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So i recently got through sorting out my stuff I hadd left in my parents attic and i found a few long forgotten things. The one that brings me here is the assortment of old Dark eldar models i found (i was sure I hadd sold them all a long time ago) i dont have any of my old metal models but ive got over 30 made and (badly) painted warriors and about 40 either on sprues or unassembled. In addition to 3 old raiders in various states of (dis)repair.

ive not seriosly played 40k since 4th ed though i did buy the rulebook and play a few games with a small ork army a year back but i didnt continue. The issue for me was the cost of models i have enough hobbies that cost me money so i dont want to spend much on restarting one.

i seem to have more than enough models for a decent army but they are all warriors with a limited selection of weapons so its a bit bland. so i was thinking of getting some variety in the army with some conversions. primarily thinking scourges but also hellions maybe.

i can make weapons no problem, i used to convert a lot of weapons with greenstuff back in the day i just dont have a clue how to sculp something thin and large like wings. i have a lot of milliput fine left over from one of my projects and things like copper wire for structure and ideally i dont want to buy anything (except maybe an archon) to get this army on the tabletop. anyone got any experience with scratch building wings? and maybe hellion boards?

i was thinking i would make a frame out of copper wire then lay sheets of milliput over to create membranes (for bat wings)... does this sound like a sensible aproach?

if anyone knows of any tutorials please post them

thanks in advance

Why not just buy some? I got some pairs from bits and kits for a conversion last year. Making them is going to be a nightmare.

Edit, just read the bit about not buying stuff. Still, I think it would be worth the money to save the effort you'll have to put in.

I apreciate the sentiment but I have much less money than I have time. Being a student whos only income is from sporadic paid work I need to save every penny and while £6 on ebay for 5 wing sets isnt terrible scalling that up to 30 jumps up to nearly a months food budget and ive built a telescope for less.

i have some ideas on how im going to try it and ill probably update this post as i go... or start another with progress reports

Try brass wire framework (copper is probably too soft). Then thick paper / thin card membrane. Once in place apply a thin coat of runny superglue. Use green stuff along the frame to blend the membrane into the frame.
Milliput for this sort of application, without a brass sheet backing, will drive you nuts & probably not work very well.

Thanks bubber thats a really nice plan. ill stick with the copper as its what ive got and try to use the milliput for blending as i dont have any green stuff atm but that is an eminently sensible solution. honeslty hadnt considered paper and superglue for the membranes

milliput would work better anyway surely? its much easier to smooth out than GS.

Honestly, your better off using thicker then normal or even normal paper and making a template in photoshop or paint and printing layers of feathers.

Then you can stack the layers one on top of the other stepping each layer back a row. If you use PVA glue and water to coat each piece of paper it will dry solid, but after the first application it will be pliable enough that you can bend the wings into shape and even add some bend and twist to the ends of the feathers. When you get the to edges of the wings where all the layers overlap just use a final lapping course of "V" shaped pieces like the crown of shingles on a roof. Look up asphalt shingle roofs from the US for a good idea since I know it's much less common in Europe.

You could add wire under the final cap pieces for more rigidity and to reinforce the final shape.

For the bat style wings I'd just print multiple layers of the exact same dimensions rather then stepping back each layer like the feathered version. I'd then apply each layer with the same PVA and water mix you can then later drill small holes and tears into the wings. For the fingers of the wings between the membranes I'd use your copper wire and apply greenstuff or the equivalent over the wire however if the wire is a thick enough gauge you should be able to just use it at the knuckles where the wire bends.

You could also do the entire process with plastic card but I think it would actually be too thick since you are stacking so many layers. I actually think paper and glue would work out well if you have good plans and take your time.

Thats an awesome idea Red thxs, i hadnt considered PVA but I suppose if I prime it properly the water solubility wont be an issue and printing sheets of templates is free for me so that may just be the ticket.

Im only thinking tha paper and PVA wont have much detail but theres not much on the models im converting anyway and once its rigid I can easily refine with small amounts of putty

thankyou i had considered plasticard for making hellions if I were to include them.

The classic is using paperclips, masking tape, and greensuff or milliput. It's the cheapest way to make bat-wings by far, although it will test your sculpting skills.