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You'll be happy to know that I just tried out the lighter method on 2 of my tyranids. One primed and one roughly painted. It worked very well with my primed one. I could move the lighter back and forth on it a few passes then grab/mold it easily how I wanted.

Unfortunately with the painted one it didn't work so well. I put the lighter under the tail in a sweeping motion and in about 0.03 seconds or so the end of the tail was on fire... So I swiftly extinguished that with my fingers and am sad to say that I won't be doing that with anymore of my painted models. The primed ones however, are in for a big treat!

Post pix when you get a chance NakedBatBoy!

Just please put some clothes on first!

Check out that awesome scented oil candle!

Those tails are very well done! Nice fluid bends and twists with no extreme unnatural angles.


You have mastered this technique wonderfully, even if you did use a scented oil candle.

Let us keep it going boys and girls! Post pictures of your fun with fire projects, regardless of it being done with a candle or a lighter.

If you tried to bend the fingers of an open hand, let us see how you did!
If you tried to bend a genestealer arm higher above his head, let us see it!

Also, I plugged your tutorial in my Project (B)log, hope that's ok!

Before I started Warhammer I used to make little el-cheapo dioramas with plastic soldier men and a lighter. So...many....FUMES! (They weaken your mind)
I made a whole heap of soldiers fighting off zombie...soldiers (You cannot fight US)
There was a fig I based loosely off the song 'One' by Metallica. He had no legs, one arm and half a face. (And lots of delicious bio-mass)He was leaning against a rock with a burnt flag held high.

Them's sure was the days.

By the way, Psyker-9er, I enjoyed reading this thread. You are a funny person. (Come entertain the hive mind)

EDIT: Zoh-mah-gawd BatBoy did your sig just get 5 times bigger?

HadoukenAvenger wrote:Before I started Warhammer I used to make little el-cheapo dioramas with plastic soldier men and a lighter. So...many....FUMES! (They weaken your mind)
I made a whole heap of soldiers fighting off zombie...soldiers (You cannot fight US)
There was a fig I based loosely off the song 'One' by Metallica. He had no legs, one arm and half a face. (And lots of delicious bio-mass)He was leaning against a rock with a burnt flag held high.

Them's sure was the days.

I used to do the same thing as a kid! So many good memories!!

HadoukenAvenger wrote:
EDIT: Zoh-mah-gawd BatBoy did your sig just get 5 times bigger?

I want people to check out my stuff and give me advice!

Edit: Is it too much?? Should I tone it down?!

I don't mind it, it certainly draws attention

Not at all NakedBatBoy. You are doing some great work, so there is no reason for you NOT to be proud of it, use 72 as a font size, that should be small enough
I like the ork who stole the big shoota from the other ork. Classic.
Great color scheme on the nids too.

Thanks for the plug by the way. I feel honored.

As do I.

Here. I will return the favor:

If you didn't notice the huge self-plugs from NakedBatBoy: check it out here http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/318186.page

Psyker_9er wrote:Here. I will return the favor:

If you didn't notice the huge self-plugs from NakedBatBoy: check it out here http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/318186.page

Lol. I toned my plug down a bit! Thx though.

NakedBatBoy wrote:
I used to do the same thing as a kid! So many good memories!!

I've still got mine, within photographable distance.....

I wanna see! Let us see! come on, show us! POST PIC! PHOTOS! PHOTOS!


Let us witness those who have been taken by the flames of war!

Psyker_9er wrote:I wanna see! Let us see! come on, show us! POST PIC! PHOTOS! PHOTOS!


Let us witness those who have been taken by the flames of war!

Yes please.

I'll see what I can do.

i like victor von dooms idear after burniging hit it with a mallet that will make a mess

and after that have a pee.... just to make sure it gets the message that it is not welcomed around here, fething xenos^^

grotsrus wrote:i like victor von dooms idear after burniging hit it with a mallet that will make a mess

BRILLIANT! I just had a hilarious idea!

Heat the whole plastic Termagant, real nice and mushy, then smash it down flat, slowly and carefully so you keep a good portion of detail. Then glue the flattened bug to the underside of Tank Tracks. Or, do the same thing to a plastic Gargoyle, then stick it to the windshield of a Space Marine Titan or Airplane.

Viktor von Domm wrote:and after that have a pee.... Just to make sure it gets the message that it is not welcomed around here, fething xenos^^

Hey hey hey! calm down now, there is no need for name calling, we are all created equally ( equally delicious and full of yummy in the tummy biomass)

Viktor von Domm wrote:on a side note: i dont have currently enough minis to try out such methods. The ones I have have to be fielded with all their limbs and facial features attached^^.but if I ever have to much I will get my evil revenge on them for having such places where you can not get it painted without messing other parts up... makes me MAAAAAAAAAADDDDDDDDDD

I know the feeling brother... My new troop purchases are few and far between too. Plus, not only do I have my armies to worry about, but I also have two daughters with armies of their own.

So in a way I guess, it was my lack of fresh material to work with, that got me thinking out side of the box. After I painted everything, or at least had them all base coated, it was then that I had to think of new ideas or be forced to strip them all down, and start over.

I use hot salt. less chance you will end up with a flaming or otherwise mangled figure.

sennacherib wrote:I use hot salt. less chance you will end up with a flaming or otherwise mangled figure.

If you got a link to that tutorial I would like to read it, but I am going to go ahead and say that I still suggest a lighter with an adjustable flame. It is true that there is a good chance that bad things can happen with fire from a candle or from a lighter. But I just say boo-freaking-hoo.

I like risk, nothing ventured nothing gained. A lighter is faster, more maneuverable, accurate with an adjustable flame, and more manly.

What do you do with all the salt when you are done? Huh? Do you take with you on a picnic with your dollies, huh? Little girly-man. (j/k)

I really don't think any one can change my mind about using a lighter. Now, having said that, I am still interested in reading more about this salt method you people keep talking about. It might be useful for larger melting projects with lots of surface area to cover.

since i built two sm armies at the moment (one for my oldest son) i know how that feels. besides its two sm armies. one can get a bit upset from all this holiness fething gak^^

but fear not got my own hive mind set up for the making, then i will gladly give all mushy strategies a go^^
i hope that at the end of the week i´m able to show some of my wips to the world. so stay tuned, as i staying tuned to your cruelty to nids and models alike. besides again^^, did you ever try your methode on a marine and if so, what did you bend ?

on your other blog you´ve shown that nidmarine...something in your milk or why did you do that? genestealer? would be my only thought about that^^

and again, for every part that is not paintable without frustration commit vengance via cleansing fire^^

Viktor von Domm wrote:
but fear not got my own hive mind set up for the making, then i will gladly give all mushy strategies a go^^
i hope that at the end of the week i´m able to show some of my wips to the world. so stay tuned, as i staying tuned to your cruelty to nids and models alike. besides again^^, did you ever try your methode on a marine and if so, what did you bend ?

on your other blog you´ve shown that nidmarine...something in your milk or why did you do that? genestealer? would be my only thought about that^^

and again, for every part that is not paintable without frustration commit vengance via cleansing fire^^

FIRE! FIRE! FIREEE!

I personally have not done this to a Marine yet, but I have no doubt that it would work just fine. I would use it to bend legs maybe. Or even on an open hand, I would use a low flame to bend the fingers closed.

I did use this idea on a Genestealer, I raised the arms a bit, and bent the fingers outward and wider for a more "going to grab you" look. I will try and find that one to take a pic, I did so well, that I can't tell which one it is

The Nidmarine pic on my other tutorial, Fun With Plastic and Sharp Objects!, will be covered more in more detail when I post my (P)Blog. At that time I will, of course, make many links available to every one so you can find the happy home of all your fellow Cult Members.

Hot salt. I will write a proper tutorial later but for now this will have to do.
Start with a pan you dont mind messing up. GO to a salvation army or other thrift store and pick out a non teflon pan thats on the small side, preferabley one with a low lip around the outside so that you can reach into it without buring your hand on the side. Also get a bunch of iodized salt, cheap at the dollar store or anywhere else. You need about a pound.
Put salt in the pan, heat on your stove on high for about 2-3 minutes. times spent heating will vary considerably. Then turn the sove to low low heat and using a metal spoon stir the salt so that the mixture inside is composed of evennly heated material. Let the salt cool down a little so wait about 5 minutes with the salt on low low temp.
You are ready to test the salt. Stir the salt one more time to mix it up so its all uniform temp. Then take a bit of old sprue and stick it into the salt. Test it for pliability after about 5 seconds. If the salt is too hot then the salt crystals will dent the surface of your sprue and the plastic will be to soft to work with. what you want is for the plastic to be just hot enough to be pliable. Experiment before using your model.
I have used this tech. to mold carnifex tails and to scratch build wings for greater demon. works pretty well.

somewhere there was a tut on this methode with pics but i cant find it anymore. but your short version covers everything needed. especially the part where you test it with sprue. very good thinking that is.

Thanks Sennacherib, that sounds interesting.

It would be cool if you made a Tutorial with pics so we can get the whole concept.

By the way you described it, I think my orignal statement is still correct. The salt method is better for larger bits like the wings for a greater demon.

Smaller bits, I am still going to use my lighter. If I am only going to do a few tails then I dont want to feel like I am about to start baking a cake.

But please, still post that tutorial.

I've had success bending plasticard to make nid wings by heating it with a gas stove. Just use the smallest burner, on the lowest heat. The advantage with this is that if you do fear Extremely Dangerous plastic fumes you can put your cooker fan on...

A WARNING GUYS, THIS IS KNOWN TO CAUSE CANCER IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA. wienies.
Try a blow dryer or boiling water, both work very well.

http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/318880.page
i wrote a quick tutorial while on break from school. hope this helps.

Mewiththeface wrote:A WARNING GUYS, THIS IS KNOWN TO CAUSE CANCER IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA. wienies.
Try a blow dryer or boiling water, both work very well.

WHEW!! Good thing I am not in California. Now I can breathe in all the plastic fumes I want, good to know
I was really hopping I wouldn't get cancer... Now I know that I don't have to worry since I am not in California, I am ok with trivial brain tumors or mutations. No big deal...

Blow dryer, boiling water, or gas stove... Large bits like wings and monstrous creatures, sure, sounds great.

Smaller bits, like tiny fingers, knee joints, or tails... Lighter, all the way.

Salt, blow dryer, boiling water, gas stove, blow torch, barbecue pit, microwave, or even just leaving the mini out in the sun for a few hours, wont have the control and precision that an adjustable flame lighter will have. With the adjustable flame you can put the heat right where you want it, with out heating the other portions of the mini you don't want to bend. A lighter is also movable, adjustable, and able to fit into hard to reach places. All other options, candles included, are stationary.

Here is a made up example of how the maneuverability of a lighter is better than a stationary heat source:
Let us pretend we are trying to work with a three armed Mutant mini. Two arms are reaching out holding a sword in front of his body. The third arm is the one we want to bend so it is scratching his chin. This arm comes out of his bellybutton and is reaching out too, but it is behind/under the other two arms.

With a lighter you can angle the flame between or under the outer arms while keeping a firm grip on the legs. Adjust the flame low enough so that only the the joint between the third arm and the bellybutton gets the heat. Now that we bent the arm we can again focus the heat by positioning the lighter and low flame only on the fingers so we can bend them toward the chin.

Now, with the stationary options, you have to heat through the outer arms, or hold the mini in some odd fashion that might not be a firm grip. If, perhaps, you try to hold the mini upside down, that puts the heat source in contact with the head first, which we want to avoid. Also, heat rises, now we are holding our hand directly over an open flame. Same sort of thing happens if you hold hold by the head and have the flame go up from the bottom. Now the legs are melting, and we still haven't bent our third arm. With the Salt idea, I don't think any of this would be possible. With a blow dryer and with salt, the heat would go every where. Head, outer arms, legs get heated first, then finally, it might reach the third inner arm but everything else is mushy.

I am not saying that there are not any good uses for the other methods. What I am saying though, is the lighter can be your best friend.
(thanks for the tutorial on the salt method Sennacherib, good read)