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I've been stripping models for quite some time. I got some Simple Green probably about a year ago, and I've been using it on all the models I need to strip. However, it's doing a worse and worse job as I go on. Did I just happen to have some decent luck with my older models, and the models I'm stripping these days just that nasty? For reference, the Marines I was stripping today had no fewer than 4 layers of thick, gross paint on them! Or has this stuff lost its bite, leaving me to buy a new bottle?

Simple Green tend to loose stripping power after one or two full strips. Dunno about old bottles of it though, as all my SG is fresh every time I use it (I tend to use it normally to, so it's always fresh here).

I have a little tub of SG. I have found that the potency hasn't diminished too much, generally speaking I have had it since last summer and it is still going strong. It may just be the paint, but I also find that SG works best on metal minis; 6 hours and the metal paint on a mini comes off easy peesy! Plastic models are a bit more of a pain though! I have some models that have a red base coat and the SG has been unable to remove it....they have been in there for 6 months!

MadMaverick76 wrote:I have a little tub of SG. I have found that the potency hasn't diminished too much, generally speaking I have had it since last summer and it is still going strong. It may just be the paint, but I also find that SG works best on metal minis; 6 hours and the metal paint on a mini comes off easy peesy! Plastic models are a bit more of a pain though! I have some models that have a red base coat and the SG has been unable to remove it....they have been in there for 6 months!

I'm aware that metal and Simple Green are much better friends than SG and plastic! I was able to strip paint off some RT era minis with no problems whatsoever, but the moment I get a plastic model the paint refuses to budge. From what I'm gathering in this thread, it's a problem more with the models than the SG itself.

Yea, basically I believe its the paint that is used. Those red models I was talking about have been in there since I got the SG, the metal parts of them finally started to give about 3 months ago, but the plastic is still fully covered in red with no budging in sight! I may try brake fluid if I get desperate...

i actually bought both SG and the Acetone free nail polish remover, and for plastic, the nail polish remover works amazing!
But as for loseing it's effect, im not sure, i would guess so, my nail polish started to anywayz...
BTW, if you do you the nail polish, only leave the modles in there for like 5 min, and you be done!

Doesn't acetone melt plastic?

Acetone melts plastic and will muddy the features of your models. Brake fluid will flat out reduce your models to puddles of plastic.

Lonecoon wrote:Brake fluid will flat out reduce your models to puddles of plastic.

Only if you leave them in there for more than a day otherwise they should be fine.
I'v stripped some ebat stuff using brake fluid and it came off nicely but like i said i only left them in there for 24h.

Brother SRM wrote:Doesn't acetone melt plastic?

Notice how i said acetone FREE. there is no acetone in it

Cjsuner wrote:

Brother SRM wrote:Doesn't acetone melt plastic?

Notice how i said acetone FREE. there is no acetone in it

Reading comprehension am good! Missed that one

Lonecoon wrote:Acetone melts plastic and will muddy the features of your models. Brake fluid will flat out reduce your models to puddles of plastic.

I've used plastic-safe brake fluid to good effect. It's super poisonous though, and probably shouldn't be anywhere near organic substances.

Generally fresh simple green does the best job with plastic, but you're lucky to get most of the paint off a plastic model even under the best circumstances, especially if the painter used actual primer.

I've found that nail polish works good on larger areas of solid plastic (vehical armour plates for example) as not to smudge fine details

I've heard miracles about sonic bath + Simple green.... trouble is its pricey for me to try and confirm for you

Polonius wrote:Generally fresh simple green does the best job with plastic, but you're lucky to get most of the paint off a plastic model even under the best circumstances, especially if the painter used actual primer.

I run plastic figures through a two stage process.

1. Dettol. Active ingredient is Chloroxylenol or something. This gets rid of most of the paint.

2. 5-10 minutes in acetone free nail polish remover. This gets rid of most of the primer. If you leave it longer it will start to decay the plastic. There's a trade-off between removing all the primer and starting to affect the surface detail from the plastic.

I don't know how many times you can use the same bunch of Dettol or nail polish remover before it loses effectiveness.