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Can really thin plasticard bend? I'm rubbish with Green Stuff but I was thinking that if the really thin plasticard can be bent without snapping, I would try to use it to sculpt scales onto capes and tabards for my marines, for Salamander Mantles.

You can bend it pretty well but the trick is getting it to stay in place. Without burning your house down try gently heating it with a lighter. I also have used an electric stove to shape it and it comes out looking far more natural and clothlike.

May take a few passes though so its good thats its relatively cheap! Let me know if you need anything else here, this is one of my go to moves.

All plasticard bends. It's simply that the thicker the sheet, the larger the required radius for the curve. 0.25mm is .010", which is quite thin - comparable to ~80lb paper stock. It won't provide high relief, but it'll go around just about any surface a SM model presents. The very sharpest creases might require heat (or a quick-set CA glue on the underlying surface, with the shaping done in situ) to set the shape, but gentler curves will hold their shape if you over-bend the material with finger pressure, then let it spring partially back, settling at the desired shape.

I figure if I need a higher level of relief, I can just apply a second layer of plasticard on top of the first. Now I just need to figure out an easy way to cut sheets of the stuff into "scaley" shapes so they mesh well with the few Salamander pieces GW has sculpted, and with the popular alternatives (I think there's a Dark Elf box that comes with scaled capes).

 j31c3n wrote:
I figure if I need a higher level of relief, I can just apply a second layer of plasticard on top of the first. Now I just need to figure out an easy way to cut sheets of the stuff into "scaley" shapes so they mesh well with the few Salamander pieces GW has sculpted, and with the popular alternatives (I think there's a Dark Elf box that comes with scaled capes).

Green stuffing on plasticard works well too depending on your comfort level. It's pretty simple to essentially run strips of it down a "fold" to give it more pop.

I would say consider thin cardstock, or even paper.

Once down, a coat of very thin super glue will seal it.

 FearPeteySodes wrote:
Green stuffing on plasticard works well too depending on your comfort level. It's pretty simple to essentially run strips of it down a "fold" to give it more pop.

Green Stuff and I do not play well together.

 j31c3n wrote:

 FearPeteySodes wrote:
Green stuffing on plasticard works well too depending on your comfort level. It's pretty simple to essentially run strips of it down a "fold" to give it more pop.

Green Stuff and I do not play well together.

practice practice practice

but srsly, some thin plasticard, some greenstuff and a little effort and you will have b-e-a-utiful cloaks on all your mini's. Check out some youtube tutorials and just have a go, yeh some of your first ones won't be great, but why beat around the bush, this is a long haul hobby and you'll only regret not having bothered to use the stuff sooner rather than later

Solar Shock wrote:

 j31c3n wrote:

 FearPeteySodes wrote:
Green stuffing on plasticard works well too depending on your comfort level. It's pretty simple to essentially run strips of it down a "fold" to give it more pop.

Green Stuff and I do not play well together.

practice practice practice

but srsly, some thin plasticard, some greenstuff and a little effort and you will have b-e-a-utiful cloaks on all your mini's. Check out some youtube tutorials and just have a go, yeh some of your first ones won't be great, but why beat around the bush, this is a long haul hobby and you'll only regret not having bothered to use the stuff sooner rather than later

Well said and seconded!

You don't understand!

I am incapable of using Green Stuff. It's frustrating and stupid and every time I try to get it to do anything it turns into a sticky mess of blegh. It's just infuriating and it makes me want to destroy the model.

Heat the plasticard in very hot water to make it softer and bendier.

 Kilkrazy wrote:
Heat the plasticard in very hot water to make it softer and bendier.

Any specific temperature? I'd imagine less than boiling.

For all that much trouble, you would be better off bits ordering the Dark Elf Dragonscale cloaks, especially if you get easily frustrated by the green stuff. Trying to make tiny little plasticard scales at that size will frustrate you beyond measure. Alternately, get some wax or parchment paper and roll up some green stuff into tiny balls and press them flat on the paper and let them cure. Then you could glue them directly onto the models. If you don't make the balls perfectly round, you will get all sorts of shapes and sizes for the scales.

 j31c3n wrote:
You don't understand!

I am incapable of using Green Stuff. It's frustrating and stupid and every time I try to get it to do anything it turns into a sticky mess of blegh. It's just infuriating and it makes me want to destroy the model.

Okay, breathe.
What you're lacking, it sounds like, is a little lubricant on the tools and fingers. Unlike Milliput, water and such aren't going to cut it, so the easiest thing to hand, so to speak is right in front of your nose... Sebum. Rub you fingers on the bridge of your nose, or temples, or hairline, and apply to green stuff and tools to allow you to work it. Mildly gross, but a lot of sculptors swear by it.

I don't know if it'd work for this idea, but a general frustration saving tip for future reference.

 Buttery Commissar wrote:

 j31c3n wrote:
You don't understand!

I am incapable of using Green Stuff. It's frustrating and stupid and every time I try to get it to do anything it turns into a sticky mess of blegh. It's just infuriating and it makes me want to destroy the model.

Okay, breathe.
What you're lacking, it sounds like, is a little lubricant on the tools and fingers. Unlike Milliput, water and such aren't going to cut it, so the easiest thing to hand, so to speak is right in front of your nose... Sebum. Rub you fingers on the bridge of your nose, or temples, or hairline, and apply to green stuff and tools to allow you to work it. Mildly gross, but a lot of sculptors swear by it.

I don't know if it'd work for this idea, but a general frustration saving tip for future reference.

Eh if he cant do it he cant do it.

You can bend plasticard, it just takes a little fanaging and time. as for tabbards. you can always do cardboard as well. which is an old technique.

You can get strips of plasticard from like Evergreen in the thickness and width you want. take the strips while long and pull them over somting round repeatedly. like a round table leg.

It should retain the shape.

I have way more luck with sculpting plasticard with a hobby knife and a set of files.

I followed all the tutorials and youtube videos, used vaseline, kept the Green Stuff wet, and all that fun stuff. Had all the best tools from my FLGS. Could not get an acceptable result after a week of trying to sculpt a simple tabard as seen here.

I do plan on ordering those dragonscale cloaks, however I have a lot of models already mostly completed with plain tabards from various SM kits, and I thought of using thin plasticard and liquid GS to model scales on all of them. Plus I think a varied scale display from model to model would really turn some heads.

 j31c3n wrote:
I have way more luck with sculpting plasticard with a hobby knife and a set of files.

I followed all the tutorials and youtube videos, used vaseline, kept the Green Stuff wet, and all that fun stuff. Had all the best tools from my FLGS. Could not get an acceptable result after a week of trying to sculpt a simple tabard as seen here.

I do plan on ordering those dragonscale cloaks, however I have a lot of models already mostly completed with plain tabards from various SM kits, and I thought of using thin plasticard and liquid GS to model scales on all of them. Plus I think a varied scale display from model to model would really turn some heads.

Show us your attempts at GS still not satisfied that you can't do it

Rather than Green Stuff, try applying a layer of Milliput, instead.

Milliput is water soluble, meaning you can wet it to spread it across the surface more evenly.

Also, it is easier to work the cured Milliput than it is cured Green Stuff.

MB

BeAfraid wrote:
Rather than Green Stuff, try applying a layer of Milliput, instead.
Milliput is water soluble, meaning you can wet it to spread it across the surface more evenly.
Also, it is easier to work the cured Milliput than it is cured Green Stuff.

MB

I actually use a mix of the two, 50:50 usually, it gives you the best of both worlds and imo is far superior to both individually. Milliput allows the mix to be sanded and filed, while the GS overcomes the brittleness of the milliput and lets it retain some flexibility.

OP: when following those guides, they often don't do any post 'cured' work, IE they don't sand it, cut it etc... You mention that you are willing to file and sand plasticard in order to achieve a tabard. GS doesn't file well at all. Milliput does, as does a milliput/GS mix. Whats your thoughts on creating an 'almost right tabard' using milliput/GS, then using a file to complete the final touches? In reality I am often having to file and sand my sculpting work, because with something wet/uncured it can be extremely difficult to get a flat surface, or a perfect shape.

Solar Shock wrote:
Show us your attempts at GS still not satisfied that you can't do it

I really don't feel the need to go buy a product I don't use to perform an operation I can't do in order to prove to you that I don't like green stuff. Sheesh.