Stripping (Yes Again !)

[Jkaen]

Greetings all wise and knowledgable ones (oh and Finn too I guess )

Question is obviously about stripping, I have had some models sat in pine cleaner for 24 hours, went to clean the paint off with a old toothbrush with limited success, some stripped almost clean (mainly ones I bought new) while others had much more limited success (mainly ones I bought painted from ebay) none were varnished. They have now gone back into the cleaner for round 2, but I was wondering if you guys normally get stuff cleaned in 1 go and if so what trick am I missing here?

 

[Dragonsreach]

Basic advice for the UK DETTOL.
Best [size=-1](paint)[/size] Stripper available and reasonably priced. Well It\'s cheaper than Brake fuild and much better for the environment, plus you can always flush it down the loo.

 

[Mosch]

Acetone and a 1€ electric toothbrush. I just wouldn\'t use it on plastic...

 

[Jkaen]

Dragonsreach, Basically Iam using Tescos value dettol, maybe I shouldnt be so cheap and buy the proper stuff

 

[Dragonsreach]

Originally posted by Jkaen
Dragonsreach, Basically Iam using Tescos value dettol, maybe I shouldnt be so cheap and buy the proper stuff

Hey Steve stop being a Student and buy the real stuff.
I\'ve tried the cut price variants and they don\'t work anywhere near as good. Dettol\'s the real deal and actually puts a shine on GW\'s pewter o), disconnects superglue but doesn\'t hurt greenstuff.

 

[Jkaen]

Hey Steve stop being a Student and buy the real stuff.

But I liked being a student !

Ah well it probably is time I grew up

 

[mickc22]

Cellulose thinners!

good:
1. it\'s almost instant (although I usually leave stuff overnight, unless I\'m in a hurry)
2. softens even really old paint (may need a second soaking for really deep nooks & crannies
3. only need a small amount
4. doesnt \'burn\' your skin
5. melts plastic

bad
1. it REALLY smells
2. fumes can give you a bit of headache if exposed for too long, ONLY use in a well ventilated area
Mind you that\'s only happened to me when using large quantities for jobs eg cleaning old transfers/stickers from old arcade/gaming cabinets you really only need about 1-2\" in an old jar,leave the rest in it\'s container till you need it
3. melts plastic
4. can \'dry out\' your skin

get it from B&Q, or a decorators suppliers NOT halfords, hope this is helpful Steve,

Mick

 

[Dr. Bob]

My wife has an ultrasonic cleaner for her jewelry. I put my \"failed\" minis in a jar of PineSol, set the jar in the basin, turn on the machine and walk away.

The paint generally just dissolves off, leaving the PineSol cloudy from tiny paint particles.

PineSol alone wasn\'t all that great (though better than brake fluid), but the ultrasonic vibration made all the difference.

(Just don\'t make the mistake of asking your wife where her \"vibrating thingie\" is, which I did once.)

 

[finn17]

Hah! Love you too....

Originally posted by Jkaen
Greetings all wise and knowledgable ones (oh and Finn too I guess )

Dettol does seem to work a treat, albeit very slowly, on most minis. But it does depend upon what they were painted with in the first place. Dettol is one of the few options for plastics, but I do agree with Mick\'s recommendation about cellulose thinners...they are the business as far as I am concerned. If you can take the smell, they will strip almost anything off of almost anything except...plastic! They just eat plastic

 

[djclawson]

I\'ve heard good things about nail polish remover. Can\'t confirm. Any comments from anyone?

 

[Trevor]

Nail polish remover is basically acetone.

 

[finn17]

But more expensive...

 

[Jkaen]

Ok went to supermarket last night and saw lots of different types of Dettol, so I got scared and ran away

May try the thinners next

 

[Dragonsreach]

Originally posted by Jkaen
Ok went to supermarket last night and saw lots of different types of Dettol, so I got scared and ran away

May try the thinners next

There\'s only one real Dettol all the other stuff is just pretty labels and slightly weaker versions. It\'s the Brown stuff, looks like strong tea with a green & white label on it. Has the words Antiseptic and Disenfectant on it, oh yes and DETTOL.

@Finn17: Takes too long? Are you expecting the paint just to slide straight off?
I\'ve found that it only takes about 2-3 hours to clean a normal mini. Bigger ones with heavy layers of paint can take up to 24 hours and/or a bit of basting to break up the paint adhesion.

 

[finn17]

What do you think?

Originally posted by Dragonsreach

@Finn17: Takes too long? Are you expecting the paint just to slide straight off?

YES!!!

You are talking to a cellulose thinners man here. The paint falls off some minis if you just tell them they are going in the CT.

On the other hand all the plastic melts as well though...

 

[djclawson]

I have my miniatures sitting in a cup of nail polish remover. They\'re all metal. How long should I leave \'em in there?

 

[Calavera]

Thinners for metal mini\'s.. paint just slides off yes ! Minimal scrubbing required

 

[finn17]

How long is a piece of string..

It depends on what they have been painted with....

Some minis strip within seconds, others can take days.

What I would do with acetone/nail varnish remover:

Chuck \'em in and take one out after about an hour. It should be obvious that the paint has started to come away...Whilst holding it under a running tap give it a good scrub with a cheap nailbrush (Not the Wife\'s/GF\'s best one ). Hope fully most of the paint should come away. Put it on a piece of kitchen roll to soak up the water and then examine it. If there is paint remaining, chuck it back in and leave it overnight.

Even the most active strippers will not remove all paint by themselves and an old nailbrush is essential IMO. So is an old toothbrush. Hell! I actually invested in an electric toothbrush to clean my minis.. Still use a manual one on my teeth though....

Do not. I\'ll say that again...DO NOT use wire brushes on old or valuable minis. Despite what folks say...this WILL remove detail. especially if they are attached to a power tool/Dremel