Best carc stripper

[Ibexe666]

I know this has prob been beat to death but would any aircraft stripper work or would having the toxic mek type work better, i plan on wrapping parts to sit to help it stay wet. Any recommendations?

 

[spankybear]

I got to bump this as I have the same question. Looking for a stripper for CARC

 

[glcaines]

I gave up with stripper and went with sand blasting on my M416 trailer. The sandblasting was tough and took hours and expense to remove the CARC.

 

[G744]

Precisely why the military just paints over the old stuff.

Well neigh impossible to chemically remove it, as CARC stands for Chemical Agent Resistant Coating, including strippers.

 

[cbrTodd]

Precisely why the military just paints over the old stuff.

Well neigh impossible to chemically remove it, as CARC stands for Chemical Agent Resistant Coating, including strippers.

Prior to about 2014, the "Aircraft Remover" brand paint remover available at parts stores would remove CARC reasonably easy. But then the EPA got involved due to VOC content and the formulation got changed, at least for the version that was available for sale in Indiana. What is in the can now will barely scratch CARC, regardless of how long you leave it on.

If any other states still have the original formulation, from my experience stripping the outside of a M109A3 van body with multiple layers, it DID work. But the leftovers that I had back then dried up long ago, and again the new stuff I could buy several years ago was NOT the same.

I tried again to find a replacement last year and the only thing I could find that that smelled remotely similar was a Jasco brand product in a red and gold metal can at Menards. It did not work nearly as well as the old "Aircraft Remover" but it did loosen CARC somewhat, but much slower, which is better than anything else I have found. So if you have or can get sandblasting capability, that may be a better option for you.

 

[G744]

Sandblast only with remote breathing air...the dust can be toxic.

 

[Ray70]

Maybe try wet blasting to keep dust to a minimal.
I've heard a lot of good things about that "Dustless Blasting" co., if anything is available in your area.
I hear you can rent the equipment and blast it yourself.
As for chemicals, only thing I have found is that taking the coarsest sanding disc you can find ( 24 grit or so ) and quickly scratching up the old CARC will create weak areas where the stripper can get under the paint and be more effective, but yes, try to find some of the old Aircraft Remover stuff. If it burns your eyes nose and skin like sniffing straight ammonia, then you got the good stuff... if not, the you got the EPA compliant crap that will barely strip fresh rattle can paint!

 

[Bulldogger]

Maybe try wet blasting to keep dust to a minimal.
I've heard a lot of good things about that "Dustless Blasting" co., if anything is available in your area.
I hear you can rent the equipment and blast it yourself.
As for chemicals, only thing I have found is that taking the coarsest sanding disc you can find ( 24 grit or so ) and quickly scratching up the old CARC will create weak areas where the stripper can get under the paint and be more effective, but yes, try to find some of the old Aircraft Remover stuff. If it burns your eyes nose and skin like sniffing straight ammonia, then you got the good stuff... if not, the you got the EPA compliant crap that will barely strip fresh rattle can paint!

I just discovered dustless sandblasting too and am thinking of using it to blast my HMMWV CARC off.
BDGR