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As I mentioned in a previous post, I am looking to up my game in painting. I am happy with the work I am doing for the table top but I want to start making them stand out a lot more.

I play both 40K and Bolt Action. In both instances there are vehicles to paint. Previously I have stuck something to the base of the tank and used that as a holder. I know that generally you won't see the underside, but it still bugs me. The underside of the vehicles I have done so far have been a bit plain so far.

So any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I use an rotating table for vehicles. Makes priming the most surfaces a breeze.

Then, if I go for the underside, I simply put on a one-way glove and do the belly by hand.

I prtime hulls partly on sprue.

Saves time, and mess, bits can be tidied up in assembly

But if already built. Without fancy extras, maybe balence and minor securing it on a old jar etc depending on size, not ideal but cheap n fairly easy to do. Nothing needed to be brought or extra costs.
Underside, is well never going to be seen so does not need to be as perfect.

I just use on hand Styrofoam block from packaging's etc. Not the very soft stuff but, the harder ones and set some painters tape to keep it in place if need be. Usually by the time I am done spray what is not on top I just flip it after it dry's to the touch.

I sit the model up on one or two spray can lids. Then I flip it over once its dried.

I usually have to make several passes, letting each one dry a bit to properly cover a vehicle, anyway, so having to spray twice or more isnt a big deal to me.

Alternatively, you can hang them from a bent coat hanger. Theres usually at least one bit you can hook the hanger into where it wont make a difference to the paintjob-- hatches, tracks, something!

Thanks guys.

Plenty of things to try there. I have about 3 Chimera, 4 Leman Russ and a Puma to do so will be giving all of these a try (starting free and working my way up).

I primed my titans by laying them down and spraying them, then flipping them once dry and spraying the other side. It's a bit more time consuming but it ensures that I will take my time and actually wait for the paint to dry before going to town on wet primer. Tanks I leave partially on the sprue and hold that. USUALLY the parts attached to the sprues aren't of any aesthetic consequence to the model when they are, I just clip it off and hold it while wearing gloves.

I just had an idea - if you could hang them from a string in the garage you could do it all in 1 go with an airbrush or can.

Typically though - I just do 1 side at a time. Or If I am in a hurry I just hold it in my hand and come back and set it down on the bottom of it's treads where i was holding it - I don't care about the bottom treads - no one should see those ever.

Cardboard and i tape down a piece of masking tape sticky side up.

Prime the bottom first then the top.

Or i get lazy and just prime my own hand in the process.

I use the high tech device called my left hand

I just prime half the model, let it dry and prime the other half, then go back to the first half, then back to the second. As long as you keep it thin, it should not be an issue.

I take a cardboard box, and turn it upside down in my larger cardboard box used as a paint box for priming.

Then I put the large model on the smaller plastic box to prime the underside.

When the underside is finished, I turn it over to do the top.

I see the high-tech "Left hand" has also been mentioned.

There is a lot to recommend for that "left hand."

MB

with my hands.... but i am one of those weird people who is covered in paint alot lol

I usually just set the model down on a large piece of cardboard that I have dedicated for priming. I don't worry about priming the bottom since no one will ever see it anyway.

As a side note, I once saw a cool idea for what to do with the bottom of vehicles. Just paint a message like "Nice Shot", "Ow", or "I'll get you next time!", or, and this was my favorite idea, for the bottom of a Tau Hammerhead, "The Land Raider's dead too, isn't it?" Could be good for some lolz!

Once again, thanks for all the suggestions (I especially like the messages, cheers ZergSmasher).

I managed to ruin one priming session by using a latex glove. Unfortunately didn't realise the paint was still tacky on one part and then proceeded to get the glove stuck to it. So when using an airbrush I end up with wonderfully shaded hands...

houshin wrote:
Once again, thanks for all the suggestions (I especially like the messages, cheers ZergSmasher).

I managed to ruin one priming session by using a latex glove. Unfortunately didn't realise the paint was still tacky on one part and then proceeded to get the glove stuck to it. So when using an airbrush I end up with wonderfully shaded hands...

I use Nitrile gloves. If you don't use gloves at all, you risk leaving oils on the model.

Try to avoid spraying so much that you get a whole bunch of primer on your hand. Since it's impossible to get it all at one go, just stop before you get close to your hand, or airbrush from an angle that would keep your left hand mostly clean

If you have a little bit of black primer on a pair of gloves, let it dry, and touch the other side of the model, that's no big deal. If it's a different color primer, that's a different thing.

 Talys wrote:

houshin wrote:
Once again, thanks for all the suggestions (I especially like the messages, cheers ZergSmasher).

I managed to ruin one priming session by using a latex glove. Unfortunately didn't realise the paint was still tacky on one part and then proceeded to get the glove stuck to it. So when using an airbrush I end up with wonderfully shaded hands...

I use Nitrile gloves. If you don't use gloves at all, you risk leaving oils on the model.

Try to avoid spraying so much that you get a whole bunch of primer on your hand. Since it's impossible to get it all at one go, just stop before you get close to your hand, or airbrush from an angle that would keep your left hand mostly clean

If you have a little bit of black primer on a pair of gloves, let it dry, and touch the other side of the model, that's no big deal. If it's a different color primer, that's a different thing.

Thank you for that. Never even considered the oils in my hands causing problems. It tends to be a build up on my hands from using it over a half hour period. I try to go for a thin coat, maybe two before leaving to dry and trying again. That tends to be easy when priming miniatures (do one move on to the next, by the time you have done a first pass on 5-10 guys the first is ready for another go).

I think over the weekend I am going to have a bit of a practice with the airbrush and some vehicles. I have almost finished assebling the Puma and I have a Rubicon tank to assemble so they seem perfect (ie cheaper than my GW vehicles) to practice on. Plus I want to have a go at pre-highlighting and pre-shading as well. Plus I need to start practicing weathering.

Sometimes I think I should go back to basics and learn all over again. Too keen to get to the good stuff before getting a firm grasp of the basics.

I do one of two things, either:
1.) lay the vehicle flat on cardboard and price tops and side. Once it is completely dry I turn it over and prime the bottom. (I usually go wit this one)

2.) Take a sturdy wire or clothes hanger, and make 1 hook on each end. Hook the one end to the model somewhere, and hold on the to the other one, spray, and then hang to dry.

OgreChubbs wrote:
with my hands.... but i am one of those weird people who is covered in paint alot lol

We few.
We proud.
We band of brothers,
Who are regularly asked by people:

"What is on your hands??? Did you have an accident or something?"

MB