how to safely remove paint from a model?

i mean large sections of it. namely the upper hull of a tank.

i will not go into details but lets just say i want a “do over” on it, i’m simply not happy with how it looks so i want to strip off the paint and do it again.

is there a way to do it without turning the plastic into mush?

the paint is enamel and i REALLY want to redo the upper hull of this tank.

Try This Topic

Suspend it over some Castrol Super Clean with just the upper hull emeresed in the Castrol

castrol super clean…it doesnt hurt plastics? what about cements? i’m using testors cement, black bottle red label 1.5 ounce i think.

no the castrol won’t hurt the plastic, I wouldnt put clear parts in it but regular styrene would be fine… and it won’t undo cement, at least hasn’t done it for me…

Tho is Correct . if it is a really old kit it can make the cement brittle but it sounds like you are just doing a little fresh rework though.

You can also use 3-dot Brake/Clutch fluid, works well too.
Try it first on a spare piece though and wear gloves.

Discovered it by accident after spilling it on a Motorbike Tank I had painted(took me 3 weeks).

Polly S puts out Easy-Lift-Off (ELO) which is a paint and decal remover. It works on most types of paint and I have had success with it in the past. Use a small mask though…this stuff is powerful!

I don’t think it will hurt cement at all but it can remove putty as I have had that happen.

Mike

i’m going to try brake fluid. i got a big bottle thats been sitting around for awhile and i dont trust it enough to use it on my cars so i guess i’ll try it out on the hull of this tank.

i’ll let you all know how it turns out.

ok the brake fluid took the paint off. i lost a part in the process (my fault!) but now i can repaint it. i need to replace that part and get more paint to air brush with (no i didnt air brush the hull, thats why i stripped it, so i could)

now i know how to remove paint safely.

that may come in handy for me someday too.
I’m almost done with a project and the build itself went well but I’m not 100% sure about the finish… I’m so close now that I may as well finish it and see what I get, but I’m reserving the right to do it over at a later date!
Thanks for the info y’all!

Amen to what Tugcap said about using a mask when using Easy Lift Off (ELO). Use a full respirator. I got a good whiff of the stuff once and I felt braindead for awhile. Probably best to use it only outdoors.

Dave

Thank you i was wondering how to remove paint from a kit too.
I used an air brush on a '56 ford but the paint turned out BAD. It was
my first air brush and i was using canned air but now i have a commpressor
and want to changer the color.

thank this forum Rocks!!!

I use modelstrip, and have done a few times. One occasion I just wanted to remove a tiny bit, and leave the rest (a bit of paint that went where it shouldn’t). No problem! I’ve even stripped a 1/144 Sweet Macchi, with details so small you can barely see them, and clear too, and no problems. Just apply enough, put it in a plastic bag, and wash off some hours later, using a toothbrush. Easy!