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As the title says, do you really have to strip a miniatures paint first before re-priming and re-painting? What would happen if I simply prime over the existing paint and then paint as normal?

They will look terrible if you dont

Yes.

Yes a million times.

I've gotten models from ebay that had been primed over 4+ times and there was barely any detail left. Yuck.

The number one piece of advice given to new painters is "thin your paints". This is because layers of paint build up, hiding detail, and build up unevenly, adding unsightly lumps, which are all the more visible if you drybrush.

If you don't strip your mini's you are effectively doubling your paint jobs thickness, assuming the previous painter was as good a painter as you.

Strip your mini's before painting.

Ok, that leads to my next question. What's a good paint stripper to use? Preferably one that I'd find in a craft store or locally, rather then ordering.

You're in the US. Go to a local Home Depot, Lowes, or whatever and find a concentrated cleaner called "Simple Green".

There are many guides online about it, but in a nutshell, put your models in the Simple Green (undiluted) for a few hours to a day. Then rub vigorously with an old toothbrush or something.

The paint will still dye the metal/plastic slightly, but the bulk of the chunky detail-obscuring paint will be removed. Then, just wait some time for it to dry and prime.

Actually Absolutionis, many grocery stores here in the US are stocking Simple Green now too!

Here in Raleigh, I've been going to Kroger to get those mondo sized things of Simple Green for like $5.50 with their grocery card thingamajig when the same thing would be close to $16 from a hardware shop.

Hooray places going green!

I know for a fact they have Simple Green at the Grocery Store nearby, Giant. I've also seen it at Wal-Mart.

Yes, simple green is carried by wal-mart in gallon jugs.

Is simple green actually any good for anything apart from stripping minis?

Brake fluid also works wonders.

Alienfood wrote:Brake fluid also works wonders.

Unpleasant chemicals in it though, should avoid skin contact moreso than most paint stripping alternatives.

I've found that isopropanol strips paint a wonder and doesn't harm plastic to my great surprise.


As for whether it's necessary... well normally yes. But on occasion, when I didn't really care too much and the original paint job was fairly thin, I've just gone over the top. That's what I did for my plastic chaos warriors. They look fine, they're only table top and they weren't great models to begin with. But if detail is going to be an issue you have to strip.

Alienfood wrote:Brake fluid also works wonders.

It also eats plastic and resin models if you leave it unattended for too long.

+1 for simple green you can forget them in the bucket for a week and they will still be pefectly find models... brakefluid not so much on plastics

+1 Simple Green!

Half the hobby is game-play, half the hobby is creation. So destruction (or hiding) any detail under previous layers of paint is gonna put a damper on a good chunk of your 40k. Strip 'em down, keep your detail, have good smelling mini's while you paint.

Side Note:
Simple Green-
Also good for pre-treating stains in laundry, cleaning greasy messes (hands, tools, etc.), as a basic disinfectant and multi-surface cleaner (think Lysol), in a pressure washer to clean the car, probably good for rug-doctor uses (read bottle), and smells good while doing everything!

Well it seems Simple Green is the way to go. I did a quick search of homedepot.com to see what exactly I'm looking for, is this it?

http://www.homedepot.com/Simple-Green/h_d1/N-5yc1vZ1v2/R-100398965/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

Will that be enough for ~75 Guardsmen, 2 Sentinels, and 4 Vehicles?

Thanks for the help by the way

Is it necessary?

Depends on how "crap" and thick the paint job is.

If it is just lightly primed - then I wouldn't bother.
If it's second hand and painted I just throw it into the stripper bath as a matter of course. (I buy them because they are cheap, not for the paintjob).

Piz wrote:Well it seems Simple Green is the way to go. I did a quick search of homedepot.com to see what exactly I'm looking for, is this it?

http://www.homedepot.com/Simple-Green/h_d1/N-5yc1vZ1v2/R-100398965/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

Will that be enough for ~75 Guardsmen, 2 Sentinels, and 4 Vehicles?

Thanks for the help by the way

Nah, get a gallon. Gotta let the stuff soak, not just spray it on and let it sit 5 minutes. Soak 'em for a day or 2 to start, and you'll need quite a bit to completely submerge vehicles. Don't toss it out after you're done stripping, because you can use it a good 3 or 4 times before it's all crapped out, ya know?