Dusty Models and Gloopy Paints

[FaultyVoodoo]

The title sounds like the name for some wargaming blog. . .

But anyway, I fell away from the hobby and boxed up my figs and paints about 6 months ago when none of my friends showed the remotest interest in it at all. (Local gamestore is not friendly, not sure how they stay in business)

BUT FINALLY, a couple of friends came to me about it and want to start! SO down came the box and every single model has collected dust in every nook and cranny and paints have lost a good deal of their fluidity.

What are your recommendations for restoring my legions of Chaos? Are the paints salvageable or useless?

[Herald of Nurgle]

You need to water the paints down anyway, so i'd nab some big dropper bottles - like the ones Hobbycraft sells here in the UK somewhere lol - and add the gloop in, stir it around a little, and then add something like maybe 1:1 or whatever your preferred consistency is.

Dusty models can just be washed under a tap tbph. Be sure to leave them to dry before doing anything else.

[isotope99]

You can try re hydrating the paints with a stick or very old brush but they will probably still only be good for basecoating. If the sureface is already completely solid, give up and start over.

I have an old frayed brush I use for dusting my models (actually I have about 20 beacause I don't treat my paint brushes too well). Start with no water and brush off most of the dust then follow up with a slightly damp brush.

[FaultyVoodoo]

Fantastic, thanks!

[fuzzbuket]

for dust, hold the model steady and |HOOOVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (or vacume))

[MaltonNecromancer]

For the dust - a large drybrush works wonders; just brush them with it while it's dry. Takes seconds.

For the paint - once acrylic's set, that's it. You can't reclaim it. As has been said, you can water down what remains to reduce gloopiness, but if it's solid, that's that. Bin it, and buy a new one.

For stripping paints from models - if you want to repaint anything: leave models in Dettol overnight; 5 minutes and an electric toothbrush later and they're good as new. Just make sure you wear latex gloes while you work or all the skin'll peel off your hands.

[FaultyVoodoo]

For the dust - a large drybrush works wonders; just brush them with it while it's dry. Takes seconds.

For the paint - once acrylic's set, that's it. You can't reclaim it. As has been said, you can water down what remains to reduce gloopiness, but if it's solid, that's that. Bin it, and buy a new one.

For stripping paints from models - if you want to repaint anything: leave models in Dettol overnight; 5 minutes and an electric toothbrush later and they're good as new. Just make sure you wear latex gloes while you work or all the skin'll peel off your hands.

This works on plastic models?

[evilamericorp]

This works on plastic models?

Plastic models are tricky, many products that take paint off will melt straight through, and leave you with a gooey grey blob. For stripping plastic models, I use either Simple Green (http://www.simplegreen.com/) or Pine-Sol (http://www.pinesol.com/). Fill up a plastic tub until you have enough to completely submerge all the models you want to strip, then dunk them for 10-12 hours (no more or the details will start to go soft.) Scrub them down with an old toothbrush when they come out, and they'll be almost as good as new.

[BlackKnight15624]

For dusty models I like to use compressed air cans (or an airbrush without paint). Hold it at a distance and just blow it off!

For paints, I like to use acrylic matte medium and water- add to taste (the Julia Child's method- and don't taste it).