I think this has been asked before, but how do you remove paint from a plastic body? I want to change the number on an engine I have, but I don't know how to remove the old number.
Sorry, I just saw your post. I am in the middle of just such a project. There are probably better ways but here is what worked for me. I dipped a toothpick in finger nail polish remover... not soaked, lightly dipped. Then, I GENTLY rubbed the number I wished to remove. It took about ten minutes of GENTLE rubbing to get the number off, but it worked, and did not remove the the body paint.
Here's a couple of pics:
Number on...
(http://i642.photobucket.com/albums/uu146/jsnvogel/Rolling%20Stock/DSCN0565.jpg)
Number off...
(http://i642.photobucket.com/albums/uu146/jsnvogel/Rolling%20Stock/DSCN0567.jpg)
The real trick is finding a dry transfer, wet decal or stencil to paint on the new number. That's where I'm stuck right now. Finding the right color font and size is a challenge. But I'm a patient guy.
(http://i642.photobucket.com/albums/uu146/jsnvogel/DSCN0359.jpg)
Hope this helps,
Jonathan
Sorry, had a senior moment. It was finger nail polish remover, not paint thinner. Although, paint thinner works well on another company's models.
Rubbing alcohol also works, and if you want to strip more paint than just a number, use a pencil's eraser dipped in the alcohol.