Stripping plastic models of paint.

Hi Guys

I thought it would be worth posting this for everyones benefit.

I recently read online that dettol strips plastic models of their paint so I though i would give it a go.

I filled a glass jar 1/3 full of water and 1/3 full of dettol (the basic stuff you get from the supermarket.

I immersed my 3 plastic vypers in the liquid and left it overnight.

The next day I went and had a look.

The paint on the models had softened into a slimy film which could easily be scrubbed off with an old toothbrush. Most of the paint came off i one scrub and i put them back in the solution for anotheer soak.

I then got a tub of near boiling water and scrubbed the models again before dropping them into the water.

This got rid of 99% of the paint and the models were completely undamaged.

There was still a greasy residue on the models so i scrubbed them again, this time using nail polish remover, being careful to rise the models afterwards, this seemed to work and the models were smooth afterwards.

Things to note:

1. The paint dries again soon after exposure to air. It forms blobs which stain clothes and skin.
2. Yor models will smell strongly of dettol for a couple of days after. I suspec that undercoating will remove the smell completely.
3. Glass parts like cockpits do no come out clear. Not sure how to fix this really.
4. The dettol also seems to melt glue but not at the same rate as nitro mors or acetone.

Over all the experiment was a huge success.

The other thing to note is that dettol is competely safe and non toxic, it is often used as a cleaner in hospitals. Much better than my old plastic cleaner, brake fluid, which has all sorts of nasty properties.

So hit e-bay, buy something ruined by a 10 year old and have a go. I think you will be pleased with the results!

Good report Venkh, thank you very much. This is one of the most commonly asked questions on 40K hobby sites and there are usually multiple, detailed threads that can be found quite easily. It will be good to have one build up here too over time.

Personally, I find that the biggest factor in attempting to strip old paint off models is what type of paint the previous own used. I usually use plain rubbing alcohol from the local pharmacy/chemist shop with an old toothbrush, quite safe for yourself and for plastic models. But recently I bought some metals that were black primed and then partially painted and not even Goof Off got rid of everything. I finally blasted them all over with a Dremel and a softish polishing attachment.

Won't ever do that with Finecast, though!

Simple Green works really good too on plastic and pewter models.

How many North American readers are asking, "What the crap is Dettol?" right now? I don't think they even sell it outside of Europe!

I had to Google it.

I think that Dettol and Simple Green are similar. I think that Simple Green is available in Europe now. If i ever see any in the shops ill try it.

I have also heard that cheap vesions of the same products dont work so well. The active ingredient in Dettol is Chloroxylenol. Not sure what is in Simple Green.

Simple Green smells funny. Like licorice.

Dettol smells of hospitals, but thats probably because it is an antiseptic and is used in hospitals

It goes milky when diluted with water. Wierd stuff.

That is weird. Simple Green takes on an oil texture when there is stripped paint with it. It's also biodegradable.

Acetone free nail polish remover from Superdrug in the UK is amazing.

i take it it doesnt damage plastic?

Anyone tried stripping resin yet? My biggest fear is losing small details during the scrubbing phase

I'm pretty sure it doesn't, BUT there is high chance that nail polish remover WILL damage bases since they are made from cheapest plastic possible...

About resin:
You should not use heat (like putting jar on radiator), since it WILL damage resin (especially Failcast). Best way to be sure is to use sprue for testing.

Funny fthing: I had episode with old (ie one that expired 2 months before casting) resin parts that changed into "rubber" from bath in 90% alcohol. Did not harmed "fresh" resin tho. Weird, it was as hard as rest...

I've been using the Dettol technique for some time now, and I highly approve of your posting a tutorial.

I managed to save an Ogre with about 3ml's worth of paint on him. It took a couple of rounds in the jar, but otherwise worked a treat!

I found that leaving the model in overnight works well, and giving the container a shake in passing is both satisfying and helps swoosh the stripped paint off to get the Dettol access to the nooks and crannies of the model.

The wonderful thing about the technique is that it smells nice and has absolutely no detrimental effect on the model itself, as far as I've been able to tell. I left my first ever model - an incredibly badly painted SM Captain from the AOBR box - in the jar for three days, no warping or anything. Brilliant!

Raucir.

P.S. - only really applicable to UK residents, possibly Europe, does anyone remember the adverts with the beardy guy that used to advertise Dettol? He had a rather interesting, glottal voice which I'm trying to reproduce, but I can't find references anywhere. PM if you remember it at all.

i have not used dettol but i do use and reccomend 'fairy powerspray'

i have stripped my FW avatar of khaine 2 times with no loss of detail or any damage at all to the texture.

it works fine on metals and plastics too, though it 'can' soften plastics after a long time, so let them sit an hour or so in a plastic tub and clean with a tooth brush.

im not sure if it can be obtained outside of europe though but for all you EU guys its great

I've heard everyone going on about the magic of simple green for some time now but sadly, you can't buy it in Australia. But Dettol is sold here in Aus and if it works just as well.......... I'll get back to you but if it works then you will have saved me about 1000 points of eldar!

Thanks in advance.