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Author Topic: The LAF Games Workshop Discussion Thread  (Read 1682970 times)

Offline YPU

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Re: The LAF Games Workshop Discussion Thread
« Reply #885 on: April 22, 2014, 10:40:57 AM »
Interesting, i have 2 pair of gw cutters and they are both flush cutting tool steel. In fact i have used one of them forgoldsmithing work as decent flush cuttera werent available localy for a while.
3d designer, sculptor and printer, at your service!



3d files! (here)

Offline Vermis

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Re: The LAF Games Workshop Discussion Thread
« Reply #886 on: April 22, 2014, 12:43:50 PM »
Like I said on a couple of other forums, I'm interested in that mould line tool. I use knife blades but I wouldn't mind seeing if this thing makes scraping a bit easier still. (Mould lines on GB Saxons almost drove me batty) I've looked at the suggested alternatives of deburring tools and seam scrapers: the rotating crank-handle of the former turns me off a bit, and the latter are not much cheaper here in blighty and frequently more expensive.

Also, they've switched to a wax 5/zahle for one of their new sculpting tools! :o I'm not in the market for many more wax carvers, but I want a look at that one anyway, see how good it is. (or isn't) Should see it this afternoon.

Everything else: I have all that junk anyway, non-GW brand and non-GW price tag. Meh.

Offline Major_Gilbear

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Re: The LAF Games Workshop Discussion Thread
« Reply #887 on: April 22, 2014, 04:28:25 PM »
@ Vermis:

Seam scraper - You can:

1) Use the back of a heavy-duty Xacto blade. Try and avoid the point, and you will avoid a lot more of the flex. I've done this for years!

2) Use any flat hard sharp-edged tool for scraping seams. For example, the non-machined part of a file (usually towards the handle), half a pair of scissors, etc.

3) Buy a really good purpose-made tool like this one. Not cheaper, but is is very sharp-edged (will clean mouldlines off metal miniatures), and sharp-pointed (will clean 6mm models) and is adjustable in length.

Wax #5:

Is it that hard to find/expensive to buy? ???

Offline pixelgeek

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Re: The LAF Games Workshop Discussion Thread
« Reply #888 on: April 22, 2014, 06:20:27 PM »
1) Use the back of a heavy-duty Xacto blade. Try and avoid the point, and you will avoid a lot more of the flex. I've done this for years!

The tool GW sells is similar to an aluminium burr remover and it actually works wonders for the type of plastic that GW uses for their miniatures. Much better IMO than a hobby knife or similar. The price is stupid but the tool does work.

Offline Major_Gilbear

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Re: The LAF Games Workshop Discussion Thread
« Reply #889 on: April 22, 2014, 10:34:41 PM »
The tool GW sells is similar to an aluminium burr remover and it actually works wonders for the type of plastic that GW uses for their miniatures. Much better IMO than a hobby knife or similar. The price is stupid but the tool does work.

Oh, I'm sure all the tools work adequately!  :)

In fact, 20 years ago when GW started selling a few hobby tools for a *much* smaller mark-up, I got a pin-vice drill that I still use to this day. As a youngster, I didn't have access to many hobby stores within reasonable travel distance, and the internet wasn't yet something you did shopping on (or had much access to out of school).

However, there has been a huge trend lately (and not just by GW) to find hobby "solutions" for situations that were never really a problem in the first place just so that you can be sold something you don't need at a massive mark-up.

A successful scraper is just any sharp-edged metal tool with sufficient rigidity and hardness to scrape a plastic model with. The back of a knife or a pair of scissors is every bit as good, and I'll bet everyone on this forum has those tools at home already. ;)

Offline pixelgeek

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Re: The LAF Games Workshop Discussion Thread
« Reply #890 on: April 22, 2014, 10:38:01 PM »
A successful scraper is just any sharp-edged metal tool with sufficient rigidity and hardness to scrape a plastic model with.

Have you used the tool in question?

Offline Vermis

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Re: The LAF Games Workshop Discussion Thread
« Reply #891 on: April 22, 2014, 11:19:50 PM »
Should see it this afternoon.

Or maybe I'll see 'em after the shops get them in next week. :-I

Major Gilbear: all true and reasonable, though I've tried the back of a couple of knives, at least, and it didn't work so great. I'll see if I can get a demo of the mould line remover, tho.
I don't mind buying extra(neous) tools and gadgets anyway. Tube cutters, plastic scribers, balsa strippers, five knife handles with at least half a dozen different types of blade... it's like my version of a barely-touched-but-growing DIY toolbox, although sometimes this happens. A mould line remover would be a drop in the ocean. :D

Wax 5s are hard to find if that's what you go looking for. ;) Since I started mini conversions and sculpting I've occasionally heard that it's the 'holy grail' of metal sculpting tools, a great shape for manipulating putty etc.; but I never saw any webshops selling it, or pointers to same. Then a chance mention on an old forum post included the word 'Zahle': turned out it's the more commonly-used dentistry name of the tool. Turns out most of the wax carver types you get in cheap, generic sets have specific, sometimes exotic names.
I don't know if the Zahle is the magic ingredient for sculpting - I have one now, but in the past I did okay with a Vehe and now my main carver is a modified LeCron (the GW tool from two generations back, ground down to proper edges) - but if GW is now selling a version of it, I wonder if it'd be more useful for would-be putty-pushers, or not, or if it's a big ol' chunky lump of metal like the last two.

'Course, if you're interested, you can easily get cheaper, finer, dental-quality Zahles, LeCrons, whatever, on ebay and retail webshops anyway. ;)
« Last Edit: April 22, 2014, 11:30:54 PM by Vermis »

Offline FramFramson

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Re: The LAF Games Workshop Discussion Thread
« Reply #892 on: April 23, 2014, 06:03:07 AM »
Say, does anyone have a recommendation for a really high-quality needle file? I can't find anything in local hobby stores - even the "nice" files are made-in-china stuff. The better ones are adequate, but I'd like at least one or two of the real thing.

My ideal needle file, if I can only have/afford one is one that tapers to a point, and which is flat on one side, and a mild half-oval profile on the other (so a very flat letter 'D' in cross-section).


I joined my gun with pirate swords, and sailed the seas of cyberspace.

Offline FramFramson

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Re: The LAF Games Workshop Discussion Thread
« Reply #893 on: April 23, 2014, 06:04:46 AM »
By the by, it appears that Wood Elves are indeed getting a new book. I guess so much for the rumours of their getting axed?












Rules: http://www.lounge.belloflostsouls.net/showthread.php?36070-Wood-Elves-Rumor-Roundup

Offline Grimmnar

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Re: The LAF Games Workshop Discussion Thread
« Reply #894 on: April 23, 2014, 06:10:02 AM »
Fram, never believe rumors. Especially ones about GW product.
And you might wanna curb those pics of rules and the like. Pretty sure they are going to get yanked when the moderator sees it.

Grimm

Offline Dr. Zombie

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Re: The LAF Games Workshop Discussion Thread
« Reply #895 on: April 23, 2014, 06:32:36 AM »
For sculpting tools and moldline removers. Ask your dentist next time you are there. I got some very cheap from my dentist. Once the dentist has used his tools on one patient he has to send them of to get sterilised and that costs money, therefore they are happy to get rid of the tools so they can just buy new and sterile ones.

Offline beefcake

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Re: The LAF Games Workshop Discussion Thread
« Reply #896 on: April 23, 2014, 07:07:01 AM »
About time the wood elves got a look in. Not sure how I like the new look. It's different but looks more like some sort of demonically possessed tree. Good if you want to do dark elves of the woods.


Offline carlos13th

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Re: The LAF Games Workshop Discussion Thread
« Reply #897 on: April 23, 2014, 08:05:40 AM »
Say, does anyone have a recommendation for a really high-quality needle file? I can't find anything in local hobby stores - even the "nice" files are made-in-china stuff. The better ones are adequate, but I'd like at least one or two of the real thing.

My ideal needle file, if I can only have/afford one is one that tapers to a point, and which is flat on one side, and a mild half-oval profile on the other (so a very flat letter 'D' in cross-section).

I use the gale force 9 needle file 5 piece set and quite like it. Think it cost me about 6 quid.

Its out of stock atm here

http://www.firestormgames.co.uk/5-piece-diamond-micro-files&search=file

Offline YPU

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Re: The LAF Games Workshop Discussion Thread
« Reply #898 on: April 23, 2014, 08:18:42 AM »
Heh, I had kind of given up on my wood elves, or rather all the talk of them getting whacked was a rather good excuse not to shell out on them any more. I might just get a few of the new models if they are any good, tough with the current new iterations of fantasy half the stuff often is far to over the top for my taste. (dwarf heli-sub?)

Offline Major_Gilbear

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Re: The LAF Games Workshop Discussion Thread
« Reply #899 on: April 23, 2014, 09:23:55 AM »
@ Pixelgeek:

Which tool? The GW Scraper? It was demoed to me in store years ago when it came out and Failcast was new. I wasn't impressed then, and GW have stated that this new one is the same thing with a new handle.

If you mean the other scrapers (like the one I linked to), then yes - I bought it and use it quite often now.

Have you used many scrapers on models? If so, what did you find was the best value/most useful?


@ Vermis:

Yeah, I kind of assumed that the "Wax 5" was the "W&NS7 Size 1" of the sculpting world! :P However, you also covered my next comment which was why not use dental tools (which is what most "hobby sculpting tools" are in fact).

Personally, I am disappointed that GW wasted their effort on the nylon spatula tool when a silicone-tipped tool would have been a far more useful inclusion in the set. I mean, you can use pretty much anything appropriate to gloop textured paint onto a base (even coffee stirrer sticks).


@ Dr Zombie:

Excellent point, although I suspect that many dentists just use an autoclave now. Given the relatively high cost of such tools and the fact that they're usually medical-grade stainless steel, I doubt anyone sends old tools off to be sterilised anymore.

Still, worth asking as I'm sure they are likely to have some older tools that they don't mind parting with.


@ Fram Framson:

Files are tricky. You usually get two types: ones with cut faces, and ones with abrasives bonded to them.

For our hobby purposes, the cut files are usually better and last longer.

The quality is less important than with other tools though. Partly, this is because if you file metal (especially lead) models, the file gets all gummed-up and loses its usefulness.

If you chalk your files (as in, lightly run them over a piece of ordinary chalk - one stroke per face), the material arising from filing doesn't get stuck so readily. With a stiff brush, you can just clean down the files ready for next time; even cheap files last a long time like this!

Chalking can make a bit more mess though, and can remove some of the "bite" from the file. I don't really mind, as the filings make a mess anyway, and the softer abrasion is kinder to the models. It does also reduce the difference in quality between "good" files and "bad" files, so as long as they are not truly awful, I'd go with the cheap Chinese ones.

Based on that, I'd visit a good DIY or Electrical store and ask them what cut needle files they have. Or, if GF9 do a 5-peice set for $6, go with that.

If you happen to file lots of resin, plastic, etc, I'd swirl the files in some paint stripper from time to time to dissolve all the old build-up off them. I used to use Nitromors, but they the new formulation's rather pants now.

________________________________________________________

Re: Wood Elves

I rather liked the old metals and plastics (from... 6E?), and actually feel that the plastics still hold up very well today (which is rare, as a lot of WHFB plastic troops from that time were a bit poor).

I do think that the WE need an update badly though; they are out of date by two editions, and used to have lots of metal models in the old ranges. Clearly, some new plastic kits are in order!

The new treeman... Hmm. I like that they are a bit more deamonic than the old (4-5E) treemen, although I never disliked the 6E metal one like many folks did. I do think that these new treemen may have moved a bit too far from looking like trees though! Durthu waving a huge glowing sword around isn't really doing it for me either. I'll wait for better pictures before I pass final judgement on them.  :?

The new (plastic?) characters look great - of they are not £20 each, I'd let to get some.

I hope the plastic Glade Guard, Glade Riders, and Dryads remain though. I really like those, and with just a few extra bits and some thought, you can make a complete army just from them.  8)

I wonder what we'll see to replace the treekin, Wild Riders, and Eternal Guard though? I'm a bit worried given the increasingly silly direction a lot of new GW stuff seems to have gone. Do we think that the eagles and Hawk Riders will go or be replaced? And will the WE get a unit riding stags?

In any event, I'm glad to see the WE getting some love at last. I always liked them (especially from 6E onwards, and I have a force of them!), but also felt that the general WHFB rules have been somewhat unsuitable/unkind to them over the various editions.


 

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