Steel Penguins braying

[Steel Penguin]

well, in an effort to record what ive done, and have it seen ( my old way was a bit of A4 blutacked to the wall) I think ill do one of these interweb blog dofer thinigys.
I dought it will be as pithy and entreating as some of the others round here but its as bought as good as itll get.

so on the just finished list are ( 28mm wargames stuff first)
7 Hasslefree hazmats, ( 2 comms, a giger counter, a flamer, and 3 normal g36 armed troops) in "civilian orange"
1 Citadel Eternal champion box moonglum
1 Crocadile games avatar of hourus ( bird feet and wings version)

My 1:48 TSR2 NASA launch chase plane ( sniper pod off set by the sidebay door and a Airfix Jaguar recon pod under each wing)

total 9 figures   1 model

in the clear space on the desk now ive got from crooked dice in 28mm 4 normal astronoughts  ( think space1999) 3 armed verions of the above and a river song version of the above plus a small 6 wheeled moon buggy from Ainsty,  and at clean up ive 14 14 more hazmats, tough thse are going to end up in a more "military" colour and been added to, on the comms and giger counter carryers with sidearms, and a MGL 40, and Armbrust on 2 of the riflemen. Ive 2 Ainsty vehicles to undercoat  and an Ainsty cargo container to spar as well.
should keep me out of mischief  for a wile.
  Oh and anyone know the best way to get the paint off the top half of a Dinky SHADO mobile? as im thinking of having that as the transport for the hazmats

[NARSES2]

  Oh and anyone know the best way to get the paint off the top half of a Dinky SHADO mobile? as im thinking of having that as the transport for the hazmats

What's it made from ?

[Steel Penguin]

Narses2 its the Dinky diecast one, so some form of metal,  ive heard several options ( fairy power spray, nitromors and hot water). Im wondering if any one has any experience and can offer advise based on prior experience.

[Rheged]

I  believe that the alloy Dinky toys are cast from is"MAZAC",  an alloy of magnesium, aluminium, zinc and copper.  It's also known as ZAMAK.... see  high powered research document here......

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mazak_(alloy)


I used nitromors to strip a lousy repaint on an old Dinky toy without it causing  a catastrophe

[Steel Penguin]

nitromors itll have to be then, I need to get some in and then wait for some good weather, as I have no dought ill end up using it outdoors, as I don't want to be splashing it round either the kitchen or modelling room.

[Steel Penguin]

and the second set of hazmats and vehicles mentioned above have been under coated this afternoon in-between showers.

[Father Ennis]

My personal favorite for paint stripping is to use Easy-off oven cleaner. They now have a new forumla that doesn't give off the toxic fumes so you can use it indoors. Works great on both plastic and metals. Heavily spray and coat the item(s) ,let sit for about an hour then clean with soap and warm water with an old toothbrush. Repeat as necessary. I've used this method for decades to good effect.

[NARSES2]

Ah Monsieurs Rheged and Ennis have beaten me to it.

Just be sure that you give the model a thorough soaking in water once you've stripped the paint. Overnight is best as any residue of whatever agent used will attack the metal after painting.

[Steel Penguin]

it is why I didn't mention the Mr Muscle option above,  ( I used to work in an electroplaters, and we used to use reasonably dilute sodium hydroxide {NaOH} to dissolve the zinc into solution)  so im wary of anything that will attack the metal in addition to the paint, If the body was plastic it would have been one of the chemicals of choice, ( but the solvent options would have been out)  I don't really want to pit the cast surface, or risk attacking ay of the finer details.

[Mossie]

I've used Fairy Power Spray on white metal without any problem.  Found an MSDS online, NaOH concentration is less than 1%, I'm guessing it's in there as an acidity regulator rather than an active ingredient.

[Steel Penguin]

Space suited figs are having the bases dry then are up for varnishing and the cargo canisters at the same point

Total so far 19 figures  1 bit of scenery  1 model.

the Military hazmats have been sprayed Halfords ultra mat camo green.  and when theyre good and dry will start getting the details touched in.

[Steel Penguin]

14 military green hazmats finished. im not 100% happy with the green spray as a base colour. but there dry brushed and based.
33 figures 1 scenery 1 model

[Steel Penguin]

the Ainsty resin panel vans done, but aside from that ive been too busy trying not to melt..
had a great day a hamex on sunday, some of the studio scale stuff was amazing, but I think some of the outher visitors may have been a touch obsessive in there desire to identify random tank parts, stuck to things.

[Steel Penguin]

just back from  a small wargames show at the TA centre in Stoke, friendly atmosphere, a few demo games on show and enough traders to make it feel full without it being rammed,  got 2 1st ed games workshop rhinos and a predator with no turret but with the sponson laz cannon for under a tenner ( total), and a stack of Ainsty resin scenery and crooked dice figures  a copy of the 7tv heros set and a 1977 dan dare album, 

[Steel Penguin]

ive the next 3 days off, tomorrow is for stuff, ive some studio ghibi from Christmas on the v box, the dangermouse box set and some Ace dr who  to choose from.  Thursday is my 40th birthday.  so possibly to the cinema, Friday is a dentist visit 1st thing then freeeeee.
so there will be some painting and glueing as well.