How to strip/wash paint from plastic model?

A soak in Isopropyl alcohol at 91% or better, along with a little gentle scrubbing help from a cheap electric toothbrush does the trick with every kind of paint/sealer I've tried it on so far, and doesn't appear to chemically alter the plastic like some other DIY stripping solutions tend to (which makes it brittle, even though it may look undamaged).  Takes it right down to the bare plastic, with no residue or film left behind.  The part looks just like it did way back when it was still on the sprue.  Used that just the other day so I could strip the wheel hubs on the F-16CJ I'm building...had them painted and sealed beatifully, and then I accidentally used lacquer thinner instead of mineral spirits to remove the excess Tamiya black panel line accenter I used on them as a wash.  It blistered the paint, so I had to start over.  Now they're primed, painted, and sealed again like nothing ever happened. :D

Speaking of the Tamiya panel line accenter, I might just go back to the old artist's oils/turpentine method, since that seems to be much easier to work with and has a more subtle effect.

I have a couple of quarts of a product Squadron sells called "Chameleon".

Good thing about it is I use it over and over.

I'm a bit late to the party, but...

I just had to remove some Tamiya rattle-can spray from a model I'm working on. That's what I get for not reminding myself to take a final look at a photo of the model I'm working on, the hospital ship U.S.S. Repose, using a Revell S.S. Hope kit. I had painted the forward part of the main deck tan to represent wood when I remembered that, no, it should be grey. I searched the FineScale discussion board for suggestions, none of which included anything I have on hand. What to do?! Then I remembered a bottle of Mr. Hobby's Mr. Paint Remover.

An eighth of a teaspoon of Mr. Paint Remover spread over the tan paint with a Q-Tip and then "worried" with an old, soft toothbrush, worked like a charm, removing all but a few minuscule traces of tan paint in crevices and leaving behind a faint, inconsequential yellowish stain that will be easy to cover.

Bob 

mrmike

I've used Easy Off too

Here Easy Off has two varieties. 1 is labeled non-caustic and won't affect paint at all, so avoid that one. use the 'extra heavy duty' (caustic) one. it seems to have gotten less effective over the years and takes a couple of week long soaks now to remove paint that used to be affected overnight.

Just get another model and start over.

GMorrison

I agree with Rob G. For $ 25.00 you'd have a fresh start on a model thats maybe 2 out of 5 to begin with.

 

I agree with Rob G. For $ 25.00 you'd have a fresh start on a model thats maybe 2 out of 5 to begin with.

Since you have every kind of paint imaginable on the model, you'll need the strongest stripper reasonably usable.

Acrylic paint isn't exactly water "based" and once it's set it's an acrylic thats about as tough as any other coating.

I've soaked a couple models in Windex and it took the acrylic right off. I'm not sure about the Krylon top coat you're going to have to get through, though. I don't think that's water based, so you'll probably need something stronger. But it might be worth a try since it's not as caustic as some other options. Barrett

I have successfully used Purple Power several times to remove enamel from models, as well as clean out my paint jars.

Ditch the Krylon too. They're garbage.

Simple Green will remove acrylic paint, but you'll need to soak it for a few hours or overnight. I'm not sure how it will do with a solid primer and clear coat like that, but it's might be worth a try. I've used it on a pilot figure and it worked fine. 

Spock79

I have a model I need to completely strip the paint off of. Its a Lindberg 1/900 U.S.S. Shangri-La Aircraft Carrier.. tons of tiny details molded into it that will be lost if the paint gets too thick or if I sand it. Its painted in water base acrylics and sealed with Krylon Sealer. Primed with rustoleum rattle can primer. What is a good plastic safe thinner/paint stripper I could use to completely strip and wash the paint off of it? 

 

 

 

That kit has been recently reissued in stores like Hobby Lobby and one of my local closeout stores carried it as well. HL had them in the clearance aisle too.

I've used Easy Off too, and its a powerful cleaner but it's very caustic. Make sure to read the precautions on the label so that you don't burn yourself or worse, and by all means, use it outside. I wouldn't start with Easy Off, there are other things that might work without so much risk.

Others will step in here with their experiences; I've used Castrol Wheel Cleaner with good results, and even household ammonia will sometimes be a good way to soak off the paint. Both of these take longer, but are less harsh. The worst case is that the chemical you use not only removes the paint but attacks the glue as well, so IMO it's a good idea to sneak up on the removal process.

It might be a good idea to do same tests on scrap plastic or a trash kit before tackling the one you care about.

Good luck & happy modelling!

Chameleon is one I think squadron sells it. It’s pretty good and you can usually get multiple uses out of it.

Whatever you use plan to need a bunch of passes at it with a toothbrush.

and do be thoughtful about disposal.