removing paint from glass?

[originalozzyo]

I have a used bowfront that i am currently setting up. Only problem is that the back glass is painted blue on the outside. Don't know what kind of paint was used and i can't scrape it off. Is using paint thinner safe near the silicone? Anyone done this before?

 

[AcroSteve]

Razor blade and elbow grease.

You might use some paint stripper in the center - well away from the silicone.

 

[Kenzy]

Yep, I went from blue to black and just used single sided razor blades with a holder.

 

[Rhodophyta]

Paint thinner only removes oil base paint that has not ever dried. Don't bother.

Single edge razor blades are the best option. Find a blade holder that is comfortable in your hand, and a different one that you hold comfortably in some other hand position. Switching back and forth between them will reduce the cramping you may feel if you haven't done this regularly.

Another trick is to replace the blades often. In college my wife and I had summer jobs cleaning paint off windows of newly built houses. There you only had to deal with a thin line of paint and a few drips and speckles, but a blade would still go dull often on a single window.

Don't hesitate to replace the blade. Dull blades can scratch glass. You may go through a dozen blades doing the back of a fish tank. If the paint is old, maybe a lot more than that. Toss the blade the first time it begins to drag.

 

[tb_bucs]

i tried paint thinner and it melted the black brace around the edges of my tank not a good idea

 

[originalozzyo]

Thanks for your opinions. Looks like i'm going to have a fun afternoon today scraping paint.

 

[chrismunn]

laquer thinner is strrong enough to denature the paint without weakening or melting any of the plastic or silicone.

 

[Harry_Fish]

A razor blade is the fastest and less messiest

 

[originalozzyo]

Razor blade and elbow grease is all it took. Picked one up at home depot in the paint section. Had it finished in under a half hour.