Greetings…
I thought I would show you some useful ‘Tools of the trade’ that I have been using while I’ve been sticking lots of plastic toys together…
First up…
Where to put all those bits…
For a while I’ve been using off cuts from the heavy duty liner that was used for tanking out my cellar…
They work okay but it’s a struggle to get anything in that is bigger than an infantryman…
So…
Go big or go home 😁
Half a dozen spray can lids taped together…
This gives me loads of room… I can put multiples of the same figure in each ‘Pot’ and cavalryman with ease…
It is also a lot more stable… And there are plenty of ‘unwanted’ lids out there.
Next…
Super Glue ‘Floss’…
Okay… It may seem like a daft idea… At first….(Me! Having daft ideas… Whatever next)
I’ve only been using a small amount of Super Glue on this project…But when I do use it I use one of these..
I put a drop of glue on an old paint lid or a coin and use the pointy end as an applicator…
If too much goes on the bit I am gluing I use the ‘Floss. To remove the excess…. “Simples “ 😁
And Next…
My favourite Scalpel Blade…
For me the 15C is the first choice for cleaning up plastic figures… I like the small blade, which makes it easier to get into all those nooks and crannies…It is also good for scraping off mould lines and carving.
The only thing it has trouble with is the heavy cutting…
I use my trusty Side Snips for that…
Next…
Here’s an Old School Oldie…
Yup!…
Dissolve some bits of Sprue in Thin Liquid Cement…
You are looking for a runny PVA consistency… Put in a few bits at a time until you are happy with the results.
This is excellent stuff for filling in little holes and gaps as well as tidying up where you have scraped back areas a bit too vigorously…
Of course if necessary it can be smoothed out a bit more with some Thin Cement.
Hopefully this will be of some help to someone or maybe even spark off some new ideas and techniques.
Progress wise…
Still not much on the painting front…
But there are now plenty of toys stuck together…
All the best Aly…
Hmmm!… I should really try and be a bit more consistent with my box naming protocols.🤔
Some splendid tips and tricks there Aly. Hope you are able to get back to painting soon.
ReplyDeleteThank you Phil…
DeleteAll the best. Aly
Plastic sprue! Gosh have not seen that since a very old 1970s Military Modelling........☺ Mind you I saw on a forum recently, someone had to look up "sprue stretching"! ☺ The old techniques come around again!
ReplyDeleteMind you I had to look up "knolling" recently.....
Genius idea on the super glue floss stick!
I thought the first picture was a muffin tray........hmm French Napoleonic muffins.....with just a hint of garlic! ☺
Neil
Ah!???
DeleteStretched sprue aerials… now that brings back memories…
I also had to look up Knolling… Just now 🤣.
All the best. Aly
Really interesting tips there Aly….your care always provides outstanding results. Hard to believe but apparently ‘some’ people are less focussed on quality and just splash on some liquid cement, botching their plastic figures together, hoping the stain will cover a multitude of their mistakes 🤔….now back to the Spanish where my kitchen knife ?
ReplyDeleteHey! If it gets the toys on the table and the games played that’s fine by me Matt…
DeleteMy introduction to wargames…way back in the day… came from an interest in military modelling… particularly converting 45mm plastic figures…( it’s all I could afford)…
My methodology harkens back to articles in the Airfix Magazine, Military Modelling and books written by the likes of Captain Roy Dilley.
My habit of glossing leather belts and boots is certainly a hangover from this time in my life.
All the best. Aly
That should of course be 54mm plastic figures 🙄
DeleteExcellent stuff Aly, like the floss applicator but don't mix them up with your daily flossing routine😀.
ReplyDeleteThank you Willz…
DeleteI can just imagine what my dentist would say 😆
All the best. Aly
Neat tips, Aly! You are thinking outside the box.
ReplyDeleteThank you Jonathan…
DeleteAll the best. Aly
Some super tips there Aly and the liquid sprue is a real blast from the past, not heard of that in a long time, read about it back in the day but I have never actually made some up!
ReplyDeleteThank you Donnie…
DeleteI wasn’t sure how much use I would get out of the Liquid Sprue… but it has actually proven to be quite useful…
All the best. Aly
Brilliant is almost always having a simple component. Reusable containers, easy to understand labeling of kits/bits, containers for individuals models' collection of parts......sprue goo. I appreciate that all of this makes the assembly of kits easier and more organized. Thanks for putting it all in one place!
ReplyDeleteThank you Joe…
DeleteI’m glad if it can be of some use/help…
All the best. Aly
Always interesting to see how others work in our hobby. Hope you are able to splash some paint on these soonish.
ReplyDeleteThank you David…
DeleteMy eye continues to improve so hopefully soonish…
All the best. Aly
I like the idea of the liquid sprue. Might have to nick that one, along with the small blade for your knife.
ReplyDeleteFeel free Ray…
DeleteIt will be interesting to see how you get on with it…
All the best. Aly
I thought exactly the same thing about the muffin tins in the first image!
ReplyDeleteAre all those plastic boxes full of assembled units??? If so, you have a lot of painting to catch up on!
I did consider Muffin Tins Keith…
DeleteBut they are not as deep… And not as ‘Free’ 😁
Apart from a couple the boxes have 18-24 Infantry or 9 Cavalry…
So yes… Plenty to do when my eye gets better.
All the best. Aly
I do like the tooth-pick cum floss idea, I shall definitely steal that for a superglue applicator. The only thing missing is an impalement rack. I like to paint riders separately from their mounts so drill a hole in their fundament and pva a cocktail stick up 'em. I then have a scrap of wood with a series of numbered holes into which they can be stood. If required to keep track of rider-mount pairings (sometimes they only sit right on a particular mount) I number the bottle top the horse are stuck to for painting.
ReplyDeleteI prefer to paint my cavalry fully assembled…
DeleteBut if you are going to do them separately a decent form of impalement would be useful…
Maybe you could create little saddles on sticks 😁
I certainly approve of numbering the pairings… Anything to make life easier…
All the best. Aly
An instructive and useful post on the often overlooked steps that come before painting.
ReplyDeleteThank you Ed…
DeleteHopefully you found something of some use…
All the best. Aly
Very useful ideas, specially the liquid sprue! I'll surelly try it sometime!
ReplyDeleteAustralusia.blogspot.com
Thank you…
DeleteAll the best. Aly