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Caedus
Posted: Sunday, February 26, 2017 10:37:12 AM
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Going to try my hand at a few customs. Recommendations for paint, glue, taking off paint without damaging mini, aaaannnnnnnnd GO!
kobayashimaru
Posted: Sunday, February 26, 2017 2:35:58 PM
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Joined: 8/26/2011
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@Caedus
this is good news, and it's going to be fun to make custom minis!

I am by no means a pro, and what little I've learned, I've learned by asking that same question here in the SWMinis excellent "How-to" thread,
and of everyone at coolminiornot, boardgamegeek, lead-adventure.de and W40K leagues etc.
so, definitely keep on asking questions, and when you get to be "Yoda" of SWMinis, you can 'pass on what you have learned' BigGrin

SWMinis customs are made of a couple of different vinyls, potentially also resin or other plastics if you're combining parts from several miniatures to achieve the final look - say, Heroclix + SWMinis, or 3D printed + SWMinis, or Wargames Factory etc...
so, you need to stay away from the turps and heavy oil-based paint removers.
why? these'll melt your vinyl miniature.
light acetone like such as in nail-polish remover is sufficient, as acrylic nails are very similar to the plastic some miniatures are made from.
using a cotton-bud or fresh ear-cleaner, you can lightly apply the acetone to the area until the color is removed,
and then rinse the miniature in a clean tepid water bath (inside a dedicated take-away container hehe).
this will usually not discolor your miniature, and will remove ~60-90% of the color.
It's very similar to 8-bit-guy's procedure for retrobrighting actually.
8-bit-guy reverses some of the photo-chromatic yellowing of some plastics.

changing topics to paints;
you can get away with a light primer over the top in a base color, such as GW's Citadel White or Vallejo White.
Tamiya matte white is also a cost-effective option, though ensure it is not the enamel or the other-base white,
as this will melt your vinyl mini hehe.
That can be an adventure all it's own - if you go to a Tamiya ultra diamond retailer, usually located in your local 'china-town' or so,
you can meet folks that assemble gashapon-correctibiru and can recommend various paints for the model etc.
(fun trivia - the Gundam Evangelion micro-series of gashapon correctibiru silver and gold sets were made at the same factory which made our SWMinis run initially)
many gashapon-correcitibiru as by Bandai or Konami etc, they are also in vinyls.

in terms of paints;
Try to stay away from Humbrol or non-name generic acrylic, definitely no water colors or oils hehe BigGrin
though if you have to use those options, thinner gradual coats are a must,
with a sealant of your choice. Your results will vary, and i cannot guarantee longevity of the miniature or look over time.
enamel may melt your mini. oils and watercolors will flake and chip after a while with handling.
Some Polish and Russian SWMinis fans use 'chalks' and light oil-based paints over their base coat and water-colors even,
and then seal it! it is INCREDIBLE, though, prone to fading or discoloring over time. still,
they can achieve blending effects not quite possible with other colors.

In terms of painting hardware - you'll likely also want some micro-brushes;
a 00 or 000x sizing head, ~0.5mm to 2mm, maybe a Stadler paint pen 0.01mm architectural pen for eyes and ultra-fine details,
and then different kinds of brushes like a 3mm, a 5mm and then sponges or other style for 'drybrushing' or 'weathering' effects.
To start with though, all you'll need is a 2mm fine brush.
You don't need to shell out for ultra-premium brush heads or brand name brushes,
I've still got my first set of brushes and if you clean them after you use them ,they can last a long time

Changing topics to glue and joining or reposing -
usual suspects are regular superglue, 2 part epoxy non-thermal binding araldyte etc - as the ones for joining polypipe and the like will melt your vinyl mini hehe.
it is possible to cut and reposition using an old kitchen knife or a 2 dollar scalpel blade,
and you can use the wire from a paperclip or that comes in twist-ties or from your bread-bag (I don't know how bread comes packaged in your locale, local bakery or corner drugstore type deal usually has bread with twist-ties)
instead of needing to buy a whole special gauge of thin jewelers wire or florist wire.
the wire isn't necessary so much for vinyl models, though it really helps hold the parts together, just a 2mm or so rod and with SWMinis vinyl,
it can be pressed into the vinyl if you have a vice and some pliers.



I hope this helps; I'd rather give you too much of an answer than a non-answer hehe.
and I look forward to seeing what awesome custom miniature you make!

Be sure to check out "The Lost Twenty" guide - some of the first customs and easier ones to make, with a how-to guide and visual step-by-step guide, it's great! there are a few different eras you can make projects in, so it's a great place to start.
Kobayashimaru
Lily_Wan
Posted: Monday, March 6, 2017 7:27:19 PM
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Joined: 2/14/2009
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Location: Chicago
Caedus wrote:
taking off paint without damaging mini, aaaannnnnnnnd GO!

No need to strip the factory paint. Just base coat ("prime") the mini in the colour of your choice (black for high contrast, or a dark value of the colour you intend to layer up). For example, if you intend to paint a blue dress, start with a navy base coat and brush thin layers of increasingly lighter blues until you've achieved the look you want. Don't clean the brush until you've moved on to another part of the mini; this aids in blending.

Use acrylic paints such as Citadel or Vallejo. I've recently been incorporating cheap "hobby" acrylics as I've taken to the matte look when painting cloth/fabric on minis.

I use Loctite Super Glue Gel.

You'll get different advice from different folks. Some insist on industrial-strength, two-part bonding agents and the habitual use of sealants to preserve your minis. If you don't subject the customs to abuse, though, you shouldn't find these necessary.
Caedus
Posted: Monday, March 6, 2017 7:32:23 PM
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Joined: 4/20/2015
Posts: 1,227
Lily_Wan wrote:
Caedus wrote:
taking off paint without damaging mini, aaaannnnnnnnd GO!

No need to strip the factory paint. Just base coat ("prime") the mini in the colour of your choice (black for high contrast, or a dark value of the colour you intend to layer up). For example, if you intend to paint a blue dress, start with a navy base coat and brush thin layers of increasingly lighter blues until you've achieved the look you want. Don't clean the brush until you've moved on to another part of the mini; this aids in blending.

Use acrylic paints such as Citadel or Vallejo. I've recently been incorporating cheap "hobby" acrylics as I've taken to the matte look when painting cloth/fabric on minis.

I use Loctite Super Glue Gel.

You'll get different advice from different folks. Some insist on industrial-strength, two-part bonding agents and the habitual use of sealants to preserve your minis. If you don't subject the customs to abuse, though, you shouldn't find these necessary.


Thanks Lily_Wan
jak
Posted: Tuesday, March 7, 2017 6:29:31 AM
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Location: Beggers Canyon Tatooine
if you have any specific questions, Shawn, just ask.
AceAce
Posted: Friday, March 24, 2017 10:09:38 AM
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Location: Kokomo, IN
Green stuff always. Amazing how a head swap and removal of a sword from D&D (WOTC) or Pathfinder minis and an acrylic rod lightsaber can make a totally new and new looking mini.
AceAce
Posted: Friday, March 24, 2017 10:14:36 AM
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Oh yeah, I like Micro Machines (new and old) miniatures to swap parts with as well. Often, they are too small as an overall miniature, but can be used to pair with existing parts. Their droids work really well. Just made the droid from Rogue one (little one and large pilot) using parts from them and they look great.
jak
Posted: Friday, March 24, 2017 12:25:11 PM
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Location: Beggers Canyon Tatooine
about acrylic rods:
use 1/16 diamiter
sand/file the ends do they look like a lightsaber, skip this step, and your Jedi is holding a rod.
I sand the length of the blade as well, then when I color them with a Sharpie,
the sanded parts are a little darker than the rest, giving the appearance of luminescence.
jak
Posted: Friday, March 24, 2017 12:36:21 PM
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Location: Beggers Canyon Tatooine
if the hand is big enough, I drill a 1/16" hole a small way into the hand.
then the rod can be inserted in the hole resulting in a increases stability,
that cannot be achieved by just gluing the rod to the hand.
jak
Posted: Friday, March 24, 2017 12:58:57 PM
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Joined: 10/17/2010
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Location: Beggers Canyon Tatooine
paint?Blink
I've never used the expensive paint on my customs.
I check out the discount bin, with every trip to the hobby shop.
a variety of colors are needed, but custom color can be achieved with mixing.
use flat/matte finish paint on most of your minis.
hi-gloss finishes should be reserved for armor, or weapons.
priming helps, but I started out not doing it.

big secret? small brushes, they allow for very fine detail.
don't buy a multi pack of brushes, you'll end up only using one, or two of them.

care-
don't let the paint dry on the brush.
I keep them wet, by using
a small, water filled, spice bottle with small holes(for shacking out the spice)
insert the brush, bristles down, into the hole.
if the holes are the right size, the brushed stay wet, and upright.

never leave a bush in just a cup of water, the bristles will smash, and bend.
Lily_Wan
Posted: Friday, March 24, 2017 1:59:43 PM
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Joined: 2/14/2009
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Location: Chicago
jak wrote:
if the hand is big enough, I drill a 1/16" hole a small way into the hand.

I recommend an awl for this. Quick and clean.
gholli69
Posted: Friday, March 24, 2017 7:03:23 PM
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Joined: 5/12/2012
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Location: Kokomo, IN
As a cheap alternative to the acrylic rods, I have found vinyl covered paper clips can also be used to make sabers. Most office supply stores have them in a variety of colors and each clip can usually make 2-3 sabers using just the straight parts. I cut off the straights and then use an xacto knife to trim some vinyl from one end that can the. Be used as the saber hilt. This works well because it allows you to put the thinner uncovered paper clip end into the hole in the hand and any left exposed has the added bonus of being silver/ metallic. I also usually slide the vinyl covering up on the other end so it creates a hollow piece of vinyl which can then be melted using a heat gun or lighter to seal that end of the saber tip. I personally don't spend much on paints as a few basic colors can be mixed as Jak stated to make a variety of others on a cheap p!Astic pallette from any stores craft section. If you have a Meijer store nearby which you very well might living in NW Ohio, they usually have a decent selection of acrylic paints in their craft section and most are only ~$1 or 2 and last a good little while as long as you don't pour out way more than you need each time.
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