The first thing I do when preparing a miniature for painting is have a close look at it. I check it for any flash (AKA flashing) which is any thin areas of metal that often form between the arm spaces or in between the legs of a miniatures. There are also mold lines which are thin seams that are formed from the pressure of the metal being forced into the mold. As well as that there may be long stringy bits that hang off the miniature which are called venting. I use a craft knife with a scalpel blade and small files called jeweller's or needle files to clean off all this mess.
These days, most manufacturers produce pretty good models with relatively little flash or mold lines. Most of the dwarves were fairly clean with only minor filing required. Below is an example of one of the worst. Note the flash between his arm and axe shaft and also around the top and bottom edges of the shield. I used a jeweller's file to clean this off.
After I've finished filing and cleaning the flash off the mini, I work on the bottom of the base. Miniatures rarely have smooth, flat, base bottoms. As I'll eventually be gluing the completed miniatures to a card base I want a nice flat surface. To achieve this I rub the base carefully across a sheet of sandpaper.
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