Tutorial How to stripp paint

[Taltopec]

Hello! Do any of you have some good advice on how to stripp paint from old plastic and metal models?

 

[Lord-Marcus]

Hello! Do any of you have some good advice on how to stripp paint from old plastic and metal models?

I can assist in this regard.

1. what type of plastic models. reaper bones for instance you need a completely different chemical vs sprue polystyrene.

2. metal models are exceptionally easy.


for metal models, as well as most polystyrene sprues such as those you get from games workshop, you are going to want a container (I use old chinese takeout soup containers) and a solvent.

Different solvents work, so you really want to get what is available.

If you have a dollar tree nearby, this is your one stop. You are going to need L.A.'s Totally Awesome degreaser. yes thats the brand name apparently.

yellow liquid. they sell two sizes, a 24 ounce with a spray top, and a 32 ounce refill bottle. Just buy the refills as you're pouring it into the container anyway.

while you are there pick up a cheap pack of manual tooth brushes.

Metal models that sit in L.A.'s for about 8 hours are ready to be cleaned. Warm water and scrub with earlier mentioned tooth brushes.

plastic i would let sit for 48 hours, scrub, then potentially 48 hours again if it doesn't loosen all the paint.

let your miniatures dry then you are good to base, prime, and re-paint.

 

[WildColonial Boy]

With plastic miniatures use a test subject in the solution first. Sometimes the miniature will melt and/or lose detail. Sometimes it will also dissolve the glue that is holding any of the parts together.
It very much depends on the type of plastic miniatures and what solvent you use.

 

[Taltopec]

I can assist in this regard.

1. what type of plastic models. reaper bones for instance you need a completely different chemical vs sprue polystyrene.

2. metal models are exceptionally easy.


for metal models, as well as most polystyrene sprues such as those you get from games workshop, you are going to want a container (I use old chinese takeout soup containers) and a solvent.

Different solvents work, so you really want to get what is available.

If you have a dollar tree nearby, this is your one stop. You are going to need L.A.'s Totally Awesome degreaser. yes thats the brand name apparently.

yellow liquid. they sell two sizes, a 24 ounce with a spray top, and a 32 ounce refill bottle. Just buy the refills as you're pouring it into the container anyway.

while you are there pick up a cheap pack of manual tooth brushes.

Metal models that sit in L.A.'s for about 8 hours are ready to be cleaned. Warm water and scrub with earlier mentioned tooth brushes.

plastic i would let sit for 48 hours, scrub, then potentially 48 hours again if it doesn't loosen all the paint.

let your miniatures dry then you are good to base, prime, and re-paint.

Awesome thanks! So a standard degrease solvent would work? Being from Norway I don't think we have the same brands....
It's mostly old he plastic the one lighter than their current plastic.
I think I'll try with a test model first as WildColonial Boy suggested and see what happens

 

[Lord-Marcus]

Awesome thanks! So a standard degrease solvent would work? Being from Norway I don't think we have the same brands....
It's mostly old he plastic the one lighter than their current plastic.
I think I'll try with a test model first as WildColonial Boy suggested and see what happens

I can inquire as to brands available in Norway

 

[Taltopec]

I can inquire as to brands available in Norway

Please do that would be awesome!!

 

[Gauntlet]

Oh by the way, I see no-one has mentioned a "jewlry cleaner" AKA a Ultrasonic Cleaner.

These use cavitation to assist cleaning products. I personally bought this one and have been very pleased in it's overall size and capacity at stripping paint:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B072JXQ9P5/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

But if you are only occasionally stripping infantry, there are plenty of options in the 40USD range. Regardless, these are extremely useful for helping strip paint, clean airbrushes, and cleanse models of residue (key step in resin 3d printing).

 

[ChapterAquila92]

I would also like to add isopropyl alcohol - the kind you can find on pharmacy shelves - to the list of effective paint thinners/strippers. I've used it in the past to clean metal models, airbrush parts and brushes (my father also found windshield washer fluid to be just as useful, if not as harsh a cleaner), and to thin down acrylic Tamiya paints for airbrush use. I'll have to test on a spare plastic model at some point, but it works wonders on the old metal ones after a few soaks and some scrubbing with a spare toothbrush.

 

[Krox_v.2]

I also suggest isopropyl alcohol, the 99 percent stuff. It works very well on both plastic and metal. Another option is Dettol, an antiseptic from the UK. It's not as effective as the isopropyl alcohol as it leaves the paint sort of a sloppy, sticky mess that you gotta really scrub off with a tooth brush but it works as a decent backup. It also has a really distinctive smell. I have used Pine-Sol cleaner to strip paint but it softens plastic slightly and leaves a strong smell on both metal and plastic minis. Nail polish remover works well on metal but melts plastic.

 

[JTSleep]

Oh by the way, I see no-one has mentioned a "jewlry cleaner" AKA a Ultrasonic Cleaner.

These use cavitation to assist cleaning products. I personally bought this one and have been very pleased in it's overall size and capacity at stripping paint:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B072JXQ9P5/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

But if you are only occasionally stripping infantry, there are plenty of options in the 40USD range. Regardless, these are extremely useful for helping strip paint, clean airbrushes, and cleanse models of residue (key step in resin 3d printing).

What liquid do you pour into ultrasonic cleaner? I have one I used on some minis with IPA, bit results were underwhelming. I basically took minis and dumped them into my old jar with IPA afterwards for oldschool toothbrush stripping.

 

[Egres]

What liquid do you pour into ultrasonic cleaner? I have one I used on some minis with IPA, bit results were underwhelming. I basically took minis and dumped them into my old jar with IPA afterwards for oldschool toothbrush stripping.

If you have access to LA’s totally awesome I’ve use that in the ultrasonic cleaner works good!!

 

[JTSleep]

If you have access to LA’s totally awesome I’ve use that in the ultrasonic cleaner works good!!

Unfortunately I don't have access. Maybe some other brand of product, but last time I tried something different from IPA, I managed to melt whole surface of mini

 

[VikingRage]

This has fairly completely covered already, but in case anybody else comes digging I just wanted to add that I am seeing more and more recasts and resin prints on the secondary market, so be careful using isopropyl on a model until you know that it isn't made of resin (it will meeeelt).

I personally try to get my hands on commercial grade multi-surface degreaser of any kind. You can find it at big box hardware stores (not simply green which some communities swear by). I have had good success stripping models with it at most concentrations, and I have yet to damage a model with it. It will not do anything to oil/enamel paints though. Also, gloves are highly recomended as degreasers will "pull" the oils from your skin fast (much faster than dish detergents) and can cause rashes if left on your skin for too long.

The only other thing I wanted to add after that was that I have had a lot of luck with a cheap electric toothbrush with fine bristle tips. It is not as good as a sonic jewelry bath, but it sure is a heck of a lot cheaper, smaller, and helps get into the smaller crevices and details.

 

[Krox_v.2]

I personally try to get my hands on commercial grade multi-surface degreaser of any kind. You can find it at big box hardware stores (not simply green which some communities swear by). I have had good success stripping models with it at most concentrations, and I have yet to damage a model with it. It will not do anything to oil/enamel paints though. Also, gloves are highly recomended as degreasers will "pull" the oils from your skin fast (much faster than dish detergents) and can cause rashes if left on your skin for too long.
.

I used to work with a lot of degreasers back when I worked as a cook. I HATED that stuff.

 

[Paxton Wuckert]

You could find a bottle of isopropyl alcohol is your best bet for removing model paint. This product gives you the best base and is an excellent cleaner and inexpensive solvent.

 

[Lord-Marcus]

You could find a bottle of isopropyl alcohol is your best bet for removing model paint. This product gives you the best base and is an excellent cleaner and inexpensive solvent.

Alcohol will degrade plastics over time. Its better to use a degreasing agent if you want an inexpensive paint stripper.

 

[VikingRage]

You could find a bottle of isopropyl alcohol is your best bet for removing model paint. This product gives you the best base and is an excellent cleaner and inexpensive solvent.

It is a really good generic solvent that hits just about every paint used on miniatures, but it will eat resin models down into mush at the worst, melt away some detail at best.

I do rely on Iso when degreaser fails. Iso has been more more expensive than my go-tos, so I dump them in that for plan B (minus any resin sculpts).

 

[lkassulke]

One of the easiest and most effective ways to strip paint from plastic models is to soak them in a cleaning solution. There are many commercial cleaning solutions available, but one popular option is Simple Green. Dilute the cleaning solution with water, then soak the models for several hours or overnight. After soaking, use a soft-bristled toothbrush to scrub away the paint.
For metal models, a stripping agent such as acetone or brake fluid can be effective at removing paint. Be sure to wear gloves and work in a well-ventilated area. Soak the metal models in the stripping agent for several hours or overnight.

 

[Nathan Weeres]

I used Super clean(an engine degreaser) when I redid my death army just soaked them overnight and brushed with a toothbrush. If you're using something that you don't know for sure is safe id paint up a spare bit and experiment with that because I have melted some gw plastic with rubbing alchohol(works great on metal) and obviously resin is even more fragile.

 

[Fer_Silfore]

In the case of shit cast (fine cast) what would be the best to use? Is LA’s still good for them? More worried since their so fragile compared to other GW plastic and metal