chipping paint on figures (1 Viewer)

Doughboy

Doughboy

Specialist
Joined
Aug 13, 2009
Messages
348
On select figures in my collection I'm starting to notice the paint is cracking/chipping particularly in the face/hands areas of the soldiers and this is causing me quite a deal of distress. Has anyone else ever dealt with this issue and if so how can I go about getting it corrected? I've actually gotten quite good at touching up my soldiers if there is a chip in the paint, but matching the fleshtone on K&C figures is quite difficult.
 
I would like to ask how do you display or store them? Are they in a cabinet or open shelf; maybe in a diorama.

I have read of some threads (on this forum) that some cabinets that have been treated with a type of stain or Urethane sealant cause some issues with the paint and material in some toy solders. {sm2}

Are they in direct sunlight or in some type of environment where smoke (cigarettes or such) can get at them?

Just some suggestions

--- LaRRy
 
Yes, what figures are they?

I am call upon to do a lot of repairs/repaints/touch-ups on a variety of figures, but some in particular have the same problem on the same figures, so I suspect that it was a bad run of paintwork cause either by not preparing/cleaning the casting, not applying a good undercoat, or poor paint.

John
 
Obee said:
Yes, what figures are they?

I am call upon to do a lot of repairs/repaints/touch-ups on a variety of figures, but some in particular have the same problem on the same figures, so I suspect that it was a bad run of paintwork cause either by not preparing/cleaning the casting, not applying a good undercoat, or poor paint.

John
Click to expand...

I concur...

I suspect that sometimes a particular figure may have a history of chipping due to some regular process not being applied properly...
 
The figures are all from the WW1 1914 French series that was released between 2010 and 2012. They are stored in their boxes, in a dry, cool room, and not displayed.
 
Doughboy said:
The figures are all from the WW1 1914 French series that was released between 2010 and 2012. They are stored in their boxes, in a dry, cool room, and not displayed.
Click to expand...
This isn't good news. I have a substantial collection of this series. Up until a month ago I had them all displayed in open air, on an open table, out of natural light. I have had no problems with them in terms of chipping paint but they are now stored in their boxes in a dry area so I don't know their current state since I put them away. -- Al
 
I have never had an issue with chipping paint with K & C a la Figarti. I don't have the French WW I but I do have almost all of the original German ones and have never had an issue.
 
In the past, I have bought pieces on consignment and sometimes their is a ding in the paint here and there, that I will fix. The fleshtones for K&C figures are a little difficult to duplicate. I use Vallejo paints myself and their bottled flesh colors are a little too light. I mix a little red with orange and maybe a small dash of tan with their basic fleshtone and have had pretty good luck matching flesh colors on the K&C figures. As a rule of thumb, you want the wet paint to be a little lighter than the existing color because the paint will dry a little bit darker. Good luck, Doughboy!
 
I had some issues with a few of the Kriegsmarine figures. Paint was literally flaking off.
 
I experienced this problem with a batch of figures all from one year: 2010. So when i see a figure from that year (and unfortunately there are a lot and beautiful ones) i try to avoid buying it. I have figures from 2005 and 2006 and the quality is great even after all these years (think about the early FOB or the Piper from the 8th Army in battledress jacket), unfortunately some figures like Orde Wingate and Dolittle are irreparably ruined by poor undercoating. The paint falls off . Also some of the AK and Kriegsmarine figures bear this problem. But i'm happy the quality now is really top notch. I hope in a reissue at some time of some figures of that year.
 
The series which are affected in my collection are French WWI, Kriegsmarine, AK from 2010 (Guard in overcoat, guy stripped to the waist with jerrycan), Club Figures (Doolittle, Orde Wingate , the fat scottish officer), EA always from 2010, Some WH also from 2010. Never ever experienced something similar with other figures from other ranges and years of production so i presume is a batch of bad undercoating. For example the paint could become a bit rough in some figures but it doesn't fall off . I'll take some pic to show it.
 
One point that I would like to add here is as many different series and different types of figures released month after month, The Paint defect rate may be around less than 1/2 of one percent !
I own around 300 K&C WWII figures and maybe 2 ever had an issue.

Wayne
 
PanzerAce1944 said:
One point that I would like to add here is as many different series and different types of figures released month after month, The Paint defect rate may be around less than 1/2 of one percent !
I own around 300 K&C WWII figures and maybe 2 ever had an issue.

Wayne
Click to expand...

Well i can say the same thing. But in the 2010 batch nearly 100 % of the figures present this problem. My shelf is smoke free, occasionally a ray of sun hit it, but in no way i can say they are in a hot temperature environment. And as i said i have figures from many years, the EA002 Scottish Bagpiper is one of the most "ancient" i own and it's perfect, perfect. Seems painted today. I can't say the same of the 2010 figures. Fortunately the quality seems better today!
 
cantinetozzo said:
Well i can say the same thing. But in the 2010 batch nearly 100 % of the figures present this problem. My shelf is smoke free, occasionally a ray of sun hit it, but in no way i can say they are in a hot temperature environment. And as i said i have figures from many years, the EA002 Scottish Bagpiper is one of the most "ancient" i own and it's perfect, perfect. Seems painted today. I can't say the same of the 2010 figures. Fortunately the quality seems better today!
Click to expand...

What series were those figures from 2010 ?

Wayne
 
In my collection some evident problems with the Australian Light Horse rifles ( 2 / 3 soldier, the older ones) and part of the paint of the leg of a camel (flaked off, the paint seem very dry ). No problem with the D -Day collection ( early figures), no problem in the Civil War collection ( older and newer figures) , no problem in the TRW collection ( older and newer ). Perfect paintings in the John Jenkins collection (french indian war ).
 
I have all of K&C AWI series from the original release (AR01 / BR01) to the present and NEVER saw any issue. Mine have stored been in boxes, on display an in cabinets and in the open ... at various times. I have handled them and moved them around and I don't ever recall seeing even a chip. One a few I got from shows (Chicago, Hackensack, and such, ya' there have be a nose that needs a tiny bit of paint or a rifle that got a little bent and need a touch. But 2010 was a good year for me!

--- LaRRy
 
The only time I ever had a paint issue with K&C was one of the early BOB figures had some minor paint cracking on his rifle sling right out of the box. It was an easy fix.
 
I have lots of K&C figures from multiple ranges and have had no issues to this point.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 2 (members: 0, guests: 2)
Community platform by XenForo® © 2010-2024 XenForo Ltd.
Back
Top