FAQ: Removing Paint - Paint Stripping

[-JK-]

didn't want to break the bank as some of these cleaning products can cost as much as £4!

 

I got a 750ml bottle of Dettol for about £3 in Superdrug. So far I've stripped about 20 or so figures using one jam jar's worth of the stuff. And it's still going strong. I'm pretty sure I won't need to replace that jar full for a long time. It's not that expensive really for something that will last ages...

[Caolán]

Cheers mate!

[madcooie]

didn't want to break the bank as some of these cleaning products can cost as much as £4!

 

I got a 750ml bottle of Dettol for about £3 in Superdrug. So far I've stripped about 20 or so figures using one jam jar's worth of the stuff. And it's still going strong. I'm pretty sure I won't need to replace that jar full for a long time. It's not that expensive really for something that will last ages...

 

If you leave the jar over night do all the paint particles sink to the bottom? You could use a syringe or something to suck the stuff up and reuse it...Maybe i'm being ridiculously economic but just a thought - I know it used to work with white spirit or turps

[Mnemonikk]

Yeah, either that or filter it with a bit of kitchen roll in a funnel. Works for me... Great tutorial though WingsOfTheFalcon - was wondering what I should replace my tub of brake fluid with! Thanks a lot :) Still, I'm pretty impatient, so might try that nail polish remover - thanks for the heads-up Cosmic!

[IronDuke]

I know you mentioned it in the first post but I got to say I really love Fairy Power Spray. Cuts through paint on metal models, plastics may take a couple of goes but it is reuseable to an extent. Love the stuff and well worth a go.

[DrussTheLegend]

I just use acetone which is whats in nail varnish remover . The good thing bout it too is it removes super glue and its safe to get on your hands

[WingsOfTheFalcon]

Hi guys,

 

I've added some more pictures, this time showing progress after 48 hours in the suds.

 

Also here's a pic of the Chaos Dwarf, pre-bath:

 

http://j.imagehost.org/t/0259/DSC00134.jpg

[madcooie]

Hello Chaps,

 

Been doing a bit of stripping over the week (WAHEY!!!) using Mr Muscle Over Cleaner. It seems to work to an extent, but doesn't strip back to the grey plastic and seems to take a few doses to remove the spray base coat i had added - albeit with a good bit of scrubbing with a toothbrush!

[madcooie]

I think Mr Muscle Oven Cleaner is good for removing Acrylic paints but pretty rubbish at removing anything else!

 

I remember i bought it to take paint off a submarine i was building once upon a time, anyway, i'll try and give this fairy stuff a shot!

[Lord Ravenhood]

i reccommend brake fluid, it strips metals and plastics with no visable deteration.

just fill a icecream container with enough to cover the model leave for 24hrs when you remove it the paint will be peeling of just run the model under warm water and scrub with an old toothbrush.

[Spazmonkey]

Hey Guys

 

I though i would share my experience with stripping models this weekend...

 

I have been trying different chemicals on models to find the best thing to strip them with.

I have tried various house cleaners, including simple green and a few other things...

Today I bought off the shelf standard old break fluid, as Id heard this was good.

 

Put the model in the fluid fully painted.

let it sit for 30-45 minutes.

Scurbbed very lightly with a tooth brush for around 30 seconds.

95%of the paint is gone down to plastic with no damage to the model.

Back in the fluid for a further 10 - 15 minutes.

This removes about 90% of the remaining paint.

 

The end result is a grey plastic model that looks like it has had a light ink wash....

No damage or softening of the model. 99% of the paint gone........

 

Quick wash in warm soapy water to remove and remaining fluid and loose paint...

 

Ready to paint again

AWESOME......

[Deimos]

It is also VERY bad for your lungs, skin and eyes. Do use goggles, gloves and respiration mask if you're going to use brake fluids...

 

Concentrated Ethanol is just as good at removing paint, and not as toxic to use, a much safer paint remover.

[Spazmonkey]

you can buy non/low toxic as i did, as long as you dont get it on your skin its fine (Gloves as mentioned above) .... and just do it outside so the fumes are not an issue

But of course saftey is always very important so kids dont try....

 

 

But again amazing at stripping models...

I have stripped 30 marines very quickly....

 

 

I tried Ethanol, and did not find it as good, but hey, different strokes for different folks....

[Spacefrisian]

Congratulations for finding that out. (used that method 4 years ago)

[Asrech]

Brake fluid has as far as I know always been the most commonly mentioned chemical for plastic, but not always used since it is so darn toxic.

 

What to keep in mind is that it's not only toxic to you, but a very bad enviormental hazard as well, so make sure you dispåose of it the right way!! Meaning do NOT just pour it down the drain when you're done.

 

I find that for metal, just get a brush cleaning liquid ( paint remover ), this will clean them up in no time. This will likely turn any plastic into goo though.

For plastic there are several, like simplegreen, various paint removers ( latex based paint removal spray ) etc that can be found for a food price at Home Depot.

 

The rule of thumb is to always try a new solution first on,

1) A piece of metal. You can cut of the foot-bar (under the soles of the feet), prime it and paint it.

2) A scrap piece of plastic. I tend to use a piece of sprue (the frame) that I cut off.

3) Greenstuff. Just check for a scrap piece, or make a small ball and let it harden.

 

This to see simply if the solution is harmful to the material. Afterwards I would also recommend to check for,

 

1) Paintability. Will paint work to the model(read scrap piece)?

2) Durability. Will the paint stick to the model, or fall off if you touch it?

 

If everything checks out, then you're good to go :lol:

Hope that helps someone.

 

Cheers!

[pueriexdeus]

I'll second the Simple Green method. I just finished de-painting 75+TDA the other day. I will admit though that I did let them sit for over a month in solution. The paint just peeled of. BTW I also did an Ebayed Whirley had a disgustingly thick coat of Purple enamel great results.

 

"Simple Green a great non-toxic user friendly way to transfer Troops between Chapters."

[The Damned]

Okay, The frustration continues. Here is what I've tried so far.

 

Simple green - Didn't do a thing.

Standard kitchen degreaser - worse than the simple green

Acetone free nail polish remover - melted the plastic (old unk test model), and still didn't get rid of the paint.

Brake fluid - Currently on day two of the soak. I just pulled out two models and gave them a good toothbrushing. A little paint came off, but I was fairly dissapointed. I will let them sit for bit and see what happens.

 

Anyone else have this much trouble stripping a single base coat of paint? All I want to do is get down too bare plastic so I can get a good bond for some greenstuff action. If the the paint is this stuborn, would it even make a differnce if I were to green stuff directly to the paint?

 

Thanks

[Liquid_awesomes]

Methalated spirits? Leave them to soak for a few days then brush the paint off.

[Red Storm]

Hi guys thought i might add my technique into the fray.

Basically i have had to "borrow" a few chemicals from work (I work in a screen printing factory).

I was originally using vinyl etch 30% and Isopropyl alcohol 70% and you leave the mini in the mix for about 20 - 30minutes then get a big old brush and strip away and then wash it in the mix again for about a minute or 2 and hit it again with the brush and repeat process until your happy with the result(Obviously do not hit your mini with the brush :P) Should be able to get 90% of the paint off and quite a bit of the under coat to, then gun it with undercoat and you would never know it was a washed off model ;).

 

But now I'm using general purpose thinners instead of vinyl etch, same mixture ratio 30% thinners 70% alcohol, The paint should start coming off within a few minutes if not sooner, same as before get the brush and wash away, The reason i use the Isopropyl is to take out the aggression from the thinners so that it won't eat the plastic i have trialed this mixture by washing 2 predators and a Vindicator i was washing them in the mixture for about 10 - 20 minutes and the thinners didn't touch the plastic so i believe the Isopropyl works :)

 

oh and just to add if anyone was gonna try this at home WEAR GLOVES some nice rubber glove will do the trick and if your prone to splashing liquids around Safety glasses are a must.

[momosgarage]

After watching this video

I thought that I had to try it.

The result is amazing!! After 30 minutes my early and badly painted Assault Marines

were grey again. The paint just washes away by touch!

I even let the models inside for 2 hours and no harm done to the plastics.

It's Fantastic!

 

I bought some Dettol yesterday and did a test strip overnight, just to see the effects. But I found that before I even rinsed with water, the model was all gooey. It wasn't affected detail-wise, but was really nasty to handle! Also, has anyone else using Dettol found that it doesn't fully get rid of GW spray undercoat? Even after plenty of scrubbing, the plastic is still stained with a dark black.

 

Oh my, these answers are driving me nuts! The active ingredient in Dettol is Chloroxylenol. Its not meant to strip paint which is some of the reason why the chemical reaction results in a sticky mess. I have said it a million times and I will say it a million more times, use a degreaser to strip your models. If Superclean is not strong enough, buy something else, just make sure it is a degreaser. You should be looking for something that has a high concentration of LYE, also called sodium hydroxide, and it is not acetone. Acetone and Chloroxylenol were not made to stip paints from platics. LYE can be made to work in this way, so thats why it has a lot of industrial applications.

 

I'm intrigued by all this talk of dettol & simple green

 

I don't understand the fascination with Simple Green, its a simple household degeaser and is not strong at all, use something stronger like Superclean.

 

i reccommend brake fluid, it strips metals and plastics with no visable deteration.

 

This can destroy the plastics, just use a degreaser instead, it was made to strip paint from plastics. Brake fluid wasn't. If it doesn't work after soaking for a few hours, soak it longer. Trial and error will give the best estimate of how long it will take to strip paint in a degreaser.

 

Concentrated Ethanol is just as good at removing paint, and not as toxic to use, a much safer paint remover

 

Thank goodness someone know a little about chemistry. Diesel fuel can strip paint effectively, so if a degeaser is not working for you try diesel fuel as a last resort.

 

Okay, The frustration continues. Here is what I've tried so far.

 

Simple green - Didn't do a thing.

Standard kitchen degreaser - worse than the simple green

Acetone free nail polish remover - melted the plastic (old unk test model), and still didn't get rid of the paint.

Brake fluid - Currently on day two of the soak. I just pulled out two models and gave them a good toothbrushing. A little paint came off, but I was fairly dissapointed. I will let them sit for bit and see what happens.

 

Anyone else have this much trouble stripping a single base coat of paint? All I want to do is get down too bare plastic so I can get a good bond for some greenstuff action. If the the paint is this stuborn, would it even make a differnce if I were to green stuff directly to the paint?

 

Here are some really strong degeasers:

 

Chemical Guys Grime Reaper

 

Greased Lightning

 

formula 88

 

Eagle1 Pro cleaner

 

Purple Power

 

I personally wouldn't use any of these becasue they are way too strong, but will do the job when diluted 15:1

[Einholt]

Well after trying many products over the last year I had given up until I heard about dettol, put some in a tub with three old plastic minis Sunday night and went back Monday morning, got a toothbrush, scrubbed and the paint just fell off, all what is left is a small bit of staining from the spray undercoat, absolutely amazing! since done all my old space marines with the two bottles of dettol I bought and all have scrubbed up fine, make sure when cleaning them you do not use water until you have scrubbed all the paint off or apparently the paint will just gunk up.

[momosgarage]

Well after trying many products over the last year I had given up until I heard about dettol,

 

What did you use before? Please list the products you used. I still can't understand how people are not able to strip paint with a real degreaser. Degreasers are used to strip heat resistant paint off engine blocks that get very hot, but somehow can't strip paint off models! What's going on here?

 

Soaking from Sunday to Monday is more than enough time for a good degreaser to work.

[Piousservant]

For fellow Brits, the Mr Muscle Kitchen (mentioned before, I think) works pretty well. Did an excellent job in removing the paint from a metal model overnight (24hr bath), plastic didn't strip quite so easily but is mostly done now. And the best thing, at the moment its on offer in Asda for £1 - which was the only reason I decided to give it a go! ;)

[momosgarage]

Mr. Muscle is a type of degreaser, but to strip many types of paint consistently, on different types of metals and plastics you need the have "2-butoxyethanol" as a main ingredient. As far as I know Mr. Muscle Kitchen doesn't have it.

[ferris]

So I bought a bunch of Marines online, which all of them came pre painted.

 

So I'm stripping them and I've soaked them in Pine-sol for 24 hours, and paint from one of the sets is coming off fine. But the other set is barely coming off. I'm letting them soak for another 18 hours and hopefully that loosens them up a bit.

 

If not, can any one suggest something else I can try?