Alternative to model paint stripper.

Got a question about techniques, materials or other aspects of physically building a model? This is the place to ask.

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skupilkinson
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Alternative to model paint stripper.

Post by skupilkinson »

Hi guys,

Not sure if this is the right place for this tip.

I discovered this tonight in an act of desperation to strip off a nasty paint job on a second hand part-built 1701-E.

I had no modelsrtip and was too impatient to wait for an order, So I got out the oven cleaner!!!

That's right, 'Mr Muscle' oven cleaner (I'm in the UK)works nicely as a paint stripper.

Just spray over you model as normal in a ventilated area, wait for it to foam up and leave it. It's been on for about 20 minutes at this time and I can already see to paint liquifying ready to be wiped away. I'll leave it for an hour more and get back to you.

I hope this is a new tip, I was quite pleased with my discovery. :D
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skupilkinson
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Post by skupilkinson »

:D :D :D It works!

There's no damage to the plastic/styrene. The paint just slips right off. It didn't do anything to the acrylic undercoat/prima though. It only stripped off the enamel (Humbrol and Revell).

I think it may have affected the glueing. It was shoddy before, but I'm sure the nacelles are looser. That's not a problem to me as I'm rebuilding it, but it may be worth taking this into account if any of you try this.
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MillenniumFalsehood
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Post by MillenniumFalsehood »

I usually use Easy-Off oven cleaner. It has never failed to remove paint for me.
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skupilkinson
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Post by skupilkinson »

I've not heard of that one. Is it an american brand or something? This Mr Muscle I use didn't shift the acrylic paint. It's Citidel Minitaires paint for Warhammer40k.

What do you do remove paint like that?
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Kylwell
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Post by Kylwell »

Try Windex (amonia based window cleaner). Or let it soak overnight in the oven cleaner.

Or try something simular to Castrol SuperClean.

then there's Dot 3 break fluid.
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skupilkinson
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Post by skupilkinson »

Cool, thanks for that. Who'd have thought that these things were so usefull for other purposes?

I was going to leave the oven cleaner on overnight but was paranoid about it melting the plastic or something.
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MillenniumFalsehood
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Post by MillenniumFalsehood »

Perhaps the guys who discovered such interesting facts were in fact building an AMT Vader's TIE kit, TMP Enterprise kit, etc., and then when they got fed up with all the inaccuracies, bad fit, etc., they tossed it into a vat of oven cleaner hoping it would dissolve the abomination, but all it did was remove the paint. . .hmmmmmm :-k
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skupilkinson
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Post by skupilkinson »

LOL!!!!!!!!!!
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