Best material for a heavy conversion of a metal mini?

[FramFramson]

I'm looking at doing a very heavy conversion of a regular white metal mini, with large areas of the figure cut away and replaced. In quite a few places I'll need to smooth the material into the places where the original mini will remain (probably less than 50% of the original surface area).

What's the best material for getting a smooth bond with metal? Seems like I want something softer than greenstuff to make it easier to smooth around what will remain, but would a softer material stick well to the metal?

[FramFramson]

My biggest concern is to get something soft and easily-smoothable (heheh), because it's going to be pretty awkward to work around the bits I'll be saving. What's best for that? Since I'll have a core metal mini, the stuff doesn't need as much structural integrity.

Of course I may wind up making the leap and sculpting a body while transplanting a head, but we'll see.

[Roebeast45]

Will you be doing most of the smoothing while the putty is uncured or waiting until it's cured and then sanding it? It sounds like you might want to use Milliput. Can you give a bit more information on what you're planning?

[Quirkworthy]

If you're trying to get a seamless blend between your new bit and the metal then you need to know that green stuff has a degree of memory and will creep back slightly when you push it. This means that you can smooth it into the perfect shape and then while it cures it will contract back to leave a step where the join was. I'm told that procreate doesn't have this nearly as noticeably.

To get round this, either build the thing up in layers, bulking out 90% of the space then letting that dry before doing the last bit. Alternatively (and possibly easier depending on exactly what you're doing) sculpt the green stuff proud of the metal and cut/file it back flush when it's dry.

Like Scurv says, any of the two part putties can stick to metal happily if you mix them right. I'm told by sculptors that green stuff is one of the better ones for this and that people use it to bulk out metal armatures even if they will do the final detail with procreate.

Now you have to show us what you're up to

[Silent Invader]

I do a lot of 'heavy' conversions using GS on metal.

The GS is very sticky when mixed so I tend to smear it into position at that point then leave it a little bit to start to cure before I actually work it.

As scurv says, GS really works well with superglue but be mindful that if you are planning to make a vulcanised mould from the figure, the superglue will soften at temperature so the parts 'might' (or probably won't, there are too many variables to be 100% sure) shift under moulding pressure.  There are some other issues with superglue in vulcanised moulds that can make its use unpopular.

[sundayhero]

I also use green stuff on metal. It's perfect for this. It's also used professionnaly for this kind of work (dollie sculpting, conversions to make diferent loadouts for a minis range, etc...).


The big secret (at least for me, who have an humble professional sculpting background) to work with green stuff is to not put a big amount of paste and then carve it : just add little bits of putty, one by one, it will be a lot easier to control.

[Mitch K]

Steel wire and green stuff work for me. One thing I have done is to wind thin wire over the pins, to add a bit of bulk and also to provide an open surface that the GS will really key to.

[FramFramson]

I'm fine with using greenstuff to bulk the figure up and I do plan to do things in layers, it's that last surface layer that concerns me. I've always had trouble with gs, especially smoothing it. All my old sculpting experience is with much softer materials with a more plasticine-like quality. Although it's not as if I've sculpted anything in the past decade.

[Bone]

I would do it with a 50/50 mixture of GS and Milliput superfine white.

[FramFramson]

That seems like an interesting combo. I'm also tempted to go the Fimo polymer clay route (since I won't be re-casting the figure), which I have used more recently (but not for minis) and am comfortable with, but that may be a bad idea If I'm combining it with parts of an existing metal mini? Would that come apart while baking or damage the metal mini?

Also, there's a question I've always wondered: How do you get the damn gravelly bits out of GS? Mine's usually lumpy, like when you do clay post and have bits of grit/slip in it. I thought it was because I was buying old, hard GS, but I got some more recent stuff last year and still had that problem. I even tried cutting away the centre bits (where the blue and yellow stripes are connected) before mixing. What am I doing wrong?

[Bone]

The GS I buy comes in two separate plastic tubes - the components have no contact and can't react.
Same with Milliput - each component in its own plastic bag.

Mixing GS and Milliput imho combines the positive aspects and eliminates some of the negative ones of the two.
Mixture :
- adding a drop water to milliput (carefull- too much water and milliput gets like mud) and mixture gets very smooth.
- easier to sculpt hard corners/edges
- has no memory
- harder when cured.
- is easier to file or saw when hardened.
- can be less sticky

[Bergil]

Well, assuming this isn't going into a mould for lead/pewter:

1 Pin and glue the figure as you would normally.

2 Put an initial layer of GS on with your fingers, to make sure it's stuck on firm. When it's dry you can then more easily apply extra GS.

3/4 (sometimes done in 2 stages) get the basic shape as you require it in place. Using a small clayshaper (tapered) I find makes it easy to get the shape you require. I understand others get on well with wooden and metal tools too.

5 Add your extra little bits of details, whatever they may be. You can use the above steps for those too if they're complicated in nature.

6 paint, game etc  

[Daeothar]

ProCreate. 'Nuf said... 

[FramFramson]

ProCreate. 'Nuf said... 

I have not worked at all with ProCreate and am not aware of it's properties relative to other materials.

Which is a fancy-pants way of say, no, not enough said. 

[Quirkworthy]

One of the main upsides of procreate (to judge from several professional sculptors I've quizzed on the topic of putties) is that it doesn't creep back, like GS does. Stays where you put it. That supposedly makes fine details easier. Some also think the colour is easier on the eyes.