Die cast 1:72 AFV and planes repainting them or not ?

[italwars]

Hello
Just your advice on the dilemma mentioned on the title.
For a new project I have quite a few 1:72 AFV and a pair of planes bought at a good price..all die cast models ..what wargamers use to do? Repaint or not? And in case they repaint ..is it really necessary as I read in a pair of blogs to stripp all the original paint before? .which would be ,as I suppose, a real hassle
Thanks in advance

[carlos marighela]

I frequently purchase diecast toys to go with 28mm figures, AFV, cars and the odd diecast aircraft/ helicopter. In 28mm beggars can’t be choosers and I have no reservations about repainting them to suit. I usually just use Tamiya rattle cans but if the surface is suitably keyed or primed you can brush paint or just spray if you have an air brush.

If they are old and the paint work is chipped then you may need to strip them but otherwise simply spraying over the existing paintwork is usually fine. Unless you are going to mask them off I would recommend removing any existing decals as these have a nasty habit of showing though, even if you have gone the extra step of priming the model (usually a pointless step unless you have stripped it).

Many diecast models are held together with screws or rivets and by removing them you can take the model apart which makes respraying them an easier task.

[italwars]

Thanks for all those useful advices Carlos.....I’m relieved by the possibility of using cans without necessity to strip or even prime the toys ..and very relieved by the possibility to also use brushes...I’m very lazy as concern AFVs I prefer convert and paint soldiers and horses🙂
From what I understand from your answer I suppose you consider already painted die cast AFV (im referring to 1:72 Altaya, De Agostini, Amercom..)as totally unsuitable to field directly  as  they are from the box in our tabletop  battlefields  ?

[carlos marighela]

No, if something is well painted I’m quite happy to field it as is. Of course, I might be tempted to weather it a bit but usually just so it fits in with other stuff I have. Sometimes I will repaint a perfectly acceptable pre-paint but I’m not an iconoclast about such things.

Just touched up an ancient Solido Gazelle as it happens. Miliput to cover the prominent screws and a tin of Tamiya spray to touch it up.

[zemjw]

I have repainted a number of toy cars over the years, stripping some, respraying others.

The paint can be very difficult to remove (my recent effort with Mr Muscle oven cleaner failed completely). There can be some harsh chemicals involved in the stronger cleaners, so check first. If anyone knows of a nice, non-toxic way to remove the paint from die cast toys, please let me know

If the underlying paint job isn't too thick, respraying is easier, but you could still lose details.

For cars, I sometimes just hit them with matt varnish to dull them down and then weather them. The varnish is usually enough to let the washes stick.

If you're going to respray completely, sand them first to give the spray something to grip to.

[italwars]

yes the problem with "strong cleaners" including Acetone that i use for lead minis is that, in case of Altaya or similar 1:72 AFVs, they will attack also the plastic part of which i always find some (glasses, Mgs ecc..) ..on the other hand spray a primer..them paint over other colours could, as you say, mask something...i've to find some basic cheap passepartout colour spray paints..modeller ones are quite expensive if i want even a basic range of colours

[Harry Faversham]

I've tickled up a couple of diecast tanks to fit in with a particular unit, but in the main I use diecast models as they come. Always leaves me thinking...
if yer going to bugger about like that you might as well have bought a better detailed kit in the first place!

 

[dadlamassu]

Sometimes I repaint them, sometimes I use them as they come.  Mainly for my Fictional African forces
http://www.morvalearth.co.uk/Morvalonga/Morvalonga_Armed_Forces.htm

Repainted



As they come

As they come with a bit of dry brushing

[italwars]

Thanks all of you ..the AFVs left as they are, once melted in landscape and among  minis, seem fine ...maybe only the plastic gloss black wheels seem too much “toys” but even a bloody lazy guy like me could produce the supreme effort of painting them if nothing else is required 😄.

..in the meanwhile , after having read your supportive comments, I’ve just bought a flying banana heli for the French Paras in Algeria and a Puma one for the Argentine marines, unexpectedly difficult,  conquest of South Georgia ...both of them, obviously, with the wrong colour and decals that must be changed 😄😄

[bluewillow]

I do for moderns predominately and civilian matchbox etc cars

Most of the ww2 stuff I ink wash and then add weathering powders etc and stowage and good to go.

Cheers
Matt

[Commander Roj]

I have repainted a number of toy cars over the years, stripping some, respraying others.

The paint can be very difficult to remove (my recent effort with Mr Muscle oven cleaner failed completely). There can be some harsh chemicals involved in the stronger cleaners, so check first. If anyone knows of a nice, non-toxic way to remove the paint from die cast toys, please let me know

Have you used Mr. Muscle successfully to strip non-die cast metals? I have just tried Fairy Power Spray unsuccessfully.

[Norm]

I do for moderns predominately and civilian matchbox etc cars

Most of the ww2 stuff I ink wash and then add weathering powders etc and stowage and good to go.

Cheers
Matt

Agrew with this. I only have one pre-paint, which I love, but out of the box, it was too pristine, so I did a very gentle wash and added mud to the tracks and dirt to the lower body and it now fits much better with my table.

[zemjw]

Have you used Mr. Muscle successfully to strip non-die cast metals? I have just tried Fairy Power Spray unsuccessfully.

I have used it to strip paint from metal figures. Mostly enamel, probably acrylic as well (they were old figures I'd undercoated in enamel and never got around to painting, so wanted to start fresh). It did a pretty decent job, from what I remember.

I did find something in a car shop that worked on die cast models, but I threw it out when the can started to rust, and I can't for the life of me remember its name.

I just did a search for stripping toy cars and there are some youtube videos I'm going to check out later

[zemjw]

Caustic Soda (sodium hydroxide, drain cleaner) is used in this video -

It works well, but definitely something for outside, as it needs lots of ventilation, and not something for plastic!

[gamer Mac]

if you live in the uk.
Dettol cleaner works OK with little fumes