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Post by godofrandomness on Dec 9, 2008 22:21:15 GMT -9
is there a good way to protect the mini's "paintjob" after its assembled? Would spraying it with like a clear coat varnish or something like that be worth it? Or would that be bad because it's paper?
I know someone put up a paper mini assembly guide somewhere on the internet that involved using clear tape, but I think it would make it too shiny. Amy suggestions?
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Post by Coisinha Verde on Dec 10, 2008 9:53:06 GMT -9
I use the same as the plastic and metal figures... An acrilic spray
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Post by godofrandomness on Dec 10, 2008 12:27:26 GMT -9
Ok, thanks, I'll have to try that. I'll pick up a bottle when I get back to work on Friday.
Is there anything else that will work, preferably something I can use inside? I do most of my 'modeling' at night where going outside to spray stuff would disturb people. I'll settle on then spray for now though.
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Post by emergencyoverride on Dec 10, 2008 22:34:17 GMT -9
I use a bottle of brush on varnish called duraclear by deco art. It goes on smooth and Ive never had a problem with warping or anything. ;D
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Post by godofrandomness on Dec 12, 2008 2:27:08 GMT -9
Ok, cool. I'll check that out. Where would it be available? Hardware stores?
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Post by emergencyoverride on Dec 12, 2008 8:44:22 GMT -9
I get it at hobby lobby, but any craft store should have it. ;D
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Post by silentsquirrel on Dec 12, 2008 14:29:39 GMT -9
Ok, thanks, I'll have to try that. I'll pick up a bottle when I get back to work on Friday. Is there anything else that will work, preferably something I can use inside? I do most of my 'modeling' at night where going outside to spray stuff would disturb people. I'll settle on then spray for now though. A guy who used to post on the old MicroTactix forums said he used clear nail polish. Apparently it provides a nice, hard finish. However, I imagine the smell would be pretty nasty and the fumes would be rather toxic. Besides, I bet the finish would be way too shiny. Another option, though it is a spray, is Krylon UV-Resistant Clear Fixative. This gives a decent, protective finish and is also an ink fixative. You can check out a pic of what the can looks like on this web page dedicated to making wargame counters. Hope that helps!
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Post by godofrandomness on Dec 12, 2008 16:54:27 GMT -9
That looks like a good option, too. Once I get paid, I'll have to try the different options. Thanks bunches guys!
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Post by squirmydad on Dec 13, 2008 12:22:03 GMT -9
I use the spray acrylic clear coat as well. It soaks into the paper and makes the whole thing more rigid and protected from water and pizza fingers.
Another thing I want to try is laminating the figures with clear packing tape. It's very cheap. You can just place a layer over each side of the glued figures, but before you cut, then cut them out as normal. I'm not really sure how to seal the edges of this, this is why I stuck with the spray.
I do know that you can get some water based acrylic sprays for indoor use. JIM
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Post by godofrandomness on Dec 13, 2008 17:27:39 GMT -9
The only real problem I see with the tape is it may make the figures come out too shiny. However, if its put on before before trimming, I can edge it with something like a dry erase marker and might be able to wipe off anywhere that the marker slipped and marked on the front/back...
It's something to experiment with.
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Post by brynbrenainn on Dec 13, 2008 23:34:13 GMT -9
Another thing I want to try is laminating the figures with clear packing tape. It's very cheap. You can just place a layer over each side of the glued figures, but before you cut, then cut them out as normal. I'm not really sure how to seal the edges of this, this is why I stuck with the spray. JIM One bad thing with clear packing tape is that when you pull a piece off the roll you often get thin stripes of non-transparent glue... Try it out, I don't know how to explain it better. And the tape is flimsy, it gives no sturdines or thickness whatsoever.
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Post by fnh on Dec 14, 2008 11:33:24 GMT -9
Most of my figs are laminated.
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Post by Aestelon on Mar 23, 2009 17:38:35 GMT -9
What about something like Scotch tape? I'm not sure I'm using the right name, but I'm referring to the 'invisible' tape used for book repairs and such. I don't know if it comes a wide enough roll to suit this purpose, but it may be worth considering.
I must admit, while I'd considered some form of varnish, I'd be less afraid of warping the card than I would be of making the ink run. I'm currently printing on 210gsm card from Staples. However, I do have a bottle of the Duraclear varnish that Override's been using, so I may give that a go on piece of spare part-fig.
<EDIT> Just tried the DuraClear, and while it didn't make the ink run as much as I feared it would, it's still a bit too much to make it entirely practical for the job.
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Post by luckyjoe on Mar 23, 2009 19:07:13 GMT -9
I'm using Matte decoupage. So far I've used it on 110 lb Walmart cardstock and 80 lb coverstock. I'm going to ry it tomorrow on some Canon matte photo paper. It adds a lot of strength and color depth and is pretty inexpensive. And it hasn't caused any colors to run or cardstock to warp. I usually do 3 coats with a brush.
Luckyjoe
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Post by Aestelon on May 14, 2009 10:43:19 GMT -9
I tried a different 'varnish' - Klear acrylic floor polish - and had the same problem as with the DuraClear; the water content caused the ink to bleed a little as the brush moved over it - it didn't bleed much, but enough for it to bother me.
I'm thinking of trying something no-one's mentioned - good old-fashioned hairspray. It's served many people well as a fixative for pencil, pastel and charcoal drawings, and I'm wondering if it might do a similar job in preventing ink run. I'm just going to see if I can pick up a cheap can from the corner shop and give it a try; if it does works and allows me to use the Duraclear without ink run, then I'll have a winner.
<EDIT> Nope, that's a bust. I still get the dark ink streaking into the light when I brush on the varnish. It's a pity, though, because I like the slight sheen and enhanced colours that the varnish gives the streaky mini. Do those using spray varnish find they get that? If so, I may have to invest in one.
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Post by josedominguez on May 14, 2009 12:20:01 GMT -9
gw acrylic varnish is really good....... costly (as everything they do is) but it goes a long way. Tough, no streaks and not too shiney. They call it purity seal.
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Post by abaddonwormwood on May 14, 2009 14:06:54 GMT -9
Without sound too snobby - get a laserjet. You will be so happy you did, and for the most part there is third party toners as well.
Lord Abaddon of Wormwood
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Post by Aestelon on May 14, 2009 15:23:01 GMT -9
Were money not an object, I'd love to, but right now that's really not an option. Actually, I just looked up the costs for a laserjet, and the cheapest printer I could find was £100, and even the third-party inks were close to £50 per colour! Definitely a long way down the road...
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Post by abaddonwormwood on May 14, 2009 18:06:13 GMT -9
but the toners last longer than inks - that is something that most people forget. Anyways if you can - grab it by two hands. If not.... there are Epsons that use pigments that are colour fast and water fast (well as much as anything on pulp is).
Lord Abaddon of Wormwood
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Post by Slick on May 14, 2009 19:10:22 GMT -9
Laser printers by far are the best way to go for printing. After 11 years in the office supply biz I can vouch for the above statement! While the initial cost of a laser printer is very high when compared to inkjets there are several bonuses to getting one as I will list below.
Cost: As I said above the initial cost is high but the cost per page is about 1/2 that of inkjets. I believe HP released a statement a few years back saying that inkjets run about 18-20 cents per full page of color (like a photo) where as there lasers ran about 7-9 cents per page. This is also apparent in the longevity of toner/pigments. Inkjets at max quality run anywhere from 200-500 pages of color and lasers are in the thousands hence the higher cost of toner.
Quality: The primary advantage of a laser printer is that it is not so reliant on paper quality to produce great quality print. This is another area where the lower cost comes into play. I can say that my laser printed stuff on cheap 65lb card stock looks as good if not better then my hp inkjet on matte photo-paper.
Durability: This should not play so much of a roll in purchasing one for personal use but it its worthy to mention. Most laser printer are Tanks! The are big bulky and can usually withstand much higher amounts of printing than an inkjet.
With all this being said there are some exceptions to the above rules. Samsung makes a great and affordable color laser printer that will set you back about $200 and the toners run about $55 but you sacrifice the CPP as stated above and just get the quality. HP are decent as well as Epson. I would advise most people to stay away from Brother. While there B&W printers are the best buy out there now, there color stuff is years behind the competition.
To be honest though aside from quality the cost of printing, it might take you a long time to recoup the initial purchase. You have to remember lasers are still very much business machines and only crazy people like me would ever want to get one for personal use.
Nate
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Post by abaddonwormwood on May 15, 2009 3:37:44 GMT -9
I have two colour and one B&W laserjets. All networked. I had a third colour passed it onto to my sister-in-law for her office - it was a 25+kg tank. The second B&W went to my younger brother. I had a good bit of loving from the HP crew in Sydney - they love their coffee and their barista. (I left with two changes of toner too) Lord Abaddon of Wormwood
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Post by kane on May 15, 2009 6:58:11 GMT -9
You lucky, lucky man. I am thinking that my current Canon may well be my last inkjet, but since I just got it last year, I suspect that by the time it dies (3+ years I would dare guess) laser prices will have come down even MORE or their may even be new tech.
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Post by josedominguez on May 15, 2009 9:02:34 GMT -9
I've got a ricoh A3 network laser printer at work and a smaller samsung one at home, but I'm printing all of my figs on my Epson inkjet. Laser does look great, but I think the inkjet looks closer to the original image. Also, when cutting out the laser minis it's too easy to scratch the artwork. Once I spray the minis with acrylic, they look superb.
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Post by emergencyoverride on May 17, 2009 16:30:39 GMT -9
I use a color laser printer, and I dont end up with any running from the varnish. The colors turn out more vibrant than with my old ink jet. I'll try to post some pics tommorrow! ;D
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