Good way to Remove Paint?

[GespenstM]

I screwed up badly on a Mad Cat Prime mini I tried to paint. The results are disgustingly super-thick. Is there any good way to get this stuff off (I was using a spraypaint as the primer, some kind of Krylon primer+base white spraypaint thing) without damaging the mini?

[pheonixstorm]

https://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php?topic=66108.0

Thread about stuff to use and how it compares to different products.

[GespenstM]

Thank you!

Edit: Wait, this is for Plastic. I'm working with a metal mini and some of the comments say this stuff doesn't work as well for metal.

[Sartris]

i've soaked metal minis in pine sol to good effect in the past

[GespenstM]

Pine Sol? Interesting. Think I've got some of that lying around. How long did it take before you could brush the paint off?

[Sartris]

i left them in overnight just to be sure... though i'd wait for someone who knows better to confirm it's not bad for the minis. i'm prone to doing potentially stupid things

[GespenstM]

Will do. Thanks for the idea! Anyone else able to chime in?

[abou]

Brush cleaner is the best I have used by far (various manufacturers). It is used to remove either freshly used paint from a brush or even thick, dried layers. Good for acrylic or oil. Just soak it overnight and run the miniature under a hot tap and scrub with an old tooth brush.

Be careful though as a lot of the stuff is nasty. Make sure you use it in an area with good ventilation. But it has been by far the best paint stripper requiring the least amount of effort.

[Valkerie]

Acetone also works very well with metal minis.  It is kind of nasty stuff, but it gets oil base spray primer off.

[pheonixstorm]

Simple Green works for metal, I've used it on older Ral Partha minis I painter 30ish years ago and the paint came off w/o issue.

It really depends on the type of paint used and how thick it is.

[.RL]

I use acetone, leave it in a glass jar for a couple of days (covered), then use a toothbrush to scrub away the paint. If there's still a lot, I repeat this.

When you pour the acetone in the jar and handle it, and when you remove the mini components from the jar, careful with what surfaces you are working on. If acetone spills on laminate counter-tops or floors for example, it will damage them. Do not use with plastic... if you chose to use plastic bases instead of pewter bases for example, remove the base from the mini and discard it.

After that, if it hasn't all come off, I use an ultrasonic washer/polisher with simple green and hot water (do not put acetone in it as it has a low flash point and could detonate, simple green is safe, purple stuff I am not sure but I wouldn't without research).

I do a few rounds of this and hit the mini with the toothbrush more, a needle for grooves if the paint is stubborn. Repeat as needed. I find that hot water does help with acrylic paint.

[Daryk]

Detonate!?   :o

What exactly is that ultrasonic washer doing to the stuff??  Are there sparks involved?

[.RL]

Detonate!?   :o

What exactly is that ultrasonic washer doing to the stuff??  Are there sparks involved?

It's best explained here = https://www.tovatech.com/blog/13537/ultrasonic-cleaner/acetone-ultrasonic-cleaner

From what I've read, I would not use acetone in an ultrasonic cleaner that you get on amazon for example.

[Cache]

Super Clean works very well.

I also recommend paint stripper to strip paint.  :D  People use the other stuff because it's cheaper per volume.

[Cache]

Edit: Wait, this is for Plastic. I'm working with a metal mini and some of the comments say this stuff doesn't work as well for metal.

The removers/cleaners/solvents work on the paint, not the model. At least you'd hope they don't effect the model. That's why they're being used on (softer, weaker) plastic.

[Sartris]

I also recommend paint stripper to strip paint.  :D 

hold up

[Daryk]

Thanks .RL... that page was useful, and confirmed what I thought (you still need a spark).

[.RL]

Thanks .RL... that page was useful, and confirmed what I thought (you still need a spark).

Yes, it does need some type of spark, but none the less, it is so flammable, that i worry the ultrasonic cleaner's heat and pressure might (could?) cause an accident. The  ultrasonic cleaner I use is cheap and not explosion proof, but it works great with simple green.

I like using Acetone first because of how quickly it attacks the paint. Here's an example on youtube vs simple green = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjTSSucNfEk

[DarkSpade]

One of metal's few remaining benefits over plastic is how much easier it is to strip paint. All you need is an acetone soak and a stiff brush.   Be forewarned though, when you put that mini to it's acetone bath, only the metal parts are coming back out.  Well that and maybe a couple, now gummy, bits of glue.

[Greywind]

Super Clean

[Tangoforone]

I also use Super Clean.  Just let it soak overnight, rinse and brush the paint off with warm water and a toothbrush.

[CranstonSnord]

Also, wear rubber gloves when using Super Clean, unless you need to remove your own fingerprints...

[Greywind]

Who needs fingerprints anyway?