How to Care for Painted Miniatures: Dust, Chipping, Repairs

Quick answer

Protect painted miniatures by handling them at the base, storing them in a closed case with soft foam or magnetic trays, and sealing the paint with a varnish suited to your finish. Clean dust with a soft brush or lukewarm water before it bonds, and repair chips by touching in the exposed area rather than stripping the model.

Dust is the slowest damage, and the easiest to prevent

Dust settles into recesses and textured surfaces, where it dulls highlights and makes detailed sculpts look flat. A closed case or display cabinet keeps most of it off, but any model left on an open shelf will collect a film within weeks. Clean before that film bonds: a soft makeup brush or large drybrush lifts loose dust from cloaks, fur, and armor without scratching the paint. For sticky residue, use lukewarm water with a drop of mild dish soap and a soft brush, then let the model air-dry completely before it goes back in the case. Never use hot water, alcohol, or household cleaners on acrylic paint; they can soften or lift the finish.

Chipping starts at edges, so treat edges first

Paint chips where the model gets touched most: weapon tips, shoulder pads, base rims, and any sharp corner. A varnish layer is the main defense, but varnish choice matters. A matte varnish keeps the painted look but offers less abrasion resistance; a gloss varnish is tougher but shiny, so many painters apply gloss first and matte over it. If you handle models often, varnish is not optional. When a chip appears, do not repaint the whole area. Mix a close match, thin it, and dab it into the exposed spot with a fine brush, then re-varnish that section once dry. Small touch-ins are invisible at table distance and take minutes.

Storage and transport decide how often you repair

Most chipping happens in transit, not on the table. Foam trays cushion models but can rub paint on protruding parts; magnetic trays keep models apart but require a steel base or magnet. Whichever you use, leave space between models and never stack them. For short trips, a hard case with a magnetic sheet and a soft cloth over the top prevents movement. At home, store models upright in a dust-free cabinet or closed box. If you transport frequently, accept that some edge wear is normal and budget a touch-up session after each event rather than trying to make paint permanent.

When to repair, when to repaint, and when to stop

Touch in a chip when the damage is smaller than a fingernail and the surrounding paint is intact. Repaint a section when the chip crosses multiple colors or the varnish has failed across a large area. Strip and restart only when paint is flaking across the whole model, which usually means a preparation or primer problem rather than handling. If a repair keeps failing in the same spot, the cause is usually flex or friction, not the paint itself; add varnish, change how you store the model, or accept that the area will wear. Stop repairing when the touch-up would cost more time than the model is worth to you, and consider whether a new sculpt would serve you better.

Diagnose the damage before you touch the model

• Dull, gray film in recesses: Dust has settled into texture and is starting to bond. Clean with a soft dry brush first; if it smears, switch to lukewarm water and mild soap, then air-dry fully. If the film returns within days, your storage is open to dust. Move the model into a closed case.
• Sharp color loss on edges and corners: Friction or handling has worn through the paint to primer or plastic. Touch in the exposed spot with thinned matching paint, then re-varnish that area. If the same edge chips twice, the varnish or the storage is the problem, not the paint.
• Paint flaking or lifting in sheets: This is usually a preparation or primer failure, not handling wear. Touch-ins will not hold. Strip and restart the model only if it is worth the time. Stop repairing and decide: strip, replace, or retire the model.

Products that support a care routine

• IONIC Malifaux: Fated Flesh Vol. 1 Paint Set: IONIC Malifaux: Fated Flesh Vol. 1 Paint Set is a 12-color palette developed by AMMO in collaboration with Wyrd, built for warm, believable flesh with highlights, midtones, shadows, and weathered skin. A matched flesh palette makes touch-ins on faces and skin far easier, because you can recreate the original shadow-to-highlight steps instead of guessing a single color.
• Malifaux Third Edition: Alternative Vanessa: Malifaux Third Edition: Alternative Vanessa is a 32mm heroic scale miniature supplied unpainted in high-quality plastic, requiring preparation and assembly. A multi-part plastic model like this has more contact points and thin parts, so it benefits from varnish and careful storage more than a single-piece metal model.