No Such Agency
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Article: Stripping metal models easily
- Thread starter No Such Agency
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Yeah acetone is the way to go!
Been doing it that way for years!
First time was funny not knowing how good it was left it in aplastic container on my mums kitchen table. Got a loud wake up call the next day, it had gone through the container and stripped some of the finish off said table!
Been doing it that way for years!
First time was funny not knowing how good it was left it in aplastic container on my mums kitchen table. Got a loud wake up call the next day, it had gone through the container and stripped some of the finish off said table!
Hmmm, a little chemistry goes a long way here... 
The "Klear" stuff is simply water with some detergents, so it should not attack paint in any way. (Imagine your floor if it did...) Softening water is a semi-jargon term and has little to do with actual softening of anything touchable.
"Oven mate" is alkali-based and therefore attacks paint and many organic substances, skin among them (but not plastic in minis), but may also corrode metal. Whether it does depends on the composition of the mini metal, but it is a possibility. I would avoid using it simply for its aggressiveness and possible injuries (a little splash can damage your eye permanently).
What you call "acetone 2-propanone" is in fact samply acetone; "2-propanone" is its chemical name. Yes, it does literally dissolve paint. I doubt you will find any of it in nail polish remover, for this is ethyl acetate-based nowadays - but that works as well. The easiest and cheapest source would probably be do-it-yourself shops; acetone can be bought as industrial solvent (for e.g. polyurethane resins), while ethyl acetate is a widely-used paint thinner (there are generally two types of these, one is benzin-based and smells like naphtha, i.e. sweetly, the other is ethyl acetate and smells... like nail polish remover). Ah, and acetone does not burn your skin; it simply over-dries it, which itches, but is not really harmful.
Brake fluid seems to be the most universal agent, though, as it works on both enamels and acrylics and does not corrode plastic or metals.
The "Klear" stuff is simply water with some detergents, so it should not attack paint in any way. (Imagine your floor if it did...) Softening water is a semi-jargon term and has little to do with actual softening of anything touchable.
"Oven mate" is alkali-based and therefore attacks paint and many organic substances, skin among them (but not plastic in minis), but may also corrode metal. Whether it does depends on the composition of the mini metal, but it is a possibility. I would avoid using it simply for its aggressiveness and possible injuries (a little splash can damage your eye permanently).
What you call "acetone 2-propanone" is in fact samply acetone; "2-propanone" is its chemical name.
Yes, it does literally dissolve paint. I doubt you will find any of it in nail polish remover, for this is ethyl acetate-based nowadays - but that works as well. The easiest and cheapest source would probably be do-it-yourself shops; acetone can be bought as industrial solvent (for e.g. polyurethane resins), while ethyl acetate is a widely-used paint thinner (there are generally two types of these, one is benzin-based and smells like naphtha, i.e. sweetly, the other is ethyl acetate and smells... like nail polish remover). Ah, and acetone does not burn your skin; it simply over-dries it, which itches, but is not really harmful.Brake fluid seems to be the most universal agent, though, as it works on both enamels and acrylics and does not corrode plastic or metals.
Personally I use Simple Green. It similar to Castrol Superclean, but biodegradable. If I have a really stubborn fig, then its a two bath process. First in Pine-Sol for a night then into the Simple Green for another bath. Works like a charm on metals, if its plasitic stick with just the SG.
JonQuixote
New member
Thank you, I've been dying to know what was good for model stripping, and nobody has said outright. Nailvarnish remover it is. Cheers.
AttitudeAdjuster
New member
Be careful with Castrol Super Clean - its health data sheet is scary. Easy Off Oven cleaner is safer, works great on GW acrylics, and doesn't harm plastics either. Its strips metal minis as well as any heavy duty paint stripper I've ever used and is easier to clean up to. Doesn't seem to strip the paint off plastic minis as well as it strips metal though . Google "paintingclinic removing paint" for a nice test of various stripping agents.
Cheddarmonger
New member
Thanks for posting your experiences here, it is pretty helpful, and I like having a non-US point of view. I usually use Simple Green; it takes most paint off after soaking overnight and hasn't ever seriously damaged plastic or metal miniatures on me. It also attacks glue joints, making superglue brittle. Oh well, if you gotta strip it, might as well re-build it too!
That said, I recently got my hands on a bottle of Dawn Power Disolver. It is a household cleaner designed to desolve baked on gunk from dishes and cookware. It did an unbelievable job stripping paint off; the paint just loosens up and slides off, even plastics without any damage. I stripped a whole regiment of plastic chaos marauders down to bare plastic. Unfortunately, I used it up pretty quickly, and forgot where I bought it! Simple green isn't quite as effective, but much more economical.
That said, I recently got my hands on a bottle of Dawn Power Disolver. It is a household cleaner designed to desolve baked on gunk from dishes and cookware. It did an unbelievable job stripping paint off; the paint just loosens up and slides off, even plastics without any damage. I stripped a whole regiment of plastic chaos marauders down to bare plastic. Unfortunately, I used it up pretty quickly, and forgot where I bought it! Simple green isn't quite as effective, but much more economical.
I'm with Kinjesus here, Nitromors is the way forward. I recently put six Escher gangers in a glass, covered them with Nitromors for about an hour. what didn't fall off under the tap came off straight away with an old tooth brush.
Melts your fingernails after prolonged use though....
Melts your fingernails after prolonged use though....
I'm with Kinjesus here, Nitromors is the way forward. I recently put six Escher gangers in a glass, covered them with Nitromors for about an hour. what didn't fall off under the tap came off straight away with an old tooth brush.
Melts your fingernails after prolonged use though....
Melts your fingernails after prolonged use though....
Evil Steve
New member
I'm glad to see someone tackle this topic.
I've used foaming oven cleaner, and one should wait 45 minutes and then attack the model with an old toothbrush and clean water. Works great, though may require a second application if the paint is heavy, or the model has deep details.
I've used foaming oven cleaner, and one should wait 45 minutes and then attack the model with an old toothbrush and clean water. Works great, though may require a second application if the paint is heavy, or the model has deep details.
kingsmotley
New member
The best technique for both metal and plastic is using simple green - some sort of environmetlally friendly all purpose cleaner, put some in a jar, dip the mini, leave for a few hours, most of the paint will come off in the first go - repeat for more complete strippage. I just totally stripped a Maugan Ra figure by GW using this. Justy do a simple web search - you can order online.
Simple Green is great. It does a pretty darn good job AND you can do it right in your kitchen sink without gloves or anything else. I've usually left minis in for several days, but that's just because I'm in no hurry to work them up. A toothbrush and water are all that's needed to get the paint out. Sometimes a pin can be handy for deep crevices.
In this day and age, I think we can use more earth-friendly products without sacrificing quality!
In this day and age, I think we can use more earth-friendly products without sacrificing quality!
battlefieldscenics
New member
Great article. Many people are always on the lookout for new ways to refurbish old models. I will vouch for Antar000's post about Castrol Super Clean. It's the best stuff in the world that I've used. It will strip metal or plastic minis down to the bare metal or plastic with no damage to the models. I've left models (plastic and metal) in for over a week and it did nothing to them. If you're in the US, it costs around $7 for a gallon of the stuff.
NOTE: WEAR GLOVES!!! It doesn't hurt when you get it on your bare skin, but it will eat the first layer or 2 of your skin and you'll have dry, flaky cracked hands for a couple days...
NOTE: WEAR GLOVES!!! It doesn't hurt when you get it on your bare skin, but it will eat the first layer or 2 of your skin and you'll have dry, flaky cracked hands for a couple days...
You can view the page at http://www.coolminiornot.com/articles/content.php?1417-stripping-metal-models-easily&
