Painting of Castings

[Anonymous]

I have recently purchased some metal castings from Woodland Scenics. They recommend that the castings be washed with soap and water before painting. I have done the washing, let the objects dry and applied two coats of paint. The paint does not continue to adhere. It flakes off with any contact. What step am I missing? Is there another wash or a primer that should be used???

[Anonymous]

Hello, I have used gray spray primer, then painted them, covered with dull-cote, have had good results,

[orsonroy]

Well, first off, you really didn't need to wash a metal casting. I've painted literally tens of thousands of them when I was an active wargamer, and I didn't was a single one. Likewise, I've painted dozens and dozens of WS metal parts without washing any of them.

That said, it's usually advisable to add a primer coat onto any metal casting you're trying to paint. I generally didn't, but I would sometimes have issues with getting paint to stick right, especially light colors like white, yellow and red, which don't like to be brush painted in the first place.

It's also generally a good idea to use a thicker paint, which tends to stick better to the metal than thinner, solvent-based paints. Most wargamers I know, who all paint many times more than any model railroader I've ever met, swear by acrylic paint. In the good old days before Testors changed the formula, everyone swore by Polly S or Partha Paints (OK, there were a few "artsy" types that liked Humbrol or Tamiya solvent paints, but they could only paint a few 25mm figures a week). Now that neither of these paints are available in their original, non-toxic, water-based formulas, most people have switched to acrylic craft paints. They're available almost anywhere you can get craftsy stuff (including Walmart), are made by at least a dozen manufacturers, and are available in hundreds of colors. They work great, and are much cheaper than model RR paints ($.89 for 3 oz, instead of $2.99 for 1 oz). Paint EVERY surface of the casting, to add a seamless coating of paint to the casting. This will help reduce chipping, since it ususally starts where there's a seam in the paint (or where a casting is bendable).

Once the painting's done, add a flat barrier coat to the castings. Again, there are alternatives to using $4.99 a can Dullcoat. Krylon makes a BETTER flat glaze coat in spray cans that are three times the size of dullcoat cans, for $1 less. I've used it on everything I paint, from figures to building to brass steamers, and it's great. Don't bother with anything else.

One thing to keep in mind. All metal castings will chip if you abuse them, so don't bang them around. A well maintained wargaming figure paint job would last 3-5 years, with LOTS of handling. If you're painting boxes and other unmoving scenic objects, the paint job should last 10-15 years (before the lead and tin in the casting discolors the paint).

[Anonymous]

Looks like there might be some confusion as to why you wash castings before painting. The recommendation to wash castings with warm soapy water is to remove any residue of release agents when the casting was popped from the rubber mold. Just like you might want to wash dirt off of your house before painting so that you are not just painting over dirt which might come off later. Most folks can get away with not doing this step and only wash during bouts of paranoia. Murphy's law guarantees your worst painting jobs will last a lifetime, but your exquisite masterpieces will have gobs of release agent popping off paint like a woman's tube top during Mardi Gras.

Adding primer gives you a middle layer of material that not only bonds to the metal, but offers a rough surface on the outside for the paint to stick. White primers really make your colors pop, especially light colors. Dark primers like black or brown really accent the shadows and textures. Don't prime too thick or you'll lose detail.

So, the general steps for painting a casting are: wash with warm soapy water, prime, paint a base color, hit it with a watered down ink wash for shadows, then lighten up the base color and drybrush for hightlights.

The difference between expensive acrylics (Citadel, Vellajo) and cheap acrylics (Plaid from Walmart/Hobby Lobby) is the amount of pigment vs filler. The cheap ones are fine, but for those pieces that are a real focus of the layout, you might splurge on a few nice colors.

[eng22]

QUOTE: Murphy's law guarantees your worst painting jobs will last a lifetime, but your exquisite masterpieces will have gobs of release agent popping off paint like a woman's tube top during Mardi Gras.

Okay, Ive lost my train of thought!

[nfmisso]

QUOTE: Originally posted by wwerner

I have recently purchased some metal castings from Woodland Scenics. They recommend that the castings be washed with soap and water before painting. I have done the washing, let the objects dry and applied two coats of paint. The paint does not continue to adhere. It flakes off with any contact. What step am I missing? Is there another wash or a primer that should be used???

How did you handle them after washing? It sounds like you got finger oils on them. Isopropyl alcohol is another good cleaning agent. After washing, use only clean tweezers to pick up the small piece, clean cotton gloves are good for larger parts.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by nfmisso
How did you handle them after washing? It sounds like you got finger oils on them. Isopropyl alcohol is another good cleaning agent. After washing, use only clean tweezers to pick up the small piece, clean cotton gloves are good for larger parts.

Yes, wa***he parts with Isopropyl alcohol and don't handle them with you bare fingers.
What kind of paint are you using? I recommend using Floquil primer and let it set for a week. Also each top coats should be thin. Allow at least a week or more for the paint to cure and harden before assembling the castings.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by gsetter

Originally posted by nfmisso
I recommend using Floquil primer and let it set for a week. Also each top coats should be thin. Allow at least a week or more for the paint to cure and harden before assembling the castings.

Yow. Most folks I know get their unmentionables in a knot waiting 20 seconds for a traffic light to change. Although this method will guarantee to last I believe this to be only necessary for a medium like oil paint.

Good old acrylics work well and dry fast. And that's for soldiers and scenery that will be handled regularly. How many times is a typical railroad oil drum, gutter barrel, light fixture, or "littel dog tinkling on a fire hydrant" picked up and moved around? Blast your castings with some flat acrylic spray sealer and you'll be good to go for a lifetime.

Take a look at these sites: "Gamesworkshop.com" or "www.newwave.org/gallery.html"
The subject matter is silly and kind of juvenile, but get past it and you will see some stunning painting done exclusively with acrylics. Most of these castings are metal with some plastic. Many of these folks will paint a hundred soldiers in a week with paint jobs that last years.

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