I had to type in lead rot to find my old post on the internet. Useful thing this blog. I had thought it was three parts to one, but it turns out it's just a straight 50/50 mix. Half pure turpentine and half white mineral oil. That's much easier to remember.
The really great thing is the figures look so much better when dipped in this mixture. I didn't bother towling them down as the solution will evaluate.
One little pot managed to dip all these figures, so it goes a long way.
I swopped between using tweezers and gloves to dunk the masses. It was also the time to scrub off any last minute paint that had survived the purge of the last few days.
This old chieftain is lead rot waiting to happen. The Dettol has eaten into him and he could be vulnerable. A dip in the magic elixir is definitely needed I think.
This extra coat should keep him safe. Also some silicone packets in his storage box should just help too.
This is interesting... I did think I had two of the same figure. Only not quite. I know the Perry's made multiple sculpts using different heads, but here is the same figure with an extended fur cloak.
I've always liked this guy as he looks like a natural chieftain. The slight variant is almost odd but I like it just the same. Maybe they started with a fur cowl, then thought to extend it into a cloak...who knows.
Here is everything from the last few days. It started off being a toxic nightmare with Dettol. Things got easier with paint stripper, then even easier with nail varnish remover.
All the pots are now empty and their contents cleaned and logged. I've found a few great Dwarf figures I knew I had somewhere and everything is coated against lead rot.
Here is the medical team again. 50/50 mix of both of these bottles in a little tub. Dip the figures in to coat them then shake and leave to dry. I didn't need to do this but as I said, some of the minis looked a little fragile. Better safe than sorry I say, especially after the three days in the toxic wasteland of cleaning. I hope these posts help you out if you are planning your own trip into the wastelands.
I didn't mention eye protection with these nasty solutions. However, I was wearing a pair of glasses with another pair of extra lenses for close up work on top. So I felt pretty safe in that department.
Close ups
I've had my own adventures with "lead rot"; bought some figures which showed a "bloom" of white lead / lead carbonate.
ReplyDeleteI was sceptical about the mineral oil gum turpentine treatment until I discovered gum turpentine acts as a solvent on white lead; it's used to remove varnish and white lead paint. Still not sure what the mineral oil does!
It seemed to work in combination with physical removal using a brass brush. The gloves were black and I found a black "sediment" in the mixture after dipping the figures.
Neil
Some classic figures there, and a very useful post as well.
ReplyDeleteInteresting. I'll have to try it myself... after years of stripping with dettol / Nitromors etc I've just moved on to degreaser which is (so far) doing a great job. The Fantasy Tribe orc is one of many variants shown here; http://www.collecting-citadel-miniatures.com/wiki/index.php/Orcs_-_FTO_Fantasy_Tribe_(solid_base)#FTO-12_Orc_Bodyguard_with_Battleaxe - I'd never noticed the short cloaked version before so it's another one I need t find! The full cloak version was one of the Fantasy Tribe Leaders they released towards the end of the FT days. http://www.deartonyblair.co.uk/2022/01/citadel-fantasy-tribe-evil-leaders-and.html
ReplyDeleteWhat a great looking horde! Plenty of Oldhammer interest.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your how to info! Very helpful. I would add, make sure to prime the bottom of lead figure bases as well when you’re ready to paint. Same with all sides of the unit bases to prevent any possible off gassing. Lovely classic figures you salvaged from the sludge.
ReplyDelete~ Tom T
There are some classic toys there…
ReplyDeleteA very useful looking remedial recipe….
All the best. Aly
Lead rot is a pain in the butt. I bought a huge lot of old Chronopia figures, and many of them were showing the first signs of rot. I scrubbed the miniatures with a mix of water and baking soda, and it went away (there wasn't really much of it).
ReplyDeleteNow my army rests in a plastic box with lots of silica gel packages inside.