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I am trying to strip some paint off some old space marines and my first attempt using simple green didn't work very well. I let it soak in a jar for just over 24 hours. Do I need to soak it longer?

thanks

kalias

Was there any discernible effect after using a toothbrush on the model? Metal or plastic marines?

No not really. I tried a tooth brush with no success and then a scrubbing brush. I am thinking either I didn't soak them long enough or I need to switch something for the simple green. The marines were submerged for the entire time. However, I did not have a lid on the jar.

kalias wrote:No not really. I tried a tooth brush with no success and then a scrubbing brush. I am thinking either I didn't soak them long enough or I need to switch something for the simple green. The marines were submerged for the entire time. However, I did not have a lid on the jar.

Did you use a mix of simple-green and water or straight simple green?

I did straight simple green. No water added.

kalias

I've stripped a lot of stuff in both Simple Green and Castrol Super Clean. Generally, paint starts coming off after the first hour, but a 24-hour soak at full strength demolishes the paint completely. The only time I've ever had a problem is when they used a spray paint that bonded with the plastic like the Krylon Fusion line. If that's the case, then you're probably screwed

I know that some places will carry two strength's of simple green, a full strength concentrate, and then a diluted one for normal cleaning.

I have also noticed that Simple Green will have trouble stripping GW Black Primer from plastic mini's if there has not been an other paint applied as well.

What kind of paint was used on the model? SG will strip off acrylics (Citadel, Apple Barrel, etc) in a day. Other types of paints (Testors for example) won't be touched. Same with some types of spray paints.

I am currently using the GW paints, nothing else. If I remember correctly, these models have the gw sealer on them also. Would that make a difference?

kailas

Not sure about the sealer. If its a poly-urethane based sealer it may take a few days soak to break it down...or worse something like nail polish remover, which may damage/melt the plastic.

The sealer will definitely have an effect I think. I mean, that's the point of using it. It protects your models from wear and tear, and prevents paint chipping or coming off. Not sure how to remove it though.

Try Pine Sol and an electric toothbrush. works great for me.

Also, before you go off buying some pine sol (or whatever the european/british equivalent is)

Try soaking the minis with the lid on your container. For one thing, this will make your simple green last longer, since its not evaporating away so quickly.

And if you do use pinesol, i have found that scrubbing makes a gummy mess of everything rather than strictly removing paint.

Wierd, Ensis Ferrae your not the first to say something like that about pinesol. I've never had any real problems with it. The worst that's ever happened was I had couple where the plastic turned blue or red when they were done. Also make sure you clean them under hot, or at least warm, running water.

Try super clean its more potent than simple green and soak them for a day or so if that dont work its probably bcuz your marines got stain with the paint. My old models did that and i used the same thing i always use just paint didnt come off like recent models

Simple Green works best cut off from oxygen, pour it in some tupperware and shut the lid on it, might have a better effect

I'm using Simple Green to strip an old 2nd Edition metal Land Speeder. After 12 hours the glue that was used is losing it's bonds. Also the paint is coming right off in 98% of the places. Most of the other places are where there is still glue and that might just have to be chipped off. However I found out in stripping it that it was based with neon orange latex paint. I haven't tried Simple Green yet, so I can tell you so far it is working! Just give it another go and you should be fine and ready to repaint in no time.

Yeah. I have two ice-cream tubs full of Simple Green behind me right now. You need to have the container sealed, and for maximum effect, leave them soaking for about a week, or two, depending on the amount of paint.

I tried the simple green myself but then I found some paintbrush soap lying around and after soaking the model in that for an hour the paint almost peeled off.

Bad news...Simple Green WILL NOT crack GW Purity Seal, or any other type of gloss sealer, or thick matte sealer. The sealer provides an impermeable barrier to the Green getting to the paint. You can leave them in there for a month, and nothing will happen. I bought someone's entire Dark Angel collection, and the whole thing was sealed in three coats of gloss sealer. Simple Green couldn't dent it.

Instead, use oven cleaner spray. Take an empty glass jar, with a lid. Put 4-5 minis in it, and then blast the oven spray into the jar until it's about half full of foam. Quickly put the cap on, and give it a gentle shake. Let sit for a day or two. Get some rubber gloves, and an old toothbrush. Open the jar, and scrub the minis under warm water. Most of the sealer will come off in big, goopy plates, with the underlying paint still bonded to it. If not everything comes off, dunk the rinsed minis in Simple Green like you did before. This time it will work, because the impermeable barrier is gone, but most of the time the oven spray is more than enough.

I've stripped over 3000 points of Marines, as well as various other models this way. Works every time.

Super Clean is my stripping medium of choice.

I left a batch of RT Marines and Orks in a five gallon bucket of Simple Green for about six months at full strength (simply forgot about them) and it totally destroyed the paint and the glue that the person used. But a 24 hour soak should work a 95% of paints and primers.

try to use a crafting knife to remove the sealer in some places so the simple green has spots to get a hold of the paint

Thanks for the info guys, I will try to take the purity seal off with rubbing alcohol. I have some more marines without purity seal so I will retry the simple green on them and see how it works. This time I will make sure that I use a cover.

I will update the results when I am done.

Thanks


kalias

If that doesnt, try brake fluid, can quite literally take the tarnish off silver! It will be completely stripped in 48 hours.

And taco bell hot sauce will take the grime off of a penny!


but seriously, i'm about to try this as well with a lot of Tau. gonna have to try the ovencleaner bit.

try using acetone free nail polish remover. it loosens the paint in minutes and does not eat the plastic

SONS of ORAR wrote:try using acetone free nail polish remover. it loosens the paint in minutes and does not eat the plastic

YES IT DOES!!! I took this advice last month to try and get some paint off a plastic model and it turned it into rubber. Yes it was Acetone free.