What can I use to remove dried paint? I need to strip PollyScale acrylics and Tamiya acrylics of some wheels and tires, but I don't want to damage either the vinyl tires or plastic wheels with some sort of harsh chemical.
Thanks!

hello Andrew. Oven cleaner works well for removing paint from plastic. It won't harm the plastic, but it's nasty stuff. gloves and good ventilation are necessary. cover the pieces with the cleaner, and let sit for one hour. rinse under running water. use dish soap and an old toothbrush to get paint out of hard to reach areas. One problem though, flat black paint seems, for some reason to be impervious to solvents. Hope this helps some. RONNY.

I use an european product which is not for sale in the USA.. It's a common degreaser. In My opinion it'll be easy removing acrylic paint on vinyl. Probably a common home degreaser could be enough. Usually i leave the parts sunk in the product for a night and after then I remove the paint whit a toothbrush

Otherwise you can use 50% Isopropyl Alcohol. You can try also 70% Alcohol but it colud dammage the plastic

If you still have the vinyl sprue, of course, try before using the products on your wheels

I hope this help you

cheers

windex will take Tamiya Acrylics right off. Im not sure of its effect on polly scale. Try simple green on the Polly scale, or rubbing alcohol

Drop all the parts in Windex overnight. It will dissolve both kinds of paint.
No damage to the styrene or the vinyl.

Castol Super Clean or Purple Power

Both available from Wal-Mart, NAPA......

To strip Tamiya Acrylics I use 90% isopropyl alcohol. I found their rattle cans can be impossible to strip by most other methods. 90% IPA won't harm the styrene or most resins. Not totally sure about the vinyl because there are so many types. Test on a small area. Windex might work.

Castrol Super clean degreaser or walmart purple power strip paints and are cheap but might attack the vinyl. I also had an experience where they would not strip gloss Tamiaya acrylics. I don't use oven cleaner as a paint stripper anymore. To much fumes and other side effects.

Hobby strippers are always another option but they tend to be expensive.

When it doubt test any stripper on sprues or spare parts first.

Be very careful

The isopropyl alcohol is rather TOXIC
especcialy in 90 percentage...
And, of course, is one of the most flammable products on sale.... Also the alcohol vapors are very flammable
So, work in a ventilate room, use gloves and protective mask, don't eat or drink during the use and....
don't smoke!

I have used this Scalecoat Model RR Paint
Paint Stripper/Remover for Plastics in the past. It works great. I have used to to strip both acrylics and enamels. Best part is it is reusable.

I just stripped a 1/48th Tiger down to the primer with Revell colour mix, so called thinners.no damage at all just dont use it for thining.