Tricks of the Trade: Dealing with Dust

One of the challenges you must deal with when building and maintaining an army is dust accumulation. Dust builds up on miniatures very quickly and can cause issues for priming, painting, and overcoats. On miniatures that are already painted, dust dulls colors and sometimes even obscures details. It is also a big issue for terrain, which typically sits out more and can look washed out if dust is not dealt with. With all the work you put into building your collection, taking a little time to maintain and clean it shows you’re serious and ready for battle.

There are a couple of keys to dealing with dust. One of the simplest but most important is to keep a dusting brush or mini duster handy. Shown here is a big oval wash brush, which you can get for a few dollars at a general store. You can also use a makeup brush. Either way, the brush needs to be big, fat, soft, and bushy. I use this brush all the time to dust off minis and terrain quickly without damaging anything. You can also use a can of compressed air.

The best way to keep dust off terrain is to keep it covered when not in a game. I use a few plastic tubs that have a large footprint but are shallow and stackable. I added a strip of nonslip shelf liner on the inside of each tub to keep the terrain from sliding around when I move the tub. Whenever it’s time to game, the terrain I put out always looks fresh and new. If you like to display your terrain, just remember to give it a dusting from time to time to keep it looking rich.

I always dust a miniature before I spray or paint it. I also go through and dust my entire collection, including the terrain, every few months and before a game.

Ron