stripping paint from plastics.
hi all of you fellow modellers out there.
my thing is the games workshop figures(battle games minis).i no longer play as i'm gettin my greys now & the kids take up too much of my time but, i still get round to buying & selling on an internet auction site that has 4 letters & starts with e & ends in y.
i buy cheap, clean up & repaint to sell on as a hobby as i still love to paint when the mood takes me. a year ago, i had around a hundred minis. i now have well over three hundred & growing(not accounting for sales).
major problems involve removing "poor" or dare i say "terrible" paint jobs. i have been trawling sites such as this(& many, many others) for solutions. "nitromors" or equivalent paint strippers are the tops on metal components but plastics are a different game altogether.
these tips cover plastics!!!!
other members have posted comments regarding " brake fluid" & some have asked how to remove the brake fluid residue afterwards.
brake fluid is very "environmentally unfriendly" but does a good job if used right & does not lose it's potency quickly.(see other threads for instruction or post & i will get a bead on asap).
always wear gloves & eye protection when handling brake fluid.
always dispose of responsibly.
check regularly(every 2-3 hours) for progress.
use warm soapy water to neutralize the brake fluid from stripped parts.
wash in warm water (without soap)to remove soap residue.
allow to dry completely before attempting a new paint job.
use kitchen towels(or equivalent) to soak up excess moisture.
always test on scrap plastic of the same(preferably identical) type.
i find it works best in a sealed container that accommodates the components.
for smaller parts, a glass coffee jar with lid works fine after only a few hours.
the results depend on many factors:-
paint type
how many layers of paint
material that paint is applied to
how long the part is soaked for
the tool used to "scrub off " excess paint deposits.
WARNING:-discolouration may occur on some plastics.
i have not tested brake fluid on clear plastics yet(caution advised).
tool of choice is a used "medium" toothbrush(always wear goggles & gloves).
if you do not have these, do not use brake fluid!!!!
these tips are undertaken at your own risk & under no circumstances should you"throw an entire model" into brake fluid without conducting your own tests on "scrap" first to avoid any possibility of damages to important components.
my personal "google" search of "stripping paint from plastics" will give you some alternative feedback on this subject.
good luck in your projects,
kind regards,
clint.