fivepointedstar Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 So I looked up paint strippers ok with both pewter metal, and plastics and found a non- acetone based nail polish remover to use. I took 2 old school librians I converted, and 2 old school chappys and wanted the paint off since I had painted them 10+ years ago and would like a re-do. So I took a small round tupperware, and place all 4 in, an poured in polish remover, and went to sleep. Next day woke up to open up container to find the paint still on the metal, but the plastic was completely melted like Wizard of Oz Wicked Witch melted!! I was horrible, because some of the parts I had on there were RT and cannot be found again. Luckily I was going to use this stuff on a land raider to strip it. Now that would have been a double melta to the face. What are your more horrible paint strip stories? Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/241226-most-disasterous-paint-stripping-story/ Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lorenzen Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 attempted to strip some resin with stuff that i know for a fact is safe for plastic and metal.. resin fell apart like a wet sponge cake. other than that, dropped some stuff into some industrial grade engine degreaser.. it no longer has any detail. im suprised by your story though. i have a jam jar full of acetone free nail varnish remover that is totally fine for stripping plastics in (i tend to use said engine crap for metals as it eats through paint (and plastic) faster than a fat kid at an all you can eat.) Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/241226-most-disasterous-paint-stripping-story/#findComment-2913085 Share on other sites More sharing options...
fivepointedstar Posted October 31, 2011 Author Share Posted October 31, 2011 Yeah it was Target brand non acetone, and it made the plastic swell up and melt off the minis. I guess this is the wargaming gods telling me to make them look better. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/241226-most-disasterous-paint-stripping-story/#findComment-2913105 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brother Captain Ritter Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 simple green is your friend. My worst story is using an industrial strength paint stripper on a bunch of metal Vostroyan models...in a plastic cup. The industrial strength stuff is great as it will strip metal in a matter of minutes but it turns plastic to slag in seconds. After a couple of minutes I lifted the cup to take a look at how it was coming along and the stuff had melted the bottom off of the cup. As i lifted up everything spilled out all over the place, and keep in mind this stuff is toxic and nasty as hell, if you get it on your skin it BURNS! Needless to say, cleanup was a pain. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/241226-most-disasterous-paint-stripping-story/#findComment-2913251 Share on other sites More sharing options...
fivepointedstar Posted October 31, 2011 Author Share Posted October 31, 2011 simple green is your friend. My worst story is using an industrial strength paint stripper on a bunch of metal Vostroyan models...in a plastic cup. The industrial strength stuff is great as it will strip metal in a matter of minutes but it turns plastic to slag in seconds. After a couple of minutes I lifted the cup to take a look at how it was coming along and the stuff had melted the bottom off of the cup. As i lifted up everything spilled out all over the place, and keep in mind this stuff is toxic and nasty as hell, if you get it on your skin it BURNS! Needless to say, cleanup was a pain. Simple Green is our friend but it takes forever to strip off paint from plastic. From metal it is the best stuff I would like to find some ECO friendly plastic friendly stuff that takes it off as fast as SG but without the wait. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/241226-most-disasterous-paint-stripping-story/#findComment-2913335 Share on other sites More sharing options...
FireFist Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 Yeah buddy. If you use nail polish remover never use it on plastic. But yes Simple Green is your BFF. From looking around online I like to believe it's better than oven cleaner or brake fluid as show here. I have also found that graffiti remover can work wonders also. here are some more links: MiniWarGaming iNecromancer Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/241226-most-disasterous-paint-stripping-story/#findComment-2913662 Share on other sites More sharing options...
PyronusSouria Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 I go down to my local CT and get this brand of brake fluid, paint of metals and plastics in an hour or two no problem. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/241226-most-disasterous-paint-stripping-story/#findComment-2913685 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brother-Chaplain Kage Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 When I first got into the hobby, I had painted my marines a shadow grey color and later decided to play Blood Angels. A friend told me that Pine-Sol would work for metals and plastics. The next morning, an entire tac squad was as soft and rubbery as warm marshmallows. I've tried just about everything under the sun, and have settled on Simple Green. It might take a bit longer with the plastics, but I'm never in that much of a rush that I would risk using something else that might harm them. Now, when I get metal figures secondhand that are glue bombs where it looked someone used half a bottle of CA glue to put together one figure, nothing beats a bath in acetone for a few hours - completely dissolves the super glue, and if it doesn't eat the Greenstuff as well, it's rubbery enough to just pull away. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/241226-most-disasterous-paint-stripping-story/#findComment-2913703 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brother Captain Ritter Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 When I first got into the hobby, I had painted my marines a shadow grey color and later decided to play Blood Angels. A friend told me that Pine-Sol would work for metals and plastics. The next morning, an entire tac squad was as soft and rubbery as warm marshmallows. Pine-Sol works for plastics but it is stronger than simple green and you really can't leave the models in it over night. You can pull it off but you have to take them out after a certain amount of time or else it will start to soften the plastic. I used it once on some hybrid models expecting to lose the plastic parts but I only left them in for like an hour or two and the plastics held up. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/241226-most-disasterous-paint-stripping-story/#findComment-2913731 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brother-Chaplain Kage Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 I've tried that too, and the plastics still got mushy, even after a few hours. Simple Green does fine for both, so I don't have to worry about now knowing if I let them soak in Pine-Sol for too long. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/241226-most-disasterous-paint-stripping-story/#findComment-2913770 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warsmith Aznable Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 I've only got the one story from my first stripping attempt. I looked up stripping/glue removing techniques on the internet and found the nail polish suggestion (I wanted to dissolve the superglue). Dunked a model in a glass jar of nail polish remover and went about my business. Returning to my computer a few minutes later the thread with the nail polish suggestion was still on the screen, so I scrolled down a bit... Running to the kitchen to pull out my plastic CSM I found I was almost in the nick of time. Almost. The details and features had started to blur, but the model was basically intact. I went ahead and painted him, and he looks a bit... Brother Melty-face saw distinguished service as a tester for different painting techniques, and still fights hard for the warband. His squad overlooks his disfigurement in light of his hard core dedication to the cause. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/241226-most-disasterous-paint-stripping-story/#findComment-2913806 Share on other sites More sharing options...
RebG Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 Not a melting related story but still a mistake while stripping an old assassin yesterday - I was stripping the Cluexus as his paint is 10+ years old and, after a soak good old simple green, I cracked out the toothbrush and started scrubbing. Paint scrubbing off nice and easy then *ping* his big eye lens popped off...straight down the plug hole! Undid the pipe today in a hope of rescuing it but it was long gone :tu: Put the plug in folks!! Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/241226-most-disasterous-paint-stripping-story/#findComment-2914423 Share on other sites More sharing options...
glayvin34 Posted November 3, 2011 Share Posted November 3, 2011 I always, always think of this thread when I think of stripping horror stories. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/241226-most-disasterous-paint-stripping-story/#findComment-2916126 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Solid Zaku Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 I think that brings a whole new air to 'melta' weapon... In any case, I've had a model liquify... I mislabled a bottle of acetone and non-acetone and left it in for a few days whilst on vacation, thinking that, upon return, I'd pick up a toothbrush and watch it fall off. Much to my chagrin, my scout met Father Nurgle. Then a drain. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/241226-most-disasterous-paint-stripping-story/#findComment-2916284 Share on other sites More sharing options...
karn888 Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 haven't had any stripping fails but the worst model i ever striped was a iron priest that had more glue on it then paint, took forever to get cleaned back up, as for simple green, my local game shop owner uses a sonic bath filled with simple green 20 min in that thing and metal or plastic models are 100% paint free Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/241226-most-disasterous-paint-stripping-story/#findComment-2917102 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subtle Discord Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 No horror stories, but I just wanted to say... If you're working with any new substance (and this isn't just a lesson for paint stripping) do a test on something disposable first. Even similar products from different manufacturers can act differently. For plastics, I've never found something that will work as fast as chemical stripper on metals. Simple Green, while slow, is the only thing I've found that works reliably. Slow is better then turning it in to slag. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/241226-most-disasterous-paint-stripping-story/#findComment-2917112 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Count Orlok Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 Have any of you fine chaps used Dettol with RT-era plastics and, if so, how did it go? I've been given some plastic Squats that I want to strip and I'm rather concerned about losing them. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/241226-most-disasterous-paint-stripping-story/#findComment-2917285 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subtle Discord Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 Have any of you fine chaps used Dettol with RT-era plastics and, if so, how did it go? I've been given some plastic Squats that I want to strip and I'm rather concerned about losing them. I can't speak to Dettol, but I can say that the plastic in the miniatures will still be a similar styrene plastic that is used today. In fact I find many of the older GW plastics are denser/harder (read: will take more punishment and soften less) than what's being used today. If a 'modern' plastic miniature isn't harmed by the product, 'vintage' plastics should be fine. Disclaimer: That is not set in stone, however. When in doubt, test first! Even if you have to sacrifice one miniature, if you have no other choice. Just stay close and keep any eye on it, checking very regularly. Chemical damage on plastic tends to happen very fast, so if it doesn't ruin it somewhat quickly, odds are it's safe. Again, that isn't set in stone, and a long soak in some products can slowly soften the plastic. I still swear by Simple Green for two reasons. 1) It's non-toxic, so I have no problems working with it bare handed. 2) It seems foolproof, and even an extended soak won't damage plastic. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/241226-most-disasterous-paint-stripping-story/#findComment-2917297 Share on other sites More sharing options...
xPeRt Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 Two Words- PURPLE POWER This stuff works wonders. http://karen62979.files.wordpress.com/2008/02/purple-power.jpg Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/241226-most-disasterous-paint-stripping-story/#findComment-2918190 Share on other sites More sharing options...
PyronusSouria Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 DOT 3 brake fluid works perfectly for me, and it'll even remove primer in most cases. It's also cheap and reusable. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/241226-most-disasterous-paint-stripping-story/#findComment-2918237 Share on other sites More sharing options...
fivepointedstar Posted November 8, 2011 Author Share Posted November 8, 2011 Does anyone know of a cleaner that take old super glue off plastics? Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/241226-most-disasterous-paint-stripping-story/#findComment-2919730 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thirdfox Posted November 9, 2011 Share Posted November 9, 2011 DOT 3 brake fluid works perfectly for me, and it'll even remove primer in most cases. It's also cheap and reusable. As does DOT 4 types, as long as they are glycol-ether based. Just soak models in them for a couple of hours and everything comes off. I've left some of my old gunpla in there for up to two days and the plastic was still fine. Will test it out on some leftover GW sprues first though. Best to avoid the DOT 5 silicone-based ones. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/241226-most-disasterous-paint-stripping-story/#findComment-2919917 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grizzly_bear Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 Detol is my answer, if you have undercoated the model with chaos black spray undercoat then the plastic doesnt come out sqeeky plastic sprue clean but all the detail is retained and i have re painted said plastic models again. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/241226-most-disasterous-paint-stripping-story/#findComment-2921969 Share on other sites More sharing options...
BorisBC Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 In Oz methalayted spirits and mineral turpentine come in the same size and shaped bottle... And let me tell ya, metho works well on plastics, but turps does not! Picked up the mineral turpentine by mistake and a combat squad I was stripping turned into a melted mess. Was pretty pissed off with my stupids! Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/241226-most-disasterous-paint-stripping-story/#findComment-2926493 Share on other sites More sharing options...
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