We had discovered around the websites various disparate tips on what and how to use for bleach miniatures;  there are people that use acetone, dettol or degreaser, etc. Here we propose you many product, objects and techniques that you can use for this task. Enjoy the reading!

Warnings

Attention please! We recommend you for these techniques must be to do in a open and  ventilated space with due precautions as: safety glasses, thick gloves and an mask (is better if we use an a mask for airbrush painting).  Not all products are dangerous but its do give us skin and eyes irritations or they can be sprayed during processing in addition to emitting fumes from evaporation.

Equipment to use for to bleach miniatures

In order to use the products we are going to present we will need the following items:

• Mask;
• Gloves;
• Safety glasses;
• Containers of every size (preferably hermetic);
• Toothbrush (I recommend you the elettric one);
• Small sieve with a thin texture;
• Tweezers.

Strip paint miniature: the technique

This products have the same techniques for to bleach. For all is obligatory must to make wet the miniatures, for a time that varies for every products, after that you must have to rub it lightly with the toothbrush. Repeat this process until you are satisfied.

White spirit

White spirit is a ditillated solvent from hydrocarbons, therefore is a Petroleum. It is composed of benzene and heavy dangerous hydrocarbons but they improve its solvent power. It is used mostly for to melt waxes and paraffins. This solution remove efficiently layers of paint until leaving the model naked. I have often utilize it. It are helpful with metallic types, while with in plastic types I don’t recommend it because it damages layers of paint and hurt all the miniatures. The white spirit is dangerous for inhalation, with upon contact with the eyes and over the skin, therefore, it is strongly recommended to equip with protective devices.

Acetone

Acetone is a generic solvent. It is colorless, that can evaporate, flammable, with an ethereal smell and is soluble in water. Just like the white spirit is more useful over the metallic miniatures but it is disastrous over plastic one (It can dissolve them); compared to white spirit is less effective for to dissolve the color and than it forces us to repeat the procedure.

Degreaser

Yes, it is the common degreaser that we use at home. For strip paint miniature Marsiglia soap is a great product if you have just started, isn’t expensive and it is within everyone’s reach. Compared to other materials isn’t the better to use because the miniatures must remain for days in water and be brushed energetically for delete the excess paint layers. You have to be careful during rubbing because with an energetic touch it can damage on our models. Furthermore, the procedure must be repeated several times without ever having a perfect result.

Isopropyl Alcohol

Isopropyl alcohol is the most solvent recommended over the blogs and tutorials on internet. It is commonly used like a disinfectant and is present in common detergents. This alcohol is colorless, can evaporate, flammable, with ethereal smell and it is soluble in water. This alcohol is used also for clean camera lenses, on resin 3D prints and on printed circuits. Why use it? It isn’t expensive!

On the internet products with a low percentage of this alcohol are found at higher prices than in pure concentration. Attention! It is highly flammable. Isopropyl alcohol dries faster than other solvents and with light brushing can remove excess paint. The painful side, used pure, also dissolves some Cyanoacrylate glues which leads to the detachment of the pieces of a model but not to damage.