The Energon Pub

[jayc]

Hey guys. I'd like to remove the yellow stripe from Henkei Ironhide. I liked the idea of it but it's annoyingly uneven and I think the toy would look better without it.

Any help would be appreciated.

[Mykltron]

If it's painted on, keep rubbing it till it wears off.

Nail varnish remover.

Isopropyl is supposed to be good.

[jayc]

Thanks. Would using either of those affect the plastic?

[Grimpoo]

Varnish can make the plastic soft...and shiny. be super careful as it will start to melt the plastic to the shape or form of what your wiping it with. try a lint free cloth.

[Mykltron]

Someone on another thread recommended soaking the figure in isopropyl (I don't know if I spelled that correctly) overnight and then the paint should just fall off. This suggests it won't harm the plastic but you'd best do some more research about that before trying. There must be some dedicated model painting forums where you could find this out - maybe there'd be more people on one of those who know about this stuff, cos there don't seem to be that many kitbashers here.

[jayc]

Thanks, guys. I want the stripe gone but I don't want to ruin the toy, either.

[flix]

I always use isoprophyl, it usually does the trick,and does not damage the plastic. It works really fast, sometimes you can wipe the paint right off. (so be carefull if there are still paint elements you wish to preserve)
So far the only thing i wasn't able to remove yet is that white crap on premium movie ironhide's windows.

[jayc]

OK, great. That sounds like the way to go. Thanks for the help.

[jayc]

Flix, what about soaking a piece in the alcohol? Have you tried that?

[flix]

works great, if you just leave it in a closed jar for a night you can clean it off with a tooth brush and dry cloth or paper towel in the morning.

why a closed jar?
Isoprophyl fumes will give you a headache.. always try to use this in a room that has some kind of ventilation. (I never do this because for some reason I like headaches... )
Normally you even have to wear gloves to handle this stuff, so be at least a little bit careful with this stuff


Why a tooth brush?
It is very handy when you're cleaning a very detailed toy to have a tool that is able to reach into those small openings and rough surfaces. Never,... I repeat, Never use your own tooth brush.

(oh yeah, Isoprophyl is also very good when you're using Tamiya paint...for cleaning, thinner, etc..)


also when you take out the plastic out of the Isoprophyl sometimes the translucent plastic sometimes need some extra cleaning to become shiny again.

I think I Leftlong arm in a jar for three days and he still came out ok (that blue stuff was a pain in the ass though).
If you're not sure about this yet try it with a toy you don't really care about first.


good luck

gotta go back to work and drill some holes into Blackout's legs.

[jayc]

Good stuff. Good tip about the toothbrush. I appreciate it.