chaos0xomega | 08 Oct 2015 8:27 a.m. PST |
Hey yall, Im having some trouble stripping some plastic minis, theyve been painted for a while, iirc they are primed with krylon fusion (an enamel I think), with 2-3 layers of paint over that (acrylic), and a couple layers of clearcoat on top, (I think krylon clear, which is either an enamel, a lacquer, or an acrylic, cant remember which I used) followed by testors dullcote(a lacquer). I had them in simple green for a few days, and while some of the paint got a bit tacky, its only a small area and its not really brushing off like it usually does. I switched them into purple power for a couple days, no appreciable change, and now i have them in greased lightning, which in the past has stripped my minis in a manner of hours, but after a day im still not seeing any change. It looks to me like the clearcoat (either the testors or the krylon or both) is keeping the paint bonded together and preventing the degreasers I've been using from doing their thing, even if I rough up the surface a bit. I'm able to scrape away the paint with a little effort using my fingernails, but its not really a feasible way of stripping the entire mini. TL;DR – Plastic minis, covered in acrylic & enamel/lacquer paints, simple green/purple power/greased lightning don't work, need something that can strip enamels/lacquers without damaging plastic. Any suggestions? |
JasonAfrika | 08 Oct 2015 8:40 a.m. PST |
Brake fluid- soak in a glass jar overnight. Then take a toothbrush to them. Repeat if necessary. The acrylics are the problem believe it or not…brake fluid will remove enamels iin a matter of seconds. Good Luck! |
Maddaz111 | 08 Oct 2015 8:48 a.m. PST |
I know Dettol works, and I know cheaper substances work, but to me they seem a lot of mess. The official safe paint stripper sold by lesleys bit box in the UK (I have a bottle downstairs, but the label isn't on it anymore so I cant tell you what it is called. It works a dream, I have stripped 200 figures down to bare metal in a 3rd of a bottle of the stuff, no gunking, no mess, no effort. It might be slightly more expensive than Tesco pine or Dettol brown, but for ease of use! – Priceless! |
Mister Tibbles | 08 Oct 2015 8:50 a.m. PST |
Im having some trouble stripping some plastic minis, By the looks of the title, I was thinking this was going to be a Not Safe For Work thread! You are such a tease! |
chaos0xomega | 08 Oct 2015 9:04 a.m. PST |
Usually when I strip minis, acrylics no less, I just leave them overnight in simple green or purple power, and the paint essentially peels off. I'm not sure that the acrylic is the issue, but I'll try the brake fluid. Also, US based in case that wasnt clear, not sure I can find Dettol, etc. locally |
Sundance | 08 Oct 2015 9:49 a.m. PST |
Hey, now, keep your pants on! This is a family station! |
The Beast Rampant | 08 Oct 2015 9:49 a.m. PST |
The right music makes all the difference. |
Bashytubits | 08 Oct 2015 10:11 a.m. PST |
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Who asked this joker | 08 Oct 2015 10:46 a.m. PST |
Simple green might take a couple of weeks to break down enamel paint. I am currently stripping some WEG Star Wars figures. They've been in my basement soaking for at least that long though I have not checked in on them. |
Mister Tibbles | 08 Oct 2015 11:42 a.m. PST |
On a serious note, my stripping agent of choice has been Simple Green. I found that it could take weeks to strip off some primers, forcing me to resort to Easy Off oven cleaner (metal figures only, of course) to speed the process, along with a good brushing. Back in the day, I used brake fluid on my plastic models but brake fluid is nasty stuff. It's also a hazmat to dispose. BTW I've since sworn off stripping miniatures. Too much ing work in my old age! Sigh. |
Cosmic Reset | 08 Oct 2015 12:00 p.m. PST |
I stripped a bunch of old figs a few months back. They were a mix of metal and plastic figs. I started off by hitting them with Easy Off, letting them set for several minutes, then washing off the Easy off, and giving them a quick brushing with a tooth brush. I then began soaking them in Simple Green, cleaning them with the brush one or two times per day for about 4-5 days. Some took less time, fewer cycles than others. I found that some of the paint would stay crisp, but could be easily pulled away from the fig with a dental tool or hobby knife. If they had been all metal, I would have just Laquer thinner, but some were plastic or had plastic parts, and/or green putty conversion work. The Simple Green softened the green putty, but it hardened up after a day of setting to air out. A few of the figs were really resistent to the Simple Green, so I hit them with the easy off one or two more times. It attacked the paint without damaging the plastic, when left on for 10-20 minute periods. Lots of work, won't do it again. |
Der Alte Fritz | 08 Oct 2015 12:02 p.m. PST |
I asked this same question on TMP earlier this year, and I went with the recommendation of Simple Green. It removed ALL of the paint from the figures overnight. |
chaos0xomega | 08 Oct 2015 12:14 p.m. PST |
Yeah, they sat in simple green for a week, it didnt next to nothing. Then I went to purple power for 2 days, no change. Greased Lightning (which is stronger, more concentrated, and more caustic than either Simple Green or Purple Power) and still nothing. Those three degreasers just aren't cutting it, I believe because they are only worth a damn on acrylic paints, ive used them in the past on models painted only in acrylics and they always worked for me after a few days, but this is something entirely different it seems. |
Garand | 08 Oct 2015 12:58 p.m. PST |
I use Simple Green too. Damon. |
Zephyr1 | 08 Oct 2015 2:26 p.m. PST |
Did you brush the minis in water after soaking them in the stripping agent? That might be part of your problem. When I first stripped minis using rubbing or denatured alcohol, and cleaned them in water, what acrylic paint didn't come off pretty much bonded itself permanently to the mini (after that, brushed them with the stripping agent.) Never had any luck with SG… |
nudspinespittle | 08 Oct 2015 5:40 p.m. PST |
Not to change the topic, but has anyone noticed Pine Sol's formula has changed? It was always my first choice to strip paint from metal models, usually over night. The new stuff is useless. |
Great War Ace | 08 Oct 2015 6:18 p.m. PST |
Bettie Page featured dominantly, bless you…. |
Great War Ace | 08 Oct 2015 6:20 p.m. PST |
You gotta have a sense of rhythm or its useless…. |
HobbyDr | 09 Oct 2015 5:27 a.m. PST |
I believe the Fusion line was specifically designed to overcome the problem of getting paint to adhere to slick plastic by having it chemically bond with the surface. I have doubts you could strip it off. If you did, I would imagine the plastic surface would be drastically etched. Don |
coopman | 09 Oct 2015 7:17 a.m. PST |
Yes, you might just have to paint over what is already there. |
chaos0xomega | 15 Oct 2015 12:01 p.m. PST |
Problem solved, I put them in 91% Isopropyl overnight and the paint washed right off. |
yankincan | 10 Nov 2015 7:00 p.m. PST |
Well I have just had occasion to revisit this issue. I am finally stripping some old tanks I purchased built and painted in the late 70's. I tried simple green which I left for several hours with no noticeable effect whatsoever! I then applied a generous coat of odour free easy off and the paint scrubbed off in about 20 minutes. Case closed, for me at any rate. The most unsettling part of this experiment has to be how long it takes me to get around to things! |
TheWarStoreSweetie | 12 Nov 2015 10:23 a.m. PST |
I have now started using an inexpensive ultrasonic jewelry cleaner and 91% first aid grade rubbing alcohol for stripping figures. It removes everything and in a lot less time. |