From sheets of plastic, to fully primed miniature
So, you’ve just booked a commission painting with our studio. Everything’s confirmed, and now you’re sitting back, waiting for your fully painted army.
But have you ever wondered what’s happening on our end? In this article series, we’ll walk you through every stage of our commission painting service. And today, we’re starting at the very beginning.
Let’s step into the Assembly Room and take a closer look at how your minis are built and prepped for painting.
Stages of the Assembly in your Commission Painting Service
Step one: getting minis for your commission painting order
There are several ways to get your miniatures to our studio. In fact, in some cases, you don’t even need to own them physically. But let’s break it down.
Your options:
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You can buy the miniatures yourself and send them over.
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We can order the models for you – this is especially useful if they’re currently in pre-order or have just been announced. We’ll handle the logistics and make sure they get to our studio.
And if the models for your commission painting order don’t exist yet – meaning they need to be 3D printed – it works pretty much the same way:
You can send us already printed models.
You send us STL files and we’ll print them for you. No need to worry about supports – we’ll handle those ourselves.
You can also send us links to files you’d like us to purchase on your behalf – we’ll take care of the rest.
Step two: Building your minis
The next step is all about assembling your models. Sounds simple on paper, but if you’ve ever built miniatures yourself, you know the devil’s in the details.
Each member of our Assembly team has a dedicated workstation, where they work on your minis.
Here’s what the standard process includes:
- Cutting pieces out of the sprues (unless it’s 3D printed – then we skip this step).
- Cleaning up all the bits – removing leftover sprue marks and smoothing out mold lines. This also applies to 3D prints, which can have imperfections from the printing process.
- Gluing everything together
But it doesn’t stop there. Every model goes through an inspection to determine whether it needs any extra fixes. These aren’t due to our builders. They’re usually caused by production defects, like pieces not fitting perfectly.
But it doesn’t stop there. Every model goes through an inspection to determine whether it needs any extra fixes. These aren’t due to our builders. They’re usually caused by production defects, like pieces not fitting perfectly.
That’s where gap filling comes in. If a model has gaps or uneven surfaces, we use professional putty to smooth everything out.
Your minis can also receive some extra treatment, such as:
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Magnetizing parts for easy weapon swaps.
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Drilling out gun barrels – because nobody likes a flat muzzle.
Once that’s done, the model goes into an ultrasonic cleaner. This removes dust, residue, and that slight greasy layer that’s often left over from production.
After cleaning, every mini is checked one last time. If everything’s good – it moves onto the next stage.
Step three: Priming
The final step is priming the miniatures with a basecoat.
We use airbrushes for priming: they give smooth, even coverage with a thin layer of paint.
Rule number one of painting? Thin your paints. That starts right here.
All of this takes place inside a proper ventilation booth, with our team using dust masks for safety and comfort.
Once primed, the models are ready for the painting stage.
From Bits to Basecoat - Your Minis Are Ready for Paint
Building minis might sound simple, until you’ve spent an hour trying to fit some uneven pieces together.
This is where our team steps in, making sure everything’s clean, solid, and ready for paint.
At Minis For War, we treat every step seriously – from assembly to the final brushstroke.
Want to start your own commission journey?
Reserve your slot here and let’s talk about which minis you want painted.
