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Do you guys also drill out exhaust pipes, fx. on rhinos, land raiders etc.?

I'm currently assembling my Rhino, and not sure if I should do it or not.

It would be a estethic choice only, so it's basically up to you. I've considered it myself, but haven't gotten around to it. It will of course add some authenticity to the model, with it actually being able to vent exhaust(if it had an engine).

I get all brave now and again and go nuts with my Pin Vice. I once drilled out the small holes on a Flamer just to prove to my self that I can do it.

I enjoy drilling out exhausts and extra details on vehicles and Rocket Launchers (they should be a Tube!). You can then put a model Missile and have the Fins or Warhead sticking out. You can also do Battle Damage, start a few holes in the side of the Rhino and it looks like a Burst of Fire has hit and not quite penetrated. Equally I like to drill details on Engines and even Optics. However I never Drill more than 10mm because you cannot see that deep into a model.

Here is an example of Bolter Hits by Pacific



You can see he drilled the torso to look damaged, Cool (if you listen closely you can hear him whispering blood for the Blood god)..




This Picture is from POPOBATES and shows the effect nicely.

Personal preference. Never tried it on an exhaust pipe, but who knows? Could be good.

Honestly, I hate drilling out gun barrels. Even in the Games Workshop catalogues or Codices the drilled holes are off-center. It is very very hard to do perfectly, and if you screw it up even a tiny bit you're hosed.

I tend to pre Drill my bolters etc, I have had a lot of success, the Key is making a neat central pilot hole. Then the motion of drilling needs to be even and perfectly inline not off centre, or at slight angle. Even a slight bias will result in off Bore-sight hole which looks wrong. I have Hundreds of Bolters so I practiced for abit and mastered it in a weekend.

I have a small Space Wold force & I've drilled out all the weapons (all the holes on the flamer included).
The only other bits I could have done were the vent pipes on the back packs.
As they are only primed, I might go back & see if there's enough room to do them now....

In thepast I've also drilled out a clan esher heavy stubber - aka 2nd lass from the left on the top row:
.

Unfortunately this has made the lead (yes lead not silly white metal or resin) very thin & the barrel now sags

I say - drill everything you can.
In terms of 'converting', it's the simplest & quickest & really adds to any miniature.

Depends how anal I feel beforehand.

Or how much a customer is paying me, but for my personal army, if it's supposed to be hollow, it gets a drill bit.

mwnciboo wrote:I tend to pre Drill my bolters etc, I have had a lot of success, the Key is making a neat central pilot hole. Then the motion of drilling needs to be even and perfectly inline not off centre, or at slight angle. Even a slight bias will result in off Bore-sight hole which looks wrong. I have Hundreds of Bolters so I practiced for abit and mastered it in a weekend.

Yeah, this. Trying to drill directly into a flat surface will lead to off-centre holes, because it's so easy for the drill bit to slip or go in at an incorrect angle.

Get a needle, a file with a pointed end, etc. and use it to poke a pilot depression into whatever bit you are planning to hollow out. Just press the tip of the tool in, and rotate/orbit the non-pointy end of the tool it if you need to adjust the position of the hole. That should leave you with a small depression in the bit that will cradle you drill and let you easily drill an on-centre hole.

Altruizine wrote:

mwnciboo wrote:I tend to pre Drill my bolters etc, I have had a lot of success, the Key is making a neat central pilot hole. Then the motion of drilling needs to be even and perfectly inline not off centre, or at slight angle. Even a slight bias will result in off Bore-sight hole which looks wrong. I have Hundreds of Bolters so I practiced for abit and mastered it in a weekend.

Yeah, this. Trying to drill directly into a flat surface will lead to off-centre holes, because it's so easy for the drill bit to slip or go in at an incorrect angle.

Get a needle, a file with a pointed end, etc. and use it to poke a pilot depression into whatever bit you are planning to hollow out. Just press the tip of the tool in, and rotate/orbit the non-pointy end of the tool it if you need to adjust the position of the hole. That should leave you with a small depression in the bit that will cradle you drill and let you easily drill an on-centre hole.

This is also what I do.

I to make bigger holes, like For heavy bolters, I do a small pilot hole and then carefully enlarge it by inserting a new/sharp scalpel blade and rotating it.

hemlighest wrote:Do you guys also drill out exhaust pipes, fx. on rhinos, land raiders etc.?

If it looks like it should be a hole, and it's not... drill it.

insaniak wrote:
If it looks like it should be a hole, and it's not... drill it.

Anyone else think this sounds a bit...well....Slaaneshi?

nectarprime wrote:

Altruizine wrote:

mwnciboo wrote:I tend to pre Drill my bolters etc, I have had a lot of success, the Key is making a neat central pilot hole. Then the motion of drilling needs to be even and perfectly inline not off centre, or at slight angle. Even a slight bias will result in off Bore-sight hole which looks wrong. I have Hundreds of Bolters so I practiced for abit and mastered it in a weekend.

Yeah, this. Trying to drill directly into a flat surface will lead to off-centre holes, because it's so easy for the drill bit to slip or go in at an incorrect angle.

Get a needle, a file with a pointed end, etc. and use it to poke a pilot depression into whatever bit you are planning to hollow out. Just press the tip of the tool in, and rotate/orbit the non-pointy end of the tool it if you need to adjust the position of the hole. That should leave you with a small depression in the bit that will cradle you drill and let you easily drill an on-centre hole.

This is also what I do.

I to make bigger holes, like For heavy bolters, I do a small pilot hole and then carefully enlarge it by inserting a new/sharp scalpel blade and rotating it.

I just use the scalpel from the get go to drill out holes such as gun barrels, its easier to stay on center or fix an off center hole and you don't have to bother getting out a drill and bits and such.

nectarprime wrote:

Altruizine wrote:

mwnciboo wrote:I tend to pre Drill my bolters etc, I have had a lot of success, the Key is making a neat central pilot hole. Then the motion of drilling needs to be even and perfectly inline not off centre, or at slight angle. Even a slight bias will result in off Bore-sight hole which looks wrong. I have Hundreds of Bolters so I practiced for abit and mastered it in a weekend.

Yeah, this. Trying to drill directly into a flat surface will lead to off-centre holes, because it's so easy for the drill bit to slip or go in at an incorrect angle.

Get a needle, a file with a pointed end, etc. and use it to poke a pilot depression into whatever bit you are planning to hollow out. Just press the tip of the tool in, and rotate/orbit the non-pointy end of the tool it if you need to adjust the position of the hole. That should leave you with a small depression in the bit that will cradle you drill and let you easily drill an on-centre hole.

This is also what I do.

I to make bigger holes, like For heavy bolters, I do a small pilot hole and then carefully enlarge it by inserting a new/sharp scalpel blade and rotating it.

This.

I have a 0.75 mm drillbit in a pin vice. Careful to get it central, I position the first tiny dimple. Once I am happy with where it is going, I make the hole deeper. then I get a 1,5mm 2mm or 3mm depending on what size the hole needs to be, and ream it out good and proppa. I find that if it is off centre, a #11 x-acto blade works wonders as you can cut away more on one side than the other. Put the point of the blade in the hole and turn the knife, gouging out the plastic where you don't want itwith the cutting edge. I often do this on some barrels anyway as the hole looks better, bigger. Also, done right, it looks as if the barrel has rifleing.



Edit: Yes, I also drill exhausts, flamers, machinegun/big shoota barrel cooling holes and anything I can get my drillbit into. . .

insaniak wrote:

hemlighest wrote:Do you guys also drill out exhaust pipes, fx. on rhinos, land raiders etc.?

If it looks like it should be a hole, and it's not... drill it.

I agree. It just looks so much better than a painted black spot.

I also agree about whoever said to drill it before you put it together when possible.

I also believe doing with a Dremel is not only faster, easier on my wrist, but gives me more control if say, my pilot hole wasn't perfect and I need to widen the hole to make it look correct.

Hey, I actually have a good tip for you this time! Seriously! If you really screw it up, fill in the hole with Milliput (I use white) which takes almost no "talent". When it's dry, you can sand it down and re-drill. It's like pin-vice Do-Over in a tube!

mwnciboo wrote:

insaniak wrote:
If it looks like it should be a hole, and it's not... drill it.

Anyone else think this sounds a bit...well....Slaaneshi?

Yes! Alert the =I= !
i drill everything bigger than a lasgun barrel. just looks better, imho.
and don't be afraid to try drilling on old models / spare plastic. practice makes perfect.