chemrox - 3-9-2019 at 12:57
I'm trying to get the coatings and logos off some new hand tools made by Estwing. (I will call them next) The coating appears to be acrylic but not
sure. Anyway, impervious to acetone and heptane. I tried dilute HCl on the recommendation of a forum despite my serious doubts. It was cheap. Is there
a clear-coat remover? Would Na2CO3 in an oil work?
happyfooddance - 3-9-2019 at 15:48
I would try an ester like ethyl acetate, or some smallish solvent like MEK.
Dilute HCl sounds like a great way to get a perennially rusting tool.
The coating is definitely an organic, a hot brisk torch flame will do the job, but might ruin the heat treatment of the tool if you don't know what
you're doing.
You can scrape a little bit of the tool coating off and do a little qualitative analysis, that's what I would do.
Deathunter88 - 3-9-2019 at 19:44
If acetone won't touch it, then MEK won't either. Try a chlorinated solvent such as methylene chloride (paint stripper).
happyfooddance - 3-9-2019 at 20:46
Jesus Christ, if you are going to quote someone, at least do so accurately.
Edit: basically, that is not the proper way to use quotations.
And deleting your post is not the solution.
[Edited on 9-4-2019 by happyfooddance]
[Edited on 9-4-2019 by happyfooddance]
Ubya - 4-9-2019 at 01:40
if it is not a hardened tool and you don't mind tge aesthetic, you can remive the coating by burning it with a torch.
a chlorinated solvent should work, maybe soaking the part for a longer period of time should work, often if a solven doesn't work in a fee seconds
doesn't mean it doesn't work in a matter of hours or days
Dr.Bob - 4-9-2019 at 09:51
If DCM does not work well, try DMSO or DMF, they strip off most paint and plastic.
Fantasma4500 - 4-9-2019 at 23:22
underwater HE blast might help, you can get "air hammers" which basically fires like 20 hardened pins with airpressure at whatever, its oftenly used
to remove rust and dirt from metal.
you may also be able to use electrolysis, i think you would want the tool to be the negative, anode so the positive ions would connect to it, this is
also used for cleaning steel, or you could try to see first up if boiling base or acid would work, less likely acid will work, except for if its acid
that directly corrodes the metal
markx - 5-9-2019 at 23:52
I would steer away from acids, especially hydrochloric, assuming the tools are made from steel. It would probably work to separate the labels from the
tools, but most likely the tools shall be removed from the labels and not the other way round 
Extended soak in heated solvents (I prefer ester+toluene/xylene mix...agressive type paint solvent) usually does the trick to soften up and remove
most of any organic layers from steel substrates.
One could also try an extended soak in paint removers.....these also tend to make quick work on organic polymer layers.
draculic acid69 - 7-9-2019 at 05:44
I couldn't think of a worse thing for a steel tool than acid of any sort.even phosphoric would cause problems due to a layer of iron phosphate forming