Bones Successes and Failures: What formally metal minis translated the best?

[Carnacki the Ghost Finder]

Aren't the plastic sanding needles these?

 

http://www.flex-i-file.com/alpha/plastic-sanding-needles.php

 

Alpha Abrasives is based on Ontario. The shipping on these (to Canada) was exorbitant and not announced in advance so caveat emptor.

[Jordan Peacock]

 

One thing I have noticed owning mostly GW miniatures is the difference in scale, a Reaper character looks tiny against a GW one. Damn those pesky heroic scale kids.

 

The Bones version of minis I already have in metal seem a bit smaller than I remember their metal counterparts being, but I haven't put them side by side to compare yet.

 

 

 

Edit: This photo probably really isn't a fair comparison of DETAIL, however, because the Bones model is unpainted, and the plastic has a soap-like, semi-translucent quality that visually "softens" the details in pictures. The real measure will be when I post pictures of the finished PAINTED models, which I'm doing in a similar scheme.

 

 

Size-wise, my NOVA trooper seems to be the same scale, but everything is ever-so-slightly THINNER -- as in, something less than a millimeter's difference. I've witnessed this sort of thing happening when I've done miniatures-casting with oven-vulcanized molds: the casts tend to have thinner limbs, weapons, etc., than the master, as if once the master was pulled out of the mold, the rubber pressed in EVER SO SLIGHTLY into the newly-vacated space.

 

I don't know how this would apply to the Bones, though, since I assume those are metal, machined dies, and the masters were laser-scanned, or something like that. However, it really seems as if sharp corners are less sharp, very recessed areas (such as the space between the NOVA Corpsman's upheld rifle and his head and chest-plate) tend to be filled in, and everything is ever-so-slightly thinner than before -- hardly noticeable with thick parts, but more significant the thinner something was in the first place (such as a sword or staff or a delicate hand with fingers).

 

Flash is intimidating to deal with around very delicate parts, due to the flex of everything involved; it's not nearly a problem when it's on a very SOLID piece of plastic and I don't have to worry about something flexing while I'm trying to carve off the flash.

 

All that said, given the radical difference in PRICE, I'm willing to put up with these fairly minor inconveniences or oddities. I don't see Bones plastic as something that's going to completely replace pewter, but I am very much FOR Bones plastic as a cheaper alternative for big bulky figures, or for those that I intend to get a HORDE of for my tabletop. For that, I am a fan indeed!

 

Where I think it's a bit weaker would be "star" PC characters -- especially female adventurer types with especially fine features (more likely to be smoothed out and lost in the transition), willowy proportions (meaning very bendy and thin arms and accessories that are more frustrating to work with) -- and Klocke classics usually aren't the sort of model I need in great multiples for monster/adversary encounters for my PCs to hack-and-slash-and-fireball their way through anyway. I'm still happy to paint them up, but if I were going for the "boutique"/"display case" angle for the smaller figures, I think I'd stick with metal or resin.

Edited July 31, 2013 by Jordan Peacock

[Darsc Zacal]

What Jordan said ^ !

[buglips*the*goblin]

 

One thing I have noticed owning mostly GW miniatures is the difference in scale, a Reaper character looks tiny against a GW one. Damn those pesky heroic scale kids.

 

The Bones version of minis I already have in metal seem a bit smaller than I remember their metal counterparts being, but I haven't put them side by side to compare yet.

 

 

I thought that too, particularly with Medusa, but when I dug out my metal version they matched up exactly. I would have bet money before checking that Bones medusa was smaller. Possibly the bones material is a bit of an optical illusion.

[TheAuldGrump]

Hmmm, a note on removing mould lines and flash from Bones - I use a sharp X-Acto blade, and slice, not scrape, the line off. Done right I end up with a thin thread of PVC, not a bunch of particles and a roughened surface.

 

I have also had good luck with a fine chisel tip that came with an ersatz X-Acto set from Radio Shack, again, cutting, not scraping.

 

The Auld Grump

[cthulhudarren]

What I also like about bones are the smooth surfaces. So many times with metal minis a smooth surface isn't smooth.

[Fido Montoya]

I try to cut as well, but it is impossible to get into small folds and other such area with a blade. These are areas normally suited for files, but files leave all the little fragments stuck to the model.

 

 

 

I also found that the chisel works really well for the areas you can access.

[eriochrome]

Mike Howell at Constantly Risking Obscurity has a couple of comparisons of metal vs washed and inked Bones models. I think many of the model looks very good, most are very reasonable for the price, and about 5% are not good at all due to issues with the human/elf faces.

[tommisalama]

One thing I have noticed owning mostly GW miniatures is the difference in scale, a Reaper character looks tiny against a GW one. Damn those pesky heroic scale kids.

 

Noticed that too. I thought I could use NOVA's and other scifi minis with Warhammer 40k, but the scale is too small. Same thing with for examlple Heroquest. I use Heroquest skeletons for rpg's, and they look gigantic when standing next to undead bones horde. On the other hand, I use some HORDES figures from Privateer Press in rpg's, and the scale is about the same in them that it is in Bones. And also there's a bunch of other miniature manufactorers that use about the same scale, so maybe it's just that GW likes things big =).

[Dai-Mongar]

I thought for sure that Anvall Thricedamned had been shrunk down when I saw him in Bones, but reading the description of the resin version clarified that yes, he's the right height (38mm from foot to crown). Left me wondering why he had to be made in resin to begin with.

I thought the NOVAs seemed a little small to begin with as well, but after comparing it to my metal ones they did indeed seem to be the same. I think with a few of these Chronoscope/Pathfinder ones it's the lack of bases that's throwing me off.

[talion78]

I try to cut as well, but it is impossible to get into small folds and other such area with a blade. These are areas normally suited for files, but files leave all the little fragments stuck to the model.

 

 

 

I also found that the chisel works really well for the areas you can access.

Is it best then to, file first then wash them in warm water to remove all the particles?

[Fido Montoya]

The fact that there are particles isn't the issue, its that the particles are still attached to the figure. You can get a toothbrush and try to brush them away, but they do not come off easily.

 

 

 

Also, I have found that you can use the blunt edge of a carving tool (like a small burnisher) to 'smash' the mold lines into the figure with varying degrees of success.

Edited August 1, 2013 by Fido Montoya

[Bob the Inquisitor]

 

Despite the initial softness of my pathfinder goblins, the detail on them blows me away. They're astoundingly cute and evil, and for being so tiny they have tons of detail.

 

I'm also impressed and pleased with Seltyiel. He retained all the cool details of the metal version.

 

My goblins were also softest of the whole box. They seem to be entirely different material. Trying to paint the torches or swords was a pain as the material just slips away underneath your brush... Boiling and cooling them strenghtened the material for a while, but now they're as soft as ever. That said, the level of detail is very good and the sculpts are among my favourites! Which is the only reason I think I'm going to try and get replacements for my goblin warriors (only got pyros).

 

 

 

I'm worried about having exactly this kind of trouble with some of my models. Please let me know how Reaper responds to your request.

[tommisalama]

 

 

My goblins were also softest of the whole box. They seem to be entirely different material. Trying to paint the torches or swords was a pain as the material just slips away underneath your brush... Boiling and cooling them strenghtened the material for a while, but now they're as soft as ever. That said, the level of detail is very good and the sculpts are among my favourites! Which is the only reason I think I'm going to try and get replacements for my goblin warriors (only got pyros).

 

 

 

I'm worried about having exactly this kind of trouble with some of my models. Please let me know how Reaper responds to your request.

 

 

I think I missed a sentence here and there, I meant that I never got Goblin Warriors in my Vampire box...

[sliksham]

I am very happy with 99% of mine, the odd one I'm going to have to cut off the weapons and replace them with brass rod of something, I can live with bendy spears, its spaghetti spears that I'm annoyed with :)

Sinessa the hellborn sorceress is especially bad, but then, its picture in the preview gallery is exactly the same