Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

When I first got into the Tyranids they had a 4E codex. So I modeled a lot of my gaunts to have spinefists. But now they aren't a very good choice of guns to have (IMO).

I would like to remove those arms and replace them with the default gun. I had a few ideas on how I would like to do this but would also like to hear what the Dakka community has to offer because you guys have helped me greatly in the past =D.

My first idea was to cut off the arms at the elbow and replace them with the proper gun and use some green stuff to fill the cracks.

My second idea is to purchase or barrow a die grinder and just make a new hold in the arm slots.

My third idea was to ask to community for other tips. =D

My other issue is that I purchased a hive guard and am having a heck of a time trying to put this guy together. The Legs/Arms go together well but then went putting on the gun it seems the hive guards huge chest gets in the way of trying to attach the opposite arm without the other Legs/Arms getting in the way as well. Just seems like too many pieces will be interfering with each other for me to paint it properly.

I suspect cutting at the elbows would result in weak elbow joints, so I suggest replacing the whole arms.

If you have a dremel-style rotary power tool, you can get teeny ball-shaped grinding heads. I'd suggest cutting the arms at the shoulder and then using the grinding head to bore new shoulder sockets.

If you use plastic glue, the bond will not be a weak one.
The bond is often stronger than the plastic on either side of it, such is the nature of the chemical weld.

Superglues ... yeah, you'll have issues.

I've done the arm swap thing on a warrior using just polycement to bond the two parts of the arms (were scything talons, wanted rending claws) - I was turning it into a broodlord for my spacehulk set (ALIENS head, large and small rending claws, longer tail) and even when it has fallen off the table (the tail tends to snag jackets), it has stayed together.

As far as the Hive guards go, I have had similar issues. For me I realized that the gun on the hiveguard angles downward a little bit. I took a small ball of greenstuff (mixed heavy on the yellow) and placed a bit in both right and left arm holes, then placed a small ball of it in the gun area where the left arm attaches. On all the greenstuff area I placed a small drop of superglue. I couldnt get the left arms ball joint to go completely in the mating portion on the gun, but my having the greestuff there it gave something for the arm to bite into. I then positioned the gun/arm assembly into a position that I liked, and proped the gun up with a small stack of cardboard pieces. Left it to dry for 24 hours, and that was it. The small bits of greenstuff gives the arms something to stick to while the model dries, so it doesnt just keep falling apart on ya. Hope it helps!

Forgive me but I must say it, just use counts as.

The Fleshborer and Spinfist are almost exactly the
same weapon. I have 24 Gaunts with Fleshborer and
24 with Spinefist. Now that I have made a Tervigon I
feel no need to buy another 24 more Fleshborer Gaunts
just because Tervigons only spawn basic gaunts. I am gonna
use my spine guys as base gaunts

As you mentioned it is a bit silly that they made Spinegaunts
more expensive than Termagaunts. So what will happen
when the next codex comes around and they flip them again
or end up deciding Tervigons can spawn other types of gaunts

The only reason I advocate this is because they are so similar, this is not
saying my missile launcher marine counts as a heavy bolter.

And as for hive guard I made mine out of Tyranid Warrios, its cheaper that way

I think if the OP wanted to use counts as then he wouldnt have made his post.

IMO Counts as is fine for the short term, but for the long term you should really be working towards equipping your army with the correct parts. There is enough stuff to think about with your own army when playing a game, dont need to be decipheing what counts as what in my opponents army also.

Back on topic

If the arms are premanently stuck o the body of the model, and you cannt simply pry the spinefist arms out, then I would take Clang's advice, cut the amrs and use a dremil tool too bore out some new arm holes.

If you dont have a dremil tool, you can pick one up for fairly cheap, but on the other hand, if you are going to go out and buy a Dremil tool just to swap arms, then you might just be better off buying a couple new boxes of gaunts.

Firstly, I apologize but I think differently.

I still think it is fits in the long term because we
are quibbling over a weapon that is either rg 12 st 4 ap 5
or a weapon that is rg 12 st 3 ap 5 Twin linked. I argue
this namely because I have the models and I would intermix
them with my termagants to represent a Swarm of the same
thing. I would not be saying they represent anything other.

As far as useful advice the drill is a good idea, as everyone
has suggested. And if you don't have the arms, a company
called "Hoard O Bits" is constantly selling all flavors of plastic
nid parts on ebay.

I would saw off the arm as close to the shoulder joint as possibe.

Then use two or three drills to bore out the joint. Start with a 1mm to put in a guide hole, then a 2mm to get most of the arm off. A 3mm or maybe 4mm will let you drill out a bit around the joint and make it neat.

If you are careful, you will be able to stick the new arm in the hole and the carapace shoulder plate will hide any imperfections.

I did a dozen or so Termagants like that, which I had got cheap from eBay.

i just replaced the arms on all my 40 gaunts... from spine fists to devourers for a spodding army.. but i used needlenose pliers.. and tried to pull them out of the sockets which worked for most.. and then i used a drill bit to cleanup the hole... and i had to spray base the arms seprately.. then glue them on and paint... took a while .. but they look ace

Arkenon wrote:Forgive me but I must say it, just use counts as.

The Fleshborer and Spinfist are almost exactly the
same weapon. I have 24 Gaunts with Fleshborer and
24 with Spinefist. Now that I have made a Tervigon I
feel no need to buy another 24 more Fleshborer Gaunts
just because Tervigons only spawn basic gaunts. I am gonna
use my spine guys as base gaunts

As you mentioned it is a bit silly that they made Spinegaunts
more expensive than Termagaunts. So what will happen
when the next codex comes around and they flip them again
or end up deciding Tervigons can spawn other types of gaunts

The only reason I advocate this is because they are so similar, this is not
saying my missile launcher marine counts as a heavy bolter.

And as for hive guard I made mine out of Tyranid Warrios, its cheaper that way

Can you post pics of the Warrior Guards?

Why yes . . . . . yes I can. Well I can as soon as
I figure out how to use forums

Just soak the figs in superclean for a goodly period of time. As long as you didn't use plastic glue to put them on, they'll pop right out. I've yet to conclude how the different factors play a part in this, but sometimes superclean will eat right through the superglue and they will come off in a week or so, sometimes it will take a month or two.