Author Topic: Best way to strip Acrylic paint off plastic minis?  (Read 19388 times)

Uncle Gus

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Best way to strip Acrylic paint off plastic minis?
« on: 10 October 2016, 15:33:49 »
I'm thinking in advance here. I just started painting my very first two minis last night. I think they look okay, but no doubt I will be able to do a better job in the future.

greasyspoon

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Re: Best way to strip Acrylic paint off plastic minis?
« Reply #1 on: 11 October 2016, 09:30:33 »
Simple green Pro
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Simple-Green-Pro-HD-Heavy-Duty-Cleaner-1-gal/44374670?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0&adid=22222222227037345649&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=90376888112&wl4=pla-144747590221&wl5=9025910&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=8175035&wl11=online&wl12=44374670&wl13=&veh=sem

This stuff works great does not effect Plastic or Metal.  if I have to sealed the mini with a clear coat works in about 1-2 hours.  If I have sealel it about 2-3 hours.  It may be just as quick I have not tested it.  I know people who strip oil or enamel wait and let it sit over night.  You can can also strain it to get the paint chucks out and put it back jug.  I do not delude it just use it straight out of the jug.  it does seem to loosen super glue if you let it sit over night.

Nips

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Re: Best way to strip Acrylic paint off plastic minis?
« Reply #2 on: 11 October 2016, 12:20:22 »
Better yet, Simple Green is generally so gentle that you can leave figs in the tub with it for a long while with no worry.  I've got some figs in the tub right now, it's been a week or more, and I might get to them this weekend.

If you can't find the Pro HD stuff greasyspoon linked, the regular-strength stuff is good too.

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Uncle Gus

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Re: Best way to strip Acrylic paint off plastic minis?
« Reply #3 on: 11 October 2016, 23:25:26 »
Hmm, that's an American product and I am in New Zealand. Does anyone know what that stuff actually is so that I can look for an equivalent product here?

Cazaril

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Re: Best way to strip Acrylic paint off plastic minis?
« Reply #4 on: 19 October 2016, 10:19:13 »
For regular Simple Green, the label reads;

Water, surfactant, chelator, builders, colorant and fragrance.

The data sheet I found says it has;

Water, Ethoxylated Alcohol, Sodium Citrate, Tetrasodium N,N-bis(carboxymethyl)-L-glutamate, Sodium Carbonate, Citric Acid, Isothiazolinone mixture, Fragrance, Colorant

There is a place called ISL Industrial Limited that looks like they are in New Zealand (warehouse/office facility located in East Tamaki, Auckland) and sells Simple Green. A local supplier might make shipping more affordable if you don't live close enough to visit their office. Here is a link to their Simple Green page. I would probably go with SG35042 "SIMPLE GREEN OUTDOOR CLEANER 5L CONCENTRATE** MAKES 10L (50/50 MIX)" for $23.00. The jug I've got is 3.78L and it has lasted a few years with maybe 1/4th left. Note: I live in the States and have never had any dealings with this company, so I can't testify how good they are to work with.

What I can attest to is how good Simple Green works... I tend to use paint remover to remove glue, and Green Stuff to remove paint... As for how gentle it is. I found a jar with minis in it about three months back. I use the word "found" because I completely forgot about them. I bought the minis from a private individual in June of 2015, and they had probably been in that jar since then. I didn't actually take them out until last week. Mainly metal, there was one of the old PlasTech minis in there and it shows no signs of having been harmed after being submerged for a year. The metal ones seem not to have been adversely affected either.

Things to know about Simple Green... If you are looking to strip paint in ten minutes or less, then this is not the product for you. Anything that works that fast will eat a plastic mini too... You need to let them sit a couple of days, and it may take more than one dunking.

And finally, if ISL doesn't work out for you, I have heard that Pine Sol also works on plastic minis. But what I have read is that you have to be a little more careful and not leave them in too long. Again, I have no experience using it, but I thought it might help to know there are options.

Good Luck,

Caz

Lorcan Nagle

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Re: Best way to strip Acrylic paint off plastic minis?
« Reply #5 on: 20 October 2016, 03:56:39 »
Hmm, that's an American product and I am in New Zealand. Does anyone know what that stuff actually is so that I can look for an equivalent product here?

Do you guys have Fairy Power Spray?  That works pretty well for me.
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Liam's Ghost

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Re: Best way to strip Acrylic paint off plastic minis?
« Reply #6 on: 20 October 2016, 06:11:52 »
I've been using dollar store pine cleaner for years now. Takes about a day, and usually requires some scrubbing with a dollar store toothbrush to get the mini clean enough to repaint.

Huh. Maybe I should try something fancier now that I have a regular income...
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Feenix74

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Re: Best way to strip Acrylic paint off plastic minis?
« Reply #7 on: 20 October 2016, 18:47:48 »
Gus - Bunnings (our local version of Home Depot for the North American forumites) in Australia stocks Simple Green, so hopefully Bunnings NZ will stock it too. I could not get the original green version at my local Bunnings so I had to settle for the orange coloured/scented version.
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croaker

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Re: Best way to strip Acrylic paint off plastic minis?
« Reply #8 on: 11 November 2016, 23:23:34 »
A hint on finding Simple Green.

Get the gallon jug from the Automotive section of your Wal*Mart-equivalent. The little spray bottles in the Household section are significantly diluted and not nearly as good at removing paint.

Sazzlefrats

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Re: Best way to strip Acrylic paint off plastic minis?
« Reply #9 on: 31 January 2017, 13:45:23 »
I'm currently striping a dozen ral partha battletech mini's that were probably painted in the late 80's. I've dunked them in Simple Green, it generally takes one layer of paint off at a time. I'm on my 4th round of using what I think is probably too soft of a toothbrush to scrub the paint off. I'm hoping this is the last round. Its obvious to me that I've got several different kinds of paint. One marauder was paint with something thick, black and shiny. I'm assuming that was testors acrylic, its just not really coming off. I also have a really cool looking LAM, it was painted with layers of red, then orange, red again and looks like it was based in orange and there's some black and blue layers on the guns/hands and feet.

I was thinking of setting up an air pump to circulate the simple green, with hopes that might be more effective. I have another batch of mini's to do and don't want to scrub 4 times for each model, or use automotive brake fluid or the dreaded pine sol (which tends to melt the paint and leave a gooey mess).

ph423r

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Re: Best way to strip Acrylic paint off plastic minis?
« Reply #10 on: 31 January 2017, 16:14:18 »
I'm currently striping a dozen ral partha battletech mini's that were probably painted in the late 80's. I've dunked them in Simple Green, it generally takes one layer of paint off at a time. I'm on my 4th round of using what I think is probably too soft of a toothbrush to scrub the paint off. I'm hoping this is the last round. Its obvious to me that I've got several different kinds of paint. One marauder was paint with something thick, black and shiny. I'm assuming that was testors acrylic, its just not really coming off. I also have a really cool looking LAM, it was painted with layers of red, then orange, red again and looks like it was based in orange and there's some black and blue layers on the guns/hands and feet.

I was thinking of setting up an air pump to circulate the simple green, with hopes that might be more effective. I have another batch of mini's to do and don't want to scrub 4 times for each model, or use automotive brake fluid or the dreaded pine sol (which tends to melt the paint and leave a gooey mess).

If they're metal and you're having problems getting the paint off try acetone.

Sazzlefrats

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Re: Best way to strip Acrylic paint off plastic minis?
« Reply #11 on: 31 January 2017, 17:39:40 »
Will do

Xiwo Xerase

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Re: Best way to strip Acrylic paint off plastic minis?
« Reply #12 on: 01 February 2017, 13:53:57 »
If they're metal and you're having problems getting the paint off try acetone.
I had some (enamel?) paint on metal minis that didn't even respond to a few days in acetone.  I was finally able to get it off using W&N Brush Cleaner & Restorer.  I think this would be a bad idea for plastic minis though.

worktroll

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Re: Best way to strip Acrylic paint off plastic minis?
« Reply #13 on: 01 February 2017, 17:44:52 »
Question on simple green - say I have a wide-mouth salsa jar, which fits 3-5 minis comfortably. How many times could I re-use the same batch of simple green? Or would it be discarded each time?

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greasyspoon

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Re: Best way to strip Acrylic paint off plastic minis?
« Reply #14 on: 02 February 2017, 10:31:37 »
I am up to 10 or so uses on my jar.  I have zip lock container about the size of the salsa jar.  I have about the 6-7 use I did strain it get the chunks out.  Not sure why I have keep reusing it.  I have a gallon of it in the garage that I have not used.  Guess it has become a challenge to see how it holds up.

Cazaril

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Re: Best way to strip Acrylic paint off plastic minis?
« Reply #15 on: 08 February 2017, 10:24:06 »
Question on simple green - say I have a wide-mouth salsa jar, which fits 3-5 minis comfortably. How many times could I re-use the same batch of simple green? Or would it be discarded each time?

For whatever reason the Simple Green will go from green to almost clear (a very light yellow-green color actually). It doesn't change color every time nor do I know what combination of metals/minis causes it to change. When it does change colors, I replace it. I've never tested the lighter colored version to see if it still works, mainly because I've got so much of it why bother.

As for a container, I've found recycling a lidded wide-mouthed glass pickle jars (like a Claussen pickle jar) to work really well for both thinners and the Simple Green. The jar holds over a dozen minis and the lid protects against vapors and spilling. The only problem is the depth makes retrieving the minis problematic, so I keep a second jar to pour the liquid into. I don't generally worry about filtering the Simple Green, as it'll usually turn colors before it gets too bad.

Caz

Pat Payne

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Re: Best way to strip Acrylic paint off plastic minis?
« Reply #16 on: 16 February 2017, 20:40:47 »
Throwing in another vote for Simple Green. I used to use Dawn Power Dissolve, but now it's LosTech unless you're a restaurant -- they only now sell it in bulk to the hospitality trade...

sweetdaddyg

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Re: Best way to strip Acrylic paint off plastic minis?
« Reply #17 on: 07 May 2021, 08:33:41 »
For any UK based folk, Dettol seems to be the go to. It used to be fairy power spray but the formulation was changed a few years back and now it is no longer effective.

 

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