Skip writes about tips for painting plastic figures: Above all, prepare for heartache. The bendable parts will bend, the paint will come off. sadder but wiser. Skip.

Douglas J. Evans writes: Look in DIY auto shops for a spray on primer. Supposed to be for pre-painting plastic when you really don't know the kind of plastic. My experience with the soft stuff is you need all the help you can get.

Pete Panzeri Responds:

One can be WISER, but with PLASTIC figures you don't have to be "SADDER." Plastic figures look better, are a "SNAP" to convert, cost MUCH less, and weigh in a "Airfrieght" lightness. BUT! The bitter controversy is: "Ahh! I'll loose my paint job some day!!" Well, that just aint true ... IF you do it right. The figures are DIFFERENT, and so you gotta paint them DIFFERENT (Novel Concept eh?) Bob Ogus in Fla just sold his Airfix Napoleonic Army, 3,000 figs, and guess what? They are 25 years old, STILL FULLY PAINTED! ! !

For all who FEAR that the paint will eventually chip off their figures, just keep in mind Plastic figures are the most durable figures of all, so you must use a different technique to protect the paint itself... and use a more DURABLE/PLYABLE paint. You must use acrylic [PLASTIC] PAINTS, and prime properly. I was first turned on to the potentiality of this when a Wargamer in Germany showed me a little demonstration: If you dropped a stand of four 25mm Highlanders off the table they might get bent up eh? He dropped his and they just bounced. What if sombody stepped on them flat? (with lead? YUCK! permanent loss) He stepped on the Plastic ones, FLAT! and when he picked them up they just rose back to their original poses... PAINT INCLUDED! No chipping, no nothing! !

This works:

FIRST: Wash the figures in detergent and bleach, then rinse in boiling water and vinegar. (this removes any plastic mold film.) Dry them well [I place by the heater vent or put in the sun.

SECOND: PRIME surfaces with a 'plastic-preparer' [see note below], or a good auto-body primer. Or just BASE-COAT with good ACRYLICS (That's liquid Plastic paint). Tom Milmore uses thinned latex house-paint as a primer on his 54mm's, which is pliable (more plastic paint BTW). PAINT all other main surfaces with squeeze tube or another *high-plastic* acrylic paint. You can use whatever paint you want for little details, but be sure to use acrylic for the guns barrels, bayonets, "long-thingees" etc.

THIRD: Then WHEN ALL DONE you can give an outer coating to protect the whole thing and keep it solid. Best bet for 54mm's is: "VARATHANE" POLYEURETHANE. Dip the figure upside down into this semi-clear stuff (more liquid-plastic). Let it drain off for 10 seconds and then stand the figure up and the rest will drain off to a tough THIN plastic coating. (Which also works well as a very light brown wash.) Now if you don't like the mild semi-gloss finish then dust (i.e. spray) with Dulcet. EVEN THE SWORDS AND BAYONETS WILL KEEP THEIR PAINT! Works for me, but remember dulcet looks flat but doesn't protect well, try a gloss under the dulcet if you must be flat. (I be flat).

ONE FINAL NOTE

About THAT special "primer-for-plastic": The "TSC" catalog has the stuff you need to prime plastic in it. "TOY SOLDIER CO." 'TSC' dept m, 100 Riverside dr, NY, NY 10024 (201) 433-2370 BUT it is expensive, so go ahead and try the auto shop plastic primer first.. since it would be a spray, a mass quantity and much less expensive per ounce.