As mentioned in a previous article (link), many soft plastic miniatures included in modern board games. like HeroQuest, suffer from warping and deformation. These warped plastic miniatures are primarily the result of manufacturing shortcuts and are further exacerbated by packaging and long-term storage. Quality control at many game manufacturers does not appear to consider miniature warping to be an issue, or it would be addressed during production.
Manufacturing Causes
The most common cause of plastic miniature warping is insufficient cooling time after molding. Miniatures are frequently removed from hot molds and placed directly into containers before the plastic has fully set. This allows the material to shift and deform.
Assembly practices also contribute to this issue. When factory workers are required to meet high daily quotas under strict time constraints, quality control inevitably suffers. As the old adage goes: “Do you want it fast, good, or cheap? Pick any two.” If miniature warping were treated as a defect, it would be corrected at this stage.
Packaging and Storage
Packaging further compounds the problem. Board game miniatures stored in tight vacuum-formed trays or plastic zip-style bags are often subjected to sustained pressure during long-term storage. This pressure can distort soft plastic miniatures.
Games that use gently shaped vacuum-formed cradles with protective tops show far fewer warping issues than single-layer, constrictive trays where miniatures must be forced into place. The worst offenders are zip-style bags, where miniatures are loosely packed and settle unpredictably in the box.
A seriously warped table next to a normal table from the same box of HeroQuest 2021 edition.
How to Fix Warped Plastic Miniatures
Many hobbyists attempt to fix warped miniatures using heat guns, hairdryers, or soldering irons. These tools are risky and can cause permanent damage to the miniature you want to save. Through experimentation, I have found that near-boiling hot water is a safer and more controlled method.
The hot water allows the plastic to relax, returning it to the original molded shape while removing most surface and near surface contaminants (more on that in a different article). The result is a miniature that feels slightly firmer and holds its shape more reliably. The miniatures used in this example come from Fantasy Flight’s Descent: Journeys in the Dark board game.
Tools and Setup
Only a few tools are required:
- An electric kettle to heat water safely
- A stainless steel bowl insulated from the countertop
- Chopsticks to handle miniatures with minimal pressure
- A secondary container of cold water for rapid cooling if needed
Practical Example: Skeleton Archers
These rank and file skeletons came from the same molds. Yet they look haphazard and inconsistent. The bows, stances, and head positions are all variable.
Opposite of chemistry and cooking, fill the bowl about half way with the hot water and then add the miniatures. The skeletons were placed in the hot water bath for about a minute. They were plucked out of the hot water with the chopsticks and moved to the cold water bath for a shorter time.
Note that the bows have all returned to the same shape across all of the skeletons, along with the stances and the skull placement.
Practical Example: Giants
The red giant base was relativity simple and required only a single trip to the hot water bath. The base was easily flattened using the chopsticks to press the warps flat against the counter top until it cooled and hardened into place.
The white giant however took multiple trips to the hot bath as it had suffered from a severe warp at the hips that prevented it from standing upright. Thick plastic miniatures like this can be repositioned with patience and effort. The chopsticks do not mar the plastic, and can both hold the miniature in position while pressing the base flat at the same time.
Practical Example: Razorwing Details
Here the barb at the end of the wing is compressed to an almost perpendicular angle. This situation was present on most of the Razorwing ‘s in the box. On some the barbs were angled up, on others it was down, but almost all of them suffered to a varied extent.
The chopsticks were used to reposition the barb while in the hot bath, and held in place when the miniature was placed in the cold bath. This helped the barbs remain angled appropriately to the wings.
The final result is a Razorwing that looks menacing rather than dulled or deformed.
Density and Duration
Thicker models or severely warped pieces may require extended time in hot water and careful repositioning. In such cases, holding the miniature in position while it cools on the countertop can be effective. Chopsticks are superior to metal tools here, as they allow precise, localized pressure without damaging the plastic.
The end result is a miniature that is properly aligned, slightly hardened and mostly clean. It is far better prepared for painting than when it came out of the bag.
Safety Considerations
Working with hot water requires caution. Always take appropriate safety measures. Avoid heat guns and hairdryers, as they easily exceed the soft plastic’s temperature tolerance. Under no circumstances should a soldering iron be used; it will almost always result in irreversible damage. Use latex or nitrile gloves to keep your finger oils off the miniature. Keep a dry cloth nearby for spills and puddles. Allow miniatures at least twenty-four hours to dry and cool completely.
After 24 hours the miniature should be ready for the next step. This time delay also takes into account that some warps are persistent and may return as the miniature cools and dries. Very stubborn warps can be worked out from these types of miniatures. The soft plastic nature is able to withstand multiple passes through the bathing and positioning process, though once is generally all it takes.
This preparation leads directly into the next step: an isopropyl alcohol cleaning bath, which is covered in a separate article.
– Dru
Dru's Den of Ill Repute 