Tutorial - Metal with Graphite

While attending this year's Sonoran Desert Model Builders' Scorpfest I observed a demonstration by the club president, Dave "The Weatherman". Not surprisingly his demonstration was on various weathering techniques. While I've been using graphite in my weathering for some time I hadn't ever considered using it in the ways that Dave did. In one example he used it as an alternative to metallic paint. I liked the method he used and the opportunity to use it finally presented itself in my Baneblade Stormlord.

You can purchase graphite, shave it from a pencil, or in my case, I harvest it from my drafting pencil sharpener. On a side note I highly recommend getting a drafting pencil. They are great for drawing as you can purchase any hardness of lead you want and sharpening them is a breeze, there is almost no waste. If you use your shavings for your models there is zero waste with the drafting pencil.

I collect the graphite powder in a small sealable plastic pot.

Begin by priming the object you want to metalize in flat black.

Rub the graphite onto the primed surface. You may use your finger, a compact applicator, cotton swab, or sponge. I used my finger tips, a compact applicator, and a makeup sponge.

The more you buff the surface the shinier and more metallic it will get. It looks great on the above heavy stubbers but looks equally as good on other surfaces.

The exhaust pipes for my Stormlord really came out great!

Dave covered another method for utilizing graphite. He mixed it into a rust colored acrylic paint. After the paint was dried he rubbed the high points with a cotton swab which revealed a metallic sheen. As with the above technique the more he rubbed the shinier the appearance but in this case it was a subtractive technique instead of additive.

Tutorial - Terrain - Barricades

After completing my old Citadel Scenics barricades I got to thinking that they could make for a great 'counts-as' Aegis Defense Line. After measuring them I found that each piece was just a little too long or too short to make a reasonable 'counts-as' so I thought I'd make my own.

The below tutorial can be applied to your own 'counts-as' Aegis Defense Line or any piece of terrain you'd like to make. All the tools and materials I used were items lying around in either my garage or hobby desk so ultimately it was a zero cost project.

To replicate this project you will need:

Tools

• Saw (optional)
• Razor Blade
• File
• Pencil
• Ruler/Tape Measure
• Popsicle Sticks
• Paint Brushes

Materials

• 1/8th inch MDF
• Model Bits
• Super Glue
• Joint Compound
• Sand
• Primer
• Paint
• PVA Glue
• Static Grass

I began by measuring out strips of MDF which were 1.5" in width. I also marked those strips every 5 inches for the first 20 inches and then every 2 inches after that. I cut those strips on my table saw and then cut the 5 and 2 inch segments on my miter saw. As you can see above I several more sets that what I needed. I figure I'll get around to making more of these later since this first try was a success.

Each Aegis Defense Line is made of of four 5" sections and four 2" sections. In the above photo I've rounded the edges of each tile with a file and my razor knife. After I started to place bits on the tiles I decided to further trim the tiles into more narrow and irregular shapes.

After each tile was trimmed and filed into irregular shapes I placed various bits from my bits box along with some styrene and apoxie sculpt.

One of my smaller sections is built out of a piece of a dozer blade, a tank wheel and some sandbags made of apoxie sculpt.

 A Tamiya oil drum and some other bits.

Some larger styrene sections here, more sandbags and some wheels.

A great way to get texture on styrene is to chew it a bit with your molars. It seems gross but it makes for some great random dents and texture. Other bits were simply chopped up with my clippers and some received a plasma cut texture using the technique demonstrated in this other tutorial.

After all my bits were placed to my liking I applied joint compound to the tiles around the bits. Be careful not to apply too much, although if you do you can chip it off pretty easily. Leave the barricades to dry for at least 24 hours.

After the joint compound has dried I applied thinned PVA glue around the tile over the joint compound and then spread sand of varied size over the PVA. Allow the glue to dry overnight.

Once the sand was dried in place I applied two coats of Krylon 2x grey primer. This helped to ensure the sand stayed put and layed down a great base on which to paint.

I began my painting by applying a brown earth tone to the base. I followed that up with a dry brush coat of 'Blue Stoneware' to the sand followed by another dry brush coat of 'Dolphin Gray'.

After the ground had been finished I painted the bits. Most of it being metal I painted the majority of the bits with a 1:1 mix of gunmetal and black. I painted the wood with a light brown, the rubber with nato black, and the sand bags with light tan. After the paint had dried I applied a thinned down wash of Army Painter's 'Dark Tone'. The wash was allowed to dry overnight.

I applied PVA glue in a thin line around the edges and applied static grass to mirror the style of the Citadel Scenics. Everything then received a healthy application of dull coat. DONE!

Tutorial - Magnetizing a Pintle Mounted Weapon

I have a few works in progress but as I worked on them I thought I could put together a few tutorials on what I've been doing. I'm a big fan of magnetizing weaponry on my models, you never know when you're going to want to swap out a weapon or two.

In this example I have magnetized a heavy stubber. The magnets I used for this project are the tiny 1/16 inch x 1/32 rare earth magnets from AmazingMagnets.com part #D032-063. They have great prices and an amazing selection of different shapes, sizes, finishes, and strengths. 100 of these magnets cost me less than $10.

Start by drilling out the hole on the interior of the stubber. It's almost already 1/16 inch but it will need to be opened up just a little to fit the magnet.

Cut off the post on the pintle which fits the same mounting hole which you just reamed out. After that, drill out the area where the post was with the same bit.

Drop a very small amount of superglue into each of the drill holes and sink the magnets. When placing the magnets make sure that the polarities are opposites, you don't want them repelling each other. I would also suggest that you always arrange your polarities in the same way. This way each model can swap weapons with the next. If you don't make this a standard in your models then there really is no sense in magnetizing at all.

Once this is done you will be able to add or remove the stubber as needed and swap out other weapons which you've magnetized, like a storm bolter or hunter killer.

Tutorial - Using Silly Putty as a Masking Tool

When masking off oddly shaped objects masking tape can be a bit ungainly to manage.  And using masking tape to create smooth curves is nearly impossible. These are great opportunities to use Silly Putty. Not only will it allow you to easily mask of odd shapes and smooth curves, it doesn't leave any kind of sticky residue. I'm not sure if it is available across the pond but it is widely available in the states and is often no more than a dollar.

One of the best uses for Silly Putty is for making organic shapes for camouflage. 

Start by base coating your model in whatever color you want your camo patterns to be in.  Remember that when masking the base color will be covered up in any areas you do not mask off. This is opposite of what you would do if you were painting on the camo pattern. 

Once you have base coated your model apply the Silly Putty to the areas you want to remain the base color. Silly Putty is infinitely forgiving and can be applied, removed, and shaped as many times as you want. Once you have everything exactly where you want it, apply your paint. 

I prefer to remove the Silly Putty while the paint is still tacky. This helps to prevent any paint from peeling, but limits the risk of smearing the paint. When you remove the Silly Putty go ahead and mix it up really well and you can use it again, and again, and again, etc. Eventually, if your Silly Putty ever wears out just toss it in the trash and get some more.

After you've removed the putty you'll have a beautiful camo pattern!

Don't stop with camo patterns, you can use Silly Putty to mask of odd areas when painting, use it to temporarily tack bits in place, as a bouncy ball, to make copies of newspaper articles and then stretch them out in wacky ways. If you have any tips on other ways for modelers to put this great tool to use please leave a comment below.

Tutorial - Lasgun Carbine with Folding Stock

I'm working on a Forge World Tauros Venator and doing quite a bit of subtle modification along the way. One thing I wanted to include was a lasgun for the driver in the cab. I test fit a standard lasgun into the cab and it was far to big to seem a natural fit. So I decided to create a lasgun carbine with a folding stock in the style of the M1 Carbine carried by paratroopers in WWII.

This was a simple conversion which requires only a couple of tools, a few materials, and very little time. The following is a guide to how I made my lasgun carbine.

Tools / Supplies

To complete this conversion you will need the following items:

• Imperial Guard lasgun
• Hobby knife
• Tweezers
• Wire clippers
• Glue
• Pin vise and small drill bits
• Small gauge wire (florists wire)
• 3/64" styrene rod

Conversion

The lasgun will need to be shortened. The stock must be removed and I also removed a small section of the middle. I was careful to pick a section which began and ended the same so that when I removed it the remaining pieces would still match up.

Before trimming

stock, action, middle, and barrel.

I threw the stock and middle portions in my scrap box.

A small section of 3/64" styrene rod was cut to the height of the action and attached to the rear where the stock had been removed.  Two small holes, the same diameter as the florists wire, were drilled into the rod perpendicular to the action.

The barrel of the rifle was glued back into place using plastic weld.

I cut a length of florists wire approximately 1" in length and, using my tweezers, bent the wire to shape, bent the ends at a right angle, and cut the ends flush.  I used photos of paratrooper M1 carbines as a reference.

Once it was shaped the way I liked it I dry fitted it into the styrene rod and super glued it into place.

Here is the unpainted finished product showing the different materials I used. These will look great in the cab of my Venator or even better on a veteran squad with a Valkyrie. 

Tutorial - Stencils

While working on your models you may want to paint a graphic on one of your vehicles but can't find a decal large enough or perhaps you can't find the right decal for the job.  In this case a stencil might be just the thing you need and it's easier to make one than you might think.  There are a couple of methods you can take and I'll discuss the two I used here and you can decide which (if either) would work best for you.  Each of these methods were used on my Space Wolves Rhinos, but you could use these techniques for any custom graphic, large or small, you want to paint on a model.

I often use masking tape in my models for camo patterns, stripes and such so my first thought was to use masking tape and cut out an image from a wide strip of masking tape. This idea was a lot easier in my head than in practice. 

So to start, find an image you want to copy onto your model.  This could be something you find online and print out or something you find in a book or magazine, like your favorite codex! I recommend finding an image online because you can easily drop it into a photo editing program and scale it to an appropriate size. If you're artistically inclined you could always draw it onto the tape yourself and skip the next step.

I found an image in the Space Wolves Codex which I wanted to use.  To transfer this onto the tape I created a makeshift lightbox using a piece of plexiglass and my desklamp.  You will need something clear to adhere the tape to such as another piece of plexiglass. Stick a strip of tape on the plexiglass, your image behind the plexi, and another piece of plexi behind the image. Your light source will be at the bottom; I used a desk lamp but you could, and probably should, use a window (I slightly warped my plexiglass). Now you should be able to see the image through the tape. Trace the image on the tape and then cut it out using a hobby knife. You should have something that looks like this:

*do not use wax paper as a clear medium to hold your tape like I did, it's a pain in the ass to get off!

You now have a negative and positive of your image, chances are you will want to use the negative as your stencil but you could just as easily use the positive.  It just depends on how you want to paint your image. Apply the stencil you want to use onto your model and be sure to mask of any portions you don't want to get hit with overspray.

Here I've added the negative stencil to the top hatch doors of my Space Wolves Rhino

Make sure to press down firmly around the edges of your stencil.  Loose edges will allow paint to creep under which will require clean up later.

After the stencil has been applied and masked to prevent overspray it's time to apply your paint.  You could use a paint brush, but I'd recommend against it.  Spray paint or an airbrush are the best methods.  Below is an example of the finished project after the stencil was removed.  So clean!

And after some weathering...

The masking tape technique works well but you'll only get one use out of it, maybe two if you're lucky and it's fairly labor intensive.  For something a little more durable I turned to stencil film.  This product can be purchased at most craft stores like Michael's or Hobby Lobby.  Look in the craft paints section.  All the brands I've come across are blue but that is inconsequential.  All you need is a thin, rigid, translucent material.

Once you have the stencil film place it over the graphic you want to trace. Because the stencil film is already translucent there is no need to use a lightbox.  Tape it down so that it doesn't move around, and cut out the shape using a hobby knife.  Be careful not to stick to the lines and not damage your positive or negative!

Above you can see the various sizes I printed the wolf icon in.

These two were the right size for the areas on the model so they will be used for this stencil.

After you've cut out your stencils you will again have a positive and a negative.  As with the masking tape you can use either one depending upon the effect you wish to achieve.

To get the stencil to adhere to the model I used Easy-Tack™ from Krylon.  It is a spray on adhesive which, once sprayed, is ready to use in 60 seconds.  Just spray the Easy-Tack to the back of the stencil, let it dry, and stick it to the model. MAKE SURE TO LET IT SET UP FIRST.  If you apply your stencil to the model too soon the Easy-Tack will bond to your model.  By giving it a full minute to set up first the Easy-Tack will have time to bond to the stencil and your stencil will lift off your model clean.  You might wonder why I bother using the Easy-Tack if I'm just going to mask off the edges.  The Easy-Tack can serve two purposes: 1st it seals the edges of the stencil preventing the paint from bleeding, 2nd it allows a negative stencil to stay in place absent any masking tape.

Here I've added one of my Space Wolves stencils to the rear door of a Rhino and masked the edges.

Above is the Rhino rear door from the previous picture and a side door using the smaller stencil.

And the rear door after weathering...

Here is an example of a much larger stencil.

The background was laid down first, then I used the negative to produce the white areas.  I removed the stencil then sprayed white again from a distance to achieve the stars which gave me this look:

And the finished product...

The great thing about stencils is the possibilities are endless.  These are some very basic techniques which can add some really great detail to your models and once you've put the work into making one you can use it again and again to bring some consistency to your army.