Stripping figurines...what to use
- Thread starter Spaztica
- Start date
Oktane
New member
Dettol for plastic.
And automotive grade paint stripper for metal,10-30 minutes soak and a scrub with a toothbrush and you're good to go.You need to be careful though and wear gloves and keep a bottle of vinegar handy in case you get some on your skin,take your time though and you'll be fine.Before you know it you'll have metal mini's looking like they were just pulled out of the blister.
And automotive grade paint stripper for metal,10-30 minutes soak and a scrub with a toothbrush and you're good to go.You need to be careful though and wear gloves and keep a bottle of vinegar handy in case you get some on your skin,take your time though and you'll be fine.Before you know it you'll have metal mini's looking like they were just pulled out of the blister.
freakinacage
Well-known member
Brake fluid and fairy power spray. Dettol makes the paint go all gooey and stringy and it get everywhere, however I learned last week that it's not as sticky if you put it into warm water with washing up liquid in it and scrub it in there
nels0nmac
Member
I use cellulose thinners - which you can get from most automotive centers - Halfords in the UK stock it. Put some of the thinners in a glass jar drop in the mini and leave overnight. Use an old toothbrush to clean off the paint which should just slide off. It works especially well if the mini was undercoated with a spray can. The additional benefit with using Cellulose thinners (this may well apply to the other liquids mentioned ) is that it also helps to make superglue go soft - thus making it easier to get separate pieces apart and free from all glue. Note: you cannot use it to clean plastic as it will melt it into a messy ball of sticky nastiness.
Oktane
New member
Wanted to double check with everyone,but is this the stuff I should be looking for?
View attachment 14004
I never thought it was available in Australia,and didn't bother doing a web search for it until about 10 minutes ago.
I've used Dettol for plastics recently but found,like freakinacage did,that it turns the paint into gooey sticky mess.That and its bloody expensive,so I retract my earlier recommendation. But I still swear by paint stripper for metal.
View attachment 14004
I never thought it was available in Australia,and didn't bother doing a web search for it until about 10 minutes ago.
I've used Dettol for plastics recently but found,like freakinacage did,that it turns the paint into gooey sticky mess.That and its bloody expensive,so I retract my earlier recommendation. But I still swear by paint stripper for metal.
RuneBrush
New member
If it's a metal tin of cellulose thinners, keep an eye for any rust spots - I had a whole tin leak in my cupboard. The house stank of pear drops for weeks
Yes that's the stuff - not that I've found it in the UK (another vote for Fairy Power Spray over Dettol from me)
Yep that's the same as what I buy in New Zealand. I thought the UK did have this but maybe I'm thinking of Klear. Lemme check my sig...
Edit: okay nothing in my sig there. I just grabbed a nearby bottle and there is actually a small labelling difference below the yellow text. Well whaddaya know
That Fairy Power Spray seems to be a popular choice for those in the UK but if you use Halfords primer it may not perform quite so awesomely on that.
Brake fluid is another popular choice but it's so toxic you'll have trouble lawfully disposing of it so I'd give that a miss.
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Cellulose thinners. Ok how are you disposing of them, Down the drain?
Check your enviromental disposal regulations as they are not just there for the much maligned Health & Safety ''nanny state' mentality.
Cellulose thinners are toxic (Ditto Brake fluid) and since a lot of house are fitted with Plastic drains and Rubber seals guess what's gonna perish fast and cost you a metric f**ktonne of cash to repair.
Check your enviromental disposal regulations as they are not just there for the much maligned Health & Safety ''nanny state' mentality.
Cellulose thinners are toxic (Ditto Brake fluid) and since a lot of house are fitted with Plastic drains and Rubber seals guess what's gonna perish fast and cost you a metric f**ktonne of cash to repair.
nels0nmac
Member
Actually if you keep them long enough they just tend to evaporate off into the air. The thinners retains the same power to strip paint regardless off how many times you use it...OK it can get a bit mirky after large amounts of work... but leave it on a shelf for a while and the paint settles to the bottom of the jar. By using a brush to clean the metal minis and a kitchen towel to wipe them clean, that uses up a small amount of thinners for each mini which will evaporate into the air. Over a long period of stripping minis the thinners eventually all gets used up.
I have been doing it this way for years and have never had to pour thinners away, down the drain or anywhere else. NOTE for anyone reading this I do all the paint stripping in the front of my garage with the door open for maximum ventilation - I would not recommend anyone use this stuff in the house as it's not good to be breathing in large quantities of the vapour.
The trick with stripping old minis, plastic or metal, is to use an alkaline liquid. It should have a pH value of 12 – 14. Many products come with the pH value already printed on the label, so you know if you’re good or not. The best products I’ve found for this are
1. Graffiti paint removers (probably the best)
2. Oven cleaners
Don’t bother searching for a specific brand; they should all work the same if they fall into this category. The best way to do it is to pour the liquid in a glass jar, close the lid to avoid evaporation (and smell), dip the mini and wait around 15 – 20 mins or so. After, just brush it with a toothbrush. If not happy with what you have, repeat until all the paint has gone. You might wanna do it a couple of times to get rid of all paint traces.
They work for acrylic and enamel, although acrylics tend to be easier to remove. The only thing that takes some time more is metallics. They also don’t affect plastic as organic solvents do, so be relaxed.
Also it is a good idea to wear gloves, as high alkalinity irritates skin.
1. Graffiti paint removers (probably the best)
2. Oven cleaners
Don’t bother searching for a specific brand; they should all work the same if they fall into this category. The best way to do it is to pour the liquid in a glass jar, close the lid to avoid evaporation (and smell), dip the mini and wait around 15 – 20 mins or so. After, just brush it with a toothbrush. If not happy with what you have, repeat until all the paint has gone. You might wanna do it a couple of times to get rid of all paint traces.
They work for acrylic and enamel, although acrylics tend to be easier to remove. The only thing that takes some time more is metallics. They also don’t affect plastic as organic solvents do, so be relaxed.
Also it is a good idea to wear gloves, as high alkalinity irritates skin.
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kathrynloch
New member
I use Dawn Power Dissolver. It's a trigger spray dish soap from hell that removes anything. Even my broiler that hubby forgot to soak and the gunk from the steaks turned into cement. Spray it on, wait a minute or two and it comes right off. No scrubbing.
Anyway, the Power Dissolver is safe for plastic and resin too. When I strip a mini I get a gallon sized ziplock storage bag and put the mini (or several lol!) in and using the trigger spray I coat the minis very well and the sides of the bag. It actually doesn't take a whole lot. I seal the bag and wait. Every so often I turn it over and make sure the liquid is still covering the mini. When I can rub the bag against the mini and paint comes off easily, it's done.
Sorry, I know problem solved and we have a billion posts on this topic...now we have a million and one. But I like this stuff because it doesn't stink like the oven cleaners do and it's not harsh. I don't know what it is but I've tried Simple Green several times and never could get it to remove paint. Maybe they're thinning it down at the store I buy it from. :laugh:
Anyway, the Power Dissolver is safe for plastic and resin too. When I strip a mini I get a gallon sized ziplock storage bag and put the mini (or several lol!) in and using the trigger spray I coat the minis very well and the sides of the bag. It actually doesn't take a whole lot. I seal the bag and wait. Every so often I turn it over and make sure the liquid is still covering the mini. When I can rub the bag against the mini and paint comes off easily, it's done.
Sorry, I know problem solved and we have a billion posts on this topic...now we have a million and one.
But I like this stuff because it doesn't stink like the oven cleaners do and it's not harsh. I don't know what it is but I've tried Simple Green several times and never could get it to remove paint. Maybe they're thinning it down at the store I buy it from. :laugh:moratgurgeh
New member
I've had bad luck with Simple Green getting the primer coat off of plastic minis.
I've found Simple Green works as well as anything for stripping the paint. This stuff also works well on primer: http://www.dawn-dish.com/us/dawn/product/037000006329
That said, I've tried damned near everything anyone has ever recommended on the subject, including the caustic stuff that burns flesh. Nothing is a magic bullet. It all requires a ton of work scrubbing and scraping and etc. I've long since decided it's not even worth stripping anything you can still buy. I'd rather spend the money than the PITA of stripping it totally clean.
That said, I've tried damned near everything anyone has ever recommended on the subject, including the caustic stuff that burns flesh. Nothing is a magic bullet. It all requires a ton of work scrubbing and scraping and etc. I've long since decided it's not even worth stripping anything you can still buy. I'd rather spend the money than the PITA of stripping it totally clean.
