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Hey folks!

I've got some metal wraiths that I just can't get the paint free from. ><

My standard procedures:

1. If its plastic, I soak it in Simple Green for a day or three. I also have a bottle of acetone-free nail polish remover that I'm planning on trying.

2. Metal models, I soak in pure acetone. I also have a bottle of brake fluid.
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Here's my problems:

-On my metal wraiths, I soaked them all in acetone for two days. I realize that people keep saying use a toothbrush, and since an old toothbrush wasn't doing the trick, I got a brand new "firm" (not soft or medium), although it doesn't seem to be doing the trick either. So I got a vegetable brush; its about the hardest bristles possible before getting a steel-wool brush or a grille brush. I seem to have three categories of wraiths:

1. On some of the wraiths, the paint came off easily. It peeled away; I could use my fingernails to pluck it, scrape it, and I used a needle to dig around in cavities and in tough spots to get the paint out.
2. On other wraiths, the paint turned into a gooey mess and smeared. Someone told me that this is acrylic paint, and brake fluid would work (I'm trying this right now). I'd appreciate any thoughts or commentary on this one.
3. On the third kind, the paint was simply unmarred. Two days of soaking in acetone, and scraping it with fingernails, a toothbrush, a vegetable brush...scraping a NEEDLE across it didn't ruffle the feathers. I have no clue what to do here.

On plastic models, simple green doesn't always seem to do the trick, and a toothbrush doesn't seem to get much work done, although digging with a toothpick seems to get some progress. I'm going to try the acetone free nail polish remover next.

Advice?

Ummm I use dettol on mine, seems to work well and keeps them hygenic :-) soak for two days won't harm the models and strings off like rubber with a brush

Does Acetone-Free nail polisher remover work, I didn't think it did.

Whip out the big guns, use carburetor cleaner. Only for metal models and don't inhale the fumes or cleaner. Not fun but totally eats off the paint with no brushing required.

I've had acetone free nail polish eat plastic models before, so be careful if you are using it and don't leave them in for long. I think it also melted the bristles on the toothbrush as well...

It did get the paint off metal models well enough though, and you can leave them in it as long as you like too.

I use Lacquer thinner. you can get it at most hardware stores or any paint store will have it. It will remove hobby paint in literally 5 seconds! Some words of warning: use a metal container, have needle nose pliers on hand b/c lacquer thinner will dry your hands out very quickly, and of course your old toothbrush. I use this stuff at work all the time and at home for cleaning metal models ONLY! and it works great. It takes off multiple layers. I did find that oil based primers take a little longer though. It does have a strong smell to it though, so use it in a well ventilated area and you'll be fine.

If you live in the US, grab some Kleen Strip from home depot. I have now stripped 2 complete armies, plastic and metal models, without a problem. Sometimes it breaks down the superglue, but i havent had any damage occur.

In the UK we have a product called NitroMors:

http://www.homebase.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=20001&partNumber=796322

I'm sure you must have something like it in America. It strips all types of paint, plastic, superglue, greenstuff etc. Your bases will end up completely dissapearing!
It's great stuff, strips models back to new, and can be washed off easily as long as you don't use hot water on it as it will react quite energetically!

Grim.Badger wrote:In the UK we have a product called NitroMors:

http://www.homebase.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=20001&partNumber=796322

I'm sure you must have something like it in America. It strips all types of paint, plastic, superglue, greenstuff etc. Your bases will end up completely dissapearing!
It's great stuff, strips models back to new, and can be washed off easily as long as you don't use hot water on it as it will react quite energetically!

Just to clarify, can you use that to safely strip plastic models?

As Grim says if it won't budge with traditional methods, spot application of proper paint stripper is the only way, but avoid the base.

If Simple Green wont shift it, they've probably used something other than normal paints so other methods might have to be used.

Have you tried oven cleaner gel yet? Fairy Power spray is known as Dawn Power Dissolver in the US and is fantastic. I struggled with dettol and brake fluid until I found this little bottle of might. Doesn't harm anything, has virtualy no drawbacks or fumes etc AND it's quick and rinses in water with a soft toothbrush. 15 minutes from application to clean as a whistle.

You can buy it online from US importers if you can't find Dawn Power Dissolver: http://www.britishsupermarketworldwide.com/acatalog/info_34213.html

Not to derail, but this thread title is extremely misleading and very disappointing!

I use Simple Green for both plastic and metal. I usually soak them for about two days, and then use a toothbrush to scrub it off. With metal, it takes everything off, no problem. Although with plastic the black primer seems to stay on. Although I have only tried this with models that had been painted with GW paints, not sure about other ones.

I got an actual paint stripper from lowe's (I don't recall the name, but it was orange-scented and themed) and it worked like gangbusters at A.) removing paint from metal minis and B.) turning plastic minis into soft goo in about an hour.

Hello mate i use brakefluid on my plastics but for no more than 2hours as after that it eats into the plastic. it's fine on metal for how ever long you wanna leave it.

I use isopropylic alcohol only, both for metal and plastic and it usually takes everything away (including primer).

Just leave it over-night (thought you have it in there for a month, no problem) and gently brush with toothbrush.

I'm VERY surprised you could not strip metal with acetone (or any generic solvent).

Maybe it got old from re-use or some water/soap got mixed.

If you find out what happened, please do let us know: I'm interested!

Tanhausen wrote:I use isopropylic alcohol only, both for metal and plastic and it usually takes everything away (including primer).

Just leave it over-night (thought you have it in there for a month, no problem) and gently brush with toothbrush.

I'm VERY surprised you could not strip metal with acetone (or any generic solvent).

Maybe it got old from re-use or some water/soap got mixed.

If you find out what happened, please do let us know: I'm interested!

No re-use - acetone evaporates quite quickly, and a bottle only costs $2. I've been supplementing my previously acetone soaked and scrubbed, brake-fluid immersed models with a wire brush, which also helps significantly, although I can't imagine it would be able to do nearly as well on plastic (plus the possibility of damaged models).

That will spank that evil paint and leave it crying in a blob on the bottle of your container. Enjoy
Walmart or advanced auto type places and its like $10 or less

KingCracker, how does that treat plastic? Or is that for metal only?

I've found superclean works decently for plastics. Better than Simple Green. I've left plastic stuff in it for near a week and no damage. But there is some stuff that it won't get clean... definitely not 100% effective on everything, but leagues above simple green.

Make sure you keep a lid on it, though, so it doesn't dry out. I left some metal tau in a container with no lid and it dried out, leaving an odd crystallization that won't come off...

I tried the exact same thing as you dash: acetone and a toothbrush and it didn't work for squat.

Then I had the brilliant idea of using a brass bore brush (the one I use on my SKS {the carbine, not the cygmar model}) and it took that softened paint off like a water off a duck's back without taking any detail out of the model. Costs 5 bucks at your local sporting goods store. A scaling tool or pick will take the stuff out of any nooks or crannies. Then I primed back over and was good to go.

No matter how much you strip a miniature though some of the paint will still stick, but if you are looking for detail use a metal brush to get the paint off.

SilverMK2 wrote:

Just to clarify, can you use that to safely strip plastic models?

If you mean stip plastic models down to their constituant molecules then yes Otherwise it's a big fat no, it'll melt them!

WarOne wrote:No matter how much you strip a miniature though some of the paint will still stick, but if you are looking for detail use a metal brush to get the paint off.

I've yet to have a model that Nitro Mors can't shift the paint from, although it's much quicker with the newer White Metals than the old Lead.

Dettol (chloroxylenol or something) works very well on plastics, but you have to remember to rinse the models with Dettol first rather than water and it's also best to give them a second soak to get off the last of the paint.

I've been using a metal brush for a while now, and it works wonders. Between Acetone and Brake Fluid, I've made this discovery:

-Acetone gets some types of paint and dissolves glue.

-Brake Fluid gets the other kinds of paint, but does not dissolve glue.


My first batch of models (9x wraiths, 6x tomb spyders) went through acetone first, then got scrubbed with a toothbrush and a vegetable brush, then got resoaked in Brake Fluid and scrubbed with a vegetable brush to come out clean.

My second batch of models (3x Tomb Spyders + Deceiver) soaked for two days in brake fluid, then got scrubbed - and the glue is still as hard as it ever was. The models are all in pieces, and I was hoping the glue would dissolve off but it doesn't - so I'm going to have to go buy some acetone and let my models soak in it until all the old superglue dissolves.

That is still a lot of work with loads of scrubbing, soaking and more scrubbing. It's not very safe with either acetone or brake fluid!

I got several models from an eBay sale. I think he used his dog to paint the models or, I suspect, he took the piss before he posted them

2 squrts of Fairy, 15 minutes later quick scrub with soft toothbrush under water :

http://www.britishsupermarketworldwide.com/acatalog/info_34213.html you can use it on both metal and plastic and doesn't harm either one.

I've ran into some sort clearcoat or maybe it's some kinda of enamel paints that just doesn't seem to come off models, no matter what you try, I"ll usually just do my best to get off most of the paint then primer right over it. You lose alot of detail but it's better than scrubing on a model for hours IMO

Dear Dakka,

I got some tough models to strip and all the high praise on simple green or fairy power spray, all not easy to get in germany bring me to one question:

what to use for striping in germany? are there any german painters and cleaners that have a few tips for me? something to ad to my shoppinglist?

metals, use white spirits

metals is easy, its the plastic ones that try to eat my nerves...

Hello. I am Simon Quinlank, the lord choice of all hobby armies. Welcome to my world of hobby game hobbies.

What you will need for this week's hobby:




* Some badly painted metal miniatures

* Nitomors Paint & Varnish Remover

* An empty glass jar

* A toothbrush

* A flask of weak lemon drink

* A metal fork



This hobby is a good hobby for people who like taking old models with rubbish paintjobs and making them new and shiny so you can repaint them in a way of your chosing. This hobby is called The Stripping Painted Models with Paint Stripper to Make them Unpainted Models Hobby.

How to do this week's hobby.

Take the painted models and place them in the glass jar. Drizzle the Nitromors on top. It is dangerous stuff, and what the Devil drinks instead of weak lemon drink.



Leave them there for twenty minutes with the lid on. It is now time for your weak lemon drink. You can watch as the paint suffuses the stripping fluid with its pigments and the paint wrinkles up. Hahahaha! Look at this Blue Horror stare up from the acid as he fails to comprehend what goes on.



After twenty minutes (or longer depending on how patient you are) fish the models out with the fork over a sink. Dangle them there, and pretend the model is painted with a very thick varnish.



Do not run them under a hot tap as the heat will make the stripping fluid all hot and airborn and dissolve your nostrils if you choose to breathe in. Instead, run them under the cold tap and brush off the residue with your toothbrush.




You can use gloves, but if you have mighty hobby fingers like me they are impervious to acid and you can shrug off the chemical burns. Wimps like Neil Petark have to use gloves, and even goggles to protect their girly eyes.



When the models are all stripped you can put the lid back on the jar and keep the Nitromors for next time. With practice you could will become better at this hobby. But do not think you will ever be better than me. I am the latest army book to be released in all hobbies and therefore the most powerful. I have stripped 27 Tzeentch Daemons with my Stripping Painted Models with Paint Stripper to Make Them Unpainted Models Hobby.

i´m to humble to say how astonished i am about your powers...