I need to repaint the sharkskinz on my bike. It has about 2-3 layers of spray paint, and a layer of bugs. What's the best way to remove the paint? I think the last time I tried sanding, the paint just became gooey. I'm thinking solvents, like maybe Zip-Strip. But according to their website it said to be cautious using it on plastic and fiberglass. I've even considered power washing it off.
You can use paint remover, but like the label says, you must be cautious. Watch to make sure it doesn't start to eat into the glass. You could also try laquer thinner sincce you said the paint was "gooey" when sanding. Be careful though as static electricity could cause a flash fire. Other than that, the safest way is to sand it off.
I used an orbital sander with a lighter sandpaper. Works good. I've tried the stripper before, wound up throwing out the bodywork. I couldn't get it neutralized to stop eating the bodywork. It all went to mush.
Absolutely don't use strippers:down::down::down::down::down: especially not if its only spraypaint that you're sanding off. I've used probably every type of flexible part stripper and fiberglass and plastic stripper, as well as metal paint strippers out there and they all pretty much suck on fiberglass bodywork. They do work in some cases and can be a huge help, but it is rare. Most of the time they either just make a huge goey mess that is a huge pain in the ass to sand off, or they damage the structural integrity of the fiberlgass. Sanding is a pain in the ass as well, but just take your time and do it right and you'll have some nice stuff in the end. Start with 220 to take the heavier paint off, then switch to 400 before long to strip the final paint off and smooth everything out:up:
I usually try a straight razor blade in a push type holder. The kind mechanics use to remove window stickers etc. Some times the paint will come right off, but it all depends on the type of paint though. Several years ago I razor bladed an entire car in one weekend right down to the primer and hardly had to do any sanding work for a Maaco paint job.
