Cleaning old models

[Kjetil136]

Just wondering is anyone still interested in a step by step explanation on what to do for stripping paint of models including types of model, paint, and location of user.

cause i will if people are interested and i have enough picture to do it.

just checking

[t1983]

i wouldnt mind seeing it done step by step before i attempt to strip any paint.
These models are to expensive to ruin by stripping paint so i would like to see it done properly!

[IBBoard]

Yeah, an article would be great. If you can get it posted here or written up and emailed to me with "photo goes here" notes then I can get it up on the main website

[Kjetil136]

ok well than i will get all of the pictures up and write that up soon hopefully this weekend. Gotta study for a quantum test

[Kjetil136]

Here is the article without pictures. I will be adding them once i actually upload the article. Right now i just need comments and some help making sure everything is clear and everything is addressed.

Thanks for the help



Stripping Paint
By KJetil-136
Stripping the paint of a miniature is not the easiest thing and takes some time; it is not a 5 minute process.
The first thing that decides what you need to do to strip your models is what type are they, metal or plastic. Whether or not you are stripping plastic or metal models, there are a few tools you need to start out with.
• Glass jar big enough to hold all of the models along with a secure lid
• Gloves- some of the products are not the most hand friendly
• Old toothbrush and maybe a toothpick or dental tool
• A sink that you can wash the models off in, without other people getting mad at you
• Pliers to take the models out of the container with
Metal Models
We will start with metal models since they are the easiest to work with. Metal models are the easiest since most chemicals that strip paint to do not affect the metal. For stripping there are two major household cleaners used, simple green and lemon Pine sol.
Pine sol
Advantages:
• Removes the paint
Disadvantages:
• Soaks can take up to a week to effectively remove paint
• Leaves the models dingy and the scrubbing is a lot more work than other cleaners.
• Smells bad after a while
Working with
When I used pine sol, it was the first time I had thought about stripping my stealthsuits. Overall it worked but took a lot longer than expected. The models ended up looking rather dull and rough to the touch. Also make sure the lid is tight if you decide to use pine sol because the smell can be dizzying if left too long.

Simple Green
Advantages:
• The cleaner is relatively cheap and biodegradable (can flush it down the sink)
• It works after a couple uses (don’t need to flush it down the sink)
• Keeps the metal shiny and it cleans the models quickly
• Smells like mint
Disadvantages
• None with metal models
Working With
When stripping the models first place them in the container then pour the full strength simple green in until models are completely covered. Seal the lid and let sit for a day so the simple green can soak into all of the layers of paint. If you don’t let it soak for at least one night the paint comes off the flat surfaces but not the raised areas. After this soak you should be able to brush the paint off easily and cleanly. The result is clean shiny models. Also wait the full day before scrubbing the models because doing it in too many stages actually made it harder to strip.
Overall
For metal models I would use simple green because it works fast and clean. The models come out surprisingly shiny and smooth, almost NIB clean. Also simple green is reusable and biodegradable.

The parts in the back were cleaned with simple green.





Plastic models
Alright, so down to the tricky pieces. Plastics are much more time consuming and irksome to work with. When trying to strip plastic miniatures, there are two products that are strong enough to strip the paint but do not harm the plastic.
Simple Green Castrol Super Clean: Cleaner Degreaser

Both of these products are biodegradable and both strip paint. The only difference between the two is the danger and the effectiveness.
Simple Green
• Strips acrylic paint relatively easily
• Has trouble removing the primer
• Smells nice
• Does not lose effectiveness
• Its green
Cleaner Degreaser
• Strips paints and primer
• Does not harm the plastic
• Burns the flesh so watch out
• Loses effectiveness
• Its purple
When I decided out to strip my army of tau, I started out using simple green as it had worked so well for my metal miniatures. Their paint job was not painted by me and it looked like it was painted with spray paint.






I started with only 8 figures. So I set them in the jar and filled it with simple green.

I left them to soak for a few days and when I removed, the paint was rubbing off on my fingers. When I proceeded to brush them off the primer was not coming off. So I turned to the Castrol super cleaner.
For the Castrol super cleaner, gloves are a must have tool. This chemical is an aggressive base used to degrease engines. For this part I used a different jar and proceeded to put all of my tau miniatures inside the jar, then filled the jar to the top with the purple cleaner. I let them soak for two days and then began to clean them. One thing I noticed when working with the super cleaner, some of the bonding done by the glue on these models became brittle and an odd orange color. This only occurred on a few models and was easily remedied. I just tested each model by flexing it a small amount at the joints and then reglued the broken models afterwards. For the actual cleaning, I used an old toothbrush and a pointy sculpting tool. The paint came off quite easily and in some of the crevices I used the sculpting tool. When using the super cleaner, it may take a few soaks so just be patient. After the miniatures were done being stripped, I let them dry and they became doing the touch ups such as filing off the molding lines (yes they were still there) and reglueing the broken figs.
I have picture so the finished clean model next to an unstrapped model.




More pictures to be added later

[IBBoard]

That reads well. Once you get some pictures I'll put it up on the site

The only things I noticed were:

1) Under "Simple Green" in the metals it might be best for the second advantage to be worded about re-using it, because at the moment it reads a bit strangely to say "you can throw it away but you don't need to throw it away".
2) In the final paragraph it says:

and they became doing

which I think from the context should be

and then began doing

In terms of the poly-cement becoming dry, brittle and orange, I've seen that on some other models. TBH it can be an advantage as it's generally easier to paint models in parts. Some people might not think that way, though, so I guess it's good to mention it.

Thanks

[Shugs]

Hi Chaps....

Article is pretty good but i just want to make a suggestion....

It may not smell too pretty and it does leave the models a bit dull but if you use nail polish remover works a treat and looking at what you say probably works a lot faster depending on the paints you use... I normally use the GW acrylic based paints... it doesn't harm the plastic models and melts superglue so providing you havent poly cemented plastics you can pull previously glued models apart too!!

you can leave the models in the nail polish remover for about half an hour and it starts to lift the paint... tho it won't be too clean and you will need to soak em again.... I've just spent about an hour getting most of the paint off a dreadnaught and it's mostly done.... if i'd have left it overnight chances are the models would be almost spotless!!! and you can just tip it down the sink too!!!

don't really need to use gloves either... which is pretty good too... I'm assuming the products you said will give a really good finish for metal models... I'm assuming its the acetone in it that cleans them up... also methylated spirits work but if your in the uk they may think you wanna drink it!!

[IBBoard]

Every nail polish remover I've ever used melts plastics, especially if you have to scrub paint off. I also never got it to work too well in recesses - the models normally ended up with lots of bits left in the armour. It could just be technique, I guess, but short stints normally left the paint quite solid and overnight stints left it very soft, but stuck in recesses.

[Squig]

Dettol... my newbie tip...

Hi guys, I've just dug out my collection (Dwarves and Marines, obviously 2 armies not together) from 10 years back, and remarkably most of my paints are still 100% usable.
Those models I painted many moons ago back when I was a nipper aren't very good so I've decided to strip the marines (blood angels, being repainted as Warhawks, my own chapter design) and some of the dwarves and repaint.

Dettol appears to deliver, on balance, the best bang for buck ratio. Whilst at the same time being non-toxic, safe to use and fully water soluble.

Simply buy a 300ml bottle for 3 pounds, fill a 500g jar 1/2 full and load any models for stripping straight into the neat solution.
Leave for 2-3 hours and remove, retaining the Dettol as this can be reused several times and will strip 10-15 models easily.
Clean the removed models with a tootbrush, although on models painted heavily you will be agitating the paint rather than cleaning. DO NOT USE WATER AT THIS POINT. Rinsing with water appears to remove whatever active chemicals are stripping the paint and causes the reaction to stop, resolidifying the paint or at least turning it into a goo, which will stick to the model, the brush, your hands, the sink and possibly the family pets too!
If the paint is FULLY removed at this point and you have a clean, but Dettol covered model, at this point a water rinse is fine and recommended, but if not return the model to it's Dettol bath.
Either repeat this process several times or leave for an overnight soak first.
Worth noting that Dettol is very effective when neat, I had an undercoated plastic stripped in literally 15 minutes, but loses effectiveness rather swiftly as the solution dilutes. Another quick note is that certain colours seem to strip slower, although I maybe wrong as the model in question wasn't painted by me and the affected area is very textured and thickly covered.

Anyway these are my findings on the stripping subject and hello again from a returning Dwarven/Marine Commander...

[IBBoard]

The old paints are good for still being usable, the newer ones aren't. The new flip tops aren't as bad as the dumpy hexagonal pots were, but from a chat with a Staffer (which I think I mentioned somewhere in the forums or the main site) the new paints have less water in and so cover better but dry out faster.

It is amazing what some of these cleaners can do other than just clean. I guess that using Dettol for stripping paint is probably better for you than compromising your future immunity to bacteria by killing just about all of them, leaving you without any real exposure to real bugs

[NBKFuzzy]

I use CLR (dont know if its in UK), it is a rust remover mostly, and for metal it gets all the paint off in less than 30 minutes of soaking. Plastic I use bleach to dye it white and paint over.

[IBBoard]

Bleach - now there's one I hadn't thought of Not quite so useful if they've been a bit heavy with the paint, but I guess it is better than having to paint over the original paint as it was.

As for CLR, looking at the image search it doesn't look like anything I've seen in the UK. If it is a rust remover then I'm sure there'll be an equivalent, though. Paint probably isn't all that tough in reality, but it still seems a bit worrying what some of these things do in terms of quick stripping

[NBKFuzzy]

Yes, you definitely have to be attentive, if you let it soak for too long (say an hour) it will be tarnished for sure, and longer it could even start to warp. My poor little clan rat will never be the same.

[snowblizz]

The most amazing thing to me is the stuff you wouldn't think works. I get powerful chemicals. But I found local product which is very reminiscent of Pinesol as I understand it. Not a strong chemical in any way or form yet it removes paint from miniatures. Had stuff in it for months without issues. For some reason though there some green paint it doesn't seem to work on.