Rub n Buff: Shoe Shine Your Way To Faster Miniatures

Rub n Buff, a product typically associated with antiquing, is another tool in the painters inventory. I actually came across this product in 1987 when it was introduced to me at a group I used to game with, The Random Wargamers. Used properly, Rub n Buff can help you bring some very nice smooth effects to your metallics and is especially nice if you have to paint a large amount of armor. I've really only used the Silver Leaf and Pewter colors.

What is it?

Rub n Buff is a wax base metallic finish formulated from imported carnuba waxes, fine metallic powders and select pigment. This unique blend gives pieces decorated with Rub n Buff a finish no paint can duplicate. It can be applied to any clean dry surface, as well as over previously painted surfaces. They say that a single 1/2 oz tube can cover 20 square feet. That's a lot of miniatures. In fact, the only time I've run out of a tube is when I forget to use it and it got too hard to squeeze out.

Where do I find it?

You should be able to find Rub n Buff in just about any art store. I've found it in Michael's and Ben Franklin's. I tried Googling for a product page but couldn't find a link to the manufacturer. If you search though, you'll find that a lot of people carry it. Seems like it sells for ~$3.60 per tube.

How do you use it?

Go to your local drug store/pharmacy and look in the make up section for eyeshadow applicators. Don't be afraid to ask a store clerk for them, but be prepared for a couple of funny looks.

Now squeeze a little bit of the Rub n Buff onto your applicator and wipe as much of it off on a napkin or a piece of newspaper as you can. You don't need much. Now use the sponge applicator and start rubbing it over your miniature, using short brisk motions. Try to rub against the grain for the best results. It's almost like buffing a pair of shoes. You'll find that even a little bit of Rub n Buff goes a long ways.

I've found that Rub n Buff works best over a grey basecoat since it's going to feather at the edges and as a result, will blend in very nicely with the grey. After you buff your metallics, you can use a clean applicator brush to buff the metallic areas again and get rid of any excess material.

You can control the shine by how much pressure you apply when you buff it on. A lighter buffing action makes it more like drybrushing. If you want a darker metallic than I've shown here, you can use Pewter instead of Silver Leaf.

Here are two examples of what the final results look like. The first one is a simple space marine, primed grey and given a quick wash of Paynes Grey and then buffed with the Rub n Buff. I did this to show you what the effect looks like. The second example is a dark Eldar prepped the same way, except I did the flesh, shoulder armor, and hair knot before the Paynes Grey wash. In this case, I only used the Rub n Buff on his weapon.

Just a note of caution, you have to be careful of what you hit with the Rub n Buff as it's easy to accidentally get it on other areas, though, if you do, a quick touch up should fix the problem. The manufacturers have 20 total colors of this product, include colored metallics, gold, etc.

Notes

Last updated	6/23/08
Author	Michael Kan
Pre-requisites	None
Related Articles	The Secret Ingredient, Paynes Grey Speed Painting