Enchantra Posted September 5, 2004 Share Posted September 5, 2004 Alright I am trying to get myself back into the painting spirit again after about 8 months off from it. I was out with friends today and fed my mini addiction by purchasing Reaper's Nehandra #2824. She is a beautiful mini and I even bought a piece of pyrite to mount her on. The biggest issue is her staff is practically bent all the way over in back of her and her sword is only slightly bent. The sword I can easily remedy. It's the staff I'm worried about. I've used pliers to gently bend pewter back into place before on a mini. I'm hesitant to try it on this staff because it is so fragile looking. Anyone have any suggestions as to what I should do to straighten it with the least amount of damage? Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chastity Posted September 5, 2004 Share Posted September 5, 2004 The best thing I can suggest is to just slowly bend it straight. The staff looks fairly thick (compared to some of the other things I've bent back from odd positions), so it should be able to handle it. I just recently got Thor, and when trying to bend his hammer handle back into place, it snapped right off. Since I don't yet have any pinning materials, I just used a bit of crazy glue to put it back together, and then put a small amount around the break. Once it dried, it was quite strong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
claymoore Posted September 5, 2004 Share Posted September 5, 2004 It's helpful sometimes to warm the metal a little before you try to straighten it by holding it in your hands or running some hot water over it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tuxit Posted September 5, 2004 Share Posted September 5, 2004 and do it very slowly. Sometimes the metal snaps because it is bend too fast. Right before the metal snaps you hear some cracking sounds in the metal. When you hear that it is time to stop. You can always replace the shaft of the staff by a piece of brass rod. The mini will be able to withstand alot more abuse then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enchantra Posted September 5, 2004 Author Share Posted September 5, 2004 Alright I will definitely try warming it in hot water first and failing that, I will just cut the darned thing out and replace it with a rod. I have plenty of wire. When I use pliers I use the ones without teeth so they will not mar the pewter and I usually wrap a piece of craft foam around the jaws to for cushion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ler Posted September 5, 2004 Share Posted September 5, 2004 My only advice is to bend it slowly and as close to the apex (is that the right word?) of the bend as possible. Not only should it reduce chances of breakage but it also means you don't end up with it looking slightly wiggly where the bend was. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enchantra Posted September 5, 2004 Author Share Posted September 5, 2004 Hrm, thanks I shall look into that Ler. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mourningcloud Posted September 7, 2004 Share Posted September 7, 2004 you gotta heat the darn things if you want to reduce chance of breakage-submerge the staff in very hot water, then remove after about ten seconds , make sure metal is hot to the touch, and straighten. some ive spoken to use a hair dryer to heat the metal (warning-ive heard this makes the metal VERY hot) and use several layers of paper towels to hold and bend. stay away from heating with a lighter -yes in my youth i was this dumb- the melting point of miniature pewter is lower than one would think (as i, and a bent sword, once learned the hard way ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enchantra Posted September 7, 2004 Author Share Posted September 7, 2004 Thanks Mourningcloud, I will definitely try the heating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cade Posted September 7, 2004 Share Posted September 7, 2004 I agree, the staff needs to be heated up before bent back. I'm not exactly sure what the melting points of most pewter figs is. Would running a lighter over it briefly be safe? I would try something a little hotter than just faucet water on a hot setting. Boiling water might work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladystorm Posted September 7, 2004 Share Posted September 7, 2004 When I asked Reaper directly a few years back, I was told just hold it in your hand for a while until it warms up. no hot water, no fire, just body warmth. some crackling is expected, it won't be the end of the world, it doesn't always mean the piece is breaking off. YMMV. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enchantra Posted September 7, 2004 Author Share Posted September 7, 2004 Thanks LS for that bit of information. I will see how things go here when I go to take this thing out of the blister pack and work on her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mourningcloud Posted September 7, 2004 Share Posted September 7, 2004 as lady storm said, body heat can work fine-but i regularly reshape/bend my minis in funny ways, and heating with VERY hot h2o will reduce (if not eliminate completely) the crackling you get when bending pewter (which is actually the outer layers of the metal cracking-when a mini is cast and cools the outer layer cools the fastest; censequently the metal there is the hardest and most brittle, so when you bend em it crackles) trust me on this -im a FAR better converter than painter. sure i can turn your gnome theif mini into a halfling paladin of arvoreen, but dont ask me to paint it lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shakhak Posted September 8, 2004 Share Posted September 8, 2004 I read this entire topic yesterday. I went home and had recieved my new Spider Centaur in the mail. Start putting him together, bending the legs so it looks right. Then *snap* Rear right leg now needs to be pin set. It has been a very frustrating mini to put together as it was but now I want to smash it. sigh* if it wasn't sexy in the cold pewter kind of way I would. Stupid giant spider legs! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darkstar Posted September 8, 2004 Share Posted September 8, 2004 Yeah, be careful bending that pewter peeps. I was just cleaning and basing Ardynn the Slaver and his sword was bent behind his back. I was gentle as I could be, but still the sword blade snapped. You can't pin that sort of damage, you pretty much have to do a weapon swap, or sculpt a new blade. The angle was a really really bad place for it to happen. I'm thinking of giving him an xbow and see how that goes over...it would be much easier than sculpting a thin new blade and attaching at such a weird angle. You guys have some great tips btw...the hair dryer thing works great, wish I would've know that before I broke his sword. When life gives you broke minis, make converted minis is what I always say. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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