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I've moved to an area that is extremely dry and dusty. I'm not used to it. The dust accumulates by the hour. Every week I can run my hand along my Warhammer shelf and take off a layer of dust.

1. What impact does this have on my minis? I brush them off once in a while, but is there any damage long-term heavy dust exposure can do?

2. How can I protect my minis? I don't want dust getting on them in the first place.

Thanks.

Dust in itself cannot do damage. Dust combined with moisture in the air (think musty old garage, attic, etc) will adhere over time if you're unlucky.
The best way to avoid dust is to get a display case, or if you can't accommodate one of those, get some small Perspex or acrylic display boxes, like fold use for larger die cast items. Then you wipe the box, not the mini.

If you dont have or can't afford glass showcase, you can varnish your minis so you can give the paint a longer life.

 Buttery Commissar wrote:
Dust in itself cannot do damage. Dust combined with moisture in the air (think musty old garage, attic, etc) will adhere over time if you're unlucky.
.

I left a few of my minis out in the conservatory for about 6 months. They were only test pieces so it didnt bother me however my 6 chinchillas live out there which all require a couple of "dust baths" (where they bathe in dust) and this gets everywhere (along with general chinchilla fur) The test models were a total wreck, the dust can be removed but it permanently ruins the pain (puts like a strange effect...i wanna call it a pimpling effect. looks like lots of very tiny bubbles have got under the paint and are about to burst)

Mine are kept on display in the lounge in a cabinet but i recommend a daily blast of air from the airbrush if you must keep them out in the open, thats about all i can recommend

Johnson & The Juice Crew wrote:

 Buttery Commissar wrote:
Dust in itself cannot do damage. Dust combined with moisture in the air (think musty old garage, attic, etc) will adhere over time if you're unlucky.
.

I left a few of my minis out in the conservatory for about 6 months. They were only test pieces so it didnt bother me however my 6 chinchillas live out there which all require a couple of "dust baths" (where they bathe in dust) and this gets everywhere (along with general chinchilla fur) The test models were a total wreck, the dust can be removed but it permanently ruins the pain (puts like a strange effect...i wanna call it a pimpling effect. looks like lots of very tiny bubbles have got under the paint and are about to burst)

Mine are kept on display in the lounge in a cabinet but i recommend a daily blast of air from the airbrush if you must keep them out in the open, thats about all i can recommend

I dug out some real old minis recently and the paint had kind of a "furry" effect going on. Any suggestions for a matte varnish that preferably you can't even tell has been applied? Don't like the shine of gloss.

You should be varnishing your models anyway, but Testor's Dullcote is the best I have found. It is dead flat.

As for the dust, go to the women's makeup aisle at your local department store and find a blush brush. This will knock all the dust off of your models and won't damage the paint.

One easy way to keep your models dust free is a single sheet of plastic wrap, same stuff you put over your food in the fridge. It's a cheap and disposable solution, especially if you don't have the space or coin to get a display case (I use plastic wrap to cover my IG tanks that currently reside on a shelf outside my case.)