akmatov | 01 Feb 2014 10:34 p.m. PST |
Back when I was but a wee small tike (mammoths roamed the earth and the ice sheet was receding) I had a collection of Airfix figures that I painted with testors paints. When the plastic flexed, the paint flaked off. I'm thinking of maybe getting back into miniatures, second childhood I suspect, and it is pricey for the larger sizes. But I note that Hat Industrie has a nice collection of 1/72 (20mm or 25mm, I think) for lowish prices. In the past many years as a cure for flaking paint on soft plastic figures been devised? |
Garand | 01 Feb 2014 10:54 p.m. PST |
The plastic Hat uses is a bit more stiff than those old Airfix figures, so flaking is not as much a problem, I find. Damon. |
artaxerxes | 01 Feb 2014 11:17 p.m. PST |
I'm a metals man myself akmatov, but if you search the discussion lists here you'll find lots of good advice on how to avoid this. And having had the wonderful Airfix of my childhood as well, I can second the view that the HaT plastic is much firmer (and they are often very nice sculpts as well). |
Pictors Studio | 01 Feb 2014 11:25 p.m. PST |
If you buy any of the range of 28mm hard plastic figures that are available paint flaking is not a problem at all. They are more resilient to chipping than metal figures actually. They are more expensive than the smaller plastic figures but you won't have to spend as much time painting them typically. |
Martin Rapier | 02 Feb 2014 12:01 a.m. PST |
Back to the OP, I have tons of HaT figures (along with other 20mm soft plastics) and with modern acrylic paints, flaking really isn't an issue. Wash off the mould grease in hot soapy water and you are good to go. If you are really concerned, undercover them in undiluted PVA. I sometimes do that, sometimes not. It does stiffen up very thin parts like bayonets and gives an extra key for the paint. Hard plastic bayonets just tend to snap off completely if you bash them, the soft ones spring back. |
Pijlie | 02 Feb 2014 12:30 a.m. PST |
Painting soft plastic figures is a bit of a trial and error experience as you never know what kind of stuff the maker used. Some materials (most HaT figures) take paint very well, others seem protected by a forceshield
However, the simplest solution I have come up with (besides scrubbing them with warm water and dishwashing detergent) is undercoating AND finishing them with quickdrying woodglue (PVA?). I use Bison. It dries up matt and transparant and retains some flexibilty. Between the two layers of glue the paint is quite durable. |
MAD MIKE | 02 Feb 2014 1:01 a.m. PST |
Here is my method: Clean,undercoat with slightly thinned white glue (I use weldbond), prime with enamel (Humbrol), and paint the figure. I then overcoat the figure with Future floor finish, then complete with a matt spray. I had a 40 year collection of unpainted 1/72 figures that, thanks to the info on TMP I am converting to painted figures. The future finish both strengthens and protects the figure-more info here: link Check the Plastic figures and pre-paint preparation boards for useful advice. |
nnascati | 02 Feb 2014 6:52 a.m. PST |
Using Acrylic paints solves the problem to a great degree. Also Krylon sells a spray primer called "Fusion" that is designed to bond to various materials including plastics. |
Bob in Edmonton | 02 Feb 2014 8:24 a.m. PST |
Spray prime (I use automotive primer but almost any will do). Paint with acrylic paints. Seal with something (I use future floor wax but diluted white glue and other spray on hobby sealers also work). Slightly flexible paint over a toothy primer with a sealer coat combined with better plastics almost eliminates this issue was all faced in the 1970s and 1980s. |
Vintage Wargaming | 02 Feb 2014 12:50 p.m. PST |
Spray with clear plastidip over finished paint job. This puts a rubberised matt clear coating over the figures and has been (so far) foolproof. |
akmatov | 02 Feb 2014 1:16 p.m. PST |
Thanks for all the suggestions, lots of good info directly to the point of my questions. I'm still struggling with the idea that I'm a bit insane to dive into this, yet I'm very tempted. This info is a huge help. |
Marc the plastics fan | 03 Feb 2014 7:14 a.m. PST |
Yep, being insane helps us 1/72 soft plastic fans – they are addictive. Very good pricing for some very good figures these days. I don't find any flaking issues – I use the rustoleum primer these days, acrylic paint and any good varnish – the Army Painter dips and matte spray have worked well on my ACW, Future is good on my Imaginations (the excellent Zvezda great Northern War ranges) and Liquitex matte medium on my Naopleonics (the HaT range is excellent, with Zvezda providing truly marvellous figures – artillery especially). Once based, I have no particular flaking issues. Mind you – my Airfix Nap artillery are prone to cracking around the ankles – Airfix plastic is VERY slippery. But no flaking – the varnish keeps it all together. Come on in – the water's lovely |
Herkybird | 03 Feb 2014 2:15 p.m. PST |
I always found painting, then gloss polyurethane varnish, then matt varnish worked! I actually only gloss varnished the guns or spears, as these were the only bits that flaked! |
DS6151 | 04 Feb 2014 4:54 a.m. PST |
You used enamels on your first figures, that was the issue and not the figures. I have hundreds painted, many of them twenty plus years old, and none of them have ever "flaked". Paint them like you do any other mini. |
cameronian | 04 Feb 2014 10:03 a.m. PST |
Prime, paint, coat of floor polish (Johnson Klear, a few quid for loads in Asda if in UK; the liquid itself is cloudy but clear on application) and finish with a spray of varnish. Works for me. |
CorsairFAS217 | 23 Aug 2014 10:41 a.m. PST |
Have any of you encountered the problem with spray primers that go on then never dry? I have had to go back and strip with acetone several models due to the primer refusing to set up. and yes the primer was totally dry on the boar they were sprayed on. |
zirrian | 24 Aug 2014 6:55 a.m. PST |
Wash them before painting with soapy water (I usually don't do this, but others say it doesn't hurt), wait till it dries throughoutly, spray with whatever undercoat you want to use (I spray them black), paint the mini, a layer of plastidip (transparent spray), then matt varnish. Your paintjob will be immune to chipping. This is the method that made me invest a lot into 1:72 soft plastic miniatures. Works with every manufacturer so far (HaT, Italeri, Zvezda, Airfix, Revell, but I don't think others would be different). |
number4 | 26 Aug 2014 9:10 p.m. PST |
Airfix Nap artillery are prone to cracking around the ankles That's perfectly authentic. I spent 5 years in the artillery and now reenact with a black powder cannon crew. My ankles are definitely cracking |
Marc the plastics fan | 27 Aug 2014 6:13 a.m. PST |
You need a coat of varnish then |
davbenbak | 01 Sep 2014 8:02 a.m. PST |
Is PVA the same as Elmer's glue? |
John Treadaway | 07 Sep 2014 11:16 a.m. PST |
@ davbenbak: Elmer's Products, Inc. is the manufacturer of Elmer's Glue-All, a popular PVA-based synthetic glue, from Wikipedia link So it sure sounds like Elmers is a PVA glue John T |
1905Adventure | 08 Sep 2014 6:08 a.m. PST |
I like to prime with acrylic gesso (Liquitex black in my case). It shrinks to form a skin and stays flexible and bends with the figure. Then I use acrylic paints which also stay flexible and finish off with a flexible sealer. The best is Plasti-Dip clear matte is amazing, but I'm finding any sealer that remains flexible works fine. Right now I'm using Vallejo's polyurethane based stuff brushed on (it can also be sprayed through an air brush). Important step though: through washing with hot soapy water. I even use a tooth brush and get a good lather into every nook and cranny. |
colonneh137 | 17 Feb 2015 2:51 p.m. PST |
Wow! Do you guys really work too hard! =O Leave the figs on the sprues and SPRAY THEM WITH KRYLON KRYSTAL CLEAR. Paint them with an acrylic hobby paint like Delta Ceram coat. When they are dry, spray them with the Krylon again. One can of the krylon lasts nearly forever, is cheap, and both the krylon and Ceram Coat paint is avilabe at WalMart. ;) |