Getting It Ready
Even if the miniature
you are painting is all in one piece, there are still some steps you will want
to take to prepare it. Aside from
assembly, these steps apply to all types of miniatures, regardless of the
material in which they are cast.
What's it made of?
There are four primary
materials from which nearly all gaming miniatures are cast or molded:
White Metal - Once the most common material for casting
miniatures do to its durability, ease of casting and ability to make molds that
retained fine detail. It is becoming
less common as technological advances in other materials allow manufacturers to
make products that are lighter and less expensive. Older miniatures (those cast prior to the
1990s) may contain some lead, and caution should be used when preparing these
so as not to inhale or ingest the dust and to wash hands after handling - but
for the last 25 years, the white metal is a lead-free alloy, so anything on
store shelves and racks is safe to handle and use.
Advantages - Durable, model has a solid "heft" to it that may add to its
stability on the tabletop. Good detail.
Disadvantages - Material tends to be more expensive, harder to remove mold lines and
flash. Harder to do conversions that
require cutting or removal of material.
Must be assembled with Super Glue (cyanoacrylate adhesive).
Styrene Plastic - This is fast
becoming one of the most widely used materials for the production of gaming
miniatures, and it is the favorite of many gamers (including myself). These injection-molded models have always
provided the greatest poseability, and advances in moldmaking over the last 25
years have allowed manufacturers to produce models with even greater detail.
Advantages - Poseability, easy to convert.
Assembles with styrene cement (xylene).
Easy to remove mold lines and fill gaps.
Disadvantages - Can be expensive (manufacturers pass moldmaking costs along to the
consumer), more fragile than metal. Lightweight and less stable (I find that
gluing a nickel inside the bottom of a 25mm base gives it stability and the
right "heft"). Parts must be
clipped carefully from the sprue (the plastic frame on which they are molded).
Resin - This is still the most specialized of materials for miniature casting. It is typically a urethane, acrylic, or other
polymer. Resin figures are often found
when small production runs of a given model are called for. Citadel's "Finecast" series of
miniatures are cast in resin. A word of
caution: Resin dust is harmful if inhaled.
When preparing a resin model, be sure to wear a filter mask and use
adequate ventilation.
Advantages - Resin models can produce the highest level of detail. Conversion is not as difficult as metal or
restic models, and parts can be reposed or repositioned by application of heat.
Disadvantages - Resin dust is harmful. Resin parts
are extremely fragile and thus not always ideal for tabletop gaming and
handling. Must be assembled with Super
Glue.
Restic - This is the newest of materials for miniature
gaming. It offers the highest durability
of any material while keeping a lighter weight than metal. Like resin models, it can be repositioned
with use of heat (hot water or a hair dryer).
It is easier to convert than metal, but not so much as styrene or
resin. It is often said that restic
offers all of the advantages of plastic and metal... but also all of the
drawbacks. Notwithstanding the
difficulty of working with this material, it has allowed companies like
Privateer Press and Mantic to manufacture models inexpensively, reducing the
cost of entry into the hobby for new players and taking a chunk out of Games
Workshop's tremendous market share.
Advantages - Extremely durable. The least expensive material. Moderate heft. Reposable
with heat.
Disadvantages - Almost as hard to convert as metal.
The most difficult substance for removing mold lines, as scraping tends
to fray the material. Must be assembled
with Super Glue.
As we can see, each of
the materials offers certain strengths and comes with certain challenges for
the hobbyist. That said, my favorite
material is styrene for its poseability, ease of conversion, fast cleanup and
least messy assembly. Plastic cement
melts the material, fusing it with the adjacent part to create a solid,
permanent bond. If the parts are
properly prepared and cleaned, the cement creates a "weld line" of
melted plastic that can be scraped and sanded away when dry. When done with care (and supplemented when
necessary with plastic putty or Liquid Green Stuff), this can create a join
that is totally invisible when painted, giving the best and most realistic
results.
Now that you understand what
material your model is made from, you have a better idea on how you will need
to prepare it. Let's go through each of
the steps.
Step One: Wash It!
Regardless of what material
your model is made from, it was cast or injected into a mold. These molds are coated with release agents to
keep the material from sticking to the mold.
As you can no doubt imagine, these same chemicals would keep paint from
sticking to the model. It's not a big deal,
but if you want the best results, wash your models in a bath of warm water with
a little dish soap, rinse them and allow them to dry completely. I recommend using a plastic basin or dish pan
to contain the models or sprues, to keep you from losing parts down the drain!
Step Two: Remove from the sprue or mold tab
As mentioned above,
plastic parts are molded onto a frame called a "sprue". It is best to remove these carefully using
clippers. Do not twist the parts off the
sprue, as this will leave you with parts that are missing large chunks which
will be visible when painted and are quite difficult to fix. A hobby knife is an adequate solution, but
should be used with care to avoid injury or damage to the parts.
In the previous
article, “Tools of the Trade”, you will find an in-depth explanation on the
different types of recommended clippers, as well as where to obtain them. It’s important to note that an inexpensive
pair of sprue clippers is still better than none at all.
Some metal or resin
parts may have "tabs" remaining from the vents in the mold, which are
cuts that allow air to escape. Molds are
slightly overfilled to prevent bubbles from deforming parts, so you may have
extra material that needs to be removed.
Large chunks can be trimmed carefully with clippers, smaller vents can
be removed with a hobby knife or files.
Step Three: Remove flash and mold lines
Resin or metal parts
may have some "flash", which is thin excess material that escapes
between halves of the mold. This can be
easily scraped away with a sharp hobby knife.
All materials have mold lines, regardless of whether the part was cast
or injection molded. Even thought these
lines can be hard to see on the bare model. it is essential to remove this
excess material. Application of paint
and highlights will draw these mold lines out in glaring detail, ruining an
otherwise excellent paint job. This is
probably the most unpleasant step of cleanup and assembly, but it is completely
essential if you desire the best results.
Scrape gently with the
edge of a sharp hobby knife, angled along the edge rather than straight up and
down. Alternatively, you could try
Citadel's Mouldline Remover (see previous article for more details). This is the step where a lighted magnifier
comes in very handy. You may be
surprised to examine a model or part that you have cleaned, only to find that
you've missed a mold line somewhere! You
can be sure that it will show up when you paint, so take the time to remove it
now.
Step Four: Assembly
Now that your parts are
clean of any mold release chemicals and free of flash and mold lines, they are
ready for assembly. Take your time when
doing this and apply adhesives carefully so that they do not flow onto other
parts (or your fingers, which can make quite the mess!). Do one step at a time. I find it easiest to adhere the legs to the
base first, then apply the torso after the previous assembly has dried,
followed by the arms and finally the head.
Take the opportunity to determine what pose you'd like the model to be
in. Use poster putty (also called
"blu-tac") for temporary assembly if you want an idea of what the
finished model will look like.
If your model is
styrene, you can use plastic cement for assembly. I recommend the Testors Model Master Liquid Cement because it has a needle-like precision applicator so that you can apply the
glue directly and exactly where you want it.
NOTE: Do not use the "Non-toxic" cement (the stuff that smells
a little like lemons) as you will find it does not create the permanent weld
and parts will break off easily. I also
do not recommend the gel-type cements as they inevitably smear and ooze goo out
between the parts.
If your model is
metal, resin, or restic, you will need cyanoacrylate adhesive (Super Glue) to
assemble it. Most of the commercially
available glues on the shelves in grocery and hardware stores are messy or dry
out quickly. I avoid foil tubes because
it's difficult to precisely control the application. Ideally, you want a bottle with a precision
applicator, preferably one that can be removed and replaced if it gets clogged. Always keep your super-glue bottle upright to
avoid clogging the applicator. I found
the right stuff in a hobby store, by asking about their specialized adhesives. It's only a little more expensive than the
junk on grocery store shelves, but it lasts a lot longer and can be applied
more carefully. I don't recommend the
"Gel" glues except for certain gap-filling applications, or for
joining large parts that need a very strong bond.
I am not going to go
into detail on how to safely use Super Glue, but I will advise that users be
familiar with safe handling, as well as measures to take if you spill it or get
any on your skin. The resources exist on
the Internet, and when handled safely, this product can enable strong bonds
between parts, even if they are of differing materials.
Step Five: Allow Time To Dry!
It's always tempting
to rush ahead and move on to painting your newly-assembled model. Resist that temptation and give it time to
dry. Allow several hours until the
adhesive and joins have visibly hardened.
The first time you ruin a $20 brush by getting super glue on it, you'll
wish you'd waited a little longer.
Step Five: Fill The Gaps And Clean
The Seams
Now that the model is dry,
you can see where gaps need to be filled and seams need to be scraped, filed,
or sanded down. Removing weld lines from
plastic parts is much like removing mold lines.
If you have narrow gaps between parts, they can usually be taken care of
with a "fillet" of super glue.
Allow it to flow into the gap and give it time to dry.
For larger gaps, or
minor surface imperfections, you may need putty. For plastic parts, I recommend AV Plastic Putty which is a water-soluble putty that scrapes or files easily when dry, or Citadel's
"Liquid Green Stuff" which also cleans up with water, but is a "hotter" putty. As far as I can tell, it's no different from
Squadron Green Putty which you'd find in model stores. You can use sculpting tools to apply these
putties, and smooth them out with a moistened old brush. Allow 24 hours to dry before filing or
sanding.
The largest gaps will
require a two part epoxy putty (the "proper" Green Stuff)
which is mixed together in equal parts, kneaded to a uniform color, and applied
like modeling clay. Use sculpting tools
or an old knife to apply and smooth.
When cured (allow several hours) it is a very hard material that can be
sanded and filed to shape.
SUMMARY
So now, your new
miniature is finally cleaned and assembled.
The gaps are filled and the mold lines are removed. This is the pristine new canvas upon which
you will paint your next masterpiece!
Tomorrow, we will talk about getting the model undercoated with primer
and ready to paint.
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