Simple Green

[joshuaslater]

I've rocked the PineSol to strip paint off of models, and now I'm gonna try the Simple Green. Any advice? Can it be stepped on, that is, diluted to stretch the amount I've got to work with? I've got the bottle at Home Depot last night with the sprayer on top. I'm guessing I'll just pour it into a plastic basin and strip away, but the bottle isn't industrial sized, and I want to see if I can get the most bang for my buck. Any hands on experience would be appreciated.

 

Cheers.

[lstormhammer]

I went to Orchard Supply (local hardware store around here, larger than the average Ace, but only local, as far as I know) and got a gallon of Simple Green.

 

I then went through and got the biggest salsa jar I could find, emptied it (with chips and beer) and ran it through the dishwasher (I am a clean gamer, after all).

 

Then keeping the lid, I filled the jar about 3/4ths of the way. Add lid (tightly) and I keep it on my painting table. When I need to dip a mini, open the jar, dip it in, and leave it for about 2 hours.

 

I haven't attempted to dilute the stuff, but I also almost never need to change the liquid ever. Maybe once every six months.

 

If you have smaller minis, consider hitting your local supermarket and picking up some Christopher Ranch crushed (or chopped) garlic. They have tiny jars that IMHO, are perfect for one or two minis at a time.

 

...not to sound like a shill for C-Ranch, it's just that they happen to have a nice jar.

 

PM for more info!

 

--Ol' Unkie Stormhammer

[joshuaslater]

That's pretty comprehensive. I would not have thought to keep the stuff around that long, and two hours soak is no big deal. Thank you for your insight!

[Wren]

I do something similar. I poured a bunch of Simple Green into a smallish round plastic container, like the cheapie Tupperware style that Glad and some others make. Though a salsa jar sounds like an even better container, get a bit better depth. There's a layer of paint and primer scum on the bottom of the dish, and the liquid is not really so green as when it was fresh, but it still worked the last time I used it. I usually let stuff soak overnight.

[GreyHorde]

I found the gallon jug of concentrated SG in the automotive aisle of Meijer. Wally World may also have it, but since the gallon will last me nearly forever, I haven't had occasion to look. For cars & household cleaner, I dilute it as needed. For stripping minis, I pour it straight and it works great. I've considered diluting it a little to see if it will work any faster, but have not tried it, yet. Now, I've not tried the spray bottle, but I would bet it is already diluted. Cutting it further would likely reduce its effectiveness.

 

My container of choice began life as carryout; hot-n-sour soup from the local Chinese restaurant. Ran it through the dishwasher (top rack) first, of course. It seals tightly, and like the salsa container it's tough to beat 're-tasked' as a price tag. I have also used a babyfood jar, a jelly jar, a coffee can (plastic 1 lb would have been better than the 'tin' one I started with), whatever I can find with a lid. If no lid is available, I've used plastic wrap and a rubber band.

[lstormhammer]

That's the reason I have salsa jars and garlic jars. Not just because I love mexican food!

 

The big jar is for big projects, the small jar is for small jobs.

 

The great part is that those jars seal tightly, so chance of leakage is small.

 

Also: get an old toothbrush and under running water, brush the now easy-to-lift paint clean off it.

 

If you leave the mini dipped too long, it will tarnish the bright pewter sheen to it, but I don't consider that a loss. When I can see the mini's actual ridges and valleys, it helps me visualize what I'm going to do with it.

 

--Ol' Unkie LSH

[Jackie-Paper]

I've never used any of those kind of stirppers. Will they work on plastic? I know the stuff I use now will melt plastic. I got some stripper that smells a bit like oranges and it works good.

[lstormhammer]

I've never used any of those kind of stirppers. Will they work on plastic? I know the stuff I use now will melt plastic. I got some stripper that smells a bit like oranges and it works good.

 

 

Pine-Sol is best on metal minis, as they will destroy plastic ones.

 

Simple Green works best on Plastic and metal minis, and won't destroy superglue bonds on your minis, so you don't have to worry about your perfectly glued minis coming apart.

 

And no funky smell to worry about, either!

 

--LSH

[GreyHorde]

@Jackie -- Yep, Simple Green works fine on plastic, won't hurt it a bit. Orange-oil based cleaners do smell great, but they do leave tiny amounts of said oil to shine and condition the surface. Rinse well under very warm water to remove any residue and dry thoroughly before applying primer.

 

@LSH -- agreed, I always forget to mention the toothbrush and running water. I'll amend that a bit by adding that I think the softer the toothbrush is, the better. You want it to slip down into the details and lift out the paint/primer without risk of damaging the detail in such soft metal or plastic. The risk is low, I'm sure, but I wouldn't want stiffer bristles to act like a mild abrasive and mar an otherwise smooth surface.

 

And, yeah, the stain SG imparts to some alloys varies between manufacturers, even between batches of the same figure. Example: two Reaper DHL elf archers, identical models, probably purchased together or around the same time, dipped together in SG for the same length of time. One looks like a thin dark wash was applied to the metal, hardly stained at all, while the other is almost uniformly dark gray, almost black. Must have been different batches with different metal alloys. It's never a problem, though, since there is no loss of detail. You're right, too; in some cases, the lack of shine does seem to help pick out some of the details or block areas so you can see what's going on and visualize the process.

 

Man, this topic is making me hungry for Don Pablo's...

[lstormhammer]

No worries, GH. If there's one thing I know, it's removing crappy paint jobs from minis.

 

I have one elf swordsman who's been dipped like, a dozen times or so.

 

I swear I heard him cry in anguish last time he went in...

 

--LSH

[Akenmaat]

I used to use acetone to strip minis until I started buying ones that come with the plastic slotta bases. I dunked one of them once only to discover the next day that the plastic base was now a nice(?) icky gooey blob. At the time, I didn't know any better - it was long before I started reading minis forums.

 

Anyway, heard about using Simple Green for the plastic stuffs, and that is the only thing I will use now. Saved an old plastic frosting container and its lid and just keep it filled about 3/4 full with full strength SG. I've used it diluted half water/half SG and it still works fine for stripping. Oh, and I agree - the old toothbrush is a must-have!

[Zinzig]

I have a nice big plastic peanuts jar (minus the peanuts obviously) that I filled about halfway with SG. Nice tight fitting lid, can dip just about anything as the lid is quite large and I can simply reach in and grab anything in there.

 

-Z

[smokingwreckage]

SG will sometimes penetrate and slide "under" superglue bonds, causing them to not work so well. it takes time, but it can happen.

[Qwyksilver]

I have a 2 qt Rubbermaid square container I use for dipping figures. I can toss in 10-20 models at a time if need be, which at times, there has been. If you want the Simple Green to last a while, occasionally run it through some cheesecloth to remove the particles of paint and other detritus floating around in it. I'll typically leave figures in there for a couple days to weeks (more often than not because I'll forget about them on the shelf). The longest I think was almost a month. I've used both soft and firm toothbrushes. I've never had a problem with the surface being marked by brushing. Using a wire brush would not be smart. I have tried the nylon bristle bits for a Dremel, and have found a toothbrush still works better. The nylon bristles on a Dremel can create so much friction and heat it can distort a surface and kill fine details. Honestly I don't think they sell a nylon bristle toothbrush THAT stiff. If they did it would tear your gums to pieces. Running under warm water with the toothbrush works great. I use an old cleaning head from an Oral B, and get lazy, and use the base too. MAKE SURE YOU DON'T HAVE A BRAINFART AND USE YOUR OWN CLEANING HEAD. BLEECH!!! Sometimes a little Peroxide/baking Soda based toothpaste also works. It's got a bit of grit to help rub off the stubborn spots, won't scratch the metal, and the foaming helps lift out nuggets of stubborn paint in those nooks and crannies. It also makes your miniature minty fresh and reduces plaque.

 

One thing to consider as well is that what you prime your mini with will effect how easily the paint comes off, especially that primer coat.

 

Like Smokingwreckage, I have found that long soaks in SG will erode a superglue bond, especially if it's a small joint and yu didn't scuff up the joint to create more surface area to bond to.. It can also soften Greenstuff. From my experience, the Greenstuff will get soft, so if if's at a heavy joint, support it while it dries. The GS will harden back up to normal once it's dried/re-cured/etc.