"Cleaning miniatures?" Topic
9 Posts
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4th Cuirassier | 10 Feb 2020 9:06 a.m. PST |
I have an unusual problem. I got part way through a 1/12 figure build, put the figure on top of a kitchen cupboard out of harm's way and forgot about it. When I went to retrieve it I couldn't help noticing a fair amount of slightly greasy dust on top of the units. I assume this is from cooking but I am now convinced that the figure needs his Vallejo paintwork cleaned. He may not but I need to be sure. Is there anything I should or shouldn't use? I am guessing a bath in warm soapy water? Widening the topic out, how do folks clean up figures that have got dusty? I use an old soft paint brush but this isn't great at getting dust out of the base texture. Anyone found anything better? |
JimDuncanUK | 10 Feb 2020 9:20 a.m. PST |
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coopman | 10 Feb 2020 9:54 a.m. PST |
Try a wet wipe. They're gentle enough for babies. |
T Callahan | 10 Feb 2020 10:29 a.m. PST |
For dusty miniatures with lose dust I use canned air like "cleaning duster" from Office Depot. Terry |
Sgt Slag | 10 Feb 2020 10:34 a.m. PST |
If it is cooking oil, use dish soap and water. Wont' harm the paint, but it will de-grease the figures. Cheers! |
John Armatys | 10 Feb 2020 11:37 a.m. PST |
I'd try brushing the dust away with a dry paintbrush. If there is any residue rinse the figure in warm water and washing up liquid. |
Yellow Admiral | 10 Feb 2020 11:51 a.m. PST |
Cooking grease will yellow and turn sticky over time, eventually forming a bituminous compound of dust and grease, following the same basic principles that make pebble-and-asphalt driveways work. The sooner you get the grease off the miniature, the easier it will be to remove. As long as the primer layer wasn't PVA or Gesso or some other permanently-water-soluble primer, I would try immersing it in a solution of Dawn dishwashing soap and water, occasionally wiping it down with something very soft like chamois or terrycloth or microfiber, until all the grease is gone. Dawn is recommended by veterinarians for getting tar and grease and other sticky organics off of pets' paws and fur without harming the pets. Dried paints and acrylic/lacquer/enamel primers should be resistant to water and dish soap. - Ix PS: The UK equivalent of Dawn seems to be Fairy brand liquid dishwashing soap. Only Proctor & Gamble knows if the formulas are exactly equivalent, but the properties should be pretty similar. |
Yellow Admiral | 10 Feb 2020 11:56 a.m. PST |
Re: dusting miniatures Canned air first. Use a toothbrush with soft bristles to knock loose visible particles that won't let go, then hit with air again. I don't know about anyone else here, but I find that glossy miniatures have more problems holding onto dust than dull/flat/matte miniatures. That seems really counter-intuitive. Is it just because I can see the dust better on a gloss coat? Or is there an actual physical property that makes dust adhere better to glossy surfaces? - Ix |
4th Cuirassier | 10 Feb 2020 1:51 p.m. PST |
Thanks all. Some great tips. The model is primed with a Humbrol grey rattle can and painted with a mix of Humbrol and Vallejo acrylics. It's this figure link - that's not mine, that's what you get. Having sunk quite a lot of effort into it I'm, aaaah, reluctant to strip it and start again…! |
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