The Energon Pub

1.Scratch building
*Which is better to use, pla plates or styrene? Any other suggestions?
*I found this website on how to make moving fingers/hands for gundams (http://mxgs.blogspot.com/2010/04/scratc ... hands.html). Is there other ways to do this?
*I found ball joints on hobbylinkjapan.com and I was wondering what types would I need to make a transformer. I couldn't find any that would allow for 90 degrees or more bending.Are there other websites/brands that make parts like the ones on hlj? Is there a way to make them from scratch? How do I make friction so they are not loose?
*What's the best way to make hinges for doors/knees/elbows? I don't know how to make friction on these eithers to stay in any place I put them. Also, where can I find the same king of pins/screws they use on transformers figures?
*Has anyone ever used magnets in place of snap connections to keep transformed pieces in place? If not, how do you make the different ways to snap pieces together and not break?
*Does anyone know how to make those ratcheting joints?
*How do I make funtioning wheels that spin?
*What's the best kind of paint that won't wear off easily and can be airbrushed and/or can be hand painted without leaving streaks if airbrushing is not possible
*Can anyone explain how superglue fixes loose joints?
*What ways can you make a articulated combiner?
*Alumilite has dyes that colors the plastic that comes out of the mold. Is it better/easier to color the pieces this way or should I paint them with regular paint?
*Just any suggestions/books/websites will help

2.Existing figure
*How do you remove/reinsert the metal pins without harming the figure too much? That includes the wheels.
*What glue/paint sticks to the figures best?

Thanks in advance for any help .

I'll do my best to answer some of your questions.

treble wrote:*Has anyone ever used magnets in place of snap connections to keep transformed pieces in place? If not, how do you make the different ways to snap pieces together and not break?

I haven't used magnets yet to serve as a connection method in toy customs but many experienced toy customizers do use magnets for such a purpose. They use neodymium magnets(also known as rare earth magnets) because they are readily available online, relatively cheap, and have extremely strong magnet pull for their size.

treble wrote:*What's the best kind of paint that won't wear off easily and can be airbrushed and/or can be hand painted without leaving streaks if airbrushing is not possible

Unfortunately, there is no one answer or true answer. I've read/heard several varieties of paint recommended by dozens of customizers suggested as "the best" paint to use for the purposes you list.

You have more than one trait you list as requirements so I'll address them individually.

As for paint that won't wear off easily, it comes down to two things. The first is making sure that the surface of what you wish to paint is prepared properly. This requires cleaning the surface of surface residues that will inhibit paint from adhering properly.

You then need to make the surface, usually plastic in toy products, is able to give the paint something to adhere to. You can use one of two common methods to achieve this. The first option is to sand the surface, essentially roughing up the surface to give it a "tooth" for the paint to grab onto. The second option is to use a primer on the plastic or an "adhesion promoter". Once the surface of the object being painted is prepared, next is the matter of paint.

The type of paint you will want to use will depend on what you are willing to deal with for the sake of custom toy making. Your options are acrylic, enamel, and lacquer paints.

Basically, your best bet is to do a search here in the Transtopia part of the forum for paint advice from experienced customizers but remember that preparing the surface is at least as important as the paint itself.

treble wrote:*Can anyone explain how superglue fixes loose joints?

Basically, superglue will coat the parts of the loose joint and create a thin layer of extra material, when it dries, that will bulk up the surfaces of the contact points, increasing the friction when the joint is used, making things less tight.

Be careful, though, because superglue will glue things together(obviously).

Check Youtube for a video tutorial.

treble wrote:*Alumilite has dyes that colors the plastic that comes out of the mold. Is it better/easier to color the pieces this way or should I paint them with regular paint?

I haven't heard of Alumilite or its dyes but it sounds similar to vinyl dye, which some in the customizing community use to colour their custom toys and model kits. It isn't widely used but it's great for applying colour to plastic that should not leech or chip. However, keep in mind that the dye will not mask any surface imperfections, which paint will.

treble wrote:2.Existing figure
*How do you remove/reinsert the metal pins without harming the figure too much? That includes the wheels.

Check this video tutorial on one way to remove standard metal pins.



As far as wheels, which often use capped pins to secure them, an often suggested method is to heat up the capped pin with a soldering iron and then remove the pin by pulling on the wheel. However, I've seen a tutorial that uses a strong magnet to pull the capped pin out.

According to the video above, the maker commented that he's going to post a video in the near future detailing the removal of capped pins.

Just in case you don't see it in the Transformers Toys forum section, treble, here's a video showing how to remove capped metal pins: