Questions about priming and painting individual components.

[Mr Bog]

I've searched around but I can't seem to find any tutorials or resources on this topic so I thought I'd ask directly. Apologies if this has been covered elsewhere and I've just not noticed it.

 

I've recently started to magnetise a lot of my miniatures for wargear selection, and for other miniatures it's obviously better to prime and paint them in separate components rather than as a completed model (or at least it has been in my experience). Occasionally I've used a different coloured primer for a different part of the miniature.

 

The way I've done this so far is to spray the miniature as usual, and to then try to spray the individual components (arms, weapons, back packs, helmets/heads etc.) separately by laying them on a piece of paper, spraying them, waiting for them to dry. Repositioning and then respraying. I once tried to improve this by using blu-tac and matchsticks to elevate the components but this seemed to end badly (components falling in to areas of paint during drying.

 

I've seen pictures before of a technique where people seem to have attached components to some form of metal wire to suspend them in place whilst they're primed and painted. Usually the metal is attached to a small block of wood. Could someone tell me a little more about this technique? How would someone go about temporarily (but firmly) attaching the individual components to the supporting metal? Is this the best way to go about doing this, or is there another technique that I'm not aware of? Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. I'm pretty comfortable with painting individual components by holding them, so I'm not too worried about that. It's more that I seem to struggle to get a good, even primer coverage on the individual components.

 

Thanks in advance,

 

Mr Bog.

[Pig Of Sparta]

I use a bastardised form of what you're describing, generally if some parts of the mini will get in the way while painting.

 

I tend to pin stuff to flying bases or offcuts of sprue that I've glued on spare slotta bases. It's quite easy to do and allows you to work on components without touching them and to get to almost every part of it with relative ease ;).

 

Hope this helps

 

James

[Mr Bog]

Thanks James, that's actually a really straightforward approach. Can't believe I didn't think of it myself!

 

What do you use to attach the components to the base whilst you're priming or spraying it? Let's say I was spraying an Assault Marine Jump Pack for example?

 

Thanks.

[winterdyne]

I use cocktail sticks rammed into a drilled hole (usually don't need to glue them into the mini / component) and a block of polystyrene to hold them. Pics in the tutorials on my blog and in the tutorials section here.

 

If you do need the part stuck to the stick a little better, it's usually best to use a little PVA as this is quite a weak bond.

[Mr Bog]

Thanks Winterdyne. Completely unrelated I'd actually browsed your blog and downloaded your Sternguard Veteran PDF although I hadn't read it yet. I just opened it and your technique for pinning is detailed within. Many thanks ;)

 

I doubt you'll be surprised to hear it, but your painting abilities are amazing. I'm really impressed.

[Pig Of Sparta]

Winterdyne's technique'll see you right. I usually use cut up paper clips and a tiny drop of superglue, but PVA will be easier to remove when you're done.

[Hemal]

I use a bastardised form of what you're describing, generally if some parts of the mini will get in the way while painting.

 

I tend to pin stuff to flying bases or offcuts of sprue that I've glued on spare slotta bases. It's quite easy to do and allows you to work on components without touching them and to get to almost every part of it with relative ease :wub:.

 

Hope this helps

 

James

 

 

This - I have a half dozen components of the Space Marine Veterans models arrayed over lots of bases and flying stands. The other key is to let the models dry before putting a new coat on.

 

I also have carved through to make armatures - being careful to glue models to armatures before they are painted and to trim and scrape away exces glue to avoid taking away a layer of paint (i HAVE done that!!)