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Every day I come into work, and the overnight shift has left a half-pot of coffee go cold.. this morning... it hit me!

Recycle the coffee as a wash/stain for minis.

I have a planned Nurgle army for 40k that I had been thinking of dipping.. why NOT use cold coffee as the dip or wash?

Has anyone, ever, heard of this done or done it themselves? I know about using coffee grounds as basing material, etc.. but the liquid itself as a thin (or thick) wash? (Sepia or Dev Mud, lol)

Any idea what pitfalls might happen say, a year down the road?

My initial idea was just to take an AOBR marine and paint and just go for it.. but, it may be a little while before I can do it.. so, I wondered and thought I would ask the Dakka Painting Brain ..

Blegh..... it's an interesting concept but you're going to have some moldy models. You Nurgle army will actually be a health hazard, ironically enough.

I don't know.. people use coffee to stain "purity seals" and scrolls.. I don't think this would be much different. I was not planning on leaving puddles of the stuff.

Not to mention the eventual sealant to protect the "paint" would help protect against fungus..

Coffee stains paper because paper is porous.

It won't stick so well on to paint.

It might be interesting to stew models in coffee or tea to get that patina of staining you see in old mugs and tea pots.

If you try it and like it, definitely varnish it. I assume you varnish all your finished models anyway.

Oh hell yes. I have kids.

The stewing idea sounds interesting.. but if I was using plastic or plastic bases for metal models, it would be .. bad. Plus I imagine doing a Rhino would be a logistical mess..

Mmm coffee smelling miniatures. It sounds delicious!

It sounds like a good idea
I might try it and see how it goes+i will post feed back if i get around to it.

This could hypothetically work. Yes, coffee stains cloth and paper because it is porous, but if allowed to pool and dry, the solids will deposit on a smooth surface, leaving a wash-like brown discoloration. Ever see the rings left on the coaster/counter/table from drips than pooled under the mug and were left to dry?

The issue I see arising is that the coffee will act like water, not like a wash. Think back to those coffee rings. They exhibit ringing (the edges are darker than the center) which washes are designed to avoid, using additives that increase flow and decrease surface tension. If you're going to turn coffee into a proper wash, it would be simpler to use diluted brown paint as your starting point.

Point to be considered. coffee is Acidic. You may not want to be coating your painted model with a mild solution of acid. Just a thought. You can make your own washes with cheap brown paint and some PVA glue to make it gather in the recesses.