Lidl Pine Disinfectant

[Vermis]

Isopropyl's basically alcohol, isn't it? The stuff you get in medical sterilising wipes, and in tins from Maplins for cleaning electronics? Don't think that should have much affect on paint. (I've tried!) I'd guess it's the other ingredients in the disinfectant.

I tried pine disinfectant - ye olde Dettol - a few years ago and wasn't very impressed when I ran into the same problems as Silent Bob. These days I swear by Fairy power spray. No long soaking, no hot rinsing, no soapy scrubbing.

[Cubs]

Isopropyl's basically alcohol, isn't it?

It's a type of alcohol, mostly a cleaning agent and it does strip paint. It's the isopropyl that is the main paint-stripping agent (plus the pine oil) in these things. If you wipe it on paint it won't have any effect, which is why you soak it overnight.

As a few people have pointed out ... as I have tried to explain ... if the model is still sticky, it's because the model has been rinsed with water too soon and not all the paint has gone. It needs to be put it back in the disinfectant and scrubbed again.


It also doesn't work if you gargle it, pour it on your genitals, refuse to use it all all on the basis you have something else you want to use instead, if you are violently ill at the smell of pine, if you take offense at the colour of the label, or any one of a myriad of personal grievances against trying something new, following instructions or being open minded if someone tries to share a positive experience.

If anyone wishes to share any number of hideous experiences, please do feel free. I shall let this thread float gently away on a sea of faeces.

[Heyer]

Talking about alcohol,i tried the santinary alcohol the one you use when you cut your skin,to strip plastc miniatures,it takes mabye a couple of days,but it works,you Can let the miniatures in the jar for weeks and do not melt,as long as you let them in even the cianocrilate turns soft and you can disasemble the miniatures.My try was with plastic space marines and some rhino's and baneblade and it worked like a charm,try it.

[Eric the Shed]

cubs...your comments.... Brilliant

[Vermis]

It's a type of alcohol, mostly a cleaning agent and it does strip paint. It's the isopropyl that is the main paint-stripping agent (plus the pine oil) in these things. If you wipe it on paint it won't have any effect, which is why you soak it overnight.

My bad. (Though I did soak!)

It also doesn't work if you gargle it, pour it on your genitals, refuse to use it all all on the basis you have something else you want to use instead, if you are violently ill at the smell of pine, if you take offense at the colour of the label, or any one of a myriad of personal grievances against trying something new, following instructions or being open minded if someone tries to share a positive experience.

I understand. I was just sharing a more positive one.

Seriously though, sorry for being part of the derailment. (I know what it's like to be on the receiving end!) But the fact is that folk have the 'sticky gloop' problem with dettol. TBH the small list of steps and warnings aren't as encouraging as they might seem either, especially if they've been tried before.
In our view, refusing to use it or to follow instructions isn't so frustratingly mystifying; and for others like us, not in the know, an alternative suggestion might be useful. One that doesn't need kid gloves (Don't get it wet! Don't expose it to bright light, don't feed it after midnight...) but just works.

Sorry to use so extreme and insulting a metaphor, but pine disinfectant is the 40K of paint strippers.    Works for lots people, they're satisfied with the results, swear by it, rub it on their etc. etc., but the procedure and level of simplicity leave a bit to be desired.

[Cubs]

Sorry to use so extreme and insulting a metaphor, but pine disinfectant is the 40K of paint strippers.   

[jthomlin]

[Puts head up amongst the flying bottles of Dettol, pine flavoured and sundry stripping agents ...  ]

One thing that tends not to mentioned in these discussions is the variation in paint to be stripped. You have acrylics, enamels, lacquers not to mention the primers used etc, this needs to be disclosed when talking about the effectiveness of a particular method. Being a collector of old 80's miniatures and the like, I can assure you the usual non-toxic options espoused that work fine on modern pewter and acrylics just don't cut it with 30yr old enamel encrusted lead.

The method of application is important as well, you would think soaking a figure in Vallejo airbrush cleaner would be an effective idea, it's sole purpose in life being the elimination of dried paint. Whereas in reality, even with determined scrubbing with a toothbrush, it isn't very effective at all (at least with the aforementioned 30yr old figures). Stripping with some other method (in my case harsh chemical paint stripper) and then working the airbrush cleaner in to the usually impossible to remove bits of paint in grooves and notches on the other hand is quite effective, it leaves a 'stain' behind, but you wouldn't know it once the primer went on.

So, IMHO there is no best paint stripper, just ones that work in particular scenarios ...

Cheers!
Joe Thomlinson

[AndrewBeasley]

I've tried most of the above with mixed success    Sometimes I find the undercoat remains more than the surface paint (enamel then acrylics maybe) but a soak again often helps.

Two questions / points:

I find Detol goes cloudy - I assume it is because I leave the lid off the jar (secret Detol sniffer?) and it gets damp from the air in the liquid.  Anyone else seen this as it reduces the cleaning power?

Has anyone seen their metal figures go a ghostly grey?  It does not seem to be the classic 'lead rot' as all the details remain and no bloom is present - it almost reminds me of an odd undercoat or surface oxidisation...  A scrape with a blade shows normal metal underneath so I may be the start of a rot?

Happens on older figures more than new and in Detol more than Simple Green.  I've had it once on Power Spray figure.

[jthomlin]

Has anyone seen their metal figures go a ghostly grey?  It does not seem to be the classic 'lead rot' as all the details remain and no bloom is present - it almost reminds me of an odd undercoat or surface oxidisation...  A scrape with a blade shows normal metal underneath so I may be the start of a rot?

Happens on older figures more than new and in Detol more than Simple Green.  I've had it once on Power Spray figure.

I've had similar when using oven cleaner. Your typical harsh chemical 'gloopy' paint stripper cleans it up or you, and I've read that soaking in diluted bleach will also do the trick. Regardless of what method you use I would advise priming as soon as possible afterwards.

Cheers!
Joe Thomlinson

[Cubs]

One thing that tends not to mentioned in these discussions is the variation in paint to be stripped.

Pass, I've stripped a few very elderly models, but they were bought painted so I have no idea what was on them. I can confirm it worked very nicely on my old brass door hinges though, covered in a couple of decades worth of gloss paint.

[YPU]

Has anyone seen their metal figures go a ghostly grey?  It does not seem to be the classic 'lead rot' as all the details remain and no bloom is present - it almost reminds me of an odd undercoat or surface oxidisation...  A scrape with a blade shows normal metal underneath so I may be the start of a rot?

I can't confirm that this is actually what happens but your description reminds me of something from my field of work. In goldsmithing we use vitriolic acid to clean precious metals after soldering and the like. the thing is that nearly all metals we work with are actually alloys containing both Noble and common metals, the latter of which are in fact corroded by the acid. The result is that all the by metals (the non-noble ones) are eaten away by the acid in the surface. Which leaves a tiny top layer of porous or pitted metal.

To get to the point this surface has a dull grey-white look to it which make me think that whatever stripper you are using has a similar effect on the minis.

[thequestingvole]

I gave the Lidl stuff a shot a few days ago and so far it has turned up trumps.

Two days in a Lidl "dettol" bath with a quick scrub between game. Then another evening in white spirit and another scrub. Clean as a whistle.

I must hasten to add these figures had been repainted multiple times and were CAKED in paint.

So, while I cannot recommend it as a conversationalist or a lover - it seems to do the job as a paint stripper.

[Cubs]

So, while I cannot recommend it as a conversationalist or a lover - it seems to do the job as a paint stripper.

[Melnibonean]

I use cheap acrylic nail polish remover.
Soak for two hours then brush. Cleans them back to metal easily.
Leave figures over night and it's even easier.

[Commander Vyper]

If your uk based: Wikes water based paint stripper.  No stink of detol,  no double dunking and no melting of fingers or plumbing plastic.