Customs General
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You are currently reading a thread in /toy/ - Toys
You are currently reading a thread in /toy/ - Toys
Post your custom projects here; mods, fixes, repaints, dios, accessories, 3D printed stuff, or whatever else you're working on.
Offer tips and advice, ask for help, post tutorials/guides, and have fun!
Here's some tips from the previous threads:
Beginners: practice on cheaps figures first.
For sculpting: use 2-part epoxy putty like Aves apoxie or fixit.
For tools: try a basic carving/sculpting set like the kind arts & crafts stores have.
Dental tools have also been said to work well.
Also, using a Dremel is recommended. Minimites (the small $20-25 ones) are fine for starting out, but the battery life is poor. Upgrade to a corded one only if you want to get deeper into customizing. They are useful for stuff outside of the hobby though, so it's a good investment regardless.
For paints: use acrylics. Paint in multiple, thin coats. Brands like Vallejo/P3/Citadel are recommended, because of pigment quality.
Use a sealer when finished to protect your work. There are matte varieties and sealers that give a glossy look. As with painting, use multiple thin coats.
A flex shaft attachment on a Dremel is a godsend and relatively inexpensive. The grinding shield is also pretty useful, but you can improvise one using a cut open soda bottle.
Also, there is a guide in the works, by mellow
http://pastebin.com/yiZV3s0R
Give feedback/critiques to help improve it.
I thought some of you 3D printers would like this. Bill Doran's technique for making a model, from 3D modeling, using a laser cutter, printer, clean-up, molding and casting, and painting/weathering.
Sanding process starts at 3:08
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRAlMoCPECs
Asking again. Looking for 1/12th scale gloves from pic related. I can't seem to find anything.
>>5667232
if you just want gloves, try looking around ebay for some 3A 1/12 glove hands.
>>5667380
I was thinking cheaper, but thanks for the suggestion.
>>5667232
you only need to just sculpt a wrist cuff.
>>5667232
Steal the hands and wrist cuffs off Bucky Cap and repaint them black.
Could anyone point me in the direction for where I can buy some spare figma/revo/etc joints? I bought this WoW statue on clearance for $5 at a local comic shop and the guy could use some articulation.
Fortunately his knees and elbows are super easy to access and well defined, so that part will be easy at least.
I want to cast pliable clothing parts on my figures. What are my options, and the methods and tips involved?
>>5668663
HLJ sells Hobby Base and Revoltech joints. eBay has both as well as people selling lot sales of random Figma joints.
>>5668663
Is there any tutorial on cutting up statues and adding articulation?
I know there's a lot of tutorial on painting and apoxie sculpting, but I almost never see one and I am super interested in it
>>5669241
It's more prevalent in Asia than the West, but basically you can get a rough outline from disassembling a Figma or Revoltech: You basically hollow out the limbs for the joint to fit in. In more advanced cases, you either cut or carve out the limb so that it encases the joint as well, making it appear more streamline. Here's a disassembled Revo for an idea.
So I had a legless Halo 3 Chief rotting away in a bin and figured I'd do something with it.
>>5670314
Got it of my stepbro years ago since he would've otherwise thrown it out.
>>5670315
Last pic.
>>5669241
Pretty much what Fakimus said. Figure out where and what type articulation you want an make room for the joint.
For joints, you can use the Hobbybase/Revotech style joints, or you can cut up an extra figure and use theirs.
Need to buy some sealant to call this project complete.
>>5671551
He'll be alright.
>>5666788
>Need to buy some sealant to call this project complete.
Do a black wash first and make sure you use a gloss sealant. It'll look really nice.
>>5671602
You're thinking of Church and Tex.
Solidworksanon here, still cleaning up the prints. Some of the joint pegs printed larger than the holes in spite of industry-standard clearance in-between. The parts are study, though, so so far breakage isnt an issue.
I think Im going to edit the wall thickness of the head and the thigh joint 'cups' when school is done. Right now my concerns are my last batch of finals.
Aside from the peg issues everything else has fit together well as I've cleared the support material.
Hey, does Tamiya model putty bond to resin parts?
>>5671645
When are you gonna post some pics? Larger pegs could just be weirdly oriented on a printer that isn't properly calibrated or needs its vat window replaced.
>>5666788
holy fucking shit, i just noticed OP's pic has frog gunpla
where can i see more of this?
>>5671645
Hey solidworksanon, can have you ever used autocad? In any case, can CAD software import models made in conventional modeling tool and make cuts to create a full figure?
The majority of my custom's clothing is black and there's not a whole lot of folds. I'm thinking black with gray drybrushing.
Now do I do a wash on top of black paint? Or is it just the drybrush technique?
>>5671915
yes
>>5671915
I've had mixed results, depends on the resin I guess. Try a test patch is the best advice I can give anyone.
Snagged some spray seal at Micheals this morning. Mission accomplished.
>>5673689
Here's a close up.
He will serve my space muhreens well as a nameless casualty.
>>5673689
>>5673692
Neat. I've found myself that painting the guts a vague flesh colour and then going over it with a thick glob of clear red really captures the look of blood soaked guts.
Does anybody now where I could get a thing of chest armor like pic related for 6/7inch figure
>>5674016
They don't make them as is, but if you have a rotary tool and some screw drivers, you can easily pry off the cuirass from Funko Legacy's Tyrion and hollow it out
>>5674045
Ahh, just a bit too small!
I can still use it for a different character, thanks
>>5674016
What I would do:
>sculpt clay in the general shape you're looking for
>lay pieces of aluminum down
>use sturdy utility knife to cut it to shape
>optional step: bleed a whole lot whenever you cut yourself on it
>>5674016
I bet that Mattel will eventually release one for the WWE Create A Superstar line.
>>5671602
Who the fuck is Master Chief?
That's Halo
>>5672251
>>5674045
So every now and then I see people about asking how to add articulation points on figures like those 3 POA toku figures like pic related
And sometimes people say cut it up in certain ways to add a joint here, or there, or get a blank archetype figure and have it wear the cut up toku figure like a costume. I've even seen pics of it done posted
But I never see any visual guides on the whole process, are there any? I appreciate someone explaining how to do the elbows, but what about the shoulders, torso, neck, etc?
Just curious, cus I'm interested in trying it but don't want to cut up a figure unless I'm more confident in that I know what I'm suppose to be doing.
>>5676189
That is awesome!
Didn't want to post twice, but I just finished this:
>>5676536
Hello! Apologies in advance if this is the wrong thread. I wasn't sure where to ask this, and it certainly didn't warrant its own thread.
I'll be traveling to California later this month, specifically around San Jose (Santa Clara county, don't mind traveling out a few miles though). I was wondering if there were any hobby supply stores you guys would recommend. Or really any toy related store. Thanks and sorry again if this isn't the right thread.
>>5676725
What are you looking to buy?
If paints, look for stores that sell stuff like warhammer minis, since they'll generally also sell GW's and sometimes Gamecolor paints.
>>5672113
Currently in the process of finishing my remaining finals and putting things in storage before I move out of the dorms so it should be about next monday. My proff says it was definitely operator error/ poorly maintained equipment, so I may reprint just the joints through safeways, or wait til I've updated the model as theres a few things I want to change based on the first prototype. For one, while the faceplate system WORKS the material thickness on the head can definitely be slimmed down. I also want to adjust the leg holes on the pelvis and the clearance between the parts of the legs.
>>5672299
I've used Autocad, not a huge fan. Im not super sure what you're asking, are you asking about modifying things like zbrush sculpts in Autocad, or modeling something in clay and making joints using modeling software?
>>5676869
A little of everything. I do a lot of doll repaints/faceups, and I also make dioramas/sometimes dollhouses if I'm feeling ambitious. I will look into that! Thanks, anon. I live in bumfuck, nowhere so I've never had the chance to actually shop for my supplies in person. I'm a little too excited about this.
>>5676900
>modifying things like zbrush sculpts in Autocad
This
>>5676923
You know you can do precision work in zbrush you just need a control object. Get whatever-MM cube from thingiverse and import it, go to 3d print exporter and hit update size ratio, you might need to do this twice IDFK why but I always have to hit it twice, you should see that everyone is perfectly whatever the size of the cube is. Append your tools into that and size them however you need to, everything's scale in MM is now based around the cube. Go into the settings for the transpose line, draw a line perfectly across the cube and set it so that transpose line is now the same # of units as the cube. Go to 3d print exporter and update the sizes (probably twice) and you should see that everything is sizing around the cube like it should, you can double check dimensions with the transpose tool if need be. Never delete the cube/keep it as the top tool and the file will stay scaled properly. If that doesn't make sense let me know.
>>5676939
And then you know all your cuts and shit are just dynamesh, and you zremesher/decimate things as needed. It's pretty simple and if you know zbrush well enough this beats the hell out of doing it in cad.
I know that after painting with acrylic, you have to wait the full ~7 day curing time before applying varnish. But after the first coat of varnish, do you need to wait another 7 days before applying waterslide decals, weathering powder, and things like that? And then what about after applying decals and weathering - do you need to wait the full curing time after the first layer of varnish before the second layer? Or does the top coat act differently?
Working with plastic, resin, and apoxie if that's important. Acrylic paint and varnish.
>>5677596
I have never heard that 7 day thing about acrylic before ever and I've been painting miniatures and shit for 15 years, never had this problem but when in doubt test patches are your friend
Would this go here? Not sure.
I had this old half-built Rhino model that I realized Army-San fits in pretty perfectly. I'd like to make some changes to it so that she has a sweet armored ride to roll around in.
>>5678738
I think it's cute. You planning on adding a proper cockpit for her?
>>5678950
I'd like to! Gonna pick up some plastic card tomorrow and see what I can think up for it.
What does dyeing do to plastic other than changing its color?
Is is possible to dye translucent plastic?
>>5679193
>What does dyeing do to plastic other than changing its color?
I have no idea what you're asking, can you elaborate?
>Is it possible to dye translucent plastic?
Sometimes. Depends on the type of plastic.
>>5679251
>I have no idea what you're asking, can you elaborate?
If it degrades or if the dyeing process damages it chemically. That sort of thing.
>Depends on the type of plastic.
The one used on transformers. I don't think it's too specific or anything.
>>5679260
Some plastics will require you mix your dye with a tiny bit of solvent to get it to work, so yes you run the risk of damaging them, and that's what you're going to have to do to dye your transformers so I would recommend being very cautious, you'll be able to dye the ABS and some of the PVCs but I know TF tends to use some more rubbery plastics too that you might not be able to do at all or not as vibrant of a color as you would want
>>5676246
As smooth as an Ultraman is, I think you'd be better off doing what FuMan did with this Spectreman, and just transplant the details to a plain articulated body, like a DCUC.
Working on a custom using the "Jim Lee Cyclops" buck from Marvel Universe.
Managed to crack open the upper torso with no casualties, having a LOT of trouble with the abs. Anyone got any suggestions?
So I decided to start fooling around with that ugly Ripley figure and I made a Fallout Vaut (utility suit) character.
Still got some armor plates to add, find an actual head for her and fix up the paint is some places, then it should be done.
so what would be the best base figure for making a new Doomguy? I was thinking one of the Gears of War figures but there are to many that have shit articulation.
>>5680264
I like it. It's a much better body than what Funko made.
>>5680361
Try the GoW 3 bodies from Neca. They have articulation on par with MLs including double jointed knees and elbows.
Working on some nature monsters. Just testing out parts and scale.
>>5680412
Did you seriously get a hot toys groot just to make some random custom?
>>5680439
To be fair it was a bootleg for $70 shipped.
>>5680361
Master Chief, since they look 90% identical anyway.
>>5680483
This.
>>5679317
I appreciate the reply, but I wasnt really specifically talking about Ultraman, just kinda had that picture as an example
>>5680823
It's a pretty niche area even as customs go. A lot of it probably has to do with the fact that in the West, Sofubis aren't particularly common and what's available can be pricey.
As>>5679317 said, most of what I've seen ages ago on 2chan involve people hacking up the limbs and taking the most essential parts to transplant onto an articulated body like a suit. It's effectively going to be a trial and error attempt for you since I doubt anyone here has ever done anything like it.
>>5680361
I have had a quick look today. Was contemplating doing the same thing.
I had a look through some halo figures, although they have some potential, they are relatively small figures.
This makes it difficult to swap parts from them/ to them, from other figures.
As an anon suggested, the gears of war 3 figures are quite a good fit.
They have alright articulation as well, although still somewhat limited.
Will be using pic related as a base, still searching for other parts.
Might settle on a halfway point between the original armor and the new.
>>5682600
Mock up of what I'm going for.
Does anyone have an idea, what I could use for a visor?
I don't think sculpting it with putty and painting would look right for a reflective surface.
>>5682704
You could try applying a clear resin epoxy after carving out a shape similar to the lens into the helmet. I did that for some of my customs to give it the appearance of glass.
>>5682600
zarya custom base?
It's Doom 4, just shit in a bowl and shape some arms and legs on it
I want to make a custom of Star Power, I'm almost certain a female Marvel Legends buck will do but the one detail I want is the big flowing hair. Which one has hair that is most like this?
>>5682704
this is >>5680361 here. I was wondering the same thing for a visor. I was thinking of getting some clear thin plastic like from a water bottle or something and cutting it into the right shape, gluing it on and adding sculpt as needed. was also trying to figure out if it would be easier to use a helmeted head and cut and sculpt or get an unmasked head and sculpt a helmet around it.
Has anyone had experience with shrinking mold?
So there's a serious lack of quality Dante figure out there. The best one out there PAK DMC4 Dante had a crazy fumanchu and it is on an awkward scale with rough articulation (as many PAKs are). However I saw someone fix'd the fumanchu as pic related and realized that the sculpt was actually pretty decent.
NECA DMC1 Dante had a rough face sculpt, but decent scale and good accessories. I wonder is it possible to mold shrink down PAK Dante head onto NECA size, repaint his face and put it on NECA body. I did my research and both heads are on ball peg.
Other problem I have is that PAK Dante currently sells at a rape price everywhere. Just last year he was about 100 bucks, but now he's 400 bucks and I don't really want to spend that much money on custom fodder project that might not work
>>5683926
The Marvel Legends Ultimate Spider-Woman has flowing hair, maybe the Black Cat figure as well? Neither are exactly like the hair in the pic, but are probably what I'd go for, especially Ultimate Jess
Hey toy, any ideas for the hat, arms and sword in 1/12 scale?9
Who is the semen demon at 6 o clock in the op?
>>5684388
Black Cat's hair looks good for the part, but she has a mask...can her hair be removed and put on a character without a mask?
Is there a good resin casting starter kit that /toy/ can recommend?
I just need something like this to make the mold, http://www.amazon.com/Smooth-On-Silicone-Making-Rubber-Inc/dp/B004BNF3TK/ref=zg_bs_12899051_1
Something like this for the actual resin item http://www.amazon.com/Alumilite-Amazing-Casting-Resin-16-Ounce/dp/B0058V9KMK
and a box/bucket to actually cast it in, right?
>>5676189
That's fuckin top. Anything Chrono Trigger related makes me happy.
>>5685092
Pick up some mold release spray while your at it. Makes life a whole lot easier and you can't do two-part molds without it.
>>5685140
Perfect, thanks. Even taking a learning curve into account, recasting myself is way cheaper than middlemanning or aftermarket hunting.
>>5685140
you can do 2 part molds without it, in a pinch I just spray crystal clear on the first half of the mold, or rub some petroleum jelly on it, it's mostly a quality of life product lol
I've read a lot of people mention this from various customs but how exactly do people "dye" the plastic of their figures? I've seen people do this as a way to negate paint rubs with really tight joints. Is it a hard process to go through? Can someone break it down for me?
>>5685220
alt+f "dye", someone else on this thread already talks about it, basically you mix rit dye with a bit of acetone or some other type of solvent but you run the risk of fucking your shit up and it might not even work that well
>>5684370
Anyone?
>>5684370
>>5685347
There are casters that work with hydrospan and hydroshrink to scale objects up and down based on the customer's desire. Contact some head casters and see if they have experience and would be willing to take you on. Also note that it would probably be in excess of $60 for the head, and by doing it yourself you'd spend even more getting the necessary materials.
Hey guys, what size dremel bit should I use for Revoltech Joints? Is it the same diameter as the Modeling Support Joints?
>>5685672
Get yourself a set of calipers seriously. 20 bucks for Chinese ones that are more than good enough for toys
>>5685675
I have callipers, what I don't have is Revoltech or MSG joints to measure, but thank you kindly for your advice shithead.
>>5685680
>but thank you kindly for your advice shithead
You uh, seem a little tense there big guy
>>5680483
Wait, do you mean Halo?
>>5685680
There is no one single Revoltech joint size, there's 4 different ones to my best count. You would have to figure out which size joint suits your project best and work from there.
Also, you sound like a dipshit, so I hope nobody helps you any further. Consider what I posted a gift that you really don't deserve.
>>5685680
So why are you involved in a project that uses revoltech joints when you don't have any revoltech joints shitbrain? When you get them measure them with the calipers dickshit. Fuckwad. Cumfart. Asswaffle.
>>5685672
3mm if it's standard
if it's not, eh, best of luck
>>5684370
Check out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=we0nOvtAMw4
I'm going to try out some NOVOCS shrinks after I get the parts cast. They don't mention it in the video, but you work with a cast part because it's solvent resistant, instead of an original piece turning into soup.
So you make a cast of the original , then shrink the mold proportionally (20% about ten days), and it's less fucked up than Hydroshrink alginate (You can see some of Glassman's old stuff that looks like you just twisted it because the water in the alginate didn't evaporate evenly.)
>>5684629
I imagine it can, just with a lot of patience. I've never tried to do it myself though.
>>5680412
You should be banned from this threads, not fair pros playing in amateur league.
That is just a whole new level
>>5680412
I must missed the threads you posted the goat thing with an axe. Could you share some pics of the process? Is gorgeous
What Figma or Figuart would you guys recommend for Superboy and Red Arrow?
>>5687798
Why do you wanna make such lame ass characters?
>>5687800
One, good practice. Two, they're my friend's favorite DC characters so I want to make them as a gift.
>>5687807
Ah, well. Figma Yuichi for Red Arrow and Figma Cobra for Superboy.
>>5687817
Thanks.
>>5686228
Is there anything like that for scaling up molds?
>>5688093
Hydrospan.
>>5679193
Gummy Molga is one of my favorite zoid customs, unfortunately I think the creator's site is dead.
>>5687798
Bootleg Figma Archethpe He (old version) is one, be forwarded that there might be some imperfections and some ball-socket joints might be loose (not always, but the QC on the bootlegs isn't obviously real GSC tier). Put the bootleg in boiling water for a minute before popping off joints and to loosen any too-tight joints.
Body-Kun from SH Figuarts just came out and is also an option.
Head's up for anyone needing a titty-monster base, bootlegs now exist of bikini Super Sonico in both the regular AND suntanned versions.
Search on eBay for 'figma sonico' and you'll see them. I'm getting one for fodder myself.
>>5688575
>>forwarded
Gah...'forewarned.'
>>5688188
Aww hell that is awesome. I wish I didn't have so many Warhams on my workbench or I'd have a go at some Zoids.
>>5684629
>>5686230
The hair on these are a separate molded piece, so you should be able to do it with a lot of patience, a lot of heat (to loosen the glue), and maybe some plastic spudgers to pry things along with an X-acto blade to cut glue.
The trick then will be placing the hair piece on the net head--the hair and the head likely have some sort of interlocking shapes in them that you'll have to work around or cut out.
>>5686511
But I am an amateur. A ton of the guys on 2chan and some here blow me out of the water.
>>5686515
I never did do a WIP for him because he was so simple. With some hobby base ball sockets, I planted them into the neck and base of the skull and then layered over it with trimmed gauze bandages so his neck could articulate in odd angles.
http://hlj.com/product/YLSPPC-TN05G/Sup
So I've been dabbling with adding articulation to figures for a while now (posted that mediocre Greninja a couple of threads back), but one thing eludes me. Most of the joints I've used have been Hobby Base Figma/Revoltech-style ball joints, so that they can utilize both the hinge and the pivots at the points where the joint attaches. When the hole for the joint is drilled into PVC plastic, it works just fine, since the plastic has enough give to form itself around the joint. But if I drill a hole into a piece sculpted from scratch with Apoxie, the cured material has no give, so the joint doesn't fit nearly as well. Is there any sculpting compound that has enough flexibility to work with joints, or should I just try sculpting pieces with a "core" of scrap PVC?
How hard would it be to oversize a Transformer?
I've been looking into threads and found a few options such as 3D scanning, hydrospan, pantographs hooked up to drilling machines, and of course scratch building.
Ideally I'd like to upscale pic related so that the mini-Prime is roughly on par with a Cyberverse Commander Prime or Hybrid Convoy, and have the Prime/Convoy be able to fit in Stratosphere's cargo bay like the mini-Prime does... but I've never attempted a project like this and wouldn't know where to begin.
>>5689497
Apoxie isn't good for sculpting everything from scratch. It's very hard and brittle, but not that strong.
You should try to sculpt it over some sort of frame.
For now I think you can try to create a bigger hole and insert some sort of tubing. Sand and clean the tube with some detergent and water and superglue it into the apoxie, and then you can insert the joint.
Polystyrene might work, it's not a soft plastic but it's a little softer than apoxie.
Another option is to try and design joint sockets and have them 3D printed from shapeways in strong and flex plastic, which is a nylon, so it has more give than hard plastics or apoxie.
So what's the latest on painting figma joint? Any tips to avoid paint rubbing?
>>5676246
I remember someone posting about that, they just posted this saying some Japanese toy magazines actually recommended doing that.
>>5689545
If you have to ask a thread in /toy/ you won't be able to do it.
I fucked up a lot time ago and now that I plan to improve my childhood collection I'm realizing it.
I superglued the black barrel thingy on the back of my bootleg Rapidmon because I was obsessed with not letting shit fall when I was a kid, and the screws needed to take him apart are inside the piece that holds that thing.
Is there any way to unglue it?
>>5690348
*long time ago
>>5690348
Put it in the freezer. Superglue becomes more brittle when that cold.
>>5688093
You can do the same thing with solvents, just instead of mixing it in with the mold rubber, you soak the mold and let it expand.
It's not as inconsistent as Hydrospan/shrink, and hydrospan tends to go bad pretty fast once it's exposed to air.
Made this recently and sold it too. Thought it would be a fun project and it was!
What would be a good paint combination for Flesh colors? Judging by my research, I would need a base flesh tone, a highlight, and a tanned/darker tone for better musculature. Any one have recommendations? I'm leaning towards vallejo acrylics for figmas and Marvel universe figures.
>>5692522
Tint bottled flesh tone up and down with small mixes of burnt sienna and red.
>>5689497
Green stuff could work, it's pretty flexible.
>>5690774
Is pressure molding really necessary for small headsculpt? Anyone with molding experience?
A lot of customizer tutorial on youtube doesn't use pressure molding at all
>>5693387
If you want a perfect cast every time, but you can prevent bubbles by burping your mold (squeezing it couple of times after you fill it), swishing it around, and even sitting it on the table and hitting the table to knock air bubbles out (vibration works well too but you run the risk of adding bubbles if you over work it)
>>5693387
>>5693396
Let me add to my answer from this morning, some of the quicker setting resins can also have a somewhat violently reaction and expand and bubble up a bit and pressure casting stops that shit from happening. I work with a lot of smooth cast color match 325 and when I don't pressure cast it because the air here is pretty humid it can expand about 2x and it gets bubbly and nasty looking.
>>5694585
>violently reaction
What I meant to say was
>react violently
or
>violent reaction
I combined the two like a moron
>>5683926
The White Tiger body might be a good starting point. And you should look at Hope Summers for a head. Might not be right, but she's got big, flowing hair.
How sturdy are the bootleg archetype figma?
I just want one to use the limbs to get full nude Alleyne, just so I can dress her up, ironically.
>>5666788
Is there any info on that sweet Yellow Mecha? I've been wanting some 1/12 scale wonderfulness for my military schoolgirls for a while now.
>>5676900
Hey Solidworks anon, how much effort does it take to learn solidworks? Is it something I could git gud at studying on my own given the right resources?
>>5695409
You live in an era where you can go to youtube.com and look up solid works tutorials to see what the program is like. Be a self starter, anon. The world rewards people with initiative.
What do you call those tiny clips that are helping hands for holding up small heads?
Also, how do people brush into very tiny areas like goku's super saiyan hair without leaving behind paint strokes?
I'm going to try and do some simple matte paint jobs because the neon hair is gross
>>5695868
>What do you call those tiny clips that are helping hands for holding up small heads
Alligator clips? (see pic)
>how do people brush into very tiny areas like goku's super saiyan hair without leaving behind paint strokes
Thin the paint.
>think of remaking old custom of mine
>parts alone would probably cost $200 total to buy the base stuff new
>probably can't even obtain certain pieces now anyway
>realize I barely wanted to make the thing in the first place
>>5696384
What components? And what character? There might be cheaper alternatives that people could suggest.
>>5696399
I just looked on eBay. I can get 90% of what I need without hassle. But the head was a very specific look that is 100% unavailable anywhere now, and some parts would either mean finding someone willing to sell those parts loose(unlikely) or dropping $200 on that figure just to get those 2 parts.
For that I could get a Wii, PS2, and Saturn and fucking modchip them, get more joy form it than a thing that'll just sit on a shelf and collect dust, and have money left over.
>>5696432
>what components
>what characters
>answers neither
>>5696440
>baaaaw
I did not actually ask for your help in the first place.
>>5696432
Are you doing 1/6 or something?
>>5696444
So you're just blogging or something in this thread? Go to facebook for this, I'm sure your friends (heh) would be more receptive.
What is the best way to practice at customs or just getting over the fear of ruining a figure?
>>5696708
Ruin a figure... start with cheap figures that you don't mind messing up.
>>5695363
Not bad, honestly. There are a few hiccups that might occur with one you get. Ball-sockets in the shoulders can sometimes be too wide resulting in floppy shoulders (only had that issue with 1 female and 1 male), and the thighs' socket joints can sometimes be flimsy (one of my females had that issue with one leg). Joint-wise they're fine, but boil the figure for a few seconds to move every joint to be safe. You may also need to boil and pop off the joints from the peg-holes too as some figures might have a joint or two put in upside down or backwards.
Does anybody know of an average sized male figma or SHF that is wearing a short sleeve polo (i.e. not a full button-up) shirt without any additional sculpting/overlays obstructing it? Preferably something that is cheap/has a known bootleg.
>>5697415
http://myfigurecollection.net/item/72326
would this do ya
>>5696770
Thanks, mang.
>>5697421
Nope, it's not a polo and since it looks like a high schooler it would probably be below the average sized male requirement. Thanks, though.
>>5695409
Theoretically it isnt super difficult, but thats true of nearly any program. You just gotta read up on how things work and experiment.
As an update TSI went through my luggage and there are now parts missing from my print so at this point Im going to work on fixing the mechanical flaws in my model and will reprint later. It's annoying, but less annoying than when they snapped the antennas off my wifi router.
>>5697623
*TSA
I have no idea lol
>>5695376
3D printed/scratch build.
>>5696364
>Alligator clips?
Yes. There's also "extra hand tools," but I haven't found much use for them.
>Thin the paint.
Yes.
So I found this old Megaman X figure from my childhood. As you can see, the paint chipped off like a motherfucker and good ol Jizzwares gave a thin as fuck coat of paint on the face, showing blue underneath.
I was thinking of practicing painting on this guy, since I still suck at it. Does Testors make a metallic blue acrylic paint?
So I decided to go with a Marvel Legends White Tiger for my Star Power custom since the buck has the perfect physical build, is very smooth, and mostly blank. The only problem is that because of her mask she doesn't really have a face. I got a Wasp figure to see if I could swap their heads only to find that the ball joints are totally different sizes! Are there any non mask wearing female ML heads that would go onto White Tiger's body? Failing that, any tips on sculpting facial details like eyebrows and lips?
>>5698417
Tamiya definitely has the colors you'll need
>>5698848
IIRC, the only unmasked heads in the line sized for the spider-girl body are Jubilee, (spider-)Gwen Stacey, and Magik, and Magik's ball socket is a different size and Jubilee's socket is at the wrong height.
So what are the secret to be god tier face painter for 1/12 scale figures?
Pic related are from Oldboy CCTS, literally a bunch of Thai tattoo artists. It seems like they're painting it with something out of Figuarts dot matrix face paint tech. Even with size 0 brush it seems like near impossible to achieve what they did. What's the secret? Are they just really good?
>>5666788
I'm working on a figure display stand, does that count to post here?
>>5699707
>It seems like they're painting it with something out of Figuarts dot matrix face paint tech
It's just many successive drybrush (or semi-drybrush) layers of tints very gingerly brushed on a base.
One thing that 99% of customizers out there fail to grasp about realism in skin tone painting is that skin requires a random and spontaneous aesthetic to truly be good looking. So you get a bunch of low tier customizers that take a bottle of stock flesh tone, mix a highlight and a shadow to go with it, brush those on, dot in two stark white spots of white for the eyes, and call it a day. It's almost as flat and uninspired as bare factory plastic and is reminiscent of uninspired fill-in-the-blank coloring books. To them, applying color is treated as coloring "zones" rather than a cohesive approach.
Meanwhile, oil painters and people who focus on creating the effects of realism know that for white male skin tones they need bluish grays in areas where stubble grows, pink blush in the nose and cheeks, green in the high cheek bones, yellow ochre above the brow, purples in the upper recesses of the eye sockets, magenta below the eyes, and a light gray for the eyes themselves. When you drybrush those on and go to town with numerous subtle layers, you start to get a surface color shift where the transparency of the layers allows multiple colors to "shine" through; that is the core essence of creating a realistic and visually blotchy skin tone, like in the cheeks of Tyrion in your picture.
>>5699707
There's no secret to being good at anything. There's no trick that will make you a master over night.
Practice. That's not an answer you want to hear, is it?
Hi. Never posted in here before, but I have a question.
I have some testors silver paint. More often than not it works great with the little bit of painting I've done, but there are some where it just won't stick no matter what I do.
What's the best way to just remove the paint I did to start over? Trying to wash it off doesn't seem to work. Just acts like it wants to finally stick.
Thanks!
>>5699971
The secret is knowledge. Try to understand color and values without any resources. You'll be dead before you can comprehend why the red and yellow you put down suddenly look like pink and sick green. A diligent art student can learn, maybe become an expert, in a few years with the proper information. It won't allow you master it over night but it's the difference between struggling over several lifetimes and struggling for several years.
>>5699770
Probably helped him a ton just by giving him that information. Practice is always necessary but the key is knowledge.
Hey /toy/ first post here. How do I fix pic related? I made it when I was like 10. Should I paint it white first then add more layers? Should I just throw it out? What do you guys think?
>>5700009
It depends on what the paint type is. You wouldn't want to strip acrylic and enamel in the same way. And if you're having problems with paint sticking, apply a quick layer of matte clear coat on the area, let it cure, and paint over that. It will act as a layer filled with microscopic imperfections that the paint can form polymerized chains around better than bare plastic. Think of it as a clear primer.
>>5700022
>Probably helped him a ton just by giving him that information
Thanks, makes that long winded post I made seem worth it if at least a little part of it can help someone.
>>5700064
Can't really tell what is globbed paint and what is dust, so it's hard to discern how far gone it is. You could try masking off the cockpit and priming the body with gray primer to level out the surface and then do a brisk wetsanding using a low grit paper over any major globs, but it might not be effective. If it's an older styrene model kit most solvents/spirits/thinners would increase its brittleness and ruin its structural rigidity, so you might not be able to effectively strip it either without running the risk of it crumbling.
Anyone ever ordered from that Strangefate nigga?
I want to know how his 7 inch figures scale with the Jakks WWE Deluxe Classics since my last attempt at pic related had to be aborted over shitty hips on the base figure and finding a better batch of WWE figures for which I'll need a larger skull head.
Also, do you know any Shapeways store that sells sets of hands for 7 inch/1:10 stuff? I tried looking for it but their search/navigation is just bullshit.
>>5700500
Aren't the Jakks WWE figures way the fuck bigger than actual 7" 1/10 scale? They're like a head taller than the Mattel ones.
>>5700504
I think they were about 3-4 centimeters bigger, about 19 cm, than the usual 6 inch figures, which would put them close to 7 and a half inches.
Supposedly, the guy who was selling me the base bodies was going to get me other figures to compare until I got one I thought was fit but I can't find the fucker since last month, so I'm basing the scale on a friend's Scott Hall figure for now.
>>5699770
Is this shit documented anywhere or is it one of those "passed down generation of artists" magic sauce? Does it apply to all paints? I find it crazy for one to put magenta acrylics below the eyes,
>>5700609
I learned it over a decade of studio/live model oil painting, I'm not really sure where to find documentation pertaining specifically to toys. It works with acrylics just as fine as oils - in more specific terms, the concept is called "glazing" and relies on the idea that layered color transparency allows light to pass through to lower layers and bring out the underlying colors in a visual mix. It's basically the same physical phenomenon that allows you to see the color of your veins through your skin (or, to make it more relevant to the discussion of toys, how a base coat of gloss black on Gunpla brings out silver paints even better, which in turn makes candy coats look amazing). When light can pass through an object, it will introduce the reflected (but dulled) colors of what is below.
Broadly speaking it's like unconsciously detecting green, blue, and red in the same area but consciously registering it as realistic flesh tone paint with your brain. It's one of the accidental marvels of the limitations of the human brain, where a computer would discern every last individual color uniquely and ruin the effect but the limited physical and cognitive capacity of humans makes everything kind of blur and look great.
In oils we use a liquid medium (like Liquin) to dilute the pigmentation of the paints and allow for it to be applied transparently as a glaze, and with acrylics essentially what you're doing is spreading pigments with water in an identical fashion. So on top of the stock flesh color paint, you would start to gradually pile up nearly unnoticeable transparent layers of, say, magenta to give the illusion of blood flow coursing through the "T" zone of the face (i.e. the area that bleeds really easily, from the nose to the bottom of the brow ridge).
>tl;dr: words words words, thin your paints even further
>>5700652
Also, I should note that oil glazing is done with a heavy ratio of liquid medium, whereas acrylic glazing for a better flesh tone effect is pretty much always done dry(brushed) from a thinned paint source. It changes with an airbrush, though, but that's a whole other can of worms. That was dumb of me not to make that distinction, because running what is basically just water with barely any acrylic in it over plastic surfaces will net you next to zero results.
Looking for a picture of a custom someone made using pic related where they painted it to look like the comics. Anyone have it?
Can acetone harm plastic? I need to unglue something and I've heard it can disolve superglue.
Also, what can I use to wipe off the paint used on transformers?
>>5700064
What scale? The F-16 is super common as a kit. Just buy another one, paint it up, and keep em as a nostalgic duo.
>>5698919
hmm...maybe I was a little greedy to expect ears and a face...is it at all feasible to make the facial details on White Tiger's head? Or is that a bridge too far?
>>5700702
>Psycho batshit crazy looney toons stare.jpg
>>5700831
Acetone WILL damage plastic. Try boiling the parts in a pot of water to loosen the glue.
>>5700831
>Can acetone harm plastic
God yes.
>Also, what can I use to wipe off the paint used on transformers?
Some factory paints can be removed with 91% isopropyl alcohol, some require more caustic solutions such as over cleaner or DOT3 brake fluid.
Figured this would be the place to ask:
I have this sword but the grip of the hilt is a bit too short. What's the best thing to use to add length to it? Obviously the addition would need to be the same diameter (approximately 2mm) and create a pretty consistent flow from the additional piece and the original piece
>>5700652
Huh, interesting. Well, I guess I'd better stick to animu-styled figures.
>>5701005
cut off the original piece and replace with a pinned piece at the cutoff point for better flow
>>5701246
Good advice, thanks.
>>5666788
I started working on my first ever diorama for marvel legends a day before yesterday. Surprised how good it is shaping up to be.
>>5700977
Okay. This is whar I want to take apart.
The torso, barrel connector, and middle-arms are hard plastic; the shoulders, head, arms, and barrel are made of a hard but slightly rubbery plastic.
The barrel is glued to the connector on the back.
>>5700983
>search for over cleaner
>google seems to have an obsession with shoving results for "oven cleaner" even after being told to not include oven nor oven cleaner
Fuck.
Do you remember what chemicals were on over cleaner? Also, wouldn't those other options harm the plastic more?
>>5701340
>I started working on my first ever diorama for marvel legends
not an alley, 2/10 must try harder, ACBA disapproves of this post.
>>5701692
>Do you remember what chemicals were on over cleaner?
I completely fucked up in the spelling, I'm not even sure how because I proofread it. It is indeed oveN cleaner like google suggests, not oveR cleaner. I'm sorry for wasting your time on that one.
>Also, wouldn't those other options harm the plastic more?
Possibly, which is why you should always test it first on a junker piece made from the same line/company. Isopropyl alcohol is 99.999% of the time not going to cause damage of any sort. Oven cleaner ups the chances of damage, and so does DOT3. If you apply the DOT3 with a Q-tip over the course of several sessions and control the flow of it on the surface so it doesn't go everywhere (especially over thin parts or joints) you should be fine. Wear proper gloves, though.
Does anyone know where I can get like a tiny tiny vest? Ash is about 4" I think. Trying to turn the articulated Ash into pic related. Probably repaint the face and the eye.
>>5666788
>Customs general in a nutshell
Just give it up guys, use your imagination and play the toys as it was intended to rather than ruining your toys
>>5700860
No idea what scale it is. I like your idea though, I might buy another. They're probably super cheap anyways.
>>5699770
You are either a genius or a moron. Haven't decided yet.
>>5701944
Here is your reply
>>5666788
What crab body is used for Crab Nicholson?
>>5702443
Hes sorta right though. A lot of anons on here just cobble random parts together and call it a custom.
Very different from someone who tries to make something based off of an actual character
>>5702467
So?
>>5701917
Give him some hips, too.
Star Wars Black series Han Solo has a tiny vest that might scale to the right size. Style's all wrong, though.
Maybe just sculpt one out of thin plastic sheets?
![WP_20160529_14_34_10_Pro[1].jpg](https://i.imgur.com/ZDeuztr.jpg "WP_20160529_14_34_10_Pro[1].jpg")
working on a doom guy...
>>5702467
It's still a custom, and as long as it looks cool who cares?
>>5698848
Hope Summers
>>5701340
And finished!
>>5702467
Making a custom based on actual character is actually lame and shows your lack of imagination. Sid's baby spider, muscle duck man on springs, and legged car were actually top notch custom and joint engineering.
>>5703280
I should stop postergating buying that Chameleon. Everything reminds me that I want to buy it, it's like breaking up with an actually good girlfriend or something.
Good proportions, though.
>>5702634
>unswept dante coat
Fuck it looks GREAT. Please, what figure did you adapt it from?
>>5703398
...
What?
Wouldnt it be nore creative if you were able to sculpt, find, and paint the parts to make an accurate version of a character instead of just grabbing random stuff and gluing it together?
>>5703559
>two anons having a discussion
>FUCKING RETARDS
no anon, the only retard here
Is you
>>5703564
So your argument is that it's a worthwhile discussion to debate what is and isn't creative on some sort of definable scale?
Okay Corky, don't forget to wear your helmet when you play with the other special needs kids.
>>5700953
You could make a press mold with Instant Mold / Oyumaru and copy a face with some epoxy putty
>>5702634
How the fuck did you mount that Alastor on Dante's back?
>>5666865
>tfw no articulated mister handy to mount on a tamashii stage
feels never change
>>5666865
Holy shit that's cool.
![WP_20160531_22_16_04_Pro[1].jpg](https://i.imgur.com/3ClHBSM.jpg "WP_20160531_22_16_04_Pro[1].jpg")
>>5704200
>>5703521
blade trenchcoat lower half,and some wall sticker doubletape to make sword stick,lol.
How badly dyeing plastic might it fuck it up?
I figure out having it sit on boiling water for a long time soaking up dye can't do it any good.
>>5705900
I don't even understand what you're asking.
>>5705910
I'm asking if dyeing plastic will damage it.
>>5705940
If it gets hot enough to warp the harder plastic that chests are made of, absolutely.
Dyeing is usually a fool's errand to begin with. You get shitty results 99% of the time and just waste time and effort. You're better off spending a few dollars and buying a figure with plastic parts that are molded in the base colors you need.
>>5705940
Hot water alone isn't going to dye most plastics, you need to mix in a little acetone. And that acetone will make it very easy to damage the plastic.
>>5705953
Dying only works when the base plastic is significantly lighter than the color you want to dye. So basically it better be white plastic you're dying.
>>5706031
It is white plastic.
I want to turn a CW Streetwise into pic related, but in bright MS Paint's red because muh geewun.
>>5705874
Thanks a lot for the tip... how is it attached? jointed at one hinge or wire running through? I want to emulate since the attaching seam looks great.
Saw this posted on a facebook group. Danm.
>>5705874
Did you paint his lips too? He had purple lips from the factory
>>5707143
Fuck man I love Rafael Grampa's Daredevil and Wolverine designs so much. That custom is great.
So I've been reluctant to post this here since SU is regarded as literal trash on /toy/ but what the hell. This was a project I started last year but it was kind of shit and I didn't get back around to it until recently. With the exception of a revoltech style (hobby base) joint in the neck I designed everything. It was all done in zbrush and printed out by me, I cleaned it all up and did some quick molds and did a cast in Smooth Cast 325. Using my stupid tumblr scribble pictures reluctantly here.
>>5707179
Here's a photo of a cast that has yet to be cleaned up or really painted. The black nostrils won't be on the finished piece.
>>5707179
>>5707201
>>5702634
I like the way you Doom.
>>5707252
The face is very thin in that spot and the skin was pigmented slightly translucent so when it goes over the hair the black comes through and it looks weird. It'll be fine painted.
>>5707252
>>5707708
The cast is every bit as crisp as the original, it just doesn't photograph very well while it's on the head because of the sheen and how thin it is in spots. Will probably end up using a different, more pigmented cast, on the final, since I also have a problem with the sheen/glossy nature of the flesh.
>>5698848
If the neck hole is too small you can enlarge it, too big you can fill it in. Sounds like you're doing this for yourself so you can fill it in with something as simple as paper.
Also, if the neck is too long or short you can alter that too, but it would probably be easier do alterations to the head.
>>5699770
>bluish grays in areas where stubble grows, pink blush in the nose and cheeks, green in the high cheek bones, yellow ochre above the brow, purples in the upper recesses of the eye sockets, magenta below the eyes, and a light gray for the eyes themselves.
Reminded me of sinix's painting technique.
>>5700702
Here you go.
>>5701340
>>5703280
Excellent.
>>5702453
Playmobil crab.
>>5707179
>>5707201
>>5707217
Neato.
>>5707429
thats manly as fuck and i would buy in a heartbeat
>>5705874
Which blade figure? Theres like a million of em
>>5707217
Good job, you rock loving lesbian bitch.
>>5706039
You'll end up with a somewhat uneven deep red. But, on the plus side, that's a decent base from which to then give it layers of brighter red.
![0c88dddf46[1].jpg](https://i.imgur.com/N1DSW9Z.jpg "0c88dddf46[1].jpg")
Best base for CBB man?
>>5710075
ghost rider maybe?
>>5710075
Maybe DCUC Guy Gardner for the top half, and Marvel Legends 4-pack Patriot for the lowers? Or the top half of the latest ML Ghost Rider instead of Guy Gardner's, coupled with the hands and forearm covers from Red Guardian. I wouldn't bother using GR's lowers because white paint over black plastic will always look like shit.
