Good tutorial for painting on sprue?

[Soldier of Dorn]

On topic, I have nothing to add. I paint everything fully assembled (even bolters! Heresy! ) I've found that if I try to paint prior to assembling everything, when I glue I'll inevitably manage to up the paint job somehow. Every. Single. Time.

You can always partially paint, finish assembly, and then paint final details on.

This has a few advantages:

1) You don't miss any hard-to reach spots

2) Any areas spoiled by the assembly stage can be easily corrected in the final details painting stage

3) You don't waste time painting details that cannot be seen

It's actually a great compromise!

Thought about it on several occasions, but I'm fine with my way for now. I find there's very rarely (in fact, I've as yet never found) an occasion where I can see something and not paint it to my normal standard. Maybe if I was a bit better of a painter I would, but at this point I'm happy with how things are. :)

[Subtle Discord]

~ Edited for brevity.

Files... I would get a couple of decent ones, but don't worry about getting super-duper ones right now. You are mostly filing plastic afterall. A tapered half-round and a flat one will do you for 95% of your jobs. Should cost about $2-3 each:

3) Buy "ground" drill bits - not "twisted" or"rolled". The cost more, but are properly-made and won't get stuck and break as easily. This is because the spiral cutting faces are machined onto the bit, rather than the bit being stamped and then twisted or rolled to get the spiral. The swarf (the stuff you drill out of the whole) gets stuck very easily in small bits, and the twisted/rolled bits aren't even enough to let it come out smoothly. Once you know what size brass rod you have, buy drill bits to suit that are 0.25-0.50mm larger to give the rod and glue some clearance in the hole. Avoid a multi-pack of bits, because you will never use at least 2/3s of the sizes!

I was going to comment on this earlier but got caught up with college work. I think this is a good place to make a bit of a side point as well as offer a different opinion.

First, I just want to say that the information and thought that goes into posts by Major_Gilbear is much appreciated. It's usually very obvious that he's speaking from a place of experience on most things and provides very good insight when he writes. I've picked out the two comments because they tie in well with my 'side point', which is...

What Major_Gilbear is saying has merit; many times you won't need a 'high end' tool to get results as good as something more modestly priced. I have many low-cost and homemade tools that I value as much as tools I've paid for. As with any creative and/or creation process (from high design to humble folk art), find what works for you and work it! I'm not suggesting that Major_Gilbear is acting this way, but some people can get a little insistent that 'their way' is the 'best way', and that's simply not the case. Desired results are subjective and only you can say just how far you want to take anything. That said, don't be so set in your ways that you're not willing to learn and explore, so you don't miss out on something or some process that is simply better. In the spirit of this, the following...

If there was just one tool that I would literally plead to every model builder to invest the few extra dollars in, it would be the humble File. Or more accurately, a small selection of go-to Files (3-4 at most, is all you 'need'). As per the spirit of my 'side point', yes you can get very good results using lower quality files and other techniques for removing mould lines (especially the wonderfully subtle mould lines of GWs newest plastics... sooo nice!) but I really can't say enough good things about how great high quality Jeweler's Files are. Yes they work well on mould lines, but also on everything else you might need them for (read: greenstuff and the like) and especially in all of those tricky spots like corrugated hose and plasma grills. For years I used 'good' files purchased from a well stocked Hobby Shop, and they were fine, until the day I used a Swiss Made 'Grobet' File, period. All stop. I still use the exact same File 15+ years later, on basically every model I build; I simply refused to give it up once I tried it. (It belonged to a family member who is a Silversmith, so I negotiated a trade for it.) I simply love my Grobet #4 Half Round. Many files can handle the easy areas on a model (some really do suck, however), but these files excel at the really tricky spots. Really, they're that good (excellent cutting surface, sharp accurate corners/edges, beautiful smooth and useful taper to an amazingly fine point, etc.) and they only cost a few dollars more. In fact, I've seen really bad Hobby Shop files selling for the same price retail, and it makes me cringe. And, as I said, they last decades, if not a lifetime; if you plan on building for many years to come, do yourself a favor and get a few really nice Files. They almost make removing mould lines enjoyable... almost. I build many models in my college program and I've literally had people ask me "Where do you get these files?!" after I've let them borrow them just once in the shop; they're that nice... so nice, they they spoil you, if you have to use something else.

On the flip side of that coin, I've never seen the need to invest in high quality coated Drill Bits, but I do get mine from the same jewelry supply that I get Files and Jeweler's (Razor) Saw Blades from, so they're likely reasonably good quality. The metals hobbyists will deal with are very soft and I've never had an issue drilling very clean and accurate holes in the plastics we encounter. And trust me, I've hand drilled thousands and thousands of very accurate holes over the years. That said, I trust Major_Gilbear's opinion enough, and he seems quite keen on them, so next time I get some bits I'll be more selective and see how they perform. What I've been using is fine, but better is simply better sometimes. And, on a related side note, I've always found that paperclips are an excellent source of pinning wire; harder/stiffer/stronger then brass, but not so hard that you should worry about harming your clippers.

Again, I'm the first to say my opinion is subjective and I model everything to a very high standard, so I really notice the improvement that a good select quality tools make, especially Files. But I also understand that results may vary, and many might think it's overkill. But considering the cost of even a few models in this hobby, a few extra dollars really is a small price you pay for a really nice tool that will see years of constant use, and give great results all the way.

Ok... I'll shut up now. *Wanders off to write about much less interesting things* ... Thesis sucks.

[Major_Gilbear]

@ Subtle Discord:

When I started wargaming, the only game where plastic models were a big part of a typical army was Epic (and I still remember owning some of their lead antecedents too!).

For a long time, any and all models I owned were metal, and had few parts. Over time, the lead models were changed to a lead-free white metal that was quite a lot harder; this was something that GW started, and was quickly taken up by others in the industry too. It was when I started with PP's Warmachine models that I realised I was breaking a drill bit every couple of models, and that they were injuriously hard to drill into. I decided to invest in better drill bits, and after buying various types quickly discovered the difference between rolled/twisted and ground bits. I also realised that the HSS bits were no longer sharp enough after a few models, and tried carbide/carborundum bits instead. I've never struggled again, and almost none of the bits break any more - I've never looked back since, and the cost difference for ten ground coated bits is something trivial like $1-2 more than twisted HSS.

You might be thinking, "well okay, but they are metal models and I'm drilling plastic ones". True enough, but don't forget that you may also need to drill through bases with sand/glue/putty/whatever on them as well, and with things like sand and superglue especially, the HSS get worn very quickly.

I am also not of a dissimilar mind to you when it comes to buying good quality tools that will last a lifetime - having good quality tools not only makes the job easier, it also makes the jobs neater and safer to acheive. I realised about three years ago that the various clippers I was using gave me hand-cramp after long de-spruing sessions, and so I sought some proper-quality replacements. I ended up with a pair of Lindstrom clippers with big blue handles and an adjustable spring - expensive, but the difference was so obvious that my friend went and bought the same ones after trying them just once!

With respect to files I don't disagree with you either. In Darkn3ss' case however, he is just starting out and the upfront cost of all this hobby stuff we accumulate over time adds up very quickly if you just go out and buy it all at once. For starting out, and for use on the DV/modern GW plastics, a good quality tool rather than a Rolls Royce of tools is perfectly reasonable. Only if the difference in cost is minor (like using industrial-grade glues instead of hobby glues, or buying better drill bits), or if there is a safety concern (like buying good knives instead of cheap ones) would I suggest getting the best right out of the gate.

I am also conscious that when somebody asks a question, the answer should be focused on what they've asked about - I can spout on tangentially about hobby tools and methods for days, but it can often be unhelpful rather than useful to do so! In this case, pinning is a side-mention to painting on the sprue, so I have focused my answers on that. I could go into a lot more detail about what to do if the pinning goes wrong, why and when brass is better than steel, or how to rough up a pin so that it holds better, or the angle of drilling to get the best joint strength from a pin, etc, etc, but it's not really appropriate to do so here.

Edit: Gah! Spelling!

[Subtle Discord]

Heh... yeah, sorry for the sidetrack Darkn3ss. It ties in, but I can get a bit... passionate, about a few subjects. Personally, I have no problem with a thread being hijacked some, if the information is useful and well intended, which was my intent. I'm always the first to say that this hobby is a matter of scale, and everyone has limits to the amount of time, money, and space, they can invest. Take everything with a grain of salt and only invest in what you know (through research, observation, and consideration) you'll make good use of. If you can feel deep down that you'll be at this for years, do yourself a favor, and for a few essential tools, don't buy the cheapo 'Ted's Pick' (My rather... cheap frugal great uncle was named Ted) for something you'll used many many times over the years. Perfect example, I have 3 Pin Vice Drills; First (and newest) was $5 and was a piece of crap from day 1 (Ted's Pick). The second was $10 and after ~10 years it's a little rough (grinds a bit) but still works. The last was $20-25 (I think) and it's ~20 years old and works perfectly smooth. My uncle would be the kind of person who would buy 3-4 $5 drills over the years, instead of just getting the $10 or $20 one. :) If you get the cheapo', odds are you're gonna' need to replace it. But I digress...

 

Let me just say, you're in the right place for information and inspiration. B&C is a different kind of corner of the internet, in a good way.

[Darkn3ssF4lls]

On topic, I have nothing to add. I paint everything fully assembled (even bolters! Heresy! ) I've found that if I try to paint prior to assembling everything, when I glue I'll inevitably manage to up the paint job somehow. Every. Single. Time.

You can always partially paint, finish assembly, and then paint final details on.

This has a few advantages:

1) You don't miss any hard-to reach spots

2) Any areas spoiled by the assembly stage can be easily corrected in the final details painting stage

3) You don't waste time painting details that cannot be seen

It's actually a great compromise!

Thanks, time to use these tips :)

[Chaplain Raeven]

Seems like I'm late to the party. Oh well, might as well have my say.

 

- I painted models that were completely glued. Painting those aquila's and bolters was frustrating. really, really frustrating. But on the tabletop? no man is going to see that you missed that spot.

 

- I painted on the sprue: never again. Removing mouldlines, fixing the parts that got cut and glueing the thing together was even more frustrating than the first option.

 

For now I follow the method of some frater here. First I glue the unobstructive stuff together: Legs, torso, head and the left arm. The bolterarm and backpack are fastened with posterputty/bluetac. When painting, jsut pop those pieces of, paint the hard to reach spots, and stick 'em back until finished. Then jsut glue the whole thing together. The discovery of posterputty improved my painting with leaps. I even believe the Major showed me that stuff.