PAINTING 54 MM FIGURES

Dear Friends Hobbyst:

Greetings from NY! Please, I need help with paiting 54 mm figures. I am facing a great challenge. I was preparing some figures for a 1812 Napoleonic Era battle, but family obligations made me abandon the project for several years. Although I was careful to place the figures in a sealed box and prevent any movement, the paint is peeling off.

I believe that I didn’t clean and prime them well enough. Is there any way to remove their current layer of prime and paint? My plan if possible is to remove their paint and clean them so I can prime them again and start the whole process.

I will appreciate your advise and comments.

What type of paint (i.e. enamel, acrylic, oil) were they finished in?

What are the figures made of ? Metal, plastic or resin ?

Regards, Rick

Paints peeling off even though the kit is kept in a sealed box. That’s a first for me. Anyway, welcome to the Forum!! [:D]

Not impossible if there was excess releasing agent on the figures after removed from the casts or if the figures weren’t cleaned properly before being primed.
Which raises my next question:
Is the primer peeling as well as the base coat?

I’m going to bet these were soft plastic figures rather that regular styrene, resin or metla since the original poster was taliking of a battle scene, (implying many figures!) If so, having paint adhere to them ofr a long period is going to be difficult, especaially if there were significant heat fluctuations.

Dear Fellow Hobbyst:

Greetings to all! Thanks very much for all your answers and comments. I really appreciate your support. So here are the responses to your queries and comments:

A. Before I primed the figures, I did let them soak in a bath with dish detergent for about a day and then rinse them carefully and let them dry for another day, before I started applying the prime.

B. The prime is peeling as well as the paint.

  1. Figures: Soft plastic - from Airfix, Revell, ESCI
  2. Priming: With ModelMaster Prime, in white, gray and plain.
  3. Colors: For all of them Tamiya Acrylic

Once again allow me to express my gratitude for your comments and suggestions.