Don't use lacquer thinner to strip paint. Use paint stripper. A good one is Easy Lift Off, but you cannot leave it on the surface long or it will eat the plastic.

If you're going to use a rattle can, mist the paint on in successive coats, letting it dry in between.

Hi David @dbutler, sorry to read of your experiences with the spray cans. For domestic reasons, my modelling area is also our dining table, I don’t use an airbrush, but I am able to use spray cans in a communal area of our building. I almost exclusively use Tamiya products which seem to work very well as long you follow the instructions. The only time I’ve had problems is when I’ve tried to apply a too heavy coat in one go, in which case I’ve wiped off the excess while it’s still wet and sanded smooth when dry.

I think mixing different manufacturers’ products often causes problems.

Happy modelling, George

It is always a sad moment when a model ends up this way, David @dbutlr.
The only rattle cans I use are for coatings but I definitely prefer painting with airbrush.
Plastic and paint strippers are simply not a good combination, you can use them but have to take care a lot.

@tcinla Thanks for the tips- I think given all of the advice I received from this post that I wont give up entirely on spray cans but shelve them for now until I have a suitable test subject (a 1/48 Revell P-51D from HobbyLobby perhaps?)

George has some good advise. If your going to be in the hobby long term, spray cans can be used as apart of your tool box but, having a spray gun and a compressor in the long run, helps saves money by not wasting all that paint from over spray from the can. Worrying about drift, keeping your significant other happy. Spraying small amounts of paint and being able to better control the amount being used. Also, your not breathing propellants from the can is added plus.

I've been forced into using acrylics, some of the first acrylics where not very good, but, the latest crop has been pretty good. For me it boils down to health reasons. For some folks its a matter of budget reasons, once in while I do cheat.

Bill Koppos (@billkoppos)
Easy Off oven cleaner works great for removing enamel paint. I have used it on numerous occasions. You have to spray it on heavy, and let it sit for around 5-10 minutes. It will start to foam shortly after you spray it on. This is normal.
I usually brush it at this point with an old tooth brush to get into the nooks and crannies.

Rinse it off with water and repeat as necessary. Usually it will remove all of the paint in three applications as I described above.

The bad part is the smell. You must have good ventilation when you spray it on. It will take your breath away if you accidentally inhale it... not recommended to do that.

It will also splatter when you use the paint brush to scrub the model. I wear safety glasses to keep from getting it in my eyes.

I rinse the sink out well afterwards too. It can damage the chrome fixtures if you allow it to remain on the chrome parts, so be sure to rinse everything down in the area afterwards.

It also works great on old car parts too... 😉

David @dbutir: too bad about your rattle can disaster. I’ve been there. Removing lacquer paint off styrene is a heck of a lot of frustrating work often turning into a second disaster. Lacquer thinner runs hot and will melt the plastic so avoid that. TC’s suggestion using paint stripper sounds like a good possibility. I prefer decanting rattle can lacquers and using an airbrush for more control. Save yourself another headache. Salvage what you can from your P-51 and get another kit. It’s all part of the learning curve despite the frustration,disappointment and expense. You certainly have a lot great tips now to work with.

And yes, initially warming up rattle cans in warm water is rule no.1 Make sure the can doesn’t feel cold before using.