Done...
Carsten asked and I found this from 2005!!!..
Also Mark Tombelson added some technique to this same topic string that I use as well and it goes like this:Neil,
This is my method...
I use chemical paint stripper...it works better in my opinion than wet sanding through layers of paint for a couple of reasons.
Wet sanding on an uneven surface cuts the high spots only...you will only uncover a portion of each number or letter...stripper removes a complete layer of paint.
Your jeep has been repainted...this paint was most likely air dried. Stripper will soften the air dried paint and not affect the factory paint underneath because the factory paint was baked to make it dry. A baked paint is many times more chemically resistant and physically harder than air dried paint.
Test an area in the center of your hood and you should see that stripper will only lift the repaint and its primer and not lift the OD...wash the stripper off and it becomes inert and can be swept up when dried ...next I use a lacquer thinner soaked rag that has been wrung out to wipe off residue and expose the paint under neath....stripper removes about 1.5 to 2 layers of paint at a time...
And I added some more:As an alternate, because I had very thick and hard gray paint under several civilian topcoats, you may want to try to lift the top layers of paint away with a wood chisel, like I did on Navy U.S.N. 133818.
and the results can be this:Hey Mark,
You are right ...when the paint is thick, brittle and not adhering to the sub coat very well it will scrape off easily...I use a razor scraper with a dull razor or a stiff putty knife in those cases...wood chisel would work too...then I can use the stripper or lacquer thinner to get the last coats...