"Stripping painted figs with Pine-Sol" Topic

Got some nice old Marauder figs from a pal but don't like the 5th Ed paint job. I have themsoaking overnight but any other advice on removing the paint? I was going to scrub them with a firm toothbrush wearing rubber gloves and goggles.

Do it someplace ventilated, pine sol gets overwhelming fast.

pine sol works as well as simple green. pinesol will eat through a plastic bowl given enough time I learned the hard way though.

Rubber gloves, definitely. Pine Sol can de-fat skin cells.

I used to do Pine Sol, until I found that Simple Green works better. It's still pretty good, though, and your minis end up with a fresh piney smell.

I suggest you blast them with a water sprayer, and then use the toothbrush.
If that does not get everything, try using a fiber brush on a Dremel, at slow speed when dry.

There is an even better paint remover, but it is rather expensive. The chemical compound that is in liquid styrene glues is one of the best paint removers I have ever found.

It is capable of penetrating quickly below the primer, and lists it off in one huge sheet (especially if you get good at being able to read the surface of the paint as it blisters). It is fast as all heck too, as it works within seconds.

However, it is freaking expensive to use as a paint remover.

Many painters use brake fluid – messy but it works on metal figures

I use orange strip I found in my local Home Depot. works great on metal, then use a stiff brush for the cracks and tight spots. I used allot of paint removers and most will do, but stay away from heavy chemicals as no one really has the proper location to work with them. Then there is the disposal of the used stripper, to think of. Use some thing that will be able to get rid of easily and not harm the environment.

I spent 15 years as a pint maker, and know a bit about paint, and its removers.

Noel

Pine sol has softened and deformed some of the plastic minis I stripped the paint from. It's also hard on any glued joins in the metal figures. So I still use it for metal figures that didn't have a bunch of glued joins, and they smell fresh!

I have used Mean Green for years and it is great. It is not as hazardous to your health and it doesn't damage plastic. Just soak them overnight.

I have used most of what has been listed above as well as Easyoff Oven Cleaner too.

I think I like Simple Green the best though.

as well as Easyoff Oven Cleaner too.

That's glove stuff for sure. Like I've said before, Simple Green is the best.

Castrol Superclean also works well, but it can be hard to find.

I personally use Orange Formula 409 and a nylon gun-cleaning brush. No gloves required.

These were metal and 90% of the paint is off. Interestingly, the toothbrush is now gunky and won't come clean. I did the power wash with the hose in the same jar in which they soaked overnight. That got off vast majority of paint. I scrubbed the rest. They are now soaking in water to be sure they're clean of pine sol and suds. They also have that fresh pine scent – yay!

As advised, the glued model came apart – not terrible as I can now put it back together better!

Question: when the remaining paint dries off can I prime it and paint over? Or will it be a weak surface for more paint? It's not much but it's been treated pretty roughly!

It looks like pine-sol has been changed to some new formula that doesn't contain pine oil. Instead it contains glycolic acid. It doesn't seem to strip paint like it used to. I've had four miniatures soaking in pine-sol for three days and the paint is definitely softening but not lifting off like it used to. Anyone else notice that?

I'll give another "Yea" vote to Simple Green.

I use some stuff that you can get at Walmart but you need to wear rubber gloves.

Also get a bucket for water so that you can help rinse the miniatures off after you work at getting the paint off.

Oh and a small wire brush if they are metal mini's.

Oh and get some small chisel set or something with a sharp point on it so that you can work at those hard to reach places on the miniature.

I stripped all of my metal Eldar close to 200 models using the over cleaner and tools.

Oh and the stuff that I use does not eat plastic so was able to do the bases as well.