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, 3D printed stuff, or whatever else you're working on. Share tips, ask for help, offer advice, and have fun!
Here's some tips from the previous threads:
For sculpting: use 2-part epoxy putty like Aves apoxie, Magic Sculpt 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.
Did a custom Carnage and made a little making of guide if you guys want to check it out.
http://imgur.com/a/1oa6U
>>5581579
I'll be honest with you: this pic of yours seems pretty lewd
>>5581492
>>5581507
Noted. Thanks guys! I'll be sculpting my own instead of using ones from something else, so I'll try it with an armature.
>>5581476
>For paints: use acrylics.
I'm glad you guys say this. I prefer acrylic paint but I always get made fun of in the gunpla and plamo threads.
>>5581645
I've found various success with mixed mediums to be honest. I usually go with lacquers for base coats and acrylics for subsequent ones. Enamels and chalk pigments do wonders for weathering if you really need a textures look.
>>5581645
Gunpla people trip over themselves talking about the obnoxiously over-complex steps they take to make their stuff. It's like they're not doing something right unless it takes far longer than it needs to and they suffer along the way.
>>5581673
To be fair, Acrylic paint is a lot less durable. I mainly use it because I have so many pets that even with a hood, Lacquer's toxicity makes me nervous.
>>5581507
>Wha..? Is the Philippines known for having great customizers/supplies?
For gendum at least, yes.
>>5581579
wow, NICE. Wish i'd nabbed that cheapo carnage with magnet feet on the bst a few jumps back so i coulda done this.
>>5581673
Action figure customizing is different from model building: models are made of styrene, and most figures are made of PVC. There are some PVCs that prevent enamel paint from curing, so the surface remains sticky and the paint gets rubbed off easily.
I just realized that the Marvel Legends Scourge would make a really good Higuide or PHD Trooper from Biomega. Its a pretty great base for any of the beefier characters from Nihei stuff, especially with his random studs/plugs in his suit and the rough and worn patches around his neck and sides.
Anyone know a good white paint that dries to a subtle off-white? I want that bone color for the changes I'll be making to his head.
>>5582575
You won't get that effect with one type of paint. Here's a tutorial using three different paints from a pure white, off white and brown wash.
http://youtu.be/iD_G2j9yHMs
>>5581755
I've noticed the Filipinos do insane Airsoft mods too.
>>5582575
Cant wait to see the results! I'm a big fan of his own line of figures too.
>>5582663
>Armored Deadpool
Noice.
Which figure could make a good base for a 1/12 figure of Quiet?
So im asking for some tips or ideas.
If i want to start a St. Lucia Custom.
Which figure could be a good base?
>>5582969
If you can find it, the Figma Archetype She: Next clear version. The proportions and physique are the closest you can get with the She Next. The skin-colored one hasn't been made yet, and has sports-bra breasts so that won't help.
A slightly larger scale figure that will work is the Marvel Legends White Tiger as far as proportions and physique go, but will require more work.
If you're fine with anime-proportions (and can do a head-swap with a realistic head) then the re-release of the Archetype she older version could work with some mods to the breasts to make them less 'saggy-looking'. Though honestly, the only thing odd about the older Archetype She's breasts is that they part out a bit more than they should, that's all. The infamous 'sag' is actually rather realistic for tits that size on a 20-something that is in shape yet isn't super-athletic. Real boobs are 'sacks' and not 'balloons', most anime and western art depicts breasts as defying gravity and having these perfectly perky shapes. Some drawfag back on /d/ talked about that in a tutorial he did (sadly I lost the pic years ago), that boobs sag regardless because of plain old gravity and that the degree of sagging is dependent on the woman's age, chest-musculature (tighter pectorals yield perkier breast shapes), and the size/weight of the breasts.
Anyways, avoid bishoujo-proportioned characters like the Figuarts Sailor Moon like the last anon who made a custom Quiet (assuming that isn't you).
>>5583050
If you're not big on heavy sculpting and don't mind replacing a pair of legs and making some slight adjustments, Funko Legacy Daenerys is not a bad base.
>>5583056
Thanks Papi-anon
Yeah, I saw the last thread's Quiet figure, It was something that came out of the Cthulhu mythos really
>>5583328
No prob!
Also, pic related is of two bootleg Archetype She old versions I own. The left one I put in boiling water for a bit to soften the plastic, took it out (using tongs gently) and then pressed the boobs inwards while cooling the chest with my own breath (like blowing on a spoonful of hot soup) for about a minute repeatedly until it stayed as you see it. I'm honestly surprised how well it turned out when it hardened again.
So there you go, /customs/! A quick fix for the older Archetype She's 'saggy tits'.
>>5583354
Neat! I'll have to try that some time.
Gunna try and make this guy in 1/12 scale. Anybody got any ideas for his scarf thingy?
>>5584915
Forgot pic like a retard.
On the homestretch with this big lug, working out the remaining armor and fiddle/weather the cloth
>>5584918
You could probably cut up a rubber wrist band, glue it in a scarf shape and paint it brown.
>>5584918
Get a spray can of plastidip. Cover your figure up so that you don't get shit all over it, take a piece of fabric, a ripped up old tshirt or whatever something that wrinkles like you want it to, spray the hell out of it with the plastidip from a safe distance so that the force of the gross smelling rubber doesn't fuck your cloth folds/wrinkles.
>>5582575
off-white
>>5585406
It stays flexible so yeah probably, I've never done it over joints though. If you do it right, and it might be some trial and error on how much you need to coat the piece, I forgot to say earlier but do it in 3 light coats that usually works for me. Anyway if you do it right it keeps the shape very well. If it isn't keeping its shape spray it a few more times.
Ant recommendations for an acrylic silver paint? I know Alclad II's chrome is the best silver all around, but I was hoping there'd be an acrylic alternative.
>>5586187
None. Enamel at a minimum
>>5586196
Aw, I was really hoping not to have to buy new primer, thinner, and everything. Oh well. Do it right or don't do it at all.
repostin. wip fyi
>>5587382
Some of those parts look like the gundam gashopons, I think I see barbatos legs. What are you going for with this guy?
>>5586187
what's it for?
this is a good alternative to metalizers
![03042016425[1].jpg](https://i.imgur.com/YwdjXGg.jpg "03042016425[1].jpg")
>>5587554
just slapping shit together lol.
>>5586187
Vallejo acrylics just recently started a line up metallic acrylic non-toxic colors.
Pic related.
>>5586129
Thanks anon. If all else fails I can just keep parts of him cloth.
>>5584959
Looks great so far! Looking forward to seeing it finished.
>>5587382
>>5587382
I dig it.
Whelp. My last Hunter is finished. It was a fun ride guys.
>>5587725
Thanks Fakimus, i've got him strapped to a table at the moment since i didn't like the ringwraith wrist armor and had to redo it.
I'm also putting together a sword for him and thinking of making a diorama of a slain bloathead to serve as a base for it.
>>5587574
>>5587627
Thanks, and I'm making a Neuroi Nendoroid, so the silver would be going over apoxie and plastic. Though to be honest, I'm still not entirely sold on the silver. The more I think about it, the more I think it would look glaringly out of place with the rest of the witches. Though one of those darker Vallejo silvers might be something of a compromise.
>>5587868
That sounds like a neat idea. If you plan on weathering cloth, I'd suggest coarse sandpaper.
>>5587868
Finished up the sword, just need to wait for the putty on the curved parts to dry. Man it turned out bigger than i expected, totally dwarfed my hg grimgerde
>spend the afternoon cleaning my collection and listening to some vlogs
>get to dead end and its shithouse tight pegs
>one if its leg panels breaks from applying just enough force to pop the fucking thing
RREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
What now? I already got the superglue, looking for some epoxy, and started carving a groove to reinforce the piece. I don't know if this still can work on a piece that is fixed in place by pressure.
>>5587725
I never quite understand what your customs are supposed to be. Are they hunters from bloodborne?
>>5588366
Not exactly. They're characters I make for my short stories. It's fun to put together something random and build a character and backstory for them.
Where would I be able to find a gun similar to the attached pic for a 6 inch figure? I've searched eBay but everything I've seen is either from China and won't get here For weeks ( I move in about 2 months and don't want to risk it) or cost $6-12 for a single accessory.
>>5588423
>$6-12
If that's too expensive for you, you might want to consider a different hobby. Little Armory's the standard for 1/12 guns. ~900 yen, but if you want it totally accurate, you''ll need some decorative tape and a 30 round magazine and sight from a few other guns.
Is there a general guide for adding articulation for jointless statues/GKs? Ordered this thing and was thinking of making it a project to give her some joints.
Well, got my bootleg Archetype He (old version) today. Due to the odd way the head piece's joint was attached (and the face plate being loose) pic related is how he came in the mail, lol. First thought was imagining him saying in an old Jewish voice "Vhataya you talking about!?"
Kidding aside, his QC is lacking in some spots. The right arm's shoulder socket is oblong and thus the shoulder ball is loose. Any easy fix, though. The back of the head's peg hole goes straight upwards so tilting the head isn't as good as it should be, plus the peg hole is off-center a bit. Nothing epoxy and re-drilling can't fix. Last complaint is the right knee joint being upside-down, but that's the easiest thing to fix.
Got him for $14.50 shipped from eBay and it only took a week to ship to CONUS, your mileage will vary though.
As far as fodder goes, it's not bad aside from the usual hiccups bootlegs have. But now after bootleg Saber Bride and MGS2 break out of the box compared to all three of my archetypes (2 female and 1 male) it seems the archetype bootlegs are the better-designed ones due to simplicity.
One caveat with figma bootlegs is that the Chinese joints have an extruded ring at the ends of the pegs to make them snug in the peg holes, which make some swiveling and general popping them out a risky endeavor due to the Cjinese joints being much more fragile. I'd advise to boil and pop your bootlegs and then sanding the little ring at each peg a bit to make parts removable with destroying the joint. If you can, buy color-corresponding Hobby Base joints to replace the whole set. Or a figma joints lot off EBay.
I'll try boiling my male archetype's torso to warp his pecs to look less like tits. Don't know what GSC was thinking giving the male such an ill-proportioned chest-sculpt.
>>5589438
Keep us updated on the chest work. That is a huge reason why I kept avoiding it for so long as a potential artist pose reference. Was pleased when they unveiled thinker so snatched him right away and now eagerly awaiting the next archetypes.
>>5589438
Wow, these bootlegs aren't that bad, this one even says Figma in the package.
I agree they are good as custom fodder.
Anyone have that guide on how to make clothing for figmas and such?
>>5583056
If you replace the joints, would the bootleg Archetypes be good for from-the-ground-up customs?
>>5589936
Well, yes to an extent.
The Chinese bootlegs have faint but visible textures of the plastic swirling while it was in the mold, plus some flash on some parts here and there.
They'll need some polishing, litterally and figuratively, but that plus replacing the joints gives you a decent base for teen to early-30s bodies. There's a pic out there of an Archetype She used to make a custom Marvel X-23 figure, and I'm trying to figure out what to make with my three. Maybe shipwrecked teens using leaf-bikinis or the protagonists of Shimoneta.
>>5581579
holy shit this is nice
>>5588901
http://lmgtfy.com/?q=adding+joints+to+action+figures
But seriously, what kind of articulation do you want for each part to be articulated? The basics are to cut the figure where you want a point of articulation and add the joint. What kind of joint? There's rods/pins for simple cut/swivel joints, ball joints, ball-shaped joints,and scavenged joints from figures.
For ball-shaped or joints you'll need to make space not just for the rod attachment, but for the ball itself.
>>5588901
Here's a basic guide I whipped up a few threads back.
I'm trying to repaint my hulkbuster and the red paint doesn't stick well unless I lay it on thick. Am I doing something wrong?
>>5591273
Did you wash the parts ahead of time? There can be mold release residue left over from the factory and other surface contaminants.
You could also apply primer. It beats having a thick uneven globbed-on surface of paint.
>>5591273
Aside from what the previous Anon has said, make sure you aren't thinning it too much.
sooo should i keep panel lining black over gold or use a different color?
this is the hasbro grim i did 3 years ago, i have the larger planet X one but not sure if i should panel line the gold or not or use a different color to panel line it :\
>>5591483
maybe try using gunmetal to panel line it
>>5591432
>Doesn't wash
>Doesn't prime
>Doesn't thin his paints
>Wonders why it doesn't stick
Please, don't be that guy. We don't need another Wii Fit Trainer/ Quiet tier custom here.
>>5591489
so should I strip the paint and start over?
>>5591492
I would say yes - starting with primer will probably solve your problem right there. But I don't know specifically what you're doing so a picture or two might help. And if it's turned out too badly that you feel self conscious posting pictures, that's your answer right there.
>>5591492
Wouldn't hurt, unless you use acetone to strip it and melt the plastic.
If you don't want to prime it, and just want more surface adhesion, go to a hardware store and buy a spray can of clear coat. Matte, gloss, satin... whatever floats your boat. Just cover the figure with a coat or two and you're good.
Can you post requests here?
>>5592286
As in requests for commissions?
>>5592291
well
yeah
>>5592296
You're very much free to do so. But keep in mind the last time someone made an open commission request, they did not take into account the time it takes and the money it costs, and pretty much everyone tore them apart for the remainder of the thread's posts.
If it requires paint or sculpting, don't bother making the request without expecting to pay $200, minimum.
>>5592307
I need a paint job
I've given it some thought and I should probably just try and do it myself
Anywhere around here i can find some related infodumps?
>>5592349
https://www.figurerealm.com/customtutorial
You can also glean some good info off of the gunpla general's guides.
How much would a 1:12 Molotov Cocktease or Dr Mrs The Monarch cost me Papi-Anon? I got expendable income coming around May.
Anyone know what figures these were made from?
>>5592356
Cool, ill check it out
This spooky gif is for you
>>5592296
>>5592349
The only way to find an artist is to post a decent idea of what you want to order.
For example, I posted a picture of the character I wanted and mentioned I was seeking figma-like style/scale. Papi Anon saw the post and decided he'd like to take the order on, we swapped contact info, and it's been in progress since then.
>>5592455
so when will papi anon get that c&d?
>>5592365
Sorry, kinda busy with my current commission as well as getting Loli/Shota Protomorph finished for my Shapeway store.
>>5592465
He's not mass-producing Monster Musume Papi figures. You can't really get in trouble over bird legs and harpy wing figure kits.
(And I hold the sole rights to the contents of my order, so that's nonissue as well)
>>5592470
Link to shapeway?
>>5592486
>supporting breakaways
might as well invest in sandpaper
>>5592507
Shapeways is fine if you aren't a retard who prints precolored products made from sand. They have durable plastics as well.
>>5592465
lol, my plan from the get-go is to make generic-enough looking parts and accessories that if combined in the right ways can get you superficially-similar figures of a character from a series.
In regards to my harpy model I'm actually going to make the harpy heels more therapod-like in their design rather than Okayado's flatter layout. and since I'll only offer parts in non-colored WSF (polished and unpolished) one can't simply say "That's ____'s hair/shirt/etc". Adding something like a tiny cowlick strand or two on a hair component that you have the option of knicking off with a hobby knife can also prevent copyright infringement on designs.
>>5592531
>They have durable plastics
>ask mom for a tiny hammer
>"here take this"
>"you can keep it"
fucken daint, lads
>>5592732
I have a similar hammer with a different head.
Really could use a rubber grip or something, it stinks of brass everytime I touch it.
>>5592760
But brass is self cleaning so that 'stink' actually means it's cleaner than literally every other tool you own.
>>5592763
what?
>>5592989
>The copper in brass makes brass germicidal. Depending upon the type and concentration of pathogens and the medium they are in, brass kills these microorganisms within a few minutes to hours of contact.
>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brass
>>5587902
The sandpaper tip worked really well for making the cloth on the joints look like chainmail man. Gonna get started on the bloathead stand since artorias is pretty much done.
>>5591265
what if the elbow is straight
>>5593391
That, uh...that kinda looks like shit, Anon.
>>5593391
Oh! What I meant was using the sandpaper to weather the cloth and make the edges fray a little.
Trying to make a NECA scale Punisher, but I'm not sure what to do about the head.
>>5593457
For a straight arm, separate the arm diagonally from the lower bicep to just below the elbow, then cut a chunk of the lower arm piece perpendicular to the previous cut. The lower arm should have a 90-degree or less cut to where it used to be part of the upper arm.
Pic related is what actual figma elbows look like, but essentially your cuts should leave the upper and lower arms looking like that.
>>5593391
You might need to weather the blue cloth like so it doesn't looks too bright l. Also the gunk paint (if that what you were going for) is too thick in some places.
>>5592763
You know that weird metallic smell you get from handling coins? It's kinda like that.
I have a metric shit ton of McFarlane Spartans and don't really want them anymore. What would be some good customs?
>>5591265
what about hips?
>>5593657
You could use the Army of Two NECA heads. The Ballistic Mask could be used as a mask like the one in the 2014 comic series
>>5591265
Articulated ass guides?
>>5593832
>>5593841
Figma-style asses are a different system. You need the t-shaped or y-shaped piece used in the lower torso of Figmas. The ass (one that is separate from the midsection) is a hollow piece with holes like a pair of briefs (waist and thigh-openings). If you can make a mold of a figure's ass sculpt, fill it with some plastalina clay to make a thin casting (2mm thick or so) and freeze it. Carefully remove it from the mold after it's stiff and fill the inside with silicone mold putty. Once that's cured remove it. Get a flexible epoxy putty like Greenstuff or Plasticweld and get a small batch of it for the casting. Fill in the ass outer mold with the epoxy putty and then put the inner mold inside that to keep the putty supported. The result will be the ass piece that surrounds the hip joint that the mid section and thighs plug into.
>>5593869
h-have you done any lewd figures?
>>5593878
Let's just say that in my freetime not devoted to my CAD stuff, and with resources permitting, I've fiddled with a few things. I'll post some pics later, need to sleep (back on the graveyard shift again).
>>5593832
>>5593841
Oh, and Revoltech/Polynian style hips are a different method as well.
Make a mold of an ass sculpt, then make a solid casting (fill in the whole thing) with Greenstuff or Plasticweld epoxy putty. Remove it once cured, then carefully drill the section for the round ball joints to attach to the thigh-openings using a drill bit about the same width (maybe a hair bigger) as the spherical ball joint's diameter BY HAND or by manually spinning a drill-press with the bit in it SLOWLY. You only need to carve out enough space for half of the sphere to be enclosed. Once the holes are in, drill diagonally up into the waist inward from the holes at 45-degree angles using a drill bit slightly smaller than the ball joint's peg (ex.- a 3mm peg will need a hole 7/64in in diameter for soft materials like Greenstuff and Plasticweld). This is called a y-hip and is what the Polynians and many Revoltechs use. Another option (if the ass is big) is to drill the peg holes into the ass straight (from the front view). I think Queens Blade figures use that, but I'm not sure.
Newbie question here, but how rough do I want to sand clay and apoxie and plastic and stuff before painting? Is the goal to make it super smooth and even by using a fine sand paper, or slightly rough to help the paint adhere by using a rougher grit paper?
>>5594135
Smooth. Very smooth. Always move to finest grade sand papers.
Paint, by its viscous nature, will only amplify the imperfections on the surface. It will pool in or around anything not flat and subtly (or greatly) make an obvious variation to the surface. Search out the worst customs online as an example of what it looks like to jump straight from sculpting to painting. Ideally, your steps would be to sand as close to perfection as you can possibly get it, then apply a surfacer (either primer or top coat) to fill in micro imperfections and increase paint adherence, then paint.
>>5593839
I would love to get ahold of the Elliot and Rios figures, but they go for absurd prices.
>>5593665
are there any visual guides?
>>5593657
Look through Mattel WWE heads. There's a lot of variation to choose from.
>>5593620
I thought he had a lantern in hand, but its some kind of gun.
Give him a lanter and he would be perfect in my head.
I found a Jonah Hex head in my part box, and so I filled in his face gap and tried to hide my bad sculpting with comic style bandaids.
>>5594458
Hi, this is Arnold
>>5594184
Is there a limit? #400 is smoothing things out in a good way, but even up to #600 I feel like it's just polishing without smoothing out imperfections, and if I go all the way up to #2500, I feel like it'll be too smooth for even primer to adhere properly.
My hulks shoulder joints are fucked, i think they got paint inbetween and alot of it.
What do?
>>5594316
Weird, I thought it was a lantern as well.
>>5594487
The coarser grits are used to level the surface by taking away a lot of material. Ideally, by the time you move to the 1200+ range, you're not even working against the things you initially started out to fix; the thing that you'd be sanding with the finer grits would be the small subtle scratches that the coarser grits left behind. In your case if you're using fine grits of sand paper on anything but cleaning up coarser grit marks, you're not doing it correctly.
And don't worry about primer adhesion, it latches onto micro imperfections and solidifies into them as it polymerizes. You as a human being can't possibly sand it to be too smooth for primer to work.
>>5594004
Okay, bear in mind Phaia here is still VERY rough in her sculpt and whatnot. Ass needs work and tits need mass added to the cleavage to bring them closer together. Need to make the back of her head/hair, as well as print out bunch of 6mm ball-and-socket joints to redo all her joints.
On that note, WSF has given me rather great results for ball-and-socket joints using 6mm ball ends and 2mm-thick walled socket joints made for a 5mm ball end. With all the precise dimensioning ball-joints require, ball-and-socket joints are looking to be the better route for the CAD figures I'm designing.
More pics inbound.
>>5595342
More. Slightly articulated flaccid dick.
>>5595345
Another cock-shot. The ball joint is a 4.5mm custom joint from my last order from Shapeways inside a drilled space I the crotch.
>>5595349
Phaia's Cowper's gland and testicle-filled labia. My futa-fan RP friend and I call them 'labicles' (LAB-iculs).
>>5595353
And a shot of the articulated dick and the hole it attached at.
>>5595354
>>5595353
>>5595342
>>5595345
>>5595349
>fat futa dick
Hey guys, it's been a while since I've been able to contribute to these threads. Anyway, I've finalized the shape of the Pochaco-type body I was working on weeks ago, and made a few recasts of her. I plan to make them into curvier versions of characters I like (maybe Panty & Stocking or Miku), but I'm still undecided on who to make. The casts I made turned out alright except for the hair, but I guess that doesn't matter since I'll be resculpting their hairstyles anyway.
As soon as I can get more casting material, I'll make a mold of the Sonico-type body I was working on as well.
>>5595380
Can I buy one of your perfected re-casts once you do have it down? I don't mind if she's naked or just in panties.
>>5595380
you have an ebay to buy your shit off?
>>5595380
What kind of range of motion do you get on the legs? These look fantastic.
How would you go about making this dude?
I haven't made any customs before but Id like to get into it
>>5595424
Bandai makes an astronaut model kit in roughly 1/10 scale. Maybe combine that with the Neca Prometheus David figure?
>>5595410
Originally, I figured the thickness of the thighs would be a hindrance to leg movement. So I modified the hip joint to give her more clearance down there. This pic shows what she looks like underneath the white parts I sculpted.
>>5595389
>>5595394
I've considered selling copies like these, but they are VERY rough at this point (I'm still not that good at recasting). As they are now, you'd need to modify these quite a bit to accept all the joints and connections, something I found difficult & time consuming - and I'm the one who made them in the first place! When I get better at recasting, maybe I'll put them up on ebay. I'm nearly out of joints and casting material, so after I resupply I'll give it another go.
>>5595450
Nice, any pics from the back?
>>5595450
What sort of problems are you having with the molding? Perhaps I could help.
>>5595450
again, once you have this perfected and can sell me one assembled in flesh colors (It's fine if she's just panties and topless) I'll gladly fork over some $ for it.
>>5595474
Sure, here's an old pic but it's almost the same as now. The only change between then and now is that the right cheek has been sanded down a little to match up more with the left, otherwise it still looks like this.
>>5595481
Just inexperience. I'll get better with practice and I already figured out what I can do to improve the mold. Next one will be better.
>>5595507
Are you having problems with the joint holes coming out right by chance?
Working on a IDW/FoC Ironhide, used FoC Blaster and Constructobots Ironhide, pretty easy.
>>5595520
Some of them come out alright, like the holes for the neck and shoulders. But smaller holes like the arms and hands didn't form correctly. Got any tips?
>>5595529
That's actually pretty good.
>>5595578
God dam it every fucking time
>>5595539
Well how are you doing it? What I suggest is keying the mold with rods/dowels/whatever that are the correct size and length, you just pop the rod out of the joint when it's done and put it back in the mold. If you need further explanation I can draw a diagram up later. You'll need to make new molds for the rods to key in right, of course.
>>5595596
If I'm not being clear you shove a rod into the joint when you make the mold, that rod stays in the mold (cover it in a healthy amount of mold release of course) cast your piece, remove it from the mold and pop the rod out, viola! Rod goes back into the mold for the next piece. Should be easy enough to find Revol/Figma/Whatever joint sized metal rods, or you can attempt to cast your own resin keys from existing joints but then you'd have to worry about the resin bonding to the resin.
>>5594472
I'm trying my best to make him look better, the sculpt is supposed to be Josh Brolin.
>>5595587
Kawaii as fuck.
Gonna focus on this one now. Still in progress.
Found this on 2chan.
I've never played the Touhou games but damn if I'm not jelly at this collection of customs.
I recently picked up some Little Armory sets.
I'm new to this so I thought this'd be the best place to ask; What's the best glue to use for these?
>>5595587
interesting how you did the tentacles.
![IMG_20160408_121559596[1].jpg](https://i.imgur.com/HNfCzOx.jpg "IMG_20160408_121559596[1].jpg")
Hello, so I'm really new to the customizing game and have very little experience. I've done a few washes here and there and wasted a ton of white paint on a Batman before (thinking that I had to paint it white first (also didn't thin my paints). So I was looking for some advice. For now I'm just looking for help with paints.
I made pic related from an ML Hawkeye I had lying around in a few hours. I'll explain some of the things I did and hope that I could get some constructive criticism on some things that might be right and some things that might be wrong.
1. Paint. I used acrylics, just some generic brand paint I got with some brushes. Are these suitable? Are there problems with them? My main issue is that the paint seems to strip. Is there a way to make sure that doesn't happen? Because as is, using the joints is definitely causing an issue.
2. I tried to thin the paints. I got them to a consistency that they could still be applied without leaking. I also did almost every part in at most 2 layers. Should I have made them even more wet and applied more layers? And if so, how should that look? I feel like if it's too wet it'll just wash down whatever I was painting and not stick. Maybe I'm missing some crucial technique.
3. Note the gloves and boots. They were originally purple and I painted a red over it. The red didn't cover the whole thing and you can see specks of purple here and there, making it look like a wash, perhaps, but nonetheless is there. If I didn't want it there, what would I have to do? I used 3 or so layers on them and they turned out this way and it didn't seem to be improving.
4. I applied a topcoat, thinking it would protect the paint, hence the shine. I'm not sure if this was a good idea, overall, as it doesn't seem to be protecting anything and if fact make it more susceptible to paint getting stripped. I already had to re-apply some paint to the thighs after moving the leg a bit. Was this a good idea?
Part 1
>>5596164
5. Mixing, thinning, and saving paint. A huge issue I'm having it paint getting dry to quickly and unusable. When I try to make a good amount, especially when mixing paints, it'll end up drying up before I use all of it, and then trying to make another that maybe isn't exactly the same is a pain. I'm using little plastic jars to do all this, but they don't keep very long. So my question here is how do you make sure the paint lasts, and won't come off due to use of joints or accidental handling.
6. Prepping the figure. Since I kind of felt like just jumping into it I didn't really do any prep. I figured I probably should have washed it, or maybe even taken it apart (which I would imagine would make things a lot easier, though I'm pretty sure most don't do this), but like I said I just wanted to get my hands dirty. Are there any steps that are crucial before starting to paint?
7. As some of you may know this figure used to have an H on his forehead. I cut that off with a hobby knife then sanded it down with a metal file and a filing block. I didn't have any sandpaper on hand. How would you guys go about taking off a molded plastic? Or was this way adequate?
This was kind of my stab in the dark, so hopefully you guys can give me some tips to improve because I know this attempt wasn't all that great. It was fun to do though.
Part 2
>>5596164
>>5596165
1. Material brand will only go so far in making a difference, realistically almost (key word: almost) any brand of acrylic and a set of synthetic brushes of various size will work well in experienced hands or fall short in inexperienced ones. Don't worry about brands, focus on execution.
If the paint basically runs without settling or flakes off, it likely points to you not washing the figure ahead of time to remove residual mold release agent. If the paint flakes off at the joints, it means that you didn't sand the areas ahead of time to eliminate points of friction.
2. Thinned paint in more layers never hurts. If you're able to cover richly colored plastic with a completely different paint color in one layer, it's too thick. There's a very fine point in mixing up a thinned paint ratio where it's far removed from the ketchup-like consistency of acrylic out of the bottle but a slight bit thicker than milk. Unfortunately it's not something that words or guides necessarily solve, it's something derived from experience in spotting that perfect ratio.
3. Priming would solve it, in that you'd "level out" the surface to a neutral value. Painting a lighter color over a darker plastic is often times a foolish endeavor because it always looks off. Much in the same way you can see the color of your veins under your skin, the underlying plastic coloring will always visually taint the ever-so-transparent quality of paints.
4. Let everything cure first, like overnight. Then apply the top coat. You might be upsetting the curing process and then the paint just schluffs off.
5. Get jars with lids to keep the unused paint. Baby food jars would work, or the ones they sell at hobby shops.
For the joints, sand them ahead of time, paint the area with a test swipe, let it cure, assemble it, move it around vigorously, and see if it flakes. If it does, you didn't sand enough and need to do more. You need to eliminate points of contact between the plastic pieces.
>>5596164
>>5596165
6. You absolutely should have washed it, yes. And disassembly helps, but not all do it. I personally do it, but there's a whole set of dangers in the reassembly part that you may not want to face.
Priming is also helpful, and is thoroughly recommended if you are, say, painting the color yellow over black plastic. That would be an ideal time to prime the surface to a lighter grey.
7. Sanding off details is fine and recommended. I would recommend that you pick up a few sheets of sandpaper at varying grits, it's cheap and handy to have around.
Also, forgot to mention in >>5596212 but in your fourth question:
>I applied a topcoat, thinking it would protect the paint, hence the shine
It's all personal preference, but you might want to get a matte top coat instead of the glossy/semi-glossy you apparently used. It will tone it down visually and remove the plastic-like shine, unless that's something you desired.
>>5594504
I FIXED HIM
>>5593391
jesus, how long did you make that sword anon?
>>5596212
For your number 2, how would the first layer look? Just barely on with the underlying colour showing through a fair bit? Would it look uneven?
And for your 3, when you mean prime do you mean paint with all white, or an actual product? Or would either work?
>>5597013
>For your number 2, how would the first layer look? Just barely on with the underlying colour showing through a fair bit? Would it look uneven?
This becomes a slightly tricky question in a sense. The reason that it's hard to get too specific is that various paint colors will look different over various plastic colors. What you should be seeing, in the most basic of senses, is a gradual and even hue change. If it's too runny, gravity will do its thing and the paint will pool in the recesses and just run thin on the higher parts. Too thick, and you'll see your brush strokes and it will look disastrous.
This video should give you a good idea of what to aim for in terms of paint consistency and coverage:
>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGEvORR2Bvk
If you dislike contemporary jazz, mute the audio.
>And for your 3, when you mean prime do you mean paint with all white, or an actual product? Or would either work?
Actual primer. 99% of the time in this general when we say "primer" we mean a spray can primer, typically (and ideally) in grey. The other 1% is when someone has an airbrush and can just load liquid primer in that way. And just like with paints, everyone has their own opinions and experiences with different brands of primers, some good and some bad. For example's sake, Krylon makes several brands of primers in the standard three finishes meant specifically for plastics, and they're readily available locally at most hardware stores for like $4.
And as a head's-up: depending on your climate, primer (and all aerosol paints) can do funny things on the surface. The most common "what the fuck" thing is dotting, where it looks like reptile skin dots everywhere. It's a sign that the paint is either coming out poorly or (believe it or not) drying before it touches the surface. Another thing is pooling, where you've over-sprayed the primer and it leaves cracked little pools in areas. Plan on doing 2-3 full light sprays over the span of an hour to avoid that.
>>5597071
Cool video. But some things confuse me. He put quite a lot of paint into those... troughs, but didn't even close to use all of it. Is that something you just have to accept when mixing paints? (or maybe one's ability to gauge how much is needed improves over time?) I have a tendency to try to use just enough so that I don't waste any, but often end up having not enough. So do I just get liberal? Mixing paints still feels tough to me, but I guess that improves with experience.
Another thing is that he sticks a used brush with paint into the different paints before putting them in the mix, multiple times in fact. I don't understand this, wouldn't that ruin the paints in the containers?
>>5597121
Paint usage and the amount you mix has no set rule. But a good rule of thumb is that it would be better to have too much than too little.
As for dipping his brush in the various paints, he's going for a different type of painting approach, where he's putting in just an absolute boat load of colors constantly to create the subtle shifts in hues that human skin has. If you see the rest of his videos that's basically what he's aiming for. At that point, you really don't even need to care about segregating applied colors because you're eyeballing everything and just going by feel and instinct.
I used to oil paint for many years and it just becomes second nature to mix everything and balance from there, because the accidental elements are what ties together a sense of realism. You dot in a little blue or green in an area of skin and just let it happen; people then sense the blue or green but it makes "sense" and adds to the realism.
Painting is weird like that. But you're probably not going to go for what that guy is doing, and should just focus on laying down flat colors with good surface consistency. So ideally, you're cleaning your brush between colors.
>>5596607
Put a toilet behind him
Doing some final touches, need to weather it a little more.
>>5598925
Looking good so far, Joe!
>>5598925
If I didn't know ahead of time that punisher has a skull logo on his chest, it would read 100% as a cthulu logo.
Testing out Krylon Fusion satin finish to imitate the look of black leather. Overall pretty satisfied with the results. It's the right range between matte and glossy where it picks up some of the direct light while not having too much shine as the form rolls away into shadow.
>>5598925
Damn good custom, love the boots.
>>5598925
You could use a Jason Hockey Mask as a Ballistic Mask or like make him a custom balaclava
What figures did you kill to make the body?
>>5599602
Looks like Deathstroke to me
>>5597071
I've seen where certain plastics respond poorly with some paints and creates a messed up surface texture. Is this something to be concerned about with primer or is it all the same? If there is special plastic primer what is it called? Will it work with any plastic?
>>5599689
Apoxy is a specific brand, epoxy is a product.
How do you paint a transformer so the paint doesn't chip when you transfor it?
>>5593657
Dutch, men, just go for it
>>5599638
Any time you introduce chemicals onto plastic there's a chance things can go south. Some primers have been known to turn permanently sticky on certain plastics, like softer rubber used for capes. There is no one shot solution, unfortunately. It comes down to reading anecdotal information on forums, seeing where people had success and failure, and then making an informed decision on what products to buy based on that.
The majority of primers that are marketed as safe for plastic will likely work fine, though. Some won't work quite as nicely with the higher flexibility of action figure plastics, mainly because they're branded as something you use on rigid plastic patio furniture. There are vinyl primers that some folks swear by, but I've yet to try them.
>>5599602
>>5599615
Its a mix of DC Collectibles Death Stroke yeah, but the forearms and lower legs are Captain Stars and Strips from NECA. Huge warning, the quality control on Stars and Stripes is garbage if you plan on doing like it did.
The rest is random bits and bobs, the hands are from NECA lone ranger with modified pegs, and the head is a slightly resculpted Jonah Hex.
Took some proper pictures of Frank.
>>5601559
>>5601559
>>5601580
>>5601580
papi anon, I've asked this before but never got an answer what are the chances that you'd be willing to list your figma joint models on gumroad or something and sell them for a reasonable amount?
>>5595342
My mind is completely blown that somebody's making a Spunky Knight figure. I actually really wanna see where this goes. Is her FUPA articulated? It kind of looks that way.
>>5595380
Bruh this is incredible, keep it up!
>>5601592
Something has been bugging me about this custom and I just figured out what's off. His hair doesn't look right. I'd resculpt it into a more accurate style, if I were you. It would suck to have all that effort go to waste just 'cause of a hairstyle.
>>5601751
I think he's based on the 2014 Punisher
>>5596164
ive been thinking about making a bucky barnes cap with this hawkeye.
>>5601559
it looks like Frank recently got his love teeth pulled out recently
>>5601559
is that m16 from an old spawn figure?
>>5601783
Looks like Neca Dutch's.
What's the best material for /toy/ resin casing/recasting?
>>5601974
Smooth-On Smooth Cast. The hillbilly found material solutions are always a distant second to the real deal.
>>5601627
Sorry about that!
I just signed up for gumroad a few hours ago and will at the very least use it to sell the Elasto-Plastic prints I make. As for the figures (getting ahead of myself here) maybe pre-assembled figures with their own box. But that's a ways away. Still need to finish shots/loli and curvy first. I'll be off the next two days so there's more time to put into my first two archetypes.
>>5601751
Fupa? You mean her Cowper's gland? At the moment no, but I was considering it since in the manga it does kind bounce and get fondled. We'll see.
>>5595380
These look really good!
>>5601580
I feel like the white boots don't work as well without white gloves and the modern body armour. It only serves to highlight how small they are. Maybe giving them a dark gray would make it look more uniform?
>>5601751
Yeah, I might dremel it off and resculpt it, for now I dunno, looks fine on my shelf.
>>5601783
>>5601876
Yep, that's Dutch's.
>>5602474
The white boots were an odd choice yeah. I dunno why I wanted them, I'm actually eyeballing a different lower leg construction right now. I might take him apart and rebuild again.
Alright, swapped out the forearms and lower legs so they'd look more like riot gear.
Black boots with white/grey duct tape wrapping a bit more of a compromise?
>>5604079
>>5604086
I hadn't really considered a mask. I wish I could get the Army of Two figures cheaper.
>>5591483
thats actually pretty damn amazing work
>>5604079
looks good. really like the tape, nice touch
>>5604079
Damn that looks sick as fuck
>>5593825
See if you can turn them into starship troopers suits. And I mean the book version of course. The prototype Spartan armor in that animated short the prototype, is a good example of what the book's suits were going for in looks, just big and bulky.
>>5604268
You could use a NECA Jason mask or make a custom balaclava
I dunno if I'll end up making a mask, I kinda like how the face turned out. I felt bad about taking all the stuff off my last attempt at a Punisher, then I looked at a picture of him again...
>>5604088
It's Josh Brolin as Jonah Hex.
>>5605281
The mask could be for "shit going down" mode since it looks like he's wearing riot gear.
I'm more partial to Trenchcoat Frank
>Netflix Punisher series when?
>>5605306
I hope soon, I wish I was talented enough to do a Bernthal head sculpt, he was fantastic as Frank.
I have a riot helmet actually... I wonder how that'd look on him. The WWE build a wrestler sets have some great accessories.
>>5605281
Is that the agent venom body?
>>5604079
>>5604082
>>5605281
Your Punisher is 7", right? Get the mask that comes with the Mattel WWE Cops expansion set. It often drops down to like $7 on amazon.
>>5605878
>I actually have that set, the mask is a lot larger than it looks in said pic.
That's too bad. I was interested in getting the set that had the ref shirt, but I read somewhere that it's huge and designed for figures with Kane's proportions. Wonder what the deal is.
Never casted resin before, but how decent is pic related for starting out (I can get it for 40% off at Michaels or Hobby Lobby)?
Space Ghost figure I made.
>>5606328
Eww, went with the DC design for him? Seriously?
>>5606316
It's repackaged Alumilite White, which is better than the tan you get in the starter packs.
I've used it for head casts, and it's flexible in thin profile, so I've considered giving it a go for secondaries or capes.
any of you sexy cunts have the guide for making a figma guts cape that doesn't blow?
>>5607234
And what about this stuff?
>>5607628
Don't use it. Epoxy resin, while clear, takes forever to cure and lacks the durability for figures. You could get away with it for effect parts, but overall Urethane resin is a better option. If you specifically want something clear, check out Smooth-cast 325
>>5607628
This stuff is pretty good. It has some properties of PVC that it can sort of be manipulated in hot water.
What do you guys use to sculpt onto a figma body? I'm going to get some miliput but I'm thinking of also getting another type of sculpting material.
Hey gang,
I'm gonna start making a scale Link statue based on this artwork soon. However, I felt some of the details/proportions needed to be tweaked in order to work better in 3d. Here are some changes I might make.
Do the proposed edits look alright? Does it stray from the source too much?
>>5610770
>statue
>>5610774
Yes
>>5610770
Did you hear about the Link Between Words figma coming out?
Similar to that artsyle
Other than ebay lots of figma joints where can I get a ball in socket joint in that style? the hobby base ones HLJ sells are a weird size
>>5611251
What size do you need?
>>5588901
pic is a custom? how????!!!!
>>5611629
>Ordered this thing and was thinking of making it a project to give her some joints.
>Ordered this thing
>>5610770
Theres already a medicom figure of this link
>>5611798
Yeah, but it's amiibo sized and is making a different pose, The items will be fun to craft
Need to work on the mask and repaint the face behind the mask as well as wait on some extra parts to decorate the rest of the outfit.
Fairly happy with the contrast of the red leather, gold, silver, black and blue though.
>>5607344
bump
>>5611420
Not sure, just the ones on hlj have a huge socket that I can't fit in the leg I wanted, I want something like a figma hip
Top kek
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HASBRO-STAR-WARS-BLACK-SERIES-6-STORMTROOPER-CUSTOM-/322070206135?hash=item4afce156b7:g:U20AAOSwxvxW7tnx
>>5611962
I've no clue about what this is, but I completely dig it.
Anyone order loose figma joints from ebay?
Are they legit? What are the chances of getting what you want? (I want hip joints)
>>5613246
I ordered one of the smaller sized bundles. They're completely random (I didn't get any hip joints) but the quality is just as good as the real thing, if they aren't real. They're probably legit joints rejected for minor physical imperfections.
>>5613251
Not him, but bigger bundles give you better odds of getting specific joints and colors you might need.
>>5611962
It's awesome. What head is that?
What would be a good base for a custom Naoto Figma? Ive been looking at the Ein figure for a while but havent found a better alternative
>>5613246
No one I know has gotten hip joints either, I'm the anon that was asking about alternatives a few posts up to no avail. Keep us updated if you find something and I'll do the same.
Just got a box worth of broken toys for fodder from a garage sale, I noticed that I got a NECA Hayabusa with broken leg. I never work with this type of joint before, any suggestion on how to salvage it?
I kinda like the character, so if I could fix it I wouldn't mind having him on my shelf
>>5614134
Just whipped up a 3-pack of Figma-type hip joints. Only $3.56 for now, so if anyone is willing to take the plunge and try them out, here ya go!
https://www.shapeways.com/product/BN384SHJU/ball-socket-hip-joint-male-3-pack
>>5614645
no advertising is allowed
