"Painting base before gluing figures?" Topic

I know the ideal situation is to superglue figures to a base before painting and flocking, but there are limits to my painting skills and patience rebasing close order 15mm troops.

If I paint the base first, glue the troops down and then flock will I have problems with figures falling off all the time or should it work okay?

If you glue to a painted surface, the paint becomes the strongest point of contact. Think about it, paint is not glue by any stretch. It's the fundamental reason why painting follows assembly, paint is not strong….

What Great War Ace said.

I agree with the above, but compromise in a way. I paint the edges of the base, leaving the center and gluing surfaces free of paint. I don't want to have an accident (again) by getting base paint on my finished minis.

After the paint has dried on the edges of the base, then I glue the figures on. After that, I do the flocking.

Mike

I paint and flock the base of each figure, then glue them onto the multi-figure bases, then paint and flock the larger base.

Ditto to doc MCB, but I use Aileens white glue not super glue.

Whenever possible, I glue the figure to the base before I prime or paint it.

Depends on your basing material, something absorbant like card shouldn't be a problem. I have even based figures on pre (spray) painted plasticard without issues. I wouldn't do it on metal though.

I tend to spray paint the bases first, then glue the figs and then do the fancy painting/flocking

I always paint the figures and then base them, never had any problems doing it that way. Makes it easier to get a brush at all parts of the figure if you don't have them on their bases too.

I've based figures on wooden bases (Litko) for years. Prime the base first, then spread white glue on base, place figures and flock as a one step. I have never had a problem with durability. Plus, soaking in water to base top allows easy removal of all the figures.

Well, I like my 10mm close ranked, and I'm nowhere as magical as Nik Harwood, so I paint my figures separately, stuck them on unpainted base, and then put flock.

It will work fine if you scrape the paint off before gluing, and drill for a pin. ;)

You could put small blobs of poster putty (blue tak) on your base in the positions that the figures will roughly go. Then paint the base and then remove the putty, so you have small areas of clean base that you can drop the glue onto. Once the figure is in place, all will be hidden.

Thank you for all the great advice gentlemen.

I cover the base with Bondo paste after gluing figure. Prime and paint stand last.