Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

How do you get paint to stay on the model when it's metal? For some reason it keeps rubbing off of my Grumlok and Gazbag model.

Included pics, not sure if you can see it clearly. These are the best pictures my Webcam can take:

I used to have that problem when I was not priming my models before putting paint on the miniature. Are you priming your models?

I currently use this stuff and haven't had any issues - http://www.thewarstore.com/product67987.html

what did you use to prime the model?

I used some white primer I bought from a local hardware store. Can't remember the name. Would grab the can to look at but I allowed my brother to borrow it.

This can be quite common, Maybe try another primer.
Or apply a hard wearing gloss varnish, followed by a matte or satin varnish (whatever you prefer) to correct the sheen.

Another thing, did you wash the model before priming? If not it could have some residue on the model which would make it hard for anything to stick.

*facepalm*

Didn't know I was suppose to wash the model first. I don't wash my plastics before priming and they come out fine. Figured the same could be said for my first metal mini.

Usually it's fine if you don't, but these few times you miss it kind of hammer it into you.

I do the primer, then after it dries, a coat of sealant, then after that dries, another coat of the original primer to cover the gloss. It usually works pretty well and sometimes if it doesn't I also put another coat of sealant on after the model is finished.

Is there a way to fix it without having to strip the model?

Repainting the chipped areas then applying multiple layers of varnish will help keep more paint from being abraded away, but it can only help so much if it's an issue with adhesion (you would need enough to form to form a self-supporting shell around the model). If you handle the model carefully, though, it should be enough to keep the paintjob intact.

Out of curiosity, how and how frequently is the model being handled? If it's falling over during play, chipped paint is almost inevitable, as it wears hard on the surface and can potentially deform the metal underneath, making it nearly impossible for brittle, cured finishes to stay put. If it's during painting, remember that dry paint is not the same as [/i]cured[/i] paint. Primers, especially, can sometimes take days to set properly before they're any more resilient than a fresh coat of cheap craft acrylic. Most of my lost paint was due to handling during the painting process, when the thin layers were not yet cured. The primer, however, which had sat for days (or weeks, depending on the model) rarely budged.

Wash your models, especially metal and resin ones.
Always prime your models.
Metal models really needs to be varnished, especially if they are "chummy" with other metal models.

 oadie wrote:
Out of curiosity, how and how frequently is the model being handled?

Right now it's my only Fantasy model, so it's currently just a display model. If it's handled at all, it's handled from the base and I try to avoid contact with the model itself if possible.