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...I use tiny rhinestones.

Are we talking about rivets?

 Zogg wrote:
For orky rivets, I drill a small hole, glue in a rod and snip it off.

That looks like a great idea.

Whenever I've tried gluing on small dots I find it hard to avoid noticeable pool of glue and/or marring of the surface.

Wish I could find a decent inexpensive hole punch - but then I'm looking in scrapbooking supplies might be easier place to get one. Leather punch for instance - which I have not yet investigated.

WallMart has a nice set of 3 for ~ 9 Dollars in the scrapbooking section (1/16, 1/8, 5/16) Which skips the common as peas 1/4"
Also Fiskars makes some interesting shaped hole punches..(Star, Heart, Music Note, etc..That run ~8 bucks each)
So really cheap for what you get

Rotary Leather Punch normally has 9 sizes running from 3/32 at the smallest and going up...(great for larger rivits) but the cost runs ~25 bucks for a good one(no point in going cheap as you will just be disapointed)


BIG TIP.. https://www.grainger.com/product/GRAINGER-APPROVED-Hi-Impact-Polystyrene-Sheet-WP143601/_/N-c1p/Ntt-hips?nls=3&ssf=3&sst=subset&ts_optout=true&s_pp=false&picUrl=//static.grainger.com/rp/s/is/image/Grainger/1EPF7_AS01?$smthumb$#nav=%2Fproduct%2FGRAINGER-APPROVED-Hi-Impact-Polystyrene-Sheet-WP143601%2F_%2FN-c1pZ1z0nqvoZ1z0nfi5%2FNtt-hips%3FR%3D3GXZ7%26_%3D1446824703065%26nls%3D3%26picUrl%3D%252F%252Fstatic.grainger.com%252Frp%252Fs%252Fis%252Fimage%252FGrainger%252F1EPF7_AS01%253F%2524smthumb%2524%26s_pp%3Dfalse%26ssf%3D3%26sst%3Dsubset%26ts_optout%3Dtrue..the thinner/cheaper is 0.75 mm and the thicker is 1.5mm ..they have thicker as well but I figure for all you scratch builders 1 to 2 dollars per squarefoot for basic plastic sheet is not a bad thing to know about ..yea its smooth but so what ;o)

if 32 square feet is more than you might use then go in with a buddy and split some I know I would much rather pay 75 pennies per squarefoot of 0.75 than the 5 bucks that evergreen or plastruct want..

Well if we're getting into the depths of rivets...

Chopping polystyrene rods (effective, you can choose the size you want, a little tedious). This is what I mainly use these days, and I vary the size depending on the particular rivet's importance (large 1.2mm ones for main corners etc, little 0.5mm ones for small things, or long lines, and others in-between).

As mentioned, using water-filter beads and drilling pits for them (effective, very tedious and sometimes hit and miss, expensive if you don't actually use the filters)

Don't drill the holes too large or deep, otherwise you'll loose the bead into it's depths (unless you're going for recessed).

You can also use small drops of glue (CA or PVA), applied with a small point like a cocktail stick.
I like the idea of using liquid GS, I can see that being just as effective.

I have also used left-over milliput (GS would also work), that I've rolled into a thin sausage and left to almost fully set (otherwise you'll squash the rivets), then cut into rivets. This also lets you choose the size of your rivets and uses up that bit of putty that you always have left over.



I've also seen a tutorial of using an automatic pencil to press recessed rivets (little rings) into putty (for when you are sculpting). You could lay down a thin strip of putty and then do this for a change.

Recessed rivets can also be done in plastic by using a hot metal tube to melt the ring into the surface (and then sand off the excess material).

Placing any of the above rivets into a hole slightly larger than them can also produce recessed rivets.

I've seen pins used, by drilling a hole (for the pin shaft), inserting the pin and cutting if off on the inside, leaving the head of the pin as the rivet outside.

There was a tutorial (here on DDakka), about melting the end of plastic rods to get the round-headed rivet look. You'll have to search for that yourself though.

That's all I can remember at the moment...

Don't spray on windy days.
If you must, don't spray into the wind!
Nothing like walking back into the house with a face full of paint freckles, or dots all over your glasses. (never done this myself. nope. )

Speaking of rivet cut offs. dont throw those extra bits away. never know when you need em

Also I dont remember seeing it earlier but when taking photos with a phone cam, take a small white piece of paper or card and put in front of the model. press and hold to take the picture so that its focusing and getting ready. then when you are ready slip the paper out.

i remember seeing that tutorial some where.

some one should compile all these into somethin

My two cents on rivets:

If punching them out from styrene, I'd suggest a revolving or rotary hole punch over a hole punch. Heavy duty or reinforced if possible, it would handle .5mm thick card easily, and is far easier -and less noisy- to use than a punching tool, specially if thinking along Imperial-style rivet plentifulness

Nail art and/or scrap-booking rhinestones are a useful resource, half-spheres are available, and don't require a placing pre-drilled hole (again, important if using a lot of rivets!). MagosBiff90 provided links for both some time ago, listings are outdated, but might came in handy as reference:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Harlequin-Sturdy-Multi-Size-Leather-Hole-Punch-Bridles-Stirrup-Leathers-/161840906875?hash=item25ae78427b

And the rivets I use now are from the following..... very reasonably priced and also effective!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HALF-PEARLS-ROUND-FLAT-BACK-ACRYLIC-GEMS-NAIL-ART-CRAFTS-3D-DECORATION-NEW-/330856747955?var=&hash=item4d089953b3

Edit: Found a current, English based one: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TRIXES-Revolving-Leather-Belt-Eyelet-Hole-Punch-Puncher-Plier-Craft-Tool-6-Sizes-/390537852570?hash=item5aeddeb69a:g:4XoAAOSwe-FU9JFS Starts at 2mm, slightly big, but usable.

Go to your local grocery store and ask for left over packaging. Free cardboard and polystyrene!

When in doubt, stop painting, put down the mini, and go do something else.

You'll regret continuing otherwise.

Time vs money:

Unless you're adamant about converting / scratch building a part, do a search on the net for GW or 3rd party conversion bitz and consider how long it will take to make vs the cost of ordering any suitable parts
While there is a joy and satisfaction in converting / scratch building parts yourself, sometimes it's just too time consuming. And on the other hand some parts are so easy to DIY out that ordering them would be a waste of money.

For example it's been my experience that reposing space marine arms with wire and green stuff is simple and easy, but reposing ankes and knee joints is a much longer and more difficult conversion -so given the choice I'll always order kneeling or running legs rather than spend 4-5 hours converting a single pair.

If your in a pinch, then blue tax (poster putty) can be used to fill gaps or air bubbles in models. Just smooth it, and then smear a little super glue over the top.

It's also the best thing for filling gaps in slotta bases!

It is much easier to wipe off excess oil wash if you wait 5 - 10 hours. At that point it is not fully dry but you don't accidentally pick up drag the whole wash into your brush / q-tip / thumb.

ALWAYS let the paint cure and ALWAYS let the varnsih cure before oil washing.

(I just messed up final touches on a riptide. ARGH!)

On the topic of curing:

If you get a bad/fuzzy spray prime, get it into the simple green/other paint stripper of choice sooner, rather then later. Less scrubbing will be needed to get everything clean

Don't know if been mentioned before, put steel bb bullets in your paint pot, it helps to mix your paint better when shaking.

After basecoating, place a bright light above your mini and take a photo. Use this as a reference for shading and highlighting.

KINGPIN54 wrote:
Don't know if been mentioned before, put steel bb bullets in your paint pot, it helps to mix your paint better when shaking.

No to the steel bbs. If they rust you could lose the entire pot of paint. You want a non-reactive material for an agitator.

lava beads from eBay are ideal.

 Mymearan wrote:
lava beads from eBay are ideal.

I put old small bits of sprue into pots as I cut stuff up. Not as good as something round I suppose but in my most use pots it works fine

Always paint and model with a VERY bright direct light. Painting under your bedside lamp will make you go blind. Get a clampable lamp and put a high lumen LED daylight bulb in it.

 SlaveToDorkness wrote:
Always paint and model with a VERY bright direct light. Painting under your bedside lamp will make you go blind. Get a clampable lamp and put a high lumen LED daylight bulb in it.

I booked into a hotel with 1/3 of my army unpainted, and 12 hours to burn, thinking I'd have enough time to paint the rest.
It was one of those modern hotels where the only light was a single bedside lamp (no ceiling lamp), and all the sockets were safety-plugged and sealed.

I ended up painting in the bathroom on top of the cistern because there were better bulbs in there.

 Ghaz wrote:

KINGPIN54 wrote:
Don't know if been mentioned before, put steel bb bullets in your paint pot, it helps to mix your paint better when shaking.

No to the steel bbs. If they rust you could lose the entire pot of paint. You want a non-reactive material for an agitator.

Thanks for the heads up guys, I've got nickel plated in mine, will have to remove mine tonight and take some of the small pebbles out of my fish tank. Ones again dakka came through. So. Children remember DON'T put ball bearings in your paint pot.

So... Sprue clippings?

again, http://www.ebay.com/itm/Natural-Nature-Black-Volcanic-Lava-Gemstone-Round-Beads-15-/121505983095?var=&hash=item1c4a522a77:m:m5hXEyxN1aQPKSiJXKSkuUA

Well I will be puting the pebbles that's in my fish tank, they been in there for about 8 years and the fish are fine and the pebbles have not rusted.

While pebbles won't rust, there's no guarantee that there won't be some other chemical reaction.

All my paints are stirred, not shaken.

I have always used an old paintbrush handle to stir my paints. Gets the settled gunk moving well. Sometimes I will finish it off with a shake though.

Each to their own...

Also, might sound weird... but watch Bob Ross while painting. Calms you down, you feel a bit sleepy, but you can focus on your minis. Remember, if you slip, it's not a mistake, just a happy little accident

 Dr H wrote:
All my paints are stirred, not shaken.

I have always used an old paintbrush handle to stir my paints. Gets the settled gunk moving well. Sometimes I will finish it off with a shake though.

Each to their own...

I shake my paints to prepare them, but if they separate or something, I use a toothpick to stir them up. Sometimes I have to add water to get them thin enough to work with. I've heard people say that adding water is a no-no, but it works alright for me.

My tip: If, like me, you have a metric ton of unpainted stuff, put most of it away in your case or anywhere out of sight, and only work on a few models or a single squad at a time. It helps prevent that despair from building up to large

KINGPIN54 wrote:
Well I will be puting the pebbles that's in my fish tank, they been in there for about 8 years and the fish are fine and the pebbles have not rusted.

You could also get ceramic bearings off ebay too.

if your bottle is glass or brittle plastic like the older GW pots, then a few smaller ones instead of 1 big one unless you like accidentally painting your floors