Crock Pot Drying
by Phil Kessling
One of the ways to get a figure painted in oil colors to dry faster is to use a crock pot. I always use the low setting. Different manufacturers use different resins, so I always test a small sprue before I put the figure in. I have mine plugged into a rheostat so that I can adjust the temp. I use a meat thermometer to keep track of the temperature. For resin figures, I set it so that it is around 130 degrees; for metal figures I set it around 170 degrees. I always keep it covered and wipe the lid with a paper towel every morning. The oil actually evaporates and collects on the lid.
If you’re leery of using a crock pot you could construct a “Light Box.” Walter Hames came up with a way on how to do it. ” When I switched to oils from years of Humbrol use, I made a light box for force-drying my figures. I went to the local hardware store and bought the cheapest metal tool box they had, and a lamp rewiring kit. Drilling a hole on the lower rear of the side of the box, I followed the lamp instructions for assembly. What I have now is a light bulb parallel to the bottom rear of the tool box. I spent about $15 for the parts and was done in about 90 minutes. The size of the box allows me to heat at different distances and, therefor temperatures, from the light bulb. I have baked a Historex general officer with a dress sword with no warping. “
Phil Kessling is a critically acclaimed miniature painter, author of Osprey Publications Battle Honours, and a contributing editor to Historical Miniatures magazine.