Best way to strip paint off of Breyer horses?

[Zapper]

Aye!
I don't want to register on a Breyer forum just for this one topic so I figured I'll just post it on the Arena as there are some Breyer peeps in here.

Basically, I have a couple of vintage Breyer bodies and scratched models I wish to remake/restore.
For that I want to remove the factory paint. Especially since two of my horses have been cleaned with vinegar by the previous owner and the smell is in the paint now
I have searched for days and looked at different methods but so far nothing really worked. Not even soaking for days in bleach.
I do not want to sand them all. That would take forever and kill my wrists.

Any tricks you can share that do not include sanding or bleach? 

[Strawberrysweets]

Have you tried with nail polish remover with aceton?

[ColdRuru]

First of all: you don't need to remove all the paint, but that's up to you. You can just sand the horse properly with a soft sanding paper, to remove the mold lines and most of the paint.
If you really want to strip all the paint, don't use acetone, it can react with the plastic and make it melt (not while doing it, but on the long process of time). I'm serious about that happening.

Here's a link who can helps you: https://artbycriley.wordpress.com/2017/11/29/how-to-strip-paint-off-of-a-breyer-resin-or-pewter-model-horse-using-purple-power/

[Zapper]

ColdRuRu, thanks for the link but that product is not available in my country.
I do indeed need to remove all the paint on the two that smell because I just don't want that nastiness under a new paint coat. The two of them also have some mould issues. My Sham's eye looks squashed and I don't like modelling clay on an old stinky paint layer either.
I don't want the models to develop issues over time and start smelling or shedding paint.

The problems with these US based cleaning products is our environmental regulations are different so I would have to import them and that would get costly real quick.

[ColdRuru]

WELP I guessed you were in the US, sorry
I'm not in the US as well, and I never stripped my horses before painting, just sanded them

So well for the odor if it's in the plastic and not in the paint, I'm not sure it's gonna help.
You could try to got the paint/odor with soap, hot water and an abarasive sponge, it's will rub off most of the paint.

[Zapper]

Haha it's ok! I don't have my location in my profile so it's my fault. We're country neighbors.
I guess I will try the sponge method then. Thanks!

Others, please keep the tipps coming.

[Tulips]

I've heard the advice to use bleach. There are probably YouTube tutorials on how to do it (think I recall seeing one). I'm at work right now but I can have a browse later on a model horse forum to see if there is any better advice to find.

[Strawberrysweets]

First of all: you don't need to remove all the paint, but that's up to you. You can just sand the horse properly with a soft sanding paper, to remove the mold lines and most of the paint.
If you really want to strip all the paint, don't use acetone, it can react with the plastic and make it melt (not while doing it, but on the long process of time). I'm serious about that happening.

Here's a link who can helps you: https://artbycriley.wordpress.com/2017/11/29/how-to-strip-paint-off-of-a-breyer-resin-or-pewter-model-horse-using-purple-power/

I am so sorry, I had no idea acetone did that D:
I am so used vinyl toys guess I didn't think how it would effect the plastic

[ColdRuru]

Don't worry, a lot of people use acetone, but it eats the plastic.
I discovered it way after my first custom that I stripped with acetone, as well as most of the people I know.
So don't worry, it just need to be said so the use of it can be stopped

[BlackCurtains]

To help with the smell you might try sticking them in a bag with baking soda?

[Zapper]

I tried something new and had success with it. But I'd like to hear your opinions.
I got a stain remover meant for getting glue, acrylics and other paints out of clothes. Ingredients "5% anionic surfactants". I'm not that well versed in chemics but I figured if it gets paint out of elastic cloth then it might not be so bad on a plastic surface.
I used it on my usual test model, a PAM body, and the paint immediatly melted off of her!
Instructions say to let the surfactant evaporate completely then wash remains away with soapy water.

[ColdRuru]

If it's done on purpose and that you wash them as they said in the notice, their should be no problem. I thinks.

[MerryAnvil]

Did the previous owner say they bathed them in vinegar or were you just thinking that because of the smell? If not, then it's probably a case of the 'Oozies'. The vinegar smell is actually a common problem with Breyers, especially older ones. It's similar to the plasticizer leakage in ponies, so unfortunately the smell might be semi-permanent. I had a couple old stablemates that were Oozies and they stunk of vinegar for years, along with being tacky to the touch. I wrapped one in a paper towel and put him in a ziploc bag to keep him away from the others, since it's actually contagious if they're kept together with other models. He eventually stopped oozing and smelling quite so bad. I'm not quite sure if there's any way to actually cure the Oozies, but maybe it's like the plasticizer leakage and it eventually stops after a certain amount of time.

[Zapper]

Dakota, I hadn't even thought of that! Considering it's the 90s Sham that stunk like that! I will take care and remove him from the herd just to be sure. Thanks for letting me know.

He isn't sticky but I want to be cautious.

[MerryAnvil]

Dakota, I hadn't even thought of that! Considering it's the 90s Sham that stunk like that! I will take care and remove him from the herd just to be sure. Thanks for letting me know.

He isn't sticky but I want to be cautious.

No problem, glad I could help! Even if it wasn't the answer you were looking for  I used to live show Breyers and it was always frustrating to find out one of your older ones had become an Oozie because it meant you had to quarantine them >.< Yikes! All these poor plastic equines and their chemical problems.

Probably a good idea! And some Oozies don't actually ooze, per se. Sometimes they just stink haha