Questions 1:16

[nickverbakel1]

Hello Guys,

Im new here, i have registrated a couple of weeks ago but didnt got noting becouse it was a Hotmail(found that out today).
I have been interested in sculpting for a long time and i have been watching this site for a couple of weeks.

Frome one of our college's i've got some Magic Sculpt and im building a 1:16 scale figure.
Im building a German soldier 1:16
At the moment im pritty happy whit the results so far, i'm only not very happy whit his coller.

I was wondering how you can make good buttons, i have heard at another forum some idea's but here are the experts.
And how do you make for example those cap's, becouse when i want to make long and thin rolls of putty it always brake's.

Im sorry for my english.
Nick

 

[Einion]

I was wondering how you can make good buttons...

There are a few ways of making buttons, including punching metal foil, plastic card and shaping them individually from putty. If you have any drill bits that are about the size of the buttons you need, a very good and simple way is to punch them from foil like this. I use a softer surface under the metal foil than wood but I use the same basic technique.

If I can though I like to use putty for buttons so there is no glueing involved. For larger buttons I use small-diameter tubes to 'cookie cutter' putty into shape on the surface of the sculpt. First you make sure the shirt or jacket has set hard, then:

• press a small ball of putty firmly onto the surface of the model where you want the button to go (mark positions with a pencil if you need accurate spacing);
• press the putty flat with a fingernail or sculpting tool, or roll it out using a cocktail stick or other round tool until it is the thickness you want;
• dust with talc or wet the end of the tube to help prevent sticking;
• align the tool 90° to the surface and press hard into the wet putty, pull out carefully;
• then clean up the edges with a needle, blade or damp brush.

For very small buttons you might have more luck by making a paste of MagicSculp and water, dotting it into place on the model and then wait for it to dry for about half an hour before gently press flat with a tool.

...when i want to make long and thin rolls of putty it always brake's.

This takes practice. You may also want to wait for the putty to be at a certain stage in the setting process - when it's too soft and when it's too hard it can break more easily.

It may be easier to this using another putty too, like Kneadatite (green stuff), which is more flexible. Is this for piping?

Im sorry for my english.
Nick

Better than my Dutch

Einion

 

[nickverbakel1]

Hey,

Thanks for youre replie, i wil begin to build it how you sayd i could.

Does anybody got a idea frome which brand i could get Us and german weapons and gear
1:16

Gr
Nick

 

[Dan Morton]

Buttons

In 1/16th scale, pen tip ends can sometimes be used to punch out buttons. I have a few fine tip mechanical pen tips that are just the right size for many buttons in that scale. I press the pen tip into the putty, pull it out and then use a needle or something similar to push the button out. Then I use a moist paintbrush to apply the button.

I'm kinda on the hunt all the time for things that can be used to make interesting and useful impression shapes in putty. Keep your eyes open 'cos there are all kinds of them out there. My wife found a open weave plastic mesh that I used recently to make the cross-hatch seam pattern in sunshades for the British 1915 soldiers in KD kit that Roger just finished painting.

Good luck and be sure to post your work!

All the best,
Dan

 

[Einion]

Does anybody got a idea frome which brand i could get Us and german weapons and gear

World War II, yes? Verlinden is the obvious first thought for resin pieces but I'm not sure how many other makers of "120mm" figures also do weapon sets. Might be something from Warriors.

Some of the weapons from Dragon are quite good even though they're plastic, and they'll be a lot cheaper than resin; there's a German infantry equipment set, kit number 3824. They do a US airborne figure so there's a Garand and other US kit items in their range but I don't know if you can get them separate from the figure.

Einion