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I've been having trouble with some metal minis of mine; paint keeps coming off on the edges and off of raised points.

-I do put on a gloss coat and then a matte coat after painting (Krylon brand)

-The primer I use is Rust-oleum sandable white (figured I'd use what is normally used for cars, as these are metal and I use them for gaming all of the time) (also, every can of this stuff I've used takes 10-15 minutes constant vigorous shaking to mix completely, is this normal?)

-I did think it was due to residual wax/oils from the molds used to make these minis. To test this, I did the recommended pre-painting cleaning process for my recent batch of minis (Starline 2400 series ships from ADB), and, to my surprise, I couldn't get anything off no matter how much I scrubbed (with an old toothbrush), or how much detergent I used (Dawn I think?); the minis still looked dull!

-I do have money (upon occasion) to buy small quantities of minis at a time, but not really enough to buy a case to store them in and the only good ones I could find were the Games Workshop ones, where the foam was either too big or too small for my minis). So, I have been storing them in paper towels.

Could the last bit (storing minis using paper towels) be causing this paint chipping? Am I using the wrong primer? Am I not cleaning them as well as I should be? What else could cause this? More importantly, how can I fix/prevent this? (Hopefully without having to strip the paint off of them; these minis have been a several year process to collect and paint, and decals are pricey/tedious).

With the foam from the GW cases I cut them into lots of little squares so that I can move the foam around to create spaces large enough to fit the miniatures I am carrying that day... It is a handy way of doing things if you got a lot of armies.

You may find some chips are caused by storing them in paper towels not by the towel rubbing on them but by the figures every so slightly bending due to not having a solid place to sit, this would cause the paint to move and thus chip.

The main sections I find which chips tends to be the toes and fingers as the surface area is small and often the focal point of any friction.

Sounds strange that you are getting so much chipping after using varnish.

So, it could be your primer (10-15 minutes sounds a long time to have to mix it) - try switching to an alternative, your metal surface (try lightly scuffing the surface with a high grade scourer to give the paint more surface to bite into), or your storage - you can get individual inserts from a number of companies without having to buy an entire case. Alternatively, companies such as KR have cheap cardboard carry cases with a range of inserts. You do want them to be snug, you don't want models rattling around even in foam.

10-15 minutes is definitely not normally required to mix an aerosol paint/primer. With the can at room temperature, two or so minutes has always been sufficient for me (applies equally to ColorPlace flat enamels, Krylon Indoor/Outdoor primer, Testors Dullcote, and various acrylic gloss sprays I've used).

As far as cleaning, warm water and a touch of dish soap should be all it takes to scrub away release agent. It won't, however, make a dull model look shiny and new. That dullness is a result of oxidation that can be painted over without issue. I like to remove it, though, which can be done with fine steel wool (good for large, open areas, but snags on points and can't reach crevices) or a brass brush (my preferred method - just don't use a wire wheel chucked into a rotary tool, as the extra speed and power will gouge the surface).

If foam cases don't fit well and paper towels aren't offering sufficient protection, have you considered magnetized transport? A steel (or steel-lined plastic) case is plenty rugged and easy to source. Magnets (sufficiently strong ones, of course - the flexible sheets/strips can barely keep troops in a movement tray from toppling over) aren't terribly expensive, either, although installing them does require a bit of time, depending on your model count. When finished, though, you have a no-contact means of transportation, leaving your paintjob(s) pristine.

It can probably chip during regular gaming that you might not have noticed especially on sand tables.

Dirge of Dispair wrote:With the foam from the GW cases I cut them into lots of little squares so that I can move the foam around to create spaces large enough to fit the miniatures I am carrying that day... It is a handy way of doing things if you got a lot of armies.

You may find some chips are caused by storing them in paper towels not by the towel rubbing on them but by the figures every so slightly bending due to not having a solid place to sit, this would cause the paint to move and thus chip.

The main sections I find which chips tends to be the toes and fingers as the surface area is small and often the focal point of any friction.

Yeah, that's where the chipping is happening, on the edges of the model and on high details (like the fins on the engines). I'm starting to think it's the paper towels like you said (though the primer might also be a cause).

SilverMK2 wrote:Sounds strange that you are getting so much chipping after using varnish.

So, it could be your primer (10-15 minutes sounds a long time to have to mix it) - try switching to an alternative, your metal surface (try lightly scuffing the surface with a high grade scourer to give the paint more surface to bite into), or your storage - you can get individual inserts from a number of companies without having to buy an entire case. Alternatively, companies such as KR have cheap cardboard carry cases with a range of inserts. You do want them to be snug, you don't want models rattling around even in foam.

What are some good companies that sell these inserts?

oadie wrote:10-15 minutes is definitely not normally required to mix an aerosol paint/primer. With the can at room temperature, two or so minutes has always been sufficient for me (applies equally to ColorPlace flat enamels, Krylon Indoor/Outdoor primer, Testors Dullcote, and various acrylic gloss sprays I've used).

As far as cleaning, warm water and a touch of dish soap should be all it takes to scrub away release agent. It won't, however, make a dull model look shiny and new. That dullness is a result of oxidation that can be painted over without issue. I like to remove it, though, which can be done with fine steel wool (good for large, open areas, but snags on points and can't reach crevices) or a brass brush (my preferred method - just don't use a wire wheel chucked into a rotary tool, as the extra speed and power will gouge the surface).

If foam cases don't fit well and paper towels aren't offering sufficient protection, have you considered magnetized transport? A steel (or steel-lined plastic) case is plenty rugged and easy to source. Magnets (sufficiently strong ones, of course - the flexible sheets/strips can barely keep troops in a movement tray from toppling over) aren't terribly expensive, either, although installing them does require a bit of time, depending on your model count. When finished, though, you have a no-contact means of transportation, leaving your paintjob(s) pristine.

(reply to both you and the guy above) What I'm finding is that the primer, after being shaken for 2-3 minutes, comes out a milky white. Another two minutes, it has it's full color, but is incredibly runny (IE: when sprayed on at this point, it leaves the edges/ridges milky with the rest a solid white). I try to only spray it when it's at the point where it doesn't come out runny. Is that an indication of shaking too much? or do I just need to switch to something else?

You might just have a dodgy can. That said, I do not like the Rustoleum primers myself. I have had much better luck with Krylon.

Definitely sounds like you need to ditch that primer. Whether it's a dud can or a weakness of the brand, I couldn't say - if any, white primers generally cause issues with a chalky finish, not a milky/runny one.

If you're in the market for an aerosol replacement, my vote goes with Krylon, as well, although I've only used the grey. Also, there's no such thing as shaking the can too much. There is, however, a point at which you're shaking more than you should have to... and you've long since passed it!

Thanks all! I got myself the Krylon Primer, and am going to look into some foam for storage.

Arcanis161 wrote:
What are some good companies that sell these inserts?

http://www.krmulticase.com/