OK, so after you've stopped crying, and convinced your wife/child/dog/cat that your sudden outburst of anger was not directed at them, specifically, what do you do with those expensive and highly detailed metal figures you just primed but now look like they've been rolled in wet sand? So what that the air temperature or humidity wasn't what the paint manufacturer recommended. You needed the figures this weekend for that big game, right? Well, try this. Go to your local hardware/paint store and get: a can of heavy-bodied stripper, a can of mineral spirits, a roller paint tray (if you don't have a clean one), latex gloves (to keep the stripper off your skin), eye protection (glasses/goggles). a clear glass container with lid for the mineral spirits (a quart, pint or half pint, depending on the number of figures you have to do), something with which to fish the figures and small parts out of the jar (long tweezers, medical clamps, long nose pliers, etc.), a small stiff bristle brush (an old toothbrush works as well). In a well-ventilated area, (you have your gloves and eye protection on, of course -- this stuff is really nasty), half fill your glass jar with mineral spirits and pour a small amount of stripper in the deep end of the tray. You can increase the amount for larger numbers of figures when you've got the hang of it. Place one or two figures in the stripper to start. Stir them around with your tweezers or a small metal rod to get them completely covered. Keep moving them around until you can see the paint begin to come off. The time needed will vary depending on the type of paint used and how long since they've been painted. When the paint begins to peel off, remove the figure with the tweezers and place it in the mineral spirits. You did use a jar with a mouth large enough to accommodate your largest figure, plus space to pick it up, right? After soaking in the mineral spirits (you can leave them for days if you need to with the jar closed and sealed), remove the figure with your tweezers (or whatever) and scrub over the shallow portion of the tray with the toothbrush to remove the goo. Continued brushing after dipping the brush or the figure, in mineral spirits will remove most stubborn paint in highly detailed areas, or repeat the first two steps. If the figures are removed from the mineral spirits quickly, you may be able to save any glued joints. If not, you will have to fish the small parts out of the jar (this is why you use a clear jar) and clean them separately for reattachment later. Finally, before you reprime, repaint, or reglue any figures or parts, clean them with soapy water to remove the mineral spirits and let them dry thoroughly. When finished with the stripper and mineral spirits, place them in safe containers and dispose of them properly. Do not pour them down a drain (unless you plan on replacing your plumbing) or on the ground. These are dangerous chemicals that must be handled and disposed of properly. This procedure will work on any metal figure to remove primer, or several layers of old paint. Sometimes repeated immersions and brushing will be needed to remove all the layers. Warning: Don't try this on plastic figures without testing to see if the chemicals will melt them. Good luck. Back to MWAN #63 Table of Contents Back to MWAN List of Issues Back to MagWeb Magazine List © Copyright 1993 Hal Thinglum This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com