How do you wash a big cat?

[arb65912]

Just do whatever you think, I have never washed kit spues before building and had no problems, perhaps I am just lucky?

Andy.

From all these replies, I think I will wash before using acrylics, but we will see.

[Ian M]

IPA you mean Isopropyl Alcohol? How about 70%?

Yes thats the stuff but You might want to cut it down a bit with some distilled water. About 50/50 should be fine.

[Gern]

Let the bubbles die away BEFORE you empty the bath! That way you will be able to see and collect any parts that may have fallen off the sprue.
Ask me how I learned that!

[boatman]

WELL ive built loads of kits over my 60 odd yrs of model makin an ive never washed the sprues down dint know it was needed to an ive had no problems with building them or painting them but i must admit ive never had a airbrush an all this bussiness of thinnin down the paint so thats my take on it an an this last kit of a seaking i dint wash it off but it built after a fashion as a bad fit kit but it got built an spray painted an no probs
chrisb

[stillp]

IPA you mean Isopropyl Alcohol? How about 70%?

I've used 99% IPA without any problems. With lower purities, such as 70%, you have to hope that the other 30% is pure water!

Just make sure the alcohol is not to strong. Even IPA can mark plastic if very high concentration.

Ian, have you actually had this happen? Were the plastic parts immersed or just wiped?

I don't always wash sprues before starting assembly, but a couple of times when I haven't, I've found the first coat of paint doesn't 'take' properly. When that happens I've used IPA on a cotton bud to clean off any grease or mould release agent.
Pete

[Bugatti Fan]

When I read 'How do you wash a big cat?'
I almost had a David Attenborough moment and went to reply 'With extreme caution!'

[rickoshea52]

I finally got round to starting this kit; build thread here - https://www.scale-models.co.uk/threa...hellcat.42675/