Contrast paints are coming to stores tomorrow, and I'm so EXCITED! Anyway, I was priming my Bastiladon with some white primer, and the can had very little left in it. As I was spraying, it started to run out and started leaving a very dusty and grainy texture. I held the can closer to the model to fix this, and then it decided to suddenly spray a huge burst of paint. It ended up clogging the details on the scales and looking really gloopy. Are there any quick and easy ways to strip plastic miniatures that don't require me to wait overnight for the paint to come off, (preferably a few hours or less)? For things like Saurus shield arms, I use a q-tip with some rubbing alcohol on the parts I want to glue after I paint, but would something like this work on entire models? Thanks for the help!
You can strip it manually with stand paper or a razor blade. Leaving it to sit in simple green is the best option that won't damage the plastic in my experience.
I appreciate you are looking for a quick way to remedy this, but if you want a job done properly it will take a bit of time. From personal experience I would advise Brown Dettol - Available in most supermarkets. Leave your model submerged for 24 hours then just watch that stuff lift off with an old toothbrush. It's best to transferre freshly stripped models to a hot bowl of soapy water for a quick scrub down to avoid residue or stickiness. Works like a charm and your model will look like as if it were fresh off the sprue The smell dies down after a few days. Best to submerge in a sealable container.
Diall paint and varnish remover is what I have used to great effect, you get it from B&Q for only a few quid if you are in the UK. It doesnt melt plastic or soften it and you can see the paint just falling off. I used it to strip a few models I bought on ebay. I tested it by leaving a plastic base in for a few days to see if it would soften it or damage it and it came out as good as it went in.
There is a quick and easy way to fix this, forget simple green or dettol. Get hold of some methylated spirit. Bath for 30 mins, scrub with a tooth brush, another 30 mins bath and a final scrub and you'll be back to grey plastic. No mess, no smell and no need to wash them off afterwards because it evaporates. Do not use methylated spirit on resin.