Simple Green in the Netherlands

[Daeothar]

Same here; it works really well.

I used to strip paint with the Dot4 brake fluid like Major_Gilbear, but I've found the Simple Green to be vastly superior! If only because none of the precautions due to its toxicity are necessary. It is recommended to avoid skin contact with the brake fluid, and as mentioned, it has to be disposed of in a responsible manner as well.

That, and Simple Green just strips the paint way better! I leave the figures in there for 24 hours, carefully take the figure out of the soaking container (so as to limit the dropping off of pieces of paint) and scrub it with an old toothbrush under a running tap.

All in all a total of 10 minutes spent for one figure (at the start and end of the 24 hours soaking period) and the simple green can be sieved and re-used much better than the brake fluid too.

Too Bo Coo; let us know what your results with the Dreft are. As once my Simple Green runs out, I will need a replacement that does not require me to make a roundtrip to the US...

[Major_Gilbear]

If only because none of the precautions due to its toxicity are necessary. It is recommended to avoid skin contact with the brake fluid, and as mentioned, it has to be disposed of in a responsible manner as well.

Just wanted to reply that this is the product I use. It's not that toxic really, it's pretty much just mineral oil.

The other thing is that it depends on what paint you're stripping, and how old it is. The old, old Citadel paints don't come off too well with Simple Green even with an extended soak. Dot4 will get the stuff off if you leave it long enough.

Also, the Dot4 will eat through spray primers on plastic figures if you leave them for a good long while, leaving only a thin smooth film. The SG struggles with these same primers though, even given a lot of scrubbing. Please note that I'm talking about primers here (like an automotive primer spray), and not just spray paint (like GW Chaos Black).

I have some models that have been soaking in SG since Christmas last year, and I need to fish them out and rinse them off this weekend. I'll try and take a photo or two and make some notes if it helps? I also have some stuff that's been in Dot4 since summer 2010, so I'll try and do the same.

Really, the main things to remember with Dot4 are: (1) dispose of it sensibly, and (2) it will dry your skin out if you stick your hands in it, but brief skin contact is okay if you wipe it off reasonably quickly - a bit like white spirit or bleach in that regard. It is not like paint strippers which will blister and irritate skin almost immediately!

[Daeothar]

Yeah; I still have a bottle of the exact stuff in the garage, although mine is a silver grey colour. Halfords Dot4 though.

I used those thin, plastic, disposable gloves for working with the stuff when I used it. At the time, it was strongly recommended to do so and I wasn't taking any risks; I'm quite attached to my skin and I'd like to keep it that way.

Also, my experiences are different, even though not wildly. I generally let the miniatures soak in the fluid for a good couple of days and then went to work with a toothbrush. Mind; most, if not all, miniatures I stripped like this were metal.  The sources I had, suggested that it was not clear whether or not plastics would be affected by the brake fluid, so it was recommended that plastics were not stripped with it.

Eventually I did though, and have not noticed any adverse effects. I did find that it does break superglue bonds quite easily, which is a plus.

Now, Dettol will eat up plastics without doubt if they're soaked in it for too long!

I've never let any mini soak in the break fluid for longer than a week though, so I do not know about its long term effect on paints. This means that sometimes, not all paint comes off, even with vigorous scrubbing. Also, enamel paints become a goopy, sticky mess, which cannot be brushed off! I've stripped some old metal Necrons painted with metalic enamels once, and I finally had to resort to plucking the rubbery strands of paint off with tweezers...

My experience with Simple Green on the other hand, is that it generally soaks off the paints in 24 hours. I suppose that the fact that most paints used nowadays are acrylics and even the primers used are often from a dedicated miniature paints company.

Still; a primer is supposed to not let go of the surface, so those that did not come off are really good brands!

In the end though, I can say that both methods work, if in different ways and with different strong points and drawbacks. For me, Simple Green is the better option, but I would have no problems using my stash of break fluid when I had to...