# cleaning dried paint



## cocomonkeynuts (Apr 14, 2017)

Heard from a painter dot 3 brake fluid will remove dried latex from needles, spray tips and guards without harming the plastic. I didn't believe him but sure enough let them soak an hour and paint comes right off with a soft brush. all the paint particles float to the bottom so you can filter and reuse the fluid indefinitely.


Anyone else got unconventional cleaners they use?


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## Fman (Aug 20, 2011)

cocomonkeynuts said:


> Heard from a painter dot 3 brake fluid will remove dried latex from needles, spray tips and guards without harming the plastic. I didn't believe him but sure enough let them soak an hour and paint comes right off with a soft brush. all the paint particles float to the bottom so you can filter and reuse the fluid indefinitely.
> 
> 
> Anyone else got unconventional cleaners they use?


DOT 3? I'll try that tomorrow...at brake time...


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## cocomonkeynuts (Apr 14, 2017)

Fman said:


> DOT 3? I'll try that tomorrow...at brake time...



yes Dot3. the real cheap $3/qt stuff.
honestly works better than any 'stripper' product I have tried and its not super toxic to work with.


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## RH (Sep 7, 2010)

Will just soap and water then remove the fluid residue?


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## cocomonkeynuts (Apr 14, 2017)

RH said:


> Will just soap and water then remove the fluid residue?


Yes it's mainly ethelyne glycol based as I understand. Not sure it's good to put down the drain though?


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## Brushman4 (Oct 18, 2014)

Fman said:


> DOT 3? I'll try that tomorrow...at brake time...


Oh, Jesus give me a brake!


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## RH (Sep 7, 2010)

Brushman4 said:


> Oh, Jesus give me a brake!


Be here all week folks. Try the veal! Baddabing! :vs_bananasplit:


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## sayn3ver (Jan 9, 2010)

Gonna have to try that one. Cheap. Wonder if older stuff thats been open awhile works as well as new. It's hydroscopic so it would be nice to find a use for the older stuff out in the garage that isn't safe for brake use anymore. 

Plus most of the automotive stores accept it for recycling.

Edit: quick Google shows dot 3 & 4 & 5.1 fluids are glycol ethers which is what we know as cellosolve. 

Considering butyl cellosolve (butyl glycol ether) is used to retard most waterborne lacquers and some acrylic paints.

Now knowing what brake fluid is made of doesn't surprise me as glycol ether is the recommendation for cleaning equipment in tds's for say kem aqua plus.

Small world we live in.


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## cocomonkeynuts (Apr 14, 2017)

I left some racx and racv guards and tips in there 48 hours so far hasn't thouched the plastic. paint comes right off using a plastic gun cleaning brush. paint doesnt mix into the fluid either, kinda freaky this works as well as it does...


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## sayn3ver (Jan 9, 2010)

There is a reason its always mentioned in service manuals and from mechanic friends to be careful and avoid getting brake fluid on a car's paint.

I know when I was a teen I painted my brake calipers with the high temp paint and after the first bleed half of the red paint had been stripped off below the bleeder valve. Haha.


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## Fman (Aug 20, 2011)

I used the Dot 3 brake fluid on a brush and it worked great! But, instead of stopping after 8 hours of brushing, I stopped in two!


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## cocomonkeynuts (Apr 14, 2017)

Fman said:


> I used the Dot 3 brake fluid on a brush and it worked great! But, instead of stopping after 8 hours of brushing, I stopped in two!



Thin film of paint really loosens up in about an hour. Really thick stuff swelled up and loosened up after an overnight soak.


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## Mr Smith (Mar 11, 2016)

I wish they made something to clean dried paint off of cotton clothes. I have a lot of clothes ruined by a mere drop of paint.


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## Brushman4 (Oct 18, 2014)

Fman said:


> I used the Dot 3 brake fluid on a brush and it worked great! But, instead of stopping after 8 hours of brushing, I stopped in two!


Ah, but the question is, did you stop one toke over of the line?:surprise:


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## Brushman4 (Oct 18, 2014)

Mr Smith said:


> I wish they made something to clean dried paint off of cotton clothes. I have a lot of clothes ruined by a mere drop of paint.


It's called lye.


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## Woodco (Nov 19, 2016)

Brushman4 said:


> It's called lye.


Do you know a good ratio? I did a pound of lye in about 10 gallons of water, and left my clothes in overnight, and it didnt do a thing.


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## Lightningboy65 (Mar 12, 2018)

Woodco said:


> Do you know a good ratio? I did a pound of lye in about 10 gallons of water, and left my clothes in overnight, and it didnt do a thing.


Maybe try boiling in that same mixture. Just a thought, as I've never tried it. I'd do it outside, I have no idea what type of caustic fumes may result. You might end up with clothes suitable for the kids, as I'm not sure about shrinkage. And as all things uncertain, be sure to film the process....you may end up with some hilarious footage that could make you a Youtube star!:biggrin:


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## Brushman4 (Oct 18, 2014)

Woodco said:


> Do you know a good ratio? I did a pound of lye in about 10 gallons of water, and left my clothes in overnight, and it didnt do a thing.


I don't know a proper ratio, but lye is what I heard they used at the dropcloth laundry.


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## Lightningboy65 (Mar 12, 2018)

Brushman4 said:


> I don't know a proper ratio, but lye is what I heard they used at the dropcloth laundry.


And they probably apply plenty of steam.


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## Brushman4 (Oct 18, 2014)

Lightningboy65 said:


> And they probably apply plenty of steam.


No doubt, they had these huge industrial washing machines and dryers as one would imagine if your business was laundering drops.


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## PACman (Oct 24, 2014)

HEY! I have an idea! Let's coat ALL of our spray equipment in a light film of silicone! BRILLIANT!


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## cocomonkeynuts (Apr 14, 2017)

Theoriginalpacman said:


> HEY! I have an idea! Let's coat ALL of our spray equipment in a light film of silicone! BRILLIANT!


Since when is there silicone in dot3. Dot5 is silicone. My stuff comes out clean after a rinse in water.


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## Newline (Nov 4, 2019)

Are you serious, Brake Cleaner? Why not use something made for that purpose, works in seconds to minutes, and is about the same price as Brake Cleaner?


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## Lightningboy65 (Mar 12, 2018)

Newline said:


> Are you serious, Brake Cleaner? Why not use something made for that purpose, works in seconds to minutes, and is about the same price as Brake Cleaner?


Not cleaner, brake fluid. Big difference. And I guess because it is less likely to damage solvent sensitive plastics. Which most sprayer parts made of plastic are solvent resistant, so your's is a valid question.


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## Woodco (Nov 19, 2016)

I changed the sticks in my scented oil diffuser, and laid the old ones on my tv stand, which I primed with stix, and topcoated with scuff-x a couple months ago. I picked the sticks up a few days later, and the paint and primer underneath was liquified. This is where it smeared when I tried to wipe it up...


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## Woodco (Nov 19, 2016)

Theoriginalpacman said:


> HEY! I have an idea! Let's coat ALL of our spray equipment in a light film of silicone! BRILLIANT!


We once had a GC want us to coat all the rungs on his scaffolding with vaseline so the dryfall would clean off it easier. Totally safe AF...


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## Lightningboy65 (Mar 12, 2018)

Woodco said:


> I changed the sticks in my scented oil diffuser, and laid the old ones on my tv stand, which I primed with stix, and topcoated with scuff-x a couple months ago. I picked the sticks up a few days later, and the paint and primer underneath was liquified. This is where it smeared when I tried to wipe it up...


Makes you wonder what you're breathing in... 

As nasty as patchouli smells, I could see patchouli scented sticks eating a hole through the top. They must have been pumpkin spice.:smile:


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## Woodco (Nov 19, 2016)

Lightningboy65 said:


> Makes you wonder what you're breathing in...
> 
> As nasty as patchouli smells, I could see patchouli scented sticks eating a hole through the top. They must have been pumpkin spice.:smile:


Patchouli??? REALLY?

Sandalwood.


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## cocomonkeynuts (Apr 14, 2017)

Woodco said:


> We once had a GC want us to coat all the rungs on his scaffolding with vaseline so the dryfall would clean off it easier. Totally safe AF...



I wipe my rental sprayers down with dollar store 'pledge' so over spray doesn't stick to them..


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## Woodco (Nov 19, 2016)

cocomonkeynuts said:


> I wipe my rental sprayers down with dollar store 'pledge' so over spray doesn't stick to them..


Your customers dont have to climb 20 feet on the pledged surface though....


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## Woodco (Nov 19, 2016)

update:

I dropped my spray tip in some dot 3 yesterday to try this out. It was synthetic, and it didnt work at all.


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## cocomonkeynuts (Apr 14, 2017)

Woodco said:


> update:
> 
> I dropped my spray tip in some dot 3 yesterday to try this out. It was synthetic, and it didnt work at all.



What paint was on there? how long did you let it sit in there? All brakefluid is 'synthetic'



I found it works best on latex material and the longer its in there the more it loosens up. Needs at least an hour. Overnight on really dried stuff.


I have had spray tips in there over 2 weeks and no damage to the plastic. I dropped in some cheapo pressure washer tips, the plastic became brittle and split apart.


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## Lightningboy65 (Mar 12, 2018)

cocomonkeynuts said:


> I have had spray tips in there over 2 weeks and no damage to the plastic. I dropped in some cheapo pressure washer tips, the plastic became brittle and split apart.


It's been a couple of years, but I used to leave Graco tips in lacquer thinner for weeks and have no damage to the plastic.

Are we talking non Graco tips, has Graco switched to cheaper plastics, or have I just been lucky? What is the deal in regards to concern with solvent damage to the plastic on tips? I never experienced any problems.


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## Woodco (Nov 19, 2016)

Ive left tips and heads in lacquer thinner indefinitely, and the plastic never gets soft.

I'll check again, I left it in a jar overnight. I know after two hours, there was no change.

Theres several different kinds of paint on it, btw. I'll check back after I go in my garage in a little while.

Yeah, I worked in the finish department of a cabinet shop for about a year. Every night, we dropped the tip and head in lacquer thinner. That plastic can handle solvents.


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## cocomonkeynuts (Apr 14, 2017)

lacquer thinner works fine but I wold prefer not working with it


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## cocomonkeynuts (Apr 14, 2017)

Lightningboy65 said:


> It's been a couple of years, but I used to leave Graco tips in lacquer thinner for weeks and have no damage to the plastic.
> 
> Are we talking non Graco tips, has Graco switched to cheaper plastics, or have I just been lucky? What is the deal in regards to concern with solvent damage to the plastic on tips? I never experienced any problems.



Not sure of the brand, just some cheap pressure washer tips I had lying around. Probably cheap chinese ABS.


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## Woodco (Nov 19, 2016)

I checked back, and the paint was indeed, softened. I didnt get a chance to clean it though.


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## silb (Aug 22, 2019)

The logic that goes behind some of these decisions is baffling. Just leave it to us professionals!


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