Reusable Paint Strippers

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**Lobomalo**

I'm fairly certain brake fluid is usable, but what about the more household types of strippers like Pine Sol, Simple Green, Dettol? Are they reusable for multiple models?

**oadie**

Yep. They supposedly lose a degree of potency, over time, but I've stripped several models in the same small vat of Simple Green over the span of a few years. When it started to get decidedly murky from all of the dissolved paint flecks, I ran it through a coffee filter and rinsed the sludge out of the container. Still works and there's plenty left in the bottle to give it a boost when it slows down noticeably.

**Lobomalo**

I see. Yeah my container of Simple Green is a wee bit murky, like a faded dark green color atm

**Boggy Man**

I've been using the same tub of LA Awesome concentrate since last fall. It's grey and filled with paint sludge, but despite being topped off with water a few times it still works.

I'll probably invest a whole dollar in a fresh bottle though soon.

**Lobomalo**

That sounds really good actually. I really hate tossing out strippers, but I've already burnt though an entire bottle.

**LoH**

Lobomalo wrote:
That sounds really good actually. I really hate tossing out strippers, but I've already burnt though an entire bottle.

I found the opposite problem with one of my tubs of simple green -- the color faded from the liquid, so it's a lighter green than it was. Otherwise, the full-concentrate stuff is cheap enough that buying a new bottle every other year isn't a problem (and I use the stuff for cleaning anyway).

**Johnson & The Juice Crew**

Brake fluid? That stuff does wierd and wonderfull things to plastic.

**kb_lock**

99% isopropyl alcohol should retain potency over time, just needs a filter occasionally (and to be enclosed).

I imagine brake fluid will last forever, and I hope it does because I am terrified of throwing it out.

**Boggy Man**

kb_lock wrote:
99% isopropyl alcohol should retain potency over time, just needs a filter occasionally (and to be enclosed).

I imagine brake fluid will last forever, and I hope it does because I am terrified of throwing it out.

For some reason I find alcohol doesn't work as well for me as a degreaser, but it's still useful. The only problem is it evaporates quickly.

**AngularDeath**

Pine Sol turns your plastics into a science experiment and don't like the idea of handling brake fluid. I use Simple Green and its worked perfectly fine for me. It doesn't strip primer off of plastic however, but if they're your models and not second hand with crappy ebay undercoats that shouldn't be of concern.

**Todosi**

Superclean is working very well for me and I am on my 4th big batch of models. It also takes primer off of plastics. Be sure to wear gloves though, that stuff will dry your hands out something fierce.