# An amateur stripper's guide to dettol...



## squeek (Jun 8, 2008)

Hi all,

Having read around this site and a few others about various techniques for stripping miniatures, I thought I would have a go, since I had a load of old space wolves to strip.

I decided to try using dettol (no idea if it is available outside of the UK, or what it would be called...), it has been mentioned a few times as safe with plastic, but no where had a guide so I experimented! :mrgreen:

I don't have pictures unfortunately as I my camera was at my G/Fs, but may take some next time. However, I thought I would write up how it went in case anyone finds it useful.

As an aside, I did a test using cheap un-branded disinfectant and it was useless.

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Ok so here goes!

You will need:



Dettol *The brown bottle* (A small bottle will do as it has to be diluted, it costs a couple of quid max, though most adults over the age of 30 odd will own a bottle as it was the disinfectant/sore throat gargle juice of choice a few decades ago)


Jam jars with lids


Cocktail sticks (toothpicks in the US?)


A bucket


Some cold water


Some hot water (not so hot you wouldn't hold your hand in it)


Washing up liquid (fairy, etc)


Kitchen towel (for drying things and cleaning up spills)


A small sieve (or some tongs) to make life easier...



Oh, and a few minutes here and there to do each stage...


Prep

Break the miniatures down as much as possible, without harming the models obviously. The paint will strip better if the arms and weapons, etc, are separate.

Mix some dettol and water in a jam jar, enough to completely cover whatever models and bits you are putting in to it, (I used roughly 4:1/5:1 water to dettol). The dettol mixture will look exactly like milk. *DON'T DRINK IT* It tastes horrid! :laugh: The reason I diluted it is that is how it is supposed to be used, as with most disinfectants, and I didn't fancy the risk of burning the plastic bits, plus it uses less dettol.

Put the models and bits in to the dettol, without splashing too much preferably, and screw the lid on the jam jar/s, (dettol will make your room smell like a hospital if you don't use lids).

Leave overnight.


Stripping

_The fun bit _

Take your jam jars to the kitchen/utility room sink (if you aren't messy the only evidence of your passing will be a faint smell of disinfectant, hardly a bug bear for a house-proud spouse/parent  ).

Part fill the bucket with hot water (remember, not too hot) and add a little washing up liquid (I could tell you why scientifically, but all you need to know is it stops the paint being so sticky).

Fish the models and bits out of the jam jars; I used the sieve and poured the dettol and models through it over another jam jar (the dettol can be re-used :shok: ). Put all the models and bits in to the soapy water. This will help to loosen the paint a little, reduce the stickiness and stop you smelling quite so...clean!

As you pick each model or bit out of the bucket rub it between your fingers to remove the majority of the paint, and then use the cocktail stick to work the loose paint out of the recesses of the models. If you have left the models in the dettol long enough, and/or the original paint wasn't too thick, most of the paint should just fall off in your fingers. The paint that has been loosened by the dettol will be sticky and pliable, if you meet any rock hard paint then leave it for round two.

*Note:* the cocktail stick is good because it is cheap, it breaks before your model does, and even with plastic it shouldn't leave scratches (assuming you aren't too rough)


Round Two

Ok, so if like me you have a few little bits of paint left on your models, then just pop them back in the dettol and repeat the whole process.

Remember to thoroughly rinse your models before repainting! :good:

The dettol mixture is re-usable, however not indefinitely. After 3 goes mine lost its opaque, milkiness and went a translucent brown. Time for a new batch me thinks! This wont damage your models, just means the active ingredient isn't quite so active any more! :biggrin:

After thoughts

Although perhaps not as straight forward as brake fluid or other methods, the result is the same. My models had about 24 hours in the dettol and needed another quick go afterwards to get the last fragments of paint, but then they were painted by a ham-fisted two year old with a 4 inch brush...(or so it appears  )

The benefits of this approach are the relative safety of dettol (you can gargle with it uke: ), and the fact it is totally safe with plastic having been designed to clean kitchens and people. I say totally safe... perhaps I should say it didn't even slightly discolour my plastic bits :biggrin:

Anyways, hopefully my experiment will be useful for someone


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## Trigger (Mar 12, 2008)

Awww, I thought there would be mucky pictures!


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## squeek (Jun 8, 2008)

Believe it or not, I named the thread with you in mind Trigger 

It feels nice to be right! :mrgreen:


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## tomasprichard (Jul 26, 2008)

Hi Squeek,

I have been looking all over for something like this, most places seem to suggest supergreen which I cant buy here, or brake fluid which may or may not rot plastic minis and is nasty stuff!

What sort of sieve did you use? Where can I get one?

Does it work on primer?

Do you have to leave them overnight or just a few hours?

Thanx!


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## squeek (Jun 8, 2008)

Hi Tomas,

I can't get supergreen either, I am fairly sure it is only available in the US? Brake fluid definitely is not good for plastic, I have seen the results of a friends attempt!:laugh:

The seive I use is for straining tea, and so on, in to cups and is roughly 3 inch (75mm in new money) across. I got mine from a supermarket, either Morrisons or Tesco I think.

It strips all the way to metal/plastic on very badly painted models, so I think it will easily do primer. I say I think as I don't know what the models I used it for were primed with. Can't see why not though...

I left mine overnight as I was in no rush and the paint was very thick (almost all the facial features were obscured in to an oval blob!), I would think less time is fine, maybe 3-4 hours? Just put them in as normal and pull a model out every hour as a test piece


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## Menathorn (Jun 10, 2008)

Hi Squeek, 

Since I am from Sweden and never heard of dettol I hit google with it. And found that it is used for Tattoos. Is it the same one? Looking like the one I have attached. 

Thanks for a great guide! 

Best Regards
Menathorn


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## Drachaos (Apr 10, 2008)

Thats the stuff alright!

and and for everyones info on this... we can use this neat without using water, it doesn't harm plastics! Basically you can use neat and have the model stripped in 3 hours, without damage.


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## fiori (Jul 27, 2008)

A great guide. Strangely enough I only just got some used models the other day and had been looking at ways to strip them. I only really foudn this thread after I found out the best way, so I had a few trail and errors before I got it right.

First after I heard people say that dettol (I live in the UK) is the best I found some in my cupboard and left it for the night and in morning the black paint came of the metal model relatively ok but no on any of the other, plastic and metal, which were painted red. So I thought hmmm until I found out that its the disinfectant dettol (the brown one) not the multi surface cleaner I was using (the green one).

So next I went off to tesco to pick up some dettol, but I found tesco did their own brand for half the price and double the amount you get in it, so I figured, why pay extra for a fancy name. So I left the models overnight and in the morning they did exactly the same as the green dettol. grrrrr

So I finally gave in and bought some brown dettol, (it was only £2.50 I think for Morrisons, but im a tight bugger) Left it overnight and in the morning the paint just came off when yuo touched them. Not to say its easy to strip them though because they are very sticky, but like squeek says just put em in water with washing up liquid and it helps slightly. 

Some of the paint came off in the bowl as gooey lumps but for those that staed on I just got a paper towel and gave em abit of a rub to get the most off and them used a toothbrush to finish it. I tried using coctail sticks but they just kept breaking, so instead I found a long needle (I'm not sure what its called but it was metal and about 3 times the size of a normal needle with flat sides) This provided invaluable because not only did it help get in the tight parts it also gave great leverage to pull apart the models which didnt want to budge by hand.

I got about 85 models and so far about 70% are done and my hands feel very tired now. I'm probably going to run out of steam before I start painting but if it wasnt for dettol I would have never got it done, shame this thread was just a day late for me, but great advice.

(oh and I gave meth and white spirits a try too which work slightly, but seem to be more trouble than they are worth so dont even bother)


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## LemonScampi (Jun 5, 2008)

Don't suppose anyone has advice for getting the sticky residue off do they? If I just leave them a while will it dry out? I mean it isn't clogging any detail, every model was scrubbed with a toothbrush, then wiped over with kitchen roll, it's just theres a thin layer of "stickiness" all over them.


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## fiori (Jul 27, 2008)

Ye i got that alot, but just put them in warmish water with washing up liquid for a few hours and it usually soaks off.


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## squeek (Jun 8, 2008)

Glad it was useful everyone 

I hadn't realised there were two types of Dettol, don't do as much cleaning as perhaps I should  But yes it is the brown bottle you want.

I will change the top post to say so too.

Oh, and LemonScampi, as Fiori says just wash it in warm soapy water and dry it with a paper towel and once the model is dry there should be no residue left. If you aren't having any luck it may be because of an odd primer, in which case try a quick wash for metals only in nail polish remover.


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## LemonScampi (Jun 5, 2008)

I think the problem is getting into the details to remove the sticky crap, I'll have at them with something long and pokey and some kitchen roll though, thanks though, it was a great guide.

Just a note, prolonged exposure to detol turns ones finger tips yellow


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## squeek (Jun 8, 2008)

Not had that problem myself, if you follow the stages I wrote you should be able to avoid too much exposure to dettol, since the majority of the cleaning is post bucket of hot soapy water 

I would recommend a cocktail stick/toothpick for the crevices of the detailed areas.

Good luck!


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## bloodthrister (Mar 29, 2008)

Just do it during the day and gently shake (or stir) the jar you keep the dettol (+minis) in every hour. than after about 5 hours you dont even have to rub most paint off! it already got off


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## delta555 (May 27, 2008)

will this work on glue thas what i need...
ghille suit conversion gone bad


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## humakt (Jan 2, 2008)

I'll try this on a resin model and see if it works on this as well. Everything else melts it.


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## squeek (Jun 8, 2008)

Good luck Humakt, do post up the results of your experiment with resin 

@delta555: It weakens superglue bonds, as do most stripping processes, nothing much will shift poly cement plastic to plastic in my experience (someone else may know better).

For the large blobs of superglue most should be relatively easy to pick off afterwards, but any stubborn stuff can be got rid of in two ways. If on metal you can wash with nail polish remover (this will definitely melt plastic mind you!), if on plastic try putting it in the freezer compartment for a bit, this may weaken poly cement bonds too. Should be relatively easy to lever apart then.

Good luck!


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## humakt (Jan 2, 2008)

Ok, well it works on resin as well. I have just stripped a forgeworld russ turrent with no ill affects. This was using the diluted solution.

I also used a hard bristled tooth brush to remove stubborn blobs with no scratching of the model. This was a tank, so not sure how this would work on a foot trooper.


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## Haraldrr (Jan 29, 2008)

Would it work if i got like a pack-up box and put about 40 mini's in it? lol


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## Haraldrr (Jan 29, 2008)

Oh , and would it get rid of green stuff?


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## nellis14 (Dec 8, 2009)

@ brother wulox 
yes it will work in a lunch box box with 40 minis in it =] becuase thats what im doing, 
it doesnt affact green stuff from what i have seen but usally i am pulling it off anyway to restore the model to 'normal' after some kid tryed to convert and then stuck it on ebay XD


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## Unforgiven302 (Oct 20, 2008)

Hey Nellis, you do realize that this thread was last posted in over 2 1/2 years ago? May 8, 2008 to be exact.


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## nellis14 (Dec 8, 2009)

lol so it was.....still getting used to all this forum stuff sorry about that =/


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## the cabbage (Dec 29, 2006)

Unforgiven302 said:


> Hey Nellis, you do realize that this thread was last posted in over 2 1/2 years ago? May 8, 2008 to be exact.


And it is still useful now even two years later 

I have stripped some tanks and the outside seems clean. Lots of sticky stuff inside though. Has anybody tried re-priming under these circumstances?


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## TechPr1est (Nov 6, 2011)

yes it dosnt really look any different to a model unstripped


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