Advice on best way to hold a heavy mini

[bullfrog]

There are good tutes on how to fix and hold minis to prevent paint rubbing off but I cant seem to find much for a heavier mini.
I am currently working on an Ork Killer Kan for a client and would like some advice on some ways on temporary mounting and securing the mini for painting.
There is the body of the can with an attatched buzz saw \"arm\" which I wish to be able to hold without touching it and to be able to remove without damaging when finished.
Thanks in advance.

 

[Einion]

I would recommend making yourself some clamps, of the type I mention in this recent thread: holding on to a mini.

This can be used to hold any pinned parts as well as the metal tabs between a mini\'s feet, if you like to leave those attached.

Einion

 

[bullfrog]

Thanks for that. I did read that thread the other day but went back and read it again. I guess theclamps are soft ended to prevent paint damage or foam lined?
I don\'t have any such clamps in my possession but if there are no other ways to secure a heavier mini I might have to invest in something like it. May very well be the only way to go as glue doesnt quite cut it for a bit of weight.

 

[Bengoodall]

Another way on a big thing like that, with plenty of meat in it, and this is a little extreme, but drill a hole somewhere that will be hidden in the finished mini, and sit it on a nail.

I was doing that with battle fleet gothic battleships during construction, along with seriously spacing out the hulls with plastic card, and then worrying about the base later on.

But I basically had a small plank of wood with small nails nailed into about the right depth, and just sat a line of them in a row.

 

[Einion]

Originally posted by bullfrog
I guess theclamps are soft ended to prevent paint damage or foam lined?

The clamp is used to grip the pins or an unpainted part of the mini (like the tab that goes into a slotta base).

I wouldn\'t recommend you ever hold a model painted with acrylic of vinyl paints for very long, particularly if you apply much pressure - far too easy for the paint to become stuck to an adjacent surface or to simply rub off a high spot.

Originally posted by bullfrog
I don\'t have any such clamps in my possession...

Make your own

Worth every penny of the couple of bucks it cost to build \'em!

Einion

 

[Onis Lair]

It the model is already togeather, no lose arms that need painted and the like. Then i use a large pill bottle, just a drop or two of superglue on the bottle top and presto! Just pops off rather easy when done.

 

[Jakob Nielsen]

When I painted my biggest Inquisitor scale model so far I created a heavy painting pllinth from an old deoderant top. I filled the lid with old miniatures (skaven if I remember correct!), glued on a temporary base and pinned the guy to the base.

For standard 30 mm models (as shown in the pic) I used the base along with some sticky tag (/blue tag). And this works fine as long as the models are not too heavy.

Works like a well-balanced sword - not that I am a master swordsman for that matter.

 

[bullfrog]

Thank you all. I will try the can lid and glue first as it seems to be the easiest .....my new years resoloution will be to not be so lazy.
Then if that does not work I will drill a big hole right up it\'s bum. That would be kinda fitting with how I feel about painting a Killer Kan right now.

 

[StillLifeMiniatures]

[No message]

 

[StillLifeMiniatures]

When I do heavy pieces, I plan to pin the model to the base anyway. I make sure long pins are in the bottom tight, and use large corks that can be found in hardware stores and stick it in the widest cork. They are lightweight, but balace well. I cut the extra length off the pins before inserting them in the permanent base.