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... and I made a really n00b mistake: they're made of metal and not plastic.

I wanted to use the IG Cadian Kasrkin to serve as my Grey Knights Warrior Acolytes but I foolishly picked them up without realizing that they were indeed made of metal. It never occurred to me that the packaging was heavy, nor did it occur that the price was quite high for plastic or finecast miniatures.

So my question here is: how can I work with these metal models? I had intended for them to use plasma guns and already have those bits purchased. I would surely hate to lose my investment and was hoping that someone out there would have some advice on how to work metal models.

Please help!

Hmm. Shouldn't be too difficult. If the guns are held in hand, then just chop them off with your clippers and treat the model like any other. If they are held up against the chest, it becomes a bit more of a pain.

I use (again) the clippers to cut away as much of the gun as possible (you just want your new gun to fit in) and then file down any rough edges. Use greenstuff to patch up/smooth over any scarring in the metal, since it requires you to be a bit more rough when working with metal.

If you have sprue clippers (like these) then they should be able to cut model-metal. (Don't try anything harder than that, though!) Mine have never had a problem with it. A jeweler's saw works wonders for larger cuts. Your hobby knife will be able to handle many of the cuts you will need to make as well (like, say, through a wrist or an arm) and can easily slice off small bits like insignias. For raised things that need removal, especially ones that aren't in a recess, a file will be the best way to remove the offending gubbin without risking damage to the model. Depending on what area of modelling you feel comfortable with (filing, cutting, greenstuffing) you will find a preference for how you handle your metal minis.

Personally, I hate greenstuffing, so I try to avoid having to do it at all costs. When I removed the Ultramarines symbol from Telion's shoulder, I spent an hour or so filing it down gradually, rather than hack it off and have to patch the shoulder with greenstuff.

Since metal models don't fuse together when you glue them (like plastic bits do with plastic glue) I cannot recommend pinning highly enough. When it comes to metal or resin models, I prefer to pin every last joint.

In any event, I hope all that helped. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to PM me! I may not be the world's best painter, but I think I do some pretty sweet conversions, so I'm more than happy to try and offer any help I can.

I do have a pair of clippers (not the GW ones, mine are made by Cobalt). I don't happen to have a jewelers saw and this would likely be my first conversion to undertake for my first army.

I'm just wondering how I get the guns out without completely gutting the front of the model.

I appreciate the input! It's definitely going to be a task for me to get these the way I need them.