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Stripping Paint from Plastic


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I have found that brake fluid or simple green both work for taking the paint off of plastic.

ALWAYS test it first, maybe break off an arm or something, just to be safe and make sure it won't ruin the model.

I soak it overnight (once I got distracted with other things and soaked it for about 3 weeks, didn't damage the model though!) and then use a toothbrush with stiff bristles to scrub the paint and primer off.

Acetone Free Nail Polish Remover, 20 mins to an hour for most things, overnight for really thick stuff.

 

Cheap, not too bad on your skin and easily disposed of unlike Brake Fluid.

 

You can get it from Pharmacies and beauty shops.

 

Also good for Resin :jaw:

would just like to say.. acetone free nail varnish remover is NOT safe for resin.

 

brake fluid = best job for plastic.

 

for metal you're talking engine degreaser/ovenpride

 

resin = ovenpride, because it doesnt harm it or the other materials it may be attatched to.

I cannot recommend Simple Green enough!

 

You can get a 1 gallon bottle on the cleaning supplies aisle at Home Depot for under $20.(If you are in the U.S. I don't know where or IF you can get it outside the U.S.) You can reuse the same liquid several times over before discarding it. Seriously. The stuff will be murky and disgusting and will STILL strip paint. Economical!

 

It comes in Original Green (duh!), which smells a lot like black licorice (yuk!), or Lemon Scented (which is yellow, oddly enough.)

Both work equally well.

 

It is an "eco-friendly" product that is safe to wash down the drain and isn't terrible on your skin. (Although is does tend to dry my skin out a bit, so you might want to wear some latex gloves if you are sensitive to such things.)

 

It works great on metal and plastic. It does not soften plastic as far as I can tell. I soaked some plastic models for over a month with no ill effects. With metal models, it does discolor the metal (makes it dull) and if you soak metal for too long (like days and days) it may cause some pitting. I experienced this with couple of older (early 90's) metal models that I kinda forgot about for a couple of weeks. So it might have been more about the metal composition than the Simple Green. That said, 24-48 hours is plenty of time for the magic to work. I scrub them under warm running water with a stiff nylon bristle brush, and a strainer in the drain to catch the paint goo. If I can't get all the paint off on the first go, I soak them for another 24 hours. Rinse and repeat as needed, so-to-speak. Simple Green will also make cyanoacrylate glues (super glue) brittle, so the minis will probably come apart if they were assembled with that kind of glue. Good or bad depending on what you're trying to do. I have never used it on resin, so cannot say how it works on/affects resin models.

 

Plus, Simple Green an excellent general purpose household cleaner so it's also a multitasker. (Don't use it undiluted on painted surfaces, for obvious reasons!)

 

Simple Green for the win!!

Personally I've had a lot of success with using methylated spirits. It strips the paint nice and quickly, and the model also comes with a very light scrub. It works equally well on both plastic and pewter (I haven't tried it on resin yet, so proceed with caution if you go that route). You can find some great options in a previous thread. Good luck mate
If it's supermarket stuff you're after, I'll echo the Fairy Power Spray recommendations. It's got less cons than (brown) Dettol and is pretty common. Plus - it definitely does not harm your hands, so no need to worry about wearing marigolds. :)
I have some of that in the cupboard under my sink... Will it harm my hands in any way, and does it just soften the paint and then I scrape it off or just take it straight off?

 

Power spray isn't great for your skin, try to minimize how much you get on you and wash your hands after using it. It isn't harmful the way a lot of other popular stripping products are, though.

 

And yeah, it breaks down the paint so it can be washed/scrubbed off. Spray it on, leave it for a few minutes and then use warm water and a toothbrush to take the paint off. Repeat as necessary.

 

I'm currently using it to clean my plastic palettes, works wonders.

would just like to say.. acetone free nail varnish remover is NOT safe for resin.

 

brake fluid = best job for plastic.

 

for metal you're talking engine degreaser/ovenpride

 

resin = ovenpride, because it doesnt harm it or the other materials it may be attatched to.

 

Seen it used on Warhound parts with no ill effect, but it absolutely destroys Finecast and would probably do the same thing to Forgeworlds new Resin

 

Also a very bad idea to leave plastic in for more than 12 - 24 hours as I discovered to my detriment :sweat:

 

Have to say that Fairy Power Spray does a good job too, but it's a bit pricy.

But isn't brake fluid difficult to dispose of? At least, that's what was previously posted here...

 

That would depend on where you live, what is around you and several other variables.

 

I live in a street with no less than four mechanics (three within two blocks) - and they have a disposal drum for safe disposal (it's picked up by a licensed company for disposal). It's a simple matter to ask the owner if I can dump the cup or so of used fluid into the drum.

 

Our drains don't go into stormwater outflow (only roof guttering and street drains go into stormwater outflow) - but into treatment before being sent to outflow, and the "contaminants" would be removed during treatment - but I still don't recommend just pouring stuff down them. Other countries do things differently with their drains.

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