Joe Kutz

Yeah, I have been watching it for about a year (I think last November or December was when I first saw them) now hoping to see a flyer from one of the larger US suppliers (or at the very least western European) who deal with them. I may have to break down and order from one of the other suppliers though (there is a Czech model shop that I deal with somewhat often that can probably get them if they don't carry them already). BTW - the one English add that I had seen for them...I think they were called Star Rangers or something along those lines. http://www.zv-desant.ru/forum/viewtopic.php?t=10 - Thread which contains peoples WIPs and finished models. http://www.zv-desant.ru/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4 - Most importantly, detail shots of the sprues and what not - as well as conversions and similar user submitted projects.

http://zv-desant.ru/ I haven't had much success with tracking down a supplier in this hemisphere - anyone know of a place that stocks them? Dragon USA says they can order them, but coming on the slow boat from Russia...via their supplier in Italy (who also doesn't maintain a stock of them) it would take somewhere around 3 months to get in through the various customs and other checkpoints. Some of the gallery pictures look pretty interesting (the crab tank thing especially). Others look a bit...off...though that might just be the way they were assembled. Either way, I'd like to see them in person.

Don't laugh too hard about this. Rumors coming from the GW investors' reports seem to indicate a rapid shift with a lot of changes coming down the pipeline in order to drive their plastic products. One of them comes from closer ties with management staff out of Tamiya in order to develop better pricing strategies for the long term maintenance of their plastic production properties which they acquired a few years ago, but have largely been under performing due to lack of understanding in developing long term outlook strategies for those assets. In related news though, most companies do not price kits due to the age of the molds. Various plastic model companies do not adjust the pricing on models which are 10, 15 or even 20 years old. In terms of most expensive - by volume of sprue it is the Eldar Wraithlord.

Yep, fun figures. In addition to Copplestone - http://www.mirliton.it/index.php?cName=future-warrior-28-mm has the line as well (and I think a few that Copplestone was not able to retain rights to). If I recall the shell game that was played with Grenadier's stuff when they went under...EM-4 also carries the line (or part of it), with exclusive rights to the plastics in the line.

The bike is looking nice. Did you end up masking the straight lines or did you suffer through that by hand (I find it easier to paint celtic knot work than a straight line)?

Wholesale orders normally take about 5 days to arrive here when I order them - so it shouldn't be too much longer for retail orders. Nice thing about them is that they are the same plastic that is used for standard bases as opposed to resin. Makes them more durable, and very easy to add debris and what not in the form of other styrene parts. BTW - they are the same bases that Aberrant Games sells (ABG 0001 and ABG 0002) - so if you are looking at ordering some, you might want to see if you can piggy back them with a supplier who deals with Rezolution miniatures.

One additional tip here... A glass or fiberglass rod (some plastics too) works great for manipulating the grass without touching it. Think back to grade school science classes and the stuff they used to demonstrate static electricity. I use a cat to charge my glass rods...but a wool sweater will work quite well too. I personally prefer to use a different adhesive than super glue in order to have a longer working time - but most glues which dry clear will work well enough.

Generally speaking, Epoxy will be stronger unless you have perfect fits to deal with. Superglue doesn't like gaps - and even the gap filling formulas are not as strong as a good Epoxy (5 minute or otherwise). If you have really good fits though, the final bond strength of superglue is normally stronger than that of epoxy. Of coarse a lot of that will depend on the Epoxy and Superglue in question. The really thin superglues will be stronger than thicker superglues, as they lack fillers and other stuff that weakens bonds. Really good epoxy can be much stronger than the best superglue - but most the stuff off the shelf is only in the middle of the pack. So - yeah, it depends. Normally due to fitment issues on large items, epoxy is the better way to go. It helps to fill the gap that normally exists and makes the final blending work with GS easier (often you can simply shape the epoxy as it is drying).

That was the title of the thread...

http://www.fenryll.com/en/miniature-155.html Probably the most economical way to buy skulls. Goes for about $16 from a US supplier (cheaper from many places). 72 skulls, good assortment and inexpensive.

One of the most important things to take away from that article (everything else is good...but the #1 thing that I have found) is to spend the time with surface prep. A1, #1 most important! When dealing with any real finishes (metallics, pearlescents, flipping colors...) you want to have an absolutely perfectly smooth finish. When metal miniatures are cast, they end up picking up a slight texture all over - and when you use one of the paints on the surface which play with light...much of the effect will be lost due to the texture on the underlying material. Dremels with soft brass/aluminum/nylon brushes or jeweler's polishing points make that a quick and easy task. After that, a smooth primer coat and your metallics will look 10 times better even with larger grained sized paints. For the optimal effect, use an enamel or lacquer metallic paint over a gloss primer (most acrylics have a hard time sticking to gloss primers). Again, it provides the smoothest finish and as a result it will provide optimal metallic effects.

http://www.resinaplanet.com/index.php?language=en

Yep, I started carrying the Resina Planet line a few months ago - and they are all pretty cool. Since most of them are multi-part metals, a lot of people are a bit intimidated by them, but the casting is very clean and the designs are very good.

After a few hours sleep my assessment of Lunchbox's SM seems a bit harsh. The painting is good - I just can't get behind on actual shading used. Anywho, the NMM versus SENMM and all the rest is a bit of a non-issue. It doesn't make a difference what you call it - the horizon line needs to exist any time that you are painting materials that have a significant amount of reflectivity (even brushed aluminum has a recognizable horizon line). The proper placement is what makes the effect workable...otherwise it tends to look simply like normal painting with some odd highlighting. I wouldn't go quite that far. Miniatures which are in a fixed situation (shadow boxes and stuff like the old GW miniature dioramas) allow you to get really crazy with your reflections and you control the viewing angles...so you can work the painting more than normal. Even in a less controlled environment, the shine shifts - but normally it will move only in certain circumstances (unless of course you rotate the object and not the viewer...). Take a look at this: http://www.zercustoms.com/photos/Toyota-Auris-in-Chrome.html That is a bit of an exaggeration, but it does demonstrate the effects of the horizon and various breaks on the object. The car remains stationary, but the viewing angle changes. If you were to examine the horizon lines on objects like the mirrors, you will find that they remain in the same spot from all the angles they are visible in. Same goes for the rest of the lines...though those are a bit harder to identify compared to the mirrors. Keep in mind that that is a specific environment. The lighting is overhead and provided by giant skylights, so it isn't focussed. Various other light sources will change the end result (fire, torch in hand, interior point lights....). Some are nearly impossible to replicate properly in a NMM fashion - most can be done with proper understanding of the scenes composition. But yes, I do agree - the goblin looks very well done. While it can be a bit hard to photograph metallics (different issue, for a different thread) - when they are seen in person, well done metallics/demi-metallics/blended metallics/whatever the flavored name of the week might be will look much more realistic most of the time.

Probably got tired more of dealing with the BS of business, haggling and ho-humming that you get with a lot of smaller casters. By listing them with a price - it is simple. You want it, you buy it. If you think it is too expensive...don't need to worry about dealing with that particular interest. I had the same problem several years ago with a ladder bar suspension we designed for a car. When I decided to stop building them, I thought about selling the jigs and spec sheets - but after dealing with 5 different companies for 6 months...I finally figured I would be ahead to simply pack the materials away and let the spiders play in them.

Depends on the paints. Some of the better looking metallics use the metal that they are trying to replicate as their base pigment (usually with an enhancer to deal with coverage issues). Most craft and hobby paints however only use mica or similar flake in order to create the shimmer and a normal pigment to provide the color. As far as NMM goes - it can be done...and traditional artists have used it to great effect for centuries. They have to create the appearance of metal and surfaces on a flat plane, so it is a requirement. However for a lot of us - it is more of a distraction on miniatures since it isn't carried out well. Sorry to hit on it...but it was posted here, so it makes it easy not to look for anything else. The SM in the above picture has a polished gold bolter done in NMM. However, for me - it is crap. The horizon line is a distraction since it follows the shape of the bolter not the horizon. I have worked with metals and glosses so much that when I see something like that, my brain just can't get over what is wrong and spends more time trying to make it right (maybe there is something off set which is causing it...maybe the Marine is running down hill...). The horizon line should be...well more or less horizontal (unless the scene dictates otherwise), and break across the bends in the gun itself. Curved (concave are different than convex) surfaces require there own methods - but that comes from studying the materials not the techniques. The belt also suffers the same problems. The highlights aren't right for the rest of the figure. Other issues may also be off - however those generally only become apparent when you have the mini in hand and look at all sides (and notice that there isn't a light source which makes sense). Looking at pictures can be very deceiving though, they show a specific view of a specific object where the viewer can not change their perspective. That works fine and good for 2D paintings - but a miniature must maintain the same scheme from all directions. This is one of the reasons that people often mess up with NMM...and it is also one of the reasons why I don't care for NMM on miniatures (or models, or anything 3D which allows for the viewer to control the view). Getting it right takes more than just a little bit of understanding of lighting, materials and the scene itself (polished metal looks different when in a grassy field versus a concrete jungle) - that doesn't even get into actually being able to paint it correctly. For me...99% of the time...metallics and inks. You can use the inks in order to deal with the shading issues, as well as give hints of the scene which the miniature occupies. From time to time, actual paints will come into play - but in order to avoid the issues of loosing the metallic aspects of metallics paints, I prefer inks since they will simply tint the surface without covering it.

As long as you don't leave them on the dash board while the car is parked in the hot sun - you should be OK. For the most part, acrylic paints have a safe temperature range between 40-110 degrees Fahrenheit. It can handle hotter and colder temperatures for short periods of time - though for long term storage, you will want to keep them on the cool side of room temperature (60-70 degrees).

Sorry I missed this a few days ago. I had been busy with a few other things - so I was only able to check intermittently for additional questions. The mineral oil/baby oil will work just fine. That is what I used during some of my first experiments with the bendy plastics. You can normally get larger containers of pure mineral oil from stores that sell mainly to farms. They use it for a variety of different things. Still, since the perfumed variety doesn't really cost much at all - there is no problem getting it at the local grocery store.

Day late and a dollar short. He already apologized for the comment, and provided a bit of a joke along the way the same day he posted the original story. BTW - I don't see anything to get offended about (more often than not...I never see anything to get offended about). Stereotypes are descriptive phrases which conjure up a visual without having to get wordy. When someone uses the "pro-Obama Dungeons & Dragons" phrase...they want people to dig down and think of those three kids they went to school with who looked like they suffered from a lack of melanin and soap. It isn't an attack on people who play D&D.

The best part of the story... The one who was still a cop, is going to be fired...possibly charged criminally for fraud.

There are three combo packs for the Pro Paints now (not sure when they will get into the online store...haven't checked to see if they are yet...): 9958 - First 54 paints 9959 - Second 54 paints 9960 - Complete set of 108 paints My current price list has each one listed at $169.99 MSRP - though that price doesn't seem quite right, so I am guessing there is a bit of a problem with the pricing (the partial set calculate out to costing more per bottle than buying individual colors). The complete set according to another supplier is $299.99 (small savings - but not much). Anywho, Reaper peeps will help to figure that stuff out once they get back from Gencon.

When painting plastics (and rubbers in there various forms) there are two things which are normally the cause of problems. The plasticizers in the items itself, and the chemicals in the paint. One of the two will almost always be the source of problems with the paint sticking or curing properly. Tracking the exact source down can be a bit trying - and figuring out how to fix it the fastest can be even more of a pain.

Yeah, Krylon Fusion works by cross linking with the underlying polymer. Works well enough on most plastics - though I haven't used it on any rubbers (though most rubbers are actually plastics...but that starts to get a bit more complicated). As mentioned already though, since you already have primer on it, you will likely need to remove that before you go any further. I don't have my Tamiya MSDS book here in the shop though, but if they use a hexane compound in the thinner - it might not help even if you remove the paint that is already on it. Hexane likes to attack organic rubber compounds...so if the toy is made out of organic rubber and you brought it into contact with the hexane in the spray...perpetual stickiness...sort of. Taking a quick flip through my books though - there are a few different curative methods which you might try. Oxygen rich environments can be used to stabilize the compounds. The free molecules bind to the oxygen atoms - though it can lead to a powdery paint. Heat curing can also accelerate the bonding if it isn't a different issue. The heat curing can be achieved at relatively low temperatures (125-150 F) although higher temperatures provide a more pronounced effect - granted those higher temperatures might cause problems with the rubber itself. The heat helps to deal with hexane attacks on organic rubber as well. __________________ Missed the second question the first time... Future is a bit thin for doing deep pours - normally you will want to use as thick of a medium as possible when using one part compounds for water. Since they usually cure as a result of evaporation...the more thinner that will evaporate, the more shrinkage you will have to deal with - and shrinkage is bad. It will still produce a more or less smooth surface, and you can build it up in several layers to get to a descent thickness. The same applies for most other varnishes. There are several gloss gel mediums which you can apply thicker in each pass - some are less expensive...others get pretty pricey. The least expensive compounds are ones which you find in industrial and commercial sections of stores. A product called Bar Coat normally costs about half Envirotex...and it is basically the same product. It is used for doing the thick gloss coats on bars and tables...especially those table tops you see at some restaurants that have the coins and stuff embedded in it. Another product can be found at automotive supply stores. It is used for doing FRP work, and it is a 2 part polyester resin. Again, cheap and works well enough. There are normally two types of polyester resin at most stores, one clear and one yellow. The clear costs more than the yellow...but both work well enough for water depending on the circumstances (it isn't an opaque yellow - more transparent).

The more flexible the polymer, the more plasticizers it has. Since paint binders are also polymers...the leaching plasticizer will likely keep it from curing properly. Makes sense to me, but I haven't plaid around with bendy stuff enough to know for certain. I have used a mineral oil bath in order to leach the plasticizers out of bendy plastics and rubbers before. It accelerates the natural process - and might be worth a try for you in this case. Fill a jar with mineral oil, toss the toy in so that it is submerged...put the lid on. Let it sit for a week or so, take out and rinse and wash to remove any surface residue. The surface should feel less rubbery. Give it a paint job and hope for the best. The science involved says it should work...but like I said, I haven't played around with the bendy stuff enough to know for certain.

There are a lot of better paint strippers available - however it should work to some extent (though since turpenoid is effectively a weak turpentine and turpentine is a weak stripper - you will likely need to wait a week or more). As far as the GS goes, turpentine does soften it some. Concentrated turpentine will gum the surface of plastic.