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 spiralingcadaver wrote:
Wrote this up.

Starting as this

Wow. I used to work at Lowe's back in the day, we always recommended regular Krud Kutter/Goo-Gone to remove messes, I didn't realize they had a graffiti remover. I'll definitely have to give it a shot.

Thanks for writing that up - the refurb is exactly what I'm aiming for!

Whoa...


This is how you got the Rhino?

Warpath. Find your eBay seller and...

... Claw hammer?

K

 Buttery Commissar wrote:
I'm less concerned by the complexity of cleaning the outside, and more that you may end up with cleaning fluid inside a hollow vehicle and not be able to completely remove it. If some seeps out later when you believe it's dry and have started painting, that could be a real pain.

happened go my hellpit(fuzzy spray) had go Dettol him twice and use a 0.65mm drillbif to make small holes around to get the liquids out and for him to dry :( annoying...

To answer your earlier question, I use extra fine grit sandpaper on almost all of my models to smooth edges.

That pic literally looks like it was at the bottom of a BBQ grill and all the grease dripped on it lol

 Whereswaldo wrote:
To answer your earlier question, I use extra fine grit sandpaper on almost all of my models to smooth edges.

Is there any preparation required for using the sandpaper?

Nope... unless ur wet sanding then you need water.

So you just...sand the paint off? Sorry for so many questions, I'm just surprised this isn't the go-to for paint removal. It's so simple!

I guess for infantry it would be harder than for a vehicle. Maybe that's why most methods involve liquids

ya, just light sanding .... you have to be careful because it is easy to sand off details and to leave scratch marks on the model afterwards (which leads to having to fill / level later which is a pain).

I would suggest stripping as much as you can then sanding difficult areas after .... i normally use fine sand paper on flash (mostly from removing them from the sprue)

Awesome - thank you!

I had been thinking about constructing some sort of Auto-stripper that would pump your favorite stripping fluid (I use awsome, but this thread I think has better stuff) around a tank and filter it. Maybe even put some type of motor to keep the fluid motion up. I wanted it to filter a bit because I found that the container quickly gets mucked up with sand and other basing crap...but the cleaner is still good if you filter it.
I am just really lazy after stripping 4000 points of nids, and I was thinking about some type of machine you could build.
Anyone have luck with something similar?

 Redleg wrote:
really lazy (...) stripping 4000 points of nids

These words should not be used in the same sentence.

Easiest mechanism would just be a small aquarium filter in a kids' fishtank.

The muck is sucked into the sponge, you could then take it out and throw it away.

rock tumblers should work from what ive researched - depending on which kind you use ... i recently picked up one for $15 at an estate sale, going to try a batch this week and see how it goes.

Whoa! Meta stripping! I like the idea.

Sounds expensive though. At a certain point, stripping isn't worth it and you could just buy fresh kits. 4000 points sounds like it would be worth it lol

If a pump from a fish tank isn't too pricey...

I'd be really wary of that tumbler- I mean, isn't it basically designed to obliterate hard things' surfaces? Seems like it would kill plastic.

It would destroy any and all corners and sharp edges.

even worse if you mix in a aggregate media in. (those small ceramic bead things)

really if you are going to strip large amounts of models get an ultrasonic cleaner (5.0L is big enough to do a Baneblade minus side guns). Get one with a valve for easy fluid change out and cleaning. Also note that while strainers sound nice for filtering fluid they just get full of paint and loose their effectiveness over time. I have some models in cleaner that has been used for over 6 months and while it still did its magic it took much longer than if fresh from the jug. With how cheap Super Clean/Purple Power is its easier to just get rid of it and start fresh because fresh cleaner will strip in a few hours rather than old cleaner that takes days.

I would go against sanding, it will be sooooo much more time consuming than taking the model and tossing it in a tub of Super Clean/Purple Power (same thing diff name Wallmart sells both).

The SC/PP will take the paint off and the primer and weaken the glue bonds enough that the tank should either fall apart itself or be fairly easy to pull apart.

I would let it soak for a few days of straight out of the bottle and then scrub with a toothbrush to remove any loose paint. A quick scrub under running water to remove all cleaning residue and you have a new model.

Sometimes the plastic will stain based on the color of the primer but it is just discoloring. Some primers are tougher than others and might require a second bath. I have only had to do this twice and once was a model primed with car primer than i primed on a too humid of a day and it came out fuzzy, in the end the Purple Power stripped it clean of car primer.

Ohh quick reminder for those that might not know, some of the cleaners that a fine to soak plastic in affect resin models... ...differently. Lost a brood lord and nearly a Trygon this way.

Good thing to point out, Redleg.

If you worry about the stripper (hehe) getting inside the vehicle, you can try isopropyl alcohol. It dries fast and strips acrylics just fine.

I have not personally tried purple power or isopropyl alcohol - will these damage the plastic? I seem to see mixed reviews.

I can always try it on sprue first, but you know...laziness...

If you can leave it in purple power for a few days that seems easiest.

Alternatively, I could just soak it while painting another squad. Lord knows there's enough plastic lying around in want of paint...

Alcohol won't damage the plastic. I've had one Tyranid that was left in an alcohol vat for a year: missed the poor fellow when I was cleaning up. It's still fine--just smells a lot like a hospital.

Somehow I feel like nids would smell like a hospital...

 zgort wrote:
Somehow I feel like nids would smell like a hospital...

This is the stuff of nightmares.

As an aside, I also found that mixing Isopropyl alcohol with models recently soaked in degreaser (awesome, purple or simple) is a great way to make chaos spawn. All though it could have been Goof Off mixed with alchohol, my memory is hazy of this event. Likely due to the white cloud of something unlikely better for you than any of nurgle's other blessings that the little reaction created.

I would strip this. It's hard work and you may require to soak n' scrape it several times before you get a result you're happy with.

Tools that I've found invaluable for paint stripping and help speed up the process: small craft knife, larger blade like a penknife, hobby / woodwork chisel, wide bladed screwdriver, small wire brushes (the toooth brush sized ones), small files and/or needle files,fine sandpaper, pin, needle, cocktail sticks, small sharpened twigs, and of course your solution of choice.

Here's a few tips to get the best results in a reasonable time
Disassembly. Separate as many protruding components as you can from the main parts (the flatter the surfaces the quicker you can scrub the paint from them). The screwdriver, chisel and knives are needed for this. Superglue bonds will snap quite easily, but I can't emphasize enough how careful you have to be when prizing plastic parts off. I've spent up to 10 minutes carefully levering and tugging a sponson from the main hull.

Glue removal: Again the superglue will chip off fairly easily, but the poly cement will need careful scraping and sanding.

Scrub: With your brushes. It probably won't all come off first time. Areas of detail will require much more scrubbing. Vary the motions of your scrubbing so you're scrubbing the paint from every angle. Use circular motions on stubborn areas. Some people have been fine using toothbrushes, but I find I need to use small wire brushes to make progress.

Pick, scrape, chip: Where the paint is thick, or trapped in recesses, you'll need to get in with the harder-hitting tools I've listed. You'll find you have to interrupt your scrubbing at times to do this. The handiest one for tanks I made was sharpening a twig into a chisel-like scraper. Also filing down a pin so it has a blunter tip is a great tool for prizing paint out of the recesses.

Note that the undercoat is very difficult to remove properly because it bonds somewhat with the plastic. I would just leave it alone unless it's been botched by the original painter. Also no matter how much you clean it, you will get miniscule amounts of paint and paint staining on the plastic, particularely the recesses. Don't worry about this or the undercoat, it will be unoticeable once you've applied a light undercoat.

Repair and tidy up. Sand any areas that are still a bit bumpy or have been chipped by your tools. Clean well with a toothbrush and soap. Rinse.

Then you're ready to reassumble and spray!

Hope this is useful. Good luck!

i have used Purple Power/Super Clean on GW plastics, metals, finecast and even FW resin with zero damage to the models. Even prolonged soaking (i have some DE stuff that i have had soaking for over 6 months and it looks like brand new plastic).

of the thousands of dollars worth of minis i have run through my ultrasonic the only SINGLE model that did anything odd was a finecast model. the ultrasonic naturally heats the fluid so the finecast model became rubbery and was very flimsy which made it easy to really scrub to remove paint. things that normally would have broken off bent easily without any issue and once i washed it of paint and cleaner and let it sit it firmed right back up. I was even able to fix some bends in swords and spikes.

the only thing you really need to worry about when using Super Clean/Purple Power is that you should wear disposable latex gloves when putting your hands in it or holding models that are dripping it as it will cause slight burns with prolonged exposure.

Thank you thegreatchimp and Deathklaat, both posts are very helpful.

It seems like there is no way around patience mixed with a little skill - just like the rest of hobbying.

I hope that it turns out ok. I'll be sure to take WIP pictures and post a thread with the final result after a new coat of primer.

There are plenty of sources to get stuff painted on commission but have yet to see anyone offer services to strip paint or even clean mold lines and assemble unpainted (not conversions).

I think the market for people that want to remove paint may be greater than those who want someone else to paint for them when the cost is compared between the two.

Strip dat thing! (reply to OP)

I've been told that old school Detol works wonders