This article describes the method I use to remove the paint from both metal and plastic minis without using any nasty or expensive chemicals.

Though not widely bandied about by GW, for obvious reasons, it is actually very straightforward to remove the paint from old minis using nothing but a cheap household disinfectant.

Below is one of my old Damsels with a less than impressive 8 year old paint job, and the clean mini ready to paint again after I have removed the paint.

I live in the UK, and I use Dettol, a cheap disinfectant used for sterilising cuts and kitchen worktops.  The great thing about Dettol is that it is not a solvent, and works simply by loosening the paint from the mini.  This means that it will not dissolve plastic parts or superglue, unlike other stripping chemicals like battery acid or acetone, and is much better for the environment!  It can also be used many times to strip a number of miniatures.

Obviously, Dettol is not available worldwide, and there are lots of the other similar products available, such as Pine-Sol or Simple Green.  Just look around the internet for alternatives in your country.  There is a lot of good info on the Coolminiornot website, as well as some alternative methods.

Things you will need

• Dettol (or equivalent, as described above)
• An old toothbrush
• A small glass jar, tin can or similar
• A pair of disposable gloves

Safety Notice

As I mentioned earlier, Dettol is harmless and not a solvent, so it will not burn your fingers or harm a hard surface like a desk, kitchen worktop or sink.  However it will remove the natural oils from your skin causing it to dry out and itch after a while, so always use a pair of gloves whilst cleaning your minis.  The gloves will also prevent you from getting paint all over your hands!

Disposable latex gloves are really easy to get hold of, I bought a pack of 40 pairs from Poundland (costing me £1, unsurprisingly), and they do the job perfectly.

Also remember to be careful when possibly spraying gooey lumps of old paint around your house or onto your clothes - I regret that I can offer no liability with regard to any irate wives/girlfriends/mothers/flatmates/40kplayers/pets encountered during the process.