After buying a new Zeratul miniature — and with the StarCraft Tabletop Game on the horizon — I felt inspired to return to miniature painting!
BUT my paints hadn’t been used for ages, and many of them were partly dried or completely stratified. So I got myself a cheap vortex mixer, added a few steel balls to the bottles, and I can happily say the experiment worked! 💪 Most of the paints are usable again — hurray! 🥳
Some are still a bit too thick, but that should be easy to fix with a paint thinner.
Do you have any tried-and-true methods for restoring old paints?
I just made up the name on the spot. Yes, I know, very dumb, but we like dumb and simple here. Also, re-learning the wheel, as just because somebody tells you how to do something doesn't mean you don't need to fail a certain amount yourself to understand.
There is a point, not just a full shitpost here. Honest. I picked this up a little while ago to try to resurrect some older paint, partially to see if I could, and partially because I have lots unused and just buying more of the same colour when I have it irks me. If only this thinking applies to skeletons.
Generally happy with it. Really dead paint was unrecoverable, sadly, but ones I'd not opened previously or not used too much came out quite usable. Overall technique consisted of a little water, a cocktail stick for mixing, then Sir Jiggelot to really irritate it.
Paintbrush, PlasGlue and Holy Clippers: Sparse Marns Part 1: The Team
Hey :> :> :>
So this is a BIT out of leftfield(my FAVORITE Kind of field >:> >:>) for this tumblr, but I’ve begun a Mini-Painting-Project and I want to document it OvO
Back in the Grim Darkness of the Far Past I was once an Avid collector and painter of minis for a tabletop wargame known as Epic 40k(also a boat-game called Man’o’War), produced by GamesWorkshop. I don’t say player because it was DAMNDABLY difficult to actl FIND anyone else who collected and played Epic, because it was OBSCURE and HIGHLY UNPOPULAR(My FAVORITE Kinds of both ob-, and popular :>). Mostly I played it alone or with my sibs.
HOWEVER! I had allot of fun constructing and painting the models for it(they were TEENY) and, while Sainted Epic has sadly met it’s Rhana Dandra, GamesWorkshop is, obvsl, still around, I have been Fondly Regarding them from afar ever since, and Recently Become Once More Intrigued By Them For Some Mysterious Reason u_u u_u SO! I am painting some Spess Marins as practice :3 :3 :3
And I WILL be getting to that in future posts BUT, First, I wish to introduce you to My Associates u_u(oh yeah: the background here is just a self-healing cutting mat. They make for a great work-surface and you can get these from any hobbystore, the ones at gameshops are usually tiny, dont bother)
This is my Hobby Knife. There are many like it in the world, but this one is mine. As you can see it’s an Xacto and I got it from a Michael’s. You can get these from any hobby store for a decent price; you dont need to pay the markups you’ll fine on the ones in gameshops. They are, essentially, Scalpels and thus EXCEEDINGLY SHARP which is why you should NEVER EVER EVER EEEEEVER get one anywhere CLOSE to your eyes. Minis are necessarily mini, and some Hobbyists like to get a bit close cuz Vision, but you should NEEEEEEVER do this. Keep it away from your face >:(
However, being an Exceedingly Sharp Knife also makes them Exceedingly Safe Knives, PROVIDED YOU ARE CAUTIOUS AND DULY CAREFUL >:( >:( (I’m SERIOUS!!!). Hobby knives are very responsive, to the work-material and to your movements, and they will communicate to you what is safe if only you will listen through your touch. ATTEND! They are KNIVES, slide and slice don’t try to push it through things; think carving and shaving. Always use the shallowest angle you can. Move it in a single direction, don’t saw and dont scratch. Be gentle with them. Give them your full attention whenever the blade is free. Sometimes, when handling small things, you will drop them and your fumble-instinct will kick in; remember to suppress this when you’re holding a knife. Stay still, put the knife down(preferably cap it too so it wont roll around) and THEN pick up The Thing, and THEN pick back up the knife(and uncap it). I’ve never hurt myself with a hobby knife and if you respect them for what they are, a shard of metal as thin and sharp as a piece of paper and 100xharder, neither will you. I Love Them uwu uwu
This is a tripleset of miniature files from Army Painter. I never used mini Files before this project cuz back when I was but a wee snek GW used different casting methods(we’ll get into this) and everything was snap-fit(obvsl youd glue once you had the pose you liked) so they weren’t really necessary, but after watching some tutorials I figured they are now and, Yeah, sorta. I only used the middle awl-tipped one in this project, which doubles at being good for marking pilot holes. Im not a HUGE fan of them? I feel like they’re a bit coarse for mini-plastic, which is fairly soft, and am considering trying out glass files(one of my sibs builds gundams and suggested this) for the next build I do.
My Hobby Drill, again from Army Painter. In mini-building the primary uses of a drill are 1)clearing obstructed peg-holes, 2)making holes to attach models to bases or painting stands via paperclips, and 3)drilling out barrel holes. In this project I’ll only use it for the third. This one, using the finest bit, worked Fine for that, it’s motion is smooth and easy to control, but I’m a BIT annoyed that only that smallest bit will fit in the darn thing. Now to be fair: this is my first time using a hobby drill and maybe this was user error, but I took the whole dang tip apart trying to get the clamps to widen(it’s fine: they’re built for that and it was easy to put it back together. Easy Maintenance! Another plus) and they never did, and that annoys me >:T Why give me three bits if I can only use one??? GRRRRRR
These are two little plastic cups -one with soapy water, one with clean water- and a paper towel. These will become Important later u_u
Oh Sprues-Clippers, my Beloved! Again these are Army Painter and THIS time they are genuinely Good. Work’s a treat; crisp, smooth action; great control. There’s allot of nuance to using these that you’ll pick up intuitively as you do, but the main thing is to try and cut with the flat side. You’ll understand when you do it cuz your brain will be like ‘Sweet! New Limb :3 :3″
This is Super-, or Plastic-, Glue, again from the Army Painter. It’s Fine, but like most superglue bottles it comes with an applicator tip that was ALREADY cemented shut when I opened it, presumably from bouncing around during shipping. I MUCH prefer superglues with brush-tip-tops rather than applicators. It’s not a big deal though because...
this Ancient Box of toothpicks. Passed down by my mother, and by HER mother before her, these tiny, perfectly weildable tree-shards make Excellent superglue appliers. My tips here: 1)wear a mask, at LEAST an N95 when using super glue, 2)KEEP IT AWAY FROM YOUR FACE!, 3)keep it in a place it wont get knocked over, by you or by wind, or by anything else, 4)don’t use too much and wipe the excess off on the INSIDE of the bottleneck; dont get ANY on the outside or your cap will cement shut when you close it, 5)you cant really FEEL when you’ve lowered it into the glue, so you’ll have to check by eye; this doesn’t mean looking down the bottle, just raise the toothpick out and you’ll see it on the pick. You WILL get superglue on your fingers inevitably(DONT try to avoid this by using gloves they’ll just make you clumsier, and plastic gloves will obvsl get glued to everything by it), It’s Fine, once you reach a good stopping point go rub some olive oil on your fingertips for a few seconds, then was them in warm water with soap for The Full 30 Seconds and the residue ought to come off; if it doesn’t, then bulldoze it off with your thumbnail, pushing out, off of your tips, in a single direction, not scratching. You don’t want superglue in your eyes, or ANY of your membranes, or your Bits(you know the ones), so be careful what you touch while it’s wet on your fingers. Use a paper towel to clean the picks of any excess glue, not microfiber towels or the like they’ll pull the fibers out, and set the pick on the towel when not in use. As its used dry glue will start to build up on the pick and lessen it’s agility; it has served its purpose and can now go to toothpick Valhol(your trashcan), to be replaced by one of its siblings
Tweezers, again from Army Painter. Not a fan; they hold fine but you can’t really put any pressure through them and the main thing you need them for is gluing Tiny Bits to the minis :T There’s a particular type you’ll see most folks making mini videos use but idk what the brand is(mostly cuz I didn’t look :p)
This is two-sided tape. I used it to tape the minis to a piece of cardboard for priming them with spraypaint. I’ll get to that later. And last but not least
This is Mr. Hobby’s Mr. Dissolved Putty and the brush I used to apply it. It’s for filling in any gaps in your minis still visible after you’ve let them dry from being glued together and it’s STUPENDOUS at that, and IT IS HIGHLY TOXIC AND HIGHLY UNSTABLE! If you are going to use this: Store it in a cool dark place it isn’t likely to get knocked over or smashed; keep it out of sunlight; Shake it THOROUGHLY but GENTLY with a FIRM GRIP beforehand(and you’d do well to not let it sit around settling for too long regardless as it deeply desires to solidify; give the bottle a shake ever week or so, at least); Wear latex or nitrile Gloves; Wear Sleeves; Wear Eye protection; Wear a Respirator A REAL-ASS HARDWARE STORE RESPIRATOR WITH THE FILTERS AND EVERYTHING NOT A PAPER MASK; use it ONLY in a well ventilated area(I dont have a vent booth but my set up was: working infront of an open window with an oscillating fan 9ish feet behind me set to max, creating a strong air-current OUT). As above apply it with a brush in thin layers, giving them a few seconds to settle to see if you need to add more, adding more until the gaps stay filled. Let it dry COMPLETELY before you paint which, depending on your weather conditions(the colder and wetter the longer), can take up to a day. With my minis, it dried in a few hours. It would PROBABLY be a good idea to vent the room you use this in for a good hour or so after you do, like: open the windows and set up a fan to blow air out of them, no matter how short your usage of it is. It will keep reacting on the models as it dries, so it will stay in the air for awhile, but once you can no longer smell it you’ll be Fine. Related: it’s probably a good idea to use this in a room you can keep ppl out of after, or outside if you have a good, shaded exterior workspace. After you’ve used it, wash your hands and gargle some water for a few minutes to clear your sinuses(dont swallow the water obvsl! Spit it out). DONT LET THIS STUFF GET INSIDE YOUR BODY!!! Mark the brush you use for this for ONLY This and dont ever put it in your mouth to “sharpen” it(in fact: Stop doing that in general >:( >:( ), and CLEAN IT in a clean water bowl(preferably not plastic or anything you’ll eat out of later) after use, pushing it dry on a paper towel once its clear of the material, then throwing that water OUTSIDE when you’re done applying. READ THE INSTRUCTIONS ON THE LID!!! Safety is never a waste of your time.
Ok so a pair of tweezers is a pair of tweezers right? Well not always, as modellers we often find the need to use them during our projects such as for manoeuvring small parts like PE about or placing/removing paint masks and often we accumulate several pairs often each with a different purpose in mind, for example I prefer reverse grip for PE work and soldering or small flat tips for decal work for example.
So it was a couple of weeks ago now but I recently added a new set to my armoury. It was during a visit to a new bricks and mortar model shop called Rif-Raf Models in Dundee, which is where I live. In fact this new shop has been set up by a member of the club I am also member of (IPMS Dundee) and if that's not good enough well it's about 500 mtrs from my home!
So I had popped in as I was on the hunt for some RAF Hemp coloured paint for a build I have coming up soon and I spied these sitting in one of the cabinets. Well I looked at the little red box and thought, I don't really have any really pointed tweezers so they got bought too.
Now I know the packaging isn't what's important but it I do have to give a shout out to the quality of the packing materials, the outer card is of good thickness and quality, is well printed and the foam insert inside is suitably dense and holds the super shiny tweezers very snug.
Now as you can see the packaging warns that these tweezers are very sharp, how sharp you ask, well certainly sharp enough to draw blood if your not paying attention as I have already found out in the few small bench sessions I have had since their purchase.
There's a small silicone tip cover which is to help protect the tweezers from accidental damage when not in use I assume, but I would probably recommend keeping the box and storing them in it after all these are not a cheap set of tweezers and it would be a crying shame to damage the tips in storage. The tip protector does do a great job of preventing you from stabbing yourself on the extremely pointy end of these tweezers.
The tips themselves are super sharp, precision ground and line up perfectly with one another, of course this is to be expected however it never ceases to amaze me how poorly this can be done on cheaper sets of tweezers.
You don't need a great deal of force to operate the tweezers either, the action is satisfyingly soft in the hand yet I have always felt confident in the grip strength on the actual parts your holding themselves. The tips are also nicely tapered so you shouldn't have any difficulty using them in confined spaces like model aircraft cockpits for example.
My only criticism of these tweezers would probably be the almost mirror finish to the steel, whilst this is definitely aesthetically pleasing and not posing an issue if you're wearing Latex or Nitrile gloves whilst you build as I normally do, I did find it quite slippery in my fingers without gloves, especially if I had recently taken my gloves off and my hands were a bit sweaty.
In conclusion I think the Meng DSPIAE Precision Pointed Tweezers are a high quality piece of kit that I am very happy to have added to my bench. Whilst some may think they're a bit on the pricey side, they are still probably cheaper than Tweezerman sets for example which are probably more at home plucking eyebrows than poking about model kits, so you really shouldn't be put off by the price, especially as if you look after those tips I can see them continuing to serve for years to come.
Thanks to a recommendation from another Plamo group, picked up a deburring tool from eBay. Tested it out on an older Ex-S thrusters and the tool was able to shave down the edges. Really like this tool. It works also with aluminum and steel too (for those metal thuster parts).
I neglected to provide any further information on tools used, though it would actually be useful to future me in case I lose/forget things; which happens.
The above dampening pad is just a very cheap one for stamps, which I may have neglected to check the dimensions of before purchasing. Florence for the scale of my mistake.
The three sizes of makeup brushes used for the dry-brushing. Again a fairly cheap pack of brushes, as I wasn't sure what size I wanted to use, and it gave me some variety for different sized models. The only noteworthy thing for them was my explicit desire for synthetic, as no small furry creature should have suffered for how I'm likely to treat the brushes.
One thing I did notice when doing batches of models was where to put the brushes when drying, as the bristles could stay damp if they're in contact with the table as above. After some research, and some conflicting opinions, I thought I'd grab a brush holder to hold the brushes upside down to dry. Seems to work well enough so far.
I'm still pondering better handling of paint. I've been looking at texture palettes, both bought and homemade, but I haven't come to any conclusion yet. So for now the regular not-available-anymore-for-reasons Citadel painting mat will have to do. It has some recessed bits, though I tend to use the raised section edges to test how loaded the brush is.
Here's my Sand Paper Holder Square tool by Eiger Tools. It's a pretty simple sanding device and a sturdy tool to have. Highly recommended if you want clean and leveled sanded surface.
Not letting things go can be quite a negative trait. I don't mean in terms of loss or trauma, I mean sunken cost. Yes it's a fallacy, but combine that with a propensity for only replacing things when they break and you get a combination of "It's still good" and "I can fix it".
This shouldn't extend to consumables. Tools that should last a while with good maintenance, yes, but with consumables it's there in the name: to be consumed. Like paint. Paint's not exactly reusable. Use pot, get more. But miniature paint is expensive. And I don't paint often enough to keep a good supply of lots of shades. So if I have a hardly touched pot that's a little past its best, surely it's worth spending money on multiple tools with a combined chance of success of close to fuck all to try and resurrect it right? Right? Cool, good plan.
Yeah, no, I think some are too far gone even though I didn't think they were that old. Oh, I've not given up on it completely, just need to have a slight adjustment in approach.
Today's tool in question is a simple tattoo ink mixer. I think it's going to be great if the paint's a little try, but when we're talking big solid mass it's doesn't have the torque to have a chance. I could use something with some super oomph, but that's likely to wreck the whole bottle if I slip.
