bench update 31 December 2023

Assembled, but without final wash/varnish: included at bottom left is an element of sea people Sherden I used for continuity of paint scheme.

bench update 10 December 2023

Some visible progress. This is a new grouting compound, that is designed to look like mortar. I thought it might be ideal for basing. But it has lower adhesion than regular, which means that the chariot montage may pop off if knocked.

bench update 3 December 2023

Still trying a number of surface options. The frustrating thing is that metallic paint surfaces perfectly. The tentative answer I've reached is that Vallejo paint can't be thinned on this base paint. 

bench update 26 November 2023

I've become concerned about the ongoing tackiness of the spray base coat. At first I thought it was the soaring temperatures, but yesterday was cold and the problem remains. 

All I've done then, is touch up the grouted chariots, and put a shade of brown on four of the horses. I'll see how they shape up. Worst case, I have to strip everything. 

bench update 12 November 2023

The chariot parts fit ok but would probably have fit better without that coat of spray paint! Here, each assembly has had superglue run into the joins.

I've dry brushed the all-bronze with bronze, and the mostly-skin with flesh.

The spears straightened okay on the second attempt. One thing to note was that the spray paint became tacky again when soaked with boiling water. 

Caesar Mycaenaeans: Trying the Army Painter spray base

After my experience using Army Painter spray on the CMON undead hordes, which are a fairly hard resin, I have decided to try the same approach with Caesar Miniatures rather soft resin. So after a hot detergent wash, which (mostly) straightened out the minis, I sprayed one side, waited about an hour, then sprayed the other side. This is Desert Sand, a good leather/wood shade.

Not every piece straightened. The pikes, top left, are pretty bad. I can try once more, and if that doesn't work, I'll have to switch to wire.

I'm back

What was that, six weeks of painting CMON Dead or Alive zombies, aberrations and Survivors? Today I hauled out the Mycenaean Chariots. I haven't actually done anything mind you, but they are on the work bench!