Paint Stripping from Plastic

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SeaHarrier2006
Posts: 82
Joined: Wed Sep 20, 2006 5:38 am
Location: Droitwich Spa, United Kingdom

Paint Stripping from Plastic

Post by SeaHarrier2006 »

Hi Everyone,

I don't know if this has been covered before in an earlier post, but I was wondering if any of you know of anything that will strip paint from plastic, without destroying the item i'm trying to remove the paint from.

Thanks in advance for any help you can give on this,

SeaHarrier2006
England expects every man will do his duty.

Admiral Horatio Nelson, at the Battle of Trafalger October 21st 1805.

JasonAfrika
Posts: 52
Joined: Sat Nov 10, 2007 9:29 am
Location: Phoenix, AZ

Post by JasonAfrika »

I'm assuming this is for enamel paint. Brake fluid, i use it all the time. Use an old glass jar, soak the plastic item overnight (Although it really only takes a couple of hours)The fumes really are not that bad but I would still let it sit in your garage or outside. If it's acrylic paint, smother the item in cheap white glue, let it dry overnight, peel off the glue and off comes the paint. I use both of these techniques all the time and they work great for me. Good Luck

cbovill
E5
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Location: Las Vegas, NV

Post by cbovill »

I like quick and easy methods:

Buy some EZ-Off oven cleaner (or any other oven cleaner) and spray it on the surface. Wait a few minutes (10 - 20, whatever the mfgr recommends) and then run it under water with a brush (if you're mad at the wife, use her toothbrush - she'll have a really clean mouth - just kidding everybody!). Paint comes off completely - nothing will remain and plastic will be completely unharmed (unless you scrub too hard or use a metal wire brush).

Chris

SeaHarrier2006
Posts: 82
Joined: Wed Sep 20, 2006 5:38 am
Location: Droitwich Spa, United Kingdom

Post by SeaHarrier2006 »

Many thanks on those ideas, i'll gove them a try and see what results i get.

Cheers for now,

SeaHarrier2006
England expects every man will do his duty.

Admiral Horatio Nelson, at the Battle of Trafalger October 21st 1805.

m.a.kochman
Posts: 8
Joined: Wed Nov 28, 2007 5:56 am
Location: 4871 nord 4448 ost

Post by m.a.kochman »

Wear gloves and protecive eyewear! 8)

Always, always wear gloves (e.g. surgical gloves) and those big plastic glasses when using solvents (other than water and ethanol maybe).

In my experience if you painted your model using oil enamels, you may need to soak the model for days until the paint comes off, so be patient. :)

Hauptmann6
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Post by Hauptmann6 »

Simple Green. Soak for a couple days and it comes right off.

Mk 1
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Post by Mk 1 »

No harm to the plastic?
-Mark 1
Difficile est, saturam non scribere.
"It is hard NOT to write satire." - Decimus Iunius Juvenalis, 1st Century AD

Gort
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Location: SW Ontario

Post by Gort »

AFAIK Simple Green is safe for most plastics. Still, if I were planning on soaking something for a few days I would want to test it first on a piece of similar material.

If the paint in question is acrylic there is an easier solution at hand. Windex. Or any cleaner with ammonia in it. It removes acrylic paint (and Future floor finish) almost instantly with little or no scrubbing. Just rinse in water and you're good to go. Safe for all kinds of plastics except acrylics. Just don't spray it on lexan. (Don't ask how I found out about the lexan)

regards

Steve

Cpl_Blakeman
Posts: 56
Joined: Thu Sep 13, 2007 9:53 pm
Location: Lexington, KY

Post by Cpl_Blakeman »

I second simple green, I have used it for Games Workshop figures and have never had any problems, even soaking the figures for days on end.
Drink water and live, don't drink water and die.

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