Righting Citadel Finecast

[ElectricPaladin]

So, I got some Tau sniper drones, on account of they don't suck any more. The trouble is, those finecast models... woah. Seriously screwed up. Lots of weirdly bent bits, even after I trimmed off all the flash - no bubbles, thankfully.

Anyway, it left me with two questions:

1) What's the best way to get finecast soft enough to straighten without ruining it.
2) If I've already glued the models together, can I use this method without it falling apart?

Thanks in advance.

[lobster-overlord]

Top answer from me: Boiling water, and not sure....


2nd best,: Hair Dryer (but not too close) and I havn't had them fall apart.

[YourSwordisMine]

So, I got some Tau sniper drones, on account of they don't suck any more. The trouble is, those finecast models... woah. Seriously screwed up. Lots of weirdly bent bits, even after I trimmed off all the flash - no bubbles, thankfully.

Anyway, it left me with two questions:

1) What's the best way to get finecast soft enough to straighten without ruining it.
2) If I've already glued the models together, can I use this method without it falling apart?

Thanks in advance.

I don't know how it will work with the glue, but before I've assembled mine, I just dunk the part in REALLY hot water for a few seconds, straighten the piece and dunk in cold water to set it. Most times you don't need to dunk it in cold however. It should work even glued I'd think, but I've never done it that way before.

You just have to be careful not to get your fingertips into the hot water... that hurts...

You are lucky they are just bent... I've had the worst luck with Failcast... Though, I've not gotten any of the Tau in Failcast.

[OrksOrksOrks]

I've had the worst luck with Failcast... Tau in Failcast.

Stop doing this

[eldargal]

What Trio of Orks said, saying Failcast (or any variation) is imbecilic and immature.

Dip the bits in hot water, reshape, then dip in iced water to help fix them. It can take a few tries but it has always worked for me. I've not had much trouble with them returning to their old shape either.

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

I've never had a bad finecast model. I think my liquid greenstuff may dry up soon.

[Brakkart]

I've never had a bad finecast model. I think my liquid greenstuff may dry up soon.

Add a few drops of water into the tub, give it a quick stir and then a damn good shake. Brings it right back to life. Worked for mine anyway.

[DWest]

Is it sad I didn't even notice the occasional pits in Finecast? My first FC models were a pair of Zoanthropes, and I thought the occasional divots were part of the shell-armor detailing. Picked em out with an extra layer of wash and everything. 'Nids is also why I love Finecast, because really, trying to get a Zoanthrope or Venomthrope to stay on their base and stay up on the table, if it was pewter? Not my idea of a good time. On the other hand, forgetting one Venomthrope in my "box of miscellany" all summer has led me to need to use the aforementioned procedure before he (it?) was ready to rejoin the ranks.

As a side note, regular plastic kits can fall prey to heat-warping eventually as well; when I first got back into 40k, in 2009, I bought a Chaos Land Raider which had spent too much time near heat somewhere, such that the bottom deck was completely twisted. Unlike FC, that doesn't come un-done with hot water. On the upshot though, you can see the internal details better!

[ElectricPaladin]

Is it sad I didn't even notice the occasional pits in Finecast? My first FC models were a pair of Zoanthropes, and I thought the occasional divots were part of the shell-armor detailing. Picked em out with an extra layer of wash and everything. 'Nids is also why I love Finecast, because really, trying to get a Zoanthrope or Venomthrope to stay on their base and stay up on the table, if it was pewter? Not my idea of a good time. On the other hand, forgetting one Venomthrope in my "box of miscellany" all summer has led me to need to use the aforementioned procedure before he (it?) was ready to rejoin the ranks.

As a side note, regular plastic kits can fall prey to heat-warping eventually as well; when I first got back into 40k, in 2009, I bought a Chaos Land Raider which had spent too much time near heat somewhere, such that the bottom deck was completely twisted. Unlike FC, that doesn't come un-done with hot water. On the upshot though, you can see the internal details better!

I am sometimes extremely jealous of people who play armies like 'nids or Chaos. I play various Imperials (Blood Angels, Exorcists Space Marines, and Sisters of Battle) and Tau and Eldar, and they're all smooth lines and precise angles. They're a lot less forgiving of modeling flaws.

[DWest]

I am sometimes extremely jealous of people who play armies like 'nids or Chaos. I play various Imperials (Blood Angels, Exorcists Space Marines, and Sisters of Battle) and Tau and Eldar, and they're all smooth lines and precise angles. They're a lot less forgiving of modeling flaws.
I agree, but only to a certain extent- with smooth Imperial panel lines, you can fill in bubbles and nicks fairly easily and sand them back to smooth. But an Icon-bedecked Chaos Sorceror, or the gribbly guts of a medium-sized 'Nid? Unless you have a master's degree in Green Stuff sculpting, you're pretty well stuck carving the whole feature off and either pasting a spare icon or gland there, or trying to pass it off as battle damage. I think possibly the worst though might be Orks- there you have flat panels *and* rounded fleshy bits, and lots of cables to be ruined by an inopportune bubble.

[Joe Fixit]

I think in principle finecast is a fantastic improvement over metal, so much easier to kit bash and convert. However I really don't like painting the stuff. It just feels "spongy" and smooth armour panels as mentioned by others just don't come out as clean as the plastic alternative. I await the day with baited breath when GW go all plastic. Don't get me wrong, if I had the choice between old metal and finecast, I pick finecast every time.

[Phototoxin]

I don't know. I still am skeptical. When it started I had a 3 dodgy models. Then it was ok for a bit. Then my XV8(5) commander was FUBARed in the chest plate.

[gcsmith]

I don't know. I still am skeptical. When it started I had a 3 dodgy models. Then it was ok for a bit. Then my XV8(5) commander was FUBARed in the chest plate.

Why do people complain so much, GW already said they will replace instantly all dodgy finecast models.

[ElectricPaladin]

Why do people complain so much, GW already said they will replace instantly all dodgy finecast models.

Yeah... this is why I don't care much, myself. It's a bit inconvenient, but if they're willing to replace the model, then so what?

[Phototoxin]

Yeah... this is why I don't care much, myself. It's a bit inconvenient, but if they're willing to replace the model, then so what?

It's just a bit of hassle that's all. I have to check that they've got one in stock and then head into town to get it. It would just be nice if it was right the first time, I mean you pay enough!

[ElectricPaladin]

It's just a bit of hassle that's all. I have to check that they've got one in stock and then head into town to get it. It would just be nice if it was right the first time, I mean you pay enough!

Oh, I won't argue that it's not a hassle. I just mean that if the company's willing to make it right when they screw up, it's hardly a terrible tragedy that they do screw up once in a while.

Frankly, I'm not a fan of finecast. I think that metal has to go, but I actually prefer it to finecast. Finecast is just too fragile. It hasn't got the heat- and warp-resistance of plastic, but it doesn't just bend back into shape like metal. Metal is a pain to convert, but I don't have to be as careful with the model. And I've never had the problems with warped models and bubbles.

[Phototoxin]

Oh, I won't argue that it's not a hassle. I just mean that if the company's willing to make it right when they screw up, it's hardly a terrible tragedy that they do screw up once in a while.

Frankly, I'm not a fan of finecast. I think that metal has to go, but I actually prefer it to finecast. Finecast is just too fragile. It hasn't got the heat- and warp-resistance of plastic, but it doesn't just bend back into shape like metal. Metal is a pain to convert, but I don't have to be as careful with the model. And I've never had the problems with warped models and bubbles.

Well I've only had a 1/5 success rate from the get go so it's annoying. I don't like the triangles from moulding on the finecast, but its strength and detail are great.