# Warning - Do not leave Finecast in sunlight.



## Hurricane (Feb 27, 2010)

If you have a habit of leaving your minis in a source of light then be forewarned that the Finecast ones will end up damaged.

http://thefrontlinegamer.blogspot.com/2011/06/dont-leave-finecast-in-sun.html


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## aboytervigon (Jul 6, 2010)

Wow, I don't believe it good thing I don't have any finecast....Or ever go outdoors.


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## Masked Jackal (Dec 16, 2009)

Wow, this is rather disappointing. I don't usually leave my models anywhere this could happen, but I imagine that in some climates that'd be near impossible. o.o Still, I'd like a second source on this.


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## DestroyerHive (Dec 22, 2009)

Thanks for the heads-up. This is very important info to know before I buy my first Finecast models. +rep


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## Boc (Mar 19, 2010)

A good find, to be sure. I'll definitely have to keep this in mind as I've bought some and plan on buying more.

If only someone was willing to conduct a pricey experiment on the actual heat tolerance of the models


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## Bayonet (Aug 13, 2010)

Urrgh, no more playing my Sunday games of warhammer in the local volcano anymore - Damn you Games Workshop!!


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## Svartmetall (Jun 16, 2008)

Boc said:


> If only someone was willing to conduct a pricy experiment on the actual heat tolerance of the models...


Test it with a piece of sprue, not a model - it's the same material, after all.


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## Necrosis (Nov 1, 2008)

I'm not disappointed, I kind have gotten use to stuff like this happening from gw.


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## Flash (May 11, 2011)

Typical GW fail IMO.


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## Dicrel Seijin (Apr 2, 2011)

I should check with my FLGS and see if they've gotten complaints. The weather's been rather hot of late (then again I do live in an area whose name translates to "scorched"). And this really makes me reconsider not buying any finecast at all.


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## Maidel (Jun 28, 2009)

I call bull on this one. I work in property and uninsulated loft rooms get ridiculously hot (think of your car left in full sunlight for 6+hrs.

I think the metal pins he put in the leg were the problem, bit like putting the model in a microwave, the metal overheats and damages the resin from the inside.


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## Serpion5 (Mar 19, 2010)

I can see this happening. It has happened with my FW minis in the past and I don`t doubt it could happen with finecast. It`s annoying yes, but fixable. I don`t see why this will be a big issue. :dunno:


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## Maidel (Jun 28, 2009)

I had my forgeworld waveserpent sitting (in it's case) in the loft directly over the hotwater pipe(I didn't know it was there at the time).

The case actually melted and deformed? Everything inside the case was fine. I realise it's not exactly the same, but that resin can be quite sturdy normally.


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## Cothbarton (Apr 4, 2011)

*points to the _end _of the guy's blog*

"that the Terminator Librarian was right next to Gandalf and was absolutely fine."


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## Serpion5 (Mar 19, 2010)

Oh I don`t doubt that. But parts of Australia get shit ho in summer, and when your Hive tyrant is already leaning forward and only has one leg on the ground, it can be a problem. 

It was the FW flyrant, and the weight of the model was to the front causing it to lean forward and headplant over the course of a few very hot and humid weeks. :laugh: 

I fixed it by hanging it upside down for the rest of the summer, and now he`s more upright than he was to begin with. :grin: 



Something like your wave serpent would naturally hold its shape better; my gauss pylon also has never had this problem.


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## Maidel (Jun 28, 2009)

Ouch. I keep all of my models in cases so their own weight could never do that.

Was there a pin in his leg, just out of interest?


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## Serpion5 (Mar 19, 2010)

Nope, but there will be in the next one! :biggrin:


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## yanlou (Aug 17, 2008)

Looking at the pictures on the site, i also say its the pins thats weakened the model, hes drilled into bits that a fairly thin already and did he really need to pin it thats the question, as far as i can tell from putting my Huron model together only a small amount of glue is need for the bits to stick together and they stick straight away with no hassle, so i assume it should be like that for that dudes model.


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## Pssyche (Mar 21, 2009)

Something here doesn't sit right with me.

It's attached to its base by its rear hooves.
So all its weight should be pulling it forward and down ala Serpion's Flying Hive Tyrant.
And yet it miraculously falls over sideways.
Hmmmm...

I've left models out overnight and woken to see them splayed over like that and do you know what it was?
A member of my family had knocked it over, broke it and not told me.


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## Grokfog (May 4, 2009)

Ok, i'm quite interested to see how this works out, so i'm leaving a finecast sprue (abbadons lightning claw sprue, minus the parts) on my windowsill. England is supposed to be having a heatwave this weekend (not today it appears, but there's time yet) so i'm fairly confident i'll see for myself how it reacts to warmer weather and direct sunlight


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## Pssyche (Mar 21, 2009)

Good luck with the experiment.
Let us know if it's able to fall against the pull of Gravity, like that other guy's did.
That's quite important to know.

Damned Games Workshop and their new-fangled Anti-Gravity Finecast Resin!
Is it any wonder it's so expensive?


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## MetalHandkerchief (Aug 3, 2009)

Maidel said:


> I think the metal pins he put in the leg were the problem, bit like putting the model in a microwave, the metal overheats and damages the resin from the inside.


...and? Are you saying that the pins _excuse_ the melting? Because not being able to pin your minis would be just as bad as the minis melting in sunlight. Bottom line: GW fails at R&D.


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## a_bad_curry (Mar 10, 2011)

Ahhh....crap. In my little corner of australia, summers are regularly 40 degrees + (110 degrees) outside, so in my games room it gets up to 50 degrees+...


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## Karak The Unfaithful (Feb 13, 2011)

Don't leave finecast models in sunlight?
Thats not a problem in the UK, we don't get alot of sun but these last few days it has been quite hot...

No finecast GK libby! STAY AWAY FROM THE WINDOW!


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## MetalHandkerchief (Aug 3, 2009)

a_bad_curry said:


> Ahhh....crap. In my little corner of australia, summers are regularly 40 degrees + (110 degrees) outside, so in my games room it gets up to 50 degrees+...


Not that they want you Aussies to buy their product anyway


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## bitsandkits (Mar 18, 2008)

a_bad_curry said:


> Ahhh....crap. In my little corner of australia, summers are regularly 40 degrees + (110 degrees) outside, so in my games room it gets up to 50 degrees+...


well dont leave them out in the blazing sun in direct sunlight, and store them when your done with them

seriously folks this is just scaremongery, a few weeks a go people would had have you believe we were all gonna die of GW related resin cancer because of fine cast, this week all your minis are gonna melt in sunlight,i have seen loads of war gamers in my years and i have yet to see one of them with a sun tan caused by gaming, next week it will be GW are putting babies on spikes and selling racks of babies... tastes like chicken.

Ofcourse resin will warp in direct sunlight under glass, so will plastic they have quite low melting points, as for failing at RD, not really, GW cant account for idiots leaving models in places that are hot for long periods of time,moral of the story take better care of your models and dont blame GW for stuff you did wrong.


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## Djinn24 (Jan 12, 2008)

Well I can explain the Gandelf vs Terminator metling/not melting. When dealing with FW resin. Thicker pieces of resin take a lot more heat or time under a heat source before they become fluid. The house leg on the Gandelf mini would have taken almost no time before the resin would become fluid, while the thicker and/or pieces with less weight would have taken a lot longer.

For those doing experiments on sprue, make sure you wittle some down to half width as well in include in your experiment to represent thinner models.


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## bitsandkits (Mar 18, 2008)

djinn24 said:


> For those doing experiments on sprue, make sure you wittle some down to half width as well in include in your experiment to represent thinner models.


no real need, its pretty obvious, source of heat and a low melting point resin, will eventually become soft, its one of the requirements for resin, if it didnt have a low melting point you couldnt manipulate it when you get a warped casting (lynx pulsar we were talking about last night) to reset the model.

The problem here is people underestimate the temperatures that the sun through glass can reach and how low the temperatures required to get resin to bend.
Assuming the whole thing is genuine and not faked, it shows a lack of understanding of modeling with resin material rather than a flaw with the material, so if GW are guilty of anything its underestimating the ability of the people using the products.


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## coke123 (Sep 4, 2010)

Grokfog said:


> Ok, i'm quite interested to see how this works out, so i'm leaving a finecast sprue (abbadons lightning claw sprue, minus the parts) on my windowsill. England is supposed to be having a heatwave this weekend (not today it appears, but there's time yet) so i'm fairly confident i'll see for myself how it reacts to warmer weather and direct sunlight


:laugh: Define 'English Heat Wave'.



Maidel said:


> I call bull on this one. I work in property and uninsulated loft rooms get ridiculously hot (think of your car left in full sunlight for 6+hrs.
> 
> I think the metal pins he put in the leg were the problem, bit like putting the model in a microwave, the metal overheats and damages the resin from the inside.


That's an interesting point- although you've got to consider that the pin itself is going to increase the overall stiffness of the leg... it's possible...

What I find curious is why he bothered pinning at all... I thought that not needing to pin was one of the draws of resin.



Pssyche said:


> Something here doesn't sit right with me.
> 
> It's attached to its base by its rear hooves.
> So all its weight should be pulling it forward and down ala Serpion's Flying Hive Tyrant.
> ...


That's assuming perfect distribution of both heat and stress within the leg, which considering the pin, is highly unlikely.



bitsandkits said:


> well dont leave them out in the blazing sun in direct sunlight, and store them when your done with them
> 
> Ofcourse resin will warp in direct sunlight under glass, so will plastic they have quite low melting points, as for failing at RD, not really, GW cant account for idiots leaving models in places that are hot for long periods of time,moral of the story take better care of your models and dont blame GW for stuff you did wrong.


Whilst I agree with the spirit of your post, this is somewhat concerning for those of us who live in climates where during the summer temperature _in the shade_ can hit 40+ Celsius. Hell, last summer, I remember getting up at 2am for a swim, it was that unbearable.

That said, we should really wait for more reports like this before we pick up our torches and pitchforks. Long story short, leave your finecasts in their case, where they won't be as subject to gravity. I doubt it will heat enough to actually cause fluid flow, this is just a softening of the resin.


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## SilverTabby (Jul 31, 2009)

OK, I think I can help with this one. 

A good 40% of the models in the WHW museum are resins (the same resin FW uses, to the best of my knowledge. I don't know brand names). They sit under hot lights for 12 hours a day, and for the most part are ok. The problem comes with those that are *directly* beneath the lights at the edges of the cabinets, and so get warm to the touch (there was petitioning for LED lights for years, I don't know if the recent renovation actually got them installed). Those balanced on one leg (like the LotR characters on horses) will soften slightly, then bend under their own weight. When they cool, they can be heated gently with a hairdryer and bent back into position. It doesn't damage it, and I've been doing such repairs for years. 

If you have FW miniatures and have never had this problem, you should be fine. I haven't experimented with Finecast resin yet, but I can't see the melting point being _that_ different. My advice? Don't leave resins in direct, hot sunlight for *protracted *periods anyway. They won't melt like icecream, but may get somewhat softer and some bending under its own weight will occur. 

So long as you are sensible, this isn't a big problem. They won't turn to butter in a hot gaming store, nor dribble out of the bottom of your case. Don't forget, the ones that soften like that in WHW are under those lights all day, every day, and it got VERY hot up there before they installed AirCon.

_Edit:_ For those of you asking for actual temperatures, if you put your hand under a small, white display light for more than a few minutess it will actually feel like it's hot enough to burn you. It's direct, concentrated heat, not general, 40-odd degrees generic room heat. Think magnifying glasses and ants...


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## Jormungandr (May 11, 2011)

SilverTabby said:


> OK, I think I can help with this one.
> 
> A good 40% of the models in the WHW museum are resins (the same resin FW uses, to the best of my knowledge. I don't know brand names). They sit under hot lights for 12 hours a day, and for the most part are ok. The problem comes with those that are *directly* beneath the lights at the edges of the cabinets, and so get warm to the touch (there was petitioning for LED lights for years, I don't know if the recent renovation actually got them installed). Those balanced on one leg (like the LotR characters on horses) will soften slightly, then bend under their own weight. When they cool, they can be heated gently with a hairdryer and bent back into position. It doesn't damage it, and I've been doing such repairs for years.


they are currently doing those, I believe, I was at WHW at the start of last month, and they said they would be closing the museum over the 24th may for a week to fit led lighting and a new ceiling.



SilverTabby said:


> If you have FW miniatures and have never had this problem, you should be fine. I haven't experimented with Finecast resin yet, but I can't see the melting point being _that_ different. My advice? Don't leave resins in direct, hot sunlight for *protracted *periods anyway. They won't melt like icecream, but may get somewhat softer and some bending under its own weight will occur.
> 
> So long as you are sensible, this isn't a big problem. They won't turn to butter in a hot gaming store, nor dribble out of the bottom of your case. Don't forget, the ones that soften like that in WHW are under those lights all day, every day, and it got VERY hot up there before they installed AirCon.
> 
> _Edit:_ For those of you asking for actual temperatures, if you put your hand under a small, white display light for more than a few minutess it will actually feel like it's hot enough to burn you. It's direct, concentrated heat, not general, 40-odd degrees generic room heat. Think magnifying glasses and ants...


Hes got a damn good point, and so did B&K earlier. At the end of the day, GW apparently overestimated just how common "common" sense is amongst its playerbase, because this is just essentially scaremongering/whingeing from those who lack said common sense.

As for those of you in hotter climates: If you have a GW store or anywhere that stocks GW Finecast miniatures, go take a look at the finecast range in their display cabinets, because if they can stand up to being on display in those 24/7 in a shop window, then they will definitely stand up to play in a warm room. Just store them in cool cupboard, or something.


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## Hurricane (Feb 27, 2010)

Just as a notice, I did not intend to invoke "fearmongering" or anything of the like by linking to this blog. It's just a simple warning to not place your minis in direct sunlight for a prolonged period, which honestly you should not be doing anyway.


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## increaso (Jun 5, 2010)

I didn't think it deserved its own thread (since there are already two on the sunlight issue), so I will say what needs to be said here.

Now ready very carefully.

DO NOT FEED THEM AFTER MIDNIGHT.


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## Maidel (Jun 28, 2009)

increaso said:


> I didn't think it deserved its own thread (since there are already two on the sunlight issue), so I will say what needs to be said here.
> 
> Now ready very carefully.
> 
> DO NOT FEED THEM AFTER MIDNIGHT.


Wait - hang on - these new finecast models NEED TO BE FED!

No one told me - jeeze, the ones in the packs on my bench will be dead long before I ever open them!


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## SilverTabby (Jul 31, 2009)

Ah, but when does 'after midnight' end...?


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## Djinn24 (Jan 12, 2008)

Nah Hurricane it was a good thing to post. That blog was a pretty well written log to be honest but it is where does something go from R&D to an ID 10t error.


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## Varakir (Sep 2, 2009)

SilverTabby said:


> Ah, but when does 'after midnight' end...?


I always thought that. If i was Billy Peltzer that's the first thing i'd want clarified. Film would probably be less entertaining though.


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## Jormungandr (May 11, 2011)

Hurricane said:


> Just as a notice, I did not intend to invoke "fearmongering" or anything of the like by linking to this blog. It's just a simple warning to not place your minis in direct sunlight for a prolonged period, which honestly you should not be doing anyway.


Sorry, I think I mustn't have made myself clear:
The Blog Writer was attempting fearmongering with this blog post, not you for posting it here, I applaud you for that, you where only bringing it to the attention of people here.


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## Brother Arnold (Aug 29, 2010)

increaso said:


> I didn't think it deserved its own thread (since there are already two on the sunlight issue), so I will say what needs to be said here.
> 
> Now ready very carefully.
> 
> DO NOT FEED THEM AFTER MIDNIGHT.


It should save you hundreds if you expose them to water though.


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## Luisjoey (Dec 3, 2010)

increaso said:


> DO NOT FEED THEM AFTER MIDNIGHT.


LOL! +rep

BTW these materials are not for extreme conditions, not for playing in the beach or else. Being plastic, resin or pewter never expose the miniatures to the sun or extreme heat since it would damage the paint over the miniature and damage your art. 

I used to play Heroclix and Mage Knight, also D&D miniatures and Star wars miniatures; all of them use a kind of plastic with memory that could receive some heat to recover their original position. Since i use them in more extreme conditions (i live in a tropical country) they melted a little, i don´t think GW resin would make that, but is good to take the measures to prevent that from melting away.


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