Print Removal Tutorial

[SlyOwl]

Eureka, it works! :-P

Does toothpaste scratch?

Yes, because it cleans in a different way to metal polish. Toothpaste cleans by abrasion, but metal polish dissolves or chemcially removes dirt.

[Caffeine]

Sounds good... I used to use a 4000 grit sanding pad followed by a 8000, and it worked okay, but it left some nasty marks on transparent pieces.

I'll try it.

[tedbeard]

I'm thinking of doing some of this, but I would like to know how accurate the removal is? Is it possible to remove very small areas of print accurately? For example, would it be possible to remove just the headset from this face

I "shaved" this "Spielberg" face to achieve the goatee:

I used a fine exacto knife and scraped the printing off holding the blade almost perpendicular to the surface like an old fashioned barber. It seems to work OK on the yellow heads without too many scratches if you are gentle. The tip of the knife used carefully is more accurate than rubbing I find.

I tried it on a torso and it looks like crap. It may be because the yellow colour shows scratch less and/or the curve of the head allow for contact with only a very small area where the printing is.

Of course it was my first attempt and you can see there is a slight nick in the beard on one side of the mouth. I would suggest practice on some less important head(s) first to get the hang of it. :-$

Edited February 15, 2008 by tedbeard

[Armothe]

I use Brasso w/ a paper towel, religiously. Paper towels are dimpled and provide a better surface to help rub off the print. Not to mention you can fold the paper towel around the minifig (cushioning and leverage) and use sort of a snapping/pinching motion to take the print off faster. I'll use an X-acto blade to remove pesky corners or small details. Metallic print is by far the hardest to fully remove.

-A

[SlyOwl]

I "shaved" this "Spielberg" face to achieve the goatee:

I actually found using a toothpick with Brasso on the end works really well, using a cotton bud for larger areas. I managed to remove the headsets of Dash and Flex and gave them both a good shave. It's a good way to achieve new expressions without using decals e.t.c...I'll be using these in an upcoming harbour, so get ye telescope out!

Edited February 15, 2008 by SlyOwl

[Barbossa]

Added to the customization index.

Barbossa: Does toothpaste scratch? Is one kind better than another, like baking soda type, etc?

As Slyowl already mentioned, yes it leaves some tiny scratches because it removes the painting in a different way. I will not recommend it for removing prints from glass or transparent bricks.

I have only use tooth paste on minifig torsos and when the print has been removed I have always placed a decal on the surface afterwards. For that propose the tooth paste works great.

I have tried with nail polish remover but I won't recommend that (at least not the one I used), it almost removed the whole torso, speaking of strong chemicals! And girls use this on their nails, crazy!

Unfortunately I have not had the chance to try with brasso yet so I can't compare it to that.

[tedbeard]

I actually found using a toothpick with Brasso on the end works really well...

Now that sounds like a good idea. The control would be improved but without the risk of scratches.

Thanks for the tip.

:-| [pun intended]

[Derek]

Yes. Im assuming the torso itself is orange, so thats what color plasic it is, and wont change it. *y*

Dp8