Removing Paint

[maxam 815]

Just wondering if anyone had any tips on (safely) removing paint.

I'm finding that the painted edges of the base are making the fit too tight in my trays and I have also managed to get some paint on the sides of my trays while painting them for basing.

Is there something I can use to remove the paint in these circumstances that won't damage the plastic of the trays or base?

[Darthain 1,747]

sandpaper/sanding stick?

[maxam 815]

13 minutes ago, Darthain said:

sandpaper/sanding stick?

Thanks - although based on my previous sanding abilities, I'm pretty sure I'd end up sanding plastic as well as paint(!)

[eilif 135]

It's ok to sand a bit of plastic.  

On the other hand, you could try some acetone on a q-tip.  Acetone will melt PVC if applied long enough, but if you just use enough to disolve away the paint you should be able to get paint off the base edges without damaging the paint on the top of the bases or the figures themselves.

I had the same problem but I wanted the edges of the bases painted so I just took a dremel and enlarged the tray cavities.  Before I realized I'd have to enlarge the cavities I used an exacto knife to remove excess paint on the inside of the tray cavities.

Edited May 1, 2017 by eilif

[flightmaster101 1,568]

I've had to sand the edges of my trays as well.  Just to be conservative I've also rounded the top corner a bit too.

[Deathseed 1,738]

 

Let them soak overnight in a bowl of this, then gently scrub the paint away with an old toothbrush.

Wash off after with a quick bath of soap and water.

Most, if not all (probably all in this case), of the paint should come right off.

(Also the same glorious and easy process for stripping minis you want to repaint.)

Edited May 1, 2017 by Deathseed

[Vineheart01 6,403]

Actually supposedly Simple Green no longer has the component we were used to stripping the paint. Which would explain why several of my 40k minis before i switched products felt like they didnt get any paint stripped at all after a month-long swim.

I use LA's Totally Awesome now, its a piss-yellow looking all purpose cleaner. I have not tested it on non-GW plastics though so i'd do a test model first before you dump  your army in there.

[drkpnthr 295]

You can use Brake Cleaner to strip paint on a lot of metal minis. However, I am fairly certain that it would melt PVC minis to sludge.

[WWHSD 9,273]

I had good luck using Super Clean degreaser to strip paint from some plastic Battletech models.  I put it in an old glass jar and soaked the painted minis overnight. The next day I hit them with a toothbrush and it took all of the paint and primer off. Wear some latex gloves while you are scrubbing them.

I don't know that I'd use it just to clean up around the base of a model. A hobby knife or sandpaper would probably be just as quick and run less risk of screwing up paint that you'd rather keep on the model.

 

 

 

Edited May 1, 2017 by WWHSD

[Deathseed 1,738]

7 hours ago, Vineheart01 said:

Actually supposedly Simple Green no longer has the component we were used to stripping the paint. Which would explain why several of my 40k minis before i switched products felt like they didnt get any paint stripped at all after a month-long swim.

I use LA's Totally Awesome now, its a piss-yellow looking all purpose cleaner. I have not tested it on non-GW plastics though so i'd do a test model first before you dump  your army in there.

I used it a year or so ago and it was fine.

Maybe it has changed in that time.

I dunno. But I still have the jug that was working, so I'm "safe" for now I guess.

[eilif 135]

6 hours ago, WWHSD said:

I had good luck using Super Clean degreaser to strip paint from some plastic Battletech models.  I put it in an old glass jar and soaked the painted minis overnight. The next day I hit them with a toothbrush and it took all of the paint and primer off. Wear some latex gloves while you are scrubbing them.

I don't know that I'd use it just to clean up around the base of a model. A hobby knife or sandpaper would probably be just as quick and run less risk of screwing up paint that you'd rather keep on the model.

 

Super Clean and Purple Power both have 2-butoxethanol which seems to be the chemical that formely made Simple Green so effective.  I switched to Purple from Green because Purple Power is cheaper and works better.  You can find Purple power at most auto parts stores.

Simple green still works pretty good, but they removed 2-butoxethanol in 2013.  I've stripped hundreds of figs with both products over time and can verify that SG is not as effective as it used to be, though it will still strip paintjobs easily if the basecoat/primer and paint is all acrylic latex.  

 

All that said, it does sound like the OP wants something to just remove paint from the base edges, not the entire figure. For this, a bit of acetone on a q-tip is probaby the simplest solution and the one that offers the most control over the process.

Edited May 2, 2017 by eilif