Bestine is getting difficult to find up here. I suppose I could try ordering online. Though if I have an alternative that is readily available I would like to go with that.
I've seen a number of methods. I think someone had a technique relaying just on rubbing alcohol but I can't think where to look for the details. I've tried non-acetone nail polish remover with good results, but that stuff is so nasty I'd use just about anything else in the future.
I couldn't find any Bestine, so I ran an experiment comparing mineral spirits, acetone and Dawn dishwashing liquid. The mineral spirits were next to useless. The acetone worked well, but of course you have to be careful how long you soak in it. The Dawn worked at least as well as the acetone, with no danger of damaging the plastic. The parts, as far as I could tell, were as clean as any bestine-soaked parts I've seen others do. So Dawn gets my vote.
It went quite well, actually... Untitled by Mark, on Flickr The log bunks on this modified flat (and her three sisters) are from Shapeways. I painted them black, and then masked and painted the yellow. It worked as well as anything else I've ever painted. They have not been subjected to rough handling (yet) but seem to be OK. Here are the "raw" bunks after their soak... Tests of cleaning FUD material from Shapeways by Mark, on Flickr The one on the left was a 30 minute Acetone soak. The one in the middle was attacked for only a few minutes with Dawn and a soft toothbrush. The one on the right is a raw part that has not been touched. The mineral spirits soak looked virtually indistinguishable from the raw one. A fourth one I soaked for a while in Dawn without scrubbing, and after it dried, that looked the same as the scrubbed part. Scrubbing just seemed to make the process go quicker.
This is very interesting! If Bestine can be bypassed and good old kitchen dish washing soap does the job properly, it would make having supplies cheaper and much easier to acquire.
I have been cleaning my projects with Bestine also (found it at Michael craft shop) and some hot water from the tap to remove the oil and wax on all of my projects. Then with Dawn dish soap to remove the Bestine. But when using the hot water you must be carful handling it because it also softens the plastic. If you have any parts that are bent or out of shape you can fix them when running the hot water over them. After cleaning I run cold water and let it set for a couple days before painting. I have tried Denatured Alcohol contains Methanol and Ethanol and is dangerious to use, does soften the wax but dries fast. I haven't found anything better yet that will do a real good job. Some one said that a jewelry cleaner machine that vibrates and use with Bestine does a good job but that would be for small parts I do Z scale so this would work for me. I keep trying other things on some of the project that I have gotten mess up with the wax thing. I have also notice that shapeways has been doing a better job on cleaning the models. I have only use the Frosted Ultra Detailed material. It seems everything we use is a flammable liquid and vapor to clean with.
Since Bestine is not available in the UK, I use Non Acetone nail varnish remover, can leave it soaking for ages without doing any damage. I always use an undercoat before applying top coat, generally use Tamiya fine, grey or white in spray can.
Alexander, I haven't tried the non Acetone nail Varnish remover yet! I'll have to try it out! Here is one of my latest projects it a Tigercat 860C tracked Feller Buncher with one of my trees in Z scale. As you can see it still has some harden wax on it and doesn't have a smooth surface to it it's z scale so you have to get real close to see it except when taking photo's then it really show up!! Tigercat 860C Feller Buncher by southernnscale posted Aug 17, 2015 at 2:36 AM
I know from my wife's grumblings it is not at all as potent as the older stuff. She must do more work to get her polishes off, completely. And I have to listen the complaining.....
That is a nice model http://trainboard.com/highball/index.php?media/tigercat-860c-feller-buncher.124676/ looked at your other stuff . very nice. I have left models soaking for a couple of hours in Non acetone nail varnish remover with no problem, I do use a tooth pick to get into the corners if there are any deposits there and a toothbrush over the main body.
Alexander, The tooth pick would work for me in the corner and hard to get places!! I also use them to paint the tail lights and brake light on my Z scale models trucks and heavy equipment. just perfect size just a little drop will do ya! For the tooth brush to dangerious for me sine I doing 1:220 scale to much damage can be done with the tooth brush. I have been using a stiff paint brush it has just enough flexibility to not break my hand rails and other small tiny parts. Thanks for the comment I have a lot more but they are not open to public yet working on small fixes with the support wire thing, which I wish it would just disappear all together. Walt
The dish soap works great on the oily substance on the models but the wax build up on some models just doesn't make it that's where the Bestine it seems to breaks down the wax better. The hot tap water works good also on taking the wax build up off! But I have gotten so really nasty pieces where it seems the wax has harden or the plastic has deformed and looks really bad. and have to use the tip of the Excel Knife to scrape it off. Can be a real problem!!!
These are the log bunks for Stonysmith Semi Truck trailers I designed they just twist between the frame of the trailer
