1	Decide WHOM you want to make.
2	Determine which base figure will work the best - take into consideration size of player (height/weight), right or left handed batter, shooter, pitcher, etc.
3	Locate MANY good pictures of the look you are trying to accomplish and MANY good pictures of the player you are making and other players in the same uniform. Internet searches and eBay searches are your best bets - Create the decals you will need. Print them and coat with Microscale liquid decal film, or Krylon Crystal Clear.
4	Inventory your supplies to determine what (if anything) you need to buy. You will need:
	- A few good brushes - 5/0 or 10/0 for striping and a wider round brush for large areas.
	- A good cleaner (I use white wall tire cleaner) , the key is to remove any mold release or oils that may        interfere with the priming process
	- Krylon or Testors ONLY (VERY IMPORTANT) Spray Primer (White, Black, or Gray) - Other brands        may not dry on the plastic figure
	- Acrylic paints found in the craft dept. at WalMart, Michaels or Hobby Lobby. These come in many        colors, and are sold under the brand names of Apple Barrel, Folk Art, Ceramcoat or Anita's
	- Clear Coat - Testor Model Master stuff is the best to use. Nos. 1960 and 1961 Gloss and Flat/Dull or        Krylon stuff is the stuff I prefer to use.
	- Masking Tape.
	- Decal Paper - Belart is the stuff I like best, along with Micro-scale decal chemicals, including       Micro-scale liquid decal film, Micro-Sol and Micro-Set
	- Exacto knifes, sandpaper, scissors and assorted tools
5	Clean the figure
6	Take figure and soak it in VERY HOT water. This will soften the plastic and allow you to easily disassemble the figure. How much you need to take it apart depends on the figure itself, the color scheme you are trying to paint etc. In some cases it is better to take the entire figure apart, on others - all you might need to take off is the head/helmet. If you need to remove the helmet from the head: Once you have the head off - use an exacto knife to pry/cut off the chin strap, face mask, and/or face shield. Then place the head/helmet in a shallow cup of water and microwave on high for about 2 minutes. For most figures the head should just peel out of the soft helmet. For NFL 5, insert a small screw driver from the side and/or back to pry the square stem of the helmet from the socket in the head. IF the helmet becomes misshapen, microwave the helmet in water for about 30 seconds. Hot Water Bath Disassembled Figures click image for larger version
7	Mask off the parts that you do not want to repaint (skates, cleats, etc).
8	Spray a VERY light coat of Primer over ALL parts to be painted. Repeat until you have a nice primer coat. Primed Figures click image for larger version
9	Start painting the jersey/pants/legs/equipment. The key here is PLANNING and to work from light to dark Base Colour Uniforms Ready for decals click image for larger version
10	Put the figure back together (all but the helmet) - Trimming the ball/socket joint with an exacto blade or Dremel tool will help the parts slip back together.
11	Apply the decals - Wet the area with Micro-Set. Slide the decals in place. Brush the decals with Micro- Sol especially on areas that are irregular. This stuff softens the decals so you will NOT be able to move or reposition the decal after you apply the Micro-Sol. Let the Sol soak in for about 30 seconds - them gently press the decal into the folds, use a soft brush, tissue, or make-up sponge.
12	Spray with Testors Flat/Dull on the jersey/pants/pads, etc.
13	Spray the painted and decaled helmet with Testors Gloss - 2-3 coats, min.
14	Put the helmet back on Dirty it up if you want.
15	Dirty it up if you want - Ground chalk or dry brush