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.

I haven't seen a thread for this, so I thought I'd start one.

Please list your tips for assembling and painting certain models - I'm going to focus on 40K models, but any wargaming model is on topic. I'm going to ignore the broad tips (for example, magnetizing expensive models) rather to focus on more specific ones - mostly Tau, because I mostly paint Tau.

1.) Ghostkeel: Leave the armor plates off and paint them separately. This probably applies to a ton of different models, like Imperial Knights.
2.) Tau Drones: Use the short flying stalks rather than the long ones. It makes transport far easier. After priming, dry fit the stalks (no base) and hold the stalks while painting them - free handle.
3.) Tau Tanks: Never glue in the big thrusters. They twist-fit just fine, and it makes painting and storage way easier, and you can pose them dramatically if you like.
4.) Primaris Inceptors: PIN that flying stand to the model. Seriously, pin it.
5.) Space marines (any): If nothing else, paint the backpack separately. That one thing saves a lot of effort.
6.) Flyers (any with the big flying stand): Don't glue in the the flying stand. It friction fits well enough and it makes transport way easier.
7.) Drop Pods: If you're going to paint the interior, paint the bottom and doors separately at a minimum. I'm glad I did, and I sort of regret assembling the 5 stalks to the floor assembly, though I didn't detail the interior that much anyways. You don't want to paint with doors flopping around.

Add your tips below!

8) Necron warriors: Join a genestealer cult and grow a third arm. Gluing two shoulders into their sockets while fitting the hand into the gun clearly wasn't meant for two-armed persons.

9.) AdMech Skitarii: Paint them in two halves. Glue the legs to the base and paint the body w/ arms separately. You'll be able to reach behind the weapon and the inside of the cloak.

torblind wrote:
8) Necron warriors: Join a genestealer cult and grow a third arm. Gluing two shoulders into their sockets while fitting the hand into the gun clearly wasn't meant for two-armed persons.

The best way to handle this is to pin one shoulder (if not both) without glue so it holds in place but still swivels freely. Another (more expensive) option would be to use magnets instead of pins. When you've got everything aligned, just add glue.

Space marines: Use ball of blu-tac to get a grip of torso halves while gluing them.
Space marines: Drill bolters before gluing them to the miniatures. I you screw up one or two, you should have spare bolters to use instead.
Space marines: To get more natural poses, glue arms to torso before gluing torso to legs.

Ork boyz: To get more natural poses, glue arms to torso before gluing torso to legs.
Ork boyz: Cut away silly horns from Nob helmet to get nice alternative head for shoota boyz. Use Nob kit to build a proper Nob instead.

Keep your work area in a brightly lit room and clean it regularly. Nothing worse than dropping a tiny bit and having it disappear into the shadows forever.

John Prins wrote:5.) Space marines (any): If nothing else, paint the backpack separately. That one thing saves a lot of effort.

I often go all the way and keep the head, backpack and guns separate. This is particularly true for Primaris heads as the big collars get in the way.

torblind wrote:8) Necron warriors: Join a genestealer cult and grow a third arm. Gluing two shoulders into their sockets while fitting the hand into the gun clearly wasn't meant for two-armed persons.

I feel largely the same way about Space Marines, trying to position 2 arms whilst the gun stays in place so I dont get it weirdly positioned needs more arms/hands/mechadendrites.

Necron warriors - apply glue to the wrist joint only; then hold the two sockets into the holes until the glue cures and dries. Then you should be able to remove the whole gun and both arms (as its note glued in). This makes it a lot easier to paint as the gun and arms are not obscuring segments of the torso and legs.

When done just glue the arms into the sockets

Bluetac can also help; pack a bit into each socket to help hold them in place.

 Badablack wrote:
Keep your work area in a brightly lit room and clean it regularly. Nothing worse than dropping a tiny bit and having it disappear into the shadows forever.

One trick for this that I’ve heard, but not tried, is to put some pantyhose over the vacuum cleaner hose. Obviously requires a specific kind of vacuum and stealing/buying woman’s undergarments, but in theory should help collect small bits from where they fall.

YMMV.