[Adeptus Titanicus] Stripping expanded polystyrene buildings

[Zhu Bajie]

I've pulled out my Adeptus Titanicus box out of the loft and am in the process of prepping in (Titans in the dunk tank, book and white dwarf clippings in the book-press) possibly for sale, not sure yet.

Anyway, the set includes some buildings like this:

(ebay picture, not mine).

But mine have some paint on them (looks like accidental splats)

Does anyone have any tips for getting acrylic paint off these without wrecking them? I think they are made of the same expanded polystyrene as the Mighty Fortress. Will dettol do the job?

 

[Blue in VT]

Re: [Adeptus Titanicus] Stripping expanded polystyrene build

Hhhmmmm that's pretty touchy stuff...I think I would opt to paint over it...is that an option?

Blue

 

[bug16]

Re: [Adeptus Titanicus] Stripping expanded polystyrene build

If it was me I'd try warm water, maybe some washing up liquid, and an old toothbrush. No idea if this will do anything positive though but that's where I'd start.

I'd be very wary about stripping them with any chemicals.

 

[Naagruz]

Re: [Adeptus Titanicus] Stripping expanded polystyrene build

Simple Green should work. If you really don't have much paint on them, I'd second painting over it.

 

[Zhu Bajie]

Re: [Adeptus Titanicus] Stripping expanded polystyrene build

Thanks chaps.

I'd hoped someone might have been there, seen it, done it.

Painting over might work, but I really want to 'restore' as much as possible to its original state.

I'm not sure quite what the buildings are actually made of, but I fear abrasive action could make matters worse - so would hope for a chemical solution (pardon the pun) that doesn't lead to melt-down or absorption.

As an experiment I'm going to paint up some polystyrene packing chips and give them a Dettol (chloroxylenol) bath, along with some old box-set inserts that also have paint on... will report back.

 

[spacecowsmith]

Re: [Adeptus Titanicus] Stripping expanded polystyrene build

Hi!

I believe the old epic scenery was polystyrene so any chemicals or vigorous brushing may well destroy them.

All the best!

 

[Just John]

Re: [Adeptus Titanicus] Stripping expanded polystyrene build

According to EHow! to remove paint from polystyrene you need to

Instructions
1 Apply olive oil to the paint on the polystyrene surface. Massage the oil in a circular motion, effectively loosening the paint.

2 Apply Pine-Sol, or a similar product, to the paint and scrub it using a washcloth. Skip this step if you were able to remove all of the paint from the polystyrene in Step 1.

3 Rinse the surface with water, and then blot it dry with a rag. Repeat Step 2, except use mineral spirits in lieu of Pine-Sol. Skip this step if you were able to remove the paint in steps 1 or 2.

Read more: How to Remove Paint From Polystyrene | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_6019436_remove- ... z2S2SvmxU2

Hope that helps - never tried it myself but it might work.

 

[Zhu Bajie]

Re: [Adeptus Titanicus] Stripping expanded polystyrene build

OK. So, I finally got the courage up to experiment, in the cause of Science and the betterment of humanity I decided to sacrifice a building.



ONE: normal state of urban decay in the 31st millenium or whatever.
TWO: Application of Fairy Powerspray - left for 0.5 hours.
THREE: Light circular brushing with a soft, old, toothbrush and rinsed in running water.

Jobs a goodun, no detrimental chemical effects to the polystyrene surface, some staining from the ink remains in the crevices. Will attempt a second run to get out the tiny bits left, possibly with a stiffer brush.