Advice: How to stop rubbing off primer/paint

[Raewyn]

As I work, I have noticed that the edges of my mini's cloaks, the tips of elven ears etc. all seem to "rub" off. I bought paint on primer to touch up these areas, but even that seems to rub off.

 

Anyone else have this trouble? Should I wear gloves to keep the natural oils in my fingers off of them? (I tried this option, and hated it as it made my hands sweat, but I could try again).

[MamaGeek]

The trick is to not handle the mini AT ALL while you're working. There are a few different ways to do this.

 

If you've removed the base, put long pins in the mini's feet (you'll trim them down later)

 

1. Hold a long foot pin with a pin vise - handle the pin vise only, not the mini

2. Insert the pins into holes in a sold object you can hold, like the top of a laundry detergent bottle, a block of wood, etc. You can use some glue or putty to secure it there, but make sure it's easy to remove when you're done. (See this Reaper Craft article)

 

If the base is still attached, or you've already based the mini:

 

1. Sticky tack the base onto a solid object you can hold. I use an old film can, but anything will do. Some other suggestions: empty paint jar, empty pill bottle, top of a laundry detergent bottle.

 

Basically, you want to find a way to secure your mini onto something you can hold, something you can manipulate easily to reach all the critical areas of the mini without touching it ever. Different painters use different strategies. Experiment, and find one that you like.

[Inarah]

I try to hold it by the base, but if there are real pointy bits like horns or weapons I pick one to use as a point of contact and paint that spot last.

 

My husband saves the caps from juice bottles and glues the figure to it while working.

[vutpakdi]

I use wooden candlestick cups turned upside down (3 for $1.50 at Hobby Lobby) or over the counter medicine bottles (with child proof caps). I attach the mini to the holder with poster tack (white for minis with slot bases, orange for minis with flat bases).

 

Works quite well except for very heavy minis.

 

Ron

[Ol'Timer]

I use caps from soda and gatorade bottles, and either drill into them and pin the figure down, or use poster tack (if the mini is light enough. Heavy minis have a tendency to jump to the floor - which is, as you can imagine, unpleasant). They also give me something small to grip on with my extra hands without damaging the mini or base. Inarah's idea of using another point of contact that you don't paint until later often ends up being a practical reality, particularly when I'm couching the mini to paint something small like eyes.

[smokingwreckage]

Wine cork, or similar, and stick the mini down with white glue.

 

For very large heavy or spiky minis, something I don't see advocated much, but which has worked for me in the past: do it by sections. Complete each section to the point of spraying dullcote all over or carefully hand-brushing gloss over the finished bit only.

[fieldarchy]

The easiest, cheapest, most effective way of mounting a mini while painting is to use silly putty of all things!

 

You know that can of primer you have? Take the top of it off and then stick a blob of silly putty or poster tack on top of it. Then twist the mini into the putty. Mind you, you just need a little bit of putty, not a whole mound. I'd suggest doing this an hour before you plan to paint that way the putty/tack has time to settle and really stick. Voila!

[psyberwolfe1]

Here is my article on the subject of pill bottle handles over at Bell of Lost Souls.

[haldir]

I like using empty Tamiya paint cans (heck I spray enough of the damn things) or just the cap & a strip of double stick foam tape when I paint minis (& for those snickering, I did paint on a couple figs earlier this year......)

 

I have big monkey like paws err hands, so that can is a good size for my grip.

 

RM

[Da_Sub]

For infantry sized figs, 28mm-35mm high, I usually use an old paint pot and blu-tak (I think this is what many of you call "poster tack"). Typically it will be an empty that I have kept for making pre-mixes of colours when batch painting. This works well with plastic and smaller metals. For larger metal figures I tend to get a couple of steel dressmakers pins, snip the top off with care and then pin then into the feet or other appendage/part that would normally glue down to the base with the pointy ends of the pin pointing away from the mini. This can then be stabbed into a cork sanding block. Cork sanding blocks are cheap yet provide enough balance to be able to prime, undercoat and paint figures all in a fell swoop and when you are ready to put the figure on the base simple pull the pins out and snip them to the required length.

 

For tanks I use a clamp with rubber jaws that I have for working on electronics.

[jenova]

I've given up on not touching the figure long ago. I just paint the exposed parts last :(

[joshuaslater]

I'm with Inge on this one. I don't even worry about it. All are good suggestions posted, and if you feel it will improve your work, I say go with them.

[Qwyksilver]

I use a bottle cap hot glued to the end of a length of dowel. The dowel acts as a handle. Just poster tack or hot glue the bottom of the mini to the bottle cap and then just pop off. A drop of super glue also works well.

 

The advantage is that dowel and bottle cap fit perfectly through the opening of a 20 oz bottle of soda. Fill an empty bottle with water, or sand and then it has sufficient weight for even a bigger model. Then if you need to put the mini down for a few minutes, there is a safe place to store it.

 

Also works great as a holder for spraying.

[Bumble_B]

I currently use the square dice containers that the DnD dice sets come in. I have about 5 of them. The squareness is uncomfortable after awhile in the same position, but I usually turn my mini enough where it doesn't bother me.

 

I am looking at acquiring some medicine bottles. I have asked a few old people I know for them.

[ladystorm]

when I taught classes for youth, I attached the mini to the top of a McD's Happy Meal Milk jug. I placed either sand or water in the jug for weight (some had one, some the other, generally didn't mix the two)

 

I like the shape of these milk jugs because they aren't so tall they get knocked over by reaching arms. The curve is designed for a child's hand and is comfortable for an adults. They are the squat almost pear-shaped bottles that I refer to.

 

YMMV

 

As for rubbing off paint, even with attached/anchored minis it still happens around here. If it is from contact, we try harder to avoid the contact. Sometimes it is our mini's original state that causes it. If we didn't clean the mini well before priming we notice this more. We also zap the in progress mini with dullcote (varnish of your choice) as we go to help avoid more rub-off. Letting layers dry longer before more painting also seems to help prevent rub off.

 

No easy answer, often a case of try and try again.