Bones: Frequently Asked Questions - Unofficial!

[Slendertroll]

I assume that's spray-on? I haven't used that exact product, but aerosols (primer or sealer) are generally not recommended. They often react poorly with Bones, resulting in a sticky, never-drying mess. Try Reaper's (or another brand's) brush-on sealer instead.

[fanguad]

If you mean Matte Varnish on a completely painted mini, you shouldn't have any issues. The only possible issue might be that the varnish is not as flexible as the mini. You definitely won't get stickiness, since there is no Bones plastic interacting with the varnish.

 

As far as varnish on an unpainted mini, it can work, but not very well. Definitely worse than using a real primer or just painting straight on. And to set the record straight, you definitely can prime Bones. Brush-on primer works fine, as do several brands of aerosol. Army Painter primer works fine on Bones.

[Slendertroll]

If you mean Matte Varnish on a completely painted mini, you shouldn't have any issues. The only possible issue might be that the varnish is not as flexible as the mini. You definitely won't get stickiness, since there is no Bones plastic interacting with the varnish.

Nope. Paint is porous, and there have been many, many reports of people messing up their completed Bones with aerosolized sealers. Steer clear of spray-on varnish for Bones. I nearly ruined a whole batch of rats and my Mr. Bones this way.

 

(For the record, you can fix tackiness with a coat of brush-on sealer, if anyone does end up with this problem.)

[fanguad]

I haven't heard these report, though admittedly I haven't been reading many WIP threads lately. I've successfully used both Dullcote and Army Painter Matte Varnish over a coat of Krylon Crystal Clear with no ill effects.

 

I would not bring this up except that people keep phrasing these things in such absolutes: "do not prime Bones" or now "do not use spray sealer on Bones." I have primed and spray sealed several Bones so I know you can do it. I'm okay with "many people have issue with priming/sealing - check your brands."

[Froggy the Great]

For a dip effect:

 

I CONFIRM that Liquitex Acrylic Matte Varnish with Liquitex burnt umber tube acrylic in a 4:1 ratio works on as a good brush-on wash, and it dries hard and cured, even the gloppy bits.

[Reaperbryan]

I haven't heard these report, though admittedly I haven't been reading many WIP threads lately.  I've successfully used both Dullcote and Army Painter Matte Varnish over a coat of Krylon Crystal Clear with no ill effects.

 

I would not bring this up except that people keep phrasing these things in such absolutes: "do not prime Bones" or now "do not use spray sealer on Bones."  I have primed and spray sealed several Bones so I know you can do it.  I'm okay with "many people have issue with priming/sealing - check your brands."

This.

 

I have spray primed with good and bad results. I have spray sealed with good and bad results.

 

Avoid THIS brand for priming/sealing is far more helpful to the average consumer than "avoid sprays".

[Joe the Revelator]

This is the best FAQ on any forum ever.... thank you.

[Peithetairos]

I had a little go on a leftover bones base I chopped off with Tamiya Brush-On Fine Grey Primer on lacquer basis. It did not dissolve the base and does not feel tacky. It provides an extremly sturdy basecoat. I am unable to scracth it at all with my fingernails, a toothpick can not lift it and only a needle is able to produce a scratch.

 

The primer is also sandable, so if you find a spot that is not perfect, use some sanding paper and it comes off as a powder, instead of strings.

 

I can only recommend this primer for Bones, if you feel the miniature needs it. In combination with a good sealer this should produce some very resiliant miniatures. Only downside might be that that stuff will not come off easily if you decide to repaint a miniature and it is comparatively expensive. However, overspray is a thing and I would wonder how much paint is wasted this way.

[Sergeant_Crunch]

Has anyone specifically tried the Krylon Fusion tan paint in the camouflage series? That's essentially the base coat for my Terran CAV models and I will soon have 20 of them to paint. Being able to continue to use the spray paint would be a big help. 

[Asphere]

Will there be another bones kickstarter with fantasy based miniatures?  I missed the first two.

[Reaperbryan]

Will there be another bones kickstarter with fantasy based miniatures?  I missed the first two.

It is possible that we might at some point do one, but no plans have been formally announced, and I am unaware of any planning meetings for any such project.

 

We have some kinks to work out first, if at all.

[Email2085]

Thanks for the tips. A few of my Bones 2 minis were a bit crumpled. Hopefully the boiling water trick will work.

[Kheferen]

Add sealer info to FAQ please.

 

Lots of comments to sift through a lot of them contain the phrases "I think" or "it should be ok"

 

What I would suggest is a section in the FAQ "Sealing Bones with Clear Coat"

Please include: brush on, spray (which ones work and which ones to stay away from), matte finish.

 

I mistakenly used the Krylon. matte clear coat on some of my minis and they became sticky.

[Wren]

There's no sealer section currently because I haven't done thorough testing on sealers. I do not seal my own painted Bones. Paint sticks to them pretty darn well, and I have no qualms about playing with them, or even literally tossing them around the table, unsealed. The main thing I suggest is to take just a little care in storing them. Basically just something to keep them from banging into each other too much in storage. (So even between pieces of bubble wrap in a box with enough padding to keep things from falling around in transit.)

 

In an ideal world I'd like to test sealers, and it was my intention to do so, but in the real world, I just haven't had the time with all the other things on my to-do list. (Remember, this is an unofficial FAQ. I freelance paint for Reaper, but I'm not a Reaper employee. Reaper did not solicit me to write these documents, and did not compensate me for doing so. They did provide free Bones and paint for me to test with, but the other products tested I either already owned or paid to purchase. I don't own a lot of sealers, so I would have to spend money in addition to time to test sealers.)

 

I will try to update with a note that the potential for aerosol products to react poorly with Bones includes sealers as well as primers. Dullcote seems to be fine, and Reaper brush-on sealer is fine, but apart from that I don't think there's much of a consensus on other products yet, sorry.

[Laoke]

Yeah, I use Reaper Brush On Sealer and I've never had a single problem with it.