Cleaning, Assembling and Storing Plastic Wargames Miniatures

Quick answer

Clean every part while it is still flat on the sprue or immediately after clipping, dry-fit before gluing, and store finished figures upright with soft separators between bases. Work in that order and you avoid the two most common failures: scraping mold lines off a glued joint and gluing a pose that cannot close.

Set up a cleaning station before you clip anything

A shallow tray with a raised lip keeps small parts from rolling onto the floor, and a bright, adjustable lamp lets you see mold lines from more than one angle. Keep a soft brush, a hobby knife with a fresh blade, fine sanding sticks or a needle file, and a small dish for clipped parts. If you wear glasses, clean the lenses first; most mold lines are missed because they are seen at a glancing angle, not because they are invisible.

Plastic miniatures respond well to scraping, not sawing. Draw the blade edge along the line at a shallow angle rather than digging in. For curved areas such as helmets or shoulders, a curved scraper or the back of a knife blade follows the shape with less risk of a flat spot.

Clean in the order the part was molded

Start with the largest surfaces, then work toward detail. Gate stubs and sprue attachment points come first, because they often hide a mold line directly behind them. Next, run a fingertip over edges to find raised seams you cannot see. Finish with recessed detail such as belt buckles, weapon hafts, and faces, using a fine file or the tip of a blade.

Do not wash plastic parts in soapy water as a routine step. Most modern plastic kits release cleanly from the mold and only need washing if you can see or feel a release agent, which is uncommon. If you do wash, let parts dry completely before gluing, since water in a joint weakens the bond.

Dry-fit every joint before glue touches plastic

Press parts together without glue and look for gaps, twists, and contact points that stop the joint from closing. On multi-part figures, build from the feet up: base, legs, torso, then arms and head. This lets you adjust the stance while the joints are still accessible. If a joint will not close, find the obstruction rather than forcing it, because force usually creates a white stress mark that shows through paint.

Use a thin plastic cement applied with a brush or needle applicator for plastic-to-plastic joints. It welds the surfaces, which is stronger than surface glue. For resin, metal, or mixed-material joints, use a gap-filling cyanoacrylate instead. Keep a small amount of accelerator nearby for awkward angles, but apply it to one side only so the joint does not set before you align it.

Store by stage, not by army

Unpainted figures, part-built figures, and finished figures have different storage needs. Keep bare plastic parts in a lidded box with the sprue or a labeled bag so you can match parts later. Part-built figures should sit upright on a flat surface, not piled, because soft plastic can take a bend if it is loaded for weeks. Finished figures need separation from each other.

For finished miniatures, a really useful box with a foam tray or a magnetic sheet under the bases is the standard approach. Magnets work well for plastic figures because the base is usually flat and light. If you use foam, choose soft foam that compresses around the figure rather than hard foam that presses on bayonets, banners, and spears. Store figures upright in transit so long weapons do not act as levers.

Step-by-step cleanup and storage routine

1. Clip and bag by figure: Cut parts from the sprue with side cutters, leaving a short stub, and drop them into a labeled bag or compartment for that figure. Common mistake: clipping everything into one pile, which turns a simple build into a matching puzzle. Checkpoint: every part for one figure is in one place before you start scraping.
2. Remove mold lines before gluing: Scrape seams with a hobby knife held at a shallow angle, following the curve of the part. Common mistake: scraping after assembly, which rounds off detail and makes the blade slip into nearby parts. Checkpoint: run a fingertip over the part; if you feel a ridge, keep going.
3. Dry-fit the full pose: Assemble the figure without glue from base to head, checking gaps and balance. Common mistake: gluing the torso first and then discovering the arms cannot reach the weapon. Checkpoint: the figure stands without support and the weapon sits in both hands before any glue is applied.
4. Glue in sub-assemblies: Cement legs and torso, then arms, then head and equipment, allowing each joint to set briefly. Common mistake: flooding the joint with cement, which softens detail and creates a visible weld line. Checkpoint: a thin bead at the joint, no squeeze-out on the surface.
5. Store upright with separation: Place finished figures in a foam tray or on magnetic sheet, upright, with space around banners, spears, and rifles. Common mistake: laying figures on their sides in a crowded box, which bends thin parts and rubs paint. Checkpoint: shake the box gently; nothing should move or click against anything else.

Catalog notes that affect cleanup and storage

• Peasant Levy (1100-1350): Peasant Levy (1100-1350) covers troops raised as household members, mercenaries, or levied from towns and countryside, with many men armed and drawn from the upper peasantry. Mixed equipment means more separate arms, weapons, and heads to keep sorted during cleaning and dry-fitting, so label parts by figure before you clip them.
• Bronze Age Chariots: Bronze Age Chariots represents the light but structurally robust chariot type used in the eastern Mediterranean and Northern Europe during the Bronze Age. Wheel and axle joints are the parts most likely to be knocked out of alignment, so dry-fit the chassis before gluing and store the finished model on its base, not on its wheels.
• German Sentries: German Sentries covers soldiers assigned to non-combat roles such as guarding prisoner of war camps, secret facilities, bodyguard duty, and military police work. Sentries are often posed standing or on guard, which makes them stable on the table but easy to store leaning; keep them upright so rifles and equipment do not bend.