Customizing Star Wars Minis 5

Moderate Repositioning Techniques

By Jack Irons

Welcome to the fifth in a series of articles about customizing Star Wars Miniatures. Last time, we used the hot water method to make simple repositions. Although that trick is easy to do, it won't work for many figures. A more permanent means of repositioning -- and also the most popular method -- is known as the cut and paste technique. This method works great on droids (such as super battle droids) and characters in armor (such as stormtroopers).

Customization Archive 1: Tools and Precautions 2: Color and Paint 3: Basic Painting Techniques 4: Simple Repositioning Techniques

For this technique, you'll need a hobby knife, super glue, and paints. To reposition an element such as an arm, simply cut the arm off at the joint where you want to make the change. If possible, make the cut in an area between segments of armor or between the plating on droid figures. That will help hide the cut. For figures that aren't droids and that don't have armor, make the cut in as straight as a line as possible, keeping in mind how the element will be repositioned.

Before you glue anything, hold the arm in its new position. Check to make sure that the position is one that the arm could actually be in. If it looks wrong, adjust the position until it looks right. You might have to trim a small piece for the two parts to fit together correctly.

Once you've decided on the perfect position, use a small drop of glue and attach the two pieces. Hold them together for 30 seconds to a minute, or until the glue sets. After the glue dries, you might need to add another drop of glue on the area where the two pieces connect to ensure that they hold together. Remember, it's better to use too little glue and have to reglue an element than to use too much and get glue all over the place.

You can use the cut and paste technique to reposition several elements of the same figure, or to combine pieces from different figs to create a whole new pose. When gluing more than one element, it's usually best to glue the largest pieces together first and work your way to the smallest. Before gluing anything in place, make sure that all the repositions look right. Using this method, you can swap the arms of two figs of the same character type and create two completely different looking minis.

Sometimes, you'll want to reposition something by changing the angle of the position. To do this, first make a cut to separate the pieces.

Next, hold the pieces together at the desired angle. Determine if you need to cut a single wedge from one piece or two smaller wedges from the ends of both pieces. Sometimes, items such as pockets or a piece of armor will help you determine which piece or pieces to cut wedges from.

Next, cut a small wedge shape from the ends you'll be connecting. It's better to cut off too little at first and have to trim a bit more. If you cut off too much, you might not be able to use that piece.

After cutting off the wedge(s), hold the trimmed piece in position and determine where you want to glue it. As before, use a small amount of glue to hold it in place.

When you're finished repositioning the elements, some areas of the figure might need to be repainted. Using the painting techniques we've already covered (see the Customization Archive box for links to previous articles), touch up those spots with the correct color to mask where you made the changes. If you pieced together multiple elements, you might have to repaint several areas or even the whole figure.

The cut and paste method is easy to do and is a nearly permanent way to radically change the poses of your Star Wars Miniatures. The main drawback is that the repositioned elements can come apart if the figure is moved around or dropped onto a hard surface. If that happens, however, simply fix it with a drop of super glue.

Next Time

In the next article on customizing Star Wars Miniatures, we'll go over the last and most advanced technique for repositioning. This method is the sturdiest and allows you to position elements in any direction. It's also the best approach for pieces that will be used frequently during games, such as Jedi or miniatures of roleplaying game characters.

About the Author

Jack Irons is an artist and graphic designer. He has been fan of Star Wars since he was four, when his dad took his sister and him to a matinee on the second day of its release. He posts regularly on the Star Wars Miniatures Game boards under the name "ironlightsaber" and often works with other board members on projects such as the Lost Twenty fan set. Jack lives in the middle of the U.S. with his wife Ruth and their son.