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I know brake fluid can and will eat up plastic and some dissolve metal.... but i'm after the ones that just eat anything other than metal leaving nice shiny bits.

Only problem is that i live in australia. Anyone able to recommend me something? (i've read all those things about super green, etc. Don't think we have that around in aus)

You can get Simple Green at Bunnings, if that's what you meant. It's a good, cheap place to start if you want anything stronger either.

If you want to chew through anything but metal, acetone will do it. I've also heard good things about dettol and pine sol, but anything that doesn't quickly melt plastic usually requires a bit of toothbrush time getting it out of the detail.

You can stop worrying I have the answer
I live in australia, sydney
I use dettol disenfectant. I buy 750ml for just under ten dollars
It works like a charm. I usually pour all the dettol in a jar and leave it overnight
It won't eat the plastic and you can leave it in there for days.
The only downside is that it smells, and can be messy.
When you use it make sure you do it outside and wear gloves.
This is how I do it

Pour dettol into the jar and put in the models.
Leave them over night ( its not acidic so the paint lifts off without ruining the detail)
Take the jar outside with another jar of soapy water.
Put on disposable gloves
Get an old tooth brush and take a model from the dettol
Scrub off the paint with the tooth brush(this can be messy and sudsy so wear old cloithes just incase you get it on you)
After scrubbing off the paint, place the model in the water
When the model has the dettol washed off, try to dry most of it with an old towel

I have done this to many armies,
If you have undercoated the model with spray then you will have to
Watch out for the tar like substance. It stains.

The plastic will discolour, and will darken.

I strongly suggest you do it this way its cheap and highly effective.
If you have questions or want a more thorough tutorial PM me.
I might be able to make a vid about it.




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And you can buy it from woolies or a chemist or coles. Kmart. Everywhere

Yup, I'm in NZ and also use Dettol (Dettol may vary internationally but we and Australia have the same stuff).

The only hint I'd add is to put a lid on the jar of models and Dettol, and shake it a couple of times a day while you're waiting on it to strip - that seems to help the dissolving paint float away and let more Dettoly goodness into the remaining paint

Hey man I live in Brisy the best thing for striping paint in Aus that I've come across is at Dick Smiths. they sell stuff called Iso Pro in the electrical cleaning section, its straight awesome for striping and doesn't damage the models.

Just a friendly warning if you decide to go the acetone route: that stuff is mighty flammable, especially if it gets the chance to vaporize. It also screws up styrene units, so plastics will get geeked, including the container.

I'd suggest using something else for stripping, like the Dettol. At the same time, keep some acetone around (like cheap nail-polish remover) for superglue cleanup. Small amounts are very useful for getting it off of fleshy-bits.

Superscope wrote:I know brake fluid can and will eat up plastic and some dissolve metal.... but i'm after the ones that just eat anything other than metal leaving nice shiny bits.

I've never known a brake fluid that will dissolve metal. Acids, yes. Brake fluid, no. I've heard of some that will damage plastics though.

I use brake fluid because it's available around the corner (and neither dettol not simple green are) and as I use mainly metal minis, it's effective. It hasn't harmed any of the plastic models I've used it on, either.

I've had to resort to Acetone in some cases (mixture of paints that were difficult to shift) and have even used MEK in the past (brilliant stuff - except for it's nasty carcinogen qualities - and explosive vapour). Both of these will however turn plastic into goo - and even FW resin will become a satisfying puddle.

Hmmm - I found dettol very messy and unpleasant to use, and not particularly successful - although I have no idea what sort of paint was used to paint the model I cleaned (ebay purchase).

Ive had great success with window cleaner in the past tho.

If you want something that will remove paint, superglue, greenstuff, plastic, everthing except metal - go for a cheap nail polish remover (including acetone) - works like a charm on paint, and nothing works better on superglue (that Ive found).

I never knew you could get simple green in australia.. wow. Have to check that out.

I saw some in Bunnings last time I was in there (two weekends ago) and this was a regional store (Newcastle), not a capital city one.

Red wrote:Hey man I live in Brisy the best thing for striping paint in Aus that I've come across is at Dick Smiths. they sell stuff called Iso Pro in the electrical cleaning section, its straight awesome for striping and doesn't damage the models.

I work with isopropyl alcohol everyday and never even thought of this!!
Will give it a shot, just gotta watch the fumes.
Thankyou!

darkkt wrote:If you want something that will remove paint, superglue, greenstuff, plastic, everthing except metal - go for a cheap nail polish remover (including acetone) - works like a charm on paint, and nothing works better on superglue (that Ive found).

Any good and large amounts of that stuff i can buy that's cheap? Also if it eats plastic.. what would be a good way to put it in a container of sorts?

I bought about 250mls from Woolies (home brand) with acetone (and aloe vera apparently) for $6. It comes in a plastic bottle - so it only eats certain plastics (ie the GW models). I also did not eat the plastic 'fast food container' I used to keep the metal models in.

Aye, head down to your local Bunnings warehouse, they should have Simple Green there, it's where I got mine from. Stuff is liquid magic on both metal and plastic minis.