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Post by xiombarg on Jan 18, 2007 15:12:54 GMT -5
Here's are some materials that I'm currently using and having fairly good success with.
1 - Balsa wood: There are great benefits to using balsa wood. First its not too expensive, especially compared to things like resin casting. You can buy a large brick of it for about $8.00 from any hobby store. Works AWESOME with a Dremel. I like to use Balsa for my larger body parts because it's light , so whatever you use for joints will be able to hold it up, unlike clay materials like Sculpy, which is really heavy and brittle for a poseable figure.
2 - Tamiya Epoxy Putty: This is the best all around bonding material I've ever used because you can shape and sculpt it, and it bonds well to just about anything. I often will sculpt parts completely out of this stuff. If you do use it for sculpting, I recommend you mix and then let it sit for about ten minutes, making it not so tacky. Also, when I sculpt with it, I do half the sculpting while its still "wet" to get the general form I want, and then carve at it after its dry with a hobby knife and a dremel. It's a little bit expensive at about $6.00 per pack, but one little pack goes a long way.
3 - Lego Exoforce Joints: Exoforce joints are excellent for customs. These are quality, heavy duty ratchet joints. The only down side is that they are sort of big and depending on how you make your customs, they may sort of stick out unless you sculpt around them.
4 - Dremel: An absolute must for me. A Dremel is like a surgical drill for hobbyists, and there is every type of bit in every size you would ever need for sanding, drilling, cutting, routering.. you name it.
5- Delta Band Saw: If all you are going to use it for is modelling and hobbies like custom robots, the small 1/3 hp $99 Delta band saw is perfect. Check your local Lowe's or Home Depot if you are in the US.
6 - Delta table mounted belt sander: I love this thing. One of these makes balsa wood melt like butter. Much safer than a band saw, and still great for making angles or geometric planes (often better than a band saw). For hobbys be sure NOT to get a regualr hand held belt sander. Table mounted is the only way to go when doing hobbies. Again, $99 at Lowe's or Home Depot in the US.
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Post by Getterteam on Jan 18, 2007 18:01:01 GMT -5
very interesting xiombarg, you just gave me the envy to make some customs robots. Thx for all your precious tips.
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Post by magengar on Jan 18, 2007 18:41:00 GMT -5
Hi Xiombarg! You covered all the bases, taking this to a higher level. Excellent tips, there, bro! Hey, add to the list of tools: a small benchgrinder, with very-fine sanding discs... this also helps to grind away any unwanted plastic moldings from jumbo parts, if different bodypart shapes are desired.
With a benchgrinder, both hands can be kept holding on to the jumbo part, for better control of the grinding excercise... even barely touching the sanding disc, the plastic grinds away quickly and evenly. This is also cool for fine-tuning definite shapes of parts, such as the Mazinger chestplates, and their head crowns.
For those who like to make wooden jumbos: depending on the size of your wooden jumbo, dowels can be used to form the Mazinger ear-horns... a dowel (the same diameter as a #2 pencil) can be inserted into a pencil sharpener to form the ear-spike--- then cut the cone end off with a fine-toothed saw. Golf tees are cool for robot "spikes", too.
Happy Customizing! *^__^*
zozo-Magengar
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Post by xiombarg on Jan 18, 2007 19:01:00 GMT -5
Hi Xiombarg! You covered all the bases, taking this to a higher level. Excellent tips, there, bro! Hey, add to the list of tools: a small benchgrinder, with very-fine sanding discs... this also helps to grind away any unwanted plastic moldings from jumbo parts, if different bodypart shapes are desired. With a benchgrinder, both hands can be kept holding on to the jumbo part, for better control of the grinding excercise... even barely touching the sanding disc, the plastic grinds away quickly and evenly. This is also cool for fine-tuning definite shapes of parts, such as the Mazinger chestplates, and their head crowns. Thanks! This is essentially what I use a table mounted belt sander for. The nice thing about the sander is that it has a wide flat surface, which sometimes works better than a wheel in some cases, but the advantage of a grinder is that you get a better view of what you're doing. Most table mounted belt sanders also (including the Deltas) have a sanding wheel connected to one side.
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Post by jwm on Jan 18, 2007 19:08:23 GMT -5
I'd like to see some of your work, Xiombarg. What projects do you have completed or in progress?
JWM
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Post by xiombarg on Jan 19, 2007 12:33:40 GMT -5
Hey JWM, here's a couple of things that are closer to completion than anything else I've got. I have some other projects going too, but are still just in parts. Both of these figures are composites of many different materials and parts. I did a lot of experimenting with both of these projects to see how well different materials would work, so I tend to think of these as learning experiences to help me in the future. This first one is missing a head and fists. It's fully poseable. The upper human body is the only portion that is poseable. All the arms are poseable, and worked out even better than I expected.
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Post by boogeyman on Jan 19, 2007 13:37:17 GMT -5
I really like the second one man
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Post by Omni Existence on Jan 19, 2007 13:37:26 GMT -5
Man that looks awesomely SICK! Ahh... it would be nice to have tools! I've made about 4 customs in my lifetime, and my only friends were: - X-acto Knife - Gunze Sangyo Modelling Putty - Epoxy - Sand Paper (lots of it!!!) - and styrene sheets Looking forward to seeing your customs finished, Xio!
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Post by magengar on Jan 19, 2007 18:45:41 GMT -5
Xiombarg, Crazy Props and ShoutOuts to you, bro... ...those figures are SIIIIIIICK!!! The friggin Detail on those are Phenominal; and they're Poseable, too! I swear my jaw hit the floor heavier than a cinderblock!!! Great work, man! *^__^*
zozo-Magengar
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Post by coldiron on Jan 20, 2007 17:57:15 GMT -5
Good thread.
I have been doing vinyl customs for a bit but want to start doing mecha customs and kit bashing.
My first custom plans is to make the Imprezza Alternator into a gtfour alternator transformer.
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Post by magengar on Jan 20, 2007 19:04:44 GMT -5
Question: What's "kit bashing"?
zozo-Magengar
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Post by OJA on Jan 20, 2007 20:21:43 GMT -5
Question: What's "kit bashing"? zozo-Magengar Hello Magengar. "Kit bashing" is when you modify a toy/ kit /figure -whole or in parts - into another custom made figure...that was not intended by the original creator of the toy.
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Post by magengar on Jan 20, 2007 20:39:52 GMT -5
Oh, I see. Thanks! *^__^* zozo-Magengar Question: What's "kit bashing"? zozo-Magengar Hello Magengar. "Kit bashing" is when you modify a toy/ kit /figure -whole or in parts - into another custom made figure...that was not intended by the original creator of the toy.
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Post by xiombarg on Jan 22, 2007 11:52:05 GMT -5
Both of those figures I posted have a lot of kit bashed parts combined with sculpted parts.
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Post by admin1 aka Ed on Jan 22, 2007 14:44:05 GMT -5
I'm blown away! WOW..... Now we REALLY need to see the robot head. Ed
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Post by boogeyman on Jan 22, 2007 16:36:11 GMT -5
I don't customize but I begin years ago making static modelism... Dremel is really great, a must for those who customize
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Post by magengar on Jan 22, 2007 18:02:47 GMT -5
Cool!!! I'll remember that, next time I go shopping at the Salvation Army thriftstores... I always find neat figures and models there, once in a great while. I usually find Buzz Lightyear figures and GI Joes, but I never thought about bashing them... ...I once bought a Zoid 'bot model kit... it looked like a "UFO" shaped "crab" with guns inside its pincers, and had six legs. I lost that model kit during a recent move. But I still have a couple other figures: >>the classic Avengers android character "Vision" (without cape) >>a black "ninja" lookin dude with silver visor over his eyes. >>and a couple of 1/100 Seed and Strike(?) Gundam models. I could rebuild these into other mechas and heroes. But, I won't bash Vision, nor the Gundams. zozo-Magengar Both of those figures I posted have a lot of kit bashed parts combined with sculpted parts.
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Post by mannyD on Jan 22, 2007 22:14:45 GMT -5
goodluck on your projects xio! hey guys, i know this is a customs thread. my question is about painting. hope it is ok to post it here xio. guys have you tried spray painting painted diecast, like soc or aoshima? im planning to use spray paint from Tamiya or Gunze Sangyo, and modify the color of an extra aoshima shin getter i have. but i dont know how the paint of the diecast will react to the spray paint. if you have done this before, please share me the result, will sincerely appreciate it. tia guys good thread xio, looking forward to the finished projects
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Post by magengar on Jan 22, 2007 22:41:28 GMT -5
I was wondering about the diecast's paint, too... Perhaps sanding the original paint off with a very fine sandpaper (so as not to rough up the diecast surface), then applying the new paint, if sprayed, in thin layers so that the paint doesn't run nor sag into the diecast's moveable joints.
But don't take my word for it... this is a job best advised by someone who has successfully painted a diecast figure, who knows for sure the effects of spraypainting a diecast.
zozo-Magengar
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Post by 45caliber on Jan 22, 2007 22:49:30 GMT -5
goodluck on your projects xio! hey guys, i know this is a customs thread. my question is about painting. hope it is ok to post it here xio. guys have you tried spray painting painted diecast, like soc or aoshima? im planning to use spray paint from Tamiya or Gunze Sangyo, and modify the color of an extra aoshima shin getter i have. but i dont know how the paint of the diecast will react to the spray paint. if you have done this before, please share me the result, will sincerely appreciate it. tia guys good thread xio, looking forward to the finished projects tamiya and gunze sangyo won't harm any paints as long as you apply it at a thin coat with drying times intervals.. but tamiya and gunze are prone to becoming dull in just wiping..
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