planning on customizing.. help!!

[tmntfanatic]

hey guys im pretty new here! ive been reading these forums for some time now but its only now that i really joined. haha! anyway im planning on making some custom figures. i was thinking of using an extra michelangelo 2007 movie figure to make my own slash custom. what could you guys suggest. ive seen some awesome customs in this site so was thinking if you guys could help out a newbie here! thanks! :D

[A little *too* Raph]

Welcome to the technodrome! If you are going to be doing any sculpting, I recommend Apoxie Sculpt. Its easy to work with and you dont need to bake it. Also, Testor Model Master paint is great to work with. I'm sure everyone else has a preference too but I've found it to be about the best in that price range.

[Bigfoot]

I agree with the Apoxie Sculpt and the Testors paint. I suggest a dremel of sorts to remove or add detail to plastic. Patience and imagination also play a big part of it. It is deffinitely an artform so just practice, learn from your mistakes, and make things that make you happy. That's all I got... for now...

[TurtleManiac]

where is apoxie sculpt available? ive heard so much about it and seen such great customs with it, but have never used the stuff myself. if it is rare and not available at typical hobbyshops, i guess ill have to get it through ebay. i have so many customs planned out and some might actually require some apoxy or sculpy (which i also have never used). all ive sculpted with is regular fast-drying hobby putty. are you able to sand apoxie sculpt once it dries? and how long does it take to dry? do u have to mix it first? do u only have a certain amount of time to sculpt/shape until it's too late?

[A little *too* Raph]

I get apoxie sculpt at a store called hobbytown usa. If there arent any hobby shops that carry it around you, you can get it from their website.

http://www.avesstudio.com/Products/Apoxie_Sculpt/apoxie_sculpt.html

You'll need to mix it, and after its mixed it has a 2-3 hour working time. It is completely sandable once it's dry.

[TurtleManiac]

ya there's a hobbytown usa store here too in cali. that's where i get most my custom supplies, but never looked for apoxie sculpt. i really want to make a custom krang's android body using the original '89 krang brain, that isnt too big like the giant krang's android body from '92, and not so small like the '94 krang's android body. i saw the one you made for the contest looked neat, was the head made entirely of apoxie sculpt? or does it have a base? the one i make will probably have more of a "toon" look to it.

[A little *too* Raph]

yeah I cut off the old head at the neck and just put a big glob of sculpt on there and shaped it up. I think I'm gonna make it a little smaller or something, I'm not quite happy with it

[Bigfoot]

We have a store here called Happy Hobby where I get mine. As previously stated, yes, it is a 2 part mixture that hardens in a couple hours, the smaller it is the faster it dries... Speaking of custom Krang figures, did you guys see the one that I made for the last custom contest?

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc261/MintOnCard/CustomKrang2.jpg
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc261/MintOnCard/CustomKrang1.jpg

This was my first figure that I made... with Sculpy, out of a Hun fig.
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc261/MintOnCard/BodyHole.jpg
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc261/MintOnCard/OldLegs.jpg
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc261/MintOnCard/LookingUp.jpg

After looking for other Krang customs, I came across 1 especially cool one...
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc261/MintOnCard/Krang1.jpg
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc261/MintOnCard/Krang2.jpg
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc261/MintOnCard/Krang3.jpg

He has a neat website with WIP pics and actual recipes on how to make custom figs. Big section of TMNT, Marvel, and WOW.
http://speedleescustoms.blogspot.com/2007/12/tmnt-bebop.html

[ToSte]

thats pretty sweet, however, the head reminds me of something else:
http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i72/robolobo/Krang1.jpg

[Bigfoot]

lol... I agree, his mouth shouldn't be wide open... But I love the Goonies!

YAAAAAAAYYY!!!

[TurtleManiac]

yes krang is indeed a great character to make a custom of. is it possible to make a base for the android body entirely out of sculpey? and then bake it just once so it hardens, then add all the little details with apoxie sculpt? would that work or does apoxie sculpt not stick onto sculpey? i really want to make a custom krang android body w/ original krang.

how hard would it be to make a sculpey figure with articulation?

does sculpey and/or apoxie sculpt break/shatter easily if it accidentally falls to the floor?

[A little *too* Raph]

ive heard that sculpey, if not baked properly, can become really brittle. Ive never tried putting apoxie sculpt on sculpey but I don't see wht it wouldn't stick.

[notebook]

sculpey is horrible. avoid it.
baking/boiling the figures is a tedious process. if not done *just* right, you'll end up ruining not only the figure but all the work you did on it. i've seen figures melt, warp, and split apart because of the amount of heat sculpey needs to dry.
and the likelihood of cracks appearing is high as well.

apoxie is great, by comparison. it can be a little difficult to work with at first, but it's easy to get the hang of. its relative ease of use, the fact that it dries by air, and durability are worth the price. a 1/4 pound supply of apoxie has amounted to at least 20 figures for me. i dunno that's thre's anything better.

[Patraw]

The Shredder and Krang customs BigFoot posted are pretty sweet looking; never seen either before.