Stripping enamel paint from miniatures.

[Harry Faversham]

What’s the best stuff to use to strip a figure back to bare metal please…
last time I did one it was Nitromose!

"Wot did you do in the war Grandad?"

"I was with Harry... At The Bridge!"

[Patrice]

I use Glanzer, or Dilunett (Owatrol). But not sure what would be their commercial names outside France.

http://www.argad-bzh.fr/argad/en.html
https://www.anargader.net/

[jeffers]

Take a look at Marty’s Matchbox Makeovers, the best thing on YouTube (besides Mud performing Tiger Feet on Christmas TOTP). He uses a variety of cleansing agents which do not damage the original metal and plastic parts. Warning: Marty is Australian, so he uses ‘local products’, but there should be a Cleethorpes alternative.

Last thing I used was Nitromors too…..

More nonsense on my blog: http://battle77.blogspot.com/

[Guy Farrish]

Dettol – the brown stuff.

Don’t let any moggies near it – the phenol tops the little buggers.

Should get rid of enamels from metal and plastic without damage.

Soak for c12 hours, give ’em a scrub with a toothbrush to get the gunk off – wear gloves and protect your eyes as you scrub – don’t rinse with water until you’re finished as the water makes the gunk sticky and difficult to get the gunk off.

Very old paint jobs and deeply incised models may need another dunk for an hour or so after the scrub.

[Cerdic]

I used spray on oven cleaner ( the foamy stuff) on some 1970s vintage Airfix figures with ancient Humbrol paint jobs.

I used pretty much the same method that Guy described for his Dettol!

http://28mmreview.blogspot.co.uk

[Rob young]

Another vote for Dettol – doesn’t always work but the best option I’ve found so far.

Rob Young

[madman]

I do not know if this is available in the UK or what it may be called if not the same as in North America. I have used yellow coloured Pine Sol with great success. In my case I am using it on well aged enamels which are also the older paints people seem to miss. This is because I have been stripping paint jobs done up to 40 years ago, both Humbrol, Testors and the old Pactra military colours. I left the pine sol for a week (I forgot about the models) and don’t know if that helped it work. The models have been mostly micro armour with very deep detail. You could use old tooth brushes to clean the guck off but my impatience won’t stand for that so I have been using steel wire brushes (about the size of a tooth brush made for god only knows what use originally) and using no protection for my skin. Wash off with water after.

PLEASE NOTE: Yellow Pine Sol is toxic to cats! My significant other was a veterinarian and that was the first thing she said. So store it way from cat’s ability to access if you go that way.

[General Slade]

Dettol for me as well.  Be sure to remove any flock from the bases as you will end up with a horrible mess if you don’t. Also, try to get rid of any glue if the figures have been glued to bases as this will also gunk things up.  I find it best to leave the figures submerged for at least a week and then attack them with a toothbrush and washing up liquid to get the paint out of the creases.

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