Paint removal for WWII helmet liner

[rosieres64]

Is there a safe way to remove over-paint from a WWII liner.?

Any recommendations?

[ken88]

Oven cleaner spray can work great for thin layers, especially if you mix it with water

[917601]

Oven cleaner spray can work great for thin layers, especially if you mix it with water

I would never use oven cleaner, it is lye. Lye eats up plastics, fiber glasses, but has no effect on metal. Acetone is what I have used to thin and remove vintage FS standard ( USGI) paints.

[ken88]

I would never use oven cleaner, it is lye. Lye eats up plastics, fiber glasses, but has no effect on metal. Acetone is what I have used to thin and remove vintage FS standard ( USGI) paints.

 

This is oven cleaner/water mix for what it's worth. I didn't go all the way to be safe so there's still some paint left, still it's one of the best results I've ever had stripping off paint. I guess a lot of it depends on how soft the paint is etc. I've used goof off and from my experience oven cleaner is milder and so is less risky to use, but it can affect colors a lot more. Needless to say you aren't going to remove very thick layers of paint with oven cleaner alone, it probably works best for liners that were given gentle repaints.

 

Just a word of advise I am certain of: Do NOT use heat guns with repainted WWII liners. The heat can and will create air pockets that are impossible to correct.