Strange incident when washing metal models

[mutantpotato]

I know that you should wash metal models after taking them out of the blister, but I have never done so. So I decided to wash all of my metal models in my bits box.

I washed them with a strong soap, and let the models lay in a tub of water over the night to wash away the soap. The next few days I forgot the models, and I thought that a little water wouldn\'t hurt.

After some days I poured out the water, and I noticed that there was small orange dots on many of the minis. The dots can easily be scraped away, but I just want to know what these little dots are.

So have anybody else experienced this little incident too? And does anybody have a theory on what causes these little orange dots?

Cheers

 

[supervike]

I think its called rust.

 

[Ogrebane]

What sort of soap did you use. and where the dots hard or smooth. Also when you say all your minis from your box were there any contaminants in the box??

 

[Ritual]

It\'s completely unnecessary to wash metal minis (unless you have gotten them dirty for some reason)! It\'s just a waste of time!

 

[Avelorn]

Originally posted by Ritual
It\'s completely unnecessary to wash metal minis (unless you have gotten them dirty for some reason)! It\'s just a waste of time!

I never do. But I\'ve heard that sometimes a metal mini can have releasing agent left.

@Supervike: lol

 

[Ritual]

Originally posted by Avelorn

Originally posted by Ritual
It\'s completely unnecessary to wash metal minis (unless you have gotten them dirty for some reason)! It\'s just a waste of time!

I never do. But I\'ve heard that sometimes a metal mini can have releasing agent left.

Never happened to me! And I\'ve been painting since 1984!

 

[DrEvilmonki]

measles - definately measles

 

[Avelorn]

Originally posted by Ritual
Never happened to me! And I\'ve been painting since 1984!

There there.. now your using a method called induction. And as everybody knows since Hume you can\'t form laws from these kinds of broad generalisations.

:innocent:

 

[Ritual]

Erm... yes... I know. And Wittgenstein also said that you can\'t prove anything with empirical experiences, but I still say that washing your metal minis is a waste of time. I\'ll keep saying that til the day paint starts to flake off my minis.

 

[Avelorn]

hehe. the irony of irony.

 

[mutantpotato]

It can\'t be rust, because tin don\'t rust. The dots are smooth, and come off when i touch it. the soap I used weren\'t that strong, so It couldn\'t have damaged the minis, but since noone else have experienced this, I guess this was a one time only incident.

I guess this was my first and only time i wash my minis I better stop doing all the things GW staff tell me to dolol

 

[james sequeira]

depends since different companies have different compound amounts for there metals

 

[Avicenna]

I think that releasing agents for metal models are usually a powder and dont hurt the priming/painting side of things at all (and i was once told that it even helps the paint key better). Its the oily/greasy stuff they use for plastic and resin releasing agents that you need to worry about.

I have never had to wash a metal model and i\'ve been painting since \'89

 

[supervike]

Originally posted by mutantpotato
It can\'t be rust, because tin don\'t rust. The dots are smooth, and come off when i touch it. the soap I used weren\'t that strong, so It couldn\'t have damaged the minis, but since noone else have experienced this, I guess this was a one time only incident.

Yeah, sorry I was just having a bit of a laugh at your expense....But I do think that miniatures are usually alloy of more than just tin.

Tin really doesn\'t rust????

 

[Ritual]

Most metals (except the precious metals, gold, platinum etc.) oxidise and rust is the oxidation of iron. Verdigris, for instance, is the oxidation of copper. I\'m sure tin oxidises as well, and so will any other metal that is part of the alloy minis are made of. Maybe it\'s not actual rust, but my guess is it\'s some kind of oxidation.

 

[airhead]

could be a bit of iron (drill shaving?) in the bits box? Hard water?

Ritual/Avelorn, in the last two weeks, I prepped 75 minis. After the night spent scraping, pinning and assembling, my fingers and pants were covered in a bit of powder (felt like talc). But I too have never washed a mini and have been painting (poorly) since 1977. Shot of Krylon or Duplicolor primer and Bob\'s your Uncle.

 

[mutantpotato]

Originally posted by Ritual
Most metals (except the precious metals, gold, platinum etc.) oxidise and rust is the oxidation of iron. Verdigris, for instance, is the oxidation of copper. I\'m sure tin oxidises as well, and so will any other metal that is part of the alloy minis are made of. Maybe it\'s not actual rust, but my guess is it\'s some kind of oxidation.

I had that in mind too, and that\'s the best reason I can think of. the idea of leaving my minis in water seems really stupid now. I don\'t think I\'ll leave my minis in a tub water in the near future lol

 

[Ritual]

@airhead
75 minis! I hate prepping one mini! The powder is probably what Peter mentioned.


In fact, if you ARE washing your mini you risk getting problems with paint adhesion if the mini isn\'t 100% dry before priming.

Now I need to find a philosopher who promotes empiracal induction!

 

[airhead]

Although minis cannot rust, they can corrode (oxidize). The old lead minis were suseptable to lead rot (ever seen the terminals on an old car battery?).

Tin also corrodes - albet slowly. Moisture always accelerates corrosion. Washing your minis may help remove any finger oils or other things accumulated during the scaping/assembly process, but be sure they are dry before you prime them. Trapping moisture under the primer is a sure bet to paint failure later.

And interesting article on tin and lead
http://nautarch.tamu.edu/class/anth605/File14.htm but I don\'t think most of us worry about our minis lasting for the next 1000 years.

 

[Avicenna]

I think Tin oxidises worse in cold conditions too... didnt Napoleon have difficulties invading Russia as their tin buttons all turned to powder?