Stripping the paint from a skin mount

I've used citristrip from Lowe's and it works alright. Just takes a lot to remove paint. I use laquer paint, may work better on water based. I tried the WASCO super stripper for the first time the other day and it works very well.

 

Lacquer thinner......

 

I use Acetone to strip all fish that I need to strip. Put the Acetone in a drywall bucket and use a wide paintbrush to bring the Acetone up and on the fish. Wear rubber gloves and do this outside.Little known fact...let the Acetone sit for a couple of hours letting the paint settle to the bottom of the bucket. Now pour the Acetone into a container to be used again and again....it will still do the job.

 

I would just rough up with 4/0000 steel wool for paint adhesion. Go in and re-tip the entire fish with a silver/lighter base and then lightly spray a silver over this tipping. Since you have a dark base, this will let the silvers to "pop" and help bring out the colors of the fish. It's just how I would do it. Once you get to doing things this way, it makes the repaint and repair jobs easier, IMO.

 

how does acetone work with reproduction fins? Got fins from lake country.

 

Before going to the trouble of stripping it I'd try doing a quick silver scale tipping on the scales ( in a small area) and come back over with some color and see if you can get the color you want. In 5 min of messing with it you'd know if you can improve what you have before stripping. If you decide to do the whole fish a silver sharpie will quickly highlight all the scales on the fish in a half hr or so. Leave a dark edge around the outside edge perhaps.
If you are going to strip I wouldn't strip the fins. I'd tape them off to avoid getting solvent or stripper on them.

 

I don't strip fish anymore. Usually white out and seal.Then antique and paint like a reproduction.

 

I'm going to strip the northern, whiting it out got the spots too bright.

 

What white are you using? Different whites out there.

 

Polytranspar bass belly white, I'm going to order new life tone colors from matuska. I can't get anything done with a screwed up left wrist for mounting. Trying to do some painting, that I can do right handed. Thinking I may start mixing more colors to create softer white shades for pike and other fish.

 

Seems to me Bass Belly White would work for the pike.

 

strip with Lacquer
then white out
CL

 

I just a lacquer appliance white in an aerosol can from Ace to white out fish.

 

I too would also try lightening right over what you have via some quick silver pearl/etc scale tipping. There's a good chance you can salvage what you have (and sometimes improve!) with this method w/o all the work of stripping/repainting...

 

You can use Acetone but I wouldn't let it sit too long.

 

To elaborate on what JL said, IMO if you're brushing it on as he mentions I think your fins would be fine as acetone evaporates SO quickly. Personally, if I have to strip I usually use Lacquer Thinner unless it has trouble pulling paint off. Same advice though - brush on and don't let it sit soaking in LT. But, for old paint jobs sometimes the acetone comes out. If acetone doesn't get the paint off, not much else out there that's going to do it better/easier IMO. Just test it on areas first. I don't use acetone too often on stripping fish. I would think you might want to be careful around epoxies too? Probably same advice - to brush it on and don't let the acetone have contact with these areas too long? JL have you ever had any issues with acetone and reacting with any epoxies? I've always wondered and have avoided using acetone to strip fish in certain areas for the most part b/c I was uncertain.

 

Never had a problem. Just don't let the fins soak in the Acetone...just wash the color off of them. Acetone evaporates fast so a wash will not damage the fins. Works for me.