Field gates

We needed to replace a few posts so we took the opportunity to also fit some new gates.

The hardest bit was getting the old broken post out of the ground.

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Post processing resin prints

The trouble with the cleaning process for resin prints is that it means exposure to isopropyl alcohol (IPA) fumes and handling uncured resin. Wearing nitrile gloves is enough to solve the uncured resin risk but the fumes are more difficult. I could wear a mask while handling the models but despite having extraction the smell was obvious in the workshop for an hour or more after finishing.

Taking some advice from articles and YouTube videos I have now changed how I handle the process. I've almost completely eliminated the IPA smell and reduced the time I am handling the models before the resin is cured.

My 3D print area August 2026

I bought a wash station from Heygears. I liked the look of the double canister arrangement so that one box can easily drain the IPA into the other without any exposure to the IPA. What I hadn't expected was how much more efficient the agitating platform was at cleaning the models.

One 4 or 5 minute session in the Heygears Wash setup and the prints are completely clean. 

Tip: An important bit of the process is that the prints have to be supports downwards in the IPA. This is so that any drips of resin end up on the supports, not the models.

My Process Summary

• Put on Nitrile gloves.
• Turn on the extractor and position it over the wash area.
• Fill a wash box to the max marker with IPA. This is only necessary when the IPA gets too contaminated and needs a refresh.
• Put the prints or the entire build plate with the models still attached into an empty wash box. The print supports should be facing towards the bottom of the tank.
• Seal the box and put the full wash box above with the drain connected to the input valve of the empty box.
• Open the upper valve and upper air vent and wait for the IPA to drain onto the print.
• Remember to CLOSE the valve (I keep forgetting!)
• Put the now full box on the wash platform and run for 4 or 5 minutes.
• Now for the reverse. Put the full wash box on top of an empty wash box and drain the IPA.
• Remember to CLOSE the valve.
• Open and remove the prints. If not already done, remove from the build plate.
• Leave to dry. I only wait just enough time for the surface to dry and for anything to have drained out of hollow models.
• Cure the prints with the supports still attached.
• While the prints are curing I usually do any cleaning, such as residue from the emptied wash box.

With the prints now cured, they can be handled and cleaned up without gloves.

All done with very little exposure to uncured resin or IPA and no lingering smell.

Removing cured supports

On small models, I find that removing the supports can be done as they are even when cured. For models with large areas of support it is helpful to soften them in warm water.

I use a plastic food storage box. The temperature of the water is not critical. I find even lukewarm is sufficient. I usually start with water that is about as hot as I would have for a bath. Not as hot as my wife has in her bath. Just about bearable to put my hand in.

With Heygears PAF10 (PVC-like) resin, the supports become very soft and easy to remove. Much easier than they would be before curing the print.

As the models are clean, not tacky and I am not wearing gloves, the support removal has been much easier for me than it used to be.

Reusing IPA

It's not a perfect process, I'm still left with a short exposure to open IPA containers when cleaning and swapping IPA. If I wash with the build plate still attached the IPA tends to get dirtier than if the models are removed first. The extra resin from the build plate requires that I have to swap out the IPA more often. 

When the models don't come out as clean as they should or before that if I remember, I'll clean the IPA. I use a clear container that fits in the cure station. This is so I can cure the resin within the IPA. When cured the resin is easy to remove from the container. I sometimes use a silicone scraper to help. The now cleaner IPA can then be reused.

IPA cleaning process:

• Pour the dirty IPA into a clear container.
• Seal the container.
• Cure in the cure station for 20 mins.
• Drain the IPA via a filter funnel into a storage bottle or one of the wash boxes for reuse.
• Scrape the cured resin off of the clear container ready for the container to be reused.

Sometimes I repeat the process because it is the resin on the outer edges of the container that get cured likely leaving some uncured deeper inside.

Note: Curing resin in IPA, does not get rid of the dye. The IPA retains a cloudy grey look while the resin removed tends to be a white gel.

Cleaning up resin spills

There will always be times when some uncured resin gets where it's not wanted, or just the run off from the build plate while removing the prints.

This needs to be handled and disposed of thoughtfully. The simple solution I use is to cure the resin with a small handheld 395nm UV lamp.

I was surprised how short an exposure the resin needs to become rigid. Less than a minute is sufficient.

Build Plate Lift

I've made myself a frame to help lift the build plate out of the wash boxes.

Mk2 lift frame

This is mark 2. The handles on my previous version were inadequate.

Download:

Reflex build plate lift 3D print file CC-BY-NC-SA

Change of plan:

Despite designing and testing the frame to lift the build plate, I have decided that removing the models from the build plate before washing them is the better option for me. The minimal time required to separate the prints from the plate adds very little extra exposure to uncured resin and no extra exposure to IPA. It means the IPA needs less frequent replacement.

I do like the nice clean build plate, but I'm still tending towards removing the prints before washing.

I can always deliberately include the build plate in the wash from time to time.

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Reference:

https://store.heygears.com/blogs/blog/how-to-clean-resin-prints

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Heygears Reflex maintenance menus

I had cause to contact Heygears to calibrate the level of my Reflex printer. The maintenance menus are password protected needing Heygears Support to provide a temporary passcode.

The options are strictly controlled with built in checks to make it difficult to mess it up. In this case, at the time I initially tried to carry it out, it was too hot. I had to get up early the following day to carry out the calibration.

Maintenance Menus

As mentioned, the maintenance menus require a passcode supplied by Heygears support. I took the opportunity while I had access to take a record of what is available.

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Miniature paint schemes reference

Many years ago, I wrote reminders in a little lined book. This contained the proportions of each paint I had used to create a specific colour and notes on what painting techniques achieved a particular result.

I can afford to buy more paints now, so I rarely mix a colour from scratch, therefore I don't need to keep a record of that, but what colours and techniques I have used for specific models and results is still handy. This page will become a reminder of those and an index to other more detailed articles.

I'll refer back here, as I used to with my little book. It will be handy when creating additions to an army or just to produce something similar.

Power armour - green

Base: Russian green (71.017) airbrush.

Wash: black

Dry brush edge highlights: Goblin green (72.030)

Gecko skin - blue scales

Base: Royal Blue (70.809)

Wash: Sepia (73.300)

Dry brush: Sky blue (70.961)

Saurian skin - greenish yellow scales

Base: Beasty brown (72.043)

Wash: Black

Dry brush: Gold yellow (72.007)

Reptile - green scales

Base: Olive green (71.007) airbrush or black primer

Dry brush: Goblin green (72.030)

Green reptile skin and steel plate

Steel plate

Base: Silver metallic.

Wash: Black.

Dry brush: Silver or silver highlight.

Suit of armour

Suit of Armour

Base: Black primer

Dry brush: Silver metallic.

This technique covers a lot of surface very quickly.

Reptile - green with brownish scales

Base: Olive green (71.007) airbrush

Dry brush: Beasty brown (72.043)

Cast Iron

Base: Gunmetal metallic.

Dry brush: Silver metallic.

Cast iron, dark bronze and green with brownish scales

Dark Bronze

Base: Bronze metallic (70.998).

Wash: Ancient copper shade (Vallejo 77.144 from the true metallic metal set.)

Dry brush: Bronze metallic.

Reptile - green with reddish scales

Base: Olive green (71.007) airbrush

Dry brush: Gory red (72.011)

Dry brush edge highlight: Orange fire (72.008)

Red reptile skin

Washes

See the separate page.

Dry Brushing

For edge highlighting, see the separate page.

Bases

See the separate page for how I prefer to base my armies.

Gold Visors

See the separate page for how I have done gold visors.

Paints

I nearly exclusively use acrylics. Oil based paints irritate my sinuses, so with all the jobs I do I try to select water based paints. From a modelling perspective, I like the very fast drying time of acrylic paints. Although, obviously that makes blending colours more difficult than with oils.

I mainly use paints from the various Vallejo acrylic ranges. Model Colour, Game Colour, Game Air and Model Air.

Unless otherwise stated, the part numbers listed refer to Vallejo paints.

I also have a very small number of AK Interactive paints. I find the pigments in these dry a little thicker, which gives them good coverage but they are more prone to hide fine details. I bear that in mind when using them. I'm unlikely to replace them when they run out.

Years ago I used Citadel paints, but I have not tried them recently.

I'm sure there are plenty of other good paint ranges, but as I like the Vallejo that I have, there is no point in me trying alternatives.

Primer

See the separate page for a review of primers.

Clear Coat

See the separate page for matt clear coat reviews.

Brushes

See the separate page for a review of the brushes I have tried.

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I wash a lot

When painting a miniature army I use whatever techniques get the desired effect as efficiently as possible. I've tried building up layers of highlights or glazing with thinned out colour, but these take quite a while. I find that the popular contract painting technique is great for bright gaudy characters, but that is rarely the result I am after.

I like a lived in look. For me I get that by applying a wash. I use this in different ways depending on what result and what colour I am working with. I thought it was time I wrote myself a reminder.

Applying washes

Thinning

I usually use Vallejo washes. I have a range of colours but I nearly always end up using black or sepia. The big pots I have can be used for dipping. They are slightly thick so I sometimes thin them for some uses. The disadvantage is that when thinned this are more prone to leave a tide mark when it dries so if possible I don't thin them.

After mixing the pigment, usually by shaking the pot, I find it has lots of bubbles. To avoid picking those up on the brush and transferring them to the model, I use a pipette to decant some into a divot in a plastic pallet.

100% wash

Where possible I use undiluted wash because it tends to dry more evenly.

I use this when I am applying directly into crevices in a well defined model where there is a good chance of avoiding getting it in the wrong places or where I am aiming for a darker colour.

It goes on very dark but dries lighter, so it can be difficult to judge the effect until the wash has dried fully, which takes many hours.

25% water to wash

This lets the wash flow but has just enough adherence to leave some pigment in the crevices.

I use this to accentuate contrast, particularly where a model has fine engraved markings.

It can be difficult to get it to dry evenly on flatter surfaces, so I make sure I push it around to where it's wanted and often soak up excess.

On some models I find that acrylic paint mixed with water is often an easier way to get the contrast with less risk of spoiling some other part of the model. The trouble with this is that this wash does not settle as well as the dedicated washes.

50% water to wash

This leave more of an uneven dull mark all over the surface, rather than dark crevices.

I use this on brighter colours and large surface areas. It's more for a dirty look and a hint at shadow. Useful for some terrain pieces.

Before and after

Application

When applying washes, I rarely cover the entire model, I direct the wash just to where I want it then push it about. I find it essential to pull and push the wash about with a brush to get it to settle where I want it and avoid too many unsightly tide marks. More likely if I have watered down the wash.

I'm not usually being too careful because the whole point is to get a random natural result that I would find difficult to emulate if I was using other techniques.

Where I am aiming for a relatively dark result, I'll apply the wash lightly all over the area and heavily in the crevices.

For bright colours I apply the wash carefully only in the recesses and folds. Red I can use a thin sepia or black wash, yellow I use a sepia wash. Blue I have been disappointed with. I am still working on a good technique for this. At the moment I have reverted to glazing rather than using a wash.

For metallics, especially bright ones, like silver and gold, I give them a complete wash all over the area where the metallic paint is. This dulls them down a bit and gets shadows in the folds and crevices where otherwise they tend to appear flat. The matched washes from the Vallejo True Metallic ranges work very nicely. I even mix and match the gold and copper washes with bronze and brass base coats to give different shades of metallics.

Dry Brush

In nearly all applications on miniatures, I use dry brushing after washing.

Reinstate the colour - I use the original base colour as a dry brush all over the surfaces. This quickly disguises tide marks and brightens the model.

Edge highlighting - usually I use a very light shade of the original colour or a very light grey or even white. Just picking up the edges. This is often after reinstating the colour, as noted above.

Conclusion

It's difficult to describe these techniques. The explanations mean something to me but they may not translate well into anything that could be used to direct others. That was not the point. There are plenty of excellent tutorials on YouTube. This is just a reminder for me.

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Dry brush for edge highlights

I'm sure there are lots of reasons to use dry brushing. It's a technique I like to use for highlighting texture on fur and hair and for edge highlighting.

I can remember the first time I successfully used dry brushing. That was for fur, well over 30 years ago. It was on a troop of Ork Wargs. I was so pleased with the results. It is when my painting results changed from "just colour on tin lead" to "these look nice."

I have had good results with metallic colours. Silver dry brushed on to black and copper dry brushed on to brown. I now think I have the technique sorted for edge highlighting with dry brushing.

The edges of the containers and barrels are highlighted

I've written these notes as a reminder to myself.

Edge Highlight Colour

I find that I need to use a lighter brighter colour than I expect.

Edge and curved surface highlighting

Light grey on black, white on light grey, very pale green on dark green etc. If in doubt, regardless of the base colour, I might use light grey or white.

I like my models to have a lived in look. I often use a black or sepia wash and then add highlights. A similar technique to edge highlighting can be used to add a little brightness to curved surfaces such as shoulder pauldrons and the pipes in the above picture.

Brush

I've tried specialist dry brushing brushes, but I find those too large for miniatures and their round shape make them difficult to direct the brush to the specific edge that I want to hit.

What I do use and my favourite is a makeup brush designed for eyeshadow. They have soft flat bristles about 8 to 10mm wide.

These are great for most edge highlighting, from small scatter terrain down to delicate miniatures. Being flat I have two choices of direction. The wider is good for long edges and by dragging the brush with the narrow face forward the brushes can get into fairly small spaces. In that rotated position they have a long enough stoke to deposit sufficient paint.

In tight spots where I need to avoid getting paint on adjacent surfaces, I use a 3mm angled shader brush. Again a flat bristle brush. This gives me lots of control and I can be very specific about which edge is highlighted.

Paint Loading

This I find a bit trial and error every time.

For cleaning I use a sponge with just a finger or two dipped in water to dampen it. I also use this to slightly dampen the bristles before I start loading the paint.

Most of the time I use undiluted paint for dry brushing. I find that if the paint is watered down, it smears rather than it catching the edges.

I like to get paint on all sides of the tip of the brush and then wipe nearly all of it off on a cotton cloth. If I can see paint depositing on the cloth, there's usually still too much paint on the brush. That's not a perfect guide, just a starting point.

My first stoke will be very light to see how easily the paint applies and either add or remove paint, as I feel. It varies by colour. Some paints work with very little effort and others need constant care to get the amount of paint on the brush just right.

Technique

I lightly drag the brush over the edge I want to highlight and can usually see the layer build up as a fine line. As the paint gets used I need to apply a little more pressure on each stroke.

The more I've use the technique, the more control I've gained about where I get the colour.

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Sci-fi scatter terrain

As a diversion from army painting, I've been adding to my scenery collection.

I've designed, printed and painted a few of my own.

In addition, I've downloaded a few that fitted the aesthetic I was looking for.

The crates are my own. The comic unexploded bomb is made of two models both downloaded from Thingiverse. The larger crater by "Terrain4Print" the smaller crater with the missile by "twistedpancreasgames". My thanks to both of those designers.

The junk piles are by "ImperialTerrain", again downloaded from Thingiverse. Many thanks for the models. I scaled them down to the sizes I wanted, printed and painted.

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