Welcome to Warpshadow's
hobby FAQ!
NOTE: Many hobby FAQs are not really Tyranid-specific and have
been covered very skillfully in various places on the internet
and in books. So, many of the answers on this page will refer to
third-party pages.
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Converting
Models
Q: I want to customize
my models, how do I convert a miniature?
Very carefully.
This is a huge topic. Tyranids are a great army for conversions,
so you are in luck. Of course, you should check out our
page on putty; you'll probably
need some good stuff.
For more information,
consult the following links:
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Gluing Models
Q: What is the best glue
to use when joining <insert material> to
<insert material>?
There
are numerous types of adhesives that can be used for a variety
of purposes. The most commonplace ones in
our hobby are plastic cements, epoxies (typically 5-minute general
epoxy), and cyanoacrylate glues (e.g. super glue), or "CA glues".
Plastic cement will generally create a robust bond between
plastic parts of a mini/model; breaking it may cause damage,
but the cement is capable of melding pieces, so such damage can
sometimes be mitigated.
Epoxies will create a robust bond between similar materials
and different materials. Epoxies work best when they are used
sparingly and the joining surfaces are rough (even roughing up
with heavy grit sand paper can improve the bond. This is a good
choice for long-term strength, and thus can be problematic
if you want to separate the joint later.
CA glues can be used to quickly assemble a miniature. They
tend to produce more brittle joints that may fail over time,
and thus can be handy for pieces that you want to separate later.
The ideal surface for CA glue would be two perfectly smooth,
perfectly matched surfaces. Gel-type CA glues are more forgiving
on surfaces and have been reported to give better strength. CA
glue can be dissolved with acetone, but so can plastic mini parts,
so be careful before you use a CA glue stripper/debonder.
Regardless which adhesive system is used, it is always advisable
to wash the parts beforehand with soap and water to remove dirt
and oil that might compromise the joint.
For more information, consult the following links:
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Painting
(Miniatures)
Q: How do I paint
miniatures?
Wow, that's not
an easy answer. We will post some examples of Tyranid painting
on this site, but to learn the art of painting, you should
consider a dedicated forum for that, such as the mini-painter
Yahoo! group.
Here are some links
to tutorials and painting-related sites:
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Pinning Models
Q: I need to pin two pieces of a miniature together, how do I do
that?
Pinning, in the simpleest sense, is just using a pin to create
a stronger joint than usual. It is handy for increased strength,
and can also be useful when converting a model, e.g. when you
need to fill gaps in an elbow or shoulder with dramatically different
angles than the mini normally has.
It is critical that you choose the tools and techniques with
which you are most comfortable. Try to find someone to show you
the technique; if you buy your minis at a local store, good
for you, now you can reap some rewards by bugging a knowledgeable
person there to show you.
For more information, consult the following links:
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Putties
& Clays, Types and Uses
Q: What are the different
types of putties and what should I use for <insert application>?
There are many putties
with a wide variety of applications. Folks in the minis area
often refer to "green stuff", which is
Kneadatite Blue/Yellow epoxy. GW resells this stuff, as do many
local hobby stores. You may also find Kneadatite Blue/White
for sale. They are generally similar in performance, but some
have expressed a slight preference for Blue/Yellow when sculpting
and Blue/White when filling gaps.
Deciding which one to use can be difficult, but we have put
together a page on some of the putties we
have tried out to help you decide.
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Sculpting (Miniatures)
Q: How do I sculpt miniatures?
Wow, that's not an easy answer. We will post some examples of
Tyranid sculpting on this site, but to learn the art of sculpting,
you should consider a dedicated forum for that, such as the 1listsculpting
Yahoo! group.
Here are some links to tutorials and sculpting-related sites:
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Sealing
Paint
Q: OK, so I finished
painting my model. How do I make sure the paint does not come
off from use?
While there
are no guarantees, you can take steps to protect a miniature's
paint job, even from regular gameplay. Here are some links:
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Stripping Paint
Q: How do I strip the paint from my miniature?
This question has been asked and answered a variety of ways.
Since we like to keep planets alive and well for eventual consumption,
we recommend using Simple Green, or some similarly non-toxic,
biodegradable general purpose cleanser. An overnight or 24-hour
soak in Simple Green will safely strip metal and plastic pieces
of
their
paint. In the U.S., you can find Simple Green in grocery stores
and DIY stores (e.g. Home Depot).
Greased Lightning is similar to Simple Green, but appears
to have some extra ingredients that make it a little more toxic
and it appears to be slightly less available.
Brake fluid is also a good stripper, but it's far more toxic,
requires very special disposal protocols, costs more
than Simple Green, and can't be used for much else.
You can re-use your solution repeatedly, just store it in
a sealed, wide-mouthed jar for future use. If it starts to lose
it's stripping power, dispose of it properly and start fresh.
For more information, consult the following links:
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