Learn to Love the Gunk

After spending years on eBay chasing models, I've come to place more value on those miniature mishaps that look like they were painted with a roller instead of a brush.

It might just be my quirky logic, but I find that older minis buried in acrylic goop have been insulated from some of the detail obscuring wear that is common for '80s Citadel lead stuff.
Additionally, there is a bit of comfort for me in my assumption that gunked up minis are not as likely to be recasts. Not to say that there are no painted recasts, it's just that most of the recasts for sale tend to be quite shiny & paint free.

Proof:

I love that painted face!

Stripped, this guy was super clean with great detail. Survival insured by no less than 6 layers of paint in spots.


Anyone else similarly afflicted with an unreasonable love for the gunk?

Absolutely! I love restoring old figures, I get a real kick out of stripping a figure that's been covered in thick gloopy paint. The only problem I've encountered was stripping an old Citadel Vampire (the one with bat like wings outstretched). I got all of the paint off but I was a bit too enthusiastic with the scrubbing and scrubbed his nose off.

So what methods do you guys use for stripping paints, particularly enamels?

I love gunked up minis - there were 2 identical half-orcs on ebay yesterday, one clean went for £7+ I got the gunked one and a second damaged half orc for £1.20

The first thing I do is drop the minis into big jars of Simple Green and leave them there until I'm ready to strip them. This tends to loosen glues so shield & bases can be removed and then I scrub them with a variety of brushes. If the paint is stil stubbornly refusing to shift I drop them into Acetone Free Nail Polish Remover for 20 mins or so scrub and repeat if necessary. I'd say 90% of the minis never have to go near the AFNPR which is great cause it stinks. Though not as bad as Dettol.

Speaking of Dettol recently I've started using it on large batches of plastic minis. I just fill an ice cream tub with dettol and drop the minis in and forget about them for a few weeks. Then I scrub and voila stinking but clean minis. As with gremlins though don't let them near water until they are cleaned. BTW to remove the smell I just drop them into simple green over night.

There you go - all my secrets revealed

I wish Dettol was (widely) available in Sweden... =/ Same goes for Simple Green.

I've had good experience with a product called Colour Off. Acetone was my weapon of choice before that. I've tried brake fluids too, it worked to some extent. Oven cleaner too. Nothing have been as universally successful as Colour Off though. Would like to give Dettol a go as everybody in the UK seem to swear by it.

I tend to always buy the gunk/painted versions of ebay, they go for so much cheaper so therefore i can get a larger lead fix by getting more toys for my buck. And yes Dettol is my friend.

Citadel Collector":2rdbunzy said:

So what methods do you guys use for stripping paints, particularly enamels?

Click to expand...

Acetone is key for enamels & primers. I use a stiff bristle stipple brush (Say that 5X fast!) to remove the paint while holding the mini in an acetone bath. Given the strength of acetone, you really don't need to soak the minis like you would with Simple Green.

The only downside to acetone is that it will melt plastics & resin right quick.

@phreedh - Have you ever tried ordering them from Amazon or are there restrictions on posting liquids out of the UK. I'm lucky enough that Dettol is widely available in Ireland and there is the Irih supplier of Simple Green is located near my folks house in Dublin.

@Naagruz - is there much of a difference between Acetone and the Acetone Free products? I've only ever used the latter.

For enamels I use the cheapest Acetone based nail polish remover I can buy, it also melts most glues which can be handy.

For plastic/resin models I use Acetone free nail polish remover from Supadrug. I can buy this very cheaply locally and it remove the paint in seconds rather than leaving them overnight.

I use brake fluid, just drop the figures in it and leave for a day or two then brush off under a tap.