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I don't know if this belongs in the modelling forum, but since it also involves the miniatures on the battlefield I post it here.

I always worry about my miniatures loosing paint from being handled or becoming dusty or having parts broken off, because I spend a huge amount of time on the modelling part of the hobby. So I had this idea. What if I put the finished miniature in a dome shaped mold with just the base sticking out, and then filled it with clear resin?

This would protect them from the elements and it could make flying models look awesome because they would be floating in the resin. And I play Nurgle so I could make small dynamic swarms of flies also floating in the resin.

However I do have some concerns.


Would you play against an army that looked like this? Could it affect the game in any way?

And I have never worked with clear resin. I don't know if it would "yellow" with age or somehow distort the paint of the model. It would have to be clear as water.

I attached an image to illustrate how it would look.

Another problem would be that no parts can expand outside of the base radius unless you want an uneven dome.

They'd be much heavier models and probably wouldn't transport as nicely, but I can't see any other real inherent issues.

I don't see an issue, other than clear resin maybe not being clear enough. I think the real question is this.

How would the spores get out if the Orks were encased in clear resin?

Just varnish your models, get a good case, and be careful when you're handling them. Way less hassle than this.

Only if you're alright with me calling them snowglobe marines.

Unless you plan on being very rough with your miniatures, the level of protection you want is just excessive. It is simply not needed. Also, resin, no matter how clear, is always going to distort your miniatures because of the way it refracts light.
Instead, I would advise investing in good varnish and a closed-off display cabinet for safe and (mostly) dust-free storage.

That said, I would have no problem playing against those snowglobe miniatures. However, it will probably make me giggle a lot, I am very immature.
I do love the idea of swarms of flies and flying miniatures in resin though.

I think with the amount of time, money, and effort you would be putting into doing this, you would be better off just buying and painting new models if one were ever to get damaged.

But I want my models to outlast me. I imagine when I die and someone come across my models, they wont know what to do with them and they will fall into ruin. In this form they will be very easy to maintain.

By the time you die models will be obsolete as well be playing using holograms.

Please don't feed the trolls people.

Dude do you just exist to make troll threads?

 TheLumberJack wrote:
Dude do you just exist to make troll threads?

This is not a troll thread. Try reading my post before commenting and you might see the potential.

Wear gloves if you're really bothered but it seems excessive.
People who are much better painters and modellers than you, no offence meant, have coped for decades.
Look into varnishes, replace/reenforce any spindly bits with brass rod, invest In good storage/transport, and pin your models.

This would end up being super expensive, probably as much as the unit it self. You should not really need anything that much to get your minis to last.
Just a little bit excessive to me it seems.

Seems over kill for anything but a rare games day mini or such.
Honestly, your always gonna lose the odd bolter or arm in transit however good your case and get odd chip if use for gaming.

Part n parcel.

Good varnish, good case, pack glue if you game and pin arms if you want them to be solid.

And yes at cost and effort. Might be easier to buy a replacement kit if too damaged or lose a gun etc.

It can be done ... but:

You need the RIGHT kind of clear resin. Some only work right with certain rubbers, some don't work at all with the other rubbers.
You will need to vacuum de-gas the resin prior to casting (to remove bubbles caused by mixing it) AND to pressure chamber while the resin is curing to force the rest of the bubbles out (because they will be there).

Then you will probably have to POLISH all of them.

It's more time intensive than just varnishing each mini properly. You also aren't guaranteed of a good clear dome on any of them (that's how variable clear resins can be).