"Removing Paint" Topic

Hello,
I have some 15mm FOW men that I painted way back when I started the hobby. I didn't paint them to my liking and now my painting skill has improved. The paint I used was from testors and general arcylic paint, plus I did not prime or varnish these models. Is there any way that I can remove the paint safely without damaging the metal underneath?

I keep a small jar full of LACQUER THINNER to dip my figs in… a couple minutes in the jar and the paint comes right off. Available at your local auto parts shop.

If you're only worried about not damaging the metal then you're options are pretty open – I would recommend Simple Green, Pine-Sol, and Acetone (or nail polish remover) in that order. v/r Kevin

Yep, simple green is the stuff. Pour in bottle, drop in minis. Go after them with a toothbrush (I recommend one not currently used for oral hygeine) the next evening. May need to repeat cycle once to get stuff out of cracks.

"Fairy Power Spray" and a toothbrush work nicely.

Having read this thread and a couple others, I finally went out and got a bottle of Simple Green to remove the paint from a botched artillery piece I was doing with acrylics. I dropped it in a small jar of the stuff last night. Looking at it tonight, it didn't appear to have any effect at all – until I took it out of the jar and rubbed it with a toothbrush. Amazing! Now it looks all shiny and new again.

Simple Green is the stuff man! Use nothing else!!!

Oven Cleaner

A friend suggested a paint stripper called Nitromorse, made in the U.K. I think. Has anybody used this? Is there a North American equivalent
Thanks,
Brian

Try "EasyOff" oven cleaner. Hot water and and tooth brush. works wonders.

I have tried both oven cleaner and simple green method.Both work very well,use gloves to handle minis,tooth brush and even tooth picks required to pick out small details.

I am a big fan of Castrol Super Clean, an automotive cleaner degreaser. Kicks booty!

Detol.. is the UK brand name. It contains Pine-sol if you dip figures in it neat, be they plastic or metal it will strip the paint off.

Just wear gloves it is not good for skin if you expose it too long.

Nitromorse is a much more aggressive paint stripper, and will eat the paint, but is much nastier in terms of fumes and need for protection.

Drop em in a pan of boiling water.

Caustic soda. I've just used some and I'm impressed by its ability to strip paint completley in seconds and can well believe it's used by those who may have a human body to dispose of 'unconventionally'!

It is very, very dangerous but this is what I did:

1) Go to Wilkinsons, buy Caustic soda crystals from drain clearance section, heavy duty rubber gloves, eye protection. Whole lot comes to around a fiver.
2) Put items to be stripped into PLASTIC container (old ice cream box in this case)OUTSIDE the house!
3) Boil kettle, pour boiling water into container to cover models
4) SLOWLY add caustic soda from a small container (NOT directly from the main container in case you slip)
5) Watch in amazement as the mixture fizzes and boils
6) Hook out models with bent coat hanger, old pliers etc (NOT fingers!)
7) Rinse under plenty of cold water
8) Put remaining caustic soda well out of reach of children/ pets/ the hard of understanding etc, preferably in a locked garage or shed.

Never add water to the crystals, only use a few table spoons to a litre or so of water, and avoid contact with skin or fumes, as it WILL severely burn you!

Nitromors isn't too good I find- leaves paint in the details, doesn't work on all finishes (didn't touch an old Solido GMC truck's paint), is messy and hard to rinse away safely.

Good luck, and as my mum always used to say: 'Don't come running to me if you chop or blow your legs off!'

:O)