Removing paint from miniatures

[Sjeng]

Well, I've tried the Dettol method, and it works like a charm. Smells horrible though, but it did the job:


This is my recently purchased DragonStrike set. Incomplete and some miniatures missing unfortunately, but I really only wanted the boards anyway. Some mini's are okay, some look horrible lol, but I'm gonna paint em anyway.

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The stuff is damn expensive here in the Netherlands. €10,- for this bottle.

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After putting the mini's in Dettol for about 24 hours, lightly brush off the paint with an old toothbrush, do not use water! Water will clump the paint and mess thing up badly. Only rinse the mini's off with water after you've removed all the paint.

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You can reuse the Dettol, if you sift it through an old piece of cloth. The cloth will catch the paint.

[tasoe]

Allow me to share my experiences on the matter as I've had my share of resurrecting miniatures from terrible paintjobs.
First of all, instead of dettol, I use any brand of antiseptic gel. This one I get at a store with cleaning products for 5€ and it contains 600ml.

I've found out that dettol doesn't remove all kinds of paint. For most of it, it works like a charm, but I've come across cases that it doesn't do ANYTHING at all. This happens in cases like that:

The orc on the right cannot be restored using dettol. I don't know what kind of paint is this, it's very chalky, but dettol can't remove it.
However, the high mage on the left is a prime candidate to be dipped in dettol for some hours.
I understand that 24 hours is too many, usually I leave it a couple of hours, scrub some paint off, and dip it again for a few hours for the finishing brushing off.

For the cases that dettol doesn't work I use oven cleaner. This is a heavy product and it is unhealthy to breathe but works very fast.
I spray the figure, leave it 35-45 minutes (Friday movie reference) and toothbrush the poor bastard. Repeat once or twice if the figure has excessive paint. Only disadvantage of the oven cleaner is that it distorts the colour of the plastic. Example:


However, as I'm interested in painting the miniatures myself I'm not bothered by this disadvantage as the details are left unharmed.

One other thing about dettol is that it is having difficulties to work on a figure that has a proper primer. Most people that paint awfully don't use primer and that's why it's so easy for dettol to remove their paints. Same thing goes if the figure has varnish.

Anyway, my verdict is that dettol and oven cleaner are complementing each other and one is not substitute for the other. I use them both all the time and I can guarrantee that oven cleaner does NOT damage the figures' details in any way (at least my brand doesn't, it's called Mr. Muscle).

[Maike05]

Have you guys already tried the brake fluid method ? Then in addition, there is also a dissolvant agent for nail borrowed from your wife ! But do it when she's not watching ahah.

[tasoe]

Have you guys already tried the brake fluid method ? Then in addition, there is also a dissolvant agent for nail borrowed from your wife ! But do it when she's not watching ahah.

I've read somewhere about brake fluid but haven't tried it.
I'm afraid that nail polish remover might soften the plastic if you leave it too long.
I once tried white spirit and it ruined the plastic, but since I'm happy with the methods I'm working now I'm hesitating to try any new techniques.

[cynthialee]

I would be worried nail polish remover would harm the mini. The stuff have butyl acetate in it.

[el_flesh]

Oven Cleaner always worked like a charm for me - although i never used it on HQ minis. I have used it on models from the 70's, light cream colored polystyrene anyways. So I never noticed any color problems, but as Tasoe sez, we're gonna paint them again anyways!

Different Oven cleaners *might* have different chemicals/concentrations, in case you want to experiment on what worx best. I use "Easy Off" brand. Dunno if that's available globally...

[Sjeng]

Warning: You should not use Dettol on any of the Dark World miniatures. That company used a acrylic based plastic, so they will melt. All others work fine with Dettol.

I've also heard about brake fluid, but that seems to be a bit dangerous, it's toxic, and you can't leave a mini in it safely for too long. I left my mini's in the Dettol for over 24 hours, and they're just fine.

[Maike05]

The nail polisher method worked really great for me.



I brushed it with an old tooth brush and nail polisher dissolvant.

[Sinned]

About the Dettol:
I bought a copy of AtOH that had TERRIBLY painted Ogres.
I soaked em in Dettol for 3 days (and every day I brushed away the loose paint) but not all the paint was removed and some paint had affected the plastic.

My solution: I went to the local GW shop and got paints the same color as the original plastic. I painted them over and they look as good as new.

[Sjeng]

Why didn't you just basecoat them, and the paint them?