Help with painting a minifig

[danim]

Hi

I am trying to paint a lego minifig red but the arms and legs get stuck after painting and then they scrape the paint of after moving them

do you have any ideas on how to spot this from happening

[Bobskink]

Daniel, you can't prevent this, the only solution is using a torso which already has the right color.

Edited March 19, 2010 by Bobskink

[Alice]

I don't think you should paint minifigs because I am a purist. If you insist, a solution would be taking the minfig apart completely and carefully. Taking the hips apart from the legs and the arms off of the torso. You can then paint the parts and let them dry completely before putting them back together. There are also paints specifically designed to be used on plastic that may be more effective. This may give you better results.

Despite my suggestion, I am appauled that you would paint LEGO.

[Tinn-man]

I've heard of a special type of dye that is used on for painting cars and vehicles that chemically bonds to the plastic and stains it instead of just adding a coat of paint on top of it. This wouldn't flake off, but it would be a pain to apply. You would need to find the desired color at an auto shop (which would be difficult if you were trying to paint it any color other than white, black, grey, or red, as they are the most common colors). Then you would probably need to soak it or use some type of lengthy application process. Plus, I've heard that they are somewhat toxic (as in use in open areas) and somewhat expensive. Basically, it's just not worth it.

I would recommend getting a torso closest to the color that you need off of bricklink, regardless of the printing, and then using brasso or toothpaste to remove the printing. If all you want is a red torso, you can probably just find a blank red torso on there, and not have to worry about painting it at all.

Good luck!

[AoNZ]

I don't think you should paint minifigs because I am a purist. If you insist, a solution would be taking the minfig apart completely and carefully. Taking the hips apart from the legs and the arms off of the torso. You can then paint the parts and let them dry completely before putting them back together. There are also paints specifically designed to be used on plastic that may be more effective. This may give you better results.

Despite my suggestion, I am appauled that you would paint LEGO.

Yeah I've tried the painting each part separately method but when it's put back together it still rubs the coat off as this happened to my Commander Gree.

That plastic specific paint sounds interesting though.

[danim]

The paints I have tried so far have been games workshop paint, humbrol paint and revell paint but the paint is still rubbed off when I reassemble it

also this is the first time I have ever altered lego, it is so I can get a specific minifig which lego do not produce

[streifen]

The paint will generally rub off if there is friction as in the case of tight limbs for the minifigs.

It happened to me too. The only way u can minimise it is to ensure that your paint is sufficiently thinned but still of the same color before applying. also only apply to areas where it is visble to eyes. do not over paint it.