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Skink Cavalry conversion

Discussion in 'Painting and Converting' started by Aginor, May 17, 2017.

  1. Aginor
    Slann

    Aginor Fifth Spawning Staff Member

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    Hey y'all!

    Today I am here because I will need help from people who actually know how to sculpt.

    I have Skinks (normal Skinks from the Skink box) and I want to convert three of tthem to riders.
    Let's say I want to give them Cold Ones, or some animal that is a bit smaller.

    I checked whether I could let them ride without any saddle, but I am pretty sure that it will not work since I would have to spread their legs pretty far, which probably requires sculpting skills which I do not possess.
    So I decided that I want to make simple saddles for them.

    That means I have to do two things:
    1. Change the Skinks' legs to look like they are riding
    2. Create a saddle


    Thoughts so far about 1:
    - I would saw off the legs right at the hips,either by hand with a small metal sawblade, or with a dremel or something. I heard some people do that with a hot knife but I think I want to avoid that.
    - Then I'd glue them on angled slightly more outwards, and fill the resulting crevice on the bottom side with green stuff.
    I am not sure if that will look good enough. Has anyone done this so I could take a look?

    Thoughts so far about 2:
    Some hump-shaped thing with disc-shaped things attacked in the front and back, the back one lower because of the Skink's tail. Short stirrups on the sides of the hump thing.

    So I'd kindly request all of y'all talented sculptors here:
    Can you show me a - preferably simple - way to achieve the desired shapes?

    Materials and tools I have access to:
    - Milliput White
    - Fimo air basic
    - Brown Stuff
    - Liquid Green Stuff
    - Tamiya filler stuff
    - Toothpicks, tweezers, the usual household stuff
    - tools for wood and metal working
    - this sculpting tool kit by army painter: https://cdn3.volusion.com/mexwq.hxrfd/v/vspfiles/photos/TL5006-2.jpg?1486487043
     
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  2. n810
    Slann

    n810 First Spawning

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    Hmmmm....
    Some of these raptors from Reaper mini might be a better fit skink cavalry,
    [​IMG]
    as they are quite thin, and you wouldn't have to modify their legs as much.

    Ps. you probably won't need a saw to modify thin plastic parts like skinks,
    your basic hobby knife will do.
     
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  3. tom ndege
    Skar-Veteran

    tom ndege Well-Known Member

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    Interesting idea... now I have another project in my mind... gonna let you know when I executed something suitable...
     
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  4. Aginor
    Slann

    Aginor Fifth Spawning Staff Member

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    Well I already have their mounts here: Giant Capybaras :D
    I'll post some images for reference soon.
    Originally I wanted to keep that project secret, but it's not like I would mind something else doing the same thing and people who read my posts could figure it out anyway because I talked about that a few days ago.
     
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  5. tom ndege
    Skar-Veteran

    tom ndege Well-Known Member

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    Please post a picture with the skink next to or on top of the capybara... so we get an idea how much bending and cutting is required...;)
     
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  6. Aginor
    Slann

    Aginor Fifth Spawning Staff Member

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    Will do in an hour or so.
     
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  7. Bowser
    Slann

    Bowser Third Spawning

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    Maybe a kit bash with the saurus knights, as they already have legs on saddles, might look a bit off with skink bodies though, may have to look into that further.
     
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  8. n810
    Slann

    n810 First Spawning

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    [​IMG]
    @Bowser
    Probably looks something like this.... :shifty:
     
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  9. Aginor
    Slann

    Aginor Fifth Spawning Staff Member

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    Here is a Skink with a Capybara.
    It looks small and I know it will probably look kinda goofy but I want to build it just for the Lulz :D

    And I will of course convert an unpainted Skink.
    tmp_4147-20170517_190107921230701.jpg tmp_4147-20170517_1901192136776909.jpg
     
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  10. PhoenixTheCat
    Terradon

    PhoenixTheCat Well-Known Member

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    There was some really old skink calvary known as Tichi Huici's Raiders. Maybe if you wanted Skink calvary you could create an AoS version. Also, about the legs thing, just use greenstuff.
     
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  11. Aginor
    Slann

    Aginor Fifth Spawning Staff Member

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    Sculpt a whole new pair of legs??
    Or just the parts?

    I thought about maybe cutting the legs a second time near the knee. Don't know if I should... it could maybe look the pose look more natural if I can pull it off...
     
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  12. PhoenixTheCat
    Terradon

    PhoenixTheCat Well-Known Member

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    Just the parts. The upper legs above the knee are to be removed, and the lower part kept. You don't need to do that.
     
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  13. Bowser
    Slann

    Bowser Third Spawning

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    Could use terradon/Ripperdactyl riders, but then you need to figure out how to convert for those.
     
  14. Aginor
    Slann

    Aginor Fifth Spawning Staff Member

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    I thought about it for a short time, but IMO they would look quite weird since they are standing on their mounts.
    I think I will just use regular Skinks, those also have the advantage that I can use their normal weapons as they are.

    Rules-wise I have a few ideas for a nice little warscroll. Light cavalry, perhaps three models for 80 points. I have the basics done I think, I just have to decide between a few abilities that I like from a fluff perspective. Going to do a "horse archer" thing there.
     
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  15. PhoenixTheCat
    Terradon

    PhoenixTheCat Well-Known Member

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    An idea for Skink heavy calvary. It would probably use a Dracoth, some Skinks, and a heckload of cutting and greenstuff.
    IMG_0124.JPG
     
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  16. Aginor
    Slann

    Aginor Fifth Spawning Staff Member

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    Ok, short question: If you saw off a Skink's leg, what tool do you use?
    I tried cutting with my knife but it won't work I think. Hot knife could work but I think it would leave some REALLY ugly edges.
    Do you use a Jeweler's saw or something? The Citadel saw maybe? What should I get?
     
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  17. tom ndege
    Skar-Veteran

    tom ndege Well-Known Member

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    I use a simple cutter knife... nothing special... it's hard work to cut off something like legs, but it works... I recommend to lie down the mini on a surface you don't mind if it suffers from the procedure... place the mini in a way so that the point you cut through lays save on the surface and cut with a slightly sawing move... takes some time and effort but it works...
     
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  18. Aginor
    Slann

    Aginor Fifth Spawning Staff Member

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    Ok that kinda worked.
    First draft, pose looks slightly goofy but OK. The white stuff is poster putty.
    It would even work without a saddle, but I'll have to think about it. I want to do a saddle so I can hide the places better where I mount the Skink on its Capybara. I don't want to use super glue but something removable to have the Capybara as a standalone model.

    tmp_16630-20170527_2315101012902742.jpg tmp_16630-20170527_231527830216155.jpg tmp_16630-20170527_23162539551369.jpg tmp_16630-20170527_2317011916872683.jpg
     
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  19. Aginor
    Slann

    Aginor Fifth Spawning Staff Member

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    I'll refine them soon, but here is how they look now. A bit like something a Slann that had a few mushrooms too much dreamt up. :D
    Could work. :)

    tmp_16630-20170528_000723103809134.jpg
     
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  20. Warden
    Slann

    Warden Tenth Spawning

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    Definitely never seen anything like this before :eek:
     
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