When I say Pipe Cleaner, I don’t mean the things kids use for creating fuzzy characters, I mean Ye Olde Pipe Cleaners, the actual ones for cleaning pipes. you’ll have a better chance of finding these nowadays if you search for Pipe Brushes. Blame your childhood for changing the name of what these actually are. Leave in place until the paint has completely blistered or softened (time taken will vary depending upon paint type, number of layers and ambient temperature) First of all, the best part of IPA is you can use it to clean the containers you stripped your models in so you can keep using them over and over. if you are pouring your Games Workshop paints into dropper bottles, you can clean your funnels. If you have a sceptic tank (some homes not connected to general sewage) you are in for a ride if you throw a powerful antibacterial down the drain :D Does not give off hazardous or noxious fumes – ventilation not required. Suitable for use indoors or in confined spaces

You may need a third round or more, it really depends on how thorough you are, what paint types are on the mini and how much you care about cleaning every detail. The main image of this article was after 3 rounds of stripping. It was pretty much finished after the first two, it was only after I took the photos when I noticed some spots I’d missed. Most of the time though, the IPA and brushing will thin the paint enough that your next primer coat will cover anything left over. and you won’t even notice it was there. What I do know is that it strips paint off mini’s like nothing else and it’s bloody cheap for an absolute load of it!

FAQs

When writing this post I took a spare resin part I had, just to test it. As the post was so long I decided not to add this part, but I’ve since realised it needs to be covered.

Got my hands on a bunch of old ork boyz and goffs. Unfortunately they have some dirty paint on them. I’ve stripped hundreds of metal and plastic miniatures in my life but I keep seeing biostrip 20 as this end all to figuring out the best paint stripper. Well… it’s only in the UK. Does anyone have a recommendation on a similar product in the US. Non Toxic - safer for the user and the environment than traditional methylene chloride based products

🍪 Privacy & Transparency

I recommend rubber gloves (normal washing up gloves are probably fine) and a respirator rated for vapours, I.E one you would use for working with spray paints. Not a cheapo dust mask! Also work in a well ventilated area, open a window etc. To be honest, if you are having to put miniatures in three times to clean them, it’s not the best way of cleaning them. Wash area thoroughly with clean soapy water. Ensure area is completely clean and dry before repainting At the end of the day, it did the job I needed it to do, and, I felt more at ease, working with it around the cats, although still taking precautions. If any paint remains the process can be repeated (this may be necessary for intricate areas or where there are layers of different paint types)