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It's every time I get done with a model, a couple of months later (sometimes even a couple weeks) my models begin to chip. I paint Chaos marines and they seem to be notorious for losing paint on their greaves and especially their backpacks and shoulder pads. I am really not sure what to do. I've heard of some sort of glossy thing that you can coat your models with to prevent stuff like that. Y'all have any suggestions?

Are you priming?

Ephriel wrote:
Are you priming?

I second this!

Yes, forgot to add that in, I do prime. It does help but cheaping still occurs.

Do you put a sealer on? Or just leave it once painted? Do you handle the models a lot before painting? Sometimes your skin oil can contaminate and weaken adhesion to the surface.

Ive personally never had a problem with paint chipping on models. Ive been doing it for 8 years or so. Build em, primed with GW chaos black, paint with GW paints... Never had an issue, Knock on wood haha!

The stuff is called varnish (GW calls it 'ard coat), and it comes in several varieties - you want the matte version. When it's too humid it creates a "frost" effect, so be careful of that. If it does happen, this article is about how to recover from it.

If you don't want paint coming off your models...

1) Wash them in soapy water before you prime them (gets off mould release and also gets off any oil contaminants from your hands that might be on there from when you were handling them). I use dish washing detergent, as it doesn't have any conditioners that would leave a film on the model. You can noticeably feel the model is less slippery after washing it.

2) Prime them. Use a good primer, not just regular paint. Avoid handling them too much between washing and priming so you don't get oils off your hands between the plastic and the primer.

3) While painting, avoid handling the model, mount it to a cork or an old paint bottle so you don't have to touch the model itself while painting.

4) Once you're finished painting, apply a varnish. The toughest thing to do is a gloss varnish, if you don't like the gloss finish, apply a secondary coat of a satin or matte varnish to take away the shine. The gloss is the toughest, so apply that first and then apply either satin or matte to knock down the shine. Personally, I like Satin the best, it gives the most natural look to me, matte is a bit too dull, but each to their own.

If you do that and paint still chips off, you are probably handling the models too roughly.

 troa wrote:
Do you put a sealer on? Or just leave it once painted? Do you handle the models a lot before painting? Sometimes your skin oil can contaminate and weaken adhesion to the surface.

Yes, sealer! That's what my friend suggested. I don't know how to use it though, or when I should apply it. I do handle the models a bit, never thought of that.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

AllSeeingSkink wrote:
If you don't want paint coming off your models...

1) Wash them in soapy water before you prime them (gets off mould release and also gets off any oil contaminants from your hands that might be on there from when you were handling them). I use dish washing detergent, as it doesn't have any conditioners that would leave a film on the model. You can noticeably feel the model is less slippery after washing it.

2) Prime them. Use a good primer, not just regular paint. Avoid handling them too much between washing and priming so you don't get oils off your hands between the plastic and the primer.

3) While painting, avoid handling the model, mount it to a cork or an old paint bottle so you don't have to touch the model itself while painting.

4) Once you're finished painting, apply a varnish. The toughest thing to do is a gloss varnish, if you don't like the gloss finish, apply a secondary coat of a satin or matte varnish to take away the shine. The gloss is the toughest, so apply that first and then apply either satin or matte to knock down the shine. Personally, I like Satin the best, it gives the most natural look to me, matte is a bit too dull, but each to their own.

If you do that and paint still chips off, you are probably handling the models too roughly.

Now this is very detailed. Thanks much for the information. But what of this cork? Or old paint bottle? How do I mount them?

Instead of holding the model itself while you paint it, it helps to mount the model to something that you can hold.

Some people like to drill pins in to the feet and mount on cork, like so:

http://www.leagueofpainters.com/?p=1059

If the model is already glued to its base, I'll just blutac it down to an old paint bottle.

Whats blutac?

Tacky non-permanent poster putty. Usually in strips.

 Lord Tarkin wrote:
Whats blutac?

Sorry, didn't notice you were American! Yeah, it's tacky poster putty...

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/like/231164616757?limghlpsr=true&hlpv=2&ops=true&viphx=1&hlpht=true&lpid=107

You can get it at places like Walmart.

Ohhh ok, thank you, it's alright Allseeingskink. I'll try that then. Thank you everybody for your genious, this thread was quite a lesson.

There is GW purity seal, its a satin or matte varnish if I remember right.

Also, I got this trick: putting the purity seal directly on the model, even before priming helps to prevent chipping, as it forms a somewhat flexible layer that absorbs shocks much better. Only necessary for metal modells though.

You can also buy spray varnish. I like krylon gloss followed by armp painter matte. After painting and during play, try to pick up the models by their bases only. Lastly, you didn't mention how you were storing and transporting your figures. If they are being thrown into a box, they are going to get a lot of wear and tear.

I usually blu-tac 25mm based minis to a soda bottle cap (the plastic screw on kind) since the bases are usually attached when I paint. For larger ones, I blu-tac to a cake decorating nail.

Some paints (like Vallejo Model Color) rub of very easily even on primer and need to be sealed if they are going to be handled.

 Ifurita wrote:
You can also buy spray varnish. I like krylon gloss followed by armp painter matte. After painting and during play, try to pick up the models by their bases only. Lastly, you didn't mention how you were storing and transporting your figures. If they are being thrown into a box, they are going to get a lot of wear and tear.

You're right, I didn't mention that. I store them sitting on a shelf, standing up. When I transport them I place them in a shoe box. Maybe that's part of the reason but I use to carry them in miniature carriers and the same thing happened. I guess I'll try matte varnish. Another thing is that I never really primed them with spray, I use to prime them abaddon black.

 Lord Tarkin wrote:
It's every time I get done with a model, a couple of months later (sometimes even a couple weeks) my models begin to chip. I paint Chaos marines and they seem to be notorious for losing paint on their greaves and especially their backpacks and shoulder pads. I am really not sure what to do. I've heard of some sort of glossy thing that you can coat your models with to prevent stuff like that. Y'all have any suggestions?

metal or resin model? Have you washed the model before priming and painting?

Otherwise it's the usual diagnostic questions: checked your primer for quality? Are the conditions as suggested on the can? Temperature fluctuations? Is the paint you are using good?

Resin models. Never ever washed my models. I'll include that in my work from now on.

 Lord Tarkin wrote:
Resin models. Never ever washed my models. I'll include that in my work from now on.

there is your problem: mold release agent.

Thank you. I never would of thought that was the problem. Timet try some blutac


Automatically Appended Next Post:
How do you know if paint is good?

One of them is pigment, another is whether it's already 3/4 dried out. I've got some paints keep using despite having been brought back from the brink, and it's just not the same. I don't. Know what brand--or non-brand--of paint you are using. I've used some pretty cheap, pretty crappy acrylic paints. If you got it from GW, FLGS or an art supply store, you got nothing to worry about. Despite what people say, the bottled acrylic paint they have at walmart have for krafts is actually pretty good.thick and goopy, so not great for models without patience and prep-work, but brilliant for terrain and regular painting on canvas.

Also, it depends on. Your thinning.its been a while, but I recall cracking being an issue if i thinned the paint too much and it pooled. Doesn't sound lime you ahouldhave that problem though

This message was typed on an inferior crApple iFail. Product. I don't have the carrot go back. And correct the auto failed grammar. And spelling.

 Lord Tarkin wrote:

 Ifurita wrote:
You can also buy spray varnish. I like krylon gloss followed by armp painter matte. After painting and during play, try to pick up the models by their bases only. Lastly, you didn't mention how you were storing and transporting your figures. If they are being thrown into a box, they are going to get a lot of wear and tear.

You're right, I didn't mention that. I store them sitting on a shelf, standing up. When I transport them I place them in a shoe box. Maybe that's part of the reason but I use to carry them in miniature carriers and the same thing happened. I guess I'll try matte varnish. Another thing is that I never really primed them with spray, I use to prime them abaddon black.

There is your problem. Abaddon Black is not primer. You either need a spray can of Krylon black primer, or you could use an airbrush. Paint is NOT primer.

 Todosi wrote:

 Lord Tarkin wrote:

 Ifurita wrote:
You can also buy spray varnish. I like krylon gloss followed by armp painter matte. After painting and during play, try to pick up the models by their bases only. Lastly, you didn't mention how you were storing and transporting your figures. If they are being thrown into a box, they are going to get a lot of wear and tear.

You're right, I didn't mention that. I store them sitting on a shelf, standing up. When I transport them I place them in a shoe box. Maybe that's part of the reason but I use to carry them in miniature carriers and the same thing happened. I guess I'll try matte varnish. Another thing is that I never really primed them with spray, I use to prime them abaddon black.

There is your problem. Abaddon Black is not primer. You either need a spray can of Krylon black primer, or you could use an airbrush. Paint is NOT primer.

I also use paint as primer. It's possible to do it, just not healthy for your brushes and not the greatest way to use paint. Primer helps, but it is not essential, but that depends on what you're aiming to do as well. I for instance will not waste primer on horde army.

Use an actual primer rather than just undercoating in acrylic.

my method, prime (my personal favorite is "rustoleum auto primer", the gray is a great place to start)> put down base colors> then a second color> airbrush gloss varnish> apply washes> clean up colors and highlight> optional: if you plan on weathering, this is a great time to do this step> matte varnish.
I don't seem to have much of a problem, just be careful to not put on too much paint in each layer to lose detail.
HOWEVER, once you put that last matte varnish, you can go a little heavier as long as it doesn't obscure the paint too much (clouding effect is a great way to ruin an otherwise nicely painted model.)

I agree the the most likely cause of your problems is the use of abaddon black instead of a real primer. You can buy Krylon or Rustoleum flat black primer very inexpensively. It will stick better, be less expensive, and cover faster than your current method.

Excellant advice here! Wash in soapy water, prime, then do something like this to keep your grubby mitts off the model, also wash your hands before you start. Then my bit to this thread is to use something like this to hold your model so you don't touch it while you paint.

Ok, abaddon black is the problem then. What do I do if that has already been done?