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I've heard of various cleaners used by various people but I'm still unsure.

I've tried this before but it hasn't worked super well. http://canada.simplegreen.com/ca_products_ps_max_en.php

Any suggestions?

Simple Green works best.

How long did you soak them? (Also, were they treated with a sealant? Also, did you use it straight, or at some level of dilution?)

I mixed it about 50/50 water, no sealant or glaze/varnish on my models. Scrubbed hard but none of the models got completely clean

I was likely doing something wrong. I left them in for about 2 days. I've tried different types of the simple green solution but with a lack of success for each one.

I don't know how comparable it is, but I used the commercial grade, home-cleaning version of Simple Green to strip second-hand models.

I either didn't dilute it at all, or only added a few drops of water. The paint came off well enough after 2-3 days of soaking, and a good scrubbing alternating with rinsing under hot water.

99% isoproponal.
Purple Power

Simple green seems to have changed or something but last i tried it didnt work well.

 Vache Glace wrote:
I mixed it about 50/50 water, no sealant or glaze/varnish on my models. Scrubbed hard but none of the models got completely clean

I was likely doing something wrong. I left them in for about 2 days. I've tried different types of the simple green solution but with a lack of success for each one.

I wouldn't be so sure you did anything wrong -I've had very bad experiences trying to clean plastics too. In 2 cases I immersed models in Dettol and Fairy Power Spray respectively for an entire month, and the paint was still very tough to remove -I had to go at it with wire brushes, sharpened sticks, pins, needles, blades, the works. I believe the acrylic bonds with the plastic in some way and that's why it's so hard to shift. Detailed figures like marines proved a nightmare, requiring several immersions and scrubs amassing to as much as 2 hours per model. In the case of thick paint on components with lots of rivets, iconography, etc, I sometimes resorted to just sanding or filing away the relief rather than painstakingly trying to remove all the paint.

Metals by comparison were a treat to scrub, finecast and resins are ok too (though you have to be very careful which solutions to use on them). However I've found plastics to take so long to get to an acceptable state that it's utterly not worth the saving in buying second hand models. The one exception I found was plastic tanks -I was able to get results in adequate time because the large flat surfaces proved easy to scrape clean. Even so for it to be worthwhile to buy a 2nd hand painted tank, I wouldn't pay more than a third of the retail price in future

I vote for Purple Power. There are some times that scrubbing paint of plastic models just doesn't happen. Other times it works just fine, but I think this depends on what kind of primer was used.

I have used both green stuff and purple power and purple power just seems to work better.

 thegreatchimp wrote:

 Vache Glace wrote:
I mixed it about 50/50 water, no sealant or glaze/varnish on my models. Scrubbed hard but none of the models got completely clean

I was likely doing something wrong. I left them in for about 2 days. I've tried different types of the simple green solution but with a lack of success for each one.

I wouldn't be so sure you did anything wrong -I've had very bad experiences trying to clean plastics too. In 2 cases I immersed models in Dettol and Fairy Power Spray respectively for an entire month, and the paint was still very tough to remove -I had to go at it with wire brushes, sharpened sticks, pins, needles, blades, the works. I believe the acrylic bonds with the plastic in some way and that's why it's so hard to shift. Detailed figures like marines proved a nightmare, requiring several immersions and scrubs amassing to as much as 2 hours per model. In the case of thick paint on components with lots of rivets, iconography, etc, I sometimes resorted to just sanding or filing away the relief rather than painstakingly trying to remove all the paint.

Metals by comparison were a treat to scrub, finecast and resins are ok too (though you have to be very careful which solutions to use on them). However I've found plastics to take so long to get to an acceptable state that it's utterly not worth the saving in buying second hand models. The one exception I found was plastic tanks -I was able to get results in adequate time because the large flat surfaces proved easy to scrape clean. Even so for it to be worthwhile to buy a 2nd hand painted tank, I wouldn't pay more than a third of the retail price in future

Enamels and Primers wont come off easily at all.

I think its nearly impossible for plastics.

IIRC you need mineral spirits or lacquer thinner for those and those effect plastics.

 Vache Glace wrote:
I mixed it about 50/50 water, no sealant or glaze/varnish on my models. Scrubbed hard but none of the models got completely clean

I was likely doing something wrong. I left them in for about 2 days. I've tried different types of the simple green solution but with a lack of success for each one.

I use it undiluted, let it soak for 2-3 days, never had a problem. That being said, plastic is porous, and will never strip as good as other materials. I also recommend a rotary tool of some kind (auto shops sell cheap rotary tools for cleaning lug nuts).

Yeah, I've always used simple green. Soak for a good long time, brush off with stiff brush.

I've struggled with properly applied undercoats on plastic, but it at least thins it substantially and looks fine after a quick re-coat.

Done it a few times now, mostly on metal though which is much easier.

 Desubot wrote:

Enamels and Primers wont come off easily at all.

I think its nearly impossible for plastics.

IIRC you need mineral spirits or lacquer thinner for those and those effect plastics.

I hear you. I was satisfied with just getting the models stripped down to their undercoat / primer, but that's was often an achievement in itself! If I'm ever attmpting it again, I'll try out Purple power like you suggested.

I never dilute Simple Green. With metal the paint comes off very easily after a few days. With plastic it depends. Even after a month the base coat is causing a problem with some sentinels I am trying to strip. I would also suggest using an old toothbrush to scrub and not steel wool.
Cheers Vim

Go to a dollar store and pick up a bottle of "Awesome". You soak even old painted models in there for 24-48 hours and stick them under a hose and most paint will come right off, you may have to use a toothbrush to get the crack. Cant beat it for a dollar.

Metal, damn well anything works. I used some really strong stuff to clean a lot of metal models a while ago (an alcoholic mixture, IIRC), and that was a case of letting them stand for about 15-30 minutes, then washing it all off with cold water (wearing gloves, obviously).

Plastic, on the other hand, I've never needed to strip yet. The trouble is, most of the stuff which rips the paint off pewter will dissolve plastic models. From other people's experience, I'd suggest undiluted cleaning fluid of some kind, Simple Green or Fairy Power Spray being two of the most common examples.

Purple Power is what I use. I haven't had much luck with Simple Green. Neither will strip all paint off all the time, even with a prolonged soak. But you should be able to strip off all the outer layers of paint, leaving only a thin layer.

As funny as it sounds, I use Pawls Urine Remover
It's very cheap and very effective.

I use it straight, not diluted in a closed container.
Most models I get off ebay come clean with a single overnight soaking. Sometimes it takes a couple depending on how good the primer and how heavy the sealant.

Safe on plastics and metals and while the enzyme cleaner does smell, the smell does not stick to the model.

Out of curiosity does anyone know a good one to get that is available in Australia? Dettol does work but its kinda expensive :/

99% IPA (isopropyl alcohol).

Soak for 20-30 mins, scrub with an old toothbrush under the alcohol.

The paint comes off a bit like chewing gum and you may need a second soak - you can filter the IPA through an old cloth to re-use it, although its pretty cheap so you could just use fresh.

Toothpicks or similar to get into the detailing are useful.

I do an overnight soak in denatured alcohol. Make sure you put it somewhere with good ventilation because denatured alcohol has methanol in it. After the soak, while wearing gloves, I use a soft-bristled tooth brush to clean off the paint. It just falls away, for the more part. The brush is just for getting in the crevices.

break fluid is absolutely wonderful at stripping models, just give them a soapy bath after (:

 ChaosxVoid wrote:
break fluid is absolutely wonderful at stripping models, just give them a soapy bath after (:

Is it ok to use on plastics?

I will live by "La's Totally awesome" from the dollar store in the states. That stuff works great!

 Vache Glace wrote:

I've tried this before but it hasn't worked super well. http://canada.simplegreen.com/ca_products_ps_max_en.php

Wrong product , I think. The one i use is a general purpose concentrated cleaner. Most of the other Simple Green products are diluted, and don't work very well.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 thegreatchimp wrote:

 ChaosxVoid wrote:
break fluid is absolutely wonderful at stripping models, just give them a soapy bath after (:

Is it ok to use on plastics?

As with anything not actually designed for the purpose, results will vary with different types. I've heard of some brake fluids melting or softening plastics. The stuff I used 10 years or so ago was fine, but I stopped using it when Simple Green came along, as brake fluid is pretty nasty for your health and is absorbed through skin contact.

 thegreatchimp wrote:

 ChaosxVoid wrote:
break fluid is absolutely wonderful at stripping models, just give them a soapy bath after (:

Is it ok to use on plastics?

Brake fluid does work, but the fact that it is a neurotoxin to humans and CAN NOT be rinsed down the drain are downers. Purple Power or Superclean work just as well and are much safer for you and the environment and ground water.

I cast another vote for Simple Green. It's just the best stuff I've used, doesn't damage the models at all and can be dumped down the sink afterward without worrying about contaminating the water table or any nastiness like that.

One thing you do need to resign yourself to is that there is almost no way you'll manage to get every bit of paint off. It just won't happen without investing major time with a pin or toothpick or something similar.

I have never tried it but I hear that acetone free nail polish remover also works good on plastics. I will pop to the stores on Monday and get some. I used to get good results with the brown Dettol that smells a bit. It is very important that you don't rinse the models just out of the mixture under water as it turns to goo immediately. Here in Norway I can't find dettol though

Define best.

Fastest? Dot3 brake fluid
Fastest that won't give you cancer? Isopropyl alcohol

 eldrad2000 wrote:
I have never tried it but I hear that acetone free nail polish remover also works good on plastics. I will pop to the stores on Monday and get some. I used to get good results with the brown Dettol that smells a bit. It is very important that you don't rinse the models just out of the mixture under water as it turns to goo immediately. Here in Norway I can't find dettol though

I have great success with acetone free nail polish removal, its better than Dettol.

FacebookJunkie wrote:

I have great success with acetone free nail polish removal, its better than Dettol.

...So long as you find one that doesn't eat plastic.

 Todosi wrote:

Brake fluid does work, but the fact that it is a neurotoxin to humans and CAN NOT be rinsed down the drain are downers. Purple Power or Superclean work just as well and are much safer for you and the environment and ground water.

Thanks for the pointers.