Polishing Metal

By Anthony Karl Erdelji

Mainly I use this method only on 54mm models or larger. Games Workshop miniatures are too small and the detail make them too complex for polishing to work. Polishing work best of models with large flat areas with little detail. The example miniature is a 90mm crusader knight by Pegaso and is "in progress", but the metal is completed.

Polishing metal is a very basic method to get a realistic look to armor and weapons. The most important step is to find the right candidate for polishing. The model must be metal (duh!), and cannot have any major flaws that must be puttied or filled. We are not going to be applying any primer or paint so there is no way of covering up any flaws.

After we have a candidate, the next step is to VERY carefully remove any flash or seam lines with a hobby knife and/or fine file. One wrong slip could put a gouge in the model that will show up in the end so be careful! When done, give the model a good warm water and soapy bath and let it dry overnight.

We start polishing with some extra fine steel wool. You can find some at any drug or grocery stores. They usually come in large packs that would last you for a thousand years. Just one pad is enough for several projects. Tearing off a small piece makes it easier to use, just enough to cover one of your fingers. Start rubbing the areas you want "metal". Don't worry about accidentally polishing other areas. Polish in different directions to avoid scratches. Keep polishing until you get a nice shine, about a minute for each area. Be careful not to over polish and rub away any detail.

The next step is to buff the model with a soft cloth. An old T-shirt works well. This is where you'll really notice the shine of the metal coming out. You should notice light reflecting off  the model giving  natural and realistic highlights.

We now need to add a some shade. Mix up a 50/50 ratio of black oil paint to thinner. Don't bother trying to use acrylics or enamel paint instead, it won't work for what we're doing. Apply the wash in the normal manner, don't worry about getting the wash all over. Let the model dry for about 4 hours. Then re-buff the model with your T-shirt. You'll rub  the wash off of the raise areas leaving it only in the recesses. The more you buff, the newer the armor will look. Stop when your happy with the results.

The final step is to apply a semi-gloss sealant to give the metal some sheen. After the sealant dries 24 hours you can now paint in any other details of the model. Depend on how much you have to paint on the model, you might want to paint the rest of the model, spray is with flat coat, then brush semi -gloss onto the metal. Whichever works better for you, just be sure to primer the areas to be painted. 

Something else you can try is to buff and polish the model as above, but skip the wash for the moment. Mask off all of the metal areas by brushing on a couple coats of liquid rubber latex. Then you can spray on primer, then remove the mask and apply the wash and buff. That way you'll have a nice smooth primer coat to paint on and still have the polished metal looking good.