| Digger | 26 Aug 2015 3:13 p.m. PST |
I've been gaming with my sons – 7 and 11 – on a terrain board that has a fairly hard surface. They've also been gaming by themselves and I've noticed a few chips starting to appear on my miniatures as they get a vigorous work out from young hands. I'd like to encourage them, but it kills me to see hours of painting having to be retouched. Any solution to this? I normally seal the paint job with gloss varnish and then a couple of coats of flat. |
| John Treadaway | 26 Aug 2015 3:23 p.m. PST |
Sounds like you're doing everything you can. Have you tried a ruler across the knuckles (of the children)? Just joking  John T |
 Flashman14  | 26 Aug 2015 4:03 p.m. PST |
Wash and prime before painting too. |
| McWong73 | 26 Aug 2015 4:35 p.m. PST |
Get them their own kit to paint and play with? |
| John Armatys | 26 Aug 2015 4:38 p.m. PST |
Train them to handle figures by the base only. Encourage them to paint their own figures (possibly a few boxes of 20mm polythene figures) and use them instead of yours. |
| wrgmr1 | 26 Aug 2015 5:09 p.m. PST |
Agreed, sounds like you've done everything you can.
Maybe a talk on the difference between models and toys would help?
Also as others suggest, get them to paint up a few figures and see how long and difficult it is, so they appreciate what you have done. |
| Pictors Studio | 26 Aug 2015 5:10 p.m. PST |
The best thing to do is to use hard plastic figures. They don't chip. |
| Winston Smith | 26 Aug 2015 6:41 p.m. PST |
They are …. Kids.
If you don't want YOUR precious toys damaged, why do you let them play with them? If you must, keep the Precious locked up until they are mature enough to play with your toys. |
| rmaker | 26 Aug 2015 7:24 p.m. PST |
Give up the enamel paints. |
| Nick Bowler | 26 Aug 2015 9:07 p.m. PST |
You are not using a good primer. The primer is the glue that holds the paint to the figure. Varnishing has little effect. I use a quality black etch primer and have no problems with paint chipping. I don't even bother varnishing. Now what is a good primer. I have NOT had good results with army painter primers -- they seem to chip. I use an Australian product -- Wattyl Super-etch primer. From reading the data sheets, it is a relabelled rustoleum product -- but I don't know which one. it is available in grey and black in spray cans, and white if you buy it industrial quantities. Also, don't use the cheap black paint as a primer. A primer has a specific function. Get something that is built to be a primer. I am told automotive primers are good, though I have never tried them. |
| vexillia | 27 Aug 2015 1:59 a.m. PST |
You are not using a good primer. The primer is the glue that holds the paint to the figure. Varnishing has little effect. This, and the rest of the post, is good advice. Most "primers" are designed for ferrous metals not Lead, Tin or Brass. These all have really smooth surfaces making it difficult for regular paint to adhere. Etch primers contain acid that chemically changes the metal surface significantly improving the adhesion of the paint. There are non-etch primers available suitable for Lead, Tin or Brass. They are usually sold as "Special Metals" primers. The one I use here in the UK is sold by International Paints. It is water based and brushes on. --
Martin Stephenson
The Waving Flag | Twitter | eBay |
| Dark Knights And Bloody Dawns | 27 Aug 2015 3:48 a.m. PST |
Cover the gaming surface with felt? Your buying time until they are old enough to learn how to handle the figures better so not a long term problem. |
| Marc at work | 27 Aug 2015 5:51 a.m. PST |
Yep – go for a surface covering that is softer. My sons have grown up through teh use of cloths, and that works just fine. Also, learn to enjoy the slings and arrows, sorry, knocks and chips of your childrens enjoyment of your toys. In years to come they will remind you of teh fun you all had together. Priceless |
 Sgt Slag | 27 Aug 2015 9:50 a.m. PST |
My sons wanted to play with my metal, painted mini's, as well. They, too, ended up chipping and damaging, my gaming figures… To avoid this, I created a set of rules for a game using my sons' Army Men figures -- classic green and tan plastic soldiers, 54-60mm tall. I even figured out how to paint them quickly, and cheaply: block painting the bits that differ from the color of the plastic only; apply The Dip; base on cardboard squares so they stand up well. The rules I came up with were d6 based, and combat was fast, and bloody. I did not use command rules, I kept it simple, easy, and fast playing, with combat being quite decisive. They are all now grown men, ages 26-29. They still talk about those games. They all want to play it again… Waiting for my grandsons to be old enough to play it with us, in a few years. Cheers! |
