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Figure Modding request

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  • Member since
    April 2008
  • From: Philadelphia PA
Figure Modding request
Posted by smeagol the vile on Tuesday, February 10, 2009 8:35 AM

I know a few of us use modded figures more then anything else (hans).

So I was wondering if anyone has a tutorial or a guidlines or step by step, kind of thing for modding figures.  Like... tools, materials, techniques, etc.  Those kinds of things.  My last attempt semi failed (body came out fine, head SUCKED)

 

  • Member since
    April 2008
  • From: Kristiansund, Norway
Posted by Huxy on Tuesday, February 10, 2009 8:53 AM
I am starting this very, very soon as well.. I'll keep an eye or 50 on this topic Smile [:)]

"Every War Starts And Ends With An Invasion".

  • Member since
    March 2008
  • From: East TX
Posted by modelchasm on Tuesday, February 10, 2009 10:47 AM

As I've been working exclusively with figures for a good minute now, I've gotten deep into modding figures.

Osprey Modelling Books #8 (Modelling and Painting Figures) has GREAT sections for modding all kinds of figures. Plastic, resin, metal, everything.

If you can get your hands on this book, it's well worth it.

I'm getting ready to cut up a bunch of McFarlane figures, and was thinking of following the process with a write-up. We'll let you know.

"If you're not scratching, you're not trying!"  -Scott

  • Member since
    March 2008
  • From: The Bluegrass State
Posted by EasyMike on Wednesday, February 11, 2009 7:56 AM

Almost every figure modeling How-To book I have has a section on modifying/scratch building figures.  Shepherd Paine, Bill Horan, etc., among others, all show tips and techniques for modifications.  Make some additions to your reference library.

Smile [:)] 

 

  • Member since
    June 2008
  • From: Iowa
Posted by Hans von Hammer on Saturday, February 14, 2009 7:23 AM
 smeagol the vile wrote:

I know a few of us use modded figures more then anything else (hans).

So I was wondering if anyone has a tutorial or a guidlines or step by step, kind of thing for modding figures.  Like... tools, materials, techniques, etc.  Those kinds of things.  My last attempt semi failed (body came out fine, head SUCKED)

If I can ask, why'd it suck?  Did you have a poorly-sculpted head to start with or was it a neck problem?  Necks can be a bit quirky if you're trying to save a collar and still show some neck... I build up the neck on mine by starting with a "spine" of a cut-off piece of straight pin... I drill a hole for it in the base of the skull, then glue the pin in, then drill another hole into the torso and insert the pin there, each time checking the length and nipping off a bit more of it until the head is sitting at the proper height off the collar or shoulders.  Then I can turn it in the desired position and glue in place.  I then build up the neck with small amounts of putty using a toothpick or knife blade, working the putty in unil the neck is built up to the desired thickness. 

If the head was a POS, you ain't gonna get a good look no matter what you do... Might as well set the figure on fire at the collar and jam the head down onto the melted plastic (my original technique way back when, BTW)...

If you really need to, you can look lover this guy's project, some of this is universal to modding/posing figures:

  http://www.f-15estrikeeagle.com/howto/william/william.htm

Overall, the best way to do this stuff is to stand infront of a full-length mirror and assume the pose you want, while paying close attention to the way your arms, legs, and feet are placed and turned.  The next step is locate a figure that's as close as you want to the pose you want, in order to keep the amount of cutting to a minimum, and to always cut the arms, legs, hands and feet at the shoulders, elbows, knees, ankles, and wrists.  To cut a torso, it's best to treat it as two separate joints, rather then the articulated spine.  One joint is just below the shoulders, the next just above the belt-line.  On some, it'll be just one joint between the shoulders and belt-line.  For a figure bent over at the waist, you'll want to cut a wedge-shape in the two halves, so you can get a more or less 90-degree bend...  Don't worry about the missing detail at the front of the body, it won't be seen... Use the wire or straight pin to make the spine again, and glue into position.  Once the pose is right, fill with putty and sand/file/grind to shape.  Detail will added later, your main mission is get the position right and restore the "body"...

 Keep in mind also that you may have to destroy two, or even three figures to get the one in the pose you need, by the way... That's why I buy (at least one) figure sets every time I go into the hobby shop...  Sometimes there's only a set of boots or a head, or a hand that are useable from a certain figure, but anyway, buy it, and don't worry about the rest... Just pay close attention the extemities and thier positions.  Many times I buy sets I have no intention of ever using as such, but the figures have arms that are bare, or sleeves rolled-up, or a particular pair of boots or a hat/cap/head I want... Obviously, you don't want to spend a lot of money on these guys, so if they're in the 15-20 dollar range, pass... Look for the old sets that are 5-6 bucks.  E-bay's a great source for partial but cheap figure sets... I picked up a lot of 8 sets that were partials for 1.99 and 3.50 shipping and got about 30 figures...

Anyway, the Shep Paine book contains everything you need to know about modifying figures, so as Mike said, expand your library a bit... It isn't hard to do, once you've learned a few tricks... And don't be scared to CUT, Smeagol... It's a vile thing, so it should be right up yer alley... heh..

One more thing... Don't be afraid to set flame to the figures to do major joint attachments... I do that to torsos all the time, and saves time from cutting and drilling... "Welding" figure parts is a legitimate technique that you find in the books, but it works...

 

 

  • Member since
    March 2008
  • From: East TX
Posted by modelchasm on Saturday, February 14, 2009 8:29 PM

Once again ... Hans nailed it.

Never tried he "fire" method ... not unless you count being 6 yrs old and torching GI Joe's. Hmm, probably not. Mischief [:-,] 

"If you're not scratching, you're not trying!"  -Scott

  • Member since
    April 2008
  • From: Philadelphia PA
Posted by smeagol the vile on Saturday, February 14, 2009 9:07 PM
It was a severly poorly sculpted head, and the face was to fat so I tried and mod it thinner.  The thing was I needed a head with headphones, and I only had that one

 

  • Member since
    April 2008
  • From: Philadelphia PA
Posted by smeagol the vile on Saturday, February 14, 2009 9:10 PM
well, appart from the 2 that I want to do, I came accross a picture in Musical America magazine, the Febuary 1945 issue.  I photocoppied the phots but my scanner isnt working right now, but it was in the pacific campaign, I believe, about 8 or 9 GIs without their shirts for the most part, plsying instruments, harmonicas, trombones, clarinets, guitars, and a few sitting around listening.  Also another great photo of two GIs in their foxhole with a record player

 

  • Member since
    March 2008
  • From: East TX
Posted by modelchasm on Saturday, February 14, 2009 9:28 PM

DUDE!!! Headphones are a BREEZE with scuplting clay! Find a head that works for you and then make some phones out of putty, wire, and strips from a coke can. (But be careful when using alum from a can! It can be REALLY sharp. ... just my disclaimer!)

I made some on a 1/48 figure not too long ago ... actually a few of them. I was "tricking out" crew mambers of a B-17 Bomber. Made O2 masks the same way. I'll see if I can find some pics and post them for you ... however, it's going to be a few days as I don't have my external HD with me.

"If you're not scratching, you're not trying!"  -Scott

  • Member since
    June 2008
  • From: Iowa
Posted by Hans von Hammer on Sunday, February 15, 2009 11:14 AM

Headphones, for German tankers that is, I made from "salami" slices of sprue... I just cut a 1mm-thick (?) slice for the inner pad from a piece that was about twice the diameter of the figure's ears, then another from a slightly smaller one, about 1.5 times the diameter of the ears.  Glued them together in place on the figure's head, larger one to the ear first, then the next one to the pad... I then used a little liquid cement (Testor's Black-bottle) to make a "sorta" smooth transition from the large one to the smaller one (You still want the differing diameters to be apparent though)...  I then drilled a hole at the botom-center of each can for the wires, and then flattened a piece of solder for the band, gluing each end to the cans with CA (Glue one end in place first, then after it's set, bend it over to the other one and trim to length, glue to the can on that side. )

Another way to do it, if you just want the 'phones to be hangin' on a hook or something, build them the same way, just don't glue anything to the head.  Glue the solder to the cans, let set, then use a head to form the band into the "loop"..

  

  • Member since
    April 2008
  • From: Philadelphia PA
Posted by smeagol the vile on Sunday, February 15, 2009 12:58 PM

well the headphones arent the normal kind, not the WWII kind, more like this

 

except that the only earcup is the one with the mic

 

  • Member since
    June 2008
  • From: Iowa
Posted by Hans von Hammer on Sunday, February 15, 2009 2:12 PM
Construction's about the same...

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