Dru's Den of Ill Repute

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HeroQuest, Talisman, Cthulhu: Death May Die, and many other board games are being produced with a soft very pliable plastic for their miniature components. Reaper Miniatures produces a soft white plastic for their Bones miniature line. While these miniatures are more flexible and can take more rough handling, dropping, and abuse from small children, they are not particularly amenable to being painted. Unfortunately, many come out of the box bent or warped. Here’s the process I use to prepare for easier painting.

The most important thing to remember is that these miniatures are not really intended for professional quality paint jobs. The soft plastic lacks the details and edges seen in metal, hard plastic, or even resin. Because of this and the process for creating these plastic gaming pieces, efforts will need to be made by you to elevate the plastic parts to a paintable quality. The process I use when prepping these miniatures helps restore their shape and add some rigidity to the weapons, limbs, and other appendages.

Step 1 Hot Water Treatment

• Dip the miniature in water that’s just below boiling. Generally an electric tea kettle or coffee pot will get you there and Keep the water at just the right temperature for you to work through several figures. This dip removes any surface oils and will expand any pores in the sculpt where the mold release agent may be hiding. With the heat expanding the rubber and relaxing the plastic it will naturally return to its original molded shape.
• While it’s still warm, carefully reposition any bent parts that have not returned to the correct position. It may take a few seconds in the hot water to relax enough for you to be able to do this. Thicker miniatures take longer to become pliable.
• Once you have the position you desire, dunk it in very cold water to set the shape. This is akin to “quenching” the plastic in the same way as iron is quenched, it hardens the plastic slightly.
• Let the miniature dry for 24 hours.
• Do not use a hair dryer—the heat can deform the plastic to such a point it loses all detail and becomes a blob.

Step 2 Isopropyl Alcohol Bath

• Submerge the miniature in isopropyl alcohol. Don’t leave it there. A good 30 second soak should do the trick.
• While dunking the miniature cause a little gentle agitation, like tapping the base on the side of the container. This will free up air bubbles from the surface.
• This tapping agitation helps pull out any remaining mold release oil.
• Let it dry for another 24 hours.
• This dip helps tighten the surface and firm up the edges.

Step 3 Hardening Coat

• In a large mug or a reusable plastic container, mix a solution of 50% water, 25% PVA glue, and 25% acrylic floor wax. Start with the water and glue, mix until milky white with a consistent viscosity, no white lumps or globs of glue. Then add the floor wax. Floor wax has a surfactant component that will assist in allowing the mixture to flow evenly over your miniature and minimize pooling.
• Apply it by dunking, and then tapping the base to shake off the extra, or brushing it onto the miniature in an even coat. Set it on a rack surface to dry. A paper surface such as a box or card stock will stick to the miniature as it dries.
• Allow it to dry completely, 2 to 4 hours depending on humidity and temperature.
• Repeat this process several times for extra firmness. Remember that each coat will dry on top of the previous coat and the more coats the fewer details you will have on a miniature with slight detailing anyway.

Step 4 Painting Medium

• Use a 50/50 mix of water and acrylic floor wax as your thinning medium for paints, washes, and other effects.
• Paint the miniature as usual.

Step 5 Final Seal

• Once painting is finished and the miniature is fully dry, give the miniature a final coat of thinned clear coat, either by brushing or dipping.
• This process will make the figures much stiffer and more sturdy than they were out of the box, though they’ll never be as solid as hard plastic or metal miniatures.

Caution

Spray primers and spray top coats on these types of miniatures can cause the plasticizer to break down as the solvents penetrate the paint layers and the miniature. This can lead to a “sticky” or “tacky” feeling and little bubbles of goo collecting on your miniature. Part of the reason for the PVA glue component is to add resistance to this effect.

I have had good luck with this process. It is effective if a little time consuming.

– Dru