|
Post by runningwolf on Dec 25, 2015 13:59:38 GMT
Waiting for some stuff to dry for my build... over engineering a gingerbread house dice "tower". I promise pics.
I have a few questions for the folks who make their own minis. I know my skill level at this point sucks and I have a few questions.
I've been watching a few tutorial videos, helps a lot with seeing how things are done and avoiding dumb dumb mistakes.
The main thing I am wondering is will the sculpy (the kind that comes in colors) screw up when baked with a wire armature? I've heard some people say it will, but I think they were taking more along the lines of a terra cotta clay and not polymer clay. I heard some mention lower the temp by 100F and bake for 1.5x as long.
What do most of you guys find easier for holding the mini while you are working on it? I've seen some people use a regular table vice to hold the lower (below feet) armature. I saw some other guy who used a cork (ala wine bottle). And yet another guy had a home made dealy that looked good.... almost the size of a kid's wooden block cut in half with (looked like) wing nuts to hold the two halves a bit like a vice.
Speaking of the armature, how in the name of Captain Crunch do you get a close enough cut when you're finished to mount the minis on a base?
I have a few things ordered that should be here around New Years Weekend that will help. I already have some sculpy, wire, and such. On order I have a magnifying visor, epoxy putty, dental tools, helping hands, and micro files. Any other suggestions from folks in the know?
|
|
|
Post by adamantinedragon on Dec 26, 2015 4:20:24 GMT
runningwolf , I've done quite a few sculpey miniatures with wire armatures. I've used steel, copper and aluminum wire. I've also used aluminum foil. I've never noticed any problems with any of the armatures I've used. I've done dozens of them. I've used a lot of things to hold onto the miniature. When I'm really serious about a miniature, I tend to keep one leg's wire armature long so I have something I can grab onto. Then I either stick the wire into a cork, or else I use a spring clamp. Either of those work great. For miniatures that I haven't left a wire to grab onto, I have glued them temporarily to a bottle cap. If you need something substantial to hold onto, you can cut the top off a cola bottle and screw the cap onto it. When I cut the wire armature, it depends on what kind of wire I'm using. For aluminum I can use my flush-cut nippers. For copper and steel I use regular wire cutters and then file down the wire sticking out. I am a big fan of Sculpey, but I also like epoxy putty. I've used a lot of Apoxy Sculpt over the years. Not game related, but here's a sculpt I just did for my wife for Christmas. It's a Tigger Christmas ornament:
|
|
|
Post by runningwolf on Dec 26, 2015 14:57:18 GMT
Cool ornament, like Pooh stuff.
I'm gonna start farting around next week ans will hopefully take my own advice about not being discouraged and no on starts out as a master.
Twenty plus years ago I was so so at larger sculpts (never really good), so a bit intimidated thinking of small scale stuff.
I know I have a lot of practice and hands on time till I can even get close to what I see people post here.
|
|
|
Post by adamantinedragon on Dec 26, 2015 15:53:36 GMT
My first sculpts were pretty raw. And I don't consider myself a "sculptor". I just make stuff. My original goal was to make miniatures that would be more playable than pennies or glass beads, which is what I used when I started playing. You don't have to be an artist to do better than a blob of colored glass.
|
|
|
Post by runningwolf on Dec 26, 2015 17:29:21 GMT
I'm modding a huge lot of heroclix, and so is a friend.
I play odd genres, so sculpting some minis is something i have been interested in but have been too chicken to try.
|
|
|
Post by kitchenwolf on Feb 6, 2016 7:30:24 GMT
Wire won't do anything terrible. Air pockets between Sculpey (or any other polymer clay) and wire can get a bit ugly. The air expands when it gets hot and deforms whatever it's under. I don't really like Sculpey for minis, as it's a bit too soft (holds detail really well, just doesn't have a lot of durability). Sometimes I use it anyway: dmscraft.proboards.com/thread/2508/orcish-moai?page=1&scrollTo=30639Fimo is good, and Sculpey makes something called "Premo!" that's more or less equivalent but that I don't care for (seemed crumbly, could have been storage conditions). You can play with the consistency of polyclay somewhat by altering its temperature - chill to harden, warm to soften. I recommend getting comfortable with the polyclay before going to epoxy simply because you are under no time pressure with polyclay, but the clock starts ticking as soon as you start mixing the epoxy.
|
|
|
Post by margaret on Feb 9, 2016 17:41:07 GMT
You asked about additional tools - you might want to get a pin vise. Despite its name, that's a mini hand drill and usually comes with a set of mini-bits. It's likely to be used more by folks who put bits and pieces together to make a mini than by modelers working entirely from scratch, I would think. But you never know when it will come in handy.
You asked about what is best for securing the model as you work. I think you will find that it depends on the particular sculpt you are working on - it's good to know a variety and you seem to have tracked down the standard ones. There's a post elsewhere on these forums by a modeler who does mini-minis. Can't find it right now, but he stuck what looks like a thumbtack in a cork to make a base for a teeny sculpt.
For clarification: "you" in this message refers to the OP.
|
|
|
Post by runningwolf on Feb 10, 2016 1:15:37 GMT
Was actually looking at pin vices last weekend.
Have a project or two that came up I'm finishing up before starting on the minis. Gives my brain time to think without thinking about what I want to start making.
|
|
|
Post by michka on Feb 10, 2016 14:01:37 GMT
I haven't had any problems with using wire armatures for Super Sculpey or Fimo. I've used wires in straight Super Sculpey and a mix of Super Sculpey and Super Sculpey Firm with no deformities. In fact when I was making my stone giants I would sculpt them first, then shove a wire through the bottom of their feet up into the body to give them support. Worked great for the crude figures I was making to start out with. Since moving on to 28mm characters I use brass wire to make an armature which I push into a cork.
|
|
|
Post by runningwolf on Feb 10, 2016 16:59:51 GMT
for the most part think my set of projects coming up next will involve modding thr HeroClix to get an idea of scale and how to work with the mulliput, and farting around with the two beholders...
videos will be coming along in a bit.
|
|
|
Post by darkpath on May 5, 2016 1:37:19 GMT
I've only so far been able to make miniature bases out of polymer clay, which has been pretty fun.
|
|