"Old Grey / Black minis - OK to paint?" Topic

I've just acquired a few old miniatures (many many years old) that are a dark grey / black colour rather than the shiny metal of new.

This is not paint but aged and I was wondering if I should clean this off first before undercoating and if so with what?

A quick test with a knife on the base bottom shows shiny metal very quickly where as a wet finger has no effect.

Thank you in advance
Andrew
Main site: blog.kings-sleep.me.uk

Scrub them in warm water and soap and see if they clean up.

If the grey is rough & powdery or gritty, it's probably metal rot. If it's still smooth, it's a patina. For patina, just clean them up in soapy water & primer as usual. For metal rot, can't help you there….

I usually give them a quick buff with one of these link (very light touch) or one of these link

However, I really don't think even that is necessary. The discoloration you speak of from my experience is very firmly fixed, and has not caused problems for others who paint right over it who I know.

Thanks folks

Fortunately the patina is smooth – you can still see all the detail just as if it was undercoated

Thanks for the Dremel links especially handy – I've got those and never knew what to do with them!

Thanks for the Dremel links especially handy – I've got those and never knew what to do with them!

Be sure to practice on something like the bottom of an integral base. All the alloys have different hardesses – and you will want to get a feel for how much pressure to use. You want to barely brush up against the figure, with a bit of time you will figure it out…but too much pressure can do a lot of damage really fast.

Toss them in vinegar for a while. It's a light acid and seems to make the paint stick quite well if you leave the figs in it for a while.