If you can, you should also get a dental pick. It does wonders for the recesses where the bristles of a brush won't reach. It's perfect for stuff like Tau Battlesuits.
Honestly the simplest and safest for plastic. Leaving your minis a few days in a sealed tub with Isopropyl alcohol and using an old toothbrush absolutely works. BUT NEVER USE IT WITH RESIN. It will definitely gum it up and soften the resin.
So far in the US, I've found Simple Green Concentrate and Purple Power are the best at stripping paint down- some of the other 'paint strippers' just don't cut it.
@@kevincaruthers5412 be very careful when using it on 3D printed resin- for some reason, it sometimes has no effect... other times it can soften it or even turn it into mush.
Some other miniature painters I watch, one uses the ultra sonic cleaner. Seems to work great for him. Another did a testing video of a few different cleaners, Simple Green and L.A. Super Clean were two of the few he tried out. He liked the Super Clean most.
I like Dettol, honestly. Leaves the detail crisp, and it's 100% not going to kill you. Sure it might take a little scrubbing, but as long as you don't get water involved until AFTER you're done scrubbing, you're good.
Yup done a ton of orks with it. Use a dirty dettol jar for the first quick clean up. Then a cleaner dettol jar to finish. Never use water, always use metho to clean up. And an electric tooth brush is the way to go.
For a comparison see if you can dig up the test done by Goober town hobbies in which he tested a number of stripping methods. The lad is a former Chemist so you know, he nerds out on that stuff. I think his best results were with LA Totally Awesome but not sure what that is. Also at the time Bio-Strip was not available. But it provides some decent feedback
I use Denatured alcohol since IPA is really expensive here, and it works just as fine. I have been using the same tub of alcohol since i started which is great for cost, the water might change color, and there might be chunks from various desolved basing at the bottom, but after 100+ miniatures I could just filter it through a coffee filter and it was perfectly fine for use again. I usually just dump them in and leave them overnight.
It's worth nothing don't ever use denatured alcohol/methylated spirits on resin miniatures. It will either make them brittle and crumbly or soft and rubbery depending on the resin. So plastic and metal only. Isopropyl is fine for resin miniatures. But like you said it's significantly more expensive and harder to get in some areas. In Australia unless you go to a speciality chemical supply store the only thing available is a 250ml bottle for $8
For reference we call it Methylated Spirits in the UK, it's the purple stuff iirc £2 per bottle from Poundland, it works OK, it's what i use as i am typically fine with a partial strip and i already have it around to clean my Airbrush. I find it's really variable, sometimes it strips off the paint literally like an orange peel no joke, but most of the time it's only good for removing really thick stuff, which again is fine for me. Personally i don't soak for long, i don't like to risk it as i've actually had bad experiences with Biostrip and older GW minis that were made from a softer plastic.
I've used the cheap own brand paint stripper from screwfix which looks a lot like the powerstrip stuff you're using. Used to be £4 for a 500ml bottle but recently had gone up to over £6. Works well. Nail polish remover is extremely effective, but DO NOT USE ON PLASTIC! Metal minis only. It also helps clean off old superglue on metal minis. That can be picked up cheaply from the local pound shop quite easily if you have a unit of metal minis.
I always swore by IPA and was happy with it, better than dettol or elbow grease. Tried biostrip20 and it is really good for doing the heavy lifting but then once it's rinsed off I do the same as you guys and stick it in the IPA for a bit, either a shot glass, jar or Tupperware depending on how many/big the models. You don't need to fully submerge them either, the vapours work good enough with a lid on and just give them a shake now and again to slosh the IPA all over them.
Yeah the biostrip and IPA method is the winner for most efficient we think. Although it does involve buying two different products which is the downside
bottles of methylated spirits are cheaper than isopropanol. I use an ultrasonic cleaner, an electric toothbrush, and a mixture or methylated spirits, isopropanol, and brushsoap to strip minis.
I've found that absolutely nothing works as well as meths in an ultrasound cleaner, I don't use anything else, now. There's very little scrubbing involved.
So with Bio-Strip, why don't people just paint it onto minis instead of contaminating the whole bucket with a few minis? From what I have seen, the minis come out coated in it anyway. I don't know that it is available in Aus. None of my suppliers stock it or know about it.
Yeah we do. It depends on the mini though, sometimes we just leave the heads off things. Although the storm raven was an eBay rescue, we wouldn’t paint every piece on its own and use super glue!
@@the_kieran_show 😅 every piece on its own is definitely psycho behaviour. im currently watching the chaos wolf army showcase, amazing! i completely agree with kieran when it comes to the orks tho.
I use simple green diluted 50/50 with water and soak it overnight. Use a toothbrush to remove the paint as one does and then i use my airbrush with just water to remove and paint i couldn't reach with the brush.
Using a sonicator comes with a downside though... if you are not careful with the timing, the heat in the water/medium can go ghigh enough to deform the plastic.
I just use brake fluid. Will clean off all your layer paint, occasionally some primers may be more difficult to shift completely, but as you're repriming them, it's generally impossible to see.
I'm not certain but i am fairly sure brake fluid/'gun cleaner' etc will annihilate plastic minis (idk maybe if you're really quick rinsing it), however it makes metal minis better than brand new, great if you find anything you think might be worth selling.
Rubbing alcohol has additives that are not found in Isopropyl alcohol. For the sake of this function, stripping miniatures, it probably doesn't matter but for many uses that difference does matter.
You can have some luck using IPA and scrubbing it off, depends how much glue and the brand though. Other wise, you can get little sanding sticks of various strengths and file it off, which is what I had to do with the stormraven when it came time to glue it back together
Not sure as we are in UK. Typically we buy it from Amazon, alternatively ElementGames over here in the UK sells it and does provide international shipping
Get IPA Julian, at worst it's going to cost you as much than this import. Just put your plastic minis (no resin though) in a sealed container with IPA for a few day and get your toothbrush. Works 100%.
Heard mixed reviews about that. think it’s because it’s typically designed for paint brushes and as a white spirit alternative. Be interested to give it a go though for the sake of science!
Well technically with the tenth edition you don't need to do that. Your miniatures can literally be any colors you want. You don't have to follow any guideline or chapter anymore for colors.
![ILLSLICK - WINTER IS COMING [Official Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/dwTMeM1zIhQ/mqdefault.jpg)
isopropyl alcohol. Works wonders. Almost 100 percent removal. Just rub with the bristles of a toothbrush.
Yeah as we showed in the video it does work really well, can just be slightly harder to get some of those recesses with a toothbrush!
If you can, you should also get a dental pick. It does wonders for the recesses where the bristles of a brush won't reach. It's perfect for stuff like Tau Battlesuits.
Using an airbrush with just water will clean out those recesses.
Honestly the simplest and safest for plastic. Leaving your minis a few days in a sealed tub with Isopropyl alcohol and using an old toothbrush absolutely works. BUT NEVER USE IT WITH RESIN. It will definitely gum it up and soften the resin.
So far in the US, I've found Simple Green Concentrate and Purple Power are the best at stripping paint down- some of the other 'paint strippers' just don't cut it.
Cheap. I'll give it a try. Thanks for the tip!
@@kevincaruthers5412 be very careful when using it on 3D printed resin- for some reason, it sometimes has no effect... other times it can soften it or even turn it into mush.
@@elijahherstal776 Good to know!
Some other miniature painters I watch, one uses the ultra sonic cleaner. Seems to work great for him. Another did a testing video of a few different cleaners, Simple Green and L.A. Super Clean were two of the few he tried out. He liked the Super Clean most.
Interesting! Would love to try an ultrasonic one day
What I've always used is Dettol. Takes a bit of brushing afterwards, but works well for a household chemical! Especially on metal models.
Never had any success with Dettol. Found it just makes the models gunky. biostrip is the MVP
I like Dettol, honestly. Leaves the detail crisp, and it's 100% not going to kill you. Sure it might take a little scrubbing, but as long as you don't get water involved until AFTER you're done scrubbing, you're good.
I've recently just used that to strip a few predator doors. It's really good stuff!
Yup done a ton of orks with it. Use a dirty dettol jar for the first quick clean up. Then a cleaner dettol jar to finish. Never use water, always use metho to clean up. And an electric tooth brush is the way to go.
Good video guys, was just the information I was after. Bonus reason for me to subscribe - I am also called Kieran!
Glad we could help! KIERAN’S UNITE!
For a comparison see if you can dig up the test done by Goober town hobbies in which he tested a number of stripping methods. The lad is a former Chemist so you know, he nerds out on that stuff. I think his best results were with LA Totally Awesome but not sure what that is. Also at the time Bio-Strip was not available. But it provides some decent feedback
I use Denatured alcohol since IPA is really expensive here, and it works just as fine. I have been using the same tub of alcohol since i started which is great for cost, the water might change color, and there might be chunks from various desolved basing at the bottom, but after 100+ miniatures I could just filter it through a coffee filter and it was perfectly fine for use again. I usually just dump them in and leave them overnight.
Yeah IPA can totally depend on the location really for both strength and price
It's worth nothing don't ever use denatured alcohol/methylated spirits on resin miniatures. It will either make them brittle and crumbly or soft and rubbery depending on the resin. So plastic and metal only.
Isopropyl is fine for resin miniatures. But like you said it's significantly more expensive and harder to get in some areas. In Australia unless you go to a speciality chemical supply store the only thing available is a 250ml bottle for $8
@@Ryan30z yeah i had to learn that the hard way.
For reference we call it Methylated Spirits in the UK, it's the purple stuff iirc £2 per bottle from Poundland, it works OK, it's what i use as i am typically fine with a partial strip and i already have it around to clean my Airbrush. I find it's really variable, sometimes it strips off the paint literally like an orange peel no joke, but most of the time it's only good for removing really thick stuff, which again is fine for me. Personally i don't soak for long, i don't like to risk it as i've actually had bad experiences with Biostrip and older GW minis that were made from a softer plastic.
I've used the cheap own brand paint stripper from screwfix which looks a lot like the powerstrip stuff you're using. Used to be £4 for a 500ml bottle but recently had gone up to over £6. Works well. Nail polish remover is extremely effective, but DO NOT USE ON PLASTIC! Metal minis only. It also helps clean off old superglue on metal minis. That can be picked up cheaply from the local pound shop quite easily if you have a unit of metal minis.
I always swore by IPA and was happy with it, better than dettol or elbow grease. Tried biostrip20 and it is really good for doing the heavy lifting but then once it's rinsed off I do the same as you guys and stick it in the IPA for a bit, either a shot glass, jar or Tupperware depending on how many/big the models. You don't need to fully submerge them either, the vapours work good enough with a lid on and just give them a shake now and again to slosh the IPA all over them.
Yeah the biostrip and IPA method is the winner for most efficient we think. Although it does involve buying two different products which is the downside
a man of culture i see
Getting older oil based paints off is easy, oven cleaner. Works like a charm.
bottles of methylated spirits are cheaper than isopropanol. I use an ultrasonic cleaner, an electric toothbrush, and a mixture or methylated spirits, isopropanol, and brushsoap to strip minis.
I've found that absolutely nothing works as well as meths in an ultrasound cleaner, I don't use anything else, now. There's very little scrubbing involved.
Also a cheap airbrush cleaner and great if you need to clean your workspace, dry palate or a last resort to try and save a brush.
I live in finland, what could work for me as an replacement for biostripper?
"power stripper"!😅
Any from of acrylic paint stripper should work! As long as it not solvent based or anything hard like that!
So with Bio-Strip, why don't people just paint it onto minis instead of contaminating the whole bucket with a few minis? From what I have seen, the minis come out coated in it anyway. I don't know that it is available in Aus. None of my suppliers stock it or know about it.
so it doesn't affect the plastic? like melting or something?
Nope not at all. Safe to use all all GW plastic kits (forge world is another ball game though)
cheers foe the vid. with the super glue after paint thing, you guys never paint models with subassemblies?
Yeah we do. It depends on the mini though, sometimes we just leave the heads off things. Although the storm raven was an eBay rescue, we wouldn’t paint every piece on its own and use super glue!
@@the_kieran_show 😅 every piece on its own is definitely psycho behaviour. im currently watching the chaos wolf army showcase, amazing!
i completely agree with kieran when it comes to the orks tho.
Is that my packed lunch box. 😮
Was*
I use simple green diluted 50/50 with water and soak it overnight. Use a toothbrush to remove the paint as one does and then i use my airbrush with just water to remove and paint i couldn't reach with the brush.
Would love to give the simple green method a go, but we just can’t get it in the UK very easily 😕
Yeah invest in an electric toothbrush and disposable gloves. Always you safety glasses. Do it in an area where it can handel messy spray.
How did you dispose of the Biostrip? Surely this doesn’t go down the sink…
It’s water based, dilutes when you wash it off and it’s non toxic so safe to wash it down the sink.
Biostrip clues in the name 🤦♂️
Using a sonicator comes with a downside though... if you are not careful with the timing, the heat in the water/medium can go ghigh enough to deform the plastic.
Yeah it does sound like it’s has its drawbacks, biostrip just seems like the best way with the least drawbacks!
I just use brake fluid. Will clean off all your layer paint, occasionally some primers may be more difficult to shift completely, but as you're repriming them, it's generally impossible to see.
Brake fluid! Not heard that one before!
@@the_kieran_show we did that in the olden days, when minis were cast of pewter. but that stuff has outlived it's purpose, IMHO.
I'm not certain but i am fairly sure brake fluid/'gun cleaner' etc will annihilate plastic minis (idk maybe if you're really quick rinsing it), however it makes metal minis better than brand new, great if you find anything you think might be worth selling.
Rubbing alcohol has additives that are not found in Isopropyl alcohol. For the sake of this function, stripping miniatures, it probably doesn't matter but for many uses that difference does matter.
Iso breaks down the polymer bonds of the resins used in Forge World miniatures, I think. Ask Goobertown, he'll certainly know.
Methylated spirits and a sonic cleaner
What about anything that can remove super glue from 3D printed miniatures/regular plastic minis?
You can have some luck using IPA and scrubbing it off, depends how much glue and the brand though. Other wise, you can get little sanding sticks of various strengths and file it off, which is what I had to do with the stormraven when it came time to glue it back together
superglue is brittle. you can just break it off.
Put your mini in the freezer ! After 15mn you should be able to gently snap the parts off. Cyanoacrylate doesn't like the cold and gets brittle.
@@the_arcanum It's not waterproof either so warm soapy water sorts it out as well
Other figures go in The Jar
Warhammer Minis go in The Tub
Is there any way I can get biostrip in the us?
Not sure as we are in UK. Typically we buy it from Amazon, alternatively ElementGames over here in the UK sells it and does provide international shipping
Get IPA Julian, at worst it's going to cost you as much than this import. Just put your plastic minis (no resin though) in a sealed container with IPA for a few day and get your toothbrush. Works 100%.
in the U.S., you can get a cleaning agent called simple green
I use Orange Oil Cleaner, it destroys the paint.
Get clean sprite from wilkos works just as good and is really cheap it's £2.25 for a 500ml bottle
Heard mixed reviews about that. think it’s because it’s typically designed for paint brushes and as a white spirit alternative. Be interested to give it a go though for the sake of science!
It really does work well has to be clean sprite though as White sprite melts yours models as I found that out the hard why
Well technically with the tenth edition you don't need to do that. Your miniatures can literally be any colors you want. You don't have to follow any guideline or chapter anymore for colors.
Totally agree. Just meaning if you’re starting a new army for 10th like we were.