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Have my space marine army sitting on my shelf forever. Im interested in doing a different chapter, without rebuying all the models I already own. What are some good ways to get paint off of GW models (mostly plastic but some metal too) without ruining the plastic/glue holding them together. I ask because I was told simple green soak them overnight. Came back the next day and glad I only tested one because he was soft and gooey.

Will I need an old toothbrush to get all the gunk out of the crevices? Will it be good as new to paint, or will there be blotches that will make it look bad. I would really like to make them look good this time, but I worry there is no good way to do it. By the way they are not varnished/ardcoat-ed.

fOR METAL i USE WINDEX AND FOR PLASTIC i USE NAIL POLISH REMOVER AND i LIKE HOW IT LOOKS =)

Hi,

Depending on the primer used; “Easy-Off” brand oven cleaner (Aerosol) works quite well on plastic (and really well on Metal) models.

Spray foam on models (in a well ventilated area, outside preferably)…

Let soak till the foam loses the bubbles (about ½ hour)…

Wear rubber gloves (Mr Clean brand has “thin” disposable ones at most grocery stores). Also wear eye protection (the toothbrush sometime “flicks” stuff around (like on your bathroom mirror when you brush your teeth)

Scrub the models “lightly” with an old toothbrush (soft bristles) while running warm water over them…

Soak the models overnight in water with a little dish soap in it…

Try a test model always!

NOTE;

This will not make your models Golden Daemon Material, as all the paint will not come out of all the detailed cracks.

Additionally, some of the models will come “unglued” depending on what type of glue was used in the first place.

This is one of the least expensive, and least chemical dangerous methods.

Brake cleaner, paint remover, fingernail polish remover, and mineral spirits are other methods, but plastic is tricky.

Good luck,

Rex

Simple Green works, won't kill you or the environment, and doesn't have nasty fumes. I would recommend wearing gloves for extended work as it degreases your hands a bit (makes em feel a bit dry). It does work very slowly and has issue with true primers and spray ons (like GW Chaos Black spray) but it does get the paint to come off. I don't recommend it for metal as it makes it kinda this dull black color. (I'd imagine it oxidizes the tin in the pewter but I'm no metallurgist so I could be wrong).

Yup, I've just finally gotten around to trying Simple Green, and am extremely impressed so far.

Hated using Oven Cleaner because of the fumes, and brake fluid is toxic... Simple Green's been doing as good a job, without the gassing and poisoning.

hands down by far the BEST paint stripper i have EVER used was this stuff i got at wal-mart called "super clean" (might have been "purple clean" its been a while since i striped anything)

this stuff will just rip appart the paint, while leaving your models (metal or plastic) in perfect shape.

one time, i threw about 20 kroot models in a mid sized tub full of this stuff to strip. well, i forgot about them, and i belive a something like 2 months past by. i went to a tourny, an ddicided i wanted to field my kroot again. so i looked and looked but never found them. that is untill a day or so later while i was cleaning out that room the tub was in.

i had the lid sealed on so not much evaproatied. but i just put on some rubber gloves, got my old strpping toothbrush. and started brushing the paint off. they were then painted in sir lanka by http://www.paintedfigs.com/

just fill a small tub (somehting that is large enough to hold all the minis) with this stuff.

for plastic models, 3-4 days of sitting is fine. i let em go for a week if need be just cus im lazy
for metal models, they are ready to strip in LESS THEN 24 HOURS.... amazing but true. i once tosed 3 old tau metal stealth suits in the tub before heading off to work. came home, striped, re based, and re primed them and started painting them again.

be sure to throughly wash the models with water after you finishing tooth brushign all the paint off.

also, the tooth brush will start to get sope bubble build up all around it and the model. avoid rinsing that bubbly crap off in the stripping tub if at all posible.

an important note... if the model was glued together poorly, then the glue has a very good chance of breaking appart. BUT i used testors model cement on those 20 kroot and they were fine. even after that 2 months.

another important note. i have not tried this on anything from forge world.

fnc821 wrote:fOR METAL i USE WINDEX AND FOR PLASTIC i USE NAIL POLISH REMOVER AND i LIKE HOW IT LOOKS =)

Do NOT use nail Polish Remover on plastic minis. Acetone melts the plastic.

Eric

I have a forgeworld battle wagon that I would like to repaint. Does anyone know of a safe way to strip paint from resin?

Thanks

fnc821 wrote:fOR METAL i USE WINDEX AND FOR PLASTIC i USE NAIL POLISH REMOVER AND i LIKE HOW IT LOOKS =)

So, do you work on a mainframe terminal or something?

Well I gave simple green a try, soaked a day and a half, and the paint only comes off if I scrape it with a fingernail. Brand new simple green just bought, so its not old. Been scrubbing with a brush I bought at the store. Does the age of the models matter. The paint has been on for 2 years or more, mabye it dosent come off well after that.

In the latest Firebase zine from Warseer they show a paint stripping set up using a plastic tub, simple green, and an aquarium filter. Pretty cool set up. http://warseer.com/firebase_7_preview

In all truth, though, I've never had much luck with Simple Green and I doubt it's environmental merits. I haven't had much luck with brake cleaner either. I'd give Easy Off a try.

I had asked this question to the guys at my GW store, and they recommended using rubbing alcohol for plastics.

In my very limited use (basically I've done it two or three times), it seems to work pretty well; I just soak the model for a few hours or overnight, and then scrub with a toothbrush.

I've had good success with Simple Green and brake fluid. If Simple Green doesn't work and you don't want the toxicity of brake fluid, try Super Clean. You can get it at Wal-Mart. Comes in a purple jug.

I will have to say simple green as well. I have been using it allot lately, and it has yielded wonderful results. Plastic is a little harder to clean with it, but it pulls the paint right from the metal models. I use simple green, and a wire brush to get all the caked on layers of crap from the model.

In my own post concerning this very issue, I used the Wal*Mart version of Castol Super Clean known as "Purple Power" to great effect to remove the majority of both acrylic and enamel paint from my plastics and metals with no damage. Metal figs will oxidize however, and may turn a dark gray color.

I used a steam cleaner, very similar to a pressure washer with excellent results. Faster than a toothbrush, even an electric one, easier on the environment than biodegradeable Simple Clean (only uses electricity and water), and will remove stuck on primer with little to no elbow grease.

It runs around $75 and can be used to clean your curtains, carpet, sofa, grout, tile, and anything else that is hard to wash, making it a bonus in your efforts to convince She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed that you can't live without it.

any one have any idea wot 'simple green' is in the UK?

bubber wrote:any one have any idea wot 'simple green' is in the UK?

Simple Green.

http://www.simplegreen.co.uk/

Hey guys. Apologies in advance for the thread necromancy, but I figure it's the lesser of two evils...the other being making yet another thread about stripping minis.

Anyway, I thought I'd share a tutorial article + product test challenge I put up on the blog: Studio Hobby Thumbs' ULTIMATE miniature stripping challenge! I'd rather share the link than version out a tutorial for the forums. Hope that's not an issue.

I break down my process and results in a three way challenge between Simple Green, SuperClean and Dettol. Might help out anyone checking these forums for answers. Cheers!