Matakishi's Tea House

Ok, it sounds like most of you paint lead but due to $$ reasons and available space I am resorting too 1/72 plastics. I have experimented with a couple of processes of preping and painting these great figures and I was wondering what other people do to keep that paint on their plastic heros. Here is my process, very time consuming:

1. Take figures off spure & trim figures.

2. Wash in warm soupy water, and dry.

3. A quick soak in white vinager, and dry (I have read that this etches the plastic, it seems to work).

4. Base figures (I used US pennies for single based figures, adds some weight and nice diameter).

5. Prime with a commercial spray car primer (black).

6. Then paint either using a cheap craft paint or Vallejo if color is available.

7. Add static grass and paint base

8. Seal with Testors.

This is usually a week process for preping and priming figures prior to painting. I am always interested in what other people do so let me know.

I love 1/72 plastics and am constantly buying them,my collection is big,does not matter what genre really.I buy all makes "Ceasar/italerai/revell" all are brilliant.

What i do is this,

1. Take figures off sprue,wash in warm soapy water.

2. I use small "flames of war" or cut down peter pig bases.

3. Score the base of the figure and the small fow base.

4. Glue figure down i use "Galeforce nine" superglue.

5. Then i use either GW "astronomicon grey" as an undercoat.

(Replying a second coat to touch up where needed).

6. Use Vallejo arcylics,then use a matt vanish.

Figures are done HUSSAR !!

The only figures that have been a problem both glue/paint wise are the ones from "Zeveda".So with these i am going to try a enamal undercoat first.

For basing i make mine from "Vallejo white stucco mixed with sand".

Either mix in the colour or paint it over later.

Hope this helps Booger,cheers youe mate 6mm tony:).

Hi - I've moved over almost completely to 1/72 plastics mainly for aesthtic reasons. Some makers, like HaT and newer Italeri use a plastic that takes paint quite well. Most don't - I've had great success with the following method:

1) Wash in soapy water, gently scrub with old toothbrush

2) Paint in PVA glue as a primer. This will look gloopy as you apply but when it dries it shrinks to form a thin flexible skin which takes paint well.

3) Paint in acrylics - I then use Army Painter Quick Shade. QS is a thick varnish and stain which is highly protective as well as adding shading.

4) Matt varnish to take the shine off.

I tested the durability of a Caesar plastic figure doen this way. The plastic of its legs snapped before the paint would flake off. Rock solid.