Plastic Painting
Mark Y. Lin
The following is posted on request of Capt. Panzeri,
this was a response to plastic figure painting pains,
please enjoy:
HI MARK!!!
can you post this on rgmh PLEASE? [my access is down]=20
ref this:
ml...@leconte.seas.ucla.edu (Mark Y. Lin) writes: =20
>They can also use some mounted figures for the British too.=20
The beauty of plastics figs is you can *easily* SWITCH Brit-INF heads with
Civil war or Napoleonic Cav and you got it! Excellent variety, endless
variations, Boer's Natal Horse etc. and next to nothing expense-wise. =20
ALSO: PAINTING PLASTIC is no longer a problem with "p5"=20
Panzeri's Painless Plastic Painting Procedure?=20
[NO! Prepare-Prime-PlasticPaints-Protect]=20
You MUST spray the figures with that special "primer-for-plastic" [found in
AutoParts Store under vinyl/plastic primer] and paint them with tube-acrylic
colors. OH!! Don't forget to protect and seal them after or you'll
flake/loose the paintjob later!
Subject: Re: Q:Zulu War and Boer War stuff
Douglas Marston (dmar...@sosinc.net) wrote:
> > what choices do I have for rules for the Zulu War and the Boer War?
> > any mini's for these wars?
<break>=20
> I suggest this with some trepidation.. please do not flame me for this.=20
> You might want to look at some of the plastic figs. ESCI has a ZUlu Wars
> series of both Brits and Zulus with typically 50 figs per box. These are
> 1/72 figs (approx 20mm). This is definietely the cheap way to make an
> army, but if you want a lot of figs real fast, it may not be a bad way to
> go -- and they really do not look too bad painted.
<break>=20
ml...@leconte.seas.ucla.edu (Mark Y. Lin) writes:=20
>Yep, I like those ESCI thingys. Except the Zulus have really
>skinnly limbs and the paints peels off too easily when bent.
ok, here's the p5 on that:
[Panzeris' Painless Plastic Painting Procedure]
>-----******-------******--------*****------******-------<
PAINTING PLASTICS? USE p5!!!
[*Panzeris' *Painless *Plastic *Painting *Procedure]
/////paste///
by Pete Panzeri =20
*Skupj wrote about painting plastic figures: =20
"Above all, prepare for heartache. The bendable parts will bend, the paint
will come off... Sadder but Wiser." =20
Pete Panzeri Responds: =20
One can be WISER, but with PLASTIC figures you don't have to be "SADDER."
Plastic figures look better, are a "SNAP" to convert, cost MUCH less, and
weigh in at "Airfrieght" lightness. *BUT!!* The bitter controversy is:
"AAURGH!!! I'll loose my paint job some day!!" Well, that just aint true
... IF you do it right. The figures are DIFFERENT, and so you gotta paint
them DIFFERENT. (Novel Concept eh?) Bob Ogus in Fla just sold his Airfix
Napoleoniic Army of over 3,000 figs, and guess what? They are 25 years old,
STILL FULLY PAINTED!!! (and he didn't even have special plastic-primer back
then!]=20
For all who *FeaR* that the paint will eventually chip off their
figures, just keep in mind Plastic figures are the most durable figures of
all, so you must use a different technique to protect the paint itself ...
and use a more DURABLE/PLYABLE paint. You must use acrylic [PLASTIC]
PAINTS, and prime properly. I was first turned on to the potentiality of
this when a Wargamer in Germany showed me a little demonstration: If you
dropped a stand of four 25mm Highlanders off the table they might get bent
up eh? He dropped his and they just bounced. What if sombody stepped on
them flat? (with lead? YUCK! permanent loss) He stepped on the Plastic
ones, FLAT! and when he picked them up they just *rose* back to their
original poses... PAINT INCLUDED! No chipping, no nothing!! p5 works.=20
p1: PREPARE=20
Wash the figures in detergent and bleach, then rinse in boiling water and
vinegar. (this removes any plastic mold film.) Dry them well [I place by the
heater vent or put in the sun. =20
p2: PRIME=20
PRIME surfaces with a 'plastic-preparer' [see note below], or a good
auto-body primer. Or just BASE-COAT with good ACRYLICS (That's liquid
Plastic paint). Tom Milmore uses thinned latex house-paint as a primer on
his 54mm's, which is plyable (more plastic paint BTW).=20
p3 and p4: PLASTIC PAINTS=20
Paint all other main surfaces with squeeze tube or another *high-plastic*
acrylic paint. You can use whatever paint you want for little details, but
be sure to use acrylic for the guns barrels, bayonets, "long-thingees" etc. =
=20
p5: PROTECT=20
Then WHEN ALL DONE you can give an outer coating to protect the whole
thing and keep it solid. Best bet for 54mm's is: "VARATHANE"
POLYEURETHANE. Dip the whole figure upside down into this semi-clear stuff
(more liquid-plastic). Let it drain off=7F for 10 seconds and then stand the
figure up and the rest will drain off to a tough THIN plastic coating.
(Which also works well as a very light brown wash.) Now if you don't like
the mild semi-gloss finish then dust (i.e. spray) with Dulcote. EVEN THE
SWORDS AND BAYONETS WILL KEEP THEIR PAINT! Works for me, but remember
dulcote looks flat but doesn't protect well, try a gloss under the dulcote
if you must be flat. (I be flat! )
ONE FINAL NOTE =20
About THAT special "primer-for-plastic": The "TSC" catalog has the
stuff you need to prime plastic in it. "TOY SOLDIER CO." 'TSC' dept m, 100
Riverside dr, NY, NY 10024 (201) 433-2370 tjhis is concentrated enough
tfor thos really tiny swords and bayonets *BUT* it is expensive, SO go
ahead and try the AutoPARTS "vinyl/plastic primer"... since it would be a
spray, a mass quantity and much less expensive per ounce.=20
//end////
thanks!!
best,
=3Dpete=3D
_\|/_ =20
(o o)
=3D*=3D ----oOO-(_)-OOo------ =3D*=3D
Captain Peter F. Panzeri=20
U. S. Army, Infantry=20
Military History, The Ohio State University=20
[home] 1748B W. 3rd Ave. Columbus, OH 43212 (614) 486-4858=20
********************=20
HMGS GI WEBBSITE IS AT:
http://members.aol.com/BFEmpire/hmgs.html
>------------------------------
Now Available:=20
LITTLE BIG HORN, 1876=20
Custer's Last Stand=20
by Pete Panzeri, Reed Books International, London 1996 =20
********************=20
=3D*=3D please confirm receipt =3D*=3D
panz...@postbox.acs.ohio-state.edu =20
sa...@worldnet.att.net
I have used IR primer and thinner on plastic figures, photoetched
parts and rubber tank treads for 15 years. The first figures I painted
using this primer are still fresh as the day I painted them. When this
primer dries it shrinks around the lines of a figure, seals it and
leaves an excellent medium for further painting. It can be airbrushed
onto multiple figures but you must have adequate ventilation. Hand
brushing is a pleasure and it dries quickly. Try it, you'll like it.
Jack Witas
sa...@worldnet.att.net
Mike Demana
What is IR primer?
Where do you get it?
Seeya!
-- Mike Demana
sa...@worldnet.att.net
On 2 May 1997 00:05:14 -0400, mde...@freenet.columbus.oh.us (Mike
Demana) wrote:
Imley-Risley is, I think a British Company. I get it at a local hobby
shop. Anyone know of other sources ?
sassi