Hello,

Long time reader, first time poster here. I know portions of my questions have been asked previously but I don't believe in the manner in which I am asking them here.

I am fairly new to the hobby, one thing I have noticed when attempting to get my (Warhammer Fantasy) army assembled, magnetized, and primed (before moving to painting) is that the primer (Games Workshop Chaos Black, I have tried pthers too though) never seems to fully dry. Why I say this is, for example, I have primed miniatures sitting in a primed movement tray and if I leave them in there for too long (they are magnetized, though I have had this same experience with un-magnetized miniatures as well) the primer from the tray will peel off and stick the the primed miniature when I remove the miniature. I have had this same experience with the sides of bases that are in contact with other bases. It just seems like whenever a primed surface is in contact with another primed surface it will inevitably stick together if left in contact for more that an hour or so. I live in the Pacific Northwest so it is not too humid around here and I am giving the trays and bases multiple days to fully dry before letting them touch anything else. Any ideas as to why this could be happenening?

Will the same thing happen when I paint my miniatures as well? I could see that becoming very frustrating after investing all that time.

Does a lacquer or varnish finishing coat help prevent this or will that stick to other things as well?

Thank you in advance fir any insight you might be able to provide.

Take care,

-Bryce

A couple of things which might help..

1) Spray a reasonable distance from the model, and just very lightly dust it with paint rather than trying to create a thick surface layer.. If it looks shiny or wet, you've probably sprayed too much in one go (though it's not a big deal, just try to keep it as thin as possible.) Several very thin coats of primer are far better than one thick coat. You just want enough paint on there for other paint to bond to, it doesn't need to be a proper layer yet.

2) Wash models with hot water before priming them.. This helps get rid of any oil which might have built up from your fingers or the moulding process, and will help the paint stick better. Of course, make sure they're dry again before you prime them. ;)

3) If the worst comes to the worst, rub a little vaseline onto the surface you're spraying on (not the models, but the things they might stick to.) I've not tried it, but it works with hair dye so it should work with paint too.. Just make sure you wash the vaseline off the underside of the models before you start painting (it's oil based, so hot water gets rid of it again.)

I think the most likely culprit is probably the ammount you're spraying though..

Also, if you're worried about paint coming off in general, get some spray-on gloss varnish. It's tougher than matt varnish, and you can always spray or paint a second layer of matt over the top if you don't like the shiny effect.

I hope this helps, good luck.

Thanks for the info. I will try your method. I just really seems strange to me that a miniature would not dry after 3 days of sitting out. Perhaps it is just the nature of the primer I am using.

I do not think I am going too terribly think with the primer, though even if I was I cant imagine it wouldn't dry after 3 days.

Actually now that I remember this. I made a gaming table a couple months back and this very same thing happened. I used a 4'x6' piece of hardboard - covered it with sand and primed it. Then I went out and purchased 3 shades of mat latex paint and painted and highlighted the ground. I have the board a few days to dry and sure enough the first time I played on it all the pain peeled right up where we had left miniatures sitting for too long in one spot.

It is really strange. I spoke with some employees at a local Games Workshop store and they seem to have never heard of anyone having that problem.

Am I living in some sort of Twilight Zone where paint wont dry?

From the Twilight Zone,

-Bryce

I would love to hear anyone else weigh in on this issue if you have any advice.

Thanks again,

Bryce

The problem may be moisture. If the air is too humid , like priming after it rains, it will not dry. I live in Memphis, TN and it is humid here, so I make sure to prime, and when the model is primed I move it into a well-ventalated work-room off of my garage to dry.

-J