The Stripper

A cautionary tale today which could have ended up with a lot of tears and much wailing and gnashing of teeth.

Let me explain.

I have a trio of models I've been building for a client which I have been patiently painting by hand. All that remains to be done is a quick coat of protective varnish.

Normally I use Humbrol satin spray in an aerosol can, but my local model shop is out of stock. The owner recommends this as the nearest equivalent and is, he assures me, suitable for varnishing models painted with enamels...



For once in my life I paid heed to the standard instruction to test the product.

And this is what happened...



Is this a can of varnish or spray-on paint stripper I've bought???

Admittedly the enamel paint on this test piece was applied many years ago and its been subjected to fingerprints and other contaminants over the years, but even so....

Obviously I won't be risking spraying the client's models with this stuff and a can of Humbrol satin varnish has been ordered on the web and is making its way here as I type.

A lucky escape indeed!