Paint Stripper Roundup  

Paint Strippers

Not everyone can afford or house a compressor-blast chamber setup, and while no paint stripper will equal shear mechanical force there are several paint strippers out there that will do a respectable job of stripping away most, if not all, kinds of paint.

3. Dad's Easy Spray Paint & Varnish Remover
2. Kleen Strip Aircraft Stripper
1. Bix Stripper, Red Can (Not Furniture)

There are three types of paint which the typical signal will have. First is a factory baked coat and some components may have a flat black or transparent "conversion coat" metal primer applied. These will be the toughest to remove, and in the case of primers or flat black it is best to buff and paint over it, saving an etching or primering step in the process. The remaining coats of paint will be easier to strip, either spray can applied paints, or a combination of commercial brush enamel (easy to strip) and industrial brush enamel sludge sold in 5-gallon pails (thick and not as easy to strip).  The sun is also your friend.  The more direct exposure it has had, the thinner and weaker paint will get.

On older artifacts it is not unusual to have 5 or more layers of paint applied in a coat 1/8" thick or more. Do not expect strippers to cut through more than two layers in a session.

Testing Method
All these were used outside on warm summer days; it is not recommended to use these in enclosed or in sunny areas, as well as outdoor areas with a lack of ventilation. Making sure glasses & gloves were on first, the can of stripper was shaken thoroughly as some of the stripper elements settle to the bottom of the can. A mug-size amount was poured into a small container. The signal to be stripped is laid in a cool, dry area (Note stripper may react with Concrete, Asphault, and Plastics) A THICK coat is dabbed onto the surface of the painted object with a natural brush, without re-brushing over an area. Once the signal is completely covered it is given a final look over, if any areas appear dry then more striper is drizzled onto the area. The signal is left for approximately four hours, either until the paint stripper is mostly evaporated or it no longer "looks" like the paint is stripping away, i.e. making noise, bubbling, etc. A wire brush and putty knife were used to scrape off as much paint as possible. Everything is then pressure-washed thoroughly with one of the cheap $40 units, set on the strongest setting to remove the majority of loose paint. After setting for a few minutes, everything is washed off on the lowest setting to remove any remaining stripper residue. When the signal has dried a final wire-brushing will knock off some more loose flakes of paint. This cycle will be repeated until a smooth base coat of paint or bare metal is reached.

After much testing these are TSS's top three commercially paint strippers based on what is readily available at the big box and discount stores. There are undoubtedly stronger, better, and more expensive strippers out there. For our purposes, however, they are much harder to obtain and for the moment outside the scope for this roundup. Also, while still quite toxic, all strippers reviewed clean up and are diluted with water.

TSS Rankings of Stripping Power
3. Dad's Easy Spray Paint & Varnish Remover
2. Kleen Strip Aircraft Stripper
1. Bix Stripper, Red Can (Not Furniture)


Sansher Corp Ft. Wayne, Indiana (No Website)
Dad's Easy Spray Paint & Varnish Remover is a popular choice because it comes with a free spray bottle and the promise of easy application. It is an effective stripper though you're best advised to toss the bottle and brush or pour it on instead. Spray complaints aside, this is an effective, though slower working stripper. It is advisable to scrape off layers as they peel up and the stripper appears to slow, then apply a second coat. While it respectably pulls off the more stubborn paints its soak-through ability is limited for removing multiple layers in a single application. This is a fine stripper, and if Bix or Kleen Strip aren't working Dad's is a good alternative.

Bix Paint Strippers http://www.bixmfg.com
Bix Stripper "Red Can" is a highly effective paint stripper usually available almost anywhere. One of the lower cost strippers, it is also reusable providing you can get it back into the can. Milky white, and a bit thinner than some of the other strippers, it starts dissolving paint on contact. This stripper has been the most effective of strippers reviewed here. It has taken off factory and overcoats of paint other brands couldn't even soften. This stripper also removed paint splatters from glass, though no paint stripper tested could remove the baked-on high temperature masking paint from a piece of glass. 

The "red Can" appears to be their base model stripper, they also make a Tuff Job "Black Can" stripper which can be found in home-improvement stores, and Power-Off remover designed for industrial dunk tanks and only available in large quantities. The "Red Can" has proven effective for most stripping tasks, the "Black Can" may be tested in the future.

Bix Furniture Stripper "Red Can" is a stain and varnish remover not suitable for heavy paint removal. This can looks identical to the good "Red Can" stripper except for large-print "Furniture stripper" characters on the front of the can. This stuff also has much less smell and is a thin brown watery liquid. I have bought this on occasion by accident and do not recommend it's use for paint.


Kleen Strip http://www.kleanstrip.com (Outdated website)

Around 2004-2005 Kleen Strip revamped their product line, changing the names of their products. The formulas appear the same though. Their products are respectable overall, and seem to be the most readily available. Some stores will put these in the Automotive section, so if you can't find them in the paint section be sure to check both.

KS-3 Premium Stripper in the "orange can" is a heavier duty version of their basic stripper. The cans are marked quite similar and color is almost identical except the premium is in an orange-ish tinted can. The similarities end there though. This stripper is a capable stripper available in the common sizes and an aerosol formula. While not the best or cheapest, it would be quite suitable for use as a first and second coat stripper, leaving the final layers of paint for the better strippers.

Strip-X Stripper is the new name for their most basic general purpose stripper. A runny, clear liquid it is almost impossible to see where it was applied, and too runny to stick anywhere but a flat, level surface. While likely suitable for removing paint on delicate surfaces it delivers a truly lackluster performance on thick multilayer paints.

Low Odor Aircraft Remover is the new name for the "Metal Stripper" variant of paint stripper. It is in a light blue "airplane" can and no longer resembles the other Kleen Strip products. The formula is as effective though, probably the strongest in the Kleen Strip line. The stripper itself is quite thick and a mucous yellow so it is easy to apply and easy to see. It will start bubbling the paint as you apply it and seems to do it's best work within the first hour or so, after that not much more paint will be loosened. It is nearly as good as the Bix stripper, while it is easier to work with the slightly lower price for Bix and the slightly better cutting power of Bix give it the edge. This stripper is still one of the best though, and only has problems cutting through some of the hardest factory basecoats, paint that no other stripper could touch either.

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This page was last modified on 11 February 2007.