Paint removal….

[Shropshire-lad]

Just spotted an Eastman B3 on Ebay, going cheap (£350) but relatively good condition but…. It’s got some nose art on the back. Any idea if there is a successful way of removing such like?? I mean without damag the finish?

 

[B-Man2]

I’m not an expert and there are others here who know much more about this subject, but I think that in order to remove a painting almost as large as the size of the back of the jacket , you would have to strip the finish off the jacket and re stain the hide. Failing to do this will always leave paint in the hide and give the hide a coloring . It’s a pretty big and messy job I think.

 

[Shropshire-lad]

Hmmmm….. Sounds like a big job and probably not that straight forward. Below is a screen shot….

 

[John Lever]

Crying shame someone ruined it

 

[Micawber]

Hmmmm….. Sounds like a big job and probably not that straight forward. Below is a screen shot….
View attachment 84148

Successful removal depends on the type of paint, some you can shift without damage to the leather finish, others might come off but will require the leather to be refinished, others will leave traces. That looks like acrylic but it's a job to say for certain without having it in hand. It's a gamble that is probably not worth the effort unless you like a challenge and are prepared for a potential bad outcome

 

[CBI]

possible but outcome iffy at best.

 

[Dany McDonald]

And if you manage to find the corresponding solvent (exclusive to the paint) that is harmless to the leather finish, take in consideration that it will leave a ghost imprint... So as mentioned by Steve a refinish is to be planned.

Personalization by artwork is always a gamble and to be evaluated very seriously as it may loose the initial meaning and impact once it its the resale market.

A single hole made by an harmless pin may devaluate a jacket quite a bit too. I know cause I did pin my new Brimaco perfecto once in the 80's and when interest was lost in the subject matter of the pins I was left with holes that stood out like a sore thumb.

Dany

 

[John Lever]

I don't think 350 is a BIN

 

[B-Man2]

Suggestion;
Try and get it for the best price posible and just wear it that way..or ....pass on it.

 

[Silver Surfer]

Sometimes with acrylic paint you can float it off. Unlike enamels, acrylic paint sits on the surface, ie: does not penetrate the painted material. Thus, it is sometimes possible to soak the painted area throughly, massage it, and lift the paint off. Disclaimer: this works sometimes, and is in no way a suggestion for the feint of heart.

 

[MikeyB-17]

Yes, acrylic is water-based, so it should be possible to soak it and gently remove the paint. Trouble is, we don’t know what sort of paint it is. If it’s enamel it’s going to be an entirely different kettle of poisson. Ken Calder has said they use Nitromors on a damp cloth at Aero, but that may be for the house paint stains so often seen on old jackets. I doubt you’ll get that off without the remains being visible. I think I’d be inclined to give it a miss.

 

[John Lever]

Remove the paint then refinish the whole jacket

 

[Shropshire-lad]

All very good points…. … I’ve not heard you can ‘refinish’ this kind of leather finish? How is it done? Ghosting is a possible hazard as mentioned above, so going down the ‘time worn‘ avenue could be hazardous too. Not that I know how Eastman achieve that anyway! Their aged finish does look good, in my humble.

 

[John Lever]

After tanning the skins are 'plated' , acrylic paint is sprayed on then sealed with lacquer. So the surface you see is not leather but plastic. Sweeting describes refinishing in his book.
I have contacts who refinish leather sofas and chairs, the materials are freely available just require skill and confidence to apply.

 

[Mr. Mike]

I have had very good experience with undoing an entire back-artwork and refurbishing it with one of the current jacket painting artists Anneke Helleman (https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=anneke helleman). The painting could be removed and the jacket restored matching its original color/tanning 100%. There was no indication of the previous artwork or any 'ghost-image' remaining whatever (day)light shines on it. That was simply perfect work and it may be worthwhile to reach out to her on FB. Anneke is located in the Netherlands. Of course there is no guarantee in particular, as outlined in above threads already, it depends heavily on which paint has been applied and often only the artist knows that. However, Anneke also weighs in a lot of experience checking at least what might be feasible.

 

[VeraVoulik]

I've ben asked many times to remove some really missed paintings on a2, it's quite easy to remove. The main thing is to treat the whole back area in order to re-finish a beautiful leather restoration after.

 

[John Lever]

Sold for 650 !!!

 

[Shropshire-lad]

Wow….. just wow.

 

[ausreenactor]

Crying shame someone ruined it

Thats value adding