We’re all looking for things to do while we’re under various states of lockdown and social distancing. You might be taking the opportunity to knock away at a few model projects, tackling a backlog of things to build and paint. Well, the people behind those models and paints are also looking for things to do”and doing so in style.
Last week, with hand sanitiser.
At first, the supply made by the Army Painter will be donated to local schools in its native Denmark for free, so that when they re-open and social distancing measures are slowly lifted, children and teachers will have access to appropriate hygiene tools. From there, the company is working on supplying the sanitiser through its international distribution options, meaning that you might eventually be able to pick up a bottle or two yourself alongside some Nolzur’s Marvellous Pigments.
1/8 What’s in a bottle? Well, for 13-years we’ve filled these bottles with our high-quality Warpaints and we are privileged to play such an important role in your hobby. For the first time ever, these bottles will be put to use for a different reason. #Coronavirus #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/SDAogxajQC
— The Army Painter (@thearmypainter) April 6, 2020
Last Thursday, Army Painter co-founder Bo Penstoft even took to Twitter to show wargamers the first familiar (yet now very different) bottles containing sanitiser to roll off the production line as a manufacturing test.
The team worked tirelessly through the night to produce our first test run of hand sanitizer. We’ve now proven that we can, now it’s time to do. #thearmypainter #covid19 #coronavirus pic.twitter.com/tOvYaZjXjF
— The Army Painter (@thearmypainter) April 9, 2020
It’s not just Army Painter in the hobby space who are using the opportunity (and their manufacturing gear) to help people keep hygenic during the coronavirus pandemic. When Games Workshop”the company behind tabletop staples Warhammer 40K and Warhammer“announced a shutdown of its retail and online operations at the end of March, it also took to Twitter to confirm that the company that produces its Citadel line of paints and glues had also turned to developing and providing hand sanitiser production for the UK’s National Health Service.
We were thrilled to learn today that the suppliers of both Citadel Colour paint and Citadel glues have switched to producing hand sanitiser for the NHS!
We’re proud to hear they’re doing what they can to help at this time and wish them all the best! #WarhammerCommunity— WarhammerCommunity (@WarComTeam) March 31, 2020
So you might not be able to get your hands on some new paints to get cracking on that backlog of grey plastic taunting you from afar. But at least there’s a noble reason for that right now.