Get this primer off my back

[Charles92027]

I've only been at this a short time, but after my first figure I determined it would be better to leave certain parts unassembled until after paint has been applied.
Such is the case with a certain robot figure I'm working on, and his backpack that would be difficult to paint behind his arm.
That said, I have used poster tack to mask the spots where I glue to pieces together, so they will not be primed.

However, I primed the robot this weekend without masking his back. Is there an easy way to remove the primer from just that spot?

[Mick_in_Switzerland]

Can you scrape of the paint with a scalpel?

[soldado]

A dab of something like biostrip, or at a pinch dettol will dissolve the paint and then its a matter of just gently washing the gunge away and Bobs your uncle.

[fred]

Can you scrape of the paint with a scalpel?

I think that would be my first option, especially if the area will be hidden from view.

Paint stripper should work, but feels messy for this small sized area.

[Charles92027]

Thanks all, I’ll let you know how it goes.

[Charles92027]

I wound up scratching it off with the tip of a hobby knife. I was able to reveal enough metal for the glue to hold on to.

[Spooktalker]

100% pure acetone and q-tip, my friend. I promise you will not find something better. Use nitrile gloves and a paint mask, and open the window.

[Hammers]

100% pure acetone and q-tip, my friend. I promise you will not find something better. Use nitrile gloves and a paint mask, and open the window.

I've given up that  and use good quality linseed soap instead. It is less volatile and better for your health.

[Spooktalker]

I've given up that  and use good quality linseed soap instead. It is less volatile and better for your health.

Linseed soap can strip miniatures as well as pure acetone? I've tried many things, and while Simple Green does a good job on most metal figures, over the years boxes of stripped figures accumulated that needed something more serious. Especially old lead figures painted in enamels. Some of these figures went through baths of a half dozen things with absolutely no change at all. Then I found pure acetone, and there is no figure I have not been able to get sparkly clean in under a minute, after letting it soak for a minute or two (soaking longer in acetone seems to give no advantage, unlike soaking in Simple Green). Of all the things I've tried, pure acetone is also the only thing strong enough to take paint off a figure simply by rubbing it on with a q-tip. Anything else you need to soak at least overnight, and most things longer, so stripping just a backback would be out of the question. Compared to everything else, Acetone is a miracle-worker. Though yes, the safety regime is a bit of a hassle.

So, tell me about linseed soap, I'm all ears. 

[Mick_in_Switzerland]

Dear Spoontalker,

Acetone works on metal figures but will tend to melt hard plastic figures. I also find that Acetone makes acrylic paint into a sticky mess.
Soaking overnight in Brake fluid also works well on metal figures, but (EDITED) check with a small piece of plastic before using it on hard plastic figures.
Universal paint thinners is a bit more gentle.

Mick

[Charles92027]

I was able to do a decent job with the tip of a hobby knife, well after the first attempt with the tip it was the “blunt” of a hobby knife.

[Antonio J Carrasco]

Dear Spoontalker,

Acetone works on metal figures but will tend to melt hard plastic figures. I also find that Acetone makes acrylic paint into a sticky mess.
Soaking overnight in Brake fluid also works well on metal figures, but also melts plastics.
Universal paint thinners is a bit more gentle.

Mick

Humm... I have used brake fluid to strip plastics and didn't melt. What does melt plastics, on the other hand, is toluene-based solvents. I only use those for  metals. 

[Mick_in_Switzerland]

I had a problem with stripping paint from a Corgi tank. I thought it was with brake fluid but now I am not sure. (I have edited my previous post).