Hi guys this is the first time Im going to modify figures,Im taking 1/20 scale Tamiya pit crew figs,I want to add sailor caps,helmets,life jackets,whats the best materials to use? Thanks in advance for your input.
Not tried it but everyone says to use Milliput two part putty.
I have used Milliput two part putty and find it quite good and easy to work.
If you can’t find Miliput, any good two part epoxy putty (not glue) should do.
another question,if I filled a plastic figure(the kind that gets glued together) could I then heat it to change a pose? filling it I assume would prevent the hollow plastic from kinking?Has anybody tried this?..thanks Alan[%-)]
Don’t try heating and bending, this leads to ‘spaghetti limbs’. To re-pose a figure, you need to cut wedges out of the joints and reposition. Another way is to cut the wedges, then a piece fit wire into the joints between the two parts of the limbs so you can pose the limb, then resculpt with Milliput or similar epoxy putty once the limb is in the correct pose.
This will allow you to keep the joints in the correct locations, and keep the limbs the propper length.
You would need to resculpt the clothing at the joints anyway, since altering the pose of a limb will alter the way the fabric sits.
Thanks for the help Phil,should I still fill the inside of the figures for added support?
if you are going to use the wire between the severed joints you should fill the ends with Milliput to give you something to glue the wire into. Generally though the plastic is stiff enough to provide enough support on it’s own. Just be aware that you need to retain structural strength at the joints. This is ok if you still have a reasonable contact area between the seperate pieces of plastic, but if there is little or no contact between the plastic parts, with most of the gap being filled with milliput you may find you need the wire for strength. The joint between plastic and milliput can come appart quite easily, where as plastic to plastic will be much stronger due to the chemical weld created by the plastic cement.
Thanks again for the helpful input,the best thing about this hobbie,other than building is that you can always learn something from someone[:D]