"Prepping Wargames Factory figures" Topic

I am getting ready to assemble my first WF Gauls. I know that many people recommend washing older plastics with detergent before painting. Does this also apply to the newer plastics such as WF and Warlord?

I have read a few times that washing is not needed with WF stuff.

Look at it this way.

How long does it take to soak them in a detergent solution overnight, wash them off and dry them?

vs.

If you do have trouble, paint doesn't stick or cover correctly.

This type of logic is analogous to approaching an intersection with your eyes closed and gunning it -- hope I make it!

Take a little time and do it right.

mjc

I've built models for over 25 years, and I have never washed an injection molded styrene model -- ever. I've only ever had one problem, and that was from a chinese molded kit before the quality of chinese models improved.

Damon.

You can wash them if you like, but there is no need at all.

Honestly.

As Howard says, there's no need to wash any hard plastic figures – i.e. high impact polystyrene. Soft plastic is a different story.

There is no "mold release" of any type used in hard plastic injection molding. The figures are pushed off the tool by injection pins.

The injection mold might have a bit of oil on its surface when it first begins a run – but since the first couple hundred "shots" are thrown into the recycle bin anyway, all the oil is off the tool by the time you get to the production pieces.

Washing hard plastic is a complete waste of your time. Just get painting!

All the best,
Tony

Tony Reidy
Wargames Factory
wargamesfactory.com

Just out of curiosity Tony, but why do you bin the first few hundred presses?

Damon.

I'm no expert, but from what I understand the injection press has to warm up and get to an optimal fill of the tool…so it takes a few cycles to get there and make the necessary adjustments as you go so that all the ends of the spears and other detail areas are properly filled.

The defective sprues are ground up to be reused.

Garand,

I'm with you! As a kid I never had the patience for washing the parts before assembling my kits, and what I learned over time was that there didnt seem to be a need to.

Well not WF plastic but plastic all the same, last week I decided to paint up a couple of boxes of WG Romans and wanted to do them in 'fast mode' because work means I have so little time available and plastic minis somehow don't seem as 'precious' as metal :)

No washing, just primed them on the sprue using DIY shop black spray, cut them off sprue, no cleaning mold lines, glued together, dry brushed in Vallejo Natural Steel, switched to humbrol enamels for flesh and scarlet, back to Vallejo for brown leather and 60 wargame standard Romans ready for basing in no time.

I am going to base these for Impetus and am just waiting for the brother-in-law to deliver the bases.

I assembled/ primed/painted 30 Germans for the Sambre game in Maine, this April. I had no problems w/ paint at all. Sealed them with MinWax Polyshades, and they are bulletproof.

if MJS says it, it must be true but keep an eye on your wallet and passport. =P

Not so much mold release, but I'd wash to get rid of skin oils etc that get on them during assembly. Then only handle minimally or with gloves on. Same goes for metal BTW.

I have primed mine with gesso, and the only prep I did was (as is my custom) to give them a quick wash first with rubbing alcohol and a brush. The gesso seems to have bonded well and I was able to paint them without incident.

In the last year I've painted up Wargames Factory Romans, Numidians, and am now finishing up some Germans. I've never washed or "prepped" the plastic, just glue 'em up and hit them with some black spray paint primer. Never had any problems.