Stripping Paint

[The Major]

Do any of you have any good techniques for stripping paint from plastic and metal models?  I've been having trouble finding something that strips the model sufficiently but doesn't damage plastic.  Metal models are tougher, obviously, but I haven't found the perfect paint stripper for metal either.  Thanks.

[Hobgoblin]

Biostrip's the best thing I've found - and it's also the quickest, cheapest and least toxic. You can get a tub of it for about a tenner on Amazon.

[Tactalvanic]

Biostrip's the best thing I've found - and it's also the quickest, cheapest and least toxic. You can get a tub of it for about a tenner on Amazon.

+1 that, does not stink like "Detolmethod" does not threaten your physical well being as much as brake fluid.

Damn glad I heard about it from someone here years ago and got a tub for such instances related to plastic and metal minis.

Do not miss the smell of detol at all.

[fitterpete]

I see your in the US so here's what I use. Only on metal but my friends tell me it works on plastic too. Simple Green Pro HD, its PURPLE. I used the green Simple Green for a long time with mixed results but this stuff is much better.
For metal figures I normally soak for 4 to 5 days then hit them quick with a metal wire brush. This seems to loosen the paint , or maybe it gets rid of any spray finish , so the SG can work on the paint. I then let them soak for at least another week before I hit them again to get the rest off. I've yet to find anything that works without a lot of  brush work and picking paint out of  crevices with tweezers. I did get nylon brushes for.my Dremel that worked great. They only last for about 20 metal figs but at 2 bucks a piece they were worth it.
Again this only for metal, the brushes would probably  destroy a plastic figure.
I've tried acetone,brake fluid, brake cleaner, rust remover and denatured alcohol. Never got any better results from any of them.

[Predatorpt]

I use a dip on Isopropyl Alcohol 99% for plastic models and a dip on industrial strength acetone for my metal ones.

Sometimes, if the paint is too thick in the plastic models I just dip a toothbrush on acetone, give the model a quick brushing and immediately clean it with mixture of water/soap so the acetone doesn't eat the plastic, just starts peeling the paint. After the water bath, I throw it back into the alcohol.

It usually takes an hour or less for the paint to come apart.

[Brandlin]

paint stripper for metal minis - no paint survives
for plastic and resin i use dettol.

[tin shed gamer]

Bio strip 20.
Non toxi,  odour less. Can be applied in a specific area as its the consistency of PVA.

[FreakyFenton]

There's a video by Luke's Affordable Painting service, he uses some purple-ish liquid therein, cheaper than Dettol and readily available in the UK in shops like Wilkinson's.
Video should be on youtube, the purple stuff also works for plastic by the by, which is also demonstrated on some GW minis in the video.

[The Major]

thanks to you all!!

[Condottiere]

Do any of you have any good techniques for stripping paint from plastic and metal models?  I've been having trouble finding something that strips the model sufficiently but doesn't damage plastic.  Metal models are tougher, obviously, but I haven't found the perfect paint stripper for metal either.  Thanks.

Simple Green won't melt plastic, though might have some difficulty dissolving some adhesives. I've been told Purple Power is about the same as Castrol Super Clean and works better than Simple Green. I've left plastics in Simple Green for months and haven't noticed adverse effects. For metal, you could use all the aforementioned and Pinesol - do not use on plastic! No idea how these cleaners will on enamels and old acrylic paint tends to stain plastics, without obscuring detail - learnt this after spending an hour using a Dremel to remove a layer of paint.

 

[vodkafan]

I use neat Dettol. It's great on metals and I have used it on plastics too but I am more careful with the dipping time with plastics. 85% of the time it's been fine with the plastics but the odd time it has reacted.

[mcfonz]

Biostrip's the best thing I've found - and it's also the quickest, cheapest and least toxic. You can get a tub of it for about a tenner on Amazon.

This. It is also environmentally better than any other product mentioned. I have used paint stripper and dettol before but this is utterly miles better. Faster, no smell and quicker/easier clean up - no gunk.

[Onebigriver]

I use Cutex acetone-free nail polish remover on plastic miniatures. A couple of minutes' soak then attack with a toothbrush, no damage to the plastic.

[Cait Sidhe]

+1 for Biostrip 20, it will do plastic and metal no problem and doesn't smell, doesn't eat through flesh and bone (looking at you Nitromors) and is safe to flush away down a drain (apparently). Just be careful with resin, despite biostrip being safe to handle it seems to eat through, at least some, resin.

Though I notice in the duplicate thread you mention Heroclix as the plastic minis but that's a different beast entirely. I responded in my supers thread but acetone is what you'll need for clix pre-paints. They don't really use normal paints on them and regular paint stripper won't really work... though now I'm saying that I realise I've never actually tried biostrip... I think tonight will be time for an experiment.

Update: Biostrip does nothing to heroclix, so yup acetone for that job.

[Hammers]

Linseed soap.