I've been searching for information about painting old WotC plastic minis: They're still plentiful, some common ones can be found cheaply, and I already have quite a few that would look much better with a quick tabletop-quality paint job. They might not ever be top-notch, but they aren't anywhere near their potential.
So far I've found several threads discussing how to strip and paint them. http://www.coolminiornot.com/forums...able-Crud-What-To-Do&highlight=stripping+wotc includes the same information found in several other places.
To summarize what I've found:
To strip them, pick up acetone from a hardware store (the pure, nasty stuff). This will eventually attack the figures' plastic, but the paint can be removed by gently wiping it with an acetone-soaked cotton pad, such as those used to remove makeup. Avoid scrubbing the surface, which can abrade the details.
Some color is painted into the mold and soaks into the mini's plastic/vinyl surface. This cannot be removed practically and doesn't really need to be. If the paint isn't obscuring the details, primer over it.
Green stuff (epoxy putty) can be successfully used to modify the minis. Some other materials are too brittle, cracking when placed on the flexible plastic.
The plastic/vinyl does not react well with some paints and sealers. Some people reported good results with Testor's and poor results from Krylon. The Krylon sealer did not dry properly, remaining tacky afterward.
I have some questions for people who have sucessfully worked with these minis:
1.) How can warped or bent appendages be convinced to remain straight? I have some minis which wouly look much better if their weapons weren't determined to bend back every time I straighten them.
2.) What paints adhere best for these minis? I'm a gamer more than a collector and want my figures to look good even after some use.
3.) What glues are best used when modifying these minis? I've noticed that some materials just don't hold up.
4.) Do you have any suggestions for rebasing them? I'd like to put some minis onto better bases, but I'm not sure they'd hold up when transported or used for gaming.
So far I've found several threads discussing how to strip and paint them. http://www.coolminiornot.com/forums...able-Crud-What-To-Do&highlight=stripping+wotc includes the same information found in several other places.
To summarize what I've found:
To strip them, pick up acetone from a hardware store (the pure, nasty stuff). This will eventually attack the figures' plastic, but the paint can be removed by gently wiping it with an acetone-soaked cotton pad, such as those used to remove makeup. Avoid scrubbing the surface, which can abrade the details.
Some color is painted into the mold and soaks into the mini's plastic/vinyl surface. This cannot be removed practically and doesn't really need to be. If the paint isn't obscuring the details, primer over it.
Green stuff (epoxy putty) can be successfully used to modify the minis. Some other materials are too brittle, cracking when placed on the flexible plastic.
The plastic/vinyl does not react well with some paints and sealers. Some people reported good results with Testor's and poor results from Krylon. The Krylon sealer did not dry properly, remaining tacky afterward.
I have some questions for people who have sucessfully worked with these minis:
1.) How can warped or bent appendages be convinced to remain straight? I have some minis which wouly look much better if their weapons weren't determined to bend back every time I straighten them.
2.) What paints adhere best for these minis? I'm a gamer more than a collector and want my figures to look good even after some use.
3.) What glues are best used when modifying these minis? I've noticed that some materials just don't hold up.
4.) Do you have any suggestions for rebasing them? I'd like to put some minis onto better bases, but I'm not sure they'd hold up when transported or used for gaming.
Last edited:
