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Hey Dakka! I'm pretty darn new to converting. I've been plying 40k for maybe 7 months or so now, and I've never shelled out the cash for a couple of Painboyz, and with the Codex coming out soon, I know I'm really going to need them. But, since I've got two nearly unused boxes of Nobz laying around, I figure it would be best to just use those and make up some Painboyz instead of paying 25 bucks per model.

But my issue is, as I go through the bitz, I'm having trouble finding something that could pass off as the 'Urty Syringe. I had a few Boyz heads that have facial masks of sorts, so that will at least give the distinction that it's a Painboy.

I've also wondered how one goes about typically making a medical apron as well, to really ensure they look like a Painboy and stand out among the other models on the table.

Any tips/advice would be awesome. I do have a small amount of plasticard and plasticard tubes, but, I'm not very adept with it, though I'm willing to give it a try also.

Thanks in advance!

What about a Narthecium from a SM Apocethary? Alternatively, you could probably knock something together from some plasticard using a pin for the needle and a couple circles glued to a small cylinder. Carve away most of a Shoota to form the grip.



That's a pic of the Nobz kit, I think the guy in front's Shoota would work nicely if you cut off the clip and then carefully cut away most of the gun back to just before the receiver, to leave a lip. Drill a hole where you want the needle to come out of and use somethiing like a 1/16" pin cut to be half again as long as the result. Insert needle, and then add a bit of small plastic card cut in tiny circles (maybe a hole punch?) on one end, thread on a bit of plasticard tube, then finish with either GS to cap or another piece of plasticard.

The bigger shootas would work better and probably would be pretty gnarly if you lined up the shell ejection port to make it look like that's how it's loaded.

The trick is to use the pin to form the needle and to center the tube around.

As for an apron, you could try to sculpt one on or try a variance of what I did for cloaks. Might want to use some cloth instead of paper towels (a smooth fabric square).

Thanks for the advice so far :p dunno if I wanna use an actual pin though. But I do like the idea of carving away some of the gun to make it more needley as opposed to gun like. Maybe instead of a pin, I can use the thinnest plasti-tube I've got, and cut it at an angle to give it the 'needle' appearence, and glue it to the end of the gun.

Problem is, I don't have a vast amount of tools (No drill for example) so most of this will be done via hobby knife, clippers, etc :p

Melevolence wrote:
Thanks for the advice so far :p dunno if I wanna use an actual pin though. But I do like the idea of carving away some of the gun to make it more needley as opposed to gun like. Maybe instead of a pin, I can use the thinnest plasti-tube I've got, and cut it at an angle to give it the 'needle' appearence, and glue it to the end of the gun.

Problem is, I don't have a vast amount of tools (No drill for example) so most of this will be done via hobby knife, clippers, etc :p

Get a pin vise. And a pushpin (to use as an awl). Stop what you are doing and go get one. They are just too useful to be without when you start converting or repairing models. They're also cheap (ignoring GW's for the time being). By Mork (or possibly Gork), drilling holes in things is exactly what's called for here, and it makes your shootas look even better with the barrels drilled out!



You'd want a stiff pin, and to get the angle you would file it down (although clipping at an angle is a good start).

LoH wrote:

Melevolence wrote:
Thanks for the advice so far :p dunno if I wanna use an actual pin though. But I do like the idea of carving away some of the gun to make it more needley as opposed to gun like. Maybe instead of a pin, I can use the thinnest plasti-tube I've got, and cut it at an angle to give it the 'needle' appearence, and glue it to the end of the gun.

Problem is, I don't have a vast amount of tools (No drill for example) so most of this will be done via hobby knife, clippers, etc :p

Get a pin vise. And a pushpin (to use as an awl). Stop what you are doing and go get one. They are just too useful to be without when you start converting or repairing models. They're also cheap (ignoring GW's for the time being). By Mork (or possibly Gork), drilling holes in things is exactly what's called for here, and it makes your shootas look even better with the barrels drilled out!



You'd want a stiff pin, and to get the angle you would file it down (although clipping at an angle is a good start).

I wish I had seen this BEFORE I left to do errands! XD I'll have to grab one tomorrow morning after work :p Not gunna go back out. Traffic is a mess.

You wouldn't want to use a power drill on models anyway--too much risk of damage. Gale Force 9 has a nice pinning kit, but all you need is something small, cylindrical, and stiff. Brass rod works great, but so does music wire (and it's easier to source in many places). You'll also need superglue.

The GF9 kit has a couple bits and pins, but it (like all GF9 modeling stuff) is nearly always out of stock. http://www.gf9.com/Default.aspx?tabid=348&art_id=2871. Most people use the Dremel drill bit set. Make sure it has a pommel that spins in your hand (the GW one is a good example), it takes most of the frustration out. You will need to replace bits now and then--the most common reason is that the vise fell off your desk and broke the bit when it landed.

Pinning is a skill that is extremely useful when putting together metal models or doing any sort of swap conversion. Mostly what it does is move the joint to a wider area and helps give strength.

Here's an example of a drilled out bolter:

LoH wrote:
You wouldn't want to use a power drill on models anyway--too much risk of damage. Gale Force 9 has a nice pinning kit, but all you need is something small, cylindrical, and stiff. Brass rod works great, but so does music wire (and it's easier to source in many places). You'll also need superglue.

The GF9 kit has a couple bits and pins, but it (like all GF9 modeling stuff) is nearly always out of stock. http://www.gf9.com/Default.aspx?tabid=348&art_id=2871. Most people use the Dremel drill bit set. Make sure it has a pommel that spins in your hand (the GW one is a good example), it takes most of the frustration out. You will need to replace bits now and then--the most common reason is that the vise fell off your desk and broke the bit when it landed.

Pinning is a skill that is extremely useful when putting together metal models or doing any sort of swap conversion. Mostly what it does is move the joint to a wider area and helps give strength.

Here's an example of a drilled out bolter:

Well, my local Home Depot didn't have a Pin Vice, so, I used my lower powered Dremel tool with drillbits. It worked exceedingly well, hollowing out the barrel of a couple sluggas, where I used galeforce9 plasticard sticks to make the needles, just cutting one end at an angle to give it the surgical needle look. I used spme cloth from the fabric store for smocks for them, though I wish I did a LITTLE better :3 but, its my first go at this sort of thing.

Pics will be posted after I get out of work of my progress. If all goes well, I can easily just do some tweaks to some of my Biker Nobz since I've got a few too many, and make a couple Painboyz on bikes. Sadly, their heads won't really match the look, but whatever :p

You're more likely to be able to find a pin vise at a hobby store (Hobby Lobby in the USA sells them). The GW one is decent but pricey, and that one's available pretty much at all GW stores and a lot of FLGS. FLGS that does more modeling may have a different brand.

Brass rod, music wire? really? ... box of paper clips has got to be the cheapest pinning wire surely? 1mm or 1.2mm bits have worked for allt he common paper clips I've had before... Heck I 'borrowed' a small handful from the desk at work that have lasted 18months so far hehe )

HairySticks wrote:
Brass rod, music wire? really? ... box of paper clips has got to be the cheapest pinning wire surely? 1mm or 1.2mm bits have worked for allt he common paper clips I've had before... Heck I 'borrowed' a small handful from the desk at work that have lasted 18months so far hehe )

I find paperclips to be too ductile (bend too easily). This is more important if the pin is going to be exposed as part of the conversion.