Wednesday 18 December 2013

Troll Hunter in Issue 7 of Figure Painter Magazine

Completing a triumvirate of sorts, the Ax Faction's Troll Hunter was featured in Issue 7 of Figure Painter Magazine. Previously, both the Nocturna Models  Freya and Knight Models Zombie Girl was seen in Issues 5 and 6 respectively. Below is a picture montage of Jotnar's Bane aka Troll Hunter from Ax Faction, which was painted exclusively for Shire Works.

Ax Faction Jotnar's Bane aka Troll Hunter

Specifically, the Troll Hunter was featured on Page 99 of Issue 7 of Figure Painter Magazine.

Troll Hunter in Figure Painter Magazine, Issue 7

To see more Ax Faction miniatures that are available from Shire Works, please click here.

Saturday 23 November 2013

Basic tips on working with metal miniatures

If you have been working with only plastic and resin miniatures so far, it is only natural to feel slightly intimidated with a new material such as white metal. But fear not, most of the principles that are used when handling resin (described in an earlier blog post) and plastic miniatures also apply to metal miniatures with a few minor adaptations. Most Knight Models miniatures are white metal model kits while some come in a mixture of resin and metal.

Knight Models Iron Man (Special Edition) comes in a mixture of large and small metal parts
In contrast, Knight Models Zombie Girl comes in a few, easier to assemble metal parts

Handling of resin and metal miniatures - What is similar?
Metal miniatures go through the same process of cleaning (removal of mould lines and flash) as well as a need for a final wash with soap before being glued together. Moreover, the main tools used when handling resin miniatures are also used when dealing with metal model kits. We can still use the same hobby clippers to separate pieces from the sprue as white metal is very soft; the hobby knife can still be used to remove mould lines although some new tools will be used to complement the knife; and finally super glue is used to fix the parts together.

Removing metal parts from the sprue with hobby clippers
Cleaning some minor mould lines with the hobby knife

So what then is different?
Rougher abrasives to clean the miniature
Essentially, some of the tools used will have to reflect the medium we are working with i.e. metal. Mainly, rougher abrasives such as diamond files and fine steel wool can be used to better clean the metal miniatures. As always, work slowly and careful so as to not to destroy the details on the miniature when using rough abrasive tools. Patience is key.

Cleaning some stubborn and larger mould lines with a diamond file
Using fine steel wool to polish up the metal miniature
  
Additional techniques to glue heavier parts together
a) Use of green stuff (putty)
Using a bit of green stuff (putty) on the joints when you glue them together with super glue can help keep the metal parts together as the glue dries. Metal parts are unique in that they are heavier and can often come apart while the glue is drying. But be careful not to use too much green stuff as it will prevent the parts from adhering properly.

Using green stuff to help keep the parts together as the glue dries

b) Use of baking soda with super glue
Another technique used by modellers is to mix super glue with pure sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) which is said to create a very strong bond that dries faster than super glue. This is very helpful when you want two metal parts to glue together faster and stronger.

Dealing with out-of-shape metal parts
If you can recall, resin miniatures sometimes face warping issues. While this is not a problem for metal miniatures, you do on occasion find some metal parts bent out-of-shape. Not to worry because with white metal being soft, you can easily (but carefully) just bent the parts back into shape.

A fully assembled metal miniature in the form of Iron Man

Hopefully, this simple how-to guide can help you get started on your own metal miniatures. Till the next update on Shire Works, stay well and happy. 

http://shireworks.blogspot.com/p/knight-models.html

Thursday 7 November 2013

360 View: Knight Models Iron Man S.E.

A popular Knight Models white metal model kit is the Iron Man Special Edition. To showcase how cool the 1/28th scale miniature looks even before any paint work, a short video was taken of it on an automated turntable display. Press play on the YouTube video below to see the Marvel superhero in all his 360 degree glory. Enjoy!  


To keep tabs on the painting progress on this miniature, please check out http://foureyed-monster.blogspot.com/ - a personal hobby blog on miniature painting. All work-in-progress photos will be posted there so be sure to visit the blog from time to time for updates.

Saturday 2 November 2013

Zombie Girl makes it into Figure Painter Magazine

Painted as a special Halloween piece for Shire Works, the Knight Models Zombie Girl was lucky enough to be featured in the latest issue of Figure Painter Magazine UK.

Figure Painter Magazine (FPM) - Issue # 6
Knight Models Zombie Girl (as painted for Shire Works) in FPM

Shown in page 99 of Issue 6 of the magazine, the Knight Models Zombie Girl was inspired by the child zombie seen in Season One of The Walking Dead television series. She is one of two miniatures found in the Knight Models Terror Series, the other being the Zombie Hunter as shown below.

Knight Models Zombie Hunter

The following is photo montage of the Knight Models Zombie Girl as painted for Shire Works. Please click on the picture for a larger detailed view of the miniature. If you wish to see more pictures of her, please check out the following blog post => http://foureyed-monster.blogspot.com/2013/10/knight-models-zombie-girl-completed.html 

Knight Models Zombie Girl, as painted for Shire Works

Thanks for checking out the latest news in Shire Works. Do stay tuned for more stuff!

Friday 18 October 2013

Introducing Knight Models miniatures

Fully imported from Spain, Knight Models is a unique line of miniature models based on popular licenses such as the Marvel Universe. Produced for painters and collectors, the Knight Models model kits are faithfully portrayed down to the smallest details. All Knight Models miniatures are supplied unpainted and will require assembly. 


Comprising either white metal alloy and/or high quality resin, the miniatures are supplied unpainted and will require assembly. Knight Models miniatures are produced at 1/28th scale. On average, the Knight Models miniatures range roughly between 60-mm to 90-mm in actual height as measured from the base to the highest point of the miniature.

Sample of a boxed Knight Models product - Wolverine (Logan)
Unboxed with protective packaging

Majority of the Knight Models miniatures come in a cardboard box measuring about 13 cm by 10.5 cm by 4.5 cm (length, width, height) as shown in the immediate two photos above. The sole exception is The Hulk miniature which comes in a tin box measuring approximately 31 cm by 8 cm by 5.25 cm (length, width, height) as shown in the following two photos below.

Tin box packaging of The Hulk
Unboxed - The Hulk is a resin miniature model kit enclosed in protective foam

All the Knight Models miniatures are encased in protective foam that gives added protection to the packaging during delivery. While most of the model kits are made from white metal, some like The Hulk comprises solely of resin parts while others like Spiderman is a mixture of both resin and white metal parts.

White metal parts of the Iron Man Special Edition
White metal parts of the Zombie Girl (Terror Series)

White metal miniatures of the Knight Models series already look very good after assembly and can be left unpainted as shown by the Iron Man Special Edition. 

Knight Models Iron Man Special Edition after assembly

For those who wish to go the extra step of painting it, the Zombie Girl below shows how your Knight Models miniatures can look after they are painted.

Knight Models Zombie Girl after assembly and painting

You can get your Knight Models miniature via the blogshop ordering process or from the Malaysian online shopping portal Lelong.My as per your convenience. Shire Works has brought in a selected range of Knight Models miniatures into Malaysia and priced them at attractive prices. COD is available at selected locations in the Klang Valley / Kuala Lumpur. Please email me at shireworks@gmail.com to know more.

Friday 4 October 2013

Shire Works is in Lelong.my

Good news for frequent shoppers of Malaysia's online shopping and auction website Lelong.my. Shire Works products are now available for purchase via the Malaysian e-commerce trading platform. For those of you who happen to be unaware of this local e-commerce site, do check out the following url - http://www.lelong.com.my/

Shire Works webstore in Lelong.my
Nocturna Models products in Lelong.my
Knight Models products in Lelong.my
Ax Faction products in Lelong.my

If you prefer to purchase directly from Shire Works, you can can still do so. To see how, click on the 'Ordering' and 'Contact' tabs above. Till the next update, stay well and happy.

Thursday 26 September 2013

Quick tips on working with resin model kits

Some miniature brands carried by Shire Works, namely Ax Faction and Nocturna Models, are purely resin model kits which require preparation and assembly before they can be primed and painted. Below are some quick basic tips on preparing the resin for paint.

Basic tools
Available in most local hobby stores or hardware shops, the basic tools that you will need to begin working with resin models are clippers, hobby knife, fine grain emery boards (or abrasive papers) and super glue.   



Safety precautions
Because resin dust particles may act as an irritant to your lungs, the use a dust or face mask when working with resin model kits is recommended.


Removing resin parts from the sprue
As with most model kits, a majority of the resin parts come attached to a sprue so the first step would be to remove the said parts using clippers. When doing so, it is perhaps best not to cut too close to the part in question. Cutting too close to the part with clippers can sometimes cause accidental damage. Also leaving a bit of the sprue on the part to be worked on by finer tools such as hobby files and emery boards allows you greater control when removing the rest of the sprue.

Removing a resin part from the sprue

Once the part has been removed from the sprue, first use the clippers to cut away as much of the remaining sprue as you can. Subsequently, smooth out what remains with a hobby file. If the part is delicate, you can replace the hobby file with a fine grain emery board. 

Using clippers to cut as close as possible to the part
Further smoothing out using a hobby file


Removing mould lines
One by-product of a resin model kit's casting process are mould lines around some of the parts. The mould lines are easily removed by scrapping a hobby knife gently and carefully over them. Any imperfections left over from the mould lines removal process can be easily rectified by smoothing the surface with a fine emery board. However, such imperfections are also easily covered up when you spray the model with an undercoat or primer.   

Using a hobby knife to remove mould lines from a resin part


Removing flash
Occasionally, you may also find some flash - a thin membrane of resin that is also a by-product of the casting process. This are very easily removed using a hobby knife.   


Removing flash with a hobby knife


Warping
In some instances, resin model kits may contain parts that have warped slightly. One key advantage to using a resin kit is that it can be warmed up and reshaped slightly. As such warping can be rectified by blasting the warped part with hot air from a hair dryer for about 5 to 10 seconds or more. This allows the part to be straightened and held in place until it cools and hardens again, which is about another 5-10 seconds or more. Be careful not to bend the parts too much to prevent breakage.

A warped resin part - shape is slightly bent


Washing
Once you have cleaned up the resin model kit by removing the mould lines and flash, there is yet another casting by-product to be removed i.e. the release agent used by manufacturers to remove the resin castings from their mould. Such agents can prevent paint from adhering well to the resin parts. To ensure proper removal of any such release agent that may still be present, the resin parts should be washed using soapy water and scrubbed carefully with an old toothbrush with soft bristles.

Washing the resin part with some dish soap and an old toothbrush


Gluing the resin model kit
For the final stage, the resin parts are glued together using superglue. Do not use plastic glue as it will not work on resin parts and will only result in a gooey mess.

Nocturna Models Freya - Assembled and ready for priming and paint
Ax Faction Giant Hunter - Assembled and ready for priming and paint

Well that's it for this basic guide on working with your resin model kits. Have fun!

Wednesday 18 September 2013

Shire Works in Figure Painter Magazine

A miniature that was painted as a promotional piece for Shire Works has made the pages of the latest issue of Figure Painter Magazine, a UK publication that caters to the miniature hobbyist. If you want to check out detailed photos of the painted Nocturna Models Freya, please visit my personal blog, more specifically here is the exact link to the post in question => http://foureyed-monster.blogspot.com/2013/08/nocturna-models-freya-completed.html.

Figure Painter Magazine - Issue # 5

Figure Painter Magazine is a fairly new publication but one that has plenty of information for hobbyists, both new and experienced.

Latest issue which shows Freya as painted by Shire Works (bottom right corner)

Below are selected photos of Freya which shows how a Nocturna Models miniature could look like after assembly and painting.


Thanks for reading and have a nice day. Coming soon are tips on how to work with resin model kits such as Nocturna Models as well as an in-depth look at another brand that Shire Works carries i.e. Knight Models.
 

Tuesday 10 September 2013

Knight Models stock arrives

Knight Models miniatures has arrived in Malaysia and can now be purchased from Shire Works. Imported from Spain, the initial stock comprises characters based on the Marvel Universe and the Madrid-based company's own Terror Series.

Superheroes or zombies ... take your pick

A more detailed description of the Knight Models white metal and/or resin miniature kits will be shown soon, so do check the Shire Works blog for future updates. 

Monday 2 September 2013

Introducing Ax Faction miniatures

Ax Faction is a UK-based company which produces edgy and exquisite 32mm resin miniatures with brash styling and provocative design based on the semi-secret sect of Hunters from history. All Ax Faction miniatures are all sculpted from the outset at 32mm scale by hand. They come packaged in a sturdy protective cardboard box measuring about 5cm (length) by 5cm (width) by 2.5cm (height).

Simple but effective packaging for the Ax Faction miniatures
A sample unboxing, in this case the Forsaken Princess or Witch Hunter

Produced for the painter, collector, role-player and wargamer, the Ax Faction miniatures also come with collectible A5-sized art cards. These double-sided cards contain a brief description of the miniatures on one side and it's artwork on the other.

Each Ax Faction miniatures comes with an A5 art card
Both sides of the Forsaken Princess art card

Being a resin model kit, the Ax Faction miniatures are highly detailed and come unpainted as well as require assembly. As with any other resin kits, the miniatures do contain the usual mould lines, flash, etc, which must be removed during the preparation stage prior to priming and painting. Coming soon in the Shire Works blogshop will be a post on how to work with resin miniatures so stay tuned for that. Shown below are some official pictures of unpainted but fully assembled Ax Faction miniatures.

Zombie Hunter - Fully assembled but unpainted
Troll Hunter - Fully assembled but unpainted
Giant Hunter - Fully assembled but unpainted

And here are some official photos of how the Ax Faction miniatures can look like when fully painted up. As you can see, the miniatures make an excellent canvas for painters who delight in smallest of details.


Victorian Darling - Kraken Hunter (painted)
Forsaken princess - Witch Hunter (painted)

Shire Works has brought in a selected range of Ax Faction miniatures into Malaysia and priced them at attractive introductory prices. COD is available at selected locations in the Klang Valley / Kuala Lumpur. Please email me at shireworks@gmail.com to know more.

Coming soon: Tips on working with resin model kits.