Removing paint

[helgish]

I came into possession for a large number of miniatures, modern, WWII, etc and they were all painted a generic color, OD Green US, Grey Germany, etc. I want to repaint them, but I don't want to just slap on another layer and possibly obscure some of the nice details. Short of sanding them down, again obliterating details, anybody got a brillant idea how to strip paint from them?

[ACWBill]

I have always had good luck with carbuerator cleaner.

[tstockton]

helgish,

There are several methods of removing paint...

There are commerical paint strippers made for the "hobby industry" -- a well-stocked hobby shop should have at least one. I know that Polly-Scale makes one that I've used, but off the top of my head, I don't recall its name.

Other "solvents" you can soak your castings in to clean them -- in no particular order:

Automotive brake fluid

I've heard that Pine-Sol cleaner, often used for floors, works well

Another one, that you have to be more careful with, is a spray-on oven cleaner, such as Easy Off. It works well -- but it will also dissolve plastics and resins. Lacquer thinner will also dissolve most paints -- and will also dissolve plastics and resins. If you have any doubt about what you're soaking with these -- try something else first.

With any of the solvents... place the model in a oven-proof glass dish (such as Pyrex), pour in enough of your chosen solvent to cover the model, then let the model soak for a while -- overnight is often recommended. After the "old" paint is loosened, "scrub" the model with something like an old toothbrush, to remove the rest of the "old" paint. Then clean the model well, to remove any traces of the solvent; I use water and Dawn dishwashing detergent; rinse well and let dry.

Then apply your "new" paint!

Hope this helps!

Regards,
Tom Stockton

[kgpanzer]

I have always had good luck with carbuerator cleaner.

same here ACWBill..never had a problem in anyway damaging the miniature either
Ar

[Peter]

I have used brake fluid with much success; it even takes paint off some plastic but test first.

BE SURE TO USE HAND AND EYE PROTECTION.

Any of these fluids can really mess with your body; a splash in the eye when you scrub with a old toothbrush can send you to the ER. Wear gloves that won't disssolve in the goo, safety glasses and work outside because of the fumes.

Make sure that wherever you place the bowl to soak overnight it is away from kids, pets and flames.

I'm not sure how well you;d have to wash that bowl before you can use it with food again, but I would not and bought a glass bowl just for this purpose.

Practice safe modeling!

[jb]

Good ideas!

[Gort]

Oven cleaner, lacquer thinner, brake fluid, carb cleaner( and I think acetone has also been mentioned on these boards)? Lots of toxins and volatiles there Yikes!!!! That stuff is an accident looking for a place to happen.

I use something much "friendlier" - Pinesol cleaner. Pour it a couple of inches deep into a squat wide mouth glass jar with a lid that seals air tight (unless you like the smell). I generally let the minis soak overnite (occassionaly as long as a week if the paint is really old) and then scrub gently with an old toothbrush. Works really well.

The trick to not getting splattered when using the toothbrush is to scrub the mini under water. I use an old tupperware dish approx 8in x 6in x 3in deep filled with tap water. This is large enough to allow me to hold the mini under water and scrub it. No splatter. Anywhere. When the paint has been removed to my satisfaction I drop the mini in a dish filled with distilled water to rinse off the last traces of Pinesol. Then onto some paper towels to dry off (if I'm in a hurry I'll blast the minis with the GF's blow dryer). The reason that I use distilled water is that the tap water here is chlorinated and has a high mineral content. If left to air dry it will leave a mineral rime on the mini that can react unpredictably with water based paint.

regards

Steve

[kgpanzer]

Steve I am guessing any kind of pinesol cleaner would work different brands etc? and I agree it would be better then all those chemical fumes from the items we mentioned on here...beside pinesol reminds me of barracks cleaning..

[Gort]

Steve I am guessing any kind of pinesol cleaner would work different brands etc? and I agree it would be better then all those chemical fumes from the items we mentioned on here...beside pinesol reminds me of barracks cleaning..

Ya they're all pretty much the same. I think that the last stuff I bought was a generic no-name product. BTW, I just put some minis in the jar about an hour ago and I can already see the paint dissolving away like smoke from a cigarette. I'll be able to paint them tomorrow evening.

regards

Steve

[Mk 1]

The only times I have ever stripped paint from Micros, I too have used PineSol.

As to using "any type of pinesol" ... the only kind I have tried is PineSol, the brand, itself. Never tried any immitation or generic. It is cheap enough, and available in almost any grocery or drugstore in the cleaning products aisle.

Leave the models to soak at least overnight, longer is better. I like the idea of an old lidded jar. Then have-to with an old toothbrush. But don't brush too hard. Even the nylon bristles of a toothbrush can push around soft-metal if applied with too much vigor.

PineSol is not too obnoxious. Certainly less so than oven- or carb-cleaner (both of which I have used, for the cleaning of ovens and carbs). Gloves are definitely in order. But so long as you have adequate ventilation, and use the underwater scubbing method (another good idea!), you should not have trouble.

But I found it tedious and unpleasant work. It may be the oven- or carb-cleaner, while more noxious, may be quicker and/or more effective. Don't know, haven't done a comparison.

[Gort]

Well, if it's comparisons you want, let me expand on my previous post.

Oven Cleaner : Extremely corrosive. Wear rubber gloves. Use in well ventilated area only (like outside). Designed for use on stainless steel, enameled steel, chrome plated steel (see a pattern here?). Will it remove paint? You betcha! The problem is what happens if you don't rinse it off quickly enough. It will attack the pewter, resulting in surface pitting. BTDT. A gamble at best.

Lacquer Thinner : Volatile vapours. Toxic as well. No open flames or sparks. Use in well ventilated area only (or wear an approved filter mask). Works very well on lacquer based paints (including Testors Dullcote). Will remove acrylic paint after soaking. Will damage, but often not remove, enamel paint, even after prolonged (2 weeks) soaking, and scrubbing with a toothbrush. Will attack the plastic toothbrush handle, but not the nylon bristles, which then fall out when attempting to scrub the mini. (ask me how I know this )

Acetone : Good solvent. Essential if you work with CA glues. Volatile vapours. No open flames or sparks. Use in well ventilated area only. It will remove paint, but the smell just turns my stomach.

Brake Fluid : Toxic. Will definately remove paint. All kinds of paint. But there is a reason why there is a warning on the container to NOT spill this stuff on the painted surfaces of your car, and if you do to wipe it off promptly. I learned this from a painter at an auto body shop : brake fluid will not only eat its way through the paint but will embed itself in the pores of the bare metal, thus preventing any paint/primer from properly adhering to the surface. No amount of cleaning will remove it. The metal has to be etched before it can be repainted.(OT this is the nastiest thing you can do to the car of someone you hate ) Not the stuff I would want to use on minis that will be handled a lot.

Carb Cleaner : Ya got me there. I never thought to use it on anything but a carb.

This is why I've settled on Pinesol.

regards

Steve

[helgish]

I just want to thank you all for the advice. Looking at my apartment, 6th floor, in the middle of Queens, NY, I decided to go with the PineSol idea as the other chemicals might blow me up! I have about 10 quart size jars with nice air tight lids and I am watching ym problems just faded away like last nights Mexican food. I think I am going to leave them there until Saturday, the paint looks kind of old. I can't wait to start applying the new schemes. Thanks again for all the advice!!!

[sturmgruppe1944]

I used Pinesol to strip paint from a plastic building for a model railroad. It did an excellent job removing the paint. I repainted the building, but even after a year or two it still had the faint scent of Pinesol. I heard similar comments on model RR forums. Maybe priming the building inside and outaide may have solved this problem.

sturmgruppe1944

[SeaHarrier2006]

I don't know if this will help, but I use an Acetone based Nail Polish remover to strip Subbuteo Players before repainting them. I leave them in the solution for about 10 seconds an then just gently rub the paint of with an old rag. It seem to work well, and helps keep your nails in good shape as well

[av8rmongo]

Not sure if this has been covered or not but one thing I discovered about Pine Sol is that its best to dilute it with water to about 50/50 mixture. I'm no chemist but mixing it with water allows whatever chemical interaction take place that frees up the molecules that interact with the paint molecules. It also reduces the tendancy for the minis to smell like Pine Sol somewhat.

Paul