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Hello everyone, new to both the miniature gaming hobby, and bartertown, I started building a warhammer 40k space marine army about 6 months ago, picked up a few auctions on ebay some of which were previously painted, some brand new. I have yet to play a game and was wondering if anyone had any good links or tips on paint removal, or what space marine army choices are considered "can't live without". I am currently trying to decide if i want to run a vanilla marines army or a "counts as" non-codex chapter, and if so which. While most of my models are vanilla marines at this point in time i could go either way, as i have only really acquired some sternguard a few rhino/razorbacks, some landspeeders and 3 tactical squads. I also have a land raider but i am considering trading it for some bits i would really like to have. thanks in advance for any advice!

Here is a easy way to remove paint according to who I am quoting. This is in, "Can you prime over painted minis" Thread in BT cafe and coffee section. Thanks!

Azbag#1 wrote:Here's the method that I use on both metal and plastic models. It doesn't ruin any detail and it's pretty easy to do.

Easy Paint Removal

1. Get some Castrol Engine Degreaser from Wal-mart. It’s in a purple 1 gallon jug. It generally runs around 7 to 9 dollars for the jug.
2. Place the models in a sealable container and fill the jar up about ¾ full. It should completely cover the models. I’ve found that a large peanut butter jar or Sour Cream container works well.
3. Close the container and let it sit for 5 or 6 hours.
4. Use a pair of latex gloves or dishwashing gloves to handle the models and try to find and use a pair of safety glasses. (This stuff could really hurt your eyes)
5. Pull the models out of the jar and pour a little of the sol’n that was in the jar into another open container like a bowl that’s no longer needed.
6. Take a old toothbrush and start scrubbing. You can use the sol’n in the bowl as a dip to put more on the toothbrush.
7. Rinse the models off with hot water and scrub them as needed.
8. If some paint didn’t come off then just put them back into the “dunking jar” again and let them sit for some more time.
9. This stuff even works on spray paint. The biggest hit for me on it was that it does not damage the GW plastic models. I cleaned up a squad of SM assault troops and it still left the details of the grenades on.
10. It may break down some types of glue but that would only require a simple re-glue and it’s good as new.
11. Once you are satisfied with the model I would wash it in warm soapy water just to make sure there is no residue left.
12. Prime and paint away.

Contemplating a response.

In the mean time, I moved this to the Cafe, where it's more appropriate, since you discuss terrain making as well as army builds.

Eric

Simple Green (found at most hardware stores or discount warehouse stores) is highly effective at removing paint and primer from metal models and moderately effective at removing it from plastics, (Ive yet to try it on resin or resiplas) and it is a lot safer to play with than the brake fluid, oven cleaner or engine degreaser.

Just put your models in a glass bowl and pour undiluted SG til they are covered. Leave for at least 24 hours (48 for those thicker paint jobs) and scrub with an old toothbrush. (I personally use gloves but you dont have to.) Rise with water and let dry.

Break fluid also works. Let em sit in it over night and then brush away with a tooth brush. I have found however, that some of the paint likes to stay on despite brushing and that scraping is required to finish things off. However, breakfluid is the best stuff I have found though that will not cause damage and will get the most paint off.
The plastic does end up softening just a bit(not enough to cause damage unless you are rough handling things withh metal tools and such), but once its been washed and is out of the fluid, it hardens back up after a bit of time. Same with the paint however.
The paint becomes very soft afterwards and is easy to scrape off if needed(the paint that doesnt just come off from the slightest touch anyway), but after a couple days its back to how it was originally.
Superglue also seems to soften some(or at least weaken) from the fluid, but unlike the paint and plastic, it ends up becoming a bit brittle.
From what I have seen, I assume the break fluid ends up infiltrating the materials and then once they have been washed, ends up coming back to the surface where it evaporates away leaving things the way they were.
I also have tried Pinesol and Googone but neither seemed to work that well for me. I did use paint thinner once. Popped a plastic model in some for 5 minutes and then washed and scrubbed it. Alot of the paint came off without the plastic getting too soft. Only tried that once though since you would basically be limited to doing a model at a time to make sure none of them stayed in the stuff too long before melting. I would just say go with another method that is easier than this.

I say break fluid. The stuff does smell like dirty socks though, but as long as you arnt careless, it isnt going to kill you. One thing I didnt do was wear gloves in the case of break fluid, that stuff makes things rather slippery. If you are going to be doing alot of models, it would probably be a good idea to wear some, but when I was cleaning stuff, it didnt bother my hands very much.(although I can tell that I wouldnt want to leave it on my skin for longer periods)

I swear by (and never at) Purple Power. I find it at Autozone and NAPA auto parts.. fairly inexpensive at about 10 bucks for a gallon, max. I think I got it on sale at $4.99....

Anyhooo.. I have had metal models AND plastic models sit forgotten in that stuff for over 2 weeks, and NO degradation of plastic or metal.. and I use a nylon stiff brush (and finish with an old toothbrush)..

As to the OTHER part of your question..

I am currently trying to decide if i want to run a vanilla marines army or a "counts as" non-codex chapter, and if so which. While most of my models are vanilla marines at this point in time i could go either way, as i have only really acquired some sternguard a few rhino/razorbacks, some landspeeders and 3 tactical squads. I also have a land raider but i am considering trading it for some bits i would really like to have. thanks in advance for any advice!

My suggestion is to come up with your own original chapter name and color scheme.. and then play around with EVERY codex until you find one that fits your play style.. "This week, the Blaknblu Brigade is representing the Blood Angels".. .. just don't flip-flop codexes in an afternoon.. lol.

One thing to consider is your personal play style.. what appeals to you? Close and personal ladling out the Emperor's Justice? (Black Templars, Space Wolves).. Dropping out of the sky Bolters Blazing and Chainsword Churning? (Blood Angels).. Purging them with FIRE! up close but not in melee? (Salamanders).. etc...

(oh yeah.. and when MM says this ..

Contemplating a response.

he is actually writing the next great novel as a response.. verbose and garulous is he.. )

porkuslime wrote:(oh yeah.. and when MM says this ..

Contemplating a response.

he is actually writing the next great novel as a response.. verbose and garulous is he.. )

Alternatively, it means, "Crap. I forgot about this thread and now that I've got an answer, Jim's said what I would have." LOL
Verbose as I am, we tend to share a brain and/or think alike. lol

I think the only difference of opinion I'd have is in how you paint your models. I'd say NOT to paint them, at first. Find what army you want them to represent and THEN consider your paint scheme.
Years ago, I came up with the "Iron Raptors." I really like the FW Raptors iconography, but hate the color scheme. So, I created my own color scheme. In the current codex, you can't build the army to suit yourself as easily as the old one, and I find myself interested in a more generic army.
So, I've got units to build up... except that I've got more money than time now, and I'd love to just buy pro-painted stuff straight off of feebay or from an advertiser here... The easiest way to do that with an advertiser is to say, "Paint them Ultramarines," rather than have them try to meet your scheme (and fail because none of the colors are straight from the bottle). It also makes it impossible to buy color-matching units from feebay.
If I'd gone with a regular Salamanders or Ultramarine (etc) color scheme, I wouldn't be in this pickle.

So, that's something to think about, too. You may like the idea of bright orange Blood Angels, but you'll never be able to just hop onto feebay and pick up a pre-painted unit to match your army.

Eric