Advice Please: Paint Help!

[Gondor]

I have used some Tamiya Clear paint but should not have used any colour at all so I need to remove it. It has been applied to a transparent plastic part but other than scraping the paint off I don't know to remove it. The rub is that I don't want to scratch the surface as it is faceted and I don't want to lose the detail.

Any Advice on how to cleanly remove the paint?

Gondor

[Dizzyfugu]

Try a longer "bath" of the clear part under oven cleaner foam spray. Here in Germany, there's a soda-based stuff available in drugstores from different brands that works like charm when you want to get rid of old paint residues. The foam creeps under the paint and loosens it, and does not react with styrene, esp. clear material. I put the part into a small glass into which I spray a 1st layer of the foam (much like shaving foam), put the part into it and then cover everything up and let it work. Might take a week and sometimes multiple turns, but it is so far the best and riskless method I tried.

Good luck!

[kerick]

Oven cleaner, stinky method but it works or degreaser detergent like Simple Green. The Simple Green might take longer but its less stinky.

[Gondor]

Time is not a factor as I have parts that I am not using in the near future which I intend to use as replacements with the painted items being swapped with the others thus giving me weeks of time or more likely at my build rate years of time.

Gondor

[Dork the kit slayer]

Fairy Powerspray.

[zenrat]

Caustic Soda solution.  A good strong mix. Mixing the crystals & water is an exothermic reaction so let it cool before you put the parts in (don't ask me how I know this).

Read the instructions on the packet and always wear gloves.

[Librarian]

I still swear by Halfords brake fluid/oil. Takes a little time but transparencies come out nice, shiny and free of paint. A quick brush with toothpaste and they're as good as new.

[Dizzyfugu]

Oven cleaner, stinky method.

I do not know what stuff you use, but mine does not smell at all. Probably a better Continental recipe... 

[Gondor]

Thanks to everyone for their help.

I have now resolved the problem with the aid of Cif Power Cream Kitchen "Lemon"

I put some of the liquid in a jar, dropped the parts into the jar and topped up the liquid so that it was covered.

The parts are now clean having been rinsed off as the paint was removed very quickly, a matter of a couple of hours, and are undamaged. 

Thanks again for all your advice and suggestions.

Gondor

[zenrat]

So your parts are now clean AND citrus flavoured...

I still swear by Halfords brake fluid/oil. Takes a little time but transparencies come out nice, shiny and free of paint. A quick brush with toothpaste and they're as good as new.

Brake fluid can leach the plasticisers out causing embrittlement.  Given that clear parts are already brittle I am always wary about possibly increasing their fragility.

[loupgarou]

Thanks to everyone for their help.

I have now resolved the problem with the aid of Cif Power Cream Kitchen "Lemon"

I put some of the liquid in a jar, dropped the parts into the jar and topped up the liquid so that it was covered.

The parts are now clean having been rinsed off as the paint was removed very quickly, a matter of a couple of hours, and are undamaged. 

Thanks again for all your advice and suggestions.

Gondor

I have never heard of using CIF to remove paint! Thanks for the tip, very interesting, I'll give it a try. I hope that in my country the composition is the same as in yours.

[zenrat]

Remember the good old days when it were called Jif...