya think? Anyone ever remove this brilliant excuse for a paint job before?

Hot Wheels Circus Wagon Series:



Not a bad looking wheel underneath:

[mongocanfly]

They make a platidip remover and this may work as well..https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qBJjU9Gn4Q8

[mongocanfly]

Love them yaller wheels by the way....haha

[BR3W CITY]

PlastiDip is a sprayable rubber compound that can be thinned using a variety of commercially available products. What you use will be determined by whats underneath. Don't spend money on the brand name remover, I love DYC products but they absolutely r4pe you on the "specialty" things like the clears, solvents etc.

Go to your local industrial supply>specialty hardware store>paint store>regular hardware store (in order of my preference). And take a look in the solvents section (or in the case of hardware stores, both the paint solvents and the rubber/caulking sections). You will see a # of things including chemicals in a family called Xylenes. Xylene, Xylol, and Toulene are all common variants of that chemical solvent base. You will see them alone of mixed with other chemicals for specific purposes.

The thing that keeps PlastiDip sprayable (versus its actual dippable format) is the volume of thinner/solvent in the dip...and that solvent happens to be a chemical in the same Xylene base family *or at least a chemical which can be both thinned and dissolved when in contact with a Xylene. You can actually use it to re-lay edges on plastidip, thin it more for specialty sprays, or do spot repair. *

Any of those products will work to quickly thin and dissolve PlastiDip. You can rub it on a rag, put it in a spray bottle (careful of what its made from!), or use a foam brush and dab it on. It will liquify most thin dip, and any thick layers will become softened and should easily rub away with a soft cloth or the but of your hand.

If for some reason you REALLY can't get it to work, the mechanical solution is the 3m wheel used for decal and striping removal, but that too will have a hard time with tight crannies.

[special-K]

Thanks. I know nothing about plasti-dip other than dipping tool handles which I do to be permanent. Learning it's solvent base is a great help. Thanks! I was hoping the powder coat could survive the stripping process as long as it isn't the same base. I was thinking the 3M abrasive wheels might not hurt the powder coat, but it's the nooks that need it. I'm tight with one of the leading powder coat outfits which is down the road from me and figured I'd check with him next week, but the sooner this gets done the better. My son is getting tired of parking at the church and walking home since I won't allow it in the driveway
It's been years since we had the discussion, but back then he said he used either a poly or epoxy base and I recall the epoxy was for interior, because I remember thinking that was odd. But I believe epoxy isn't UV resistant and or not as flexible in temp change. I've used epoxy paint and it did fade rather quickly. Things may have completely changed with other types used today. That was maybe 25 years ago. How do I remember back that far? I had more brain cells and once embedded I guess it just sticks
The whole thing is kinda hard for me to take seriously, hence the tone. But I truly do appreciate the help here, buds. I figured someone has had the need to remove this gummy goop of a coating. I hope I haven't started a trend by showing that picture. I want no credit for being the trail blazer here. Please leave my name out of it. I will categorically deny any doing and claim this thread was started by a hacker using my name. Now excuse me while I go get my nails done. I think I hear Tim coming. Has anyone used plasti-dip on nails?

[chev3600]

I think DYC claims their remover is citrus based, but as stated above lots of stuff will soften it. Or just hit it with the pressure washer.

[special-K]

What remains is clinging pretty hard. What you see removed was done by scraping with finger nail and pulling off by hand

[mongocanfly]

Did you try the goo gone yet?

[special-K]

I haven't tried anything. I came here to try to find out what is known to work. I got good info from BR3W City, but haven't been anywhere that sells it yet. I need the solvent that nasty business is based on or whatever this "Plasti-Dip remover" product is.

Is this what you were talking about? Has anyone tried this?

[special-K]

I was asking this for my son. Today he discovered CRC Power Lube softens and loosens it right up. He had one totally cleaned up. I left my camera with a customer last night to upload pictures I took of water damage before tarping over for the night. Daily evening down pours every night lately.

[mongocanfly]

Good to know it works..my buddy is fixing to do his wheels and he was worried about how to get it off..

[special-K]

My son thought he was using WD40 because that is what the pump spray bottle is. I'm sure that would work as well. It get lets go after being sprayed