A more efficient way to strip paint from pre-painted parts?

[modelbouwnederland]

Sometimes I decide that it’s easier to airbrush a specific part before gluing it to the model itself.
But, when I need to glue.
It’s best to remove the paint where the glue is going to get.
Because otherwise, the joint might not be strong enough.
And the part might break or fall of more easily.
Or it just gets loose of the model and I would have to glue it again and again.
I have had that a few times when I was using Revell Contacta Liquid for gluing my models.
Years back.

Now I have the glue of MIG.
I want to try other brands of glue, but first I need to use the glue of MIG up.

I have AK Paint Stripper.
And it says to apply it with a brush, then let the product sit and do it’s work.
And then I have to clean more thorougly with water and soap.
Warm water and soap to be precise.
And then it should be good.
But isn’t there a more efficient way of doing this?
Or something else I can do with this time instead of waiting for the process?

Thank you for reading and possibly coming up with an answer.

Artemis

[Gary_Kato]

If it’s just an edge, just use a sanding stick (usually Fine grit) and sand the paint off. I generally use Tamiya Instant Glue but I also test the part later to make sure it stays put. But if you know where the part will be glued to, mask it with masking tape or a dab of liquid mask, like Micro Mask.

[barkingdigger]

It is best to mask off any areas of contact before painting. I use masking tape and blu-tac blobs depending on the shape of the area that needs masked. It’s a lot easier to remove the masks than it is to remove paint!

[Mrchntmarine]

Micromask by Microsale is a liquid that can be brushed on, dries then you can paint & then peel it off. I have it but have never tried it. As mentioned, taping the area off 1st. You can by precut sizes of tape or cut your own to size. Or sanding sticks to sand off the painted areas - which I have done and as a matter of fact just did the other day to different ships decks which had all been sprayed and I had to knock some paint off to glue. Also used a fine pointed metal rod shaped sanded to clean up some overspray in the tiny portholes.

[Damraska]

This is one of my current top four or five modeling problems. It really came to the fore when building two 1/35 scale trucks.

In my opinion, all available options have now been mentioned–mask it with Blu-Tac, mask it with liquid mask, mask it with Tamiya Tape, sand it, scrape it, or strip it. All of these methods have advantages and disadvantages.

A few more comments based on my own recent experiences (and failures) learning this stuff:

Vallejo acrylic paints are super easy to strip. Isopropyl alcohol pulls it up almost instantly. A little alcohol on a cotton swab or whatever is all it takes. There is no need to use special (and probably very toxic) solvents. This method can easily pull up paint in unwanted places so great care is required. I usually use this method after using another method to make sure the contact surfaces are really clean.

Micro Mask and similar products mostly suck. They are hard to apply, hard to remove, and hard to control. Every time I use liquid mask it leaves a mess. It can mask places tape cannot easily reach. Subsequently removing liquid mask from those crevices can be truly awful.

Blu-Tac is fantastic stuff but if not applied properly, paint will get under it. Also, if you put a finger in the stuff at the wrong time, all sorts of mayhem can result. This does everything liquid mask does, but without the cursing. I have no clue what Blu-Tac is called in Europe.

Tamiya Tape is the most reliable mask and hard to accidentally pull up. However, when masking small contact points, paint can get under it. This is usually very easy to clean up. So far, I like masking with Tamiya Tape best.

Get or make some scraping tools. A Number 11 knife blade is often the wrong tool for paint scraping. After my recent experiences with the two previously mentioned trucks, I plan to purchase a set of fine chisels.

Anyway, those are my experiences so far. I make no claim to being an expert. Quite the opposite!

[modelbouwnederland]

@Gary_Kato And what is ‘fine grit’? Could you give a number or so? Because ‘Fine grit’ is very fague for me. It doesn’t say that much. What you could call ‘Fine grit’ could be very very fine for me. Or rough.

Can I also use just regular painters tape? Because I have still a lot laying around from the construction market. And if I can, I would prefer to use that up first.

@Damraska I don’t really have a picture/image of what you mean by a ‘Number 11 knife blad’. Could you provide me with an image of what you mean?
Oh and thank you for sharing your own experiences with me.
It could be helping me a lot with maybe making some choices.
And it could be saving me a lot of my precious time.
I’m probably going to use your answer also like something of a reference.
Could be saving me a lot of headaches and again, lots of my precious time.

Thank to all of you who have taken the time to answer my question.
And it will help improving my projects and help me to continue along the journey.

[Gary_Kato]

I think it’s 600 grit. I don’t use sandpaper anymore, I use sanding sticks from Sprue Brothers.

This is a #11 blade.

[Uncle-Heavy]

Nr 11 scalpel blade

This general size/shape is available for most hobby knife types

[barkingdigger]

Ordinary painter’s masking tape is OK for most masking as long as you press it down firmly - I use the blue Scotch-brand tape from my local DIY store. Put the tape on, then burnish it with the back end of a wooden paintbrush around the edges to keep paint from seeping under. For careful masking of mating surfaces I put a strip of tape on my cutting mat and then use a knife to cut bits to the right size/shape for the job. I find that masking holes (for alignment pegs) is easiest with a small bit of Blu-Tac pushed in, and the same for the pegs themselves. Flat-ish surfaces get tape instead (as it’s cheaper per inch than Blu-Tac), as do the big pegs on the suspension where road-wheels go.

[Petro]

I have a love hate relationship with the blue masking tape. I too have a bunch from past projects.
Like stated above, it is a PITA to get to stick to a model, but other times , especially on etch, it can really stick hard, even if just the parts are gently laid on it.

[Brantwoodboy]

If you can try getting the purple version of the blue masking tape. It is the low tack version and I’ve had very good luck when using it.