"Assemble Then Paint? Paint Then Assemble?" Topic

I'm about to dig into my first couple of boxes of Bolt Action/Konflict 47 plastic American infantry and I was considering the best way to approach assembly and painting. Should I paint up the major parts then glue them together, or would it be better to assemble the figures before painting.

What do the BA veterans recommends.

I always assemble and paint.

Good question …

I tend to think you can get most of the painting done if you paint before assembly but I'm only just trying that now. I've done a part assembly, so the arms are on the sprues.

My worry is that when gluing it might mess things up.

Assemble first and then paint with very rare exceptions.

I assemble and paint about 90% of the time. Its those rare weird items I may have to add later, which tend to be blocking my access to paint something else within the vehicle.

P.

Assemble, then paint.

I'm just lie redmist1122 on this one.

I've done both depending on how much detail would be covered by the arms and weapons. For example I've just finished the Perry British and Sudanese boxes. The British I painted first, making a note of colours used for base and highlights, because assembly would make painting the webbing difficult. With the Sudanese I assembled first because there was less detail to hide. I suggest you look at the figures and decide based on the poses.

I always assemble then paint.

Assemble then paint. less of an opportunity to get lost in the details that way.

Assemble, then paint. You will be very unhappy trying it the other way as your glue bonds will be weaker and you'll have to reto Ch the paint around the seams anyway.

Be sure to use plastic cement!!! A bad rookie mistake is to use superglue. Plastic cement is easier to work with and will give a much, much stronger bond. Plastics glued with super glue break very easily.

I recommend good old Testor's non-toxic plastic cement. a.co/eJPa6hH

Just squirt a little into a metal bottle cap or onto a flat surface, and apply to the part to be glued with a toothpick, wire, etc.

Assemble, then paint.

painting with sub assemblies

YouTube link

For infantry and artillery assemble and paint.
For cavalry assemble riders and horses separately, paint and the glue riders to horses and retouch.

Assemble then paint, except for cavalry which I paint riders separate & assemble like Glengarry5 said.

Easiest method by far is to get somebody else to do it. It's my favourite approach.

When I painted my plastic US infantry I painted whilst still on the sprues, then assembled, and it worked out well. Of course it means a bit of tidying up after (as there will be gaps where the parts were attached to the sprue) but on the whole I think it was much easier this way. It meant I could even spray paint the webbing and rucksacks whilst on the sprues.
Lots of the detail (like webbing and belts) is much easier to paint when attached to the sprue, and you can do all of one part at the same time which also saves time.

I think at a minimum, spray them while on the sprue with the base color. I think it's so much easier to get the base coat on before they are assembled.

Depending on the figure, I like to paint them completely on the sprue. It would be nice if more mold makers understood how the parts are to be assembled and put the gates on the joints. If not painting all of the miniature, think about the accessory bits that get glued on and paint those before putting them on the assembled and painted miniature.

I may be like redmist1122 on this but I like uglyfatbloke's approach much better! I just can't afford it!

Assemble – then paint, after wondering why I had assembled said figure in such a nice, but difficult to paint – pose!

I say assemble then paint unless doing a vehicle or something with interior detail. Half-tracks and the like you almost have to do some of the inside before assembling if you want a clean finished product.