Federation Commander

pinecone · Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2009 11:30 pm Post subject: How much does it cost?

I've been looking at the minis some of you guys are posting and am quite envious. To get enough paint and such how much does it actually cost, not including the price of the mini itself?

Also, what are the materials needed? Thanks.

Wolverin61 · Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2009 11:51 pm Post subject:

I use enamel model paint, bought a bottle last week that was iirc $1.39 at HobbyLobby, so multiply that by however many colors you need for a specific mini, plus a good brush and a bottle of thinner to clean it. I got a pack of brushes on closeout for about $2. You can do a bunch of minis once you get the paint though.

Acrylic paints are usually cheaper, but you have to prime the mini first, then seal it with clearcoat when you finish painting. I know a lot of guys who do theirs that way, but I generally only do it with figures of people. Vehicles I just paint with model paint.
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"His pattern indicates two-dimensional thinking."

The Master · Lieutenant SG Joined: 30 Mar 2009 Posts: 120 Location: SWF

Depending on wat you want. you will spend $20.00 +- bucks for basic paints and brushes. as long as you know what you want in the first place. Make a plan and get started Very Happy

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djdood · Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2009 12:44 am Post subject:

As-above; It all depends on how "all out" you want to go.

Getting results that folks like Jeremy gets will involve a bit more money for super-fine brushes and custom decals.

However no amount of money can replace patience and practice. Lots of folks get great results with super-cheap supplies, due to skill in working around the limitations.

If you just "want them painted" and don't need everything *perfect* you can go much, much, much cheaper. Some folks hit them with a quick shot from a "rattle can" of Krylon and call it good.

I can't see spending $20 on a mini and then not making it look as good as I can, but to each their own.

Scoutdad swears by cheap acrylic hobby paints from Wall-Mart. Micheals Arts & Crafts also sells cheap acrylic hobby paints.

The only two things to never scrimp on are your brushes (a $10 brush is worth 20 $1 brushes). Quality brushes are really important for smooth coverage and fine details (you simply can't do fine details with cheap chunky brushes).

The other thing not to scrimp on is your clean up tools. Luckily they don't cost all that much and will last you a lifetime. Hit a hobby store (note: *hobby* store, not game store, as Games Workshop and other companies jack the prices on tools, etc.). Buy yourself a "sprue cutter (sometimes called a "side cutter") and a set of small files (sometimes called "jewelers files"). These, a good hobby knife (X-Acto brand are nice), and a cheap pack of sandpaper (various grits), plus time, are all you need for cleaning up seams, etc.

I'd recommend priming minis, regardless of what kind of paints you intend to use. It always helps get a more consistent finish and makes it less likely to flake off. Cheap Krylon car primer is fine, if you don't over-do it.

I'd also recommend clear-coating your minis when you are done with them. Otherwise all your hard work can be worn off or chipped off ont he game table, and that always sucks.

If you go the cheap-but-decent route, you can equip yourself with all the tools you really need and enough paints to do any reasonable amount of minis for less than $30. The tools will last forever.

You can add other fun toys (epoxy putties, etc.) later, if you decide to continue on.
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Wolverin61 · Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2009 12:51 am Post subject:

djdood · Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2009 1:20 am Post subject:

I forgot. Terry O'Carroll has a fantastic article on minis painting
HERE.
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Scoutdad · Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2009 1:35 am Post subject:

Scoutdad · Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2009 1:52 am Post subject:

I forgot to answer your question...

If I were to go out and re-buy everything I have to prepare, prime, paint, protect minis... it would be a rather large amount (probably approaching 4 digits...) but I do now have some very specialized equipment that I only got because I do minis.

If I was given say... Federation Squadron Box #1 and wanted to paint them:
Trip to Wal-mart...
Primer 0.88
white paint 0.97
blue paint 0.97
orange paint 0.97
black paint 0.97 (other colors would be nice... orange, gray, yellow... but these will do)
paint brush 2.99 (that's for a relatively good one to get started with)
exacto-knife 1.99
sand paper 1.99
That's less than $12 and would be enough paint to do a few dozen squadron boxes.
add in Klingon and you're going to want a Blue-Gray (if you go old school) or Green (if you go TNG)
Romulans will require a bit of Gold...
Tholians need copper...
and so on

Now you could still use a set of jewelers files, a pair of "side-cutters", a palette, modeling putty (to fill in any gaps), and a set of custom decals... Wink

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Commander, Battlegroup Murfreesboro
Department Head, ACTASF

djdood · Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2009 1:58 am Post subject:

..and the set of jewelers files would be about 8 bucks, as would the side-cutters. Modeling putty varies, but is also less than 10 bucks for more than you could ever use on minis.

Again, stay away from buying tools at "game" stores. Games Workshop and other companies like them (correctly) assume their WarHammer fanboys will spend $20 for a $7 set of files. Don't do it. go down the street to a Hobby Town USA or someplace like it (where man-childs like me buy stuff for RC cars, etc.) and get the exact same tools for less.
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Scoutdad · Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2009 2:03 am Post subject:

Yep!
My jewelers files came from Hobbytown, U.S.A.
as did my Dremel... my mitre box... my modeling putty... my cutting mat... my side cutters... my razor saw... my brass stock... and so on, ad infinitum...
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Commander, Battlegroup Murfreesboro
Department Head, ACTASF

Wolverin61 · Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2009 2:19 am Post subject:

Hobbytown USA is where I used to get everything. I miss the one that used to be in Tupelo.
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"His pattern indicates two-dimensional thinking."

djdood · Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2009 2:39 am Post subject:

I'm lucky. I have Galaxy Hobby within 20 minutes of my house.

As you can tell pinecone, us minis-lovers love to share and would be stoked to see you take up doing minis. There's a lot of wisdom and support to be had here from folks like scoutdad and SWO_Daddy, and OGOptimus, and malleman, etc., etc. We're all one big happy mutual-admiration society and everyone's different approach and skills are appreciated.

Any painted mini (no matter how much, how little, how masterfully, or dunked in nail-polish) looks better than an unpainted one.

Of course it goes without mentioning (but I'm going to anyways) that you should always be wearing eye protection when doing any kind of trimming, cutting, filing, etc. of metal. Metal filings love human eyeballs. I've been hurt, my wife has been hurt bad (not by me), and my father required surgery on his eyes, all of us because we were dumb around hobby stuff. I'd recommend eye-protection even for innocuous things like painting (acrylic paint is non-toxic, but loves to splash at the worst possible times and stings like a blankity-blank-blank if it gets in your eye. Enamel paint is excruciating, trust me).

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Just to show some of the tools we are talking about -

THESE are side-cutters ("sprue-cutters"). They are similar to wire cutters. You use these to trim off excess metal, stubs, etc. Because the blades are beveled only on one side (and come together flat on the other) they trim away what you want and don't mar the surface you are trimming from (very important). Note the ones I linked to are premo ones (with a higher cost and a picture I could link to Smile

). Cheaper ones work just as well.

These are both handy to have and will keep you safer. The old, dangerous way I used to remove big blobs of metal or pour-stubs was with an X-acto knife. That's also how I managed to get stitches and various other injuries. Lesson #1, the right tool for the job is inevitably the safer choice.

Safety-tip: Keep your hand "cupped" over the chunk you are removing with any kind of cutter. Metal tends to "snap" off and it will go flying. If it doesn't hit you in the eye, good, but they also love to disappear in carpeting (at least until someone else in the house walks by barefoot).

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THESE are "jewelers files" (or "needle files"). These are your workhorse tools for cleaning up minis (or plastic models, or other things). There are two sizes most places stock. You want the smallest you can find (the ones I use the most are about 3-inches long, I have others that are 4-5 inches that get used for bigger jobs). Again, the ones I linked to are super premo and expensive (but had a picture). The ones I've used (for 10 years now) are cheap little things with red plastic handles and should only run you around 10 bucks.

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Even without those, you can do quite a bit with an E-acto knife and some patience. It's a lot easier (and safer) with more specialized tools though.
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Wolverin61 · Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2009 2:58 am Post subject:

I never got stitches (although I probably needed some a couple times) but I've got several X-acto scars on my left hand myself.

So yeah, you need to be careful with hobby tools (just like any other tools).
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"His pattern indicates two-dimensional thinking."

Scoutdad · Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2009 3:11 am Post subject:

I was counting custom counters out one night using a steel rule, and exacto knife and a self-healing cutting mat...
Evey walked in ansd called my name just as I drew teh knife along the rule to cut through an 1/8 inch thick piece od cardstock and my hand slipped..

I sliced off a jelly bean sized piece of my thumb...

Evey screamed... I just grabbed super glue and glued it back on.

I can show you the bean shaped scar if you're ever at Origins!
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Commander, Battlegroup Murfreesboro
Department Head, ACTASF

djdood · Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2009 8:22 am Post subject:

I'd have seen a Doc for that, but I'm sure that worked. Lots of folks don't know that one of the first applications for cyanoacrylate adhesives was in surgery - it bonds tissue instantly after all.
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