Ultimate Guide to Miniature Assembly - Hobby Cheating 294

[@HunterJE]

2:40 THANK YOU, "don't cut towards yourself" is one of those pieces of advice you get told as a kid because it's easier and more failsafe than teaching proper draw cutting technique but then so many people carry that forward as if it were this inviolable commandment of all bladed tool use...

[@boyish_robot_giggles1020]

The only thing I would add with the information about the clipper/nippers is to cut the smaller weaker section of the part first and then the more stable section. If you do the inverse often times the force of clipping will move the part and break the weaker section. Idk if that makes any sense - its important with cutting the necron parts.

[@VinceVenturella]

Good tip. :)

[@_lime.]

After doing Space Marines models for years I just started Necrons and I've been finding this out. Tons of little fiddly bits.

[@BarringtonDailey]

@@_lime. Wait until you try Witches from Daughters of Khaine.

[@chrisragnar1]

Also will add that clipping close to the model almost always will pull material out of it, at least that's my experience.

[@the_elder_medium]

I really appreciated this. So often content creators just say "remove the mould lines using an exacto knife" and I'm left wondering "...okay.. how?" But this cleared it up!

[@VinceVenturella]

Glad to help. :)

[@mr_mctweets6905]

"the most common thing we hear about is liquid green stuff, it's garbage, throw it away." Got a big laugh. Agreed.

[@VinceVenturella]

Yep, I stand behind it. :)

[@Erikjust]

Its garbage for gab filling, but its perfect if you want to create texture on miniatures clothing to make it seem more dirty or worn.

[@mr_mctweets6905]

@@Erikjust yeah I've also found uses for it, but that's now how they market it :).

[@puntedagain398]

Saturday Morning Hobby Cheating is my new Saturday morning cartoons...

[@VinceVenturella]

That is the highest compliment I could receive. :)

[@Ninjon]

WHAT WAS THAT WEIRD CULT SYMBOL AND OMINOUS MUSIC AT THE END?!?!

[@tabletopminions]

Indeed. I was frightened.

[@VinceVenturella]

Who can say really?

[@Norskolld]

I was going to mention using extra thin to feather out sprue goo but nope, got it in there at the end. Great video. I first started using sprue goo doing Gunpla kits that weren't going to be painted. Since the used coloured plastic, you could match your gap fill to the part. Great tool.

[@VinceVenturella]

Yep, exactly. :)

[@d_squared6942]

I have been waiting for you to hit this topic for some time now. Thank you!! Far more detail and tips than others I have seen, yet still extremely simple and straightforward. Cleaning mold lines is my absolute least favorite part of the process and it seems to take me forever. By the time I am ready to paint, I am sometimes close to burnout. Have used sprue goo but never in concert with the pure cement. No brainer when you think about it-- and far less cleanup than leaving the goo blob to set and then scrape and sand. Can't wait to try that. Thanks again for this video!

[@VinceVenturella]

Wonderful, glad you enjoyed . :)

[@gmoney1664]

Everyday is a school day - I've assembled thousands of miniatures and settled on gel polystyrene cement as a happy medium for bonding and gap filling, but using Tamiya extra thin to smooth down any bumps and scrapes is brilliant. That's an excellent understanding of the material, your tools and their properties 👏👏👏

[@VinceVenturella]

Happy to help as always. :)

[@facesnbases9853]

Some golden nuggets there. And I did chuckle at the Liquid Greenstuff comment even though I'm a personal fan :) The tips on the easy-to-build stuff carries over well to other plastic kits too. I used to find that the pegs and holes were made with such small tolerances that any glue in the hole would force the parts apart. Clipping the pegs (tapered and/or shorter) helps stop this. Great video. Worth every penny.

[@VinceVenturella]

Thank you, always happy to help. :)

[@Ben-there-paint-that]

Harbor Freight has a nice set of inexpensive mini files that work great for me. They also have a decent pair of mini nippers for a couple of dollars, not to mention inexpensive bfine grit sand paper. It has become my hobby building supply store.

[@VinceVenturella]

Good tip!

[@fingallcross4089]

you can also use the plastic cement to fix stress marks from clipping as well or to help remove set in designs if you are trying to make a flat surface where an icon used to be on the miniature.

[@VinceVenturella]

Great tips for sure. :)

[@mellowyello1478]

I started putting together my first minis today, from the Marvel Crisis Protocol game. Used waaaaay too much thin cement and lost some detail on Iron Man, and broke his raised hand. Had to reorder that figure, but its a good lesson about patience and using a little to go a long, long way.

[@VinceVenturella]

Yep, you really don’t need much.

[@Arttano]

Late to the party for this video, but just wanted to say that tamiya's extra thin cement is the exact same stuff as their airbrush cleaner but in a nicer bottle + brush. For those looking to save a couple bucks you can get significantly more out of bottle of their airbrush cleaner and a brush you don't mind ruining. Just be careful that your bristles aren't a plastic that'll melt as well.

[@VinceVenturella]

Interesting.

[@emilydowd-arrow3751]

Thank you!!! This is exactly what I needed to get started on my Squidmar bust 😊❤️❤️. My first Unassembled project!

[@VinceVenturella]

You got this!

[@amalgam5107]

New hobbyist here. Thanks for telling how to use the sprue goo. My psycophage thanks you!

[@VinceVenturella]

Glad you liked it!

[@Phalanx167]

Nice flex with the cursed cities heroes sprue, Vince. =P Also your dog's bark 4 minutes in sounded like part of the track. Pretty epic.

[@VinceVenturella]

That was a nice alignment, the dogs are part of the challenge. :)

[@s7r49]

Make a sprue toothpick, apply some plastic glue to the gap, then rub the spruethpick back and forth in teh crack. it'll melt into the crack and there will be a lot less cleanup than painting on sprueglue

[@theorganicshadow]

Yet another late comment here: if anyone's already bought Liquid Green Stuff and don't want to just throw it away, it's much better suited for fixing models you THOUGHT you gap-filled, but then notice light "gap" indentations along the seams AFTER you've primed. I also found that if you thin it down heavily it runs into seams and gaps very easily almost like panel liner and helps fix things that way. But yeah, since I read somewhere it's technically just mega-thick Citadel paint, it works much better over primer as sort of a cosmetic touch up goop than a true gap filler. I only really use it nowadays in spots where it's too difficult to work milliput or sprue goo into tight crevices, like an armpit, etc. Dap some in and then follow up with a wet brush.

[@BarringtonDailey]

Marco NJM tip, Isopropanol can ne used to melt Milliput to get it to fit perfectly into the cracks.

[@VinceVenturella]

It's a great tip, I should mention it for sure. :)

[@chemx__O__o]

I have a question on the Sprue Goo, in the old video you use an old FW ink glass bottle but here you use the original glue bottle. Are you still just putting a little sprue on the bottom and adding glue over or do you now just drop Spruebits in to the OG glue bottle newly opened or using an old one dropping in the glue over the sprue? Basically if I buy a new Glue b. should I pour it out in another container and then some of it back again to cover a base layer of sprue or open and YOLO drop in spruebits?

[@VinceVenturella]

Yep, I’ve moved to just putting it in the existing bottle, it’s just easier and keeps the applicator. :)

[@chemx__O__o]

@@VinceVenturella Cool thx man, but do you bother pouring any out (glue) or just start putting sprue in a fresh glue bottle until you get the desirable level of Gooy-ness?

[@VinceVenturella]

@@chemx__O__o I get rid of about 25% of the glue and work from there (usually into an older more empty bottle I've already used some of, or just use a botle I've already used some of).

[@chemx__O__o]

@@VinceVenturella Okay thanks a ton man, excited to try it out : )

[@Wijkert]

After re-watching this one I realized that I have never tried to smooth a sprue goo gap fill with plastic glue. That might be a great timesaver! Sanding down the overspil of the sprue goo can be time intensive. Ps I tend to make notes so I remember your tips (and tips from other sources) so I don't forget them. Must have not noted this one down earlier. Has be rectified.

[@VinceVenturella]

Glad I could help! It really does make it so you basically don't need to sand. :)

[@joeconte8475]

Thank you for the step by step instruction on miniature assembly. Believe it or not, there aren’t that many tutorial videos on KZbin of people showing how to do this. It’s mostly just very rough, gloss over explanations without demonstrating how it’s done. For someone like me that’s just starting to try and get into the hobby this was invaluable! Thank you

[@VinceVenturella]

Glad it was helpful!

[@kimottonielsen6908]

Best guide I’ve seen in my 50 years assembling plastic. I just hate it when the other painters here all just say use superglue! You’re my hobby hero ever. Btw what airbrush and size do You use? I just broke my badger and need something else

[@VinceVenturella]

Glad you enjoyed it. :)

[@HobbySooner]

I always wash the sprues before clipping. I feel like I may be doing it out of a compulsive need to though, since I'm not sure the plastics have the same "mold release" additive issue that resin and metal models do.

[@VinceVenturella]

Never felt the need to wash plastic honestly, never seen a reason to.

[@Winterydee]

Well it appears that I'll have to memorize the following "Hobby Cheating Episode 294: Ultimate Guide to Miniature Assembly". This way when I run into someone who is either thinking about or just starting in the hobby has a damn good, if not currently the best guide for building their models! Also as a side note, I feel that people tend to have great control of strength and precision when cutting towards yourself. I say this as someone with decades of construction work experience. I feel that is mostly because of the muscle groups that we tend to use cutting towards oneself are forearm, wrist and hand. However when cutting away it is very easy for us to end up using also our upper arm muscle group, which would be only the Tricep. With the Tricep we tend to be using too much strength and too fast most of the time, because it is only for extending/straightening our forearm.

[@VinceVenturella]

That makes sense, really good thought.

[@jorrelljorrell]

Maybe a silly question but just starting back into hobby after a loooong (90s) break. Do you ever prime individual parts before assembly? If so when, and how does it affect assembly?

[@VinceVenturella]

Rarely honestly, only in the case of something like a horse and a rider or maybe a big flowing cloak that can easily attach. In those cases, I put a little blue tac at the connection joint so I can still glue together without paint.

[@Mikey__R]

I tend to place my finger on the flat of the scalpel (the FLAT! not the EDGE!) to stop it chattering when I scrape with it.

[@VinceVenturella]

Nice, good tip. :)

[@Danhattan]

Great video Vince! What would you say the consistency of the sprue goo should be? I feel like mine is a little thin.

[@jeremyhauck960]

in my experience, thin is fine if not preferable.

[@stopanator2]

I go a little thick with mine. I apply it and if it isn't flowing enough, I use more of the Tamiya glue to thin it out. Just brush the glue directly on the goo

[@VinceVenturella]

Yeah, thin goop I guess, It's the best way I can describe it. If you're getting lots of strings, more glue.

[@terryramsey5979]

Some great gluing and filling tips in this vid! Thanks!

[@VinceVenturella]

Glad it was helpful!

[@chemx__O__o]

Funny just as I'm following a guide to put together a squad of Grot guard Scions this pops up, big love as always on this goldmine you are mining for us all !! : )

[@VinceVenturella]

Excellent, good timing. :)

[@grit5941]

Such a great video, thanks! Can I go back and fill gaps on models I've already primed?

[@VinceVenturella]

Sure, you'll need to lay down some new primer on top of that, as it's basically plastic, but sure.

[@theastrasolus7767]

Thanks for another great video. Quick question about Sprue goo. I made myself up some and it worked great (thank you!). However, after maybe three or four weeks the consistency got a little thick the next time I went to use it. Is this natural? It's in an airtight container so I was a little surprised the consistency was different after a few weeks. I added some Tamiya Thin back into the sprue goo to thin it down again, but just wondering if that is a common issue. I'm working on planning out my first true display quality army and I want to really nail the build process better than I have in the past. Thank you Vince!

[@VinceVenturella]

It sounds like it wasn't totally airtight, but it could also just be the plastic fully breaking down, which will naturally thicken it. If you just add a tiny bit more plastic glue, it should do what you need.

[@kuroshm]

What is the knife thing at 2:14? I kinda want one

[@VinceVenturella]

It's a little special blade ou can order from Michigan Toy Solider by way of Japan, they make tiny exacto detail blades.

[@gachacaspa]

I've manage to get a hang of the liquid green stuff and your saying there a better way :O. How long do you spend and how do you save time scraping plastic and filing each indivual mini?

[@VinceVenturella]

Honestly, a LOT. It becomes almost a non task with this technique honestly. (I still scrape, but basically no filling).

[@davedogge2280]

this is great but as time passes everyone develops their own strange building hobby 'preferences' and 'peculiarities'. I for example have two x-acto knife holders, one marked for sharp blade (with white tape on the handle) and one with blunt blade (marked with black tape on the handle that I use for for getting rid of mold lines). I even have a super glue applicator with handle which can only be described as looking like the 'the world's smallest tuning fork' with a small metal end - it actually works really well, holds the super glue on the end and then it applies the glue when it touches the plastic and because the end is metal you can burn off the super glue off it.

[@VinceVenturella]

Nice, I love the hobby idiosynchrosies and you are right we all have them. :)

[@chrisragnar1]

I really can't get sanding. Like how do you sand anything on a mini. Almost everything is either inaccessible or has detail near or in the way that you will hit with paper unless you somehow shape it super tiny, and even then it's hard to tell what you are hitting with it.. :C no one els seems to have this issue.

[@VinceVenturella]

So very small sanding sticks can be one of the keys. I will be honest, I don't do it much, but it's mostly for large flat surfaces.

[@dragonfist]

this is the best guide, I wish I had this when I started :)

[@VinceVenturella]

Thank you, happy to help. :)

[@DavesMiniMenagerie]

Great vid, I always struggle with assembly. Have you ever tried to sharpen your side cutters? I am thinking of trying that for a vid, I have some fairly average army painter ones and want to try to make them sharper

[@VinceVenturella]

Never had the need, those nippers are like razors, but they are just blades, you could sharpen them with any standard tool for sharpening.

[@DavesMiniMenagerie]

@@VinceVenturella yeah I've seen Woodworker/construction people sharpen cutters but never seen a miniature person try it. I'm going to give it a go and see what happens

[@themoderndayminstrel]

Very helpful! Quick question; do you happen to know where you got that little hobby blade on the black handle? Or know what they are called? It's so unique, I bet it's really helpful getting those little buggers off of the model!

[@VinceVenturella]

I ordered it from Michigan Toy Soldier. It's a set of Tamiya set of blades I believe.

[@themoderndayminstrel]

@@VinceVenturella Much appreciated!

[@benbaker5415]

I actually have a question relating to the Vallejo plastic putty. My experience was that it became water repellent meaning my rattlecan basecoats weren't sticking. I also have a similar thing with greenstuff sculpts. Am I missing a step?

[@VinceVenturella]

Interesting, I've never had the issue. But you could try putting down a little varnish on top first. :)

[@benbaker5415]

@@VinceVenturella thank you for taking the time to answer! funnily enough, that’s exactly what I’m doing to my new blood knights as I type this.

[@anthonylaselva4727]

Hi boss! How about a video about bat wings? Like bloodthirster's ones or Maw Krusha's. I think It will be a very interesting topic to talk about, exspecally the multiple style for paint membranes.

[@VinceVenturella]

Sure, it's been a while - kzbin.info/www/bejne/qWm6m6KCZZ2Zms0 But yes, it would be something to cover.

[@Paddzr]

would sprue goo work on non plastic too? Is the idea it bonds itself to plastic or will it just harden to shape over a gap?

[@benweinberg3819]

It will harden to an extent, but if you want it to be hard and secure to the material it wont really bond in the same way as to plastic

[@Paddzr]

@@benweinberg3819 got it, I'll continue using my vallejo stuff for non plastics.

[@VinceVenturella]

Yep, you can't really bond anything, now that being said, if you are just dropping stuff into a crack and it hardens there, it will generally be stable.

[@BlueHelix712]

I almost get anxiety seeing the way you slather the Tamiya extra thin on the model. I feel like the glue tends to get out of control and run into details and crevices almost like an oil pin wash. How do you prevent that? Or does it not even matter?

[@VinceVenturella]

It doesn't really matter, it's so thin, that it will settle and won't harm anything. :)

[@tombombadil9338]

Hey Vince, not sure you have that link for the Sprue Goo video linked.

[@VinceVenturella]

Weird, I will double check it.

[@mrsoylentgreen79]

Thank you! Very useful as always. :) Very different from the 2 part epoxy I had to use 30 years ago! :D

[@VinceVenturella]

Yes indeed.

[@MF-kv8cn]

hey so i got an order in i placed from the hobby shop i deal with. I ordered Vallejo Panzer Aces 70.310 Old Wood, amongst other purchases i also made. I seen a dude with a youtube channel named Panzermeister 36 using it for German tool handles and its a nice almost buff color. The stuff they sent me is Old Wood but its 40% darker. I dont blame the hobby store, they're actually awesome and their selection and prices rock. They actually credited me the paint without me having to send it back but that's not why im upset. I'm disappointed in Vallejo. Makes me wonder now how many of the other colors from the model, model air, and panzer aces lines are mismatched in my collection. Just thought id share this with you. I wrote vallejo providing them the numbers on the bottle. I don't care about the $4.00 it cost me, its just the disappointment in the brand. What was Jose drunk when he added too much pigment into the pot over there in Spain?

[@VinceVenturella]

Interesting, I've seen some look very different before based on age/mix/timing, so it's not too surprising sadly.

[@RozanovaHunter]

For anyone that really wants to cut towards their thumbs, @Terrainosaur had a great tip: use a thimble!

[@VinceVenturella]

That is a good tip. :)

[@PsychoMongoose]

Post-credit teaser trailer?

[@VinceVenturella]

Perhaps.

[@ht9538]

This is great, but when’s the gold paint comparison video coming out ;) ?

[@VinceVenturella]

It will happen eventually. ;)

[@geraldpower5031]

Super helpful video. Thank you!

[@VinceVenturella]

Glad it was helpful!

[@oscargarciahinde4247]

Thanks for these videos! They're super useful.

[@VinceVenturella]

Happy to help as always. :)

[@drkdragon778]

Does sprue goo work on resin figures?

[@VinceVenturella]

If you're just needing to fill gaps? Sure, it will harden into plastic. If you're talking for assembly, it will not, because it doesn't react with resin

[@drkdragon778]

@@VinceVenturella Thanks for this info, I'm new to miniatures and I just got my first ever resin kit so I'm trying to find all the info I can!

[@ninja_cazzle2641]

Assemble enough minis in one go and enjoy the high 😂 Great video Vince!

[@VinceVenturella]

You're not wrong. :)

[@markgnepper5636]

Great stuff friend 👏 👍

[@VinceVenturella]

Thank you. :)

[@OldManRogers]

I keep getting scared by this weird symbol I've seen twice now. Is lord Cthulhu making his return next week?

[@VinceVenturella]

Time will tell.

[@newgodskane]

what type of scalpel

[@VinceVenturella]

I buy size 11 blades, bulk medical grade.

[@newgodskane]

@@VinceVenturella thanks dude 🖖

[@s.w.4409]

Hey Vince! When's "Painting FEC in 24 hours" coming out? :)

[@VinceVenturella]

Next month, that one requires a lot of editing. :)

[@s.w.4409]

@@VinceVenturella Awesome!

[@kegofort]

What was that at the Vince? Birthday? End of the world?

[@VinceVenturella]

YOu'll see on 5/28. ;)

[@SgtMaj22]

Love the matching teaser! All hail the You Tube Algorithm Gods...

[@VinceVenturella]

All hail. :)

[@JakeDogg-RIP]

This very good video mr vee! 🥰🐶

[@VinceVenturella]

Thank you, happy to help. :)

[@v1buster561]

"squiges out" is that a technical term?

[@VinceVenturella]

100% ;)

[@peterlageri4177]

Hmm. So what is going to happen 28th of May 2021? You birthday? Also: How do you apply superglue without getting it on your fingers? I constantly get some on mine.

[@VinceVenturella]

My birthday is in November. ;) As to the glue, just practice I suppose. but yes, it still happens sometimes. :)

[@peterlageri4177]

@@VinceVenturella Ok, and the date? If it is some release date for Warhammer I wouldn't have a glue anyways.

[@VinceVenturella]

@@peterlageri4177 Not warhammer, but you'll see. :)

[@peterlageri4177]

@@VinceVenturella Probably something purple and excessive. I’ll be patient.

[@darthmaul8278]

I just bought a pack of 7 Kobolds without realizing I needed to assemble them

[@VinceVenturella]

Hopefully this helped out! I assume you are an RPG player and that move over to miniatures is always challenging. There is a whole playlist dedicated to beginners if that will help as well.

[@jonbauml225]

Sprue goo is great stuff

[@VinceVenturella]

It really is.

[@docbun]

Thanks Vince! Are you planning the same for resin too? (I dare not ask for metal, but you know I should, right? ;) But I've watched your video about metal... :-) Oh, unless...)

[@VinceVenturella]

I actually have a previous video on prepping resin already. :)

[@docbun]

@@VinceVenturella Oops. Well I'll rewind time and watch it. :-) Thanks!

[@DM-vo2ke]

Who says don't cut towards yourself? That's exactly what you're meant to do since you're controlling the blade

[@slainemacroth9360]

Vince can you do a top 10 aos warscrolls video

[@VinceVenturella]

That would be a fun show. :)

[@minihobbytherapist3473]

Great video! Do you have a sense of about how long you spend clipping/assembling/cleaning up mold lines on a model? I find it has taken me up to an hour on some of these Cursed City models (I may trying too hard though).

[@VinceVenturella]

I will say honestly, not that long, but I've become pretty quick at it over several thousand models. ;)

[@Tarq242]

Watch out, badger bites can be dangerous!

[@VinceVenturella]

Yes indeed.

[@jeffreycrowder2866]

Super helpful

[@VinceVenturella]

Thank you. :)

[@thumeria]

Majestic!

[@williamtrinidad3520]

Watched!❤

[@geoffok]

I only cut towards myself. Any other way will destroy the miniature

[@dannythompson5506]

👍🏻👍🏻

[@VinceVenturella]

:)

[@Jay-ql4gp]

Sweet!

[@VinceVenturella]

Thank you. :)

[@nachtmacher6237]

😊

[@ger5956]

Remember to like and comment to appease the almighty algorithm 😁👍🏼

[@markgnepper5636]

You missed the like

[@geoffok]

This part is so boring and tedious