The Energon Pub

News Credits: 6 · Sat Jul 16, 2011 3:34 pm

I don't think any of you guys will read this, but if you do PLEASE PM ME so I can save it in my mailbox for future use!

OK. My question is, I want to make minor paint aps, nothing major. Blue Mullet on Topspin, some silver aps on Bumblebee's body, like his torso and toes, And darken the light greys on Crankcase, That sort of thing. Exactly how would I go about doing this? Furthermore, any place OFFLINE that I Can buy paints from? I'll be back home in a few months and theres a hobby shop up the street, but until than, no hobby shops

There are a few figures I want to Fully repaint, Like a "Certain Custom" I'll share with you all when it's done. I just want to know... Good paint, were to buy, how to apply, and also, a good glue! My "Secret" Figure's chest peice won't stay on. He's done using mostely animated prowls parts. An answer to any of this would be nice.

also, whats a good, like redneck cheap way to simulate "Battle Damage" outside of power tools?

Also, my most important question. Is there any type of paint you can use that WILL NOT COME OFF if its rubbed against to much? I Need it if it exists. that, or a tutorial on how to make my paint "Scratch Proof"

can I pick up paints that can be used at local crafts stores? There are no hobby shops were I'm at right now, as previously stated. All Ive got is a paint brush, a few figures I want to customize, a dollar store up the street, and a crapload of questions, as you all can see. I want to paint and mod my "Secret" Figure to perfection before showing it off, and I need serious help.....

wow, in retrospect, that was rather long winded to say the least...... sorry bout' that, I just really want to get into customizing, and Transformers is the coolest thing to customize! Iv'e modded stuff, but not like this guy i'm making right now! He's my own personal transformer, one of a kind, and I don't wanna f'ck it up! I Don't have any duplicates of the parts I'm using for him either......

Please help
the long winded stuggling artist:
BeastProwl

News Credits: 2 · Sat Jul 16, 2011 4:27 pm

PMed

Mon Jul 18, 2011 1:54 pm

Skyfire77 wrote:
Gutter Bunny wrote:
JHand wrote:Hi. Sorry that I haven't been logged on here for over a year. Anyway, silly question: Does anybody use Reeves Acrylic Paints? I purchased a set of 12 some time ago and am in the middle of a second repaint. Furthermore, what brand of paints do some of you use for ya repaints?

Just looking for some feedback

I personally have been messing around with Tamiya acrylics. I havn't had any issue with them, and they clean up unbelievably easy.

I've heard great things about the Mr Color line from Gunze Sangyo. Unfortunately, my local hobby shops do not keep stock of them. When i inquired with one of the owners, they said that they are hard to keep in stock because Gunze only ships to the United States "once or twice". I'm not sure if he meant once or twice a year, once or twice a month, once or twice ever six months etc.

I'd be interested in trying some enamels but i haven't a clue how to go about cleaning them up. If anybody would like to shed some light on that for me it would be much appreciated.

Gunze stopped shipping to the US early last year, saying it wasn't profitable anymore. Supposedly they restarted recently, but they're still hard to find in brick-and-mortar stores. There's a few online stores that carry it.
Personally, I've only ever used Testors on my models and 'Formers. Testors has their own thinner/brush cleaner for enamel. Enamels are a little trickier to use, you need to have plenty of ventilation when you're using them (otherwise... ), but I like the coverage better. Metallic colors especially look more realistic.

I like Testor's enamel too. And ventilation is DEFINITELY needed. Do you use any sort of Primer? Anyone? I may not have gone far enough in the thread to see this answered already, so if it was, I apologize in advance.

News Credits: 2 · Mon Jul 18, 2011 7:45 pm

Unless I'm painting light over dark, florescents, or if I need to seal PVC parts (they do not react well to enamel paint), I skip priming. Between washing the parts and my usual light sanding, I don't have problems with "tooth".

Mon Jul 18, 2011 7:51 pm

Got it. Soap and water. Light sand. Paint. Thanks.

News Credits: 6 · Tue Jul 19, 2011 9:28 am

Dead Metal wrote:Got tips or tricks for kitbashing Transformers?
then post them here anything you think might be helpful can go in here or request for a tip if you're stuck on a project!

OOH! OOH! PICK ME!

I Want to re-mold Animated Prowl's head, BUUUUT, I don't know what kind of stuff to use for such a thing.
What I wanna do is give him entenna like "Feathers" on each side of his head, and maybe a little gold mouth cover, but what would I use? Please Respond! :KREMZEEK:

News Credits: 4 · Tue Aug 02, 2011 5:09 pm

I have just started trying to do customs and have never really worked with plastics much before. I have been using a combination of brushes and airbrushing with Testors enamels. I have read through here and picked up some great tips from everyone, like using rubbing alcohol for paint removal and washing the parts. For sanding I have been using 1000 and 1200 grit wet/dry automotive grade sandpaper. I usually just sand by hand and in tight places with wrap a piece around the back side of my xacto blade. Skyfire77, what do you use to sand with and what grits do you use? Also do you dry or wet sand?

News Credits: 2 · Tue Aug 02, 2011 11:25 pm

Pretty much what you're using now. For coarser work I also have some Testors sanding films from when I did scale models, and a Dremmel for the really big jobs.

News Credits: 4 · Fri Aug 05, 2011 1:28 am

Skyfire77 wrote:Pretty much what you're using now. For coarser work I also have some Testors sanding films from when I did scale models, and a Dremmel for the really big jobs.

Thanks for the info. Yeah, I love my Dremel. I almost look for excuses just to get to use it for something.

Mon Aug 22, 2011 11:29 pm

I'm in need of a tip/help. I plan on making a brand new head for a project, but I don't know what I should use to make it. What color should I use to see detail while I'm creating the new head? Is Sculpey good?

Wed Aug 24, 2011 11:40 am

If your painting something WHITE with a spray then spray it BLACK first. leave overnight and then spray white

News Credits: 1 · Mon Nov 21, 2011 7:13 pm

What's the best way to get pins out of joints?
I'm planning on repainting 2 dotm Sideswipes as G1 Sideswipe and SunStreaker.

Sat Dec 17, 2011 8:01 pm

SkyWarpsGhost wrote:What's the best way to get pins out of joints?
I'm planning on repainting 2 dotm Sideswipes as G1 Sideswipe and SunStreaker.

Very gently, and very carefully, tap them out using a small nail and a hammer.

Wed Jan 04, 2012 7:34 am

Hi all

I'm finishing up a repaint of Impossible Toys Medic (which I got in BBTS clearance) as Arcee. This is the first figure, or anything for that matter, I've actually repainted in any seriousness and I'm just about done but was wondering about a sealant.

Since her body is only held together by about two screws and the rest are tiny little clip/hinges I was wondering if anyone had any recommendations for a sealant that would work well for the tiny moving parts, or if it will make any difference at all.

And if it's an option (I have no idea) a low gloss or unnoticeable finish to suit the classic figures better.

Thanks in advance :grin:

Wed Jan 04, 2012 7:44 am

fotfom wrote:Hi all

I'm finishing up a repaint of Impossible Toys Medic (which I got in BBTS clearance) as Arcee. This is the first figure, or anything for that matter, I've actually repainted in any seriousness and I'm just about done but was wondering about a sealant.

Since her body is only held together by about two screws and the rest are tiny little clip/hinges I was wondering if anyone had any recommendations for a sealant that would work well for the tiny moving parts, or if it will make any difference at all.

And if it's an option (I have no idea) a low gloss or unnoticeable finish to suit the classic figures better.

Thanks in advance

Testors Dullcoate is about as good as it comes. However, if the moving parts you mention rub on each other, even a sealant won't stand up to too much movement. Check for paint rub issues before you seal it.

Wed Jan 04, 2012 8:17 am

Hotwire Customs wrote:Testors Dullcoate is about as good as it comes. However, if the moving parts you mention rub on each other, even a sealant won't stand up to too much movement. Check for paint rub issues before you seal it.

Thanks for the quick reply. I'll give this a shot, I'm just hoping not to restrict the movement by adding too many thick layers on these smaller parts, I don't sit and transform my figures all day but at the same time don't want the paint rubbing off the second I look at it, so hopefully your suggestion will serve me well.

Thanks again.

Mon Jan 30, 2012 7:29 am

Planning is the most important

Thu Feb 02, 2012 11:54 am

I've been trying to remove the pins from the lower leg of Tomahawk, but the pin won't budge (even after hammering). Should I heat a bit the plastic (with a hairdryer) before hammering?

News Credits: 1 · Mon Feb 06, 2012 11:44 am

I need advice on preparing a figure to paint. I'm a real amateur at repaints...dont have a lot of time, just do it for fun. I want to paint RID Powerizer Prime as his paint apps are just awful...In the past I've had trouble getting the figure to take the paint. I've read about washing with warm soapy water but I'm wondering about sanding that I've heard about.

It would make sense that it would allow the paint something to hold onto, but wouldnt the figure show scratches from the sanding?

Thanks,

Mon Feb 06, 2012 11:57 am

For the pin removal, try heating the pin using the tip of a soldering iron. Be very careful not to touch the surrounding plastic as this could harm the figure beyond repair. First, figure out which end of the pin see threaded. Then heat the pin for a few seconds. Once its heated, push from the other end. When the tip pokes out, grab it with your needlenose pliers, and pull it out. Go slow, don't rush. If you melt the plastic too much, it's ruined.

As for prep, it all depends on the paints. For most of my work, I lay down a base of Krylon Camouflage Ultra Flat Black as a primer, then go over that with Testers enamels. You can sand it to promote adhesion, just be sure to use a 1200 grit paper or higher so as not to gouge the plastic. Also a good idea to transform the figure while in the primer stage to find rub spots and then sand those down using an emory board first, to remove the bulk of the material. Then use progressively high grit sand paper to smooth the finish. Go slow at this stage as you can always take away more plastic but, you cannot put it back.

I hope this helps you guys. Another word of advice, practices these tricks on junkers! That way, if you mess up, no harm done to your project.

News Credits: 1 · Thu Apr 05, 2012 1:44 am

Scrap, I just realize this is the thread I should be posting my toy disassembling questions.

Anyways, I'm wondering if anyone here knows how to remove the clear headlights on TF's. Certain ones like Movierverse Swindle and RTS Bumblebee have tinted headlights, which is cool, but they look fake because the plastic underneath is showing through.

In order to paint under the plastic headlights, I naturally need to remove the headlights but can't seem to find a way to do so. I'm hesitant pry them off for fear of damaging the plastic.

Thanks in advance.

Thu Apr 05, 2012 8:15 am

Arlekkin wrote:I've been trying to remove the pins from the lower leg of Tomahawk, but the pin won't budge (even after hammering). Should I heat a bit the plastic (with a hairdryer) before hammering?

Soldering iron. Take a look at the pin first. You'll notice one side is flush with the plastic, and the other is recessed a bit. Heat the soldering iron until it's nice and hot. Then, touch it to the flush end of the pin. Be very careful not to touch the plastic or it will melt beyond repair! Heat the pin for around 30 seconds, then quickly tap the other end with the hammer and nail. This may take a few tries but, it works. I also suggest practicing on some junkers first, so that you don't ruin your Tomahawk figure.

Wed Apr 11, 2012 1:30 pm

I am a huge TF fan and have long appreciated the kitbashing of G1's, esp on the big guys like Omega and Metroplex.

I have been very sucessful on kitbashing those 2 and I feel that I wanna tackle a couple of combiners next (i.e. Menasor & Superion). I am 90% sure of what direction I wanna go.

I like the combiner design of Menasor by FrenzyRumble and I am well on my way...buuuuuuut...I dont know what was used as the combiner ports for the arms and legs. I would realy like to know what is the BEST materials to use for this.

I know this must be a simple fix. Can anyone point the way?

Tue Jul 24, 2012 2:51 pm

I'm trying to do a headswap between the walmart exclusive dotm bumblebee and rotf deluxe soundwave. So far I've simply been trying to plug soundwave's head into the bumblebee body, but that hasn't been working. It looks like either the plastic on the head sticks too far from the socket for bumblebee's peg to fit it or the pastic around bee's peg is conflicting with the head I'm not sure. Does any one have any ideas on what I should do? This is my first attempt at something like this besides a sideswipe repaint so forgive my naivete. If I should shave down the plastic how would I go about doing it? I'm thinking that I should probably shave off around the ball peg because I'm afraid of ruining the socket on soundwave's head. Any advice on this would be great.

News Credits: 4 · Tue Jul 24, 2012 4:02 pm

ricemazter wrote:I'm trying to do a headswap between the walmart exclusive dotm bumblebee and rotf deluxe soundwave. So far I've simply been trying to plug soundwave's head into the bumblebee body, but that hasn't been working. It looks like either the plastic on the head sticks too far from the socket for bumblebee's peg to fit it or the pastic around bee's peg is conflicting with the head I'm not sure. Does any one have any ideas on what I should do? This is my first attempt at something like this besides a sideswipe repaint so forgive my naivete. If I should shave down the plastic how would I go about doing it? I'm thinking that I should probably shave off around the ball peg because I'm afraid of ruining the socket on soundwave's head. Any advice on this would be great.

You have the right idea with shaving the ball on the head. I'd suggest using some 1000 grit sand paper(automotive type is fine) or using a nail file and then smoothing off with the sand paper. Go slowly and test fit it often, as you can easily sand more and don't want to take off too much. Good luck and have fun customizing