Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Greetings Dakka.

To make a long story short, I dunked a metal figure in a vat of acetone with some other stuff to get my strip on. Strangely enough, when this certain piece came out it was covered in this black material that will not come off unless scraped off. A theory is that a GW base melted in the vat and the plastic coated the figure. However sticking the figure back in acetone does not remove the crud. For obvious reason I don't want to scrape off every single surface, nook, and cranny of the piece.

Anyone have any ideas what to do? Maybe use some real hard stuff to strip it? Heat it up?

In case it matters, the figure is the privateer press lord of the feast model.

If someone knows the solution to this one I'd love to know as well, recently stripped some models in dettol, and they were covered in a sticky black almost tar like substance that seems to adhere to every surface it touches and is almost impossible to get off. I also suspect it's something to do with GW black spray which I know these models were coated in before stripping. Seems to happen with lots of different stripping agents so I'm starting to think that's not the problem.

Any pictures, I may be able to help you out, but at this time I would say that you are likely correct that it is probably partially dissolved base, but that does not explain why it didn't dissolve when you rewashed the model.

Prolly not the greatest detail, bits it all I can do for now. However, looking it over I noticed something. It's still shiny on the places that had pieces glued to them. So that means it has to have been the spray paint and not a melted base. It still doesn't explain why the crap won't come off though.

i get this when i strip metal minis in my ultrasonic cleaner, models do not have the shine as they do when new but a more gritty feel. i think it is the metal oxodizing but thats my theory.

It's either the base or the primer, it'll sometimes stick in the gaps and require scrubbing or more soaking to get off. The base doesn't seem to fully dissolve, but becomes more fluid. Had it happen with metal stripped with bases in turpentine.

In light of the picture its likely just the primer staining the metal and nothing more, its nothing to worry about (even if it makes the metal look like its been in the sun for 20 years).

If it's a metal mini then use

http://www.wickes.co.uk/nitromors/icat/nitromors/

Sure you can get it in the US it's great stuff, don't go near plastic or resin or skin for that matter.

 Krellnus wrote:
In light of the picture its likely just the primer staining the metal and nothing more, its nothing to worry about (even if it makes the metal look like its been in the sun for 20 years).

It's not a stain. Like I said its this black crud that's all over the model and in the recesses.

@Flippa - I'd like to avoid the heavy stuff but it looks like I've no choice. I'll try one more shot in the acetone vat. If that doesn't work...well, time to get drastic.

Its just (I believe) slight oxidation. Or like others have mentioned, staining.

I have a ton of old metal Tallarn. Once they get dunked they turn greyish like that. Its harmless, they just look a little ugly til you slap a coat of primer on them.

If it bothers you that much my suggestion would be get a buffer attachment for a dremel and basically polish it. But its really no big deal, just the cost of doing work with metal figs~

Metal mini's, especially older one can oxidise when left for along time in certain strippers. It looks like corrosion to me, this is why it only scrapes off as its still part of the main body of material.

That is a chemical reaction between the metal and the acetone/ stripping agent. It is indeed a type of rust.

It happens more with the older style metals, and in several instances, I have seen it first hand. It's the metal, not the paint.

Best thing for you is to prime over it and carry on.