Federation Commander

djdood · Posted: Thu May 10, 2007 5:59 pm Post subject:

Much work to be done.

I've been saving my Fed minis up for a couple of years, as I would like to prime and base-coat paint as many as possible, all at once.

I have a couple more I'm going to order from ADB (some more FF's, another DW, another oCL, a DNG) and then I'm good to go.

Scoutdad · Posted: Fri May 11, 2007 3:44 am Post subject:

djdood · Posted: Fri May 11, 2007 4:14 am Post subject:

You have some great minis Scoutdad. Please do get some new pics up!

Shadow · Ensign Joined: 12 May 2007 Posts: 24

[quote="Scoutdad"]

Scoutdad · Posted: Thu May 17, 2007 5:51 pm Post subject:

But look at the difference in cost. The "Akron Mills" brand cases that I use are readily availalble at any craft / hobby store / Wal-Mart and at $4.99 a box and ~40 minis per box... you're looking at 12 1/2 cents per miniature to storage your investment.

Also, rather than carrying one big unit with everything in it at all times... I have 3 for Federation ships, 3 for Klingon ships, 3 for Romulna ships, 2 for Kzinti, etc. unless it's a really big convention, I only carry the minis I need forthe scenarios being played on each game day.
_________________
Commander, Battlegroup Murfreesboro
Department Head, ACTASF

djdood · Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2007 3:17 am Post subject:

Getting closer. Ever closer.

Spent five hours in the beautiful sunshine today, drilling holes in my old lead Starline 2200 Klingon minis (B-10, C-8, D-7, D-5, T-7) as well as some odd Romulans and Gorns.

Steel pins are now superglued in those holes in the main hulls, I just need to drill the matching holes in all those engines [shudder], snip the pins to length, and get them glued on (hopefully for good this time).

Once they're pinned up, puttied, and filed and I clean up the last couple of minis I am ordering tonight I can finally take all of my minis into primer.

I'm stoked.

Scoutdad · Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2007 9:39 pm Post subject:

I was showing my minis to some friends this weekend and they asked the typical questions:
How are they assembled?
How arethey packaged / shipped?
How do you prep them for paint?
How do you paint them? etc.

So, I dug out the box o'minis that I picked up at Origins to show them - then I got a shock! I picked up over 120 new SFB minis at Origins. I was actually making headway on my collection, but now I'm even farther behind than I was a year ago.
If the old saying (A miniature painter won't die until his last mini is painted!) is true, I'm good until 2112 or so... Cool

_________________
Commander, Battlegroup Murfreesboro
Department Head, ACTASF

djdood · Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2007 10:53 pm Post subject:

Good lord.

Every time I think my little flotilla is starting to get "big", I'm reminded of your massive fleet (as well as some of the other folks on this and the older board).

Your Origins buy is considerably bigger than my entire collection (all-told, I have 86 plus some FASA ships).

Starfury · Lieutenant Commander Joined: 03 Nov 2006 Posts: 302

I topped out on my SFB minis' at around 160 ships and PFs. I sold them off long ago (90's) but did keep a few of them. I've recently started rebuilding my fleet; picked up border box 1 used for $50 plus a bunch of the new ADB figs. I also got 2 bags of 2nds and am up to the Gorn after finishing the Romulans. I've done some experimenting on some Kryomek minis' for colors...I think the Gorn are going to get some red and metallic purple ships. Should be different. The feds...well I doubt many will be white.

djdood · Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2007 7:45 am Post subject:

Cool.

The weather was cooperative and I was able to spend the time outside drilling and cutting lead that I've been waiting all week for.

After over 20 years, my old lead Starline 2200 minis are now pinned and reassembled.

It was a neat moment to see my old B-10 on it's stand for the first time (it never made it that far before).

My old D-5 had never been assembled at all, so this is its first time in one piece. I even did a chop-job on the engines to shorten them so it will match my newer 2400-series D-5's.

My last order of mini's from ADB should show up tomorrow (I hope). A few more hours of work and I can take the grand "before-primer parade" pictures.

djdood · Posted: Mon Aug 13, 2007 7:18 am Post subject:

Moving along.

All the old Klingons pinned and assembled. I added two-part Tamiya epoxy putty to reinforce the engine joints. These things are never going to pop off again.

(right after the putty was applied and tooled into place - before cure and filing)

After it cured, I filed that putty down. They look downright respectable now (if naked).

toastie · Lieutenant SG Joined: 02 Mar 2007 Posts: 120

djdood,

What did you use to strip the old paint and primer from your minis? I've got a bunch of Starline 2200 ships that could use a new paint job, and I'd like to stay away from easy-off, brake fluid and other toxic things, if possible. My old minis were painted with a combination of Model Master enamels, and acrylics.

Starfury · Lieutenant Commander Joined: 03 Nov 2006 Posts: 302

I use Jasco paint stripper. It's water soluable and will strip the mini's to bare metal very quickly. It also eats away superglue.

Wear gloves. Good ones. Chemical burn on your hand does not feel good.

djdood · Posted: Mon Aug 13, 2007 8:22 pm Post subject:

My old minis were painted with very thick brushed-on coats of Testors model paint (enamel), with no primer underneath. They sat that way for nearly 25 years.

Based on advice from this board and the legacy board, I stripped them in a Gladware container full of undiluted SimpleGreen. Great stuff. It's pine-based, so it's not as noxious as a pretro-chemical solvent stripper. Its considerably slower than the nasty stuff, but when you're done with it, it's just (strong) soap. It even has a fresh "pine-y" scent.

Undiluted, it is fairly caustic (thus it's stripping ability), so I wore latex exam gloves and splash glasses when dealing with it. It will take your skin off (in time), if you let it. Certainly will cause major pain if it gets in an eye.

I let the minis (all 20 of them) soak in it for a few hours, then pulled them all out and brushed the paint off with an old toothbrush. The majority of the paint was loose already and just came off in sheets.

The plastic Federation minis were finished at this point for the most part (they had only detail paint, no basecoats). Most of the lead minis needed a bit more time for the thicker paint areas (corners, etc.). I let them soak overnight and through the next work-day. That evening a little brushing removed the last of the old paint. Also, most of the old superglue had been embrittled by the SimpleGreen and everything popped loose with little to no pressure.

I then rinsed the minis off in water. I *should* have stopped there.

I somehow got it in my head to let the minis soak overnight in a container of water to make sure there was no remaining SimpleGreen that could mess up adhesion of primer.

Bad idea.

An overnight soak gave the lead time to oxidize real good. All of them now have a dark lead-oxide patina on them. It doesn't brush off, so I'm hoping it is something the primer likes to stick to. I'll find out this weekend.