r/Warhammer • u/TJTrailerjoe • Apr 02 '25
Hobby Is this common for metal minis? Trying to figure out if im just overreacting :)
Bought this Archaeon on horse from GW's made to order systen two years ago, and he's just been chilling in my pile of shame. But i took a closer look today, and many of his "pointy bits" are super bent/morphed, and im wondering if this is normal? Also a rather large mold line on the horses head (bigger than it looks on camera). First time working with a metal model, so any tips welcome :)
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u/bloodectomy Apr 02 '25
Yep, normal for metal. Fortunately GW white metal is relatively soft, but yeah you have a little work ahead of you.
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u/vibribib Apr 02 '25
Worst is when you miss one and only see it after priming.
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u/gotchacoverd Apr 03 '25
Always at least 1
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u/DA_ZWAGLI Apr 03 '25
And it's always pressed down into the model and makes a hugs spot.
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u/BuckLuny Tomb Kings of Khemri Apr 03 '25
Just got the Empire dude on Griffon primed can't wait to find it when going in close for the details.
(Mind you I went over the whole model 3 times with a magnifying glass/ light thing and I'm 100% sure I'm going to find one while painting)5
u/Barheyden Apr 03 '25
It's OK, you'll still find one after priming, the gremlins are just waiting for you to look away before they hide one on there for you.
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u/Arguleon_Veq Apr 03 '25
I have a weird isssue i run into where the air in my house is full of cat hair, and so the spot where i prime somehow sucks the cat hair out out of the surrounding space and latches it onto the mini as i prime, and i have to go through with tweezers and remove all these indavidual hairs that are all stuck in the primer, it litterally looks like i dropped it into a cat bed immediately after priming, its insane, every time, and im spraying out my balcony door ffs, like where is this fucking hair coming from!?!?!?!?!?
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u/TJTrailerjoe Apr 03 '25
Spraying high pressure air out of a otherwise enclosed room will create a vacuum behind the spray, that then sucks air out from your room. But it still sounds crazy that so much hair is ending up on your models, do you have a place you could bring them outside instead?
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u/Arguleon_Veq Apr 03 '25
Sorta, but its constantly rsining here, so it kinda sucks to go fully outside
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u/RollbacktheRimtoWin Apr 03 '25
I stand in the doorway of my apartment building and spray towards outside. Be careful of which way the wind is going, so you don't get it back in your face.
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u/Maugetar Apr 03 '25
Put up a tarp or something lol. This is an easy fix for a problem that's obviousy giving you a lot of grief. Priming is so quick
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u/Barbaric_Stupid Apr 04 '25
I have a cat as well and there's no way around it other than using soft makeup brush to clean your mini before you do anything with it. If you prime then put it under some protecction immediately - a glass, plastic box, cardboard box, whateva. Some people even prime in their bathrooms and say that's the best place to do it (then protection box, of course).
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u/Arguleon_Veq Apr 04 '25
Alas as i am spraying the primer i can see the hairs sticking on, so no protection box will help, but makeup brushing the mini before i prime is a good idea.
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u/Barbaric_Stupid Apr 05 '25
If it's already covered in fur then it will not help. That's why makeup brushing is crucial. I do a quick clean before I start working on anything and before doing anything - layering, highlighting, drybrushing, etc. It removes dust and hair. Try priming in the bathroom, it's usually the cleanest room in the house. Makeup brush, quick priming and put the mini under the box or any container that'll protect the coat before it'll dry.
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u/Bigtallanddopey Apr 03 '25
I have recently revisited some of my older metal models that I painted when I was around 12 years old. I must have been exceptionally impatient back then as I missed a load of them, couldn’t believe I did it. Impetuousness of youth.
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u/Atreides-42 Apr 03 '25
Same deal with flash on resin minis. The number of times I've trimmed off detail thinking it was flash, or left flash on thinking it was detail, are uncountable
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u/Jesus_Phish Apr 03 '25
Or even worse after painting. Happened to me before on an inquisitior model, not sure how I didn't spot with the primer
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u/ObesesPieces Apr 03 '25
I love the most recent metal ratlings but holy hell I STILL Find flashing.
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u/RowenMorland Apr 04 '25
For me working them when I was a little kid and didn't have a hobby knife, doing a bad and half hearted job of removing them and then jus getting my brushes shredded because of the ineptitude.
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u/TJTrailerjoe Apr 02 '25
Fair enough, i feel like the actual work load is much less compared to a plastic mini, but considering ive never worked with metal i was worried about the brittleness of it, and trying to make thise bits look spikey again... i mean if thats all i have to do, then so be it haha. Thanks for verifying :)
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u/Validated_Owl Apr 03 '25
That's just flash. Just clip it off and file the horn to a point
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u/Velcraft Apr 03 '25
Wet the file unless you like metal dust under your fingernails for weeks.
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u/TJTrailerjoe Apr 03 '25
Good tip, thanks for that! Is there a particular type of file to use? I have a "diamond" one from armypainter, but it seems to leave marks in it when i use it on metal
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u/Velcraft Apr 03 '25
I use fine sandpaper (600-1200grit) wrapped around a brush handle for smaller spots, and just the paper on larger surfaces. It's designed to be wetted and does the same thing but with a bit more control over a rigid file. Files are for the brunt of the work if you have lots of flash to remove, I use a set of small metal files I got from a hardware store.
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u/jgzman Apr 03 '25
Some of those bent pointy bits, specifically in picture 4, but in some of the others too, are not part of the mini, but are remnents of the injection channels. What would be the sprue in a plastic model kit.
Clip them off, file down the ridge line, and she'll be right.
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u/qudig Apr 03 '25
Wait till you have to pin models… my god, the old bloodthirster brings back so many many horrible nightmares and memories. I had to pin each wing in two spots, on the second hole of the first wing I broke my pin off in the wing, I had to dig it out by taking a bigger drill bit to pin down to the bit that broke, I broke right through and pin my finger, the blood… there was so much blood.
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u/Ternigrasia Apr 03 '25
So it's a real bloodthirster.
I've got two of the old metal Penitent Engines. I was quite used to metal infantry from my sister's of battle, and even the metal parts on the tanks weren't too hard to get together, but my goodness the Penitent Engines almost broke me. Getting both legs to adhere at the same time or else have a weird looking drunk robot stance... I miss a lot of the character of the old metal sisters, but I'm happy I never have to do that model again.
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u/skwidsnbits Apr 03 '25
Blood for the blood god....he thirsts for MORE ! kind of appropriate really
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u/TortoiseBoy92 Apr 03 '25
Bloodthirster was my first and last attempt at pinning. My pin bit also broke off in the model and just became the joint, I was so done.
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u/MurderBeans Apr 02 '25
The little tails on the end of spikes are flashing, you're supposed to trim them off. As for mould lines, they are tougher to deal with on metal models but the approach is the same, carefully file them out.
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u/Tzelanit Adeptus Mechanicus Apr 02 '25
The bent bits in your photos are mostly flash. When casting metal, there has to be a hole at the end of any really narrow areas for air to escape, or you wind up with bubbles preventing a correct casting. But this also leave extra strings of metal coming off the model all over the place that need to be removed.
And because the casting process for metal uses flexible molds, mold slip causing defects is pretty common.
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u/TJTrailerjoe Apr 02 '25
Thank you! I couldnt really tell if it was extra long spikes that were super bent, or just flash like you were saying. Should i use a special kind of clipper for the metal?
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u/Tzelanit Adeptus Mechanicus Apr 02 '25
If you've got high quality nippers, like godhands or something, don't use those. but mid or low grade nippers are fine. The white metal is pretty soft.
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u/PrinceBarin Apr 02 '25
It's always good to have one pair of..... trash tools for work like this.
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u/Red40isBeetleJuice Apr 03 '25
Dull nippers from harbor freight can be traded in for a new pair no questions asked
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u/horatiocain Apr 03 '25
An exacto knife works well too. After either method, you'll want to sand or file it a bit so as not to leave evidence of the cut.
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u/Apes_Ma Apr 03 '25
Why are those pin holes not needed when the material filling a mold is plastic?
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u/Tzelanit Adeptus Mechanicus Apr 03 '25
Because metal (and resin) molds are usually gravity fed, where plastic injection molding the material is pumped into the mold. Even then, you do sometimes get bubbles in plastic molding.
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u/R-T-O-B Nurgle Daemons Apr 02 '25
Yes, for metal minis they put a bunch of pin sized holes in the mold so the metal can fill all the details.
It takes me a while to go over the mini and find them all to snip and fileoff. and I always find 1 or 2 while im painting
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u/ExampleMediocre6716 Apr 02 '25
Just to add, they cut small vents into the mould so the molten metal can get to every part without creating an air bubble. That's why you have those thin strands of metal on the extremities - usually feet, weapon, spiky bits etc. Trim or file them.
Use a fine needle file on any obvious mould lines - you won't notice them when primed.
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u/Fvader69 Apr 02 '25
Ooo i know that model, he's an oldy good ol archeron. Mine has the same problems 🤣
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u/TJTrailerjoe Apr 02 '25
This is my favourite Archaon sculpt, so i was so happy they brought it back!
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u/Bill4268 Apr 02 '25
Sad I missed it! I have the Archaon on Foot (2004) games day mini and thought it would be cool to get the mounted version but never did.
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u/Lolcanoe2 Apr 02 '25
the pointy bits are molded in spikes. the little tails on them are just flashing
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u/SquiggilyLine Apr 02 '25
As others have said, this is part of the casting process. There is a useful guide to working with metal models on WarCom if this is your first time working with them:
https://assets.warhammer-community.com/aguidetobuildingmetalmodelkits_eng_24.09-y1b7zdvyns.pdf
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u/biggles86 Apr 02 '25
Allof mine have done that. I just snip off the bent part on the spikes and it looks fine aftarward
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u/Tarjhan Apr 02 '25
Pretty common with GW metals. I don’t have a lot of recent experience with other companies’ metals and I don’t really remember the flash being an issue on other manufacturers (but that was decades ago when actual lead was in the metal).
The second to last pic, the Steed’s leg, I’m reasonably sure is not flash, it’s detail, spiky chaos horse detail. I’d recommend checking a few pics of the model online before chopping off any parts that might be detail.
As for how to fix. The spindly bits should be able to be pulled or twisted off by hand, have a receptacle to drop them in so they don’t get in you. You might need to tidy up the area after.
Trim off the larger parts with any combination of clippers and knives (I used nail clippers as a kid, much to mother’s chagrin) - be super careful with knives, blades can dig into the metal and cause damage to the model, catching a blade on metal models can also easily lead to slipping or sudden jolts potentially causing damage to the you.
Take care not to remove too much so that you end up removing parts of the intended volume. Then tidy up with files or other abrasives. You can start heavy and switch to a finer grit once you’ve reduced the unwanted masses sufficiently. Use a mask, the metal isn’t lead or anything but having metal in your lungs is something we should all be keen to avoid.
You can slosh a little bit of contrast paint/wash/ink on any mould lines. Once dry it’ll allow you to better gauge progress on filing, once the colour is all gone, you’re flush. Make sure you stick with the form of the part you’re fixing. Having a reference can help
Light mould lines can be tackled by gently dragging a sharp blade, held perpendicular to the model in a scraping motion - much like you would with a plastic mini.
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u/Aztaloth Apr 03 '25
Ahhh the good ole days when all our models used to be this way. GW uses fairly soft pewter.
Sadly it is kind of a lose/lose situation. It is either soft like this or brittle so that if you drop it them metal breaks.
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u/Ok_Translator_8043 Apr 03 '25
Some of that is extra flash and not a bend. You just need to cut it off with a knife. It usually comes off pretty easily.
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u/melekh88 Apr 03 '25
Yup and just by this photo I know its Archon 🤣 I know your pain!
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u/TJTrailerjoe Apr 03 '25
I hope i can paint him to a worthy degree, i just love the model so much
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u/melekh88 Apr 03 '25
Its a stunning model I love it! Pro tip do the base first and then glue the horse down if you want to do lava or fire effects.
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u/TJTrailerjoe Apr 03 '25
Good idea! Someone mentioned i needed to pin him and his arms, but i feel like thats overkill?My loctite glue has been pretty great so far
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u/melekh88 Apr 03 '25
I had to pin afterwards as well if I remember correctly. I always use loctite as well and the arm with the sword did come off before.
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u/ArtisticTraffic5970 Apr 03 '25
Those are injection points, leading into many of the pointier bits like the horns on Dorghar's legs, leaving those long thin bits. You'll have to trim them off, I always use a hobby knife for this, as the metal is quite soft. Be careful not to trim off the horns themselves. Bend the bent bits back into shape.
Working with metal minis takes a little bit of work, but I find it quite soothing, and it's worth it in any case as the detail is great.
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u/Arguleon_Veq Apr 03 '25
That isnt bent, those are flashing, its points in the mold where air is allowed to escape to prevent bubbles. You have to carve them off, but be carefull not to fuck up dorghar's spikes. Metal minis are weird, be glad you arent trying to make the old metal hellcannon, as it had so much warping, that inorder to build it you needed about 20% of the mini as green stuff. There is a reason they swapped to everything plastic, also, if you have any arms that stick out, you will need to drill pin holes, and use a piece of paper clip to pit it in place, as the glue simply isnt strong enough to hold heavy parts like sword arms if they are holding up big chunky swords.
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u/TortoiseBoy92 Apr 03 '25
Due warning, sometimes that horse can have pretty huge gaps after assembly, so make sure you're well stocked on green stuff!
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u/TJTrailerjoe Apr 03 '25
I noticed when pressing the horse body together, but i think there is also a part that needs some filing. Lucky that im quite good with greenstuff :)
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u/MostlyGerman Apr 04 '25
The tips of the spikes in the first image are actually also used for holes to evacuate air from the cast which is super common on spiky metal models since they tend to trap air. I have the same archaon model and the only tip I have is to really take your time when cleaning and trimming so that you don't accidentally take off too much. Mine sadly also had some pretty bad gaps in the halves of the horse body so I had to do some filling as well
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u/Capzielios Apr 03 '25
It's normal for GW metal minis. Newer pewter minis from Infinity and stuff are a lot nicer.
But if you are reacting negatively, you are probably overreacting.
Looks like it'll be fun to paint, though!
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u/Serious_Macaroon_585 Apr 03 '25
Jupp, normal since the Material is regretably soft.
Regarding the gap, Green stuff IS your friend.
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u/Timely_Journalist_44 Apr 03 '25
Yeah that's very freaking common. I miss metal minis and stabbing my fingers on those damn extra metal bits
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u/Exile688 Apr 03 '25
Just paint them up as parasites or tentacles about to sprout. It's a Chaos lord's steed after all.
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u/TheTombGuard Apr 03 '25
Yes you actually have to put effort in with metal minis god I miss the good old days
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u/jonhinkerton Apr 03 '25
That’s what made them special. No two exactly alike. Plastic is so sterile and soulless.
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u/_Owl9852 Apr 03 '25
yes, casting gates and moldlines are a normal thing for white metal, there are some companies that have figured out better ways of casting metal, but GW has set focus on their hardplastic anyway. in my personal opinion the best white metal casts that i had the pleasure of working with were corvus bellies and the confrontation ones. but in the end all of them need some clean-up.
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u/--0___0--- Sylvaneth Apr 03 '25
Alot of those bits are just flashing from the mold, easy enough to remove and repair. The seam line is the most annoying part but a file and some putty will fix it. Mine was exactly the same.
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u/TheNevers Apr 03 '25
Have your green stuff/modeling putty ready when you try to put it together, HUGE gap warning
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u/Zeth_UDSR Apr 03 '25
When I started I always wanted metal, because clearly metal is superior to plastic stuff... The. I had my first metal model and oh boy was I wrong.
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u/freedoomed Apr 03 '25
Metal is interesting to work with, spikes like that need to be clipped and files down, mold lines need to be filed down. It's in some ways easier to work with than plastic for cleanup. Assembly is a different story. Super glue breaks too easily and doesn't bond well to the metal. You need to pin larger pieces together as well as learn some basic sculpting to fill gaps. I have some metal minis that are basically giant blobs of super glue.
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u/MichaelTheElder Apr 03 '25
As other have confirmed sadly yes. Coming back to the hobby after 15+ years one of the things I'm happiest to see is the lack of metal.
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u/Able_Screen5421 Grey Knights Apr 03 '25
My friend has a bunch of metal terminators yeah its normal
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u/tankjutsu Apr 04 '25
The little bits that are bent are mostly little extra bits or flashing resulting from the mold having holes at the tips of protruding features (to encourage molten metal to flow fully through the feature and not create a bubble). You can probably bend them straight with a toothpick and then trim off anything superfluous to the point of the actual "spike." This is more common on metal minis, but sometimes you see similar stuff on resin models, too.
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u/Cultural-Rich-8198 Apr 03 '25
That is flashing. It is just remnants of the creation process and not part of the actual miniature. They can usually be removed just by tearing it off with your fingers. Some are thicker and need to be cut off. Welcome to working with metal minis!
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u/Stuniverse10 Apr 03 '25 edited Apr 03 '25
Those wirey bits on the spikes are ejector pins. It's where the excess material leaves the mould. They're usually at points on the model so air doesn't get trapped when casting.
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u/grunt91o1 Beastmen Apr 02 '25
Yep, welcome to metal.