Reaper bones mini tip.... put them in the freezer before you file or cut out the mold lines. It will make the mini firm for a couple of hours and give you better control. I haven’t tried this technique with any other brands.
Interesting. That would probably work well with most PVC miniatures but for Bones that are extra rubbery (wave 1) this would be a really good idea. I will try this out.
I totally agree with your "relaxed approach" to this topic. Beginners need to enjoy without the stress for perfect results. The need for perfection will arrive in time, when and IF will be the time. Many like!
I just got into this, and boy am I glad to have such patience as I do. It's taking me so long. But some statues I don't care about as much. Got any 1 & done tips? Like, I want them to look more presentable than plain gray, but I don't really care about bringing out all of the details. And I have no clue how to do skin tones. I appreciate the help
As a very experienced mini-painter, I can safely say I prefer the Wizkids minis to anything out there. I cannot tell you with enough enthusiasm or punctuation how much I DO NOT miss prepping and priming metal minis. With the Wizkids (and Bones, even if I don't like the material as much) minis, all I have to do is clean a few minor mold lines, and away I go, enjoying the aspect of the hobby I like most: painting. With way less fuss that dealing with metal ever was. I guess what I'm saying is, these minis aren't just for beginners. Old hands like me really appreciate these new miniatures for their convenience. But they're still detailed enough to be a challenge to paint, and have the end result be a great looking mini. Keep up with this series and all the other great content you provide! Though this mini series isn't telling me anything I'm not already familiar with, I'm still following it with interest because I like the way you're presenting it.
I just found your beginner series AFTER Painting my first mini. I’m hooked on it miniatures, but hated the mold lines and gaps, I even complained to my husband about it. Your first two videos on miniatures are great! I plan on watching the rest too! So informative compared to the other videos I’ve seen. Thank you... I will be watching them all!
I have found some mold lines strategically placed over a face, arm or leg for barbarians are great for bloody scars! Some can actually enhance the final look.
On this point, I 3D print minis. (I'm hoping to sell some. Eventually.) I printed a nice ogre a while ago and it had blobs (these are tiny little 'balls' of plastic on the surface caused by too much plastic coming out of the nozzle, generally) on it. I got crazy with getting every single blob off with an X-Acto knife and some needle files. After which, it occurred to me that those would be great for making the ogre's skin look a bit 'diseased' and I regretted taking them off. So, yeah, things don't always have to be perfectly smooth. Work with what you've got.
Yeah, but you rarely get mould lines in the locations you want them for scars. And they’re usually aligned vertically while scars will typically be diagonal.
As a person that poured jewelry molds, I can also tell you that new molds normally have smaller or no lines, they develop as the mold shrinks especially in hot metal molds. The molds should be recreated for very common figures so you can find a bad one then 2 months later find a low mold line; because they re-made the master mold.
I am so thankful that you are willing to help us lowly beginners! I had NO IDEA which one of the inexpensive models to even being with, and this prep work tips are invaluable! Your more knowledge viewers can just take a breath while you step back to help us with some 101. :)
Just got my first Dungeon and Lasers order in... So thankful that you have 4 years of videos to look over and find useful information and such. Thank you!
Excellent content! I'd like to add a couple tricks I've learned that transferred well from many years of building scale model cars before I started doing minis: Glazing putty from the auto repair store/department works just fine for seam repair, and it's both cheap & easy to work with. Specifically with Bones and other unprimed minis (including metal) - if soap and water doesn't get the mold release off, white distilled vinegar will. Just rinse again with water and let dry completely. We all have to start somewhere. Don't be afraid to make mistakes, because that's how you develop your skills. Have fun!
For the record, I love this series. I just got into this hobby and really appreciate you taking the time to do this at this level of detail. I especially appreciate the “here is a tip but it’s not really necessary that you do this” advice.
I think that will be the most important message of the series that will make it different from everything out there.....here’s some stuff you CAN do that will make your mini look better, but you don’t HAVE to if you don’t want.
Started watch you about a month ago. With watching Wylock, DM Scotty, and you. I got the basics down for terrain. I'm really happy to see you go with mini's, just for a change if pace. Great videos!
As a new-ish painter I really enjoyed watching this video, none of the info is new to me but I would've really appreciated this as a beginner. A lot of people will rush to recommend high quality minis/paint/brushes, and I really disagree with that. Sure those things will give you better results as a seasoned painter but I think starting cheap is 'safer'. If you mess up a 3 dollar bones you shrug it off and work on how to improve. If you buy an airbrush and expensive paints and 27 dollar brushes and fk up your high quality mini... it can be disheartening. I bought all the right stuff and followed all the right advice, why doesn't this look amazing?! I must just be bad at it! You certainly won't be excited to try again. Personally I recommend buying a cheap warhammer set. I started with a 5 piece set of 'Garrek's Reavers' for about 20$ because they were a little larger, had skin, hair, leather, and metal, to get a feel for the different techniques. I was really happy with my first attempt and by the 2nd figure I was confident enough that the other 3 are still in my 'to be painted later' drawer.
I used a similar method when using metal miniature (I have been modeling and miniature painting for 50 years ) When cleaning up mold lines with a file, I save the metal dust and use that with super glue ti fill gaps (as you do with baking soda) it work nicely and forms a hard filling.
OMG thankyou! I'm just starting out, and I am a perfectionist, but I also just want to get in and enjoy the process and I started to get anxious and overwhelmed about what people would think if I missed a mold line etc, Eventually I guess I'll get better and better, but for now it;s really good to hear you say that it doesn't matter!
I like to call myself “experienced” miniature painter since i started painting 20 years ago. Last year i bought a wizkids beholder, and i was pretty satisfied with the mini, i like other brands better for humanoid figures but i think wizkids is pretty good (even if not top of the notch) for monsters. I always filled the gaps with just super glue, never had one break on me in all this time. It’s easy and you can control it with a toothpick for smaller areas. I like green stuff but it’s triky ti work with, i use it for basing or modding, i feel the effort it’s not worth it when talking about gaps. There is also a new product, liquid green stuff (never tried) that is suposedly specifically made for the purpose of filling gaps. I didn’t like the idea if another liquid thing prone to become dry on my table, so long live to super glue. In any case i prefer to stick only with certain brands of super glue, super atrack if you are a beginner because it takes longer to solidify but it’s really strong, and super bostik if you don’t want to wait 30-60 seconds in the same position to make it dry, it just takes 10 seconds. Also super bostik is great for metal minis, i stopped pinning when i switched to bostik. Super attack has some issues and durability problems on metal if you don’t pin
Couple things to add from my experience painting minis over the last 5 years: - To find mold lines easier, use an extremely thin wash on the mini. I prefer generic gray Reaper paint, 3 to 5 drops in my 8oz-ish water container, for Reaper Mini Bones figures and any white-primed metal minis. The thin wash adds some definition so the mold lines stand out, and even works if you want to be better to see the mini for future painting. The wash also acts as a very light primer so that other paints will stick a bit better. I have not primed any of my Reaper Bones minis when painted with Reaper paints and have had great success with no chipping over multiple years of play with the same minis. - Always clean off miniatures, regardless of material, before painting. Use water and a very light brushing to get any oils, grime, or mold release off of the mini before painting to give you a clear surface to paint on. I usually run mine under cold-ish water and quickly hit all surfaces with a cheap toothbrush and then add the above wash to dry. - When filing mold lines on plastic minis, use slow movements with even pressure, don't go fast. If you file too fast, the plastic will grind up and get gnarly. The heat from the friction is making the plastic softer and thus the filing is having less effect. Slow filing will be cleaner and faster overall. All together, the episode is really solid advice for any level of mini painter. The most important part is to have fun, you'll get better over time with experience (and mistakes).
Wish I had those videos when I started with my warhammers a few years ago. All I got was a snobby guy asking me not to screw up the army he sold me and a few tips in forums, but nothing more. Even if I have experience, I'll keep listening to make sure my basics are good. I just love that casual/ relaxed approach. :)
At least you had forums. When i started internet was expansive, the websites avaiable were few (no websites for minis) and everything was static, it was before the “internet 2.0” revolution
One of my favorite techniques for filling gaps on minis I learned by watching Shoshie (she's a professional miniature painter). She uses a material called Bondic. It is basically dental acrylic that comes in a pen type tube, and is cured using a UV light that is on the end of the pen. Now Bondic is kind of pricey for the actual brand name stuff, but you can get it at the Dollar store. I love Bondic.
I'm brand new to miniature painting and am getting ready to try my first miniature. Your videos have made it seem like a much less daunting and intimidating task. Thank you!
Great vid and advice Jeremy! I've been painting minis (on and off) since the 80's and this was the first time I have heard of the Superglue and baking soda trick! That's awesome!!
Holy moly! I've been painting minis for 8 years and never knew about the baking soda and super glue trick. That is amazing! Thank you so much (now I can save my GS for other projects)!
Great video! These topics are never covered enough. For really small gaps, like those on wizkids, you can brush on Vallejo mat primer. It dries clear and smooth.
Finally! Great advice for people that want to start in the hobby, I liked the part about the mold lines! I personnally think that they are to be destroyed at any cost, but yeah, you are right chances are that no one will notice anyway.
Very good and cheap tool to preper minis is sandpaper and abrasive fabric (I'm not sure English term, but this is what google translator shows me). And thank you for top with super glue and soda.
I’m just a beginner and picked up some cheap acrylics from hobby lobby and followed the mixture of a few drops of water and PVA glue from a speed painting video. I don’t really see the point of the metal miniatures, sure you have some options in customization but they are very brittle and with kids in my house plastic is the way to go. And they still look brilliant.
I get my 2 part epoxy putty from the dollar store along with CA glue. Works just as good, is super cheap, and readily available without waiting on shipping.
Personally, one of the best starting points for people starting with minis are the 2 learn to paint starter sets that Reaper has. This combines well with a cheap utility knife and, perhaps, a good set of clippers. Bases and a bit of dollar store super glue is a good addition to that. Also, unless your very experienced and are using the clear bases, don't bother with expensive superglue. Just go to the dollar store and buy a bit of the normal and a bit of the gel superglue tubes.
Recently found your channel and so far I'm loving it. I use to do miniatures and terrain about 15 years ago and I'm looking to get back in. Gonna need a refresher course though.
Great video! I am just starting to get into 3D-Minis, and this series is very informative, so thanks. Luckily I sit in the comfortable position that one of my friends is a miniature wargamer for ages, so he helps me out and teaches me lot, but it is always useful to get extra input. Keep up the good work!
Great tips, my brothers have been heavily involved with the WarHammer miniatures and game, myself never got into it. One thing that they do when assembling models at times is using Neodinium (sorry if misspelled) magnets, especially when attaching bases.
I just used the technique shown at 07:00 for fixing a beheaded miniature. I drilled both head and neck with a 1mm drill bit, but holes are a bit wider than the paper clip. Does the glue fill the gaps in the holes? Or do I have to put a bit of glue and baking soda around the paper clip, so to increase its thickness?
Im finding my old bones minis are sticky several years after I painted them. Hasnt happened to any other brand of mniiature. I'd recommend the cheap Wizkids Nolzurs and Pathfinder stuff for those starting the hobby. I know you dont have to prime them but i like to clean mold lines , fill gaps with putty, heat bent weapons or wings in hot water to reposition, stick to a base, and glue the sand/mud/rock around the base, then zenithal prime with dark grey, light grey and white.
Already painted my first batch of minis and saw this pesky mold lines. Now I know how to get rid of them and fill in any of the mold gaps! Can't wait to see the next part!
I've got lots painted minis with visible mold lines that I either accidentally missed, or just didn't care enough to remove. Like I said, better to get rid of them, but not the end of the world if you dont.
Agreed! All future minis I'll do my best to remove those mold lines. I spend a lot of time painting them I rather not let mold lines hold back my paint job for looking the best it can be.
In many cases you can use acrylic gloss medium (straight from the bottle) to hide mold lines. Paint it on, let it dry, then use a wash to see whether you need another layer of medium. Won't work with bad seams, but in many cases it works great. And you can even use it over paint.
I just started being interested in painting minis from one of my dads tabletop games and I am very happy that I found this video because I am not interested in spending a lot of money because I’m probably not going to be interested this hobby forever :)
haha I love that you mentioned goblins with the mold lines as I literally finished getting most of the mold lines off of 31 reaper goblins. About the 2nd or 3rd in I went fuck it their only goblins and went a little haphazardly, only doing the prominent surfaces facing up. Still took longer then it was probably worth. Will be priming later today.
Also I never use anything but the cheap super glue. It means a clean break if you ever decide you want a different arm or base as it is the weak point. This is especially prudent for larger minis when they are accidentally dropped, the superglue weak point will take the brunt of the drop, snap cleanly and it is a very quick fix. Just my personal experience.
Ok I have had to eat my words... I primed them and I was alittle too lazy with the mold lines and I couldn't leave them so I have spent the last 2 hours taking off the rest.
Fun tip: Priming your mini first will help show hard to see mold lines, then you can clean the lines up and re-prime the areas you filed/ scraped; you can even do a lite dry brush over the mini to make the mold lines pop, making them even easier to see.
I totally agree! I highly doubt a mold line is going to break my immersion. I know there's not a real Minotaur on my table. Sometimes I get rid of them, sometimes I don't. Sometimes keeping them gives it a weird, quaint or kitchy kind of character.
Two old school methods for filing is using a thick gel superglue and hit with a accerater spray then sand and file as needed. The other is using a putty from testors or squadron thinned with liquid glue or so it flows like paint into the area. Also i suggest using liquid cement from testors to put parts together you have more time for alignment then superglue. For mold lines squadron has a seem scraper that works well.. Otherwise ausome job.
Regarding glue: if you are glueing hard polystyren (don't know if it works on the softer plastics mentioned that Wizkids and Reaper Bones use), I have started using nail polish remover (without oil) - it works great, and melts the plastic together better than say Tamiya Extra Thin Cement. Basically, you press the pieces of plastic together (dry of course), take a brush and brush on some of the remover along the seamline. It's thinner than the cement and it will fill the gap, and since it evaporates quickly, it also means the parts dry faster. Just pour some of the remover into a small container made of metal - a cut up soda can will work in a pinch.
Age of molds can impact the mini quality too. Some resin minis will have huge flashing and sometimes they are super clean, depends on the mold material and how old they are. BAKING SODA! It really is the wonder material, good for cooking, cleaning, minis and so much more. I'd seen this trick on Punished Props channel for filling in holes/defects on cast pieces (did they use baby powder?), but I never thought of using it on Minis, great tip.
I've bought some 3D printed 32mm figures. I just wondered, do I treat these the same as moulded figures? Also, when I paint them do I use any colours I like and get imaginative? I'm new to this!
I personally recommend loctite gel super glue-- it dries perfectly clear with no whitish effect, and then you don't have to worry about using it with finished figures. It's a little more expensive, but I feel like it's worth it. For gluing metal, try using "windshield glue": it's meant for attaching metal to glass and should be available for cheap for a one shot bottle. You should be able to get it from a car dealership's parts store. Works really well.
What is this heresy? Advocating not cleaning mold lines, filling gaps and using cheap minis!? How dare you!? Obviously, I'm kidding; in all seriousness, this is a great video and some great advice for people just starting to get into the hobby of miniatures. I have a sneaking suspicion that all of us (even the ones who don't want to admit it) ignored mold lines and gaps when we first started painting, but at this point its become so ingrained to clean the mold lines and fill gaps that we preach it like its gospel when realistically, if you're just painting miniatures for fun or for a game to have them, then it really doesn't hurt anyone if you ignore mold lines and gaps.
Hello, I am not a beginner I’ve been doing this for a while but in regards to the wizkids preprimed models, I find it kind of a waste to be preprimed if your going to clean mold line because you just have to prime them again when your done because cleaning the mold lines takes the primer off where its cleaned. My question is how do you handle this do you just reprime them or use a brush on primer to just touch up where you cleaned, and what primer do you use to try and match the primer wizkids used? Thanks
Just wanted to mention that vallejo makes a liquid pastic putty. It is easy to use with a brush and can be thinned with water if needed. It works great in miniatures.
I agree with the Wizkids minis. Bones don't seem to have the problem as much about getting into tight spaces. But here is a question and maybe an other video idea. How do you paint those tight hard to reach spots if you don't cut them apart? Great video! I'll share on my Paint your Bones group!
If a place is pretty much impossible to reach I'll split the mini. If it's just hard, that means its probably also hard to see in that space so I just paint it the best I can and hope nobody notices.....which they won't because my minis are just for drunken rpg gaming.
If anyone sat at my table told me my miniatures look cheap and crap I would ask them to get up and leave. I have spent a fortune on D&D, and I have never asked my players for a penny. It doesn't matter how much your mini's cost, its all about the game. Those people who were criticising the cheap models in the comments need to have a word with themselves.
Jonno D Well some people jump in for the modelling/painting aspect primarily... You're being the same as those that you're complaining about lol, just on the other side of the fence, which you deem as being morally superior. Just ignore it or tell people to stfu, don't partake in the same behaviour.
Bad Goy- Varg Vikernes Division Calling people out for nasty rude behavior and not wanting to deal with them isn't the same as participating in that behavior yourself. Besides, if somebody's willing to put in the huge amount of effort that being a DM requires AND buy minis to use, a player saying the minis look like garbage is just a terrible insult and a horrible attitude that I wouldn't want to deal with either.
zapheil Well considering that they've also put the financial resources into the game, and in addition to that, countless hours to make the immersion as realistic as possible, ensuring that their miniatures are well presented... perhaps, those with miniatures that lack visual appeal are taking the criticism harshly, because they themselves don't have the discipline or skill to do so themselves? Like I said earlier, just tell people to shut their mouth, instead of being a hypocrite. As I mentioned earlier, some get into the hobby thanks to the creativity of it, don't count them out because they contribute more time and effort into the game. You only get better at something through practice, so why not get started?
@@tynanroyhiggins Less about skill and discpline, more about money and time. Try and look beyond your hobby and at peoples' situations. You're coming across as a bit of dweeb and obsessive.
Pro-tip: greenstuff comes in the rolls shown in the video and also often in long "tubes" where all the blue is in one tube stacks on top of the green. I highly recommend the latter packaging as the side-by-side long strips of it can start to harden via the mixing of the two down the seam, cutting down on waste and making it easier to work with. Also, keeping your hands wet while working with GS keeps fingerprints from showing up!
I have painted a decent number of minis so far. Never once have I thought to myself, "gosh, those mold lines are really noticeable...I should have done something about them." Hasn't really been a thing I've ever thought about. Bases? No, not really even bases. The only thing I've done that's been different is painting a bunch of goblins or kobolds different on the base so I know which one is which and don't get them mixed up.
I have been hoping that you would do mini videos for ages. I am just starting into the mini painting and I really appreciate that your doing this series. In your last video you mentioned that you should not use a spray can to prime reaper bones minis. I got this advise the day after I attemped spray priming a set bones orcs. It went awful. They turned out sticky and gross. I have them set aside and I am hoping to try stripping them and doing a brush on primer. Any suggestions on the best way to go about this process?
on pinning, instead of paint use some blu-tac. drill one hole, put blutac on the other piece and press together, you will get a bump on the 2nd part where you need to drill
Nice. I use a single-edge disposable razor to do most of my detail and mold cuttings. I think I will try pinning after a break, to see if they are really as fragile as their reputation claims. And I will buy the gap filler from my local hobby store to support them rather than evil Amazon :), and the superglue method seems too risky.
Thank you for the I series. I'm just getting into miniatures and your videos have been super helpful. Also you tend to apologise in your videos for covering a topic someone else may have done. Well I haven't seen the other people, just you, try to be more confident in your videos. Keep up the good work.
if this is to advanced sorry but the plastic cement glue can be a good beginning insted of pining till there confident with it as the glue will fues it together so its a great way till u know what to do with the drill thing tho it is a glue and not comeing apart if u let it dry fully
Yes! I did cut that barbarian's arm off in order to demonstrate pinning! He volunteered as tribute.
no barbarians were harmed in the making of the video :D
Who makes that barbarian?
Reaper miniatures. It's a Bones! A great two weapon miniature.
77469: Brand Oathblood, Barbarian ($2.79)
Bobby Jackson
We thank him for his sacrifice on our behalf. ;-)
You are a barbarian ... how could you ?
Reaper bones mini tip.... put them in the freezer before you file or cut out the mold lines. It will make the mini firm for a couple of hours and give you better control. I haven’t tried this technique with any other brands.
That’s an awesome tip. I’ll have to try it.
Interesting. That would probably work well with most PVC miniatures but for Bones that are extra rubbery (wave 1) this would be a really good idea. I will try this out.
Cheers for the tip dude, I didn't think of that.
May even work faster bathing them in ice water for a few minutes
Never heard that tip. I'll try it out.
I totally agree with your "relaxed approach" to this topic. Beginners need to enjoy without the stress for perfect results. The need for perfection will arrive in time, when and IF will be the time. Many like!
Yea, that’s the goal. Mini painting isn’t as serious as some make it out to be. It can be a fun thing you gradually build up skill with. No rush.
I just got into this, and boy am I glad to have such patience as I do. It's taking me so long. But some statues I don't care about as much.
Got any 1 & done tips? Like, I want them to look more presentable than plain gray, but I don't really care about bringing out all of the details. And I have no clue how to do skin tones. I appreciate the help
@@BlackMagicCraftOfficial i meant to send my comment directly to you. Do you have any tips for me? Thanks
As a very experienced mini-painter, I can safely say I prefer the Wizkids minis to anything out there. I cannot tell you with enough enthusiasm or punctuation how much I DO NOT miss prepping and priming metal minis. With the Wizkids (and Bones, even if I don't like the material as much) minis, all I have to do is clean a few minor mold lines, and away I go, enjoying the aspect of the hobby I like most: painting. With way less fuss that dealing with metal ever was.
I guess what I'm saying is, these minis aren't just for beginners. Old hands like me really appreciate these new miniatures for their convenience. But they're still detailed enough to be a challenge to paint, and have the end result be a great looking mini.
Keep up with this series and all the other great content you provide! Though this mini series isn't telling me anything I'm not already familiar with, I'm still following it with interest because I like the way you're presenting it.
The paint-dot alignment tip alone is worth the price of admission. :)
Woah I can't believe people are suggesting beginners start out with expensive minis. The PVC stuff is a great place to start out with!
#purists
I started with Wizkids, don't seem to be an issue.
PVC mini,s ?
Its also just unnecessary, I’m not going to buy 30+ goblins and be super anal about them all looking perfect, it simply won’t happen.
Your happy baby owl bear made my day, thank you.
I just found your beginner series AFTER Painting my first mini. I’m hooked on it miniatures, but hated the mold lines and gaps, I even complained to my husband about it. Your first two videos on miniatures are great! I plan on watching the rest too! So informative compared to the other videos I’ve seen. Thank you... I will be watching them all!
I have found some mold lines strategically placed over a face, arm or leg for barbarians are great for bloody scars! Some can actually enhance the final look.
Good point! Make the imperfections work in your favour!
Yep, or down the side of a pant leg and it just enhances the look of a seam in the pants. Those ones I leave alone.
On this point, I 3D print minis. (I'm hoping to sell some. Eventually.) I printed a nice ogre a while ago and it had blobs (these are tiny little 'balls' of plastic on the surface caused by too much plastic coming out of the nozzle, generally) on it. I got crazy with getting every single blob off with an X-Acto knife and some needle files. After which, it occurred to me that those would be great for making the ogre's skin look a bit 'diseased' and I regretted taking them off.
So, yeah, things don't always have to be perfectly smooth. Work with what you've got.
Yeah, but you rarely get mould lines in the locations you want them for scars. And they’re usually aligned vertically while scars will typically be diagonal.
As a person that poured jewelry molds, I can also tell you that new molds normally have smaller or no lines, they develop as the mold shrinks especially in hot metal molds. The molds should be recreated for very common figures so you can find a bad one then 2 months later find a low mold line; because they re-made the master mold.
Interesting. Thank you.
Excellent idea of using paint to mark your pieces to get good fit!!!
I am so thankful that you are willing to help us lowly beginners! I had NO IDEA which one of the inexpensive models to even being with, and this prep work tips are invaluable! Your more knowledge viewers can just take a breath while you step back to help us with some 101. :)
Just got my first Dungeon and Lasers order in... So thankful that you have 4 years of videos to look over and find useful information and such. Thank you!
Finaly i found someone who talk about the basique. i just started and this video is just perfect. thanks
Excellent content! I'd like to add a couple tricks I've learned that transferred well from many years of building scale model cars before I started doing minis:
Glazing putty from the auto repair store/department works just fine for seam repair, and it's both cheap & easy to work with.
Specifically with Bones and other unprimed minis (including metal) - if soap and water doesn't get the mold release off, white distilled vinegar will. Just rinse again with water and let dry completely.
We all have to start somewhere. Don't be afraid to make mistakes, because that's how you develop your skills. Have fun!
For the record, I love this series. I just got into this hobby and really appreciate you taking the time to do this at this level of detail. I especially appreciate the “here is a tip but it’s not really necessary that you do this” advice.
I think that will be the most important message of the series that will make it different from everything out there.....here’s some stuff you CAN do that will make your mini look better, but you don’t HAVE to if you don’t want.
Started watch you about a month ago. With watching Wylock, DM Scotty, and you. I got the basics down for terrain.
I'm really happy to see you go with mini's, just for a change if pace.
Great videos!
As a new-ish painter I really enjoyed watching this video, none of the info is new to me but I would've really appreciated this as a beginner. A lot of people will rush to recommend high quality minis/paint/brushes, and I really disagree with that. Sure those things will give you better results as a seasoned painter but I think starting cheap is 'safer'. If you mess up a 3 dollar bones you shrug it off and work on how to improve. If you buy an airbrush and expensive paints and 27 dollar brushes and fk up your high quality mini... it can be disheartening. I bought all the right stuff and followed all the right advice, why doesn't this look amazing?! I must just be bad at it! You certainly won't be excited to try again. Personally I recommend buying a cheap warhammer set. I started with a 5 piece set of 'Garrek's Reavers' for about 20$ because they were a little larger, had skin, hair, leather, and metal, to get a feel for the different techniques. I was really happy with my first attempt and by the 2nd figure I was confident enough that the other 3 are still in my 'to be painted later' drawer.
Thank you for covering the basics!!! Really appreciate it.
I used a similar method when using metal miniature (I have been modeling and miniature painting for 50 years ) When cleaning up mold lines with a file, I save the metal dust and use that with super glue ti fill gaps (as you do with baking soda) it work nicely and forms a hard filling.
Love the mini basic series, please keep it up. Im a total mini noob and this helps alot!
You keep helping people get started!!! You're doing great
OMG thankyou! I'm just starting out, and I am a perfectionist, but I also just want to get in and enjoy the process and I started to get anxious and overwhelmed about what people would think if I missed a mold line etc, Eventually I guess I'll get better and better, but for now it;s really good to hear you say that it doesn't matter!
I like to call myself “experienced” miniature painter since i started painting 20 years ago. Last year i bought a wizkids beholder, and i was pretty satisfied with the mini, i like other brands better for humanoid figures but i think wizkids is pretty good (even if not top of the notch) for monsters. I always filled the gaps with just super glue, never had one break on me in all this time. It’s easy and you can control it with a toothpick for smaller areas. I like green stuff but it’s triky ti work with, i use it for basing or modding, i feel the effort it’s not worth it when talking about gaps. There is also a new product, liquid green stuff (never tried) that is suposedly specifically made for the purpose of filling gaps. I didn’t like the idea if another liquid thing prone to become dry on my table, so long live to super glue. In any case i prefer to stick only with certain brands of super glue, super atrack if you are a beginner because it takes longer to solidify but it’s really strong, and super bostik if you don’t want to wait 30-60 seconds in the same position to make it dry, it just takes 10 seconds. Also super bostik is great for metal minis, i stopped pinning when i switched to bostik. Super attack has some issues and durability problems on metal if you don’t pin
Thanks for this great series as i have not painted in 25+ years. So much has changed. Videos are great!
Couple things to add from my experience painting minis over the last 5 years:
- To find mold lines easier, use an extremely thin wash on the mini. I prefer generic gray Reaper paint, 3 to 5 drops in my 8oz-ish water container, for Reaper Mini Bones figures and any white-primed metal minis. The thin wash adds some definition so the mold lines stand out, and even works if you want to be better to see the mini for future painting. The wash also acts as a very light primer so that other paints will stick a bit better. I have not primed any of my Reaper Bones minis when painted with Reaper paints and have had great success with no chipping over multiple years of play with the same minis.
- Always clean off miniatures, regardless of material, before painting. Use water and a very light brushing to get any oils, grime, or mold release off of the mini before painting to give you a clear surface to paint on. I usually run mine under cold-ish water and quickly hit all surfaces with a cheap toothbrush and then add the above wash to dry.
- When filing mold lines on plastic minis, use slow movements with even pressure, don't go fast. If you file too fast, the plastic will grind up and get gnarly. The heat from the friction is making the plastic softer and thus the filing is having less effect. Slow filing will be cleaner and faster overall.
All together, the episode is really solid advice for any level of mini painter. The most important part is to have fun, you'll get better over time with experience (and mistakes).
A thin coat of rattle-can spray paint will expose those mould lines very nicely. Easy-peasey!
Just getting back into mini painting. Great job encouraging a smart attitude toward the hobby.
Wish I had those videos when I started with my warhammers a few years ago. All I got was a snobby guy asking me not to screw up the army he sold me and a few tips in forums, but nothing more. Even if I have experience, I'll keep listening to make sure my basics are good.
I just love that casual/ relaxed approach. :)
At least you had forums. When i started internet was expansive, the websites avaiable were few (no websites for minis) and everything was static, it was before the “internet 2.0” revolution
One of my favorite techniques for filling gaps on minis I learned by watching Shoshie (she's a professional miniature painter). She uses a material called Bondic. It is basically dental acrylic that comes in a pen type tube, and is cured using a UV light that is on the end of the pen. Now Bondic is kind of pricey for the actual brand name stuff, but you can get it at the Dollar store. I love Bondic.
I am a beginner at crafting and minis, as is my 13 year old. We appreciate the 'Mini 101' approach in this series.
I hope it helps!
Thank you ! I’m still a novice painter, but the way you break steps and technique down makes it seem so manageable.
Oooo I had forgotten about the baking soda and superglue technique... I need to try that to give a rough texture to something that is smooth!!!
I'm brand new to miniature painting and am getting ready to try my first miniature. Your videos have made it seem like a much less daunting and intimidating task. Thank you!
Oh! Subscribed and liked. Thank you!
Great vid and advice Jeremy! I've been painting minis (on and off) since the 80's and this was the first time I have heard of the Superglue and baking soda trick! That's awesome!!
Holy moly! I've been painting minis for 8 years and never knew about the baking soda and super glue trick. That is amazing! Thank you so much (now I can save my GS for other projects)!
Great video! These topics are never covered enough. For really small gaps, like those on wizkids, you can brush on Vallejo mat primer. It dries clear and smooth.
Finally! Great advice for people that want to start in the hobby, I liked the part about the mold lines! I personnally think that they are to be destroyed at any cost, but yeah, you are right chances are that no one will notice anyway.
Found this series on Reddit. Bought my first minis yesterday. Super excited to start painting.
Welcome to the channel, glad you joined us :)
Great tutorial, looking forward for more videos. Thanks
Thank you very much. All of this is so helpful!!
Rewatching before I head out to my lgs ❤
Very good and cheap tool to preper minis is sandpaper and abrasive fabric (I'm not sure English term, but this is what google translator shows me). And thank you for top with super glue and soda.
I’m just a beginner and picked up some cheap acrylics from hobby lobby and followed the mixture of a few drops of water and PVA glue from a speed painting video. I don’t really see the point of the metal miniatures, sure you have some options in customization but they are very brittle and with kids in my house plastic is the way to go. And they still look brilliant.
A+ and TY esp. for the pinning dot trick.
I get my 2 part epoxy putty from the dollar store along with CA glue. Works just as good, is super cheap, and readily available without waiting on shipping.
Personally, one of the best starting points for people starting with minis are the 2 learn to paint starter sets that Reaper has. This combines well with a cheap utility knife and, perhaps, a good set of clippers. Bases and a bit of dollar store super glue is a good addition to that.
Also, unless your very experienced and are using the clear bases, don't bother with expensive superglue. Just go to the dollar store and buy a bit of the normal and a bit of the gel superglue tubes.
Recently found your channel and so far I'm loving it. I use to do miniatures and terrain about 15 years ago and I'm looking to get back in. Gonna need a refresher course though.
Welcome back 🙂
@@BlackMagicCraftOfficial ahh thanks man 😊
Thanks just got rising sun and want to start painting your channel is great
Great video! I am just starting to get into 3D-Minis, and this series is very informative, so thanks. Luckily I sit in the comfortable position that one of my friends is a miniature wargamer for ages, so he helps me out and teaches me lot, but it is always useful to get extra input. Keep up the good work!
Frank from Tested has also recommended CA Glue + Baby Powder for the "filler" application.
My sons and I are about to start painting ASOIAF mini for our games... thank you sir
Just the video I needed. Bless you sir.
Great tips, my brothers have been heavily involved with the WarHammer miniatures and game, myself never got into it. One thing that they do when assembling models at times is using Neodinium (sorry if misspelled) magnets, especially when attaching bases.
I just used the technique shown at 07:00 for fixing a beheaded miniature. I drilled both head and neck with a 1mm drill bit, but holes are a bit wider than the paper clip. Does the glue fill the gaps in the holes? Or do I have to put a bit of glue and baking soda around the paper clip, so to increase its thickness?
Great video! I don't paint minis, but I learned a LOT!
Im finding my old bones minis are sticky several years after I painted them.
Hasnt happened to any other brand of mniiature.
I'd recommend the cheap Wizkids Nolzurs and Pathfinder stuff for those starting the hobby. I know you dont have to prime them but i like to clean mold lines , fill gaps with putty, heat bent weapons or wings in hot water to reposition, stick to a base, and glue the sand/mud/rock around the base, then zenithal prime with dark grey, light grey and white.
Already painted my first batch of minis and saw this pesky mold lines. Now I know how to get rid of them and fill in any of the mold gaps! Can't wait to see the next part!
I've got lots painted minis with visible mold lines that I either accidentally missed, or just didn't care enough to remove. Like I said, better to get rid of them, but not the end of the world if you dont.
Agreed! All future minis I'll do my best to remove those mold lines. I spend a lot of time painting them I rather not let mold lines hold back my paint job for looking the best it can be.
In many cases you can use acrylic gloss medium (straight from the bottle) to hide mold lines. Paint it on, let it dry, then use a wash to see whether you need another layer of medium. Won't work with bad seams, but in many cases it works great. And you can even use it over paint.
I just started being interested in painting minis from one of my dads tabletop games and I am very happy that I found this video because I am not interested in spending a lot of money because I’m probably not going to be interested this hobby forever :)
haha I love that you mentioned goblins with the mold lines as I literally finished getting most of the mold lines off of 31 reaper goblins. About the 2nd or 3rd in I went fuck it their only goblins and went a little haphazardly, only doing the prominent surfaces facing up. Still took longer then it was probably worth. Will be priming later today.
Also I never use anything but the cheap super glue. It means a clean break if you ever decide you want a different arm or base as it is the weak point. This is especially prudent for larger minis when they are accidentally dropped, the superglue weak point will take the brunt of the drop, snap cleanly and it is a very quick fix. Just my personal experience.
Ok I have had to eat my words... I primed them and I was alittle too lazy with the mold lines and I couldn't leave them so I have spent the last 2 hours taking off the rest.
Would silver solder (such as the kind used in jewelry making) work for bonding metal mini parts together?
Fun tip: Priming your mini first will help show hard to see mold lines, then you can clean the lines up and re-prime the areas you filed/ scraped; you can even do a lite dry brush over the mini to make the mold lines pop, making them even easier to see.
I totally agree! I highly doubt a mold line is going to break my immersion. I know there's not a real Minotaur on my table. Sometimes I get rid of them, sometimes I don't. Sometimes keeping them gives it a weird, quaint or kitchy kind of character.
Two old school methods for filing is using a thick gel superglue and hit with a accerater spray then sand and file as needed. The other is using a putty from testors or squadron thinned with liquid glue or so it flows like paint into the area. Also i suggest using liquid cement from testors to put parts together you have more time for alignment then superglue. For mold lines squadron has a seem scraper that works well.. Otherwise ausome job.
I really enjoy this series, keep it up dude
Regarding glue: if you are glueing hard polystyren (don't know if it works on the softer plastics mentioned that Wizkids and Reaper Bones use), I have started using nail polish remover (without oil) - it works great, and melts the plastic together better than say Tamiya Extra Thin Cement. Basically, you press the pieces of plastic together (dry of course), take a brush and brush on some of the remover along the seamline. It's thinner than the cement and it will fill the gap, and since it evaporates quickly, it also means the parts dry faster. Just pour some of the remover into a small container made of metal - a cut up soda can will work in a pinch.
You keep doing you brother. Your channel is awesome.
Thank you I love your videos they help me alot.
Thanks for these great tips & tricks.
Love it!!!
MOULD LINES 😱 😂
Age of molds can impact the mini quality too. Some resin minis will have huge flashing and sometimes they are super clean, depends on the mold material and how old they are. BAKING SODA! It really is the wonder material, good for cooking, cleaning, minis and so much more. I'd seen this trick on Punished Props channel for filling in holes/defects on cast pieces (did they use baby powder?), but I never thought of using it on Minis, great tip.
True, I buy minis in multiples (hordes) and often some are good and some are terrible in terms of mold lines.
Great video, helps out alot
I've bought some 3D printed 32mm figures. I just wondered, do I treat these the same as moulded figures? Also, when I paint them do I use any colours I like and get imaginative? I'm new to this!
I personally recommend loctite gel super glue-- it dries perfectly clear with no whitish effect, and then you don't have to worry about using it with finished figures. It's a little more expensive, but I feel like it's worth it. For gluing metal, try using "windshield glue": it's meant for attaching metal to glass and should be available for cheap for a one shot bottle. You should be able to get it from a car dealership's parts store. Works really well.
What is this heresy? Advocating not cleaning mold lines, filling gaps and using cheap minis!? How dare you!? Obviously, I'm kidding; in all seriousness, this is a great video and some great advice for people just starting to get into the hobby of miniatures. I have a sneaking suspicion that all of us (even the ones who don't want to admit it) ignored mold lines and gaps when we first started painting, but at this point its become so ingrained to clean the mold lines and fill gaps that we preach it like its gospel when realistically, if you're just painting miniatures for fun or for a game to have them, then it really doesn't hurt anyone if you ignore mold lines and gaps.
Great video with solid information!
Hello, I am not a beginner I’ve been doing this for a while but in regards to the wizkids preprimed models, I find it kind of a waste to be preprimed if your going to clean mold line because you just have to prime them again when your done because cleaning the mold lines takes the primer off where its cleaned. My question is how do you handle this do you just reprime them or use a brush on primer to just touch up where you cleaned, and what primer do you use to try and match the primer wizkids used?
Thanks
Thank you for the videos, very informative
Just wanted to mention that vallejo makes a liquid pastic putty. It is easy to use with a brush and can be thinned with water if needed. It works great in miniatures.
The mold lines down the leg of that first mini shown were positioned perfectly for piping.
I agree with the Wizkids minis. Bones don't seem to have the problem as much about getting into tight spaces. But here is a question and maybe an other video idea. How do you paint those tight hard to reach spots if you don't cut them apart?
Great video! I'll share on my Paint your Bones group!
If a place is pretty much impossible to reach I'll split the mini. If it's just hard, that means its probably also hard to see in that space so I just paint it the best I can and hope nobody notices.....which they won't because my minis are just for drunken rpg gaming.
Black Magic Craft lol!! Yeah that's good advice!
Thanks for the awesome videos. What adhesive do you recommend for metal miniatures to glue the parts together?
Thank you very much. So much help!
Thank You For this.
I always base out what I'm painting with grey I find it hard to see all the details when its black or white
Can you pin the arm of a metal miniature as well? It makes me nervous to drill into it, but it seems like that may be the best course of action!
They require it the most!
If anyone sat at my table told me my miniatures look cheap and crap I would ask them to get up and leave. I have spent a fortune on D&D, and I have never asked my players for a penny. It doesn't matter how much your mini's cost, its all about the game. Those people who were criticising the cheap models in the comments need to have a word with themselves.
Jonno D Well some people jump in for the modelling/painting aspect primarily... You're being the same as those that you're complaining about lol, just on the other side of the fence, which you deem as being morally superior. Just ignore it or tell people to stfu, don't partake in the same behaviour.
Bad Goy- Varg Vikernes Division Calling people out for nasty rude behavior and not wanting to deal with them isn't the same as participating in that behavior yourself. Besides, if somebody's willing to put in the huge amount of effort that being a DM requires AND buy minis to use, a player saying the minis look like garbage is just a terrible insult and a horrible attitude that I wouldn't want to deal with either.
zapheil
Well considering that they've also put the financial resources into the game, and in addition to that, countless hours to make the immersion as realistic as possible, ensuring that their miniatures are well presented... perhaps, those with miniatures that lack visual appeal are taking the criticism harshly, because they themselves don't have the discipline or skill to do so themselves?
Like I said earlier, just tell people to shut their mouth, instead of being a hypocrite. As I mentioned earlier, some get into the hobby thanks to the creativity of it, don't count them out because they contribute more time and effort into the game. You only get better at something through practice, so why not get started?
@@tynanroyhiggins False equivalence. Stop trying to cause arguments.
@@tynanroyhiggins
Less about skill and discpline, more about money and time. Try and look beyond your hobby and at peoples' situations. You're coming across as a bit of dweeb and obsessive.
Pro-tip: greenstuff comes in the rolls shown in the video and also often in long "tubes" where all the blue is in one tube stacks on top of the green. I highly recommend the latter packaging as the side-by-side long strips of it can start to harden via the mixing of the two down the seam, cutting down on waste and making it easier to work with.
Also, keeping your hands wet while working with GS keeps fingerprints from showing up!
Good tip!
reaper minis always have a promo with buying $75 you get a free metal mini!!! also during the holiday season you may also get a paint along krampus
I have painted a decent number of minis so far. Never once have I thought to myself, "gosh, those mold lines are really noticeable...I should have done something about them." Hasn't really been a thing I've ever thought about. Bases? No, not really even bases. The only thing I've done that's been different is painting a bunch of goblins or kobolds different on the base so I know which one is which and don't get them mixed up.
What are you using to hold your smaller paint bottles horizontal? I'm organizing my craft area and basically ripping off your setup. :)
I have been hoping that you would do mini videos for ages. I am just starting into the mini painting and I really appreciate that your doing this series. In your last video you mentioned that you should not use a spray can to prime reaper bones minis. I got this advise the day after I attemped spray priming a set bones orcs. It went awful. They turned out sticky and gross. I have them set aside and I am hoping to try stripping them and doing a brush on primer. Any suggestions on the best way to go about this process?
What kind of file do u use to shave the miniature
on pinning, instead of paint use some blu-tac. drill one hole, put blutac on the other piece and press together, you will get a bump on the 2nd part where you need to drill
I had a really hard time visualizing what you meant.....but once I did....that’s a really clever method.
Very clever
Nice. I use a single-edge disposable razor to do most of my detail and mold cuttings. I think I will try pinning after a break, to see if they are really as fragile as their reputation claims. And I will buy the gap filler from my local hobby store to support them rather than evil Amazon :), and the superglue method seems too risky.
Great info!
Thank you for the I series. I'm just getting into miniatures and your videos have been super helpful. Also you tend to apologise in your videos for covering a topic someone else may have done. Well I haven't seen the other people, just you, try to be more confident in your videos. Keep up the good work.
Sorry. I’m Canadian, apologies are hard coded into our DNA. Sorry.
Black Magic Craft it's even better that you start and end your comment with sorry.
Best reply ever.....lol
if this is to advanced sorry but the plastic cement glue can be a good beginning insted of pining till there confident with it as the glue will fues it together so its a great way till u know what to do with the drill thing tho it is a glue and not comeing apart if u let it dry fully
Cool great advice
As a beginner, THANK YOU!
FYI you can use (plain, no baking soda)super glue to fill gaps as well. It's very viscous and will suck right in to the smaller gaps found on minis.