"Using Acetone" Topic

Today was first really good-weather day here in a while, so… Took a spray can and a couple of trays of miniatures, freshly deflashed and washed, outside to give them a coat of primer. Didn't notice until too late that can was not 'metal primer' but Krylon Spray Adhesive 7010.

Sent message to ask@krylon.com, got response this afternoon "You can remove it with acetone".

Googled 'acetone'. Can get it in ittybitty bottles at drugstore as 'nail polish remover', gallons at Home Depot as 'paint thinner' (seems that the price doubles when you buy 4x as much), 55-gallon drums (didn't check price for those).

Seems reasonably safe, but very flammable and 'use in well-ventilated area'. Which, I guess, is why Ghod gave us The Outside.

So, plan to put figures into container, cover with acetone, seal up, let sit for while, shaking up occasionally, then dump the acetone and wash figures with Pine-Sol. Do you think that will work ?

One site mentioned that acetone was not good for soft plastics, so planning to use metal or glass container for the soaking.

Urging ladies who have had their fingertips soaked in acetone, or others with useful advice, to speak up. The rest of you may keep your raucous laughter amongst yourselves.

Thanks for whatever help you can give me with this.

Are you sure you want to remove it? Seems like it would really help with paint adhesion.

Sorry. I'll myself out.

Wear gloves. It stings a bit on any scratches or abrasions that you may not have known about. Plus it'll degrease your skin and cause it to dry out and peel.

Should be able to get quarts at Depot as well.

As noted avoid sparks or flame and be in a well ventilated area.

Don't think the Pine-Sol is needed, but shouldn't hurt. Acetone shouldn't leave much in the way of residue.

Nice thing with the jar is being able to see the minis, but as it is adhesive being removed that shouldn't really matter.

If you have some, try denatured alcohol first, it has worked on every spray adhesive that I've used over the years, and not quite as bad for you as the acetone.

Do not do this if the figures are plastic.

Acetone can melt plastic. It's also not great for you.

Really though, I'd just use alcohol like irishserb says or purple power. Purple power is my preferred stripping chemical and it's cheap and i've yet to see an adhesive that it can't remove.

Purple power isn't non-toxic, but use a pair of gloves and you'll be fine.

Nail varnish remover may not be good. The stuff I have used at school has some kind of moisturiser which remains when the acetone has evaporated, leaving an oily residue.

Every time I've bought multiple small bottles of acetone at high street chemist (Boots) I got quizzed on what I was doing with it* so I now order large quantities on Amazon. Yep, don't use it on plastic and wear latex gloves.

John T

* main component of make shift explosives, apparently. ISIS obviously don't have an Amazon account…

Yeah, you can buy smaller containers at the local hardware store. As stated, it will impact certain types of plastic (not all I have used large plastic bowls to work with it in). You will not need another cleaner afterwards. It is a natural degreaser and used in industry for those properties.

Among other things, acetone can be used in manufacturing crystal meth. So some jurisdictions may require showing photo ID.

Also, Goo Gone is great for removing adhesives and it is non-toxic.

When you plan to use a chemical, one can always look up safety data. Search for the chemicals name and "SDS" or "MSDS" (the older term).

This gives you things like this for Acetone:
PDF link

This is put out by the people who make and sell the stuff.
It also lists the types of protective gear (Personal protective equipment)(PPE) to use.

Be a bit careful with putting Acetone in a seal container, as it is quite volatile (wants to go from a liquid to a gas). There may be some pressure buildup in even a very short time.

Acetone does attack some plastics (such as polystyrene, the plastic most models are made of.) But it is fine with other plastics like polypropylene, which is what most plastic food storage bowls are made of. You can check it against the particular container by putting a few drops on the bottom and seeing what happens.

If you use denatured alcohol, wear gloves, or your hands will stink for a while… ;-)

Acetone will get it off but will leave a whiteish film which you will need to clean it off with something else, but at least the glue will be gone.

Acetone also softens and dissolves CA glues (superglue). I use it exactly for that purpose all the time.

- Ix

You are courting disaster if you are using plastics.

I only use it to remove super glue from my fingers.

I use Acetone to clean the bits of my airbrush. Dries out quickly if not in a closed container. Kind of dries your skin out a bit too.

You can also use acetone to dissolve bits of hard plastic sprue into a soft paste which can be used in conversions or as a filler on hard plastic figures.

Put the bits of sprue into a small jar (preferably one with a metal lid), cover with acetone , replace the lid and wait. After a few days the sprue will soften and can be used to fill gaps. Once applied it will harden back into its original state and can be cut or filed.

Thanks for all the great advice. Ended up soaking figures in acetone (Found 100% pure acetone at local drugstore, figured was easier to pay bit more there, save trek to Home Despot…), then in Pine-Sol solution

Got some of the adhesive off, still left gummy residue. So soaked them in 'Goo-Gone Pro Power', and that did the trick, with a bit of brushing with old soft toothbrush, then another Pine-Sol wash (no one's gonna say that MY troops fight dirty!)

Fortunately all the minis were metal, which brings to mind a pre-WWII army joke: 'A new rank among the noncommissioned officers, announces the grapevine comic page, is the rank of metal sergeant. The rank is conferred only by the men in the ranks, and a metal sergeant is distinguished by "the silver in his hair, the gold in his teeth, and the lead in his pants."' (From _See Here, Private Hargrove_, ©1942 )