Showing posts with label eBay. Show all posts
Showing posts with label eBay. Show all posts

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Ultrasonic paint removal

So if you have been in the gaming hobby for long, you probably have either wanted to remove paint from something you painted while learning how to paint, or you have bought miniatures on eBay with the description of "Pro Painted".  Then this post is for you.  I often see people posting questions on forums asking how to remove paint.  This is what has been working well for me.


Option 1, Straight Super Clean.
Super Clean, I buy at from Wal-Mart for around $8.00 a gallon its in the automotive section.

It eats paint, superglue, and softens green stuff.  I has been safe to use on Plastic, Metal, and Resin models.  It does not de-bond plastic cement.

Use it warm (around 100-100 degrees) for faster results.  Or you can let it set in a covered container and soak.  You will still need a toothbrush to scrub off the small bits and recessed areas.




Important:

  • It eats paint, like on cars and walls, it probably would damage some types of counter tops.
  • It eats thin medical gloves.
  • It breaks down the oils in you skin and will dry you out, so wear heavy duty chemical gloves.
  • It can be reused I have a couple of rigid reusable coffee filters that I strain out the bits out paint with every once in a while.



Option 2, Ultrasonic cleaner with Super Clean

If you can get one of these on the cheap you should. Speaking of eBay, I picked this sucker up on the cheap ($65vs $400 + retail) on the good ole eBay.  This is a Spaulding & Rogers ultrasonic cleaner made for the tattoo industry.  It heats up and removes paint from models, I have been using Super Clean in this unit and it works great. I have found other medical grade equipment like this at a reasonable price online/eBay.
This thing does most of the work for you and really cleans the paint out of the small detail areas very well.





For those that have asked or will ask, the specs on this unit are.






Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Press Molding small bitz

So I won a large lot of Necromunda Orlocks on eBay awhile back.  Three of the four heavy weapons models had no weapons or backpacks.  This makes me a sad panda.  So here is a quick tutorial on how to re-create the missing way oop parts

You will need one original to create the copy from!



You will need a flat clean work area, I am using a piece of plastic card here
I recommend Legos to build the mold box




Next place Instant Mold in hot (not quite boiling) water until it is soft and pliable. Place the instamold in the bottom of the box and press your bitz around halfway into the IM.  Allow the IM to harden at room temperature or place in the fridge. 

First half of mold is filled.






Next heat up another portion of IM and cover the other side of the Bitz, then cool as before.
Second half of mold is filled.



























Once cooled to room temp remove the mold from the box and slowly separate the IM halves.  Mix up your green stuff or ProCreate putty and pack both halves of your mold.  Re-align your mold halves and press them together slowly squishing the excess greenstuff or Procreate out, you will probably need to trim some of the excess off before it sets. I use very strong clamps and small boards of MDF when pressing the mold halves together.


I use Procreate at a 60-40 mix per the instructions for a hard curing sand able finish.


Mold half with ProCreat bitz in it

Original compared to the copy

Above is a photo of the original and re-cast bitz,  Mold making time is around 30 minutes. The ProCreate sets up in around 4 hours, I let these set up while I was at work and I cleaned the mold lines after I got back home.  ProCreate continues to harden over the next 48 hours or so, meaning mold lines are easier to clean sooner than later.

Best part of this is I can reuse the Instant Mold for the next project or lost bit.

More examples:
All of these came from eBay, missing weapons.  The weapons are press mold copies made of ProCreate and the front 3 have copied backpacks.



These vents are press molded from Green Stuff.