Paint first or assemble first?

[Xtapl]

I\'m not really looking for advice so much as opinion. I\'m sure there is article after article about it, but I want to hear from the general populace.

What do you guys think? Do you paint first, then assemble, or assemble first, then paint?

On the one hand, you can get to everything if you paint first, then assemble. However, it makes it harder to clean up the model, as you might have mould lines you can\'t quite get to because the sprue is in the way. Also, you have to go back and touch up the places where you\'ve clipped the model from the sprue, which could make it hard to blend as smoothly as you might like.

On the other hand, if you can\'t get a brush to it, you probably can\'t see it, so why not just assemble away? Makes it easier to clean up the model and to cover up the gaps with green stuff. However, you may lose some details because you could have done a better job, for example, on that chest emblem if the arms weren\'t in the way.

So what do you do?

 

[Flashman14]

ya . . .

Good questions - I\'m grappling with it myself.

I\'m currently in the Assemble first group for precisely the reasons you mentioned PLUS the fact I don\'t want to in effect glue a painted surface to another painted surface. It just doesn\'t seem like it would be a strong bond - it\'s be only as strong as the primer was I guess . . .

But dang it is a pain to get in their behind shields! :flame:

 

[KatieG]

I sometimes do one, sometimes the other

For me it really depends on the mini. Some things have to be assembled first because they require lots of filling etc. And I think its silly to paint certain parts seperately, because then they won\'t flow well on the final model. But if it will make it really hard to reach a few spots, I\'ll hold off on gluing it, especially if its something like a shield that doesn\'t require pinning and/or filling. So basically I assemble as much as I can of the mini without blocking major parts, but leave small things that will block, like shields and such until last.

--Katie G.

 

[Corvus]

I always attach parts that are blocking later on. For example my Firewarriors:

http://www.coolminiornot.com/index.php?id=18831&c=All&m=All&nm=none

Their right arm (carrying the gun) was attached when everything was painted.

 

[freakinacage]

i also find that the right arm tends to get in the way if it has a gun. on the whole, i never glue on shields until after. the same for any big bits in the way. i remove any paint before glueing so it doesnt stick paint to paint. if necessary, i also pin. i do, however, prefer to paint the mini in one whenever possible -its hard to hold and paint just an arm

 

[Corvus]

Yes, paint removal is a must

 

[Burzmali]

As a general rule - bits of a mini (eg libs, heads, feet, hair) - glue then paint.
Extra stuff (eg shields, detatchable weapons) paint then glue. It\'s easier to paint then glue (line of sight), but it\'s also much easier to see how a mini works as a whole if everything is in place from the start (Also filling gaps and stuff is often nesecarry with limbs etc... can\'t do that after painting...).

That\'s my thinking anyway...
Burzmali

 

[Corvus]

Originally posted by Xtapl
However, it makes it harder to clean up the model, as you might have mould lines you can\'t quite get to because the sprue is in the way. Also, you have to go back and touch up the places where you\'ve clipped the model from the sprue, which could make it hard to blend as smoothly as you might like.

I also always remove the parts from the sprue before starting to paint. Cleaning mold lines and attachment points afterwards is impossible...

 

[supervike]

assembly school

I am definately in the \'assemble first\', paint last school.

I have tried it both ways, and found it is too easy to rub off paint when fighting with the darn glue.

 

[Otter]

Assemble

I\'ve tried it both ways to experiment and I think I messed up a few nice looking pieces in the attempt.

Even for really intricate pieces, if I paint first I find that there is a general lack of unity between parts A and B. You get C, D, and the rest of the alphabet in there and you have something that almost looks good but has that \"Igor dug this up over the weekend\" feel to it.

- Otter
\"Never send a ferret to do a weasel\'s work\"

 

[mouse]

Assembly language...

Like KatieG and many others, I follow the assembly first concept. But I also left out certain parts that can either be obstructive or doesn\'t necessary warrant assembling. Why assemble? Well, personally I have my reasons.

(1) To file and rank them (for tabletop gamers of Warhammer fantasy).
(2) To get the overall picture and hence the proper lighting effects.
(3) Never know when gaps are and hence putty them first before painting is necessary.
(4) skin/clothings/armor transition is difficult to visualize if not assembled.
(5) Layering of parts that is covered in two different parts require assembling first.

However, like the others, certain thingies (Eg. Shield) can be assembled later and hence painted separately. But as a rule of thumb, I never leave them on the sprue. I basecoat them, cut them and paint them with my faithful toothpick with bluetack on foam base.

 

[barkel]

My first full regiment was a dwarf reg. I undercoated them on the sprue and then clipped them off. The I painted them. They turned out pretty good, but it also proved to be almost as annoying as assembling them first.
I also had a major problem with ranking them up. Half of them can\'t carry shields or they won\'t fit in the group. But they look great.
The last plastic reg I did was an Empire free company. I wanted every single character to be unique and animated so I assembled them first. I haven\'t even gotten around to painting them yet.
I hate the hard to reach places on models, but I don\'t agree that if they are hard to reach they probably won\'t be seen. You should hear my picky family, \"Um, you do realize that you didn\'t paint her armpit, right? This is fine for your army, but when you paint my army can you please paint the armpits too?\"
Lately I\'ve been sticking to metal models to avoid the problem, but I\'ll probably start assembling first from now on. I can\'t stand it when models don\'t line up.

barkel

 

[Logansama]

Assemble first, undercoat, then dismantle and paint.

 

[vincegamer]

Most of this made sense until the last one:
\"dismantel and paint\"????
How do you UNglue a piece?

I\'m about to do a bunch of epic marines and genestealers. I thought since they are so damn tiny maybe I should spray primer them on the sprue, but it\'s impossible to clean any mold lines really. Still, I\'ll try it anyway for the experience.

I really appreciate the comments since I was just about to start this thread myself but Xtapl beat me to it.

 

[Logansama]

pull it apart

 

[Turelio]

It depends on what i am painting. what i find is if i clip everything off the sprue, and blu-tack it together so its not permenant, but i can still get a feel for it. If there are seperate pieces that can go on without obstructing anything, i glue them on and paint them like that. An example is the Gandalf the white on foot model from GW. The staff doesnt block anything, so it went on firt.

However, shields are always seperate, and i find that things like night gobbo regiments and models that have weapons close to thier body are best when you put together the head, body, and legs, then paint the arms seperatly. Some i could probably get away with if they are together, but i shake when i apint, so its not a good idea for me

 

[Sturmhalo]

It seems you are refering to plastics rather than any old multi-part model.

Once again this is one of those \'it depends on the model\' answer. However, I never paint anything on the sprue!

A little while back I painted some Tau Fire Warriors for a guy, and this is what I did with them. I removed all the parts from the sprue that I needed for a particular figure and cleaned them up. Then I glued the legs, torso, head, back pack, and left arm together. I left the right arm and shoulder plate off as these would make it really difficult to paint the model properly (guns across chests etc). How anyone can stick everything together and not do a shitty paint job I don\'t know! Once the main figure was painted I just quickly painted the reverse of the right arm and gun, as well as the under side of the shoulder plate and then stuck them in place. Once they were painted the whole thing was finished. A bit of a hassle but better than trying to paint half a figure without proper brush access!

 

[CC]

Paint or Assemble

Theses are the general rules I work by:

If it\'s going to get in the way don\'t attach it, paint it then attach it. Pin it if possible to inrease the strength of the join, if not leave small areas free of paint where the glue can take.

If it\'s not in the way AND it\'s a continuation of the model i.e. hand - joins to - arm, then attach it so that the paint job will be seamless.

If it\'s not in the way AND is a distinct part i.e. hand - joins to - weapon, then it\'s down to personal choice.

Think ahead, and go with what will give the best paint job.

PS If you can pin it - pin it.

 

[airhead]

Generally - assemble first

Working on reapers spider centaur and I will paint the drow part then assemble it as I cannot get to everything like I want. But the legs for the spider part are all glued, filled, bent, trimmed, etc. before I prime/paint.

I generally assemble first to allow the shading/highlighting to be on the \"whole\" fig. And I have had trouble matching the paint across joints with things that were supposed to be continuous - two part arms, etc.