Customizing Star Wars Minis 1

Tools and Precautions

By Jack Irons

Welcome to the first in a series of articles about customizing Star Wars Miniatures. In this installment, we'll look at some basic tools that you'll need and some important precautions that you should take. Future articles will cover topics such as painting, simple customizing tricks, advanced techniques, and complete directions on making specific custom figures.

If you're a minor, get your parents' permission or help before you start to customize. It can be very dangerous to misuse some of the tools described below.

Creating a "custom" means taking an existing miniature and using paint and/or tools to turn it into a mini that looks different. People make customs to better represent their Star Wars Roleplaying Game characters, to help set figures apart when using more than one of the same kind in a game, or to create small pieces of art.

To create simple customs, you'll need a few basic tools: a hobby knife, a cutting surface, putty or clay, glue, acrylic paint, and brushes. For more advanced customs, you might need additional items, such as sculpting tools, pliers, and even a drill. Let's look at how you can use these materials to work mini magic.

First, a hobby knife is needed to trim elements from a figure or cut them off completely. Always make the cuts away from your body; in other words, push the knife away from you, rather than pulling it toward you. Also, be sure that the blade is sharp. It takes more force to use a dull blade, and that can be more dangerous if the knife slips.

Make cuts on a flat cutting surface. Self-healing surfaces work best, but you can make a cutting mat by taping several 8.5 x 11-inch sheets of thick corrugated cardboard together. When using the knife, be sure to apply only enough pressure to cut through the mini. If you push too hard, the blade might also cut through the cutting surface and damage the table beneath.

While the hobby knife is used to take things away from a figure, putty and clay are used to add to a miniature. There are many types of clay materials to chose from. Some putties (such as epoxy putty, or what customizers call "green stuff") require you to mix equal amounts of material together. Another type of filler is contour putty, which is squeezed from a tube and used to fill gaps. Contour putty can be found where model glue is sold and it air dries overnight, just like epoxy putty.

Craft clays that are baked in the oven can also be used to create additive pieces for customs. However, be sure to place the clay on a piece of aluminum foil and not on a cooking sheet. The toxins from the clay will permeate into a cooking sheet and will transfer to any food that is cooked on the sheet later.

To connect miniature pieces together, you'll need super glue or plastic model glue. It's better to use too little glue than too much. If you use too much glue, the pieces won't hold together as well, you could accidentally glue your fingers together, or you might get glue in your eyes. Be sure to follow the safety precautions that come with the glue.

The only other tools needed for simple customs are paint and brushes. Hobby stores carry special acrylic paint that's made for use on miniatures, but the acrylic craft paint found in most stores is just as good. Don't use model car paints or other oil-based paints on Star Wars Miniatures. (We'll look at paints in more detail in the next article in this series.)

Paint brushes come in a variety of sizes, shapes and quality. I suggest having three brushes of good quality: a large brush for applying large amounts of paint, a small brush that you'll use most of the time to apply paint to the figure, and a very fine small brush for doing detailed work. Since brushes can be very expensive, ask a salesperson at a craft or hobby store for advice on the brands they carry. Don't use brushes with plastic bristles -- they're very poor in quality and will lead to frustration every time.

A well-lit and ventilated work space isn't a tool, but it's still a must. Fumes from glue and other materials can be hazardous, and poor lighting can strain your eyesight. Every 45 minutes to an hour that you work on customs, take a break for a few minutes. During the break, look at objects that are farther than 10 feet away. This will help prevent eye strain.

When you're ready to create more advanced customs, you can use sculpting tools that are made for carving epoxy putty and clay. These tools come in a variety of shapes and sizes, but I recommend using one that has a curved blade at one end and a sharp point at the other.

Old toothbrushes work well to create a spray effect on a figure. Dip the bristles in paint and run your finger across the brush to splatter paint on the mini.

Finally, small needle-nose pliers and a hand drill are useful for "pinning" two pieces so they hold together very tightly. (We'll cover that technique in detail in a later article.) In addition, a pair of snipping pliers makes it safer to cut thick pieces of a figure.

Next Time

In the next article on customizing Star Wars Miniatures, we'll go over the basics of using paint and mixing colors.

About the Author

Jack Irons is an artist and graphic designer. He has been a 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.