Monday 10 September 2012

ARRRGGHH! Frost me!


Damn and blast it. The weather was nice yesterday, very warm, so I decided to Purity Seal some figures:
  • Tyranid Aegis Defence Line
  • Tyranid Quad Gun
  • Deathwing Terminators
  • 10 Devgaunts
  • A Ripper Swarm base
  • 4 Hive Guard Conversion
You know where this is going right? I'd say 65% is fine, the Aegis and the Terminators but it's the Hive Guard that took most of the frosting and the Devourers on the gaunts. Now I'm mot sure about the humidity yesterday, it didn't feel humid but as today it's saying it's 75% maybe it was the wrong day but I know full well Hive Guard got more spray than anything else and I think it was my overuse and too close that 'brooked things up'.

I tried looking online for solutions, so I'll be trying the old 're-spray with gloss' technique tonight and also the 'olive oil' solution. Bizarrely when you wet the frosting it disappears but then when the water evaporates it 're-freezes' so I figured that using a paint on gloss varnish might solve that problem and it didn't. All it's done is encapsulate the frosting in a shiny coating. I fear the spray of gloss won't 'melt the frost', now it's been so carefully protected.

Anyway, I'll document the outcome and perhaps try my solutions on the Devgaunts instead of the Hive Guard first! Sometimes you just want to punch yourself for your own stupidity.

7 comments:

  1. That used to happen a lot when I lived in Florida. A technique I used back then was to paint over the mini in a thin coat of Olive oil of all things. Used to take off the haze though it resulted in a shiny mini. would then dull coat over it at a later date. Dunno who came up with it, but it saved more than a few minis from getting repainted.

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    1. Thanks Da Masta Cheef, the guy at my local independent game store said the same thing this lunch. I do believe we have some olive oil somewhere, fingers crossed..

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  2. Are you using GW spray? I used to have frosting issues with them even on non-humid days. Since then I have switch to testor's and it works much better

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    1. Yep, Purity Seal. Testor's isn't common in the UK but I guess it may be worth making the effort in future. Although I just got and 18ml bottle of War Painter Matt Varnish for £1.40 so I can foresee that as a viable paint on option in future.

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  3. My sympathies. I've had a few of those too. A light even spray of gloss - let it fully dry and then another light even spray of matte. I use Krylon, but even that frosts if you don't sacrifice enough virgins to the humidity Gods...IF you don't mind semi glossy mins you could hand seal with 'ardcoat or use a satin finish spray by Painter's touch, but they both come out a bit shiny and it's difficult to get a nice even/smooth finish with any brush on sealer like 'ardcoat.

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    1. Thanks Zab, apparently we binned our olive oil so I will have to get some more and try that so I can test everything.

      One of the recommendations was acetone - nail varnish remover. I can't help thinking that's going to be difficult to but on without removing all the paint.

      But I had a quick idea that liquid poly glue - ketone, which is like acetone might achieve the same thing and I have quite a bit of that and with a fine needle glu applicator I can drop it on. Tried it and it works, in a fashion.

      Where it pooled I tried to whick it away with a corner of card, even that light touch allowed the paint underneath to melt. However, where it was left seems to have dried, unfrozen the frost and left it with an ultra-glossy finish. I'll leave it for now and see later in the week if it's properly dry and use a matt varnish on top to tone it down.

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  4. Sorry to hear it man I just had the same thing happen to me a few days ago. If any of the solutions work please do share.

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