[Review] Biostrip - Biostrip 20

[Jolemai]

Biostrip - Biostrip 20, 750 ml Paint Stripper

The link for which can be found here. There are alternatives available here (including cheaper ones that I have no idea about) and as per this thread, I originally heard good things about the 500 ml tub. However, I opted to try the spray as per this thread in my quest to find a decent replacement for Fairy Power Spray (RIP).

The package arrived next day delivery (Prime) in a typical Amazon pouch. This was internally wrapped in plastic as the nozzle was separate from the bottle.

Packaging:

Front:

Back:

The following test was done over 30 minutes for each sample. The samples were placed in a sealed plastic container and dowsed in Biostrip. I should point out that although it promotes itself as safe, I'd recommend a well ventilated area; it smells strongly like marzipan but gets right up your nose like any chemical does. I also didn't use gloves as I didn't feel they were necessary, but your fingers will smell like marzipan for a short while if you don't (FWIW I have spent most of my life in a chemistry lab and I only wear gloves for the nasty stuff like acid - that's not an endorsement, just explaining why I'm somewhat flippant about the need for PPE and this stuff). I'd also suggest a toothbrush and a spike for the hard to reach bits. By cleanup, I mean giving it a scrub under running cold water.

Metal and plastic

Volunteers:

I should point out that I didn't paint these so I have no idea with regards to their preparation or what's underneath the paint:

From left to right-> white metal Catachan Captain; early 2^nd edition plastic Space Marine

Soak:

Post 30 minutes:

Note the paint blistering on the models.

Post scrub:

Metal came up nice, but I guess the paint was thin (and possibly no undercoat). Plastic has a brown gloop to it and most of the paint has come off.

Post cleanup:

Metal is very nice. The plastic looks like it could have done with being under longer. I did notice a whiff of polystyrene cement which may be why it's hard to remove from the joins. There's also a brown residue on the model, again I don't know if it's polystyrene cement spill or the stripper affecting the plastic.

Resin

Volunteers:

Basically, I don't have any resin that needs stripping. So I've taken a bar from FW (this was tank sponsons) and a Finecast sprue (the was from The Sanguinor. Each one was prepared prior to painting as per working with resin. I then painted Chaos Black -> Mephiston Red -> Averland Sunset, all of which wasn't thinned.

Soak:

Post 30 minutes:

No change.

Post scrub:

As you can see, we are left with a brown mess. No idea if this is simply down to my paint choice of something else happening.

Post cleanup:

It's cleaned up fairly well. As you can see, the bar is stained so I'll give it another blast of Biostrip to see if it shifts it. However:

This is a concern. That is the result of my nail on the resin - it has shaved a bit off the bar and the tube. Basically, the top later of the resin has gone very soft and this is more pronounced in Finecast than FW. People have said not to use Biostrip on Finecast and you can see why, but maybe it would work with less exposure? After a few hours it was solid again but it does feel different to the touch.

Second wash

Gave the plastic and resin bar another 30 minutes.

Start:

End:

The resin has cleaned up fine and I couldn't scratch it. The plastic needs a spike to finish off but more gloopy paint came off - it doesn't appear to have lost any detail which is a relief. The brown residue remains but is less obvious. Still no idea if it's related to using Biostrip.

Conclusions

Could look at third party resin, more recent plastics, and lead/pewter, along with a detailed piece from Finecast/FW but I'm happy for the most part. Is it better than Fairy Power Spray? Well it's not as thin and more expensive, whilst being better for the environment and less irritable on your hands. You need to put the same amount of effort in to clean stuff. As for the results:

tl;dr

• Metal - yes
• Plastic - yes but with reservations
• FW - maybe?
• Finecast - maybe to no. Infact, probably not.

[deathspectersgt7]

Nice right up .

[Olis]

Hmm. That brown residue is a concern. As is the odd performance on finecast, although it's not like it's going to ruin the street cred of that stuff anyway...

[Jolemai]

Hmm. That brown residue is a concern. As is the odd performance on finecast, although it's not like it's going to ruin the street cred of that stuff anyway...

 

I might try it on some plastic I know the history of, then I can compare the two and see if it replicates.

[Olis]

Sounds good to me. Repeatable results in controlled conditions. :tu:

[Charlo]

Iiiiiiiinteresting

[Major_Gilbear]

That's a very good review, thank you!

 

If you are interested in conducting some further tests, I'd be interested to see how it tackled models which have been spray-primed with GW and Halford's paints, and models which have been varnished with Acrylic and PU gloss.  :)

[Jolemai]

Of those, I only have some FW resin blocks with Halford's black on. I guess that's not what you had in mind...

[Major_Gilbear]

Might still be worth a go with that?

 

I was thinking of the sorts of things I've had to strip after getting them from eBay and the like; they are often primed, thickly painted, and sometimes gloss varnished (and covered in dust).

 

For stripping my own paintwork from models, the hardest thing for me to remove is actually the Halford's primer; it's really tough stuff!

[Beaky Brigade]

I left some old plastic ebay lotr models in the stuff for 24 hours (ignoring instructions) and it turned the models into the constancy of chewing gum. Definitely something to be aware of.

[Teetengee]

I left some old plastic ebay lotr models in the stuff for 24 hours (ignoring instructions) and it turned the models into the constancy of chewing gum. Definitely something to be aware of.

Did they ever solidify back up? or did they stay chewy?

[Beaky Brigade]

 

I left some old plastic ebay lotr models in the stuff for 24 hours (ignoring instructions) and it turned the models into the constancy of chewing gum. Definitely something to be aware of.

Did they ever solidify back up? or did they stay chewy?

 

 

I wrote them off as it was just £10 for a load of Moria goblins, but I would not have expected them to. They also tasted awful!

 

I read elsewhere that that biostrip may not agree with older GW plastic models (older in the sense, made before a certain date, not just old) but I have not done any testing on this. Leaving it on for more than one hour was my mistake! Definitely clean it off anything you don't want suffering long term damage.

Edited June 14, 2017 by Beaky Brigade

[Teetengee]

 

 

I left some old plastic ebay lotr models in the stuff for 24 hours (ignoring instructions) and it turned the models into the constancy of chewing gum. Definitely something to be aware of.

Did they ever solidify back up? or did they stay chewy?

 

 

I wrote them off as it was just £10 for a load of Moria goblins, but I would not have expected them to. They also tasted awful!

 

I read elsewhere that that biostrip may not agree with older GW plastic models (older in the sense, made before a certain date, not just old) but I have not done any testing on this. Leaving it on for more than one hour was my mistake! Definitely clean it off anything you don't want suffering long term damage.

 

I use a lot of nurgle, so I may want the permanent damage, just not the squishiness that would make painting difficult. I may need to get some to test myself.

[Jolemai]

I do plan on updating this so when I next get it out I'll leave it on a plastic sprue and see what happens. FWIW, Finecast goes hard again (as mentioned above) but it does have a different texture to untreated stuff.

[Jolemai]

 

Should add that the plastic used above is "old" plastic. Will try it in some dark grey. I've even got some bone RT-era to strip at some point but I want to be sure before I use Biostrip on it!