79thPA  | 24 Aug 2020 7:08 a.m. PST |
What have you learned from the TMP community that you have incorporated into your own projects? I've been painting some 54s, and I've been using blue tack to stick the figures to plastic soda bottle caps. It's a great way to hold the figure while you are painting it, and they peel right off the cap when you are done. |
| JimDuncanUK | 24 Aug 2020 8:48 a.m. PST |
Sorry, having been in the hobby for more than 50 years which pre-dates the internet as well as TMP I could probably say I haven't learnt much from the TMP community apart from new products like paints or rulesets which hadn't been invented when I started. I'm still doing things much the same way as I always have. A lot of people call that Old School. |
| jdpintex | 24 Aug 2020 9:20 a.m. PST |
The use of Gesso to prime figures. How to prevent/correct haze in figures sprayed with flat varnish. Use of Ni magnets for mounting airplanes/etc. on flight stands. |
| Thresher01 | 24 Aug 2020 10:36 a.m. PST |
I don't like it, AND it takes too long. |
 Sgt Slag | 24 Aug 2020 11:32 a.m. PST |
+1 on Gesso as a figure primer; +1 on removing fogging from a clear coat by applying gloss clear coat; I learned of The Dip Technique, and the Magic Wash Techniques, which I use universally, now; I've learned quite a bit more, which I cannot remember to give the details of all. My miniature gaming also pre-dates TMP, as I started around 1992. I first visited TMP when it was much simpler, and much smaller, pretty much a BBS, sort of. The OP asked solely about figure prep'ing, however, so I have strayed wide, just a bit. Back to being on-topic: I guess I also learned about using a razor blade/X-acto knife to remove flashing on both metal, and plastic, mini's. I further learned of using a soldering iron to smooth out flashing on plastic mini's (cutting flash on plastic mini's does not give the best results…). Cheers! |
GildasFacit  | 24 Aug 2020 12:49 p.m. PST |
Bit the same as Jim with me. Just turned 70 and started when I was 14 so a lot got learned before technology beyond books & mates was available. I've seen new stuff here but rarely all that new and mostly of little use to me as I managed to solve the problem other ways years ago. Some things like the 'dip' don't suit the way I paint and some just don't work for me at all. I have known about Gesso for yonks but have just recently decided to try it out now that my wife won't let me spray indoors. It works well enough on larger figures but is a bit fiddly for 6mm & 10mm – which are my main scales at the moment. |
| TNE2300 | 24 Aug 2020 3:10 p.m. PST |
I further learned of using a soldering iron to smooth out flashing on plastic mini's and I have now just learned that
I learned about the dip
I am so happy I learned about the dip!
I also learned about gesso
and agree
it is best on larger figures |
 Saber6  | 24 Aug 2020 3:36 p.m. PST |
you will always find some flash once you start painting |
| Extrabio1947 | 24 Aug 2020 3:37 p.m. PST |
I guess I'm like JimDuncanUK. I was pretty set in my ways prior to TMP. |
| Yesthatphil | 24 Aug 2020 4:47 p.m. PST |
I'm a bit like Jim and Tony – but I do think that it may have been TMP where I first heard of using Dettol to remove old paint. Not only is that one of the few things that really works … it works effortlessly and very well. Phil |
| rustymusket | 24 Aug 2020 5:14 p.m. PST |
I second Saber6. ALWAYS and after priming. |
| Oberlindes Sol LIC | 24 Aug 2020 8:58 p.m. PST |
These come to mind right away: Rubbing alcohol will soften glue-gun glue. Clix figures can easily be removed from their bases by freezing them overnight. |
| Martin Rapier | 24 Aug 2020 11:08 p.m. PST |
Using undiluted PVA to prep modern soft plastic figures. (It never seemed to be a problem with my old Airfix figures back in the 1970s!). |
| Col Durnford | 25 Aug 2020 5:56 a.m. PST |
Same as a lot of the other here – been doing this all my live (and I don't have nearly as many chapters left to go). Most recently, using craft sticks to hold 1/2400 ships for painting. Never painted any naval forces before. New element to an old period. |
| Baranovich | 05 Jan 2021 11:42 a.m. PST |
I've learned not try for 100% perfection in preparation. Saber6 and rustymusket put it perfectly. No matter how much time I spend or how careful I am, I always inevitably leave some small area of mold line on a model. And I mean like no matter how hard I try. I could scrape mold lines for a year and you'd still find something! But most of time it really doesn't affect the model visually, it all just kind of blends in. Unless you're having a model judged in a contest, it's really not worth obsessing over being perfect. |
