I screwed up big time and I need some advice for what I can do. I wanted to mark my Rebel squadrons with Sharpie markers, but first I decided to spay them with gray primer. The primer turned out to be way too dark and I could barely make out the Sharpie markings. I did an online search and found a forum post that gave a solution to removing primer. Soak the miniatures in non-acetone nail polish remover, then scrub off the primer with a toothbrush. I tried that, but the remover did not do a good job of removing the primer, and now the fighters are as pliable as gummi bears. What are my options at this point? Is there a way to restore them? Should I swallow hard and buy new fighters? I feel really stupid right now.
Made a bad mistake, need advice
At first you could put your fighters in a good bath of soap and handwarm water and wash them thoroughly. Then take hot water and bend them into the right shape and throw them in iced (or at least cold) water afterwards. This might help, but is no guarantee.
What was the nail polish-remover?
It was just a generic brand.
They don't need to be shaped, but they are way more flexible than they should be.
Yeah, sorry, I think you're sol. Acetone should only ever be used on metal models. In the future you can use use simple green to remove paint safely from plastic if left in for a day or so.
Edit: Don't feel stupid, you got some bad advice and took it on faith. You're not the first.
Edited by PhortKnightJust dry brush a lighter gray on
Whenever I strip paint after buying used miniatures on ebay, I mix 50/50 water and Pine Sol and soak them in that for about 1/2 a day or as need and then scrub them with an old toothbrush. I works great but I these miniatures are so small that they may get too soft if you aren't careful, so I would go easy with the Pine Sol at first. It won't get every speck of paint but definitely enough to be able to repaint them a lighter color.
Another option is a mix of simple green and water. Let them soak for about an hour, then hit them with a toothbrush. DO NOT LET THEM SOAK TO LONG! If you do, the plastic will melt, and you will lose detail.
Another option is a mix of simple green and water. Let them soak for about an hour, then hit them with a toothbrush. DO NOT LET THEM SOAK TO LONG! If you do, the plastic will melt, and you will lose detail.
Yes, the important thing is to regularly take them out and test to see how the miniatures are holding up. You want the paint to come off, but not the details. Each type of miniature I test with Pine Sol, Simple Green... etc has a different resistance to the liquid and I feel like these miniatures are a bit more fragile, so be careful but it should work. What I would personally do it strip as much as I can, then repaint them a lighter color with a thin amount of paint. I used Games Workshop Dheneb Stone and it was the perfect color in my opinion. It was also a base paint so it went on with only one coat.
Also proper primer on plastic won't come off. If it was just regular spray paint then it can flake off with the right stuff (simple green is usually the recommended approach). Nail polish remover ate your models. I think you're out of luck.
Edited by TheAmbitAfter waiting overnight, they are not longer as pliable. They have not been destroyed, but I'll either have to paint them for real now instead of using sharpies, or leave them as they are. I should have hired someone to paint them for me, someone who knows what he's doing.
Do nott stick your head in a microwave...It could have been a total disaster...This tuitorial does nott have the sharpie technique but it shows one easy method for painting these teeny tiny miniatures...
Edited by meekorI used purple power and soaked over night. the next day I used a toothbrush and all paint came off my models none where damaged.
Sounds like its way to late as there is no way to get that plastic hard once again as its already been damaged with a sovent.
I normally use Simple green straight out of the bottle, don't water it down and let the items sit overnight. On tougher items you can try Automotive Brake Fuild, Its designed not to attack rubber or plastic.
I would second the use of automotive brake fluid. I have used that on all kinds of minis and plastic models and it works great. As the original person who posted here found out, it's always best to try a small amount first and see what happens before going all out and trying it on everything.