Anyone Painted Black Scorpion Miniatures?

[Djay]

I bought some Chaos Warriors and some Rats from Black Scorpion. They look great, but I can't get my Citadel primer to stick...it repels it in some spots and washing/scrubbing with dishsoap and a toothbrush didn't help.

Anyone have experience painting these and have the same issues? If so, what were you able to do to prep them? I haven't tried the primer spray yet because the weather here isn't conducive to that this time of year. I've left a message via their website, but no response after a couple days, so I thought I'd try here while waiting.

I'm still a novice to painting...I know some people say they have to prime Trollcast differently, so I'm wondering if this material is similar.

Thanks for any help/advice.

[Duder]

I painted Black Scorpion Dwarfs. I washed with soap water and toothbrush then primed with spray on primer, I used either Kilz Original or Rust-oleum 2X Ultracover). I don't recall having any issues with paint adhesion.

[Regash]

I had a dwarf team and had them spray-primed with ordinary acrylic black primer after some treatment with warm water, dish-soap and a toothbrush.
Can't remember any problems either.

[Tablet]

After giving them a thorough scrub in soapy water (and then a thorough rinsing in clean water) I primed my Orcs with Humbrol Acrylic primer and had no issues.

[Djay]

Hmmm, ok.

Thanks for the replies everyone. I'll try giving them another scrubbing then maybe try the spray primer. Maybe I didn't scrub well enough or missed some spots.

[Hobnail]

I've painted their Skaven and their Elf teams. I simply cleaned models with a scalpel and just spray undercoated them - they didn't need washing at all. No problems taking the paint at all.

[rolo]

I just painted their "Humans" (aka my High Elves). They were clean out of the box, I just cut off a little bit of flash and sprayed them directly with GW Skull White. No washing or prep, no trouble, no problems.

[JPS]

@rolo: Somewhere either on TFF or the Impact forums, Galak posted directions from priming the Impact resin models because people were experiencing the same type of problem. You may want to hunt down that thread and follow those steps if you continue having problems.

@everybody: I haven't purchased any Black Scorpion models, but love the way they look online. How would you guys rate the quality of the models "in real life." Is the size appropriate to what's already out there? Will size still be appropriate when GW releases their new larger models (best guesses, obviously, since the GW models haven't been released yet)? Casting problems (bubbles, flash, mold lines, missing or distorted details, etc)? In short, if I like the way they look online, will I be happy or disappointed in person?

[bound for glory]

I have all the teams except the Dwarves. I do a good scrub with anti grease soap and a toothbrush. Hav'nt had a problem, but scrub them good.

As to emailing them, good luck! I had a problem with their troll, and they NEVER answered me. Terrible that they can't be bothered to answer a email.

[rolo]

@rolo: Somewhere either on TFF or the Impact forums, Galak posted directions from priming the Impact resin models because people were experiencing the same type of problem. You may want to hunt down that thread and follow those steps if you continue having problems.

I think this might be intended for somebody else ... I was using Black Scorpion minis, used normal spray, and had no problem.

@everybody: I haven't purchased any Black Scorpion models, but love the way they look online. How would you guys rate the quality of the models "in real life." Is the size appropriate to what's already out there? Will size still be appropriate when GW releases their new larger models (best guesses, obviously, since the GW models haven't been released yet)? Casting problems (bubbles, flash, mold lines, missing or distorted details, etc)? In short, if I like the way they look online, will I be happy or disappointed in person?

I bought their Humans (to use as High Elves) with the Elf catchers as a High Elf team:


I give the BS Humans a C+ (that's assuming the old-school grade scale that C is average, so this isn't super negative. I hear kids these days just get straight A's if they're ok and A- is basically failing). The models look good, but a few minor issues cost them the B+ they'd get at first glance - there are a few rough transitions between layers, and some small gaps which are awkward to paint. Mostly minor stuff and mostly in areas which will be out of sight, like the crotch area.

I give the elf Catchers a B. The Humans were one of BS's earliest teams, and they've clearly improved their quality over time. The models are cleaner than the Human models and with better transitions between layers. The only thing that keeps them from being an A are that the shoulder pads are kind of huge, which is most obvious from the back so you don't see that in many photos.

My next project is the BS Amazons. They are one of their newest teams (maybe the newest?) and the quality is obvious. I like the team because the models are pretty without looking like strippers, which is an issue with some other Amazon teams. I want a team that I can show my wife without feeling like a creep. I give the Amazon team an A-. The only issue I had is that the "Black Scorpion" text on their base slots is thick enough that some of them don't easily fit into their bases, and I had to cut them down a bit.

One thing I'll pass on - resin bends. Some of the models are bent a little bit at the ankles or on the base slot, so it looks like they're leaning forward unnaturally if you just slot them into the base. Resin is easy to bend back though:
- Get a bowl of hot water (I filled a bowl halfway with room temperature tap water and halfway with boiling water - I figure it's about 60º C / 140º F - just about the hottest water you can quickly dip your fingers into without burning yourself.
- Get a bowl of cold water (I put tap water in the fridge for like 10 minutes).
- Drop the model into the hot water for 10 seconds or so. It becomes soft and bendy.
- Bend it into the shape you want, then drop it in the cold water.
- Done. One it cools off, the resin holds its new shape.

Edit: And the models are true 28mm scale. They'll look perfect with other 28mm scale models like the original Blood Bowl, and slightly small compared to companies like Willy Miniatures or Sigmarines or other "extra large" stuff.

[frogboy]

I've painted their Skaven and their Elf teams. I simply cleaned models with a scalpel and just spray undercoated them - they didn't need washing at all. No problems taking the paint at all.

I used this technique with my Elf team, no problems at all. Love Black Scorpion

[JPS]

@rolo: Thanks for the info on BS! Sounds like I'll be getting some. And yes, the bit about cleaning should have been @Djay to help answer the original question. (Oops)

[Regash]

@rolo: Somewhere either on TFF or the Impact forums, Galak posted directions from priming the Impact resin models because people were experiencing the same type of problem. You may want to hunt down that thread and follow those steps if you continue having problems.

Oh, be really careful with that self etching primer, as it contains acid and I'm not sure if all sorts of resin can withstand that!

[rolo]

Oh, be really careful with that self etching primer, as it contains acid and I'm not sure if all sorts of resin can withstand that!

People panic when they hear "acid". You're not going to dissolve your figure.

Some of the harder resins out there (specifically Impact's Trollcast), are shiny and so smooth that regular spray paint sometimes doesn't stick to it. The acid just softens the outer layer of resin and lets the color mix in and bond. You won't melt off detail with a normal amount of primer. If you're worried, do one figure first, or cut off a base slot and spray it.

Self-etching primer is also used a lot in automotive, and you don't see it eating holes in a car door either. I mean, don't spray it in your eyes or anything but it's no more dangerous than half the stuff in your cleaning closet. And also irrelevant to this thread, which is not about Trollcast but rather whatever resin Black Scorpion uses, which gave me no trouble using normal GW primer.

[Djay]

Thanks all.

I went back to trying to finish my Greebo Norse team, but I'll give an update on my results when I get a chance to get outside in the morning or evening when it's not too hot/humid to spray these Black Scorpion miniatures.