Mel and I have been getting really into holiday blowmolds. With the addition of our daughter Autumn Rose (now a year and a half!!!) we want to make the holidays extra special for her. Even to this day I remember when Halloween was near because when I would come home from school my mom would hang diecut Halloween figures in the windows. I remember how excited I would get.
After searching around on the internet it became clear that the best way to strip these blowmolds is to use oven cleaner not stripper. I used Easy-Off oven cleaner and it worked like a charm!
Once you spray the blowmold thoroughly let it sit and work. I checked it at about 45 minuets and I was surprised how much paint had been removed.
So obviously the oven cleaner removed 90% of the paint except these stubborn areas. I sprayed the piece again and let it sit for 20 more minuets but this time I used plastic bristle brushes to agitate the cleaner in those areas and it removed the rest of the paint. Don’t use metal bristle brushes because it could mar the surface of the mold.
So here is the result of all the oven cleaner and a little elbow grease. The pupils were black and they stained the mold. No big deal gonna be black again anyways. Once the mold is stripped you need to give it a ammonia bath to strip any oils, dirt or residue. I decided to start small to better understand the process. I recommend you start small before you take on a 5’ santa. Keep an eye out for part 2 where we start the painting process.
Hepcats Haven 