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I have a quick and simple question. Will simply green melt plastics? And if it I use it to remove paint what is a good concentration to use for it? I believe there are 3 concentrations available Light, Medium, and Heavy.

Yes, definetely work on plastic but in my experience doesnt much get the paint out of detail, I did not notice wat concentration mine was so sory in that area. maybe youll have more luck with it than me

OK I seem to be the Super Clean super hero!!! Go and buy some super clean. You cna find it at auto parts stores, and in some of the auto sections of walmart and the like. All you need is some latex gloves and your golden. Metal,plastic,your flesh, all easily removed by this stuff, and WAY better results then simple green.

I have not yet used Super Clean, but if I was stripping plastic I would definitely give it a try! I tried out Simple Green for the first time recently (I got it from Home Depot, and I only saw one concentration sold... although they give various options for diluting it on the label, you can just use it straight as-is) and it ROCKED on the metal models, and was so-so on plastic. It definitely will not melt your plastic, and you can use it without gloves, but it didn't get all of the paint off cleanly :/.

You'll definitely need gloves for Super Clean, but I think you can buy it in the Walmart auto section (along with some cheap plastic dishwashing gloves!!) and it will take care of your plastic models (it won't harm the plastic, but will break down the glue, unlike Simple Green). Be sure to rinse your minis after scrubbing and get all of it off, so that the new paint will stick!!

If you do go with Simple Green for plastic, leave them in there (in a sealed container so the smell isn't too bad!) for a LONG time! Try a week, I'd say... one day just wasn't enough for my minis :/. It won't ever harm the plastic, though, so there's no worries there

RiTides Nids wrote:If you do go with Simple Green for plastic, leave them in there (in a sealed container so the smell isn't too bad!) for a LONG time! Try a week, I'd say... one day just wasn't enough for my minis :/. It won't ever harm the plastic, though, so there's no worries there

I did leave a Tau vehicle in SG for a few days and it fell apart. It may have just been a crappy glue job. It was my brothers vehicle so I am not sure but the glue definitely broke down.

Stump wrote:

RiTides Nids wrote:If you do go with Simple Green for plastic, leave them in there (in a sealed container so the smell isn't too bad!) for a LONG time! Try a week, I'd say... one day just wasn't enough for my minis :/. It won't ever harm the plastic, though, so there's no worries there

I did leave a Tau vehicle in SG for a few days and it fell apart. It may have just been a crappy glue job. It was my brothers vehicle so I am not sure but the glue definitely broke down.

Was it just the glue or did it melt the plastic too?

Cheaper CA glues will break down in Super Clean, and somewhat in Simple Green.

This is more noticeable if the glue joints are sloppy and the solution gets in the crevices.

Murphys Laws of Modeling however- any mini you want to come apart- wont. And the ones you want to stay in one piece-wont.

Ive had figs in both the green and purple stuff for over a year (yes...really) and the plastics are unharmed. Metal will corrode however, if left in for mre than a couple weeks.

drummerholt1234 wrote:

Stump wrote:

RiTides Nids wrote:If you do go with Simple Green for plastic, leave them in there (in a sealed container so the smell isn't too bad!) for a LONG time! Try a week, I'd say... one day just wasn't enough for my minis :/. It won't ever harm the plastic, though, so there's no worries there

I did leave a Tau vehicle in SG for a few days and it fell apart. It may have just been a crappy glue job. It was my brothers vehicle so I am not sure but the glue definitely broke down.

Was it just the glue or did it melt the plastic too?

Just the glue. The plastic was fine. Like new, well, after some scrubbin.

I use the SG straight from the container for stripping. The one thing I've noticed is that blood red paint is notoriously resistant to any sort of stripping.

Seriously look up the tutorial that was done on dakka about stripping using super clean. Its just insane. He put metal, plastic, big, small, new and old all in the same tub. They came out, a simple brush job and they were perfectly clear of paint. Just amazing this stuff

KingCracker wrote:Seriously look up the tutorial that was done on dakka about stripping using super clean. Its just insane. He put metal, plastic, big, small, new and old all in the same tub. They came out, a simple brush job and they were perfectly clear of paint. Just amazing this stuff

Trust me- its not always so easy. The paint rarely falls off like some people claim it does.

I have a bucket of crapachans that have been soaking for 2 weeks that still require scrubbing and re-soaking. And some recently acquired cadians with a couple layers of paint are taking some effort as well.

So, yes- it works well, but still takes alot of elbow grease and effort.

super clean is off the chain for metal models. 100% down for it.

i use it to loosen paint and matte finish on plastic models as well, once i get through to some plastic i switch to simple green.

i dont water own my simple green, 100% straight from the bottle, i buy the high concentrate stuff.

Simple Green is the best. It works on plastic and metal like a charm.

I buy second hand armies and they have had the worst paintjobs since 20 years ago. Dunk them in Simple Green, and boom, stripped clean. Even the mold lines the user failed to clean away remain on the plastic minis. You need multiple soaks for models that had like ... 15 layers of thick paint... I had a unit of Pistoliers (the metal ones) and the layers of paint they've had... but SG worked out in the end!

Concentration wise, I use 100%. The Green one as well. Cos the Lemon one smells funny.

I also leave whole armies in the vat of SG for ... 5-6 months. Because I forget that they are there in the cellar.

I used it in it;s pure form. Soaking for a few days scrubbing, soaking what not.

Eventually I got it to a point where I felt very little if any paint was going to come off, but felt there was still a fair amount still on there.

Looking at the fig was discouraging, but I primed it with brush on black gesso (awesome stuff) and I couldn't tell that there was paint from the previous job on there at all.

So it seems that SG won't get all the paint off of most models, but it seems to get enough off that you cannot even tell, at least if you use a good primer.

CF Scout wrote:I used it in it;s pure form. Soaking for a few days scrubbing, soaking what not.

Eventually I got it to a point where I felt very little if any paint was going to come off, but felt there was still a fair amount still on there.

Looking at the fig was discouraging, but I primed it with brush on black gesso (awesome stuff) and I couldn't tell that there was paint from the previous job on there at all.

So it seems that SG won't get all the paint off of most models, but it seems to get enough off that you cannot even tell, at least if you use a good primer.

I have tried brake fluid, simple green, metho, sulphuric acid.

Brake fluid and simple green work the best. Simple green is good because you don't have to worry about carcenogenic effects on you or the rest of the environment!

Enamel primers haven't come off with anything however - but they are super thin and don't impact on the mini at all.

i've always used the concentrate, undeluded, and had it work well.

It also gives the room i store the soaking models in a nice minty smell