Removing lacquer from vintage Gillette razors

[gpjoe]

So, I've been monkeying around with replating some of my vintage Gillette razors, with mixed results. I have quickly found that preparation it king. The parts being plated must be immaculate in order to get a nice plating result. This means an ultra smooth finish free of contaminants prior to plating.

So far, I've gotten great results on the caps and base plates as I am able to lightly sand them with fine grit paper and polish them on my buffing wheel. My results on those have been near "Backraods" quality - near.

The problem I'm having is with the handles, specifically in the knurling. All of my test subjects have been razors that were originally gold plated by Gillette and then coated in lacquer. When I replate the handles, no matter how thoroughly I scrub and clean, I get spotty nickel plating in the crevices of the knurling.

I have tried scrubbing with brake cleaner which I think is denatured alcohol or acetone (smells like acetone) and a toothbrush, to no avail. Same with oven cleaner and toothbrush.

I can't sand the knurling, and using a buffing wheel has been ineffective in getting into the knurling, so at this point I'm looking for a means of stripping with a dip or bath.

Any thoughts?...maybe soaking in lacquer thinner is the obvious answer?...any other options?

Of course, if I were trying to PRESERVE the lacquer finish, it would fall away on its own, at the slightest touch.

 

[timetofly]

Joe I don't have any help to offer, the only thing I can provide is support.

Kudos to you for attempting this project.
If you could post some pictures, when you achieve your desired results, I, and am sure others, would be grateful.
Good luck to you, sir!

 

[robertzombie]

Maybe try an ultrasonic bath?

 

[Invicta]

I have tried scrubbing with brake cleaner which I think is denatured alcohol or acetone (smells like acetone) and a toothbrush, to no avail.

I would try acetone to remove it and a good scrub will get into those crevices. Brake cleaner is not acetone and is really a degreaser.

 

[Happy Jack]

I would have tried paint stripper, although I have no experience of it for this particular task.

 

[gpjoe]

I would have tried paint stripper, although I have no experience of it for this particular task.

I think you are correct...or lacquer thinner.

 

[lasta]

Acetone/nail polish remover.

Oops, sorry, just saw you tried that already

 

[gpjoe]

Acetone/nail polish remover.

Oops, sorry, just saw you tried that already

Actually, I used brake cleaner, which I thought was a form of acetone, but apparently not. I need to go to Home Depot and pick up an assortment of chemicals from the paint department.

 

[Tanuki]

Generic nail polish remover is usually acetone. Cheap and readily available. I finally bought a bottle and stopped stealing from my wife. Hers had a scent and a tint anyway. Mine is better!

 

[gpjoe]

Generic nail polish remover is usually acetone. Cheap and readily available. I finally bought a bottle and stopped stealing from my wife. Hers had a scent and a tint anyway. Mine is better!

I thought so, thanks.

 

[luvmysuper]

I'm surprised to hear that oven cleaner didn't work, it's worked for me flawlessly on gold razors.
Are you using regular killer oven cleaner or a environmentally friendly one?
Some of the new "kinder and gentler" products are crap.
Acetone would probably work as well.

 

[gpjoe]

I'm surprised to hear that oven cleaner didn't work, it's worked for me flawlessly on gold razors.
Are you using regular killer oven cleaner or a environmentally friendly one?
Some of the new "kinder and gentler" products are crap.
Acetone would probably work as well.

Yeah, it might have been a lightweight oven cleaner, though it was EZ Off. I know the old-school stuff actually can cause mild chemical burns on the skin. This stuff seemed pretty tame in comparison.

 

[SalS]

I would try paint stripper and then TSP to clean everything up

 

[gpjoe]

You know, I remember stripping furniture using a gel substance. You apply it, let it sit for a bit and scrape or wipe it off. That might work.

As I recall, the stuff I used was fairly potent. I got a bit on my arm and ignored it while I was working and it started to sting a bit. I'm thinking that when used properly, that's a good sign.

Hopefully they haven't "fixed" the recipe.

 

[Wombat ESQ]

Lye, the old Washing Soda, Drain cleaner [ caustic, not a sulphuric acid based one], oven cleaner [the caustic one], Paint Stripper, are all[?] or were all[?] in one way or another forms of Sodium Hydroxide that is[?] or was[?] used also in the manufacture of soap.
Saponification is why oven cleaner works, fats/grease plus oven cleaner[caustic] equals soap and a clean oven.

Hopefully they haven't "fixed" the recipe.

Washing soda has been ''fixed'' it is now Sodium Carbonate [not bicarb].
Drain cleaner depending on country may be acid based?
Oven cleaners, I bet have been tamed or ''fixed'' to stop inhalation of nasty things and skin burns or accidental ingestion.
As for paint stripper, I don't paint, loath it so don't know if paint stripper is or is not good these days.

Some make a point of saying "I/We don't use hash chemicals on our razors'' that's cool, but on grubby razors I do use Drain cleaner, lifts the soap scum, dissolves hair from hard to get at places, generally an initial first step cleaner.[second is muriatic acid, soon sorts the brass from nickel]
Warning: I will and do use gloves with it, it will saponificate the oils on your skin as fast as superglue will stick your fingers together.

I think you maybe better off trying acetone only acetone, brake clean is good stuff, but acetone alone may be better. I find mine in the fiberglass section of the equivalent of Walmart over here.

 

[panzerkiller13]

So far, I've gotten great results on the caps and base plates as I am able to lightly sand them with fine grit paper and polish them on my buffing wheel. My results on those have been near "Backraods" quality - near.

The problem I'm having is with the handles, specifically in the knurling. All of my test subjects have been razors that were originally gold plated by Gillette and then coated in lacquer. When I replate the handles, no matter how thoroughly I scrub and clean, I get spotty nickel plating in the crevices of the knurling.

I have tried scrubbing with brake cleaner which I think is denatured alcohol or acetone (smells like acetone) and a toothbrush, to no avail. Same with oven cleaner and toothbrush.

I can't sand the knurling, and using a buffing wheel has been ineffective in getting into the knurling, so at this point I'm looking for a means of stripping with a dip or bath.

Any thoughts?...maybe soaking in lacquer thinner is the obvious answer?...any other options?

Of course, if I were trying to PRESERVE the lacquer finish, it would fall away on its own, at the slightest touch.

This may sound a little extreme, but what about a soak in Goof Off, or even Berryman B12 chemtool? They both have acetone in them as a base ingredient, but there are also some more aggressive organic solvents in them that should make a quick work of a lacquer.

Backstory: I had wanted to re-seal the tub in one of our bathrooms that had some god-awful hard stuff that cracked and separated from the tub walls, and that was the solution! I found out about this in 2018 or 2019 and had done some reading about removing silicone and other caulks, and mineral spirits and goof off were recommended, especially for getting the last remnants of silicone off of surfaces so that new silicone would stick.

In the middle of this project out of curiosity, I tried wiping down the chrome faucet handles with some goof off because they had a lot of soap scum and calcium buildup on them and looked righteously dingy. To my amazement, ALL of the deposits- soap, mineral, etc IMMEDIATELY came off and left a perfectly smooth chrome surface behind with no scrubbing or elbow grease required!

 

[gpjoe]

This may sound a little extreme, but what about a soak in Goof Off, or even Berryman B12 chemtool? They both have acetone in them as a base ingredient, but there are also some more aggressive organic solvents in them that should make a quick work of a lacquer.

Backstory: I had wanted to re-seal the tub in one of our bathrooms that had some god-awful hard stuff that cracked and separated from the tub walls, and that was the solution! I found out about this in 2018 or 2019 and had done some reading about removing silicone and other caulks, and mineral spirits and goof off were recommended, especially for getting the last remnants of silicone off of surfaces so that new silicone would stick.

In the middle of this project out of curiosity, I tried wiping down the chrome faucet handles with some goof off because they had a lot of soap scum and calcium buildup on them and looked righteously dingy. To my amazement, ALL of the deposits- soap, mineral, etc IMMEDIATELY came off and left a perfectly smooth chrome surface behind with no scrubbing or elbow grease required!

That might work.

I've used Goof-Off in the past and it worked pretty good. I just need to get to Home Depot and have a look at their paint strippers. I'm sure Goof-Off will be right there in the mix.

 

[FarmerTan]

That might work.

I've used Goof-Off in the past and it worked pretty good. I just need to get to Home Depot and have a look at their paint strippers. I'm sure Goof-Off will be right there in the mix.

Good luck my friend! My only advice will sound like your mommy talking, but be careful, and fresh air is probably your friend.

 

[gpjoe]

Good luck my friend! My only advice will sound like your mommy talking, but be careful, and fresh air is probably your friend.

Yeah, my "buzzed" days are far behind me, and I don't got no spare brain cells.

 

[FarmerTan]

Yeah, my "buzzed" days are far behind me, and I don't got no spare brain cells.

My long lost brother!