Mike Blake
Private 2
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2008
- Messages
- 111
We game with our figures, so they take a few knocks. We store then fairly carefully when carrying them around the country to games. This is what we recommend to people who ask 'How do you get the paint to stay on plastic figures?' at shows, the 2nd most popular question after - where do you get the figures?
Painting and Protecting Plastic Figures
For absolute certainty -
1. Clean off flash & mold lines in your normal way [but always use a new blade for each batch of figures - change blades part way through if there are more than around 15 figures to do. Keep old blades for tougher jobs. mark knife handles so you know which is the new sharp blade!].
2. Wash in soapy water [washing up liquid] and rinse under running water.
3. Soak over night in vinegar [ordinary domestic table vinegar - eg Sarsons] – the mild acid really gets rid of any greasy mold release agents etc.
4. Wash again in soapy water and/or use a kitchen spray cleaner [the new orange ones are really good and smell nice!], rinse and dry on paper towels.
5. Spray with Plastic Primer sold for spraying car bumpers before painting. Tetrosyl is a brand name in the UK, from car accessory shops, Holts make their own version. This is crucial – it really helps the primer stick.
6. Prime with your favourite primer [Games Workshop Skull White spray or Chaos Black spray matt are excellent, Warlord Games colours are good too]. Leave over night to dry thoroughly.
7. Paint with your favourite paints [a mixture of brands can be used, but acrylic water based are best – no nasty niffs from paint or cleaner].
8. THIS IS ESSENTIAL - Once the paint is thoroughly dry, ie overnight, immerse in slightly thinned PVA white adhesive [buy a large can from Screwfix at a fraction of the cost of small pots from craft shops] - don't panic as the glue covers your figures with gunk - it will shrink and make a tight, gloss, tough skin which will protect them. Polyurethane varnish can be used but will mean white spirit cleaner etc unless a water based polyurethene is use. Games Workshop do both matt and gloss spray varnish too.
9. If you don't want a gloss finish, matt with artists acrylic matt varnish [Windsor & Newton is very, very matt].
Just stages 5] to 8] will work too, but come with no guarantee!
As to the benefits of the full treatment, I dropped a chair on some Italeri Austrians and whilst one figure snapped at the ankles, no paint came off any of them. But I believe that was because of Step 8 - the PVA provides a protective wrap that's very tough.
Painting and Protecting Plastic Figures
For absolute certainty -
1. Clean off flash & mold lines in your normal way [but always use a new blade for each batch of figures - change blades part way through if there are more than around 15 figures to do. Keep old blades for tougher jobs. mark knife handles so you know which is the new sharp blade!].
2. Wash in soapy water [washing up liquid] and rinse under running water.
3. Soak over night in vinegar [ordinary domestic table vinegar - eg Sarsons] – the mild acid really gets rid of any greasy mold release agents etc.
4. Wash again in soapy water and/or use a kitchen spray cleaner [the new orange ones are really good and smell nice!], rinse and dry on paper towels.
5. Spray with Plastic Primer sold for spraying car bumpers before painting. Tetrosyl is a brand name in the UK, from car accessory shops, Holts make their own version. This is crucial – it really helps the primer stick.
6. Prime with your favourite primer [Games Workshop Skull White spray or Chaos Black spray matt are excellent, Warlord Games colours are good too]. Leave over night to dry thoroughly.
7. Paint with your favourite paints [a mixture of brands can be used, but acrylic water based are best – no nasty niffs from paint or cleaner].
8. THIS IS ESSENTIAL - Once the paint is thoroughly dry, ie overnight, immerse in slightly thinned PVA white adhesive [buy a large can from Screwfix at a fraction of the cost of small pots from craft shops] - don't panic as the glue covers your figures with gunk - it will shrink and make a tight, gloss, tough skin which will protect them. Polyurethane varnish can be used but will mean white spirit cleaner etc unless a water based polyurethene is use. Games Workshop do both matt and gloss spray varnish too.
9. If you don't want a gloss finish, matt with artists acrylic matt varnish [Windsor & Newton is very, very matt].
Just stages 5] to 8] will work too, but come with no guarantee!
As to the benefits of the full treatment, I dropped a chair on some Italeri Austrians and whilst one figure snapped at the ankles, no paint came off any of them. But I believe that was because of Step 8 - the PVA provides a protective wrap that's very tough.
, I thought I'd give it a try, and have to say,