Which minwax for dipping

For my Vikings I used to paint everything then dip — now I paint the figs, dip well, actually apply with a brush , spray with matt varnish and then attach and paint the shields — makes the bright colours stand out better.

A lot better than Army Painter prices. Whatever you choose to do, just do one sample figure first and allow to fully dry. You may find that either thickness of application or shade or tone of the dip that you are using has differing effects that you may want to modify. I have also found that I tend to go one shade brighter on all of my paint colors so that they mute down to the desired shade when the dip is brushed on.

I have just went through this process for the first time and I found that it muted the bright colors on some knights a little more than I wanted, so I went back and did some highlights after the brush on of "the dip" and then seal coated. If I could use a paint that is one shade brighter than I want the finished product to be, that would save a step. I will try that on the next batch. I did find, however, that adding a highlight after the Minwax was applied, gives a little more depth to the color by leaving a little of the duller color showing around the edges sorry for the run on.

I've tried the Minwax Polyshades and was unhappy. The Army Painter seems to be thinned to right consistency and worked much better than the Minwax, at least for me. I dipped my 28 mm Fallschirmjager recently. Here's a link to the photos on my blog: link. John B. I mostly use the Quicksade Soft Tone for light colours, strong tone for dark colours and Dark Tone for guns etc. The Soft Tone is the shade I use most frequently as it does not overly darken the figure.

I have "dipped "hundreds of figures in Minwax tutor satin. Alt turned out well as long as it is brushed on and thinned out where it puddles. Yes it costs more but given that 1 tin will last for a couple of hundred figures, the cost is not really that significant, and well worth paying if it works better. Whether you use Minwax, or Army Painter, try to only open the can when you have a large number of figures to use it with.

Eventually, it will thicken, and become to strong to use, even though you feel you have not used it with "that many" figures. Some folks have tried to add chemicals to restore it, but they have enjoyed limited success. You could try decanting it into smaller containers, but that can lead to faster drying. Experiment, see what you can achieve with them. Just beware that they will evaporate on you, over time. Anyone try to put on a clear acrylic Future and then use the Minwax?

I've read that it doesn't dull down the lighter colors as much. There's a few recommendations for brushing the Minwax on. If I do go that route is turpentine the only thinner for my brushes? If you apply Future use it full strength, to gain maximum thickness, and protection , the Future will coat, and smooth, the surface, before The Dip is applied, which eliminates the flow issues [glossy paints have a smoother finish, than matte paints typically talcum powder is added to them, giving them a rougher surface when dried , so using gloss paints might accomplish the same result].

Follow up with a matte clear coat to dull things, but don't over-apply it, or it may turn your figures milky-white. I've never thinned it, but I believe that paint thinner, from the hardware store, will do the trick. They work great, I Dip in large batches at a time to get as much life out of a can of Minwax as possible, and then I discard the brushes when I am done. Minimal cost, minimal fuss, job completed with satisfactory results. I agree with what you say, but can't help thinking, if you are using Future anyway, why not just add stain to the Future and use that as your "dip"?

You can brush it on 20 painted figures in about 5 minutes and, only a few minutes later, begin your highlighting. For dipping I use disposable flux brushes. I found mine at Harbor Freight, but you can get them on Amazon too.

They are bigger than children's brushes and so more efficient, especially for 28mm figures. You can "thin" minwax using mineral spirits. I do the decanting thing and put it in old starbucks frappacino bottles. Add a marble when you do so for easier mixing later. Some of my dip has lasted for years in a second bottle this way. Make sure when not using a freshly opened bottle of dip to check the consistency before using. If the liquid does not flow very easily less viscous than water either thin it until it does or do not use it.

As to why use minwax instead of tinted future, the answer is that the minwax works better. It is less viscous and so flows easier into crevices and ends up looking a bit better. In the same way the best oil based paints look better than acrylic for certain applications such as horses or deep blacks. That said it is more difficult to use. However as a final step in the process and given the ease of applying I find the tradeoff worthwhile. Finally, I have sprayed on minwax dip. That really is fast and efficient!

Obviously do it outside and wear a respirator but if you have a couple of hundred figures to do nothing is faster.

Dip the fig into Miracle Dip. Shake off excess somewhere you won't get in trouble for splattering polyurethane stain , then take a beat-up old miniatures brush and remove any further glops at bottom of shield edges, around the neck, between legs, and so on.

Let dry 24 hours, then it is done. I use the same Dip method on a lot of my Dark Ages figures, although there I prime the fig first as the fig is mostly NOT metal armour. MinWax Polyshades is combined one-coat polyurethane and stain; the Tudor is the darkest stain in their repertoire. Satin coat is because the Gloss is way too glossy. If the result is still too glossy even with Satin coat, you can spray a coat of matte sealer overtop to take off the gloss. The stain acts as a beautiful wash, bringing out every tiny pockmark of chainmail and line of plate armour; plus folds of cloth etc.

The polyurethane part gives a tremendously durable topcoat to the fig. It takes a little guts to do this the first time, thrusting your painted fig into the black goopy maw of a paint can.

But I now use it on almost all my figs, and my painting speed has nearly doubled; for mostly-mail and mostly-armour figs my painting speed is probably four times as fast as it was and I wasn't slow before. The Tudor is the darkest in their line. Special order it, if you must I had to look around; Home Depot doesn't carry the darker colours near me. Turpentine, paint thinner, mineral spirits? I guess soap and water won't work? Turpentine, paint thinner, or mineral spirits. Whatever is cheapest; they all work.

Odorless mineral spirits is probably your best bet. Soap and water won't work; it isn't a water-based paint. The product is by MinWax company name , it is brand name "PolyShades", the colour is "Tudor", and the finish is "Satin" the other option would have been Gloss finish. I paint just for fun. I clean the figure and base coat it, than paint with arts and crafts paint I buy by the tube, adding 1 color at a time as it dries. When the figure is all painted, then I put a clear coat on it and it is done.

The devil for me is in the details, and my wife is just full of tricks and hints about achieving details. Ripper X - in a nutshell, it's a very thorough and quick shading technique that adds depth to a simple basecoat and looks good for tabletop. The link at the first paragraph has a really good overview and pictures of the effect. The "Minwax Dip" vs. Different approaches to doing something.

I paint for fun too, and to learn new things and try to paint a lot of minis so they can go on the table and have big battles. That buck fifty stuff is exactly what I use! They even make some nice metallics for a little bit more money which is still a lot cheaper then oil based paints. For shading, or getting that "Lived in look" I just give it a once over with my dirty water, it is subtle but you can tell when I don't do it. Back in the day I'd spend way to much money, and not even come close to achieving the looks that I do now.