A bit of advice from the Pro's...

[Techno]

Clibby would know best as regards using them for 28mm figures....But as far as 10 to 15mm figures are concerned...They all seem very useful, with the possible exception of the Angle Chisel....Hardly use that at all for the really small chaps.

Haven't spotted anything smaller....But size 0 are great....Don't think you'd really need anything smaller than that for smoothing the putty for 10mm.

Never tried using aluminium myself (Not sure whether you can solder aluminium if you want to...anyone ??)...As Clibby says, fuse wire is fine...Or fine brass rod/braid...Very useful link for 0.25mm brass rod...Thanks for that Dunnadd !!

Cheers - Phil.

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Dont think you can solder aluminium....

IanS

[Techno]

That's what I've got at the back of my mind Ian...Thanks !

Cheers - Phil.

[Dunnadd]

Ah right - thanks for the advice Techno and Ian - appreciate it

[clibinarium]

hi - clibanarium - thanks very much for posting that guide. What size of colour shapers work best for 10mm and 28mm respectively?
The smallest i can find by googling or looking on ebay are size 0. Can you get them smaller than that anywhere or is size 0 ok?

also what shapes are most useful or are all shapes useful?

Would a magnifying make-up mirror do as a mirror for modelling, or if not, what type is best?

Also would aluminion armature wire be any use? I was googling and found this - smallest is 0.7mm diameter
http://www.hollinbrow.co.uk/hollinbrow/armaturewire.htm

They do brass wire down to 0.25mm diameter
http://www.hollinbrow.co.uk/hollinbrow/brassmodellingwire.htm

Size zero colour shapers will be fine, I think the bigger ones would work too, just like a big paintbrush will work if used correctly. I use the same three on all the figures I do regardless of the scale. A flat headed one and a pointed one are the only shapes I really use.
Wire wise either use wire or brass wire. Fuse wire for skeletons as its cheap and can easily be bent. Brass wire for weapons as it has strength. Be care to oversize weapons to make them castable. Correctly scaled weapons will be too wispy.

[Dunnadd]

Thanks Clibanarium - what thickness of wire is best for skeletons and for weapons?

[Techno]

Hi Dunnadd...
As you mentioned both 10mm and 28mm scales in an earlier post....Which do you need help with ? (Certainly for a skele...that'll make quite a difference !)

The three sizes of brass 'rod' that are the most useful for weapons are (as near as dammit) 0.5mm...0.7mm and sometimes for larger scales 1.0mm.
As Clibby says above, when you get down to certain scales, you can't make the weapons to a really 'proper' scale, because a)...they'd be an absolute nightmare to cast, and b)...Even if you managed to get them cast they'd very easily snap off on a metal figure.
Of course, you can always use the brass as an 'armature' itself and skin over the top...thickening it up.
'Jim'' sword is made with a core of 0.5mm brass rod...puttied over the top...and then sanded into shape....This hopefully will be OK casting wise !!

If you can get yourself odd pieces of the different sized brass rod, you can use those to compare the sizes of particular weapons on production models...probably that's the easiest thing to do....And like i say above, you can always putty over the wire to thicken it.

Cheers - Phil.

[Phobos]

Could I ask to the sculptors to show some pics of their handmade tools? Im doing some for myself (after try it with 28mm picks and spatulas) and Im interested in compare with the professional ones.

[Techno]

I will.
Though I thought I'd posted pics of my custom made 'thingys'....SOMEWHERE.
If no-one finds them by tomorrow and puts the link in...I'll do it again.
Cheers - Phil.

[Techno]

Here you are Phobos.....Don't believe I HAD posted these before now....Doesn't seem to be a pic in my photobucket account, so that seems logical.
The 4 on the left I don't find much of a use for, to be honest....I just made them all up at the same time trying to guess which possible shapes would be the most useful.
The three to the right of those are (for me) definitely the most handyl.
The first is a flattened, angled 'lifter' with a thin leaf shaped end....Not a pin type probe as it looks like from the angle in the photo !
Next two are sort of 'spoon' shapes....Good for smoothing/pushing the putty after using the colour shapers.

Next is a  Swann Morton Micro surgery handle with some of the blades available. (Obviously not custom made....But damn useful at tiny scales.)
At present these blades are rather expensive in comparison to more 'normal' scalpel blades, as they come in individual sterile packs.
To get round this I tend to re-sharpen them on a whetstone when they start losing their edge.
On the right is a ground down Swann Morton No. 15 blade to make a mini 'halberd' end like similar to a wax carver 5 dental tool....But ,obviously again, smaller !
Hope this helps.

Cheers - Phil.

[Phobos]

Thanks Techno!!! Could I have a closer look to the three in the centre?

[Techno]

Hi Phobos.
I'll try and take a closer shot, but from a slightly different angle....(and roll the tools a tad perhaps)....Hopefully give you a better sort of idea of the actual shapes....(Comparing them with the pics that are already posted.)
Cheers - Phil.

[Phobos]

I take pics of my own handmade tools and show it here  for suggestions and advices.

[Techno]

Don't know whether this will make anything clearer, Phobos...
Hope it does !
All the tools are in the same places as they were in the original photo....I've just twisted them slightly and taken the shot from a different angle.

I take pics of my own handmade tools and show it here  for suggestions and advices.

Can't see your photo....Sorry !

Cheers - Phil.

[Phobos]

Sorry! I´m no native english speaker, so I made mistakes usually. It was "I´ll take pics of my own handmade tools..." but currently I got no cam, so I have to borrow my brother´s one.

Thanks for your pic, it clarifies a lot.