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Magnetizing Tac Squad Special Weapons


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I do. I've done it 2 different ways, each has its pros and cons.

 

First method: magnetizing the guns

For this you use 1mm x 1mm disc magnets; two in the model, one in each hand, and two corresponding magnets in the gun.

 

First of all, stick your firing arm in place and test the fitting of the weapon so you're sure you've got the pose you wat (I recommend blu-tac or dry-fitting the supporting arm too, just to be sure the pose is good)

 

Drill a hole in the firing hand, set the magnet in place roughly where the pistol grip of the weapon would be, and then sink a corresponding magnet into the weapon so that the two magnets are in direct contact when the gun is in place. Direct contact is important, as magnets this small are quite weak, and usually only available in mid-range grades (mine are N32 I believe)

 

Next, with the weapon in place on the firing hand, stick the support arm in place - you'll have a little bit of leeway adjusting the angle of the arm as the plastic glue dries. When it's fully set, drill a hole up through the palm of the hand and through into the foregrip of the weapon. Remove the weapon, and where the drill marked a spot on the foregrip grip, drill a proper hole and sink a mag in there. Make sure it's flush, so when the gun is in place it lies flat against the supporting hand.

 

From here all you have to do is repeat the first mag process with the other weapons you want to swap, using the hole in the left hand to line up where the foregrip mags need to go (although once you've done it, it gets really easy to just eyeball it so don't worry about this too much). Finally, fill the hole in the left hand with another magnet, again making sure it's flush when the gun is in place so there's direct contact between the magnets.

 

If you do it right, you should be able to turn the mini upside down and shake it without the weapon rattling, coming loose or falling off. The weapon won't stay in place if you actually handle the mini by it, though. Don't pick it up by the gun.

 

Advantages

- You only need one set of arms for a completely swappable weapon loadout

- 1mm magnets are cheap

- Magged weapons are interchangeable between models with magged hands, allowing for more variety

 

Disadvantages

- It's pretty fiddly and time-consuming

- Even with direct contact, the bond isn't very strong

 

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Second method: magnetizing the firing arms

This is the more common way to go about it, and having used both methods, this is the one I prefer.

 

For this you'll need bigger, stronger mags; some people will tell you 2mm magnets in a decent grade (N40 or higher) will do for this, but I absolutely swear by 3mm. I've used 3mm x 1.5mm N42 and 3mm x 1mm N50, and the resulting bond is about the same.

 

The process is simple - drill a hole in the shoulder of the firing arm, a corresponding hole in the torso, stick the weapon onto the firing arm (remember to test-fit your support arm to make sure everything will line up) and sink your magnets into the holes. From there it's just a case of attaching the supporting arm.

 

If you're really fussy about the fit of the firing arm, you can stick it in place in the pose you want with a tiny dab of superglue, sort out and glue your supporting arm to make sure the pose is right, drill a 1mm guide hole through the right shoulder and into the torso, then snap the firing arm off and widen the holes out to the 3mm you need. This will make a mess of the shoulder, but that's what shoulderpads are for.

 

Advantages:

- Quick, simple

- Yields a sturdy bond (I can pick my aspiring champion up by his power weapon arm, for example)

 

Disadvantages:

- You need a right arm and corresponding shoulderpad for each weapon you want to mag up

- Weapons won't swap easily between models as weapon arms come in posed pairs

- Larger, higher grade magnets are more expensive

 

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Apologies for the somewhat monolithic nature of the post, but I hope someone finds it useful.

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