Customizing questions....
MupIsBack
I'm just getting started in the wonderful art of customizing action figures and
was wondering if anybody out there had any tips n' hints they could give me,
like good supplies to have, what works what doesn't, that sorta thing.
-Kris
mupi...@aol.com
DogBoy
Tips n' hints? You asked for it...
Get a GOOD X-acto knife and get some good band-aids. A LOT of
band-aids! Various grades of sandpaper too.
Use primer!! Very important!! There are billions of kinds so you'll
have to experiment. The label on the can I have got painted over long
ago, so I have no idea what it is :)
For paints, acrylics are good because they are easy to mix, but other
water-based stuff could be good to. Some paints don't mix like they
should because of the goofy tints, so you'll have to experiment to see
what you like(I swear I once mixed red and yellow and got GREEN). Don't
get suckered into buying paint in comic shops for high prices even
though they claim to be specifically for models or miniatures or such.
Go to an art supply house and you'll be able to get honkin' big tubes of
the stuff for the same price.
For Final coat I spray Testors Satin Finish when I'm done, because it
gives a dull lustre that is pretty close to the plastic they use in
actual figures. You can probably get it in any hobby shop.
Don't believe anyone who says you need a billion different sizes of
brushes. The little two or three hair ones for detail are useless
because they don't hold enough paint to make a mark. I find you
actually have to be more careless with the tiny brushes, because the
miniscule amount of paint on them dries so fast you have to really
rush. Just get a good, medium-sized brush that you can moisten into a
point. The best brush I ever had, and STILL use after 4 YEARS (hell,
it's the ONLY one I use) is a relatively cheap one that came with a
model. It has a 3/4inch long brush with a serious hook in it because I
left it in a water glass overnight. That hook has come in SO handy! It
curves to a really good right-angle point perfect for detailing eyes and
such.
Sculpy III is great for building up details, and if you are fearful of
baking your project to harden it, it can also be boiled. I have heard
good things about Milliput as well, but have never used it myself. If
you can find it, get ahold of "Super Elasticlay." Cool stuff. You bake
it just like Sculpy, only it stays rubbery! You can make your own
bendies and stuff, or use it for hair or capes that aren't rigid and
won't snap.
Oh, and always wash your project and hands in hot soapy water before
primer or applying sculpy or anything. The oil in your fingers and the
oil in the plastic can ruin a perfectly good start. Besides, it helps
stop the cuts from getting infected. Have I mentioned the band-aids?
To disassemble figs, stay away from using the X-acto to cut it open.
That is a real short way to lose a finger and should be a last resort as
far as I'm concerned. Here are a couple of better methods. Boil and
Pop: Boil the figure for a few minutes and then get a good grip on the
head and yank. The heat should soften the pegs that hold the
extremities on. If you are doing a simple swap, new limbs can be put in
in the same manner. Cut a notch in their pegs so you can sorta screw
them in once you heat them. If you want the torso apart, once you have a
limb out insert closed needle-nose pliars into the hole. Put on some
eye-protection(!!!) and pry it apart. Careful though, cuz it might
distort or crack. Another method that I like is to get a piece of scrap
leather and some large pliars. wrap the figure in the leather and use
the pliars to squeeze it on either side of the torso. Most will simply
pop apart, though some of the softer plastics may distort or crack. Be
careful.
Be prepared to make a mess, be prepared to bleed. Did I mention the
band-aids?
Last but certainly not least, go here.
http://www.toymania.com/customcorner/customize.html
Here you will learn all.
Luke
"Hmmm, if the link is so damn good, why the heck did I blather on for so
long? And did I mention the Band-aids?"
--
"To place the product (bug-shaped or not) in water;
to wait for the product to give the appearance of grow.
It is to admire for the swelling." Tamo
To reply remove "SPAM" from e-mail and don't forget the Band-aids
Gary Tabar
Good Tips! (especially the band-aids) I did two racey black queens this
weekend (one for my white queen, one for a rtaferand have the cuts to prove
it!!)
Primer?? what's that??
And I LIKE prying the gals apart with an exacto.... heck if the Gals her can
enjoy pulling steve the victim's limbs off, us gys gotta find fun where we
can!!
and still need to find that elasticlay stuff.. but I heard it's not that
elastic.. like 20% bendability.. any care to elaborate??
Oh and if ya reall get questions, ask ROT.. he's gone custom happy!!
And custom figures are called "frankenfigures!!"
(My claim to fame)
if ya have custom stuff, let figment or I knpw so we can add a link to the
web page, or make ya a page to show yer stuff off there... Hmm maybe we need
to clip the former message as frankenfigure (finger) tips...
;)
Gary Tabar Jr,
@ Da Mouzzz...
EMAIL: gar...@worldnet.att.net
Homepage:
http://www.fortunecity.com/tattooine/ellison/86/index.html
rot
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Gary Tabar wrote:
> and still need to find that elasticlay stuff.. but I heard it's not that
> elastic.. like 20% bendability.. any care to elaborate??
>
i've never heard of this stuff either... anyone have more info? bendy but solid
capes would RULE! I just bought some stuff called selfset modelling clay, which
i've been told works as well as milliput [my oven doesn't work so no
supersculptey for me.... not that it's available here anyway] but it only cost
3$ for 1 pound of the stuff!!!!!! i'll let you customizers know how well it
works when i actually get around to using it.
> Oh and if ya reall get questions, ask ROT.. he's gone custom happy!!
>
ya, but i'm a complete neophyte.
> And custom figures are called "frankenfigures!!"
> (My claim to fame)
>
> if ya have custom stuff, let figment or I knpw so we can add a link to the
> web page, or make ya a page to show yer stuff off there... Hmm maybe we need
> to clip the former message as frankenfigure (finger) tips...
> ;)
>
please do this! i, for one, am terribly interested in seeing other people's
custom jobs, and figment is really ON this page, making adjustments,
improvements and additions weekly. she must be thanked and lauded.
>
rot
"wait till you see the next batch of custom figs!!!" heheheheheheheheh
--
"the chief enemy of creativity is good taste" - Picasso
real address: gee...@ican.net
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<P>Gary Tabar wrote:
<BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE>
<P>and still need to find that elasticlay stuff.. but I heard it's not
that
<BR>elastic.. like 20% bendability.. any care to elaborate??
<BR> </BLOCKQUOTE>
i've never heard of this stuff either... anyone have more info? bendy but
solid capes would RULE! I just bought some stuff called selfset modelling
clay, which i've been told works as well as milliput [my oven doesn't work
so no supersculptey for me.... not that it's available here anyway] but
it only cost 3$ for 1 pound of the stuff!!!!!! i'll let you customizers
know how well it works when i actually get around to using it.
<BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE>
<P>Oh and if ya reall get questions, ask ROT.. he's gone custom happy!!
<BR> </BLOCKQUOTE>
ya, but i'm a complete neophyte.
<BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE>
<P>And custom figures are called "frankenfigures!!"
<BR>(My claim to fame)
<P>if ya have custom stuff, let figment or I knpw so we can add a link
to the
<BR>web page, or make ya a page to show yer stuff off there... Hmm maybe
we need
<BR>to clip the former message as frankenfigure (finger) tips...
<BR>;)
<BR> </BLOCKQUOTE>
please do this! i, for one, am terribly interested in seeing other people's
custom jobs, and figment is really ON this page, making adjustments, improvements
and additions weekly. she must be thanked and lauded.
<BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE><A HREF="http://www.fortunecity.com/tattooine/ellison/86/index.html"></A> </BLOCKQUOTE>
rot
<BR>"wait till you see the next batch of custom figs!!!" heheheheheheheheh
<BR>
<BR>
<P>--
<BR>"the chief enemy of creativity is good taste" - Picasso
<BR>real address: gee...@ican.net
<BR> </HTML>
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Nirah Shomer
Well, since you asked, I;m posting the handout I put together for a
figure customization class. It's a few pages long.
IT's still a work in progress, and I apologize for the
lack of formatting, but these are the basics from the workshop.
Custom Action Figure Workshop
Your action instructor: Nirah
1. Safety, or how to end up with at least as many functioning fingers,
eyes, and brain cells as you started out with:
1. Don't cut yourself.
ALWAYS cut away from yourself. Pay attention to what you're doing. Use
the sharpest blades possible (change exacto blades frequently) so that
you're applying minimal force.
2. Wear protective glasses when using power tools. Do you
really want a glob of melted plastic flying into your eye?
3. Work in a well-ventilated area when painting, especially
spray-painting. Your lungs and your brain cells will thank you.
4. Don't poison yourself. Burning plastic is HIGHLY TOXIC,
carcinogenic, and generally nasty. SET THE TIMER on your oven so you
don't melt your figures. NOTE : Sculpey and FIMO clays are actually
plastics. Also, don't bake your figures directly on anything you use
for cooking food (i.e. line the cookie sheet with something)- you don't
want to ingest this stuff.
Choosing a character to customize
Choose something easy to begin with. Make sure you have source
material (pictures of some sort- comic books, trading cards, videotape,
or sketches).
Tips:
1. If you're videotaping a show to use as source material, record on
short-play. You'll get better picture quality when you freeze-frame.
2. Make a sketch with a color scheme. It really helps.
Tips on choosing a base figure
1. Choose the right scale- if it's one-of-a-kind, it doesn't matter,
but if you want to add this figure to your collection of store-bought
action figures from the same line, it should be in the same scale.
Some common scales:
GI Joe- 3 3/4 " (But GI Joe extreme is 5")
Star Wars 4"- a size unto its own
Kenner Batman, Superman, Total Justice- 4 3/4"
Playmates Star Trek= 4 3/4" (except First Contact is 6" scale)
Toy Biz (Xmen, Spiderman, Hercules, Ghostrider) 5" (But new Hulk stuff
is 6")
The Tick- 5 1/2"
Spawn- variable, but Spawn is 6"
Wildcats: 7"
2. Choose the right build- although it's hard to find any base figures
that aren't slender and unnaturally muscular.
3. It's easier to add features than to remove them- try to get a plain
unadorned figure. Relatively unadorned currently-available figures:
Females- Psylocke, Ninja Psylocke, Spiderwoman, Phoenix, Void, Marvel
Invisible woman
Males- Spiderman, Superman, Silver Surfer, Hercules, Iolaus
Modifying figures
body part swapping-
removing parts: some figures are assembled with screws through the
torso, and you can just unscrew them. Most heads and arms are made of
plastic that gets rubbery when heated slightly in the oven at 200 F or
in or over boiling water, and you can just pop them out while warm.
(Hot water is safer).
removing unwanted features:
Some things are glued on separately, and can be pried off.
Features on softer plastic (heads and limbs, usually): cut or shave
these off using a sharp exacto blade- heating the figure in hot water
makes this MUCH easier. Alternately, dremel these off.
Features molded into the torso- sand off small features. Use a dremel
or similar rotary craft tool for larger features. Toenail clippers work
well for removing some features.
adding features
-Borrow accessories from other figures
-Sculpt them with bakeable clays. If possible, make them separately and
glue them onto the figure so you don't have to bake the figure.
-Sculpt them with friendly plastic. TIP- this melts at temps needed to
bake sculpey, so remember that once you add this to your figure, you
can't bake it.
-Paint them on with dimensional paint (e.g. Scribbles fabric paint).
Works well for flattish things like insignia on uniforms.
painting tips
-Prime before you paint. Paint doesn't like to stick to plastic, and
doesn't like to dry on sculpey. I've found that Krylon Flat White spray
paint works well and is compatible with both Testor's oil and water
based enamels.
-use masking tape to help mask off areas you don't want painted when
spray painting; tape also helps to paint straight edges. TIP- remove
the masking tape before the paint dries completely, otherwise the dried
paint on the tape will be contiguous with the dried paint on the figure
and removing the tape may pull the new paint off the figure. I also
sometimes use sculpey to mask off irregular areas like faces-
TIPS- remove the sculpey soon after painting, or it may dissolve the
paint underneath it.
-use a decent brush, and keep it clean
- when spray painting- shake can at least 1 minute, then test-spray
before spraying the figure. Spray LIGHTLY from several inches away-
it's better to do several light coats than to end up with drips
- Let things dry in between coats.
- finish with a clear overspray- but TEST FIRST to make sure it won't
dissolve the paint.
- for painting fine lines, try using a toothpick or a pin.
Material science
properties of plastic- meltable, resistant to paint, hard to
glue, has MEMORY.
TIPS- Figures are made from more than one type of plastic.
Usually, torsos are hard plastic and heads and limbs are softer plastic
that gets rubbery when heated. Joints may be made from yet another
plastic type. You can change the position of limbs by repositioning
them while hot and holding them in position until cool, but remember
that plastic has memory and may want to return to its original shape.
Torsos tend to warp when heated. Fingers may shrink and get stubby. To
prevent this, insulate the hands by wrapping them in foil, or in extra
sculpey.
types of paints-
spray paint- krylon flat white and ultra-flat black make great primers
and dry very quickly. Glossy takes a long time to dry.
oil-based paints- require mineral oil (paint thinner) for clean-up.
Flat dries faster and covers more smoothly
water-based paints- require only water for clean-up. Tend to require
more coats to get good coverage.
Tips on sculpey, FIMO, and friendly plastic
Sculpey and FIMO are plastic polymer "clays" that can be baked to a hard
state in your oven. Although the package instructions say to bake at
275 F, I never go higher than 250 and 150- 225 works for thin things.
Colors can be mixed to make new colors.
All of these are available at craft stores like Michaels.
Sculpey- comes in 2lb boxes- white only, fairly soft.
Super sculpey- comes in 1lb boxes, flesh-tone only, firmest
clay. My favorite.
Sculpey III- comes in 2oz containers in many colors- good for
making little things that you don't want to paint.
FIMO- just like SculpeyIII, only firmer and more expensive.
Friendly plastic- band name of a plastic that softens and
becomes moldable at 160 F (hot water). It sticks to plastic.
Superelasticlay- bakes or boils like sculpey, but is rubbery when
done. It is much softer than sculpey, and is a pain to sculpt with when
it's warm- just keep popping it in the freezer to work with it.
Definitely needs to be primed (e.g. with krylon flat white spray paint)
before it will hold paint.
Sculpey tips:
Sculpting clothing:
Roll out sheets of sculpey and use like cloth. TIP- for sleeves or
pants, just make the cuffs unless you need to cover up really bulging
musculature. To make pleats or folds, use an irregular roller, like a
hexagonal pen. (Be careful doing this with Friendly plastic- it will
stick to anything plastic),. To make textures, press an item of the
desired texture into the sculpey. (Super sculpey works the best for
this. If the sculpey is too soft to hold an impression, cool it in the
freezer for a while. )
Sculpting hair:
Exaggerate the features- don't try to sculpt every hair, but sculpt
waves instead. A toothpick works well as a modelling tool. You can
also use an exacto to make hair texture.
You can "copy" existing faces, etc by making a sculpey mold.
If you're making a long skinny structure (e.g. a leg) out of sculpey,
put in a support of wire or a toothpick to stabilize it.
Tips on making a cloth cape:
Felt and lycra (bathing suit material) won't fray at the edges.
Satin looks great but does fray- to use it, soak with a plasticiser like
"Ok to Wash It", or use fabric glue fusible webbing to iron together two
sheets of satin. (Demo in class).
Tools of the trade
exacto knife- TIP: change the blade frequently. Sharp blades
work better and are safer.
dremel rotary tool- terrific tool. (Sears Craftsman makes a
great one too.) Tips: buy a VARIABLE SPEED tool. ALWAYS wear safety
glasses. Use at low speed on plastic, or it will melt the plastic.
Useful attachments include cutting wheels (to cut things off), grinding
heads (to coarsely grind off features), sanding heads, and buffing
wheels.
paintbrush: Get a very small one with fine bristles.
sandpaper: get several grades
glue gun: amazingly useful tool- you can get a mini-glue gun for
less than $5-
TIPS: get a low-melt gun- it's safer. Use to glue on
accessories. It holds instantly, and if you mess up, it's easy to get
off. Remember that the glue will melt at temperatures that bake sculpey.
Oops!! Mistakes, or tips on repairing action figures
Heating problems- the best way to avoid these are to use the lowest
baking temperature possible for short times. If necessary, take the
figure out to cool and then start over. 10 minutes at 225 bakes super
sculpey of up to 1/8 inch, which should be sufficient for most
additions. Don't bake directly on the pan- put the figure on cardboard
(like pizza-box cardboard) or prop it up on aluminum foil.
Melted paint. Most paint won't hold up to baking and will melt, bubble
or blister (however, the original paint on figures seems to hold up
well). Handle figures carefully when they are hot. Position the figure
carefully in the oven so no painted surfaces are touching the tray.
Melted/stuck joints: Move the joints when you take the figure out of
the oven to keep them from freezing up.
Warped plastic- sometimes you can just heat the figure again and rebend
the limbs. If the torso warps (they tend to split apart at the
shoulders), the best bet is probably to fill it in with sculpey.
Uneven paint- Use multiple light coats, or you'll end up with drip
marks. It's VERY important to mix the paint thoroughly before starting,
or the paint may never dry.
Smudged paint: Wait for things to dry before handling the figure. TEST
all paint combinations before risking your figure. Paint
incompatibilities can also cause problems- for example, Krylon clear
glossy overspray DISSOLVES the Testors enamel paints and makes them
run. (Testor's clear overspray is compatible with the Testor's
paints). If you're mixing types of paints (oil-based and water-based),
wait until the paint is REALLY REALLY dry before using the second paint.
Flat paint dries more quickly than glossy- choose flat paints if
you can find them. Use a glossy overspray at the end to achieve a
glossy look if that's what you want.
Paint takes forever to dry on bare sculpey, for some reason, so
it's vital to use primer underneath. Krylon flat white paint works
better than anything I've tried. Krylon sandable primer, on the other
hand, is awful.
Fixing it: If the paint is still wet, you may be able to use a Q-tip
wet with water or paint thinner to clean it up. Otherwise, you'll have
to paint over the mistake.
Cracked sculpey: glues well with superglue. Try to avoid making tiny
little or thin pieces that will break easily. Sculpey isn't very
flexible. If you need flexibility, use friendly plastic or
superelasticlay.
rot
i tried this stuff out last night. it's pure crap. it doesn't stick to
plastic when dried, is brittle and crumbly, and generally, completely
useless.... i'm sticking with milliput... if i can find any.
rot
"perhaps we need a customizer's supplies trade group?"
Gary Tabar
rot wrote in message <3468BC23...@ican.netnospam>...
>i tried this stuff out last night. it's pure crap. it doesn't stick to
>plastic when dried, is brittle and crumbly, and generally, completely
>useless
So you're saying it's ROT-ten?
or that it ROTted??
Sorry for the.. er.. um... ROTten post!!
daniel alan peck
Quick custom question: Has anyone out there tried using Model Magic.
This stuff is much cheaper than most others, and it's air-drying, so I am
very tempted to give it a whirl......
Daniel
--
************************************************
** Daniel A. Peck dap...@indiana.edu **
** http://php.indiana.edu/~dapeck/home.html **
************************************************
Mr Bunraku
If you're talking about Crayola Model Magic, I used it and didn't care for it.
It never dryed hard. It stayed flexible and broke and ripped very easily.
I'm still searching for some Das Pronto or Milliput, but can't seem to find any
around here.
I'm temped to use Super Sculpey, but I'm a little leary of baking or boiling it
to make it set.
Mr Bunraku
Tung Nguyen
Thanks Nirah for that awesome outline of customizing. I just want to
add a few other things. There's a Customs mailing list maintained by
Eric Myers as well as a SW Customs mailing list maintained by Philip
Wise.
As for sculpey, there's plenty of ways to cure sculpey without using an
oven. Here's a rough synopsis (I repeat rough):
1) Hairdryer on high for 30 mins. This doesn't cure the sculpey
entirely but works for most purposes.
2) Boiling water. Put a cup of water in the microwave for 3 mins.
After the water boils, dunk the sculpey/ figure into the boiling water
and let it sit there for about 10+ minutes. Run the sculpey uner ice
cold water for 20-30 secs and repeat if necessary. This method can
eliminate the sheen on certain plastic.
3) Open Flame. I use a bunsen burner or even a lighter to cure my
sculpey. Depending on the thickness, a lighter will cure the sculpey
within secs. Be warn not leave the flame in one area too long or else
charring of the sculpey will occur. You should also use the blue (more
pure) portion of the flame to avoid charring.
> please do this! i, for one, am terribly interested in seeing other
> people's custom jobs, and figment is really ON this page, making
In terms of customs, Toymania probably has the largest collection as
well as links:
http://www.toymania.com
If you're into SW customs, you can check out my stuff at Philip Wise's
page:
http://www.wiseacres.com/tung.htm
There's also a comprehensive link of SW customs pages available at:
http://www.wiseacres.com/customs.htm
http://www.wiseacres.com/clinks.htm
Lots of eye candy.
Tung