Help; fitting parts to be assembled after painting.

[shakes]

Hi all, I have a model I've been prepping to paint and I've come to realize that in order to reach all the areas I need to assemble it after painting. Unfortunately it's a resin model and joints really loose so it needs some putty work. I'm wondering what people's opinions on he best way to go about this is. Right now I'm thinking of assembling it, filling the big gaps, then breaking it apart once its dry to prime and paint. I hoping there is a better way though.

cheers, shakes

 

[Chrispy]

Depending on the joints, press 'n seal is a really good bet. You can "mask" off areas, sculpt what you need and it will only be stuff on one part and you can peel off the wrap. You may also have to fill in some stuff after painting, but it should be minimal. It's usually up to the kit makers to hide joints, but if it's highly textured, they have problems.

 

[MAXXxxx]

What I saw on Volomir's blog could be good (didn't try it yet).
He basically did the following:
- coat 1 part with 'thin' masking-fluid (what you normally use for AB work)
- after it's cured fill the gap / resculpt the area
- after that one sets too, basically break away the parts and peel off the unneeded mask
- basically ready, you may have to make sure, you don't even prime the joining surfaces

method2 (doesn't work for me, as I hate when I can't reach parts):
- assemble the whole thing and paint it like that (could be a hard work depending on the complexity)

method3 (works pretty good, but is extra work because of the repaint/reblend):
- paint the parts separately
- assemble, then fill the gaps with milliput (because it doesn't shrink when cured AND you can water the excess away when you are joining the parts up)
- repaint (and reblend) the join area

 

[TrystanGST]

Method 2 is what I usually use, especially if it is going to involve GS to gap fill.

 

[shakes]

Thanks guys, method two isn't an option and method three is what I hope to avoid. I may try method 1!

shakes

 

[RuneBrush]

I think every miniature needs a different approach. The FW blood thirster is where I've done variation of option 1. Basically the wings are massive and the gaps horrific (you can fit a finger in). I drilled pin holes in the wings and body and snipped them to the right length. Next I glued them into the body and mixed up some milliput. I put an initial layer of milliput to support the pins and build up a bit of layer on the body. Once that was dry, I applied an excess of milliput onto the first layer. I then licked the base of the wings (you could use vaseline) and pressed the wings into place, trimming off any putty that had squeezed out. I pulled the wings off (the pins act as guides) and just let it dry. I do have to sculpt some fur on once the two pieces are painted but fur isn't a messy way of doing it.

In principal it's very similar to option 1, the difference is that spit (or vaseline) means you can pull the pieces apart before the putty has dried, so there is less chance of snapping any putty work off or damaging it, it's also thinner than masking fluid, so you should get a better bond between the two. In theory, I could have used this to sculpt on the fur but didn't think about it at the time

 

[Webmonkey]

I do a lot of "paint then assembly". Here's how I go about it,..

1) dry-fit the pieces to get an idea of the "what and where" needs to be modeled/sculpted.

2) apply a bit of vasoline to one side (usually the larger piece or "body side")

3) mash a bit of green-stuff (or your putty of choice) onto the smaller piece at the area to be joined.

4) press the two pieces together and sculpt/shape as necessary.

5) let putty dry/harden. (sand if needed)

6) pull pieces apart (the vasoline allows for an easy break point at one side of the joint)

7) clean the vasoline off, and then prime/paint/assemble as usual

Hope this helped.