Removing Pandora Paint, Best Paint to Go Back On?

[-Tj-]

Just some quick questions since the search hasn't really returned anything useful: how would I go about removing the paint from the Pandora case, and what's the best type of paint to put back on it? Thx in advance!

 

[Coldbird]

Good question, +1 for me, kinda interested.

 

[mcobit]

Just a guess, but what about some fine sandpaper?

 

[scoobydoo]

I know member MarioPandio was talking about this in a thread about custom designing ones Pandora.


People do use turpentine to remove paint yes?

 

[-Tj-]

Just a guess, but what about some fine sandpaper?

Problem with that is it may not take off the paint evenly in certain areas, and I'm not that great a sander... I've always ended up with fine surface scratches every time, though I'm guessing with the right coat of paint it won't be visible.


The case I have has started to exhibit a small amount of paint separation on the cover in a very visible, flat spot, and the paint flaked right off. I'm not sure if it's the weather, a bad paint job, or if some liquid splattered on it. It's just one spot, about a half centimeter in diameter, and I don't keep solvents in the area its stored. Heck, I don't even think I have any solvents that could take it off to begin with.


My original plan was to customize my Pandora anyway, but with the trouble spot I don't trust the paint at all. I want all of it off before a new coat goes on.

I know member MarioPandio was talking about this in a thread about custom designing ones Pandora.


People do use turpentine to remove paint yes?

Will turpentine damage the plastic? I know that some solvents soften plastics, though I have no idea with Pandora's plastic. Bit afraid to try it, since there doesn't seem to be an 'inconspicuous' area on the case that's painted.

 

[Binky]

I know member MarioPandio was talking about this in a thread about custom designing ones Pandora.


People do use turpentine to remove paint yes?

Custom paint schemes...?


Could OP sell unpainted cases and suitable paints? It would be fun seeing what other people did with them.


"paint your own: awesome portable gadget"

 

[scoobydoo]

Just a guess, but what about some fine sandpaper?

Problem with that is it may not take off the paint evenly in certain areas, and I'm not that great a sander... I've always ended up with fine surface scratches every time, though I'm guessing with the right coat of paint it won't be visible.


The case I have has started to exhibit a small amount of paint separation on the cover in a very visible, flat spot, and the paint flaked right off. I'm not sure if it's the weather, a bad paint job, or if some liquid splattered on it. It's just one spot, about a half centimeter in diameter, and I don't keep solvents in the area its stored. Heck, I don't even think I have any solvents that could take it off to begin with.


My original plan was to customize my Pandora anyway, but with the trouble spot I don't trust the paint at all. I want all of it off before a new coat goes on.

I know member MarioPandio was talking about this in a thread about custom designing ones Pandora.


People do use turpentine to remove paint yes?

Will turpentine damage the plastic? I know that some solvents soften plastics, though I have no idea with Pandora's plastic. Bit afraid to try it, since there doesn't seem to be an 'inconspicuous' area on the case that's painted.

The only other removers I could think of would be white spirit or kerosine.

 

[Darkknight512]

I know some super glue that turns the plastic into a sticky goo. Best way to strip off the paint I think would be abrasion, if you can get access to it, sandblasting with fine grit would be what i would do.

 

[gotwake424]

If you want to completely strip the paint, althought i really don't think you need to do this, take 800 grit sand paper and wet sand off the paint, then go to 900, 1000, 2400 grits to get the scratches out.

 

[milkshake]

thats a bit hard for ther pandora isnt it? surly there is some sort of acid bath or something similar that can remove ther paint without damaging the plastic and witout having to sand of the paint?

 

[F_Slim]

Knowing nothing about the plastic or the paint, an acid bath might also just remove the plastic and keep the paint

 

[milkshake]

yeah u know what I meant though, something like that which wouldnt affect the plastic.

 

[-Tj-]

What milkshake said, sanding's out of the question for a couple reasons, at least. It's too much work, and I don't want to chance removal of some of the features of the surface, like the Pandora logo or the little raised bumps on the bottom of the unit.


Some research has revealed something called Fairy Power Spray for you folks in the UK, but for us in the US it seems to be marketed under Dawn Power Dissolver. I'll go out and find some when I can, but maybe if anyone feels the need to try it out, lmk how it goes. It's supposed to not damage the plastic at all, but the examples I've seen were for spray paint. I've also heard something about Simple Green working, but that seems like a stretch.

 

[gotwake424]

If you are worried about using sand paper and taking off too much, then I would definately advise against an "acid" bath. Really tho a high grit sand paper such as 800 or higher will take off the very fine paint finish without much effort. You can also use a sanding block to prevent low and high spots. If you alternate 800 at 90 degrees then use say 1600 at 0 degrees it will get all the micro scratches out. As for the paint to a du-point, rust-o-lum or kryo-tech plastic spray paint. Ill post pictures when im done with mine

 

[gotwake424]

thats a bit hard for ther pandora isnt it? surly there is some sort of acid bath or something similar that can remove ther paint without damaging the plastic and witout having to sand of the paint?

Thats what you use to take scratches out of acrylic. 1600 grit sand paper basically feels like rubber you're taking off in the .001" area

 

[milkshake]

problem with that is you have to judge all the sanding yourself and for people like me who is crap at DIY i would probably sand the logo off

 

[hailrazer]

The problem with paint removers is that the majority will dissolve the plastic.


And I didn't think the Pandora's were painted. I thought the color was in the plastic ?

 

[Prometheus]

And I didn't think the Pandora's were painted. I thought the color was in the plastic ?

It's both - the plastic is black (and I seem to recall that the casing was meant to go together without a layer of paint on it), and there is a matte black paint layer on it as well.

 

[MarioPandio]

I know member MarioPandio was talking about this in a thread about custom designing ones Pandora.


People do use turpentine to remove paint yes?

I was on about using printable decals, rather than removing the paint but I guess some folk do use Turpentine for that.


Always been a go to kinda thing for me once the pubs close. If I'm short on lighter fluid or any acid to bathe in the glow of, that is. Which by co-incidence have the added advantage that with no effort at all, your Pandora can look however you want it to.


Call a halt somewhere though, as beware both the sapient pearwood finish for its added mobility, or Evil Dead 2 designs for its refusal to return to you without a shotgun, or give back its inquisitive victims before dawn.

 

[-Tj-]

And I didn't think the Pandora's were painted. I thought the color was in the plastic ?

Yup, it's painted. I don't know if it's different from different batches of cases, but this one in particular seems to have a metal flake-like black plastic under the black paint, as visible thru the area that chipped off. It might actually be kind of pretty if I can get all the paint off, but that's not the look I'm going for.


gotwake424: I'm interested to see how your project will look. How long did it take to sand all the paint off? I want it all off, as I don't trust it to hold any new coat of paint.