Mounting miniatures to paint

[CBaggs]

I've seen several step by step guides on the internet for painting micro armor that call for mounting the model onto a nail for painting. My question is how to do this without damaging the model?

[voltigeur]

it doesn't damage the figures at all. I started doing this about a year ago and love it. I use Elmer's glue when I'm ready to remove them I just use and Xacto knife to cut the glue away and pop them off.

It is a great system.

[Mk 1]

I tried using Elmer's Glue a few times. I'm too impatient for the slow drying time.

As sfcmac does, so I also use a super glue (cyanocrylate) -- in my case I use a gel version. I find it works better given the irregular shap that the nail head takes over time (as the glue builds up).

To remove I just pop 'em off. If they don't come right off with the application of a bit of torque, a thumbnail generally does the trick. Can only recall one or two (rare!) occasions when I needed to use a blade.

But all of that said ... it is my tanks (and turrets) that I generally mount to nails for painting. Actual figures, as in infantry figures, I tend to mount onto wooden stirring sticks. These are like popsickle sticks but a bit thinner and longer -- I bring them home one-at-a-time from the coffee houses where they are given away. I use the sticks because I am usually painting a LOT of figures when I paint infantry -- 40 or more at a time. I find that easier to do with the sticks, which might hold 6 or 8 figures each.

[BattlerBritain]

I just use these funny things called fingers

..and maybe tweezers if the paint's still wet.

Otherwise I paint half the model first - let it dry - then paint the other half.

All this stuff about using glue and nails and stuff - you could have painted the model by the time you'd got your fingers stuck together and then stabbed yourself in the eye with a nail covered in glue!

And the expense of it all.

Cor - I dunno! What a palarvour eh?

[voltigeur]

All this stuff about using glue and nails and stuff - you could have painted the model by the time you'd got your fingers stuck together and then stabbed yourself in the eye with a nail covered in glue!

My inspiration to start doing this was from another member of this forum. I'll have to re-find his web site. Using the nails has really stepped up my game on my infantry. I have 4 boards from the framing stock you can buy from Lowes or Home Depot. I cut it to a 2 ft length then took my drill with some duct tape (feel all Red Greenish now ) around the bit so I don't over drill I made 4 of these blocks in about 30 min using hand tools.

I don't really have the time to sit and burn through a project anymore. (Don't really have the patience anymore either.) So it really helps my details and doesn't add time. I can still do the assembly line. If I get tired of one type I grab a second board and work on a different type. If there is a Saturday that I just paint I usually have one board glued, a second base coated and drying, one that I’m doing camo or faces, a fourth that is finished and being dull coated. The system is pretty good at keeping things moving.

I used to use the Popsicle sticks when I was painting 15mm figures. I like that system as well.

[Gompel]

I just use these funny things called fingers

I worked that way too, till I started to read this forum. Using your fingers is quick and easy. Inexpensive too (the trade off is that you can buy new nails, but buying new fingers is not really an option). Another thing with using nails is that you avoid those strange faces when you take that glass of juice from the table and they see your coloured fingers.
How do you spray your miniatures for priming? Before I used nails, I had them just on a flat piece of wood, but they were likely to be blown away or stick to the wood when dry. And you can never paint/spray the miniatures in one go (mixing the exact same colour might be a challenge and waste of time too). And last: while handling the miniature with your fingers and turning it around all the time, you add a nice layer of 'fingergrease' too.
Just try some nails, it's really not a waste of time.

But, back to the original question: in what way do you expect the problem of damaging your miniatures? I never had problems with that. For vehicles I glue a nail on the inside usually next to the cupola hole. When painted, I snap them off with my fingers. Some glue might still be on the inside, but I don't bother. For infantry: a tiny drop of (super)glue will do. Don't snap them off while holding the soldier with you fingers though (the legs are too weak for that). As others said: just use a knive or your fingernail and touch the rectangular base only (make sure your soldier doesn't go airborne through the room when it pops off). But actually I don't use nails for my infantry: I stick them on the final base right away. I have just 3 soldiers on a base, so I still have enough room for the brush.
As Mark said: for superglue (cyanocrylate), the gel version works best as it is able to fill the uneven surface of nail and miniature much better.

[wolfman]

I use hot glue on roofing nails - 2 infantry figures each - sometimes just 1. Be careful not to slop hot glue on to figure though. I use finishing nails for vehicles.

I tried super glue gel on the finishing nails and I am really happy with that. Must use xacto knife to remove though but has caused no issues. I use a 2X4 section with lots of holes to hold all the minis while I am working on them as described above.

The roofing nails are actually from the 15mm soldiers I also play with.

[stenna00]

I do not like using nails because often the superglue brings paint off the tracks when I remove the nail. Plus I find it difficult to keep the nails from falling over even when they are stuck in wood (or polystyrene)! Also I find the whole assembly a bit difficult to hold and keep steady while painting. Instead, I use 1cm (or so) cubes of Balsa wood, and stick the tanks to them with double-sided tape. The cubes are just wide enough to fit the tank and large enough to hold comfortably. The tracks and underside of the tank are accessible for painting. I mount the balsa cubes on a larger, flatter pieces of Balsa wood or plastic to make them stable, otherwise they just tend to roll over. Plus I can use this base to hold the whole piece steady for painting. As for turrets. I put 3 or 4 on a thin strip of Balsa with small holes in it (made by a round file) to receive the turret pins. I put double sided tape on as well to hold the turrets. The width of the wooden strip is narrow enough to allow the turret to overhang so that I can paint underneat the barrel and mantlet and the back overhang on some turrets. Again, I glue the strip to a 2cm x 1cm flat strip of wood or plastic for stability. I have been using this method for 2 years or so and it suits me fine.

[stenna00]

I do not like using nails because often the superglue brings paint off the tracks when I remove the nail. Plus I find it difficult to keep the nails from falling over even when they are stuck in wood (or polystyrene)! Also I find the whole assembly a bit difficult to hold and keep steady while painting. Instead, I use 1cm (or so) cubes of Balsa wood, and stick the tanks to them with double-sided tape. The cubes are just wide enough to fit the tank and large enough to hold comfortably. The tracks and underside of the tank are accessible for painting. I mount the balsa cubes on a larger, flatter pieces of Balsa wood or plastic to make them stable, otherwise they just tend to roll over. Plus I can use this base to hold the whole piece steady for painting. As for turrets. I put 3 or 4 on a thin strip of Balsa with small holes in it (made by a round file) to receive the turret pins. I put double sided tape on as well to hold the turrets. The width of the wooden strip is narrow enough to allow the turret to overhang so that I can paint underneat the barrel and mantlet and the back overhang on some turrets. Again, I glue the strip to a 2cm x 1cm flat strip of wood or plastic for stability. I have been using this method for 2 years or so and it suits me fine.