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.

Hey gang,

As a newer player on a budget I've begun to explore the secondary market for used models, and have managed to acquire a few. The downside of course is hat they're pre-loved, and painted. I'm starting to explore means by which to get them stripped down so that they can be integrated into my armies, but would love to hear your suggestions on the best methods of doing so.

I'm fairly new to the art side of the hobby, so any guidance on this particular area would be much appreciated.

Simple Green is the stuff you want, assuming the flag is correct and you're in the US (where it's readily available).

It's a mild cleaning product which will, given enough time, eat through any acrylic paint, although it has a bit more trouble with enamel primers. It's great because it's harmless to plastic models, which makes it foolproof to use.

Buy the full-strength Simple Green that comes in a big jug, pour some in your container of choice, throw the models in, come back in a week with an old toothbrush and give them a scrub. If all the paint comes off, rinse and you're done. If not, back in the Simple Green. Repeat until the models are clean.

By the way, this is one of the more common painting & modeling topics. In the future you might get faster results by searching rather than waiting for a reply.

Appreciate the quick response!

How important is aeration to the process? I have several animals and would need to cover / seal any containers to prevent them from getting into the bucket.

Also, is it safe for resin models?

Starting off I would say what you are doing is a reasonable thing to do and can be very fun.
A friend of mine made a full mechanized Company of marines (100+ guys and at least 10 vehicles) all from used models.

First, Simply Green is a good product and is reasonably safe on most model material.
My favorite that seems to make the plastic less soft but gets all the paint off is "Super Clean" it is purple:


Note: If you get resin or "Finecast" you may have to ask around, I have not had the "pleasure" of trying to strip that stuff.

Immersion is the preferred method.
Some more serious folk use ultrasonic cleaners to help things along.
I usually do a soak overnight and then use an old electric toothbrush to remove the more stubborn bits.
To be safe, get some sealable glass container, it is easier to clean and less likely to do anything to the container.
Rinse really well so when you glue or prime there are no contaminants or adhesion issues.

Other things to know:
1) Know the price of the new version of model you are buying so you can gauge how much of a "deal' you are getting.
2) Identify the condition of the part: know what the finished product looks like, identify any missing pieces.
3) Identify how some models are NOT "pro-painted" and do not deserve an increase in price.
4) Get good at "identify that bit" some "unholy" customizations can happen so be prepared to take it all apart and figure out what piece is what.
There are scans of instructions on the net where people have scanned model build instructions: https://www.reddit.com/r/WarhammerInstructions/ these help alot.
5) Get some kind of divided containers ready for separating the components for ease of assembly later.
6) It seems all the more critical to ensure plastic to plastic you use "welding" / polystyrene glues and crazy glues / epoxy for anything to metal or metal to plastic or anything to resin.
7) When bonding parts, it does not hurt to sand the join a bit for better "tooth" for them to stick, you never quite know what contaminant could be in a join like old crazy glue that can block a weld bond.

My best 2 cents to help.

Sterling191 wrote:
Appreciate the quick response!

How important is aeration to the process? I have several animals and would need to cover / seal any containers to prevent them from getting into the bucket.

Also, is it safe for resin models?

No aeration needed, I use a sealing plastic container for it. Simple Green itself is non-toxic and has a pungent menthol scent that seems to dissuade cats and dogs, so I wouldn't be too concerned about pets.

It is safe for resin, with the caveat that eventually it may soften the resin if left for too long. I had a resin model that I painted and stripped (testing colors) about seven or eight times before it became noticeably bendy.

Fantastic, thank you both.

I use denatured alcohol, it eats through paint quickly so no waiting, only down sides are the smell and that it somehow manages to seep through nitrile gloves

We use Diall Paint Remover, it's quite thick so all you have to do is brush it on (Meaning you can be somewhat selective in what you remove) leave it for a few hours and than brush it off.

Also it smell like almonds too so you won't get any complaints, can be used on both metal and plastic and it's perfectly safe to handle.

Not tried it on resin (Mostly because we don't have any) but I cannot see why it can't be used there either

 Rybrook wrote:
I use denatured alcohol, it eats through paint quickly so no waiting, only down sides are the smell and that it somehow manages to seep through nitrile gloves

Probably same I use and if so works like a charm. Metal, resin, plastic. Metal is dirt easy to remove but resin&plastic were tougher before I found denatured alcohol. Either it melted or it took ages to soak up and still left paint. This stuff? Quick and effective.

Consider buying an Ultrasonic Cleaner - the size of which will be determined by the maximum size of the models you want to clean, but you can get one that can do up to Rhino sized for less than $100. It speeds up the stripping time considerably.

I give them a day or two in dettol disinfectant(the first aid kind) then use a stiff toothbrush and nail polish remover/acetone to remove the gunk. Leaves them clean as a whistle.

you are going to want to use Super Clean / Purple power and not Simple Green. Simple Green even in pure concentrated form takes ages to do a poor job. Fresh Super Clean/Purple Power will strip most paints and primers in a day. You can find them easily at Wallmart or Autozone. I would get a container with a lid more for safety for contact than fumes and some throwaway latex gloves to protect your hands.

You will also want some old toothbrushes to scrub the nooks and crannies and some rinse water.

Also Super Clean/ Purple power can be used in a Tupperware container and i have stripped GW metals, plastics and finecast as well as FW resin with no issue. Finecast gets a bit rubbery but that makes it easier to strip paint and easier to correct bending and will harden back up once dry. You can also leave it in the cleaner as long as you want without issue. I have models that have been sitting in Purple Power for over a year with no issue. MY current batch of Tyranids have been in for 8 months straight because i used army painter primer.

Use the freezer to make old glue more brittle.

 queen_annes_revenge wrote:
I give them a day or two in dettol disinfectant(the first aid kind) then use a stiff toothbrush and nail polish remover/acetone to remove the gunk. Leaves them clean as a whistle.

Same, brown dettol, just submerge them in that for around 24 hours, take a tooth brush to them after, completely clean stripped and plastic safe, also doesnt affect the glue.

Only problem is it stinks lol.

95+% Isopropanol tears through paint on metal, plastic and resin.
It is the main solvent in brown dettol, but doesnt smell anywhere near as strongly.
Relatively cheap and only needs about 5 minutes to start working, maybe a days soaking for best results.
It doesnt soften plastic, but will soften resin if left submerged for too long.
You also don't need to rinse in pure dettol afterwards to remove the tacky residues.

BUDFORCE wrote:

 queen_annes_revenge wrote:
I give them a day or two in dettol disinfectant(the first aid kind) then use a stiff toothbrush and nail polish remover/acetone to remove the gunk. Leaves them clean as a whistle.

Same, brown dettol, just submerge them in that for around 24 hours, take a tooth brush to them after, completely clean stripped and plastic safe, also doesnt affect the glue.

Only problem is it stinks lol.

I like the smell. Reminds me of the times I spent getting tattoos.

DaemonJellybaby wrote:
95+% Isopropanol tears through paint on metal, plastic and resin.
It is the main solvent in brown dettol, but doesnt smell anywhere near as strongly.
Relatively cheap and only needs about 5 minutes to start working, maybe a days soaking for best results.
It doesnt soften plastic, but will soften resin if left submerged for too long.
You also don't need to rinse in pure dettol afterwards to remove the tacky residues.

I am going to try this, I ordered 5ltrs of it from eBay for about £16, which works out a fair bit cheaper then Dettol.

The stuff I am getting is 99.9% isopropyl alcohol.

I have a ton of old miniatures from the early 90's I need to strip, figure it'll save a ton of time, and money. I'll report back the results.

Ah the old paint stripping debate.

I have come here many a time for this exact reason too and always gotten good results with whatever I've used. The main thing is being patient with the brush after and really get into the crevices and clean them really well.

OK I used the Isopropyl alcohol.

It's ok, I left it about 30 minutes and the paint didnt really want to come off much, left it 3 hours then got most of it off, left it overnight and really scrubbed it this morning and they are pretty much clean other than some little crevices. It does take a fair amount of scrubbing though.

Honestly, I think dettol may actually work slightly better, after dipping in dettol for 24 hours the paint really softens and almost falls off, with minimal scrubbing required.

The isopropanol however is faster, doesnt stink, doesnt leave a mess everywhere, and is cheaper.

I may get a hard brush head for my electric toothbrush and try that next time, think it would really work.

I'm also in the US, and tried simple green and purple power, which worked years ago, but I think the formulations have changed such that I've had limited success lately.

For metals - easy: paint thinner or straight Pine Sol, let em soak, light scrub with toothbrush and dawn dish detergent.

For plastics, my go to now is LA's Totally Awesome cleaner. Can be bought at the dollar store (I think its Dollar General around here). Buy the original yellow formula, not the orange or whatever other flavor they sell. $1 for about a 1/4 gallon or half gallon. Day or two and most of my resin and plastics are pretty much stripped to bare plastic. May have to put it in another soak for stubborn bits. Again, soft scrub with toothbrush and Dawn.

I just put full strength Simple Green in a plastic container with a lid. Keeps it from evaporating over a couple of days.

Not much to add that hasn't already been said. My first purchase was a huge lot of used Space Marines that must have belongs to a young child because they were absolutely CAKED in paint. I tossed them in some old mason jars with Purple Power and let them soak 48 hours. Took a fair amount of scrubbing, but everything came off enough for me to re-prime.

One trick I recommend - Dollar Tree wire brushes. The cheap kind have softer bristles, and it really helps clear off the gunk. I would also recommend having running water (a hose or faucet) to clear away the bubbles as you scrub. I had a real hard time seeing what I was doing.

Hope that helps!


- Wargboyz

Also for metals, acetone will turn superglue into a gum like consistency, making it easy to pick out with a toothpick or blade