Strip screen with thinner?

**E-A-G-L-E-S** · **11-08-08, 03:40 PM**

After using my main screen as a half and half, I then painted over with two coats of BW. Would have been one but had very visible streaks after first coat. Same after second?
Seemed no matter how much or how little paint nor how much or how little pressure....

So can I use paint thinner and strip it to start new?

**Harpmaker** · **11-08-08, 06:10 PM**

I suppose in theory you could strip it. What is the base screen made of, MDF, hardboard, laminate? I doubt you could strip a cloth screen.

Regular paint thinner won't strip a latex paint well, if at all.

If you do decide to strip, I would highly recommend a product called CitriStrip. I used it years ago when I was stripping my front door (which is about 100 years old). I had used several other strippers to get through the first 2 or 3 coats of paint, but I ran into a "seafoam green" paint that just wouldn't go away. I did some research and used CitriStrip and it worked like a charm! It is also much safer to use than the old chemical strippers. It doesn't sting your eyes or melt screwdriver handles. In fact, it smells like oranges - pretty nice really.

Just 2 applications and my door was down to the bare wood after removing 5 more coats of paint. I later found out that several of the harder to remove coats were milk paints, which are notoriously hard to remove. Not for CitriStrip. I'm a believer.

This is the stuff I used, but it also comes in spray cans now.

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/...ctId=100208204

**E-A-G-L-E-S** · **11-08-08, 06:34 PM**

It is a pvc board....with ~9/10 coats of paint on it.

**Harpmaker** · **11-08-08, 06:45 PM**

CitriStrip should work great, but I would test a small area just in case.

**Harpmaker** · **11-08-08, 09:54 PM**

I've contacted the makers of CitriStrip to see if it is safe to use on PVC. I'll post what they email me when I get it.

**Harpmaker** · **11-09-08, 11:50 AM**

E-A-G-L-E-S posted this in another thread.

"I was told that the citrus cleaner will melt my pvc board?"

Told by whom? Did they know for a fact or were they just guessing?

As I said in the post above, I have contacted CitriStrip about the matter and am awaiting their reply.

I do know that they say not to use their product on fiberglass since it will leave it a bit sticky.

If you have any of your screen cut-offs, you could always try to strip them first rather than a small area of your real screen.

I don't have any CitriStrip around right now (I don't strip paint that much) and the local stores are closed today. Tomorrow I'll get some (if they have it) and test some on PVC pipe and also a small cut-off from a sheet of Sinstra a fellow DIY'er sent me.

**Harpmaker** · **11-09-08, 07:18 PM**

OK, I haven't heard from CitriStrip yet (it being Sunday and all), but I went to my shop and looked at what solvents I had. One that sounded promising (and it was) is called Xylol or sometimes Xylene. It can be found in the same area of many stores as paint thinner, odorless mineral spirits, and denatured alcohol.

The label says "Xylol (Xylene) is a 100% aromatic hydrocarbon with excellent solvency characteristics and a medium-fast evaporation rate. It is the recommended thinner and reducer for hard-to-thin oil base paints and coatings such as anti-rust paints, porch and deck enamels and most other synthetic enamels. Xylol may also be used as a solvent for rubber cement and other mastics, and is excellent for clean-up of equipment and paint brushes. Note: Xylol is a powerful solvent, it may be harmful to some plastics and synthetic materials. Always test and inconspicuous area before use."

I used a piece of paper towel soaked in Xylol to remove some Silver Fire that was sprayed on a piece of Sinstra (a board made of PVC) almost a year ago. After the Xylol was in contact with the paint for about 5 seconds the paint started to liquefy! It wiped up nice as you please.

I then removed some mix that consisted of Behr and Valspar enamel paints mixed together off a piece of primed hardboard. It took a few seconds longer for the paint to turn to a pasty liquid, but it also came off with no need of scraping, just rubbing with the soaked paper towel.

Neither the hardboard nor the Sinstra was harmed; although I wouldn't recommend letting the Xylol pool on either for a protracted time.

To test the Sinstra further, I did make a small pool of Xylol on the surface and just let it evaporate naturally. This took several minutes and the PVC did not seem to softened or harmed in any way.

If I were in your shoes Matt, I would use Xylol to remove the paint from your screen. Keep in mind that this would be an outside job due to the fumes. The job could probably be done with just a can of Xylol and a roll of paper towels, but something like a fine 3M scouring pad might aid in the paint removal without scratching the PVC. Protective gloves would be a must, as well as eye protection; and a breathing respirator might not be a bad idea as well.

BTW, Xylol smells a lot like lighter fluid (naphtha). I tried that as well, but it didn't work near as well (if at all) as the Xylol as a paint remover.

I couldn't find Xylol or Xylene at Lowe's website, and Home Depot only had Xylene in a one gallon can for almost $20. I guess your best bet is your local hardware store (Ace, TrueValue, etc.), it should also be available in quarts.

**E-A-G-L-E-S** · **11-09-08, 07:21 PM**

Very cool...xylol it is!
I do that often as I figure the more informed opinions the better.

**Harpmaker** · **11-10-08, 09:35 AM**

The reply from CitriStrip was a negative, it's not designed for use on plastics or synthetics.

**E-A-G-L-E-S** · **11-10-08, 09:37 AM**

Cool....glad I didn't pick it up yesterday when I went out.
Thanks for the work Harp!!

**MatrixDweller** · **11-11-08, 11:05 PM**

Why go through the trouble of stripping and repainting and just buy a new sheet of PVC? Factor in the cost of the stripper, the time, the possibility that the PVC could get ruined and that a new sheet is like a blank canvas I think it's a no brainier.

I found this article on stripping paint off of plastic models that might have some insight.
http://www.bonediggers.com/1-3/strip/strip.html

The other option would be to use a spray primer and give it a few coats to hide everything.

**Harpmaker** · **11-12-08, 12:53 AM**

Quote:

MatrixDweller wrote:

Why go through the trouble of stripping and repainting and just buy a new sheet of PVC? Factor in the cost of the stripper, the time, the possibility that the PVC could get ruined and that a new sheet is like a blank canvas I think it's a no brainier.

I think Matt paid over $100 for his sheet of PVC; that's not pocket-change for most of us. Around $10 for a stripper/solvent to remove the old paint seems worth it to me.

The reason he can't just spray over the old paint is the surface texture of the screen has roughened due to roller "marks".

Quote:

found this article on stripping paint off of plastic models that might have some insight.
http://www.bonediggers.com/1-3/strip/strip.html

Nifty article, thanks! I forgot about brake fluid removing paint; the problem is that is does not evaporate and must be cleaned off with a solvent anyway.

Quote:

The other option would be to use a spray primer and give it a few coats to hide everything.

The problem is that a sprayed surface can only be as smooth as the surface is before spraying. His current screen to showing too much texture.

**E-A-G-L-E-S** · **11-13-08, 10:24 AM**

I'm about as dumb as possible sometimes......"other side".

**Harpmaker** · **11-13-08, 11:31 AM**

Quote:

E-A-G-L-E-S wrote:

I'm about as dumb as possible sometimes......"other side".

If simply flipping the screen over is an option, then, yeah, that would work.

Many times one side of a sheet will have more texture than the other. I don't know if this is because of the manufacturing process or if it's on purpose for some reason.

**E-A-G-L-E-S** · **11-13-08, 05:36 PM**

Smooth as a babies bottom on both sides....I can even use the same mounting holes.

**mechman** · **11-13-08, 06:00 PM**

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