⏱️ Miniature Batch Painting Time Estimator

Enter how many miniatures you're painting and your average time per miniature (based on detail level) to estimate total project time.

Number of miniatures

Time per miniature (min)

Count times minutes, converted to hours

total minutes = miniatures × minutes each
total hours   = total minutes / 60

The three quality settings are 20 minutes for tabletop, 45 for standard hobby and 120 for display work. Ten models at the 45 minute default is 450 minutes, or 7.5 hours.

Models	Tabletop	Standard	Display
10	3.3 h	7.5 h	20.0 h
40	13.3 h	30.0 h	80.0 h
100	33.3 h	75.0 h	200.0 h

Divide by the hours you actually get at the desk. 75 hours at five hours a week is fifteen weeks, which is the number worth knowing before you buy another box.

What the per-model figure does and does not cover

Painting only. Clipping, mould line cleanup, assembly and gluing add 10-20 minutes per multipart plastic kit, and priming and varnishing a batch adds most of an hour whatever the count.
Elapsed time is longer than hands-on time. Washes and contrast paints need drying spells the clock above ignores, so a 7.5 hour batch rarely finishes in one sitting.
Time your own first ten. Personal speed varies by a factor of two or more at the same standard, and one timed unit replaces the preset with a number that fits you.

The estimate is linear, and real batches are not. The first few models of a scheme are slow while you work out the recipe; by the twentieth the same model can take half as long. Expect to beat the estimate on large units of identical troops and miss it on characters.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to paint one miniature?

About 20 minutes for a tabletop standard - basecoat, wash, one highlight pass and a base. Around 45 minutes for a tidy hobby finish, and two hours or more for display work with blending and freehand.

How long does it take to paint a 100 model army?

75 hours at 45 minutes each, or 33 hours if you keep to a fast tabletop standard. At five hobby hours a week that is fifteen weeks and seven weeks respectively.

Does batch painting actually save time?

Yes, on identical models. Painting one colour across ten models at once removes nine brush cleans and nine paint mixes per step. It does not help on characters, where every model needs different decisions.