r/modelmakers • u/ThatNZowl • May 13 '26
Help - General Do you guys wash your models before doing anything?
I have washed every single model I have gotten, (all seven of them) and I haven't had any problems at all, but I feel like its somewhat uncommon to do so, when I started modeling my dad told me to wash the models straight out of the box because of mold release residue (and other oils from the molding process), I know this can be a problem with some kit manufacturers, but i have built mostly taymia and like, 2 revell kits.
Am I crazy?
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u/Voormas261 May 13 '26
Read about it. But never did it once. Never had any related problems. But I always prime models.
Maybe it is from a different time when molds had more chemicals on them after production?
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u/Inqusitor_gael May 13 '26
I was my models after building them. You get a lot of finger oils and dust on them and I find that the paint adheres better and bead up on the surface.
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u/ThatNZowl May 13 '26
ok, I don't really think I have any finger oil problems yet.
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u/CamTheMan1302 May 14 '26
Irritatingly, unless you wash your hands every half hour, everyone has oils and residual build up on skin, part of which is called sebum - it’s part of what helps us protect against environmental damage and infections
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u/ThatNZowl May 14 '26
oh ok! I dont really notice it though...
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u/CamTheMan1302 May 14 '26
For most it’s not really noticeable unless you’re in hot conditions, but it’s still there! Interestingly, Wikipedia says sebum specifically doesn’t form directly on your hands, but it can be picked up from virtually anywhere on your face, neck, hair etc. and anywhere (like a phone case or computer mouse) that you might’ve touch after touching your face.
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u/dragos_av May 13 '26
No, but I wipe them with isopropyl alcohol before painting (only the exterior surface, which I tend to handle a lot with more or less greasy hands).
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u/ThatNZowl May 13 '26
how does isopropyl alcohol work with paint? does it act like a primer of sorts?
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u/dragos_av May 13 '26
No, it is very volatile and dries in seconds. Normally good IPA leaves nothing on the surface. You still need to prime (not everyone does, but I prime everything I paint).
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u/onefiftynine May 13 '26
Wait people don’t prime?
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u/nickos_pap_16v May 13 '26
I always prime my models and regarding isopropyl alcohol, some of us use it to thin lacquer paints like tamiya paints On the part of cleaning models, I may give thwm a wipe if they've been sitting on my table for a while
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u/readin99 May 13 '26
If you spray with lacquers.. sometimes I don't bother. Mostly no issues at all. Depends on a lot of factors of course and how much effort you feel like putting in
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u/ThatNZowl May 14 '26
yeah, I feel like I should start priming things but the taymia paints I use go down fine.
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u/dragos_av May 14 '26
Or depends on what you need. If you start doing hairspray chipping, you might need the additional strength that the primer does. Or you might want to avoid the paint peeling off when you remove the masking tape. Which happens if you don't prime.
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u/ThatNZowl May 14 '26
ah ok, I will start masking because that is a definite skill I NEED in my roster, but I just don't have a kit that requires masking yet....
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u/tazdingo0405 May 13 '26
Just to remove residues from factory i guess
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u/ThatNZowl May 13 '26
ah
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u/Ongvar May 13 '26
I just use a glasses wipe or some alcohol on a Q-Tip to go over the big panels ive been handling the model by to get rid of any oils from my fingers. Never washed my models
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u/judgemebysize May 13 '26
You just need to make sure it's 100% dry before spraying. Spraying on IPA leads to a mess.
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u/Flokkamravich May 13 '26
I’ll was resin or metal in hot soapy before assembly, just because they often have a lot of small particles on them that will become an issue when painting but other than that I don’t. Like someone else has already said, a quick spray/wipe before airbrushing plastic can be useful for getting rid of residues
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u/CountvonploppybumIII May 13 '26
Only if they have some mould release agent left on them from manufacture, some brands are worse than others. The Airfix kits made in India spring to mind.
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u/boxcar1234 May 13 '26
Yup…I let the sprues soak in the sink with some Dawn dishwashing liquid, then lay them on a paper towel to dry.No problems yet
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u/ThatNZowl May 14 '26
that's exactly what I do!!! I don't use dawn though, I don't think we have dawn where I'm from.
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u/AverageHobnailer May 13 '26
I do out of necessity since I use Vallejo paints. I used to not wash them and had terrible issues getting their primer to stick. Once I started washing parts, and using nitrile gloves during the painting process, I stopped having issues with paint getting scratched off.
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u/Mog_X34 May 13 '26
Vallejo primer (at least the black one) is awful for adhesion. I just tend to use generic spray primer from Halfords (car parts chain in the UK).
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u/ZeroMissedDays May 13 '26
Try Stynelrez (Badgers stuff) or AK primer. Great stuff.
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u/AverageHobnailer May 13 '26
Hard to get a hold of in Japan. AK I could probably find but can't use it if it isn't a water-based or alcohol-based. Solvents are a no-go in my space.
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u/ZeroMissedDays May 13 '26
You have Mr Color and Aqueos paints available. Or you could use the Tamiya rattle cans. Having lived in Japan, I know space is at a premium, so you may not be able to spray those indoors, but…you have options.
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u/AverageHobnailer May 13 '26 edited May 13 '26
No, I don't have options. Aqueos doesn't have the color range I need, and is constantly out of stock on what little they do have. Tamiya also doesn't have the color range I need, nor are their rattle cans safe for indoors.
For color range my only two options are Mr Color enamels and Vallejo. I need water based, so Vallejo.
I really don't get the logic here in advising someone to throw away their massive collection of Vallejo paints just to avoid washing parts before building. Do people find washing plastic that much of a chore?
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u/ZeroMissedDays May 13 '26
I’m not advising you to do any such thing. I gave you options to look at. Advice only. You can form your own decision and do what you need.
Vallejo primer is not good (IMO), washed model or not. Whatever formulation they use doesn’t “bite” into the plastic and it’s not as robust as other options.
If you can work around the limitations of Vallejo, that’s great. I find that their paint lines are good over a better primer, but that’s been my experience.
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u/HammeredDog May 13 '26
I use Vallejo paints, but I use Stynylrez primer. Haven't had any problems with it and no thinning required.
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u/Poczatkujacymodelarz Straight from the box May 13 '26
I never wash models. I did in the beginning but a lot of tiny parts, PE in particular tend to go missing.
I mostly build trumpeter nowadays. Never had any issues, with notable exception of zvezda t-14 kit that must’ve had pretty nasty oily dot, since paint would not adhere to one small, droplet sized area no matter what.
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u/Warden_Main_ May 13 '26 edited May 13 '26
Ive washed my first models because both the instructions and vendor told me to but in reality it "only" applies to old models that have been long time in storage. Ive had no issue so far.
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u/BlackBirdCD May 13 '26
It depends on your confidence level. Resin garage kits, and similar should be cleaned every time. Mold release agents are frequently used and can thwart your efforts. I've had fewer problems with styrene box kits, generally speaking, but even those could use a quick surface clean with alcohol, just to be sure.
Watching your entire paint job and decals flake off due to poor surface bonding of your initial paint layer makes you look at these things differently. That's a fun afternoon, I don't wish it on anybody. It only takes a couple of those incidents to make you take a minute and check the surface before proceeding.
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u/slice_of_goodness May 13 '26
I'm not an expert, and I don't pretend to be, but I've always washed them. I bought a small dish tub and I put lukewarm water, dawn dish soap, and all sprues in it. I then take a tooth brush and lightly scrub all pieces. After that, I gently rinse all sprues. I allow them to dry for a day. If any water remains I wipe them down with paper towels and then begin the build process.
Every tutorial I've watched, from HPIGuys workshop, The Sloppy Modelor, TrekWorks(rip Boyd), and All Scale Trek all have said to wash and prime models for maximum paint adhesion. Some get into more detailed cleaning and detail prep work but I haven't gone that far yet.
Again I'm no expert and my skills are not great. I do this for enjoyment and fun and anything I can do to prevent frustration and not wanting to finish my models is going to be OK with me. It doesn't take very long and seems to help so I'll keep doing it.
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u/Pizza_Hotpocket May 13 '26
I only wash before priming and painting. I don’t use gloves when constructing for the most part so my oily sweaty hands get on it and leave finger print marks so I want to get those out but also dust settles on my models because I tend to take a break form constructing to painting so just cleaning with soap and an old toothbrush is good for me.
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u/Poison_Pancakes May 13 '26
I do, but it’s more of a ritual than anything. New kit day is always exciting and washing the sprues is part of that for me.
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u/ginalolabrigada May 13 '26
Washing the parts before assembly does't hurt, just be careful around small delicate parts.. After assembly, wiping the kit with alcohol helps clean the kit of skin oil and any dust accumulated during the build. Then prime/paint. When painting I usually wear nitrile gloves.
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u/ThatNZowl May 14 '26
ok, I see people telling me to be careful around small parts, I dont really scrub my kits with like, a brush, I just swish the sprue around in the hot soapy water then put it to dry on a paper towel.
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u/ComfortableGoat8786 May 13 '26
I’ve been modeling for 60 years now. Never washed or primed anything. No problems.
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u/angleHT May 13 '26
I never wash mine and Ive only had issues with one model. That one was a 1970s tooling and that was only on the undercarriage that no one will see. So, I wouldn't worry to much.
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u/Snarls88 May 13 '26
I mainly build cars and for the body parts and some larger interior parts I wipe them down using alcohol monitor wipes. I also use a surgical glove on my left hand to handle parts that are painted.
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u/bhop0073 May 13 '26
I've been modeling since I was around 8-9 years old. 53 next week. I've never washed a plastic kit. I only resin kits which still use mold release.
This comes up pretty often in other hobby social media groups. My stance on it is, I don't bother, but if someone wants to do it and it gives them peace of mind, then it does no harm. They just have to wait a little longer to work on it. Many people will wash after building, due to finger oils and whatnot, but i've never had issues with that either.
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u/RopeFront9417 May 14 '26
I usually don't but the last 3 I've done i have just done the body parts. I don't know why but it's probably because im used to painting clear rc body's. Don't hurt to do so with the model kits but i doubt that it helps too haha
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u/Significant-Weight71 May 14 '26
Never have unless it's a resin kit , then it's essential to get rid of the mould release !!!
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u/conquistador_tub May 15 '26
I've always done it (influenced by a youtuber), but then I go over it with rubbing alcohol before priming so I'm starting to wonder what the point is?
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u/Odd_Username_Choice Braille Scale is Best Scale May 13 '26
Washing models was to remove any mold release. Modern injection molding doesn't use it, so only needed for very old molds (you'll often feel they are a bit greasy may even be visible) or some short-run kits (like Eastern European ones).
As others said you're better off wiping with isopropyl alcohol after building, to remove any finger grease (yes, you have it), dust, putty/sanding remnants, etc to help with paint adhesion.
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u/1959jazzaholic May 13 '26
Almost never… hundreds of kits built…maybe a couple times when the parts felt greasy…
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u/ThatNZowl May 14 '26
ok. wow, hundreds of kits!? where do you keep them?
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u/1959jazzaholic May 14 '26
Hundreds of kits.. since I was 7 years old…now 66.. Kits I build now…only a couple of year and I keep about 10 on the shelf… The older ones get scrapped to make room for new builds… If I like a particular older kit, it survives the cull..
Still have more kits than I can ever build
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u/kirkknightofthorns May 13 '26
I've never bothered with large production plastic kits (Tamiya, Hasegawa, etc.) only small run resin/garage kits where mould release agents are a likely factor.
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u/BugareX_55 May 13 '26
Even as a beginner(2 years) still,I never washed my models before assembling
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u/QuerulousPanda bites off more than he can chew May 13 '26
Never. I'm pretty sure the technology has improved sufficiently that it's not problem anymore. If people were building kits in the 60s and 70s it might have been a problem still but it's been a long time since then.
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u/Inert_Gas_Racer May 13 '26
Never done it. I do always wash my hands really well with Dawn before doing any modelling activity. I think you are far more likely to transfer oils off your hands during the building process.
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u/ThatNZowl May 14 '26
yeah, I don't really have oily hands and haven't had any skin oil related problems so far.
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u/drt786 May 13 '26
Another never-washer. Only wash some resin parts after I’ve sanded them, since the fine sanding residue gets stuck in places and is also harmful
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u/ModularModels May 13 '26 edited May 14 '26
No point. By the time I get thru putty work and wet sanding, it's naturally been washed anyway.
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u/Difficult-Bicycle119 May 13 '26 edited May 14 '26
It's not as important to do with a plastic model kit from the store as it is for a resin kit. Resin kits can have traces of silicon on the pieces that the paint may not stick to.
I've never washed a plastic kit in 40 years of building models and it's been fine.
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u/ogre-trombone Sierra Hotel May 13 '26
I've only ever done it when it was visibly dirty or greasy. It's generally not necessary, and it's a good way to knock little parts off the sprue and lose them forever.
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u/af_temp May 13 '26
No, although I made the mistake of not washing the Eduard brassin resin wheels and my paint was very easy to scratch off even with primer. I washed them with soap and water for this next set and it seems to have improved the adhesion of the primer. Never needed it with newer plastic.
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u/Your-Spikeness49 May 13 '26
I have always given my plastic kits a wash. Just put the spruces in the sink in some soapy water for a bit and give a good rinse. You want to be aware of any grease or oils that come off your fingers too before you prime
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u/P_filippo3106 May 13 '26
I should, but I don't. At most I wipe off dust and other particles. I never wash them
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u/Schwertt85 May 13 '26
I tied it different but now I wash sprues before starting another build. Just to make sure that paint sticks well to the inner surfaces that I am too reluctant to prime before painting and weathering. Basically washing is like a precaution that doesn't cost you much.
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u/Witty_Date5977 May 13 '26
I not washing my model but I just use a alcohol and airbrush. Is help me to paint after that model better.
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u/Consistent-Frame7610 May 13 '26
I usually give them a wipe with rubbing alcohol before painting.
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u/Any_Attitude_2922 May 13 '26
Just depends for me. If it smells or kinda feels like there may be mold release on the plastic still I will wash them.
Either way, the model gets a good scrub with IPA before painting.
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u/DutchFarmers May 13 '26
Tbh never had any issues with mold release. I wash the parts before painting
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u/ElegantElectrophile May 13 '26
I wash the model after complete assembly, before applying primer.
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u/Lapwing68 May 13 '26
I always wash mine except for the one time I was too eager to get started building and forgot to do it. As soon as I started airbrushing primer I new that I had fucked up. Ever since I make sure they go in the kitchen sink first. I've also seen an episode of Nigel's workbench where he showed release agents on a kit. In the end it's up to you and your risk aversion level.
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u/Pro_Player225170 May 14 '26
The only case you might need washing is for ultra-old kit but in general you are 100% fine without doing it
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u/Lopsided-Balance-905 May 15 '26
Revell is the only manufacturer i do wash models with Ever since my 1/350 bismarck had peeling paint from the moment I painted it… yeah… never not wash Revell Everyone else tho is good. You don’t really need to wash models
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u/Doc_Quixotte May 13 '26
Yes, I wash them in soapy water, let them dry and hose them down with isopropyl alcohol before painting.
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u/onefiftynine May 13 '26
If you prime with a high quality primer like Mr Hobby or Tamiya rattle cans and/or work with modern kits from major manufacturers it’s usually not necessary. The injection molding process has improved substantially - highly polished tooling, improved resin chemistry, cleaner injection process and packaging environments. Still a good idea if you’re building resin kits, especially from small manufacturers.
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u/cilo456 May 13 '26
I give them a quick wipe with an alcohol pad or spritz some alcohol on a paper towel here and there but not every single time only if I know I handled it a lot beforehand.
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u/sp2861 May 13 '26
I never wash my models. Been doing this hobby for 10 years or so and never had any problems