Help: What would strip these guys clean?

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**Ratius**

I recently rooted out my old Heroquest box. A lof the monsters I had painted circa 1990 but I do not know what with.
I recall it might have been old Airfix style paints but beyond that Im lost - possibly humbrol enamels

http://www.airfix.com/humbrol/paints/enamel-paints.html

The paint is on them very thick and its very glossy. The miniatures themselves are plastic but I dont know of what type, it similar to GW stuff but slightly softer (?).

Anyone got any ideas where to start? I couldnt handle ruining these guys, they are like gold to me.

thanks.

**darefsky (Flight Medic Paints)**

Drop them in Simple Green first. See if it works. It won't hurt them.

**xraytango**

Castrol Super Clean or Puple Power, also DOT3 brake fluid will work but it needs to be properly disposed of.

Simple Green might work, but I know that the formula has changed and seems a bit weaker now.

Also non-acetone fingernail polish remover as well as a Testors product that is formulated to remove enamels.

Those are all I know.

**Ratius**

Not sure what the equivalent products are this side of the pond though guys, never heard of those.
Could try the nail polish remover but would it damage the actual plastic of the models?
Im not willing to lose any of them on possibility.

**Talys**

Ratius wrote:
Not sure what the equivalent products are this side of the pond though guys, never heard of those.
Could try the nail polish remover but would it damage the actual plastic of the models?
Im not willing to lose any of them on possibility.

Absolutely not acetone nail polish remover. That will turn the (plastic) models into a puddle of goo.

There are many threads about stripping models

**Gapow**

Xraytango stipulates "Also non-acetone fingernail polish remover".

As long as you make sure it is acetone free which it will say on the label, then it will be safe to use. I have just striped a plastic squad of Eldar guardians. You only need to leave them in for 10 mins

**Ratius**

Thanks guys. I just tried some fairy power spray overnight, no luck Im afraid - didnt make much of a dent if any.

I will try non acetone remover next. However from what I can tell these humbrol paints are not water based, so it might not work?

Were your Eldar GW paints Gapow?

**LoH**

Start with a strong degreaser or an automotive cleaner for interiors.

Something else that helps is one of those ultrasonic jewelry cleaners for shortening the time it takes to pull paint off of models.

**Sean_OBrien**

Ratius wrote:
Thanks guys. I just tried some fairy power spray overnight, no luck Im afraid - didnt make much of a dent if any.

I will try non acetone remover next. However from what I can tell these humbrol paints are not water based, so it might not work?

Oven Cleaner or Brake Fluid will be your best bet.

Fully cured enamels are about as strong of a finish as you will find. Unlike acrylics which become brittle over time (time being decades...not years) - enamels and other oils become stronger.

Both the DOT3 brake fluid and the oven cleaner will be safe enough to the plastic and strong enough to actually strip the paint. Most other compounds will not dent them without the addition of some form of mechanical stripping (wire brush or otherwise to score the surface of the paint and let the water get under the edges to help lift it off).

**Gapow**

Yeah my paints were gw, undercoat and they a few different layers as I was testing out paint schemes on the minis.

I have some old minis with.humbrol on, I could test it out for you

**darkcloak**

Dettol

Works wonders, get it at the drugstore for about $10. Mix it down about 60/40 with water, it will turn milky. Drop your minis in for a few hours and the paint will come off with a bit of scrubbing. Make sure that when you clean them off to NOT get water on the mini as this will cause any paint residue to be come very sticky. Rinse the model with dettol mix to get the flakes off, then you can scrub them with hot soapy water.

Works like a charm, got half my army stripped and repainted already!

**Ratius**

Thanks Sean, the enamel paints are almost like a hardcoat gloss finish, very durable.

Would an oven cleaner like this work you think? Spray it on and leave for an hour or so?

http://about.pricegrabber.com/search_attrib.php?page_id=5838&form_keyword=mr.%2Bmuscle%2Boven%2Bcleaner&rd=1&rd_type=P

**hybridmoments82**

xraytango wrote:
Castrol Super Clean

Heroquest!!! Wow!!!!! Haven't seen those minis in a long, long time! Would love to see how they turn out!!

**Ratius**

Cant get castrol this side of the pond so I'll try the mr muscle stuff and see.
This is becoming like a mini project in itself

**hybridmoments82**

Ratius wrote:
Cant get castrol this side of the pond so I'll try the mr muscle stuff and see.
This is becoming like a mini project in itself

I'm no gearhead so I don't know much of the chemical makeup. I would imagine most engine cleaners have the same basic formula in them, but definitely double-check before using it. If you can't find any info on the product you're using, I'd write my name with a model knife in some excess plastic left over from modeling, throw some paint over it, let it dry and leave it in a vat of that engine cleaner for 24 hours and see if the plastic erodes or eats away at the detail before I put models in there, especially ones that are probably not easily replacable as these.

**Ratius**

Cool idea, thanks

**Sean_OBrien**

Ratius wrote:
Thanks Sean, the enamel paints are almost like a hardcoat gloss finish, very durable.

Would an oven cleaner like this work you think? Spray it on and leave for an hour or so?

http://about.pricegrabber.com/search_attrib.php?page_id=5838&form_keyword=mr.%2Bmuscle%2Boven%2Bcleaner&rd=1&rd_type=P

For the most part. The mix according the MSDS is actually closer to Super Clean as opposed to Easy Off. I knew that Super Clean was hard/impossible to get over there...but oven cleaner tends to be pretty easy to get most places.

In terms of how long - with Easy Off - it is pretty quick. Super Clean, I normally soak overnight. That being in between the two - give it a few hours and then take a look at the progress.