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Remove paint from tolex

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David Axt
Posted on Tuesday, June 14, 2005 - 07:49 pm:   

What is the best product/procedure for removing paint from tolex? I just bought a used MM HD130 and some idiot painted the tolex red then decided on green. If I can't strip the paint, I am considering repainting it black.

Any ideas would be appreciated.
Langley
Posted on Wednesday, June 15, 2005 - 09:07 am:   

Any chemicals one might use, like ZipStrip, will damage the tolex. If it were my amp I'd carefully remove the old tolex and replace it. The removed tolex segments would serve as template. This is easier said than done, but besides a fresh look re-sale value would be improved.
Terry Loose (terry)
Username: terry

Registered: 05-2006
Posted on Monday, September 02, 2013 - 01:19 pm:   

Text description

This is an Amp that was painted and I used carberator cleaner/throttle body cleaner to get paint off. Spray on paint, it will run, wipe with paper towel. If you wait too long, the paint will set back up. I have used 4 cans to get it this far. Also changed the grill cloth as the old black cloth was ripped up.
Terry Loose (terry)
Username: terry

Registered: 05-2006
Posted on Monday, September 02, 2013 - 01:24 pm:   

Text description

This is an Amp that was painted and I used carberator cleaner/throttle body cleaner to get paint off. Spray on paint, it will run, wipe with paper towel. If you wait too long, the paint will set back up. I have used 4 cans to get it this far. Also changed the grill cloth as the old black cloth was ripped up.
spudmurphy (spudmurphy)
Username: spudmurphy

Registered: 06-2007
Posted on Monday, October 28, 2013 - 07:33 am:   

Wow - those results are amazing - it looks really nice.

I've recently got an RD 50 112 myself and have renovated it - new grill cloth, cleaned up tolex, repaired back panel, new corners etc
I've also built a 1 x 12 extension cab and will be covering it in tolex using a contact adhesive - but one that still gives some time to move it about - my first attempt - here's hoping it goes well.
The speaker I got was an emminence alnico 8 ohm speaker that seems to be a great match for the original MM speaker. Will post photos of the whole process in the near future.
spudmurphy (spudmurphy)
Username: spudmurphy

Registered: 06-2007
Posted on Monday, October 28, 2013 - 07:34 am:   

I just noticed - your amp has a green power on indicator - cool!
Mike Griffin (mgriffin155)
Username: mgriffin155

Registered: 02-2014
Posted on Friday, February 28, 2014 - 01:37 pm:   

Hi Terry,

I've been restoring a neglected MM 112-RD-65 with black tolex. It looked like it had collateral damage from a paint gun fight and then someone attempted to wipe it clean. They missed a lot of nooks and crannies. I used acetone and q-tips and carefully went spot by spot to remove the remaining evidence. This took time and patience. After that I gave it a good wipe down with mineral oil. Once dry, I applied Meguiar's Endurance Hi Gloss Tire Protectant Gel. This got rid of the dull spots left from the acetone, made the tolex gleam and left a pleasant vanilla scent. It looked so good that I had to replace the dingy paint paint streaked grill cloth. I'm not sure if the Gel would work on blonde tolex but it might. The Gel doesn't have black dye in it.

I've also had good luck cleaning up the brightwork on the amp. The nickle plating on the corners, amp straps and handle covers had pit rust and oxidation. I tried C-L-R with little success. I ended up using Krud Kleaner that auto-body shops use to prep dirty metal for painting. It has Phosphoric Acid as the main ingredient so be sure to use gloves and have good ventilation or your wife will yell at you. Mix 1 part of KK with 3 parts water and dip the parts in for about 10 minutes. After the parts are dipped, use some fine steel wool to buff the parts. Next mix some water and baking soda and dip the parts for a few minutes to neutralize the acid. Finally, thoroughly rinse in water and let dry.

Good Luck,
-Mike