Hobby Basics: Repainting Minis

Eventually, you will probably want to repaint a model. Maybe it was one of your early efforts and has a terrible paint job by your current standards; or maybe you found a nice buy second-hand, and it needs some work to jive with your current standards or current models. Either way, it has paint that you don't like and you want to do something about it.

Well, you totally can! Lucky you.

Strip, Reprime, Repaint.

In cases where you can't just paint over the bad paint job, you'll need a clean slate. This involves more work, but is still pretty easily to accomplish.

First up, is prepping the models. I'm using some old Chaos Warhounds from Games Workshop. They were decently painted up previously (missing only washing/shading), but need a new paint job for their inclusion in my Herd Contingent.

I want to re-do these guys completely, so first I used an exacto knife to remove the sand/gravel basing work previously completed, and then I used it remove the models from the bases. The model on the right split into its separate kit components as a result of old glue and the raw power of my hobby knife. If that happens to you, don't worry about it - it's not a big deal.

Once your models are ready, you can get the rest of your materials together. For now, I'm using Super Clean, though there are products and techniques out there. You'll need your stripping solution of choice, and a little tub that is able to be sealed (I use old tupper ware). Put your minis in the container, and then pour the solution into the container until the models have enough liquid in which to be submerged. If the need arises, you can weigh your models down with other things, like old sprue, as was done here.

Let it all sit in the tub for a while. I usually give it around 24-48 hours. That seems to be enough time for the solution to have done its work.

Once you're done waiting, grab a toothbrush and some rubber gloves (the Super Clean can cause chemical burns apparently, though I have never had any problems). Use a stopper to stop up your sink (to prevent any stray bits from breaking off and swirling towards the piped abyss). Remove your minis from the tub one at a time, and rinse them off while scrubbing with the toothbrush.

The paint should come right off. In the pic on the left, no brushing has yet been done. The greenish paint on the model's body has rubbed off just while I was handling the model for the shot.

As you work, rinse the models off to get rid on any residue. Being lazy, as well as lacking pets or kids, I leave mine out to air dry for a few hours. 

While scrubbing, you may break off bits. That's not a big deal. In this instance, lots of tails and chaos deely boppers broke off. It happens

Once everything is nice and dry, you are basically back at square one for hobbying. You can glue back on anything that you want that broke off while you were scrubbing. You can add additional brand new bits to the mini. Or you could even add green stuff putty if you were so inclined.

I did all of the above here. The scorpion tails and such on the chaos hounds were removed, and replaced with other bits, or green stuff, to make more normal-looking tails. A lot of deely boppers were removed or altered to again make them look a little more natural. These guys have been stripped, altered, and are ready for priming and a fancy new paint job.