The Loose Association of Wargamers

It occurs to me that I’m a complete lightweight in the preparation stakes.
I’ll trim and file, but once that’s done - paint gets put on it.
I know our august membership employ a wide variety of prep techniques - what’s your most painstaking/elaborate/OCD pre-paint regime?

And we shall all await Essex Boys post...

Actually, I think Timmo probably scores highest on this:-
(1) clean to remove mould release agent,
(2) file/trim/de-flash,
(3) de-grease,
(4) apply etching primer
(5) apply undercoat.

And that's just his hands before he takes the figures out of the packet.

Yes, Timmo does take all the credit. No one comes close.

What’s the difference between the cleaning and the degreasing?

Why doesn’t a clean also degrease?

It probably does, but bear in mind that he subsequently handles the figure when cleaning off excess metal. As I understand it, he washes in warm soapy water, primarily to get rid of the mould-release agent, but also any other detritus that has attached itself for the figure in transit. Then, after "smartening up" the metal with files, clippers, etc, he gives it a bath in an acidic solution (he uses a proprietary brand, but vinegar is equally efficient) to get all the natural oils from his hands off the figure, as well as removing any of the "swarf" after the clean-up, prior to applying the etching-primer. Note also, that he distinguishes "primer" from "undercoat" as the former is specifically designed to provide a "key" for the later layers of paint to grip on to, whereas the latter is "just another layer of paint". The primer is so efficient, that I understand he never varnishes his figures.

For the benefit of those who don't know him, Timmo is a professional artist (in the Holbein/Constable sense, not the Peeler sense).

When I opened this door, I didn’t realise what lay behind it...

Purple wrote: ↑Sun Nov 25, 2018 2:26 pm And we shall all await Essex Boys post...

I'm saying nothing, but I think Timmo has a considerable edge on my prep efforts.

Isn’t a prepper, an American hobby of survivalism. Planning for the big zombie apocalypse that triggers Simon so much, etc.

I can be awful at cleaning figures. Anyone else think they’ve done a banging job and then after priming discover hulking great mould lines? What’s that about.

Essex Boy wrote: ↑Sun Nov 25, 2018 4:27 pm

Purple wrote: ↑Sun Nov 25, 2018 2:26 pm And we shall all await Essex Boys post...

I'm saying nothing, but I think Timmo has a considerable edge on my prep efforts.

Don’t you count basing and rebasing your figures 5 or 6 times before you actually use them a form of prep ?