FAQ: Removing Paint - Paint Stripping

[todmaerin]

In my experience, Castrol Super Clean (fear the purple stuff!) has been the most consistent acrylic stripper. It's a mild corrosive cleaning agent, so be sure to wear eye and hand protection. I've stripped about $1200 of GW product with this and have had absolutely no damage to the plastics (either from becoming brittle or soft.) A 45 minute bath and a thorough toothbrush scrubbing is usually all that is required though I've had to soak for up to 24 hours to cut through some of the more stout primers from a few years back.

 

I love this stuff!

 

-Tod

[Corax_rg]

If your in Britain (Scotland especially, don't know if its avaliable in the states) i use Mr.Muscle kitchen and bathroom degreaser.

 

Steep plastic or metal figures in it overnight, take them out and quickly go overthem with a toohbrush and voila! models with no paint =] =P

[Romulas]

in Canada here

i've used other products but i like simple green so far. i have yet to use it on plastics but i've left metals in it for weeks without harm. (the longer soak helped out loads, a ancient paint job [multiple coats] pretty much rinsed off with minimal scrubbing on a old metal terminator captain)

 

others i have used:

brake fluid - messy but does the trick, wash model well after stripping.

acetone/paint thinner - may damage plastics and really need to be used outside from the fumes.

Oven Cleaner - works but is a major pain to use and accomplish a clean removal.

gas/petrol - messy, stinks, fire hazard, and will melt plastics.

 

find one that works for you and keep you personal safety and the safety of others as your first priority. minis come and go but a life is a 'once' thing (unless you go for the Karmic wheel theory, but no more philosophy just take care it what your doing)

[sister_emi]

nail polish remover works really well on metal ones

takes about 5-7 hours to work

[kha'delath]

I use technicians electrnics cleaner for cleaning silicon/otehr computer parts. Removes any crap (paint) an dkeeps yur plastic model alive.

 

Howeve does evaporate within minutes.

20 seconds mindless Khârn-style spraying until yur model is soaked. Wait until fingers go black. Swear about not wearing gloves. 2 minuted mindless scrubbing for teh blood god. Wah-Lah! Its done. Most paint removed.

 

Does require a fair deal or stamina and a good brush (which i dont have. meh. a toothie works.)

 

Hard to do, but it works...

 

After finished dip in acetate, watch the dark powers bubble Take out; wash. Its clean too!

[Wulfen00]

I personaly use brake fluid. It doesnt damage the plastic and I "forgot" about a bucket of stuff sitting in it for about a mounth and nohting was damaged, granted the glue was weakend and some parts comming off but no damage to the plastic or metal parts. As far as the oily feeling just thorw the models in a pan with some dish soap for all 5 min and they're good.

[crossfit]

I would not recommend simple green. My son overpainted his first models. Sure, soaking it in simple green and hard and long scrubbing got off some of the paint. However, even soaked for over a week not all the paint would come off. the pieces ended up being chopped up for conversion work.

[kha'delath]

Get some Dot 4 on there. Just dont leave em in too long, tends to eat my trims....

[Divergent Reality]

ive attempted gin recently.

 

after 24 hours the paint comes off easily with a fingernail.

 

and after 48+ hours it is still nowhere near as effective as brake fluid.

 

i was a little low on sleep when i tried this. (finishing college and all)

 

its not like a drink it anyway.

 

so it may as well go to some other use.

[Azadul]

Actually I am stripping some models right now, DOT 4. After a day the paint peeled off extremely easily. However i have put them in for another day because i could not get some stuff in the crevices.

 

Kha'delath - how long is too long i do not want to damage my models.

 

Cheers,

Azadul

[njm3]

The one advantage simple green does have over brake fluid is you can pour it down the drain and the EPA* won't arrest you.

 

I'd always been told that break fluid is a Bad Thing health-wise**, but checking the MSDS for castrol, it seems as long as you wear gloves and don't drink it or get it in your eyes, you should be fine. Oh, and don't drink large amounts over a few months, if you're a dude, since that could um... yeah... don't do that.

 

http://safetydatasheets.bp.com/ussds/amers...06000220003.pdf

 

*: or your national enviroprotecto types.

**:Don't use used (like from a car) brake fluid for stripping figs, there could be all sorts of evil contaminants in it.

[kha'delath]

@Azadul I check at 12 hours, 24 hours, 36, 48MAX. I left mine for over 2 days and they were ok but the smaller leg trims had been eaten away :teehee:/

 

Also pull all the bits of your models, brake fluid weakens all glue so theyw ill need resticking.

[Azadul]

Well thanks kha'delath i only put them in for 12 - 24 max. And yes I did notice that things were falling off. Oddly enough I am pleased it is doing that because now they are easier to convert and paint. ;) .

 

There is hope for my chaos army yet. ;)

 

Cheers,

Azadul

[Octavulg]

If they're metal? Furniture stripper. I have yet to encounter paint that could take it.

[ChapMastMatt]

For Metal Models Use Nitromors this stuff just destroys paint and does not touch the metal just dont put it onto plastic

[kha'delath]

Any cleaning subtance containing a strong solvent or acetate will eat paint away. JUst some like the taste of plastic too. <_<

[Terminatorinhell]

honestly i think alchol (90%) works best, no damage what so ever , easily scraped off with a knife, safe, plastic/metal. although it slightly weakens glue bonds.

[Octavulg]

Simple Green, BTW, REALLY does not work well with some plastic. Other plastics, it'll take it right off. I am unsure if it is the paint, the plastic, or some combination of the two.

[demenhoth]

whats a lavatory?

[Bexley]

Has anyone ever tried an ultrasonic jewelry cleaner? It's basically a small tank with an ultrasonic vibrator. You'd fill it with your solvent of choice (Simple Green, brake fluid, whatever) and let them soak for an hour or two, until the paint gets soft. Then you run the cleaning cycle. Supposedly, the ultrasonic vibrations will cause the solvent-softened paint to flake off on its own, with out the need for lots of scrubbing. I'm likely picking one up after Xmas. It's only $30, and worth a shot, if it saves on all that scrubbing. It's supposed to be extra good for getting paint out of the little details that rae hard to reach with a brush.

[AngryJohnny]

whats a lavatory?

 

 

lav·a·to·ry /ˈlævəˌtɔri, -ˌtoʊri/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[lav-uh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation

–noun, plural -ries. 1. a room fitted with equipment for washing the hands and face and usually with flush toilet facilities.

2. a flush toilet; water closet.

3. a bowl or basin with running water for washing or bathing purposes; washbowl.

4. any place where washing is done.

[AngryJohnny]

Which 'variant' of Simple Green is best to use? The All-Purpose cleaner? Or is there one that is better suited for paint stripping? And has anyone who has ever used Simple Green on plastics ever seen it damage the plastic?

 

http://www.simplegreen.com/products_family.php

[argle]

Castrol Super-clean is available in most stores (wal mart, meijers, hardware stores, etc). It cuts the paint, and doesn't hurt glue, green stuff, metal or plastic. Even more its biodegradable so you can pour it down the drain.

 

I'd mix it 50/50 and just leave 'em for a few days because if you get it on your skin (straight) it can burn you. It's also cheap - a nice big jug for about $6.

[Sugrjunke7]

I just wanted to say... topics like this make it awesome to be a member of this site ^.^ I just found out so many different ways!! (which is good, I have some to do when I get back)

[Abaddon]

Has anyone tried the sodium hydroxide (caustic soda) method on plastic moels? Any damage??