Diseased minis!

[GreenOne]

Hi Y'all

I got an old Ral Partha cast as part of a mini excahange shipment, and I just put it aside in my 'bare metal' drawer, where I keep my unpainted minis... couple months laters as I was looking in for my next project, I found it was starting to get a rusty yellow color... like that

And what's more, other minis that where in direct contact with it where getting 'infected' by it !
I put them in quarantine to stop the spread, but some of them, namely the army brat model, are minis I want to keep and paint someday.

I was wondering how bad this yellow stuff is, can it eat into the matal, leaving my minis a leprecious state ? If I paint one of them, will the stuff eat through the paint and ruin a good paintjob ? How can I remove it ? etc. etc.

Please, help me save my minis !

 

[Chrome]

This sounds like just some kind of oxidation. A cleaned and primed mini -should- stop behaving like that.

IF it is what I think it is you could protect your minis with a slight coat of a random oil or primer after a good wash. Since I'm not sure what metal it is in the mini that decided to oxidate I can't give you a chemical solution to your problem but a good brush-down with a brass brush and then a priming should be enough to stop it.

 

[freakinacage]

what's it made of? i know you can get lead rot

 

[ledfloyd]

Lead Rot info

check this link out: http://theminiaturespage.com/boards/msg.mv?id=152257

 

[airhead]

Lead oxidizes to a white powder. But the yellowish tint is probably the tin in the mix oxidizing or a patina on the lead prior to the formation of the white powder. It could also be a galvanic action by differing metals coming in contact.

In either case, it is not good. I'd scrub that mini with a toothbrush and maybe some toothpaste (mild abrasive) and then dry and prime it.

Keep an eye on it. If the primer starts bubbling off, it has lead rot....

Also keep an eye on the other minis. Lead rot almost seems contagious.

 

[Rugne]

I'm just going to second Airhead's opinion on that, does sounds a lot like the early stages of lead rot, but if it was stripped, I've noticed sometimes that leaves a discolouration on a mini.

Marc

 

[GreenOne]

Lead rot, this sounds bad

I'll try and save the Army Brat, and send the culprit to the garbage...
Thanks

 

[DXM]

Can you tell if the mini is lead or Ralidium( Ral Partha's fancy word for Pewter ) Ral Partha changed from lead to Pewter in the early 90's. The mini looks bright so it could be pewter. If you tap the mini with a metal object, pewter will clink( metalic ) and lead will be a dead sound. If it is pewter, the yellow staining is probably the mold release agent that was left on the mini oxidizing and not the mini itself.
Try cleaning the mini with a toothbrush and toothpaste to see if the staining comes off.

 

[Ghudra]

I've had the same sort of tarnishing with the older pewter minis that GW produced after they "got the lead out" in the '90s. Basically, they go from yellow to brownish and can get a patina and develop small pockets of corrosion.

I had an older pewter gargant that was painted up years ago. When I went to strip it for repainting I noticed pockets along the unpainted inside of the model where there was corrosion and discoloration. A good soak & scrub in isopropyl alcohol seemed to clean it up nicely.

 

[dogfacedboy uk1]

I know nothing of chemical reactions, but I offer a religious solution :

praise the might of Nurgle thrice per night for 30 days under the light of the moon whilst standing in a pentagram filled with maggots. With his blessing the curse your minis have been afflicted with should lift.

dfb