Microbeads?

[Lord_Ikka]

So I have about ten or so Mk VII legs that I want to convert to Mk V. I've seen people use microbeads to make the armor studs and would like to know if these are the ones to use- http://www.michaels.com/recollections-signature-microbead-caddy-metallics/10403787.html#q=microbeads&start=2 

 

Any other tips on converting these legs or using microbeads in general would be welcome.

 

 

[Major_Gilbear]

I would suggest:

1) Lightly spray a dusting of matte varnish on the legs.

2) Using a soft pencil, mark out on the legs where you want the studs (the pencil needs the dusting of spray, otherwise the plastic is too smooth to write on).

3) Using an awl or similar, carefully press starting divots where the beads will go.

4) Using a drill bit whose diameter is equal to or slightly smaller than the micro beads, drill very shallow holes where you have made divots with the awl.

5) Using a small strip of 600grit wet-n-dry glasspaper, carefully rub down the areas you've worked on to ensure they are nice and smooth - once you glue the beads in, any mouldlines or marks will be extremely hard to remove.

6) Glue the micro beads in. Put some superglue on a scrap of blister plastic, and using a needle or paperclip, put a little dab into the hole, before using tweezers to carefully drop each bead in. Do each one individually, as the small amounts of glue in each hole may dry out before you've got them all done.

7) When everything is fully dry (I'd leave it overnight), check your work over to ensure that you're happy with it, and finish the assembly of the rest of the model as normal.

Adding round rivets or studs has never been a fast task, but this way ensures that they are straight/even on the parts you want, and it greatly reduces the chances of messing up. It's also pretty easy to get an assembly line going for each stage if you need to do a few.

One final tip: if in (4) above you use a drill bit that's slightly smaller than the bead diameter, it makes it impossible to push the beads in too far should you drill the holes a little deeper than intended.

Edit: spelling

[Lord_Ikka]

Thanks, thats some great advice!

[ShinyRhino]

Those beads you linked should work just fine. You can always bring a spare set of legs to the store to make sure.

 

Major_Gilbear gave great tips, but here is a tutorial blog post that illustrates the process (not mine):

 

http://drownedinplastic.blogspot.com/2012/03/modelling-tutorial-making-studded-armor.html

[Subtle Discord]

If you are looking for an alternative to the Micro Bead method, I can't say enough good things about the Half Round Rivets (and other useful shapes too, for that matter) by Tichy Train Group. I've used the 0.5mm (0.02"), 0.75mm (0.03"), and 1mm (0.04") along with some of the hex head nuts and bolts, and I now swear by them; near flawless results, every time, and if you do make a mistake, they're very easy to cleanly remove and try again. They're not as economical, $3 for 200 smaller rivets or 96 of the larger rivets and other details, but they're also not horribly expensive. When you consider the ease of use and the near foolproof results, it helps tip the scale in my opinion. I've never been a fan of the Micro Bead method; it's very slow painstaking work to do it cleanly, I've found, and I always struggle to get nice consistent results. However, I can completely understand the economy of this method and respect why someone might want/need to choose it.

 

If you're ok with the price of admission, with the Tichy rivets you simply drill a small hole (and virtually any depth will do), cut the rivet off of the sprew and place it's 'pin' in the hole, then touch it with a very tiny amount of thin solvent glue with a brush, and give a very tiny touch to press it to the surface; done, 100% flawless rivet*. If the hole drilled is slightly larger then the 'pin' you can even nudge the rivet a bit to make sure it's exactly where you want it. Tweezers are also all but essential or you'll go crazy trying to pick up and place the rivets.

 

* There is one tiny thing to add; the rivets are perfectly smooth and clean on their outside surface, but there is a very tiny 'point' of flash on the very bottom edge of the rivets, and once placed you may want to use a sharp razor to shave it away. It's not difficult, but it adds a small step to the process. Still much smoother/faster then the Bead technique in my opinion.

[TheOneTrueZon]

Greenstuff World also molds for rivets and bolts that work very will with putties such as Milliput:

 

http://www.greenstuffworld.com/en/textured-molds/348-2x-rivets-rubber-molds.html