How To Remove Paint From Miniatures

Miniatures are small decorative equipment of ranging different sizes and yes there are many people who are fond of it.

Do you still own an old miniature and want to change the color? Well to do so, first, you have to remove the old paint.

Now how will this happen? Striping paints might be a tough job to do and need to be handled very carefully.

In this article, let me guide you through striping paint from your miniatures. Read out this full article for more information.

There are two basic methods to remove paint from your miniatures:

Use a solvent
Ultrasonic cleaner

Do not worry, I will explain how you can easily remove paint by using one of each method. Stay with me.

Striping Paint With Solvents

There are some needed things you might have before painting off your miniature. Though that’s gonna take some time.

Notice: it is recommended to remove paint under the supervision of an elder as some solvents might be dangerous and need precautions.

First, you need an old miniature with old paint.
Two jars one for solvent and it should be with a lid as some solvents have a bad odor and the other for rinsing without a lid.
Two clean and soft brushes for scrubbing.
Scrapper or toothpick to scrub the paint from the deep spot of the miniature.
Use newspaper on the table or ground while removing paint that would prevent your working area.

Steps Stripping Paint From Miniature

Before starting, make sure about the following things regarding your miniature.

Check the material your miniature is made of as some solvents might damage the structure once soaked in it. Likewise, for resin, the solvent might destructure your miniature and you will get a soft and mushy material at the end.

If the miniature is attached to the plastic base, detach the plastic base as solvents also damage the plastic and make it soft. Furthermore, read the precautions of the solvent and the hazards to other materials so you might be clear on whether to use it or not.

Also, you can try this method on a cheap miniature to know about its works on your precious miniature.

Step 1

Take out the jar with the lid and fill it with your chemical paint remover (Acetone – Nail Polish Remover) you can use your own but it might be at risk.

Now gently place your miniature into the jar and close the lid. Use a transparent jar for this work as you must see the results after some time.

The solvent must take a few time ranges between 2 to 3 hours, as you are sure about your miniature material you can leave it in the solvent for a longer time.

Strong chemicals may damage the structure in just 3 hours so it’s a fine solution to check it at regular intervals to prevent harm.

Step 2

It includes scrubbing, once the miniature paint turns into loose and soft slime, give it a nice scrub with a soft and clean brush. For hard corners, use a water pipe or toothpick to wipe them off from the nasty corners and for the fine details.

Step 3

After scrubbing if the paint is clean from the miniature leave it for a nice dry. But sometimes there are hard corners in the miniature and you cannot easily wipe out the paint.

Gently dip the miniature in the solvent again and while putting gloves on give it a try to strip the paint.

Step 4

After applying all three steps it’s time to rinse your miniature on tap water or you can simply use a mini tub for rinse. After cleaning the miniature you can now dry and clean it with towels or velour.

Step 5

The end of this step involves perseverance of the solvent you are using; a typical solvent may last for a couple of years.

After whipping your miniature make sure all the pain has been removed from it or you can repeat the process until you are not satisfied with cleaning. These are the simple steps for stripping the paint off of your miniature and you can easily DIY at home or outside your courtyard.

There is another hard paint like enamel that resists and is hard enough to remove. Paint mixed with glue is also a tough job to remove. For perfect removal of paint use a toothpick.

Solvents/Chemicals – Which Is Better

For cleaning purposes, there is a huge range of cleaners, fluids, and other things you might be aware of for removing the paint.

Also, every chemical is not available due to age restrictions so use the right solvent for removing the paint.

Do not use strong chemicals as if it works fast, they will also be capable of dissolving your miniature and making it soft.

The solvents explained below are region specific and choose the best you might use or if you want to buy the new solvent for its features mark it feasible in your country.

BioStrip (UK Product)
Pine oil-based cleaners
Acetone (Nail Polish Remover)
Chloroxylenol (Dettol)
Isopropyl Alcohol
Methylated Alcohol
Other Cleaners, Fairy power spray, contact cleaner

Generally, you should avoid using harsh and strong chemicals for your minis as damage is one thing. Sometimes it becomes a catastrophe and can’t be reversible.

Removing Paint From Ultrasonic Bath

A small tub machine is used to clean jewelry or glasses, you just place the items in the tub filled with water and close the lid of the container.

After a few times, you will get clean jewelry or glasses whatever you placed in the tub. You can also adopt the same method for cleaning miniatures. It is very convenient to remove paint from the hard parts of the corner.

You can get the same results with the ultrasonic bath and it is easier than using solvents. In addition to the bath, make sure to read the manual and place the miniature for the paint removal process. One wash would not be enough for some hard paint, use twice of this method and you will get the desired result. Also, you can add dishwashing soap for the cleaning process.

Final Verdict

Overall, both methods are quite effective and are used to strip off the paint from miniatures. The ultrasonic bath may be expensive as some of them might not be able to spend money.

Painting unique miniatures is a very artistic approach and also it is not worth buying an expensive machine for washing miniatures.

So here is a brief guide on how you can remove paint from miniatures in two simple ways. It is up to the user’s choice to adopt any method for cleaning.

Hey! Good luck with your cleaning miniature.

Peter Fredrick

AUTHOR

Hello mates, This is Peter Fredrick — a professional Psychologist and full-time writer. I have gained interest in writing animated comics and novels to entertain users in a friendly and easy way. Being a writer, I have 10 successful years of writing and creating helpful content about manga novels that a famous among youngsters and children. I would love to portray easy access to every summary of famous anime novels.