How do you strip paint from only PART of a plastic model?

[Master Commander Ajax]

Well I searched the forums and found plenty on stripping paint but I have a different problem. I need to strip the paint from a Power-sword and leave the rest of the model intact. Its plastic so I'm wary of using nail polish. Any ideas?

[tk7]

Could you scrape it off with a blade? A sword is mostly flat surfaces so that's what i'd try.

[GomezAddams]

You could try coating it in simple green, and having it secured in a position where niether the simple green nor the paint will run onto any other part of the model. It would be a long labourious process that would take repeated coatings but it should work.

[spikeyjim]

Use a nail varnish remover pad, you can pick them up from any Boots etc for a quid or so. Literally just wipe them on the area you want to strip and it will work, I've done the same thing

[ron]

If you can get (I'm in the USA), I'd say Dawn Power Dissolver.
I did the head of this model using it.
It's like a gel and works perfectly fine on plastic and metal.

[Master Commander Ajax]

Thanks for the Replies everyone.

@tk7; Yeah that was my first instinct. If anything though its making the problem worse as the paint wont come off in some areas and I'm too scared of damaging the plastic underneath.

@Gomez adams; I thought about this aswell and I cant think of a way that Illl be able to submerge only the parts I want (too scared of the whole model falling in aswell!).

@Spikeyjim. I haven't heard of those before. Have you got a link to it? I cant seem to find them? is it definatly safe to use it on plastic?

@Ron. Ahh I remeber this from your blog. unfortunately I live in the UK. Any idea what a British equivalent would be?

Thanks again for taking the time to reply everyone.

[huitzilopochtli]

@ron - I am also curious as to an equivalent for dawn power dissolver in Europe. Also, nice work on the face. That is what you did after stripping, yes? Because if that's what you were correcting I've got to ask why.

[ron]

Master Commander Ajax: Unfortunately not, I'm not sure what it would be over there.

huitzilopochtli: Thanks, I stripped the head bare of paint seen on the left side and repainted it to what is seen on the right side of the pic. I didn't think to snap a pic of the first paint job that was taken off the model.

[Master Commander Ajax]

Just found a website that will sell me Dawn power dissolver in the UK! will order it later on tonight!

[reddevil18]

Care to share the link please?
Ive been using nail polish remove to strip models and it just cant touch the undercoat.

[Master Commander Ajax]

Here it is, just about to order mine.

[reddevil18]

Thank you very much

[Master Commander Ajax]

Well just to let you all know that I found some acetone free nail polish remover in my house and rather than wait for the kitchen cleaner to arrive , I gave this a go instead. I try'd some on a spare bit of plastic first and it did indeed damage the surface. However if watered down enough it can be safely used on plastic! After a few thin coats and a few scrapes with a craft knife I managed to get rid of nearly all the paint!