Post by dvandom on Sept 18, 2006 6:58:06 GMT -5
I'll inline everything later today, but for now here's a link to a webpage that has all of mine to date: Link!
So that I don't need to repeat it under each entry, here's a summary of my techniques.
I mainly use Apple Barrel and Folk Art paints, available for half a buck a bottle or so at Wal-Mart. Sometimes I need to go to Hobby Lobby for odder colors. I have a few miniatures paints here and there as well, plus some Testor's Acrylic Enamel (available in the model section at Wal-Mart).
Attacktix figures, as with most plastics, don't need priming for purposes of the paint holding. However, if I'm going to use a lighter color, or one that doesn't coat well, I paint the figure white or some other light color first (if the figure will mostly be a light tan, I'll use that has the base instead of white, for instance).
Depending on the figure, the paints used, and the look I'm going for, I sometimes use a Krylon matte sealer spray when I'm done. I'm careful to mask off the moving parts inside the dial so they don't get gummed up.
I usually do not remove the figure from the base. TF Attacktix are glued on pretty securely, I'm finding...the one I did remove (Channel) took one of the pegs with it. Since the bases are black, though, I can just touch them up with gloss black Testors paint if I can't simply scrape the slop off with my fingernail.
I use various brushes, from the rough ones that come with the Testors packs to 00 fine brushes. I also use a needle with a handle made from epoxy putty for some fine details, it does some things better than a fine brush (but not everything) and never gums up. It's really good for painting small raised details.
Reprolabels.com sells faction symbol sticker sheets (among other things), and I use them for some figures rather than painting a symbol on. Scoponok's ended up being smaller than the smallest sticker I had, though, so I did paint that one on.
When I need to reshape a figure, I use an X-Acto knife or a Dremel sander head for rough shaping, and cutter heads or a file for finer work. I add parts with either Milliput epoxy putty (it's finer than plumbing putty) or bits of styrene sheet or tube plastic (bought at a local railroading hobby store). Superglue gel works well for attaching things.
The factory paint on Attacktix figures is almost like a layer of plastic, and can leave peeling flaps at the edges of sanding or filing. I haven't yet tried removing it with acetone, since I'm not sure if the underlying plastic is acetone-proof. The soft plastic used on the majority of each figure also tends to "fuzz" when sanded or shaped with a cutter bit.
Finally, the joints scrape. I try to at least make the paintless area look decent by swiveling each joint while the paint is still soft, but in some cases (like Ramjet) I just resolve to not move the joints. Most of the heads are paint-locked like that on mine.
This file has more of my general notes.
---Dave
So that I don't need to repeat it under each entry, here's a summary of my techniques.
I mainly use Apple Barrel and Folk Art paints, available for half a buck a bottle or so at Wal-Mart. Sometimes I need to go to Hobby Lobby for odder colors. I have a few miniatures paints here and there as well, plus some Testor's Acrylic Enamel (available in the model section at Wal-Mart).
Attacktix figures, as with most plastics, don't need priming for purposes of the paint holding. However, if I'm going to use a lighter color, or one that doesn't coat well, I paint the figure white or some other light color first (if the figure will mostly be a light tan, I'll use that has the base instead of white, for instance).
Depending on the figure, the paints used, and the look I'm going for, I sometimes use a Krylon matte sealer spray when I'm done. I'm careful to mask off the moving parts inside the dial so they don't get gummed up.
I usually do not remove the figure from the base. TF Attacktix are glued on pretty securely, I'm finding...the one I did remove (Channel) took one of the pegs with it. Since the bases are black, though, I can just touch them up with gloss black Testors paint if I can't simply scrape the slop off with my fingernail.
I use various brushes, from the rough ones that come with the Testors packs to 00 fine brushes. I also use a needle with a handle made from epoxy putty for some fine details, it does some things better than a fine brush (but not everything) and never gums up. It's really good for painting small raised details.
Reprolabels.com sells faction symbol sticker sheets (among other things), and I use them for some figures rather than painting a symbol on. Scoponok's ended up being smaller than the smallest sticker I had, though, so I did paint that one on.
When I need to reshape a figure, I use an X-Acto knife or a Dremel sander head for rough shaping, and cutter heads or a file for finer work. I add parts with either Milliput epoxy putty (it's finer than plumbing putty) or bits of styrene sheet or tube plastic (bought at a local railroading hobby store). Superglue gel works well for attaching things.
The factory paint on Attacktix figures is almost like a layer of plastic, and can leave peeling flaps at the edges of sanding or filing. I haven't yet tried removing it with acetone, since I'm not sure if the underlying plastic is acetone-proof. The soft plastic used on the majority of each figure also tends to "fuzz" when sanded or shaped with a cutter bit.
Finally, the joints scrape. I try to at least make the paintless area look decent by swiveling each joint while the paint is still soft, but in some cases (like Ramjet) I just resolve to not move the joints. Most of the heads are paint-locked like that on mine.
This file has more of my general notes.
---Dave