Whiteboard marker otherwise known as dry erase marker is the solution. A guy in Facebook told me to use it.

 

Is there much of a meaningful difference between 70% and 91% isopropyl alcohol for removing factory paint? I just got 35th Anniversary Siege Megs to customize into MTMTE Megs and 70% isn't doing much against the cel shading paint so far. If it was just a small amount of paint I'm sure I could take care of it with pencil erasers and patience but there's so much... it'd take weeks at this rate. Will 91% work better (and still without damaging the plastic)?

 

Up to 99% is safe for opaque ABS (and you keep tons of the stuff around if you do resin 3D printing). And if I remember right, Megs doesn't have any clear plastic, so you could probably go to town, possibly even a 30 minute soak.

I've had some decent removal success with Hobbies with Jose's 9 part iso/1 part lacquer thinner solution, but you really need to not soak more than half an hour if using that stuff. More than that and it will absolutely weaken the plastic. Ideally just give it a good shake in a mason jar to loosen the paint, then finish with a toothbrush and some iso.

 

Is soaking it really necessary or should just putting it (91% iso) on a Q-tip work? I don't want to remove all the paint, just the cel shading.

 

It's helpful, but can be subbed out for a lot of elbow grease.

Thing is, some paints are just more resilient than others. The battle damage comes off quick. But when it comes to body color, for example, I soaked a core class Starscream long enough to crack the hinge joints (which is how I know not to over-soak) and while the blue and black paint came off completely, the red paint never entirely faded.

 

Anyone attempt to remove the battle damage from spoiler pack Siege Megatron?

Curious how that would look. Thanks

 

I'm just gonna remove then drybrush on new battledamage so it looks a little better

 

Honestly that's the main issue. Battle Damage ain't bad but it's how Hasbro did it that makes it look bad.

 

Just a follow-up to me last post in case there's anyone else who, like me, had only tried 70% iso and had doubts about whether 91% would be that much of an improvement or not: I used 70% to remove the battle damage from Siege Megatron's head and arms and it took forever and was an extremely laborious process. I bought a second Siege Megatron recently to turn into Autobot Megatron and just cracked open the 91% I got today and tried it on his chest and the battle damage and Decepticon sigil wiped clean off like it was nothing. It's absolutely worth it.

Not yet, but I'm considering getting one and removing all the silver from the grey parts to make into a Miner Megatron.