qesten on paint removal

[slipknotzim]

i have an old ulrik the slayer, and an old karandras the shadow hunter, about 5 years both maybe more, i cant get there paint off to save my life, i have tryed nial polish removla(what i used to use) and i am considering useing paint thinner, some one even suggested gasoline. anyone know a good methoud that will get most of the paint off of these old classics.

[wittdooley]

Yeah, Simple Green. Works like a charm.

[Tetz]

I use simple green with great success. I just cleaned 7 models and they all came out great.

If they are metal you can go straight out of the bottle without any problems, or a 50/50 mix with water. I did the mix, let the guys sit overnight and took a scrub brush and cleaned off the paint. Some of the little nooks needed to be cleaned out but they came out great.

If it's plastic you would want to use a mix, I would start with a 50/50 mix and put one guy in as a test. Someone you don't care a huge amount about in case he has issues but let him sit for a couple of hours. 2-3 and then clean him. See how he looks and take it slow. With plastic there is more of a chance to damage the model so you want to check it after a few hours and repeat.

[RedScorpionsGirl]

Only for metal models: Any type of foaming paint stripper you can get from lowes/walmart/parts store. Make sure and read the label carefully, as some will eat plastic, so use some type of throwaway aluminum tray for best results (pan liners from the cooking section work great, and are throwaway!). Spray, leave for about 8-10 minutes at most, and rinse under water. a simple toothbrush or stiff bristle brush will help with removing paint from fine areas. I suggest using latex/nitrile gloves when doing this at first, then once the model has been rinsed off and you are scrubbing, you have rinsed off the thinner and won't get a chemical burn from it.
Also, if you are stripping a large number of metal models, I suggest getting the gallon of gel paint stripper, or another one that is not water consistency (the type designed for putting onto walls and vertical surfaces without running off) a couple of 2-3" aluminum trays from your local grocery store or walmart (again the disposable liners not actual trays) and voila. On a nice day, collect all the models you intend on stripping, bring them outside, spread them in a SINGLE (can't stress this enough) layer on the trays, and carefully pour the stripper over them (even though you are outside, I do advise to wear a mask of some form as the chemicals smell horrible, and CAN give you an inhalation "burn" in effect). In most cases, you can stir the models about, about every 5-10 minutes, and watch the paint fall off. By doing this you can judge when you need to pull them out, as they are stripped, or they aren't..lol. If you are able to, and if all the models are stripped, simply run water into the container, diluting the thinner, and rinsing the models. (take note of where you are and add some sense into doing it in this manner) and voila. Adjust how you need to clean them off accordingly though, so you don't break any local laws/ordinances..etc..

Good luck!

[Lord Gir]

I've used foaming oven-cleaner to great effect. again, lay it in something disposable, spray it all over, leave it for about an hour, turn it over and repeat. I would recommend gloves, probably read the packaging as well for general instructions, then just brush it off with a stiff bristle brush. You might have to scrub a bit harder for some of the smaller recesses but it generally works quite well. I've never tried this with plastic so no idea on that front. the best part about this is you probably have some sitting under your kitchen sink. oh and do it outside, the stuff smells nasty!
Good luck!

[Corvus]

I've used oven cleaner on plastics, it works great! I used a plastic container with a lid, put the models inside and sprayed them with the product.

But I'd advice to leave the models in the substance for a bit longer: at least 24 hours. This makes it a lot easier to remove the paint. Depending on the quality of your primer you might want to put them in a bath for a second time.

You can wash the cleaner away with water but be careful with it: wear gloves, avoid the fumes (use outside) and put the container where kids can't reach.

[Vorlon]

Just my two cents...


I used Simple Green for a while and it worked well...
But I found that another product called "Purple Power" works even better, much less scrubbing (if any) and its cheaper.

Too much exposure to it will cause your hands to peel a bit so i recommend latex gloves.