… I know this is probably the most asked question in any modeling forum but as soon as I have a need for the information I can’t find a single thread on the subject… [:I]
Here goes… [8D]
How does one strip paint from the surface of a plastic part when one has totally botched it after a gross lapse of concentration, which led to a major bonehead move, [B)]transforming three days hard work into total crapola!? [:(!]
Two of the most common methods are to use brake fluid and the other is oven cleaner. Both will do the job but you must be careful that you don’t leave the parts covered for too long. The best thing to do is check it often to make sure that it is not destroying the plastic. Scrubbing with an old toothbrush will helpp get the paint off quicker during both of these procedures.
I use Easy-Off oven cleaner in the yellow can (Original formula).
Spray it on, and as Robert said, let it soak until it softens and use an old toothbrush to scrub it off. Wear rubber gloves also because it has lye in it and can burn the skin. Use adequate ventilation as the fumes are a little strong.
It may take three or four applications sometimes to remove all of the paint but it is a cheap way to go about it without damaging the plastic.
Mike
I recently used the brake fluid method on my knackered up M2-A2 Bradley… Worked great, even though I had to let it stew for a week or two. I seriously botched that one, but thankfully I´m on the right track now… Now pun intended.
I use acrylic paints. Isopropol (sp?) alcohol and a toothbrush works for me.
Jim
I loved reading your post! Made me laugh!
I’ll throw my pitch in for Castrol Super Clean. Get it at Walmart in a big purple jug. It’s biodegradable, but still a prett nasty chemical. Wear gloves and all the other precautions. I pour it into a tupperware container and just use it over and over. Submerge the parts for an hour or two and then just run it under warm tap water with a toothbrush. Should come pretty clean. If not, lather…rinse…repeat.
I’ve been using the same tub of CSC for about a year now and it still is going strong. I strain it through a coffee filter every now ant then to get the little paint bits out.
Murray
Oven Cleaner works for me.
Here is a good site with info on Strippers…
http://www.bonediggers.com/toc.html
Go down the page to the Stippers link… or click here:
http://www.bonediggers.com/1-3/strip/strip.html
It has some good info!!!
Heres a vote for rubbing (
) alcohol. It works great and it will not harm the plastic. If you forgget about it every thing will be fine. That only works for acrylics though. For enamels use floor wax stripper. Once again it does not harm the plactic.
James Simmons
Lcpl, US Marine Corp
Thanks for all the help.
All the ideas sounded great and I’ve even used Easy-Off to strip chrome before (with mixed results). I ended up using good ol’ Testors Airbrush Thinner on a tissue and wiped it right off. I forgot to mention that the paint had only been drying a day or so. It was far from cured.