Order of sprue-cutting / painting / filing?

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**Dashofpepper**

Hey folks!

For you more experienced painters and modelers, I have a question:

Here's how I work right now:

Step #1: Take out sprues, prime them black.

Step #2: Cut bits off the sprue, file them down.

Step #3: Paint black over what I fixed / filed / cut.

Step #4: Assemble / partially assemble models, except for the things that need painting before assembly (like where guns would block torso painting)

Step #5: Paint models.

Step #6: Finish assembly for anything that didn't go on.

Step #7: Clearcoat models.

In the future, I'm going to have to start basing stuff too - haven't gotten there yet.

Do you guys do it differently? Is there something more efficient that I should be doing?

Automatically Appended Next Post:
A friend of mine actually paints on the sprue...but I can't imagine how that would work out.

**Clthomps**

I remove everything from the sprue and shave off all the molding lines. Then I assemble them and paint.

if you do it your way it leads to uneven surfaces on the model that mess with washes and glazes.

**Dashofpepper**

So you prime them after they're off the sprue and shaven down?

**Clthomps**

yes, depending on the model might assemble them.

If I do Assemble them first I lightly prime them black and hit them with a black wash to get into the cracks, then I prime them in one direction (the Light source) white, It creates a great effect when the base coat is applied.

**plasticspork**

For most models I cut and assemble first, scrape the mold lines off when I remember to (or feel like it.. curse of orks), then prime and paint. If I cant reach it it doesnt need to be painted.
For vehicles I take my time, dry fit everything and clean the edges up befor glueing. I still fully assemble befor priming and painting.

**Leigen_Zero**

1. Remove from sprue remove flash+ mold lines

2. Partially Assemble

3. Paint

4. Finish Assembly

5. Hope no-one bitches about lack of basing

**oadie**

I'm by no means experienced, but I always clip all parts first, as I try to be thorough with mold-line and sprue-join (I know there's a word for this which escapes me, at the moment) removal. Clean all parts, then assemble (partially, if some areas are particularly complicated/difficult to access), then prime, then paint (then final assembly, if left partially assembled for painting otherwise unreachable areas). If I'm adding sand or ballast for basing, that obviously comes before priming, but flock wouldn't. I hit any sparsely primed areas with watered-down black craft paint before I begin painting, as well as giving particularly textured areas (I'm basing my orks on a double-thick layer of coarse sand, which is difficult to prime completely) a heavy wash or two of very thin black paint to get into those deep recesses.

**Breotan**

For infantry, I do the following:

Step #1: Cut bits off the sprue, file them down.
Step #2: Primer everything white.
Step #3: Paint base coat, then ink/shade/highlight as needed.
Step #4: Assemble.
Step #5: Touch up paint as necessary.
Step #6: Clearcoat models.

For vehicles, I assemble before primering. Parts that would block my brush are left off the vehicle until after painting.