"Sorrt to ask...again? removing paint from "clix-ish"" Topic

Ok, I KNOW there's got to be a "thread" on this one...removing paint from "clix-ish" figures rather than PAINT over them...I THOUGHT someone said "transmission fluid or brake fluid" one time...but want to make "sure".

I want to be able to SAFELY remove paint from either a whole fig or "parts"...as I do a lot of "mods" to existing figures...or "touch ups"...

Can someone point me to the appropriate thread if already discussed, (which I'm sure it has to have been) or help me with answers???

Carpe' Diem!

TMP link

Here ya' go!

neither thread is helpful I think. Not that I care since I'm not trying to accomplish this, but anyone who is trying to remove paint from these figures so far has no good advice to try.

I have successfully used Brake Fluid to remove gunked on paint from GW plastics before. I even let one batch soak for 3 hours and had no damage to the minis.

Other cleaners I have seen suggested for plastics is Simple Green (a biodegradable cleaner available in the US) and Pine Sol (A pine oil based disinfectant).

I'm not sure what type of plastic the Clicky based figures are made of but they seem to have more flexability than most plastic miniatures. Perhaps you could try out different cleaners on a couple of rookie commons.

Has any one tried Easy Lift Off (ELO) by Floquil paint company? It is great on old plastic models. I haven't used it on Hero-Clix but I can't imagine a big difference in plastics. The only thing I have ever had happen was a slight 'pastelling' of the plastic's color. Since you are going to repaint them anyway, it's no big deal. Go to any well stocked hobby shop, they should carry ELO. Good Luck, -John-

For Wizkids figures, the ONLY thing that I have found that will even begin to work are products high in Xylene. Not sure where I got that tip from, but it works. I use a product called "Goof Off" - no I am not kidding - that is made by Valspar Corporation. It is carried by both Home Depot and Wal Mart. I am sure you may find it elsewhere.

Wear solvent resistant gloves. Dunk the figure into Goof Off for 30 seconds. Remove and give a quick dunk in water to halt the reaction. Then a quick scrub with a toothbrush and the paint falls off. Sometimes you will have to give the figures another dunking, but I have had really good results and have done this on hundreds of figures. I use a pair of hemosts to minimize the amount of solvent on my gloves.

HTH - Terrell

Terrell, isn't that stuff highly toxic? Does it make the plastic/rubber soft like most stippers do?

It is toxic. That is where I actualy found the Goof Off product as it was the one listed on the hazardous/toxic household web page with the highest Xylene percentage. I only use it out of the front of my garage using the tailgate of my truck as a work bench.

I think it will soften the plastic if you leave it in there too long. There is the slightest bit of noticable softness to the figures after 30 seconds, but they are back to normal in a day or two. I have heard an overnight in the freezer can help the figues with this as well. I have one that went in the dip three times and it is fine. YMMV.

Terrell

Ya know...this is beginning to sound a bit "dangerous"...as I live in a small house, no garage...and limited mobility, being in a wheelchair, etc...

Maybe I'll try a little brake fluid FIRST?...on a 'rookie" or two...and if it's too much work...to heck with it...I guess I'll go back to "painting over"???? This doesnt' sound like something for "amateurs"!!!!

Yeepers, even!
BLUEFISH 1955

I tried ELO -- it didn't work. The only things I've found that remove the paint are solvents that also soften the plastic.

Good luck, but I have left clix figs in brake fluid ( DOT 3 & 4 ) for over a month with no luck. Same with Simple Green. Easyoff changed color in a bag with the figures, but no noticeable paint was removed. The only known degreaser that I haven't tried on them is Castrol Super Clean. A lot of people swear by it for lead, but I have yet to give it a go. Same with the lift off decal remover. I use brake fluid and simple green for everything but the clix figures.

Goof Off is designed to be used in cleaning the house ( crayon off the wall and such ) . I would estimate it no more dangerous than most oven cleaners. In a well ventilated room with proper gloves, you should be fine. At the same time, anytime you get bad vibes of something – it may be best to just say no.

If you want to research it, the National Institute of Health gives it only a slight health risk rating. – this is the website I mentioned earlier.

link

Best of luck -- Terrell

I agree- goof off was the ONLY thing that worked well for me- and yes it makes the figure softer afterwards, though I've heard throwing the figure in the freezer will reduce this.

As a risk assessor, I can tell you that xylenes are potentially toxic. Like many solvents, it they are safe enough to be used infrequently or with proper precautions, but not something you should be exposed to in high concentrations. Also, there is evidence that women and children may experience different/higher risks. MOST IMPORTANTLY, I'd check the Material Safety Data Sheets ( MSDS ) for the product you are using, which should be available from the manufacturer; they give information on how to use it safely.

If you are interersted in more research, check out TOXNET at toxnet.nlm.nih.gov It lets you search for a chemical; I find the HSDB summaries to be most useful. Here is an example from the xylenes listing:

After inhalation exposure the retention in the lungs is about 60% of the inhaled dose. Xylene is efficiently metabolized. More than 90% is biotransformed to methylhippuric acid, which is excreted in urine. Xylene does not accumulate significantly in the human body. Acute exposure to high concentrations of xylene can result in CNS effects and irritation in humans. … The chronic toxicity appears to be relatively low in laboratory animals. There is suggestive evidence, however, that chronic CNS effects may occur in animals at moderate concentrations of xylene. Xylene does not appear to be a mutagen or carcinogen. The critical end point is developmental toxicity … The xylene isomers are of moderate to low toxicity for aquatic organisms. … The acute toxicity of xylene to birds is low.
[Environmental Health Criteria 190: Xylenes pp. 1-2 ( 1997 ) by the International Programme on Chemical Safety ( IPCS ) under the joint sponsorship of the United Nations Environment Programme, the International Labour Organisation and the World Health Organization.]**QC REVIEWED**

I'v ebeen futzing around woth clix figures for awhile now and I STRONGLY recommend that you do not try to remove the paint. I've gotten by far the best results simply painting over the existing paint (treating it like primer).

-Rich

Oooooh-

Soak clickey-figs in xylene for 10 minutes, then light with match. Sprinkle what's left with cinnamon. Serves 1.

Enjoy!

(Will eliminate your desire to purchase clickey-figs....)

What are you doing buying clickey figs? You make great stuff in metal, Bluefish.

Jeff

For any resin or plastic figures, immerse them in acetone. It won't harm the material & will lift the paint off easily. Contact a chandler for large bottles of it.

Forgot to mention, only immerse for about 10 seconds then brush off the paint and rinse the model in cold water straight away. Wear good gloves too