Painting Vehicles

[T13A]

Hi

Just wondered if anybody had tips on how they hold vehicles (AFV's etc.) when they are painting them.

Cheers Paul

[Ithoriel]

Since I base all my vehicles, by the base.

I think based infantry with unbased vehicles looks odd. Having something to hold while you paint is an added bonus.

[Steve J]

My vehicles are unbased, so I stick them to a wooden tongue depressor (think big lollipop stick) with double sided tape. Works for me. I just have to be careful with the big WWII tanks that can be a tad heavy.

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Dont base mine. 15's and 20's, just get dirty. 10's and 6's bultac on sticks and udner coat, after adding antena if I am. Brush paint black, found that spray didnt get into the under cuts.

[fsn]

I'm with Ithoriel.

[sultanbev]

I just paint my fingers  .
No actually, for small metal tanks in 6mm and 10mm, an old paintbrush used as a pole inserted through the hole for the turret peg works as an ideal way to rotate the model round for the brush. That only works for tanks with separate turrets of course so for SP guns, trucks, etc, it's just a case of tough luck, getting paint on fingers, no fannying about.

Although my 6mm I base beforehand anyway these days. I have started basing my 10mm tanks, but sometimes I've been doing it after I've painted the models, which is an inefficiency I must get over.

[Big Insect]

I have created a painting jig - which is a rectangular block of wood with holes drilled in it to take 5mm dowel rods - (like those old school woodworking exercises we did as kids - if you are of a certain age!). These dowl are not glued in - just loose so they can be inserted so they stand up. This allows you to pick up an individual dowel - with attached vehicle, paint it and then put it back to dry - like a production line.
Your block of wood needs to be wide enough and heavy enough to avoid it falling over when all dowel are 'loaded' with vehicles.
I glue the vehicle onto the top of one end of the dowel with evo-stick or similar glue - it will usually peel off when you are done with them.

But it also allow me to spray undercoat all the vehicles at once - in the painting jig.

You can also pick up the whole jig and paint all the vehicles in a row for block coloring if so desired.

I find that any more than 6 dowels is too much for 6mm vehicles, 4 for 10mm.

It might seem a faph but once you've made a few they will last for ages and work really well.