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Hi all, I know this question gets asked a lot, but I'm asking it slightly differently, so please be forgiving.

I want to paint strip plastic figures, and while people are usually all to happy to explain what they used to get it done...

...it tends to be specific brands of cleaner or other product. Ususally unavailable anywhere other than the posters locale. I appreciate it, but I'm thinking we, as a community, can do better.

So here it is, the official, international question (and hopefully answer) on stripping plastic figures:

What CHEMICAL or ACTIVE INGREDIENT (S?) works best to take acrylic paint of plastic figures?

PLEASE avoid brand names, and post actual names of ingredients or chemicals that get the job done, so that anyone in any country can just check the back of the packaging, and know wether or not the product will work.

Thanks,
KH

Nail polish works pretty well. Get a bowl put nail polish in it and put your miniatures in the liquid. Let it sit a while then take a tooth pick or a q-tip and wipe the paint off. Keep checking back with it after a few hours and do the same thing.

Acetone and plastic? It melt...

Oh yeah, oops. Sorry thats only good for metal. Darn my friend told me this thing that works on plastic but i forget what it is. I'll post when I know.

Simple Green is really all you'll ever need. Works on metal, plastic and resin and won't damage any of your models.

It is available world wide. Look here:

http://www.simplegreen.com/about_us_global_partners.php

Acetone-free nailpolish removers are supposed to work rather well.

Dettol works pretty well for me, its active ingredients are chloroxylenol (i think) and pine oil. Dilute it, and let the models soak. Doesnt seem to hurt them.

And ive used Pine Sol before, the active ingredient being pine oil, however Id suggest diluting it a fair bit, and not letting your models just soak over night. I usually soak for an hour, then brush it with a tooth brush, and repeat till paint is gone.

Thanks for the responces, everyone! I've sent an email off to the Simple Green people as it does seem to be available in my country but I've never seen it in a shop, and I'm trying a Dettol knock-off tonight.

The active ingredients in Simple Green are:

Butoxyethanol, Mixed Alcohol Ethoxylate, Tetrapotassium Pyrophosphate, Sodium Citrate, Fragrance, Colorant

I'm pretty sure the first three are the important ones. I'd compare this list to the cleaners around you and see what you come up with.

Oh yes that's what it was called. Simpley green.

Simple Green is not available in France, so the best solutions we have for stripping plastic are:

-acetone-free nail varnish remover (not so easy to find)
-soda-free oven cleaner. (I haven't tried this one yet, but it seems to work fine)

I've never tried to strip resin, but it should work for it too.

Some acetone-free nailpolish removers will still eat plastic. Test to be sure.

Oven cleaners are a very mixed bag... some work, some don't, some eat plastic and some don't. Again, test... and use in a very well ventilated area.


I've experimented with a lot of different potential strippers over the years... Nailpolish remover, oven cleaner, pine-cleaners, brake fluid... Simple Green is by far the best, and the least noxious.

I have heard that some degreasers work as well (although again, some can be lethal to plastics), but haven't tried any.