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Howdy,

I've been stripping the paint off my Adepta Sororitas for the last couple of months and repainting everything. I've been getting on fine with Fairy Power Spray on all the metal stuff, d but I've recently started on the tanks, which are of course plastic and found that the old power spray wasn't shifting the primer. I've left them soaking in some Dettol for a day or so and gave them a scrub with an old toothbrush and as expected the primer came right off but the I'dforgotten about the dreaded 'black gak'. I then proceeded to rub the black gak all over the clean area whilst trying to scrub some of the more stubben bits off.

So my question is how do I deal with the black gak without rubbing it all over the model. I could just use multiple scrubbers and cloths to try and mitigate my spreading it around but that would involve additional financial outlay which I'd like to avoid if possible. Anyone had any success with dealing with the black gak.

D

For flat bits, use a blunt blade to scrape it off - a thin bit of platicard, etc can also work. Helps to clear mpst of the gunk and you can then get the rest mpre easily. Toothpicks can also help get into recesses between plates.

Hey I have been stripping models for the past few days and have found synthetic dot4 brake fluid works really well at dissolving this gunk! Just test a small piece of whatever your stripping in it first to check it doesn't dissolve that too
Then I found you can just scrub it off with an old toothbrush

Isnt brake fluid quite toxic?

I didn't find it anymore so than dettol, obviously gloves are a must!!! And safety specs to stop any splashes to your eyes when your brushing will post some pics of my finished hammerhead tonight after work

I don't really want to go down the route of brake fluid unless I get really desperate. Scraping the gak off seems like a good idea and I might grad additional cloths and scrubbers too and keep rotating them.

D

Basically,

The black gak is formed through a reaction between the dettol and water. The trick, use two baths of dettol, one for the initial soak and scrubbing, the other as your washer for both your brush and model. Basically you just dont want to combine water in there in any way. wear gloves and work between the two. Scrub and soak in the first, then wash your brush and model in the other 'cleaner' dettol, see whats left and go back to crubbing in the other 'dirty' dettol. I stripped over 60+ models in a few hours after they had had a good soak. Just dont go near water
People also suggest an electric brush, but i have no exp. there, only ever used cheapo toothbrushes.

You can also use surgical spirit from a pharmacist, its basically stronger dettol, works faster and slightly better, but you have to use the same technique.

IMO dettol probably works out cheaper unless you can get a big tub/bulk buy

Once you are happy with the paint removal, THEN and only then use water as the final rinse stage. Hope this helps

Yeah Solar Shock has it.

Paint dissolved by Dettol will gum up when water gets in the Dettol. You'll know this as the Dettol with start to cloud.

This happens because our natural reaction as cheap arse gamers is to use the Dettol as much as possible; this is a false economy (you can get more Dettol in a Poundshop!). Once you get to a cloudy stage the Dettol has become less effective and is more likely to result in Gummy paint.

Once you are in the gummy paint zone the best thing to do is re-soak the model in clear Dettol. You will still need to toothbrush it (wiping the gum off the brush as you go with kitchen roll) and the occasional rinse under the hot tap.

I learnt this the hard way last summer.

painters panel wipe / degreasers remove that gunk (and the smell) from dettol stripping.
As does 99% isopropyl alcohol (which does a better job of stripping too )
Would expect most other stripping methods to clean up that gunk because they all contain degreasing agents.

Solar Shock wrote:
Basically,

The black gak is formed through a reaction between the dettol and water. The trick, use two baths of dettol, one for the initial soak and scrubbing, the other as your washer for both your brush and model. Basically you just dont want to combine water in there in any way. wear gloves and work between the two. Scrub and soak in the first, then wash your brush and model in the other 'cleaner' dettol, see whats left and go back to crubbing in the other 'dirty' dettol. I stripped over 60+ models in a few hours after they had had a good soak. Just dont go near water
People also suggest an electric brush, but i have no exp. there, only ever used cheapo toothbrushes.

You can also use surgical spirit from a pharmacist, its basically stronger dettol, works faster and slightly better, but you have to use the same technique.

IMO dettol probably works out cheaper unless you can get a big tub/bulk buy

Once you are happy with the paint removal, THEN and only then use water as the final rinse stage. Hope this helps

Oh my gawd! I was going from dettol to warm soapy water! Ok I've laerned something! So is my best bet now to get two new batched of Dettol and start again? Will clean Dettol remove the black gak that I've rubbed all over my models? Sooo glad I asked about this!

D

There's a good dettel stripping guide in this subforum I think, maybe in tutorials. Bu yeah stay away from water when doing this. I soak in dettol and then scrub with metho, helps remove the smell and doesn't gum it up.

 Yonan wrote:
There's a good dettel stripping guide in this subforum I think, maybe in tutorials. Bu yeah stay away from water when doing this. I soak in dettol and then scrub with metho, helps remove the smell and doesn't gum it up.

Oh right cool. I'll look for that tutorial. Thanks. I don't know whatNetho is, or if we have a UK equivalent, but I'll find something I'm sure.

D

Solar Shock wrote:
People also suggest an electric brush, but i have no exp. there, only ever used cheapo toothbrushes.

I only normally strip metal models (nitromors works a treat) and I went from using a toothbrush to trying an old electric toothbrush.

I won't be using a normal one again, the electric is so much faster/easier

 evildrcheese wrote:

 Yonan wrote:
There's a good dettel stripping guide in this subforum I think, maybe in tutorials. Bu yeah stay away from water when doing this. I soak in dettol and then scrub with metho, helps remove the smell and doesn't gum it up.

Oh right cool. I'll look for that tutorial. Thanks. I don't know whatNetho is, or if we have a UK equivalent, but I'll find something I'm sure.
D

I think my metho he means methanol, or a substance as such, as basically its a stronger cleaner. But yeh have a look for the tutorial And have fun!

Sorry, methylated spirits. Something-o... we do that a fair bit for some reason. Aussies. I'm not a queen... I swear on me mum.

Or, as you are a UK resident, you can kick the Dettol in the bin and go for "Fairy Powerspray" instead. I've used Powerspray on plastic, resin, vinyl, and metal models and most times the paint just peels right off. No damage to the models - I've even left a vinyl model in it for a month with no damage to the model - and no worries about gunk or smell. The odd times when an undercoat does not want to come off, ensuring that at least one part of the model is back top plastic (or whatever it is made of) and re-treating gets it off. If only the undercoat is left, you could, of course, rinse it, dry it, and go from there.

As with any cleaning product, I wear gloves, and an electric toothbrush removes all traces of paint quickly and easily. Just make sure you can clean up the flecks of paint that have been flicked all over the place and don't wear any decent clothes. Keep an old pair of jeans and an old top specifically for the purpose.

 Conrad Turner wrote:
Or, as you are a UK resident, you can kick the Dettol in the bin and go for "Fairy Powerspray" instead. I've used Powerspray on plastic, resin, vinyl, and metal models and most times the paint just peels right off. No damage to the models - I've even left a vinyl model in it for a month with no damage to the model - and no worries about gunk or smell. The odd times when an undercoat does not want to come off, ensuring that at least one part of the model is back top plastic (or whatever it is made of) and re-treating gets it off. If only the undercoat is left, you could, of course, rinse it, dry it, and go from there.

As with any cleaning product, I wear gloves, and an electric toothbrush removes all traces of paint quickly and easily. Just make sure you can clean up the flecks of paint that have been flicked all over the place and don't wear any decent clothes. Keep an old pair of jeans and an old top specifically for the purpose.

Yeah I've been using Fairy Power spray on all the metal infantry and other stuff and it does work a tret, but I've found that when I've used it on plastic i.e. All my rhino chasis, it shifts coloured paints alright but doesn't budge the primer. Should I just leave it soaking in power spray for longer or something?

D

99.9% IPA does a great job of taking off the remnants of a fairy power spray stripping.

HairySticks wrote:
99.9% IPA does a great job of taking off the remnants of a fairy power spray stripping.

And just to check, this stufc is safe for plastic?

D

 evildrcheese wrote:

HairySticks wrote:
99.9% IPA does a great job of taking off the remnants of a fairy power spray stripping.

And just to check, this stufc is safe for plastic?

D

Yes quite safe, finecast, metals and plastics all tested, FW resin not tested, but is likely sound.
You only need to just dunk a piece in, and go straight to work, no soak time required for it to start stripping.
But I have tested them with upto 6 hours of soaking, and there was no problems atall.

My models came out looking actually brand spanking new, while after all this time I though primer stained plastic... WRONG Primers that I've tried, including army painter, GW and halfords aswell as artists gesso all come up without a trace or any staining whatsoever.

Edit; wear latex gloves though, prolonged exposure to it will seriously dry out your skin. And if possible use compressed air (i used my airbrush with no paint in) to blow the models dry once all paint is removed.

I do the same as hairy almost, Power spray or dettol and then the alcohol to clean them up. You can also soak them in something more pleasant after the dettol bath too, I find a citric based solution best, as the smell can become a bit overwhelming.
ALWAYS WEAR GLOVES too, I cannot stress that enough.

 Rayvon wrote:
I do the same as hairy almost, Power spray or dettol and then the alcohol to clean them up. You can also soak them in something more pleasant after the dettol bath too, I find a citric based solution best, as the smell can become a bit overwhelming.
ALWAYS WEAR GLOVES too, I cannot stress that enough.

Ahh the dettol stink I don't miss that!
The times I did use dettol, I found that a quick wash in some painters panel wipe did the trick (tbh the panel wipe could probably strip the paint too). Alcohol, or some other degreasing agent should do a nice job of removing it.
Because it actually removes, I'm inclined to think that its a film of dettol coating th emodel, which might cause problems with paint adhesion later, especially if a brush on primer were used where no solvent is present to break down the grease (a handy, often not considered benefit to spray can primers).

I don't use dettol anymore because of the stink, and the soak time, Fairy Power Spray is where its at, with a Isopropyl Alcohol scrub and then compressed air follow up to get the more stubborn bits of primer off and leave the mini totally clean and grease free, ready for paint.

For metal mini's I got for pure acetone right off the bat, the whole process takes seconds