Five tips for a miniature painting table set up

miniature painting table 2

When it comes to creating the best painting table set up for building and painting Warhammer and other miniatures, there are three words: comfort, comfort, comfort!

If you're uncomfortable, you won't build or paint for very long. Here are our top five tips for creating the best painting table setup.

1)    Create a well-organised painting area

You don't have to have one massive painting table. Instead, have a small painting table where you can adjust the height. Sometimes for long, creative sessions, you want to alternate sitting and standing.

At right angles to that, have another small table or wheeled cart where you can keep all your paints, brushes and other supplies. This way, you don't have to risk knocking things over and possibly ruining your work when you reach for items. For efficiency, have the bare minimum on your actual painting surface.

An office chair with wheels allows you to adjust the height to suit your needs and swing around to mix paints without getting up. An ergonomically designed office chair will also provide back support so you won't be uncomfortable after a long session of creating Warhammer and other war gaming miniatures.

2)    Choose a suitable desktop material 

Your choice of desktop will depend on personal preference. A metal-topped desk is easy to clean but can be a cold surface to work on in winter. A laminated top is a good choice but can be heavy, as can wood.

To protect your surface, use a self-healing cutting mat. Although cheap and light, a plastic desk can bend with time, making it unstable for your paints and water jars.

Try to get a desk with adjustable feet and legs so you can set it at the correct height to work comfortably. The desk feet should be rubberised as you don't want the whole desk moving across a smooth floor if you bump it. 

3)    Organise your supplies

Having a desk with drawers on the side can help make sure painting equipment is stored neatly. A plastic toolbox or fishing tackle box also works well for storing your supplies, especially if you like joining up with friends for painting sessions and need a portable solution.

Try to arrange your paints in similar colours and tones, from light blue to dark blue, so you don't have to scratch through a disorganised drawer or box to find the exact colour you need and disturb your flow. 

 Place your brushes in a brush holder arranged by size so you can select the most suitable at a glance. Always have cleaning supplies to ensure your brush is scrupulously clean before dipping it into a different paint. This is especially true for lighter colours. Getting a green tinge to a clear yellow is easy because you used a darker colour before and didn't clean the brush properly.

A messy table interferes with judging the precise colour, so always clean up as you go instead of letting acrylic paint dry in splatters across your table. Scientific studies have proven that a messy workspace negatively affects your ability to concentrate.

4)    Separate areas for specific tasks

You can have a separate space for assembling your Warhammer, Warpath, Kings of War and other models.  It is a good idea to use a lipped tray – a white plastic tea tray is an option, so little pieces don't fall on the floor and get lost. 

You might also want to set up an airbrushing booth. This is relatively easy to create at home by taping a few pieces of cardboard together. The area for hand-painting the details on the models is the most important because this is where you will spend most of your time. 

5)    Lighting and temperature control

An adjustable light placed directly above the painting area aids with getting the details right. A magnifying glass mounted on an adjustable arm will also be helpful when you get down to the tiny details on the Warhammer or the Manic Models that include Deadzone, Warpath and Kings of War.

Air conditioning is best, as desktop fans can blow over your Warhammer and other figurines. 

Heretics Haven provides FREE painting tables for you to build Warhammer and miniature content.

You can join our growing community and make friends, gain tips from our friendly staff and work in comfortable surroundings. We have tables with the best lighting and adjustable magnifying glasses. In addition, our space is climate controlled for the most comfortable painting sessions ever. 

Give us a call or drop into our store to check out our FREE painting tables for miniatures. 

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