scottmc10 Posted May 30, 2016 Share Posted May 30, 2016 I just started painting Bones. I noticed paint flaking off or rubbing off very easily but only after putting in many hours. Searching these forums I found a post by Buglips who'd had my problem in 2013 and identified it as an issue with priming with certain colors including Pure Black. My question is: is there any way to salvage these minis? Some kind of sealer (I have the reaper brush-on kind)? Or am I destined to watch my hard work rub off at the gaming table? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StardustCrusader Posted May 30, 2016 Share Posted May 30, 2016 I would seal it after priming and after painting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buglips*the*goblin Posted May 30, 2016 Share Posted May 30, 2016 Sealer might help some, but the underlayer is where the poor adhesion is. I'm assuming it's a finished mini, right? Hmmm... some testors dullcote spray might also help. Since you mention one of my posts then I presume you also saw that Reaper Brown Liner as a primer coat solves the adhesion issue. Won't help save your work on this troublesome piece, but will save future adhesion issues. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator OneBoot Posted May 30, 2016 Moderator Share Posted May 30, 2016 (edited) You may want to put a coat or two of a clear gloss on before hitting them with Dullcote; gloss sealers are much more durable. I'm sorry you're experiencing this problem, that's so frustrating! :( I am glad you found your way here, though; we're more than happy to help try and solve whatever mini painting problems you might be having. Feel free to ask questions, too, chances are very good that somebody here will know the answer! Huzzah! --OneBoot :D Edited May 30, 2016 by OneBoot 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLZeebub Posted May 30, 2016 Share Posted May 30, 2016 There's always the Purple Power or Simple Green bath. Start afresh! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gadgetman! Posted May 30, 2016 Share Posted May 30, 2016 Agreed. Trying to 'fix' the problem is most likely going to bite you some time in the future. (And if these are to be used on the table, with lots of handling, it will happen) Yeah, it sucks to repaint something that took hours to do the first time, but odds are that unless you're already very good at this, the result will be better on the second try. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tiniest rhombus Posted May 30, 2016 Share Posted May 30, 2016 Just to clarify. Are you handling them while painting? Or are these done and in use already? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottmc10 Posted May 30, 2016 Author Share Posted May 30, 2016 Thank you everyone for the swift replies! I painted not one but six Bones ghasts for a con game I'm running later in the summer. I painted them attached to corks so there was no handling until I removed the first one. I'll try the brush on sealer and perhaps the dullcote. I know they're not perfect but I'm loathe to strip them and restart. An annoying beginning to an otherwise fun hobby... 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tiniest rhombus Posted May 31, 2016 Share Posted May 31, 2016 (edited) Just let them dry for a day or two at least before sealing. The paint needs time to cure. Hope it works out for you. Think of it as a learning experience. I think we've all had our fair share of frustrating learning experiences Welcome to the forum and the hobby! Can't wait to see your finished minis in the show off thread! Edited May 31, 2016 by tiniest rhombus 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buglips*the*goblin Posted May 31, 2016 Share Posted May 31, 2016 Ruining things is how you learn, and I have learned quite a lot. 12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mad Jack Posted June 1, 2016 Share Posted June 1, 2016 (edited) Just out of curiosity, did you wash them thoroughly before you started priming them? That can also contribute greatly to the problem of paint not adhering. If you touch them up and then seal them with two coats of gloss and then a coat of matte sealer, it should hold the paint on there for awhile (quite possibly a great while), but they'll most likely start to flake or rub off again eventually. How far down the road that is is anybody's guess. It's basically a matter of fix them now or fix them later. But, you've now learned something you didn't know before (and in time to correct it, too), and that, my friend, is the road to progress. As Buglips mentioned, the great majority of us have learned some things in some very painful and expensive ways - hell, I wouldn't be surprised to learn that I'm not the only one with one or more "lessons" permanently embedded in my body, lol. Edited June 1, 2016 by Mad Jack 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottmc10 Posted June 1, 2016 Author Share Posted June 1, 2016 Yes, I washed them with soap and water. Applied one coat of clear sealer so far. They seem a little more durable. Will put on another at your guys' suggestion. Is there a recommended matte sealer? I'd be pleased if they made it through a playtest and two 4-hour con runs without getting too ratty. After that, I can redo them or move on. I'm ordering some Reaper gray liner as a first coat for any more I need to do for the same game. I know I'm just starting, but I'd be happy to post pics if people want to see. Does that only happen over in Show Off? 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gadgetman! Posted June 1, 2016 Share Posted June 1, 2016 You can also post a WIP (Work In Progress) thread with lots of pictures. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mad Jack Posted June 1, 2016 Share Posted June 1, 2016 (edited) For matte sealer, Reaper's brush-on sealer is good. With the Bones minis, you want to be careful when using spray stuff - both primer and sealer... The spray primers sometimes get sticky and don't dry... Some brands work okay and others don't... (You've probably already found the threads on the subject.) As for the spray sealers, as long as the mini's fully painted so that they're not coming into contact with the bare plastic, they're okay. Testors Dullcote is generally one of the most matte spray sealers, and a lot of folks use it. There are a couple other brands that are pretty good, but I can't remember them off the top of my head at the moment. Most folks who expect to be getting a hell of a lot of gaming use out of their minis usually hit them with a coat or two of gloss sealer first (it's a bit tougher than the matte) and then give it a final coat of matte to kill the shine. After that, your minis are bulletproof. (Or, at least you're not going to mess them up by dropping them off the table or regular gaming use, lol.) Edited June 1, 2016 by Mad Jack 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottmc10 Posted June 1, 2016 Author Share Posted June 1, 2016 I didn't realize that the Reaper brush-on was matte. I guess I need to know what a good gloss sealer is if you say they're more durable. I feel like the Reaper brush-on added a tiny bit of shininess to the minis and slightly muted the highlighting effects I'd done. I'm still trying to figure out the right degree of subtlety with shadows and highlights. I'm probably not going to get mixed up with spray anything -- I don't have the facilities for doing it easily. Thanks! 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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