TUTORIALS: New to customizing and need Help? Check here first for tips!

[He-bro]

Here's one I did:

[snakeeyes0217]

Can anyone help me find a good sealant to prevent scratches on my custom paint jobs?
I've looked at the shop where I buy my paints, and asked for something for that purpose, the guy there told me about a kind of varmish they use to put over the stickers on model kits, but it tends to be very glossy.

I use Games Workshop "purity seal." It comes in a spray can and has a matte finish. It's pretty pricey but worth every penny. Use a very thin coat and be careful not to use too much of it or it will actually turn your piece white. GW seems to be in the process of changing the names of all their products so it might be simply called matt varnish spray now.

However, no sealant of varnish can protect your piece 100% from scratches or "paint rub." When I paint a joint that I know will have a lot of rub, I sometimes paint it, then coat the joint with clear crazy glue before assembling. It's glossy, but he glue will prevent the paint underneath from rubbing off.

[hadley]

Use a very think coat

Is that a typo for "thin" or "thick"? You can see how one could get confused...

What's the best method for painting the more rubbery armor pieces of MOTUC figures? I want to try to make some yellow Zodac armor. Acrylics and this sealer seems to be the best method for figures, but does it work just as well on the accessories?

[Zargon]

When customizing figures, what should you do first; paint or re-assemble using heat (hot water or hairdryer)?

[He-bro]

Paint ( this way the joints won't stick together and you can put your clear-coat on before you assemble.

[Zargon]

Any suggestions on what I should use to fill in some holes, smooth it out and paint it white? See pic.

[Neo]

I'd use this stuff...

http://www.formx.eu/products/clays/e...e----440gr.php

[Replikor]

Does anyone have any recommendations for sculpting [tools/tool kits] that work well with magic sculpt?

I am tryin to find a good list of the best kinds of sculpting tools to buy for working with hardened [hardening] magic sculpt

[Son of Keldor]

dental tools are perfect for sculpting w/ any medium. there are alot of sculpting tool kits out there but i'm sure if you go to your dentist, they have old tools that they eventually end up throwing away.

=)

[Mysterio]

Sorry if this has been asked before... I didn't see anything about this posted.

I have a Kronis head that has extra white from his teeth on his upper lip.
It's pretty annoying, and would like to fix how it looks. Is the blue of his
face painted blue, or an actual separate blue plastic piece set in the helmet?
Would a paint solvent/remover be good? Could it be gently scraped off?
Just paint over? Would like to fix it without ruining it.

Any help or suggestions appreciated. Thanks!

[Son of Keldor]

I'm almost positive that the blue skin is painted on, so I would suggest using some nail polish remover and a q-tip and lightly going over the area w/ paint as not to rub to hard and possibly remove more than you wanted to in the first place.

The only issues w/ trying to scrap off the paint w/ an exacto blade is you could again remove more paint if using too much pressure and leaving scratch marks in its place.

a pic of the problem area would be helpful to get a better idea if it looks like drool or the result of a all night drinking binge!

=)

[sirsniffy]

What's the best way to remove the hair from the head of a figure? I have one of the first She-Ra figs, and the tiara was placed really high on the head giving her a large forehead.

How can I safely remove her hair and replace it? Thx!

[MOTU_Maniac]

Ok guys. I have a few questions. I received several Mer-Man figures due to the Frosta Forearm Fisaco. I am wanting to customize a few by repainting several in all new colors, so could use some help.

1). At how many places can/ should I take the figure apart using boil water/ hair dryer method in order to paint?

2). Any pointers/ tools I need to take it apart and put it back together safely/ easier?

3). I tried using a Folk Art acrylic paint, but was getting a lot of brush strokes. What methods work better to avoid brush strokes? Do I need to water it down? Try a different brand? etc. I am VERY new to this so please be as elaborate and detailed as possible.


Thanks in advance for all of your help!

[Son of Keldor]

The main area I have w/ paint scuffs is the shoulder/bicep, elbow's & knee's.

I would suggest taking those joints apart & roughing them over w/ sandpaper to get the paint to adhere better paint let the parts dry and re-assemble.

If your not too comfortable w/ handling the figure after its been painted then re-assemble the figure then paint.

As long as you don't intend to "play" w/ the figure it should be fine!

Best of Luck to you buddy.

=)

[MOTU_Maniac]

Can I take Mer-Man apart at all joints after heating (i.e. ankle, shin, knee, pelvis, wrist, elbow, bicep, shoulder)? Any certain tools I need?

Can I take him apart at the waist?

Also, what paint should I use? I used Folk Art acrylic, but am getting REALLY BAD brush strokes. Do I need a different paint? Do I need to water it down? etc.

[Son of Keldor]

The waist does not come apart, all other parts do. no tools are required w/ the exception of maybe a small flathead screwdriver. Most parts come apart fairly easy when heated enough either by boil & pop or using a hair dryer to make the plastic pliable some people suggest adding drops of water to your paint till it gets to the consistency of milk, some use it right out of the bottle. The main issue is quality of brushes, if your going to customize anything its always better to spend a good amount of money on nice brushes that will last, then finding a brand of paint that works well for you. Acrylic is the popular choice for most of us, never use enamels, they tend to be tacky when they dry if they ever dry properly depending on where you live.

Use a spray or brush clear coat to dull or gloss up and seal your work.

Time and patience are great factors too!

=)

[MOTU_Maniac]

Thank you kind sir! I appreciate it very much

[Shecky]

To the experts around here when it comes to painting, for a "noob" to customizing in general would you say that acrylics are the way to go when it comes to painting accessories as well? I have a few spares from the latest weapons pack and would like to re-paint some of the accessories, ie. painting Zoar white to match TOD Sorceress more accurately color-wise, the shield to match the other Teela accessories, etc.

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated !

Regards,
Victor P.

[Son of Keldor]

I always give anything that I'm gonna paint a nice bath in hot soapy water and scrub it thoroughly w/ a toothbrush so the paint will stick to it better.

I'm sure some others will have some good tips as well.

=)

[Shecky]

Thanks SoK !

[hadley]

I want to swap Keldor's loincloth onto Skeletor's body. I heated up the figure's hips so I could take the legs off and then shimmy the loincloth off, but I couldn't get the legs off at all. My hair dryer got the plastic nice and soft, to the point where I was accidentally bending the figure's knees all the way back when I was trying to yank off the legs. But the legs just wouldn't budge... what am I doing wrong? I was afraid I was going to snap off the crotch joints if I pulled any harder.

[NagAAsi]

I have never customized before but I want to give it a try.. How do you safely remove hands from figures for swapping?

[heftysmurf76]

The boil and pop method is your best bet for switching hands. There should be a detailed tutorial on that at the beginning of the thread

[NagAAsi]

The boil and pop method is your best bet for switching hands. There should be a detailed tutorial on that at the beginning of the thread

Thanks for the response.. Sorry I overlooked the tutorial

[Jedi_Kunle]

Hair

Hi can anyone tell me what I could use to make an Afro on a MOTUC head? Also what could be used to make Dreads on a head? Has anyone tried this before any help would be great.

Thanks