Paint Stripping Guide: Strip your army for under $5!! *updated 5/23/13 NEW STUFF

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**imark789**

dmthomas7 wrote:so im curious what all different store uve found LATA in havnt looked alot but id like to kno where to start. Dollar General? Wallmart? I've checked at the Hardware store i work at to no success

Check their website for a full list of retailers. I found it at my local Dollar General though.

**Maxim C. Gatling**

Viktor von Domm wrote:at Leprousy
so the glycol ethers is the real working ingredient in the stripping substance? well i was hoping someone would spill the beans about that for quite some time... now i can look a bit more effective for some products here in germany on my own...thanks mate!

vik

Glycolized ethers are glycolized so you can't drink them. I.E. to make alcohol cheap enough for cleaning products without the need to restrict sales to minors or tempt adults into thinking they'd be a good substitute for EverClear.

So...That old bottle of rum I have in the cupboard might do the trick? Hmm. I also have a bottle of rubbin' Alcohol in the bathroom cabinet.... Talk about cheap....

**Cannerus_The_Unbearable**

A quick warning: if you're setting a container on a wooden surface, be sure it's secure as the stuff likes to strip wood and soak into the grain.

**dmthomas7**

Started my rhino in a soak last night. pulled it out and as of now everything but the primer will wipe off with my finger. rinsed with water to get the top coats off hopefully another day will further loosen up the primer and hopefully be able to scrub all that off. Haven't tried stripping anything else but impressed so far.

**Lord of Caliban**

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**Cannerus_The_Unbearable**

ChaosLordSam wrote:Where do you get it?

Has been asked/answered several times. Check their website.

**dmthomas7**

Dollar General seems popular for most i picked up a 64 oz jug for $3

**dmthomas7**

wow 2 day soak and the primer is still being tough to pull off much of it is still gonna take a little bit longer soke and hopefully be done in the morning.

**AvatarForm**

Is this available in AUS?

**Cannerus_The_Unbearable**

Just for grins, tested some stuff for longer and after about 4 days green stuff starts to weaken significantly but plastic is a-okay. Also useful

**dmthomas7**

on day four of my soak because the primer will not relinquish its grip on my rhino.

**Thortek**

Great Idea! used to to strip some dwarves!

**dmthomas7**

so this stuff is not dealing with the GW spray primer very well after what is 5 days of soaking im still unable to get the black under coat off. The glue weakened enough for me to disassemble the rhino im stripping maybe it will help the remaining paint loosen up a bit more. want to get as close to back to bare plastic since i have to prime with white next.

**KingCracker**

Are you sure the primer is still on? If you noticed in my pics, some of those crons were primed black, adn they are stained forever in black, yet it still looks like the primer is on. It could be that. If not that, I dunno, because the white crons were primed in GW primer and it came right off, Same with the terminator sgt. It was not only primed in white GW primer, but also painted and then dipped in minwax, and in that short time stripped off the wax, the paint and started to break up the primer.

So its either the stain problem, or youve got some super ultra GW primer, which is the opposite of the grainy crappy GW primer

But if it doesnt come off, Id say try something else, or if the primer isnt thick, since its a tank, just primer it white. And this might sound like a dumb question, but is the tank submerged? Because if your just spraying it on the sides that wont really do anything

**dmthomas7**

I guess it could be stained black but it would have to be an really dark stain. On other pieces everything came off much quicker and is now down to bare plastic. Have everything completely submerged in a mix of nearly completely LATA. havent looked at it since my last post. had a busy weekend.

**racta**

Just wanted to say thank you to the OP.

Used two of the smaller bottles to strip 6 grav-tanks in the last week. It worked perfectly with a 24-48 hour soak for each one.

**sphynx**

devilution wrote:Could you find something like this in Europe?

Dettol works perfectly. (Can have a little bit of trouble with Chaos Black primer, but gets there eventually!)

**Nightfall**

How well will this work on a larger model lets say Dreadnought sized... Venerable Dreadnought to be precise.

**Tronzor**

AK907554 wrote:Does anyone know of any other effective chemicals for stripping that can be found in america?

Simple Green (get the purple industrial strength). Here's a link! http://www.simplegreen.com/
It's the best, I swear by it. You can use it to strip plastic and metal models, all in the same bucket. Dilute the purple stuff at least 1:1 with water and leave it in for 4-12 hours, then just use the instructions listed above. If it doesn't clean it enough the first time, resoak it. I bought a pile of old metal & plasts CSMs off of Craigslist and they were caked with the most terrible paint jobs. When stripped about 3 different colour schemes came out. I have used both a tooth brush and a fine metal brush (VERY GENTLY) and have had no damage to the models at all. The metal brush is nice for the deep cracks that the tooth brush doesn't get.

On another forum I frequent, one of the guys from the UK recommends Flash Clean & Care and I've heard Dettol is an option as well. Not sure how these products work, but it's a place to start.

**imark789**

Watch out if you want to preserve green stuff- it came off a lot after a few weeks or so of soaking.

**Adam LongWalker**

Adam LongWalker wrote:Okay King Cracker, I decided to buy a small bottle of this chemical solution. Since I do not know what kinds of paints and primers that are on the models that I am stripping, it is a good test to try out. All models/parts have been soaking for 16 hours.

This is what I have for information.

Will it take out all types of paint from the models I have tested so far on this date? Yes. I find it rather easy to take scrub off the paint with only a hard bristle tooth brush, especially on metal.

Will it take out all types of primer? No. This is not what I have seen from my stripping of these models. It really depends on what kind of surface the primer is sprayed on (metal or plastic) and what primer is being used. Metal is much easier than plastic to remove the primer off of. The primer more often than not was not affected by the chemical process. I will let the primed models sit more in the solution and see what happens next.

Will I recommend this as method of stripping models?

Yes, with the Caveat of. Use Gloves and do it in a well ventilated area

I wanted to update my stripping of models using this product.

I strip a great deal of models coming from all kinds of sources (such as Ebay). This product will not take out all types of primer. But so far it does remove all of the paint from models I have tested.

That does not mean that this is not a bad product to have on hand. I do approve of it as an alternative method than using oven cleaner. I do not like oven cleaner as the dangers of using it offsets the results of stripping models. I would use item this over brake fluid as well. Brake fluid would be one of my last resort on areas of stubborn paint on a model in question and you have to be very careful in its use.

AGAIN I can not stress this anymore than what I have posted in the past. When stripping your models, PLEASE use gloves and strip your models in a WELL VENTILATED area. Thank you.

**KingCracker**

Agreed with Adam on the safety issue. I busted his balls a bit the first time, but that was only because I enjoy doing that to people. Stripping minis isnt so important that you should risk fething up your lungs/eyes permanently to achieve it

ALSO to add on other chemicals.

I used to use SuperClean (formerly Castrol superclean) and that by far, is the best stripper you can get your hands on. Seriously, it makes everything elese, simplegreen, purple power, over cleaners you name look like water, and doesnt hurt minis at all. Bu the problem I had with it was the dangers of it. It was safe to dump down drains, but the smell and the how corrosive it is is a big draw back. You HAVE to use gloves and a ventilator when using it. The fumes can damage unprotected eyes and it eats flesh. Not kidding.

**cyrax777**

Nightfall wrote:How well will this work on a larger model lets say Dreadnought sized... Venerable Dreadnought to be precise.

Same as any other model just need a bigger container for it I did a landraider.

**Kervin**

Ok fist off I would like to say thanks to KingCraker for finding this stuff and making this thread. I have one question. I know that it can breakdown superglue but dose it breakdown plastic cement?

This question is more asking for a confirmation of what I am thinking from what I have read.

**KingCracker**

Well I can tell you that if its Testors type plastic glue then no, it doesnt touch the stuff what so ever. As far as any other brands I cant be to sure of. Ive only ever used testors (the orange stuff) and superglue. So if the other brands acts like what I use, again no it doesnt.

**dmthomas7**

I kno it will slightly weaken loc-tite as well since Im certain thats what my rhino was glued with. weakened but it still held reasonably well

**Brother_Khiros**

Any tips for stripping models with a light coat of varnish? Most pieces already have spots where I've filed/knifed back down to the plastic (removing mould lines from -old- models), and I've heard as long as there's a place for the liquid to get under the pant it should work. Any confirmation?

**Adam LongWalker**

Brother_Khiros wrote:Any tips for stripping models with a light coat of varnish? Most pieces already have spots where I've filed/knifed back down to the plastic (removing mould lines from -old- models), and I've heard as long as there's a place for the liquid to get under the pant it should work. Any confirmation?

acetone for metal models

Plastic models I would use 91% (or better) Isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol. It won't hurt the plastic model at all.

**Brother_Khiros**

I've been soaking a metal model in some graffiti remover and that works well. I just put some plastic models in last night (the label says its safe on plastics), so later on today I'll check those out. If that doesn't work I'll try the rubbing alcohol. Thanks.

**Adam LongWalker**

Brother_Khiros wrote:I've been soaking a metal model in some graffiti remover and that works well. I just put some plastic models in last night (the label says its safe on plastics), so later on today I'll check those out. If that doesn't work I'll try the rubbing alcohol. Thanks.

Using Graffiti remover should do the trick. I personally do not use the product due to the irritation to my lungs (petroleum distillates not orange based products which are also used as graffiti remover).