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Holding larger metal figures while painting?

Discussion in 'Painting Techniques' started by Hullebullen, Dec 13, 2005.

  1. Hullebullen New Member

    So, I'm in the process of painting up my first 54mm Pegaso metal figures. I've only dabbled in plastic and resin before and for these guys the wine cork or camera film canister works great for holding the figgie while painting.

    With the heavy Pegaso figs it didn't work all that great and the cork sanding block I'm using now, while doing a good job keeping them from falling over, is making painting difficult and makes my wrist/hand hurt holding it during longer painting sessions.

    So, how do you guys go about it?
    Any ideas, fellow figure painters?
  2. Lancer Active Member

    Hey Fredrik
    Since I never use the factory bases I don't need to keep the factory pins on their feet. File them off, drill out the feet and insert a 1/16 steel rod. After thats glued in its easy to hold them by inserting the rod in a pin vise. If i need both hands I put the pin vise in a regular vise and turn that if I need to.
    I'll try to post a picture in the next few days.
    Cheers
    Mark
  3. Anders Heintz Well-Known Member

    Country:
    United-States
    I use balsa wood blocks where you can just push the pin in the pourus wood, then with a speck of super glue you can anchor the figure down. Another method is to put the figure on its base, cover the base with painters tape to protect it, then paint it.
  4. Kisifer Well-Known Member

    Country:
    Greece
    I use wooden blocks with different holes on the big side for different pins. I insert the figure (which is already pinned) and use some blue tak to hold it firmly. I always paint the boots or shoes last, cause most of the times I hold the figure from there as well.. for a better grip.

    Xenofon
  5. KeithP Active Member

    Country:
    United-States
    I am pretty much on with Mark and Anders with a couple of differences.

    I use a pine block from a local craft store that is just perfect and a bit heavier than balsa. In to the block, I also drill pin diameter just a tad smaller than the actual diameter of the pin to get a snug fit. I don't like to glue the pins in to the block as I frequently take it out and check with the real base and ground work.

    I also add some of that green putty stuff (I can never remember the name of it) and surround the feet. This helps stabilize a heavy figure. You can see it on the 42nd highlander on my bench.

    Keith
  6. Kisifer Well-Known Member

    Country:
    Greece
    Yeap.. I do exactly the same as Keith does. :)
  7. Cicero New Member

    Country:
    Albania
    Hi,

    Sometime ago a spended a few hours to make a suitable (and cheap) device to comfort my painting. I must admit that this problem was already "cooking" considerable tim in my brain. I added some photo's so everything will be very clear.

    Well, here I go: I cutted some plates of 50mm square in 3mm thick plasticard. Then I drilled four holes in the corners and one hole in the middle (6mm wide). Over the hole in the middle a nut for bolts of 6 mm wide is glued and puttied. Make sure the nut sits very firm!
    Next I bought some standard square timber wood (43 x 43 mm) in the local warehouse of which I sawed some blocks of 30 mm high. The underside of the block is hollowed out. The first two photos (clickable thumbnails) shows both parts finished in this state:

    [IMG]
    [IMG]

    The plasticard is screwed onto the underside of the wooden block with the nut on the inside. That's why the block was hollowed out a bit. The plasticard protrudes on all four sides. Next your figure can be secured onto the upper side of the block with some pins in the drilled out feet. To make sure the figure sits firm I always put some Magic Sculp under the feet.

    In the same warehouse I also bought a handle for a chissel or file. This handle was drilled to receive a long bolt of 6mm wide. The bolt was secured with epoxy glue and some putty and protrudes only 5 mm out of the handle. The underside of the handle was also hollowed out.
    Now, when you gonna paint the figure you simply screw the handle on the underside of the block to get a firm and balanced grip.

    [IMG]
    [IMG]

    To allow some intervals while painting I constructed a flat MDF plate of 18 mm thick and 100 mm square. In the middle of the plate I drilled a hole and glued a bolt of 6 mm in it to accomodate the drilled out underside of the handle. This allows a safe setting aside of your figure.

    [IMG]
    [IMG]

    The protruding plasticard serves in my case also to secure the figure on my Amati Rotopaint (which isn't in production anymore I think). The rotopaint is a handy accesory when you have to paint minute detail.

    [IMG]

    The nut on the inside of the plasticard has yet another goal when travelling with my figures to the club meetings or competitions.
    I sawed from the same MDF plate a piece that fits snuggly into my travelling box. Into the plate I drilled some holes in which I glued and puttied some short bolts of 6 mm allowing them to protrude around 5 mm.
    The bolts allowes to screw the temporary block onto it avoiding any possibility of dammaging your precious figure.

    [IMG]
    [IMG]

    I also glue a nut in the underside of all the definite bases of my figures which allow fastening onto the same plate, and following out of it a secure travelling. By using this method your done with Blue Tack and stuff like that.

    Like I said, it costed me an afternoon of work to accomplish this but it will pay off for the rest of my (hopefully long) modelling days. When the wooden blocks are dammaged (after considerable time) or to much pinned, you screw loose the plasticard and put it on a new block. The combination of the nuts and bolts
    makes its possible to interchange from the handle to the plate in just a wink and without any effort.

    I hope all of this makes sense.

    All the best.

    Johan ;)
  8. Hullebullen New Member

    :eek:
    Wowza, that's quite the set-up you got there, Johan! Superbly illustrated to boot!
    I've been thinking somewhere along those lines but I think I will go for a similar but simpler solution.

    Kudos to you guys for all the answers and ideas...
  9. godfather Member

    Similar to above I drill holes in blocks of wood and then stick the figure in. If you make the hole sin the wood same size or slightly smaller they fit snuggly. My preferred method is using a universal clamp they are located at micro mark. It is basically a wooden handle with movable metal plates that tighten around the figure pins. Here is the link

    http://www.ares-server.com/Ares/Ares.asp?M...roduct&ID=21129
  10. mertenspeter Member

    Country:
    Belgium
    Nice piece of equipment but expencife, here is my method and it costs only abouth 1 dollar a piece :)

    A broomstick cut in to pieces of abouth 8cm, a large hole drilt on one side and on the other side a piece of aluminum profile atacht with a screw and a smal nail to prevent it from spinning round on the handle when holding a havy figure.

    I cut two pieces aluminum at the same time so thy are the same lenght, hold them toghether and dril a hole thrue both the pieces with a smal dril dia 4mm, the piece that commes on the handle needs some thread (5mm) so that a smal bolt is fastend in the profile.

    The hole in the other piece of profile is drilt out larger (5,5mm) so the bolt can get thrue it, and be secured with a butterfly nut

    Your clam is ready to use. :)

    Attached Files:

  11. mertenspeter Member

    Country:
    Belgium
    To ceep it from falling i made a standert to put the handels in, i made them in diferent sices but the base needs to be wide enough to prevent it from faling over with a large metal figure that is positiond out of balance

    Attached Files:

  12. mertenspeter Member

    Country:
    Belgium
    This is why the big hole is in the handle :)

    Attached Files:

  13. mertenspeter Member

    Country:
    Belgium
    I made them in diferent sices for holding smal parts to large figures that stands with open legs(120mm)

    Attached Files:

  14. mertenspeter Member

    Country:
    Belgium
    I adjust my traveling boxes so they are secured in place

    Attached Files:

  15. mertenspeter Member

    Country:
    Belgium
    Once you get started making them, the number of clams is running up fast because out of one broomstick you can make abouth 13 handles.
    So is it cheap ore is it cheap :lol: :lol:

    Attached Files:

  16. megroot A Fixture

    Country:
    Netherlands

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