Tank commander help

All aspects of scale figures, buying, painting & modeling.
Post Reply
NAB
Corporal
Posts: 315
Joined: Wed Jul 21, 2021 7:41 am

Tank commander help

Post by NAB »

I got this tank commander with a older model Heng long tank.
I really like the detail and pose of this commander compared to the newer Heng Long ones so he's getting promoted to commanding the King Tiger!

The issue is that he's very shiny and hard (but also flexible) plastic. Very similar to old plastic toy soldiers my dad had when he was little.
Also he's got some really badly applied flesh paint which is also shiny and thick looking.
I tried removing it with Carson paint killer but it didn't even touch it.
Can i go straight in and start putting a white acrylic base coat on or should I use some sort of primer? Also how do I deal with the current flesh paint?

ThanksImageImage

Sent from my KB2003 using Tapatalk
User avatar
PainlessWolf
Lieutenant-Colonel
Posts: 7399
Joined: Sun Feb 26, 2012 9:09 pm
Location: Southern Colorado Rocky Mountains

Re: Tank commander help

Post by PainlessWolf »

Good Afternoon,
A lot can be done with the older Heng Long figures. Just takes some extra work as they are nowhere near as sharply defined as even Tamiya figures. Best bet is to lightly buff the whole figure then primer it in a good Tamiya type plastic primer. Then get out your various sizes of brushes and acrylic and oil paints and pick a uniform and set of facial colors and go to work. I'm the guy who created 'Crazy Joe' and have always had more luck with Uniforms than faces but there are some true Masters on the Forum here when it comes to Figures.
regards and following along,
Painless
Attachments
Gurt sack on the MG34 mount pre weathering.JPG
...Here for the Dawn...
NAB
Corporal
Posts: 315
Joined: Wed Jul 21, 2021 7:41 am

Re: Tank commander help

Post by NAB »

Ok some plastic primer and very fine wet and dry.

What about removing the existing flesh paint? Maybe it will be ok to go over the top of it but it's thick and has flooded some of the details

Sent from my KB2003 using Tapatalk
MikeHamilton
Lance Corporal
Posts: 128
Joined: Thu Jun 17, 2021 5:24 pm

Re: Tank commander help

Post by MikeHamilton »

If it’s been painted in acrylics, you could try soaking it for a few minutes in isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) or Detol antiseptic disinfectant. It’s something I do for some bits on my N Gauge model railway.
It’s not a guaranteed method, but worth trying.
‘Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes’ - Oscar Wilde
User avatar
Estnische
Warrant Officer 2nd Class
Posts: 1065
Joined: Tue Jun 07, 2016 11:52 pm
Location: Wollongong, Australia

Re: Tank commander help

Post by Estnische »

If isopropyl alcohol doesn't shift it, at your own risk, try brake fluid. Maybe try a hidden corner first in case it turns out to be to 'hot'.

Everything you need to know about figure painting you can learn from Dave Youngquist.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=P ... 2JgGAng1bB
User avatar
Herr Dr. Professor
Lieutenant
Posts: 3456
Joined: Mon Apr 22, 2019 10:48 pm
Location: Southern Wisconsin USA

Re: Tank commander help

Post by Herr Dr. Professor »

Those of us in the MMMA (Make Modeling Mediocre Again) group that meets at my house every Tuesday use full-strength Super Clean to strip model paints:
Super Clean.jpg
Super Clean.jpg (47.92 KiB) Viewed 1140 times
Your mileage may vary!
Post Reply

Return to “Scale Figures”