1. Xacto knife with #11 blade.
2. liquid steel epoxy
3. Jeweler's files
4. Jeweler's saw
The Xacto knife with a number 11 blade is my oldest tool. My father bought me a set in the 1940's, and I still use it. I use dull blades to carve lead away, to shape "liquid steel" as I build up features of my figures, and even to decapitate figures for other conversions. I find a new, sharp blade a bit too dangerous!
Today I took 29 Victrix plastic 28mm back packs, and enlarged them by using liquid steel on the two sides and bottom. I will then use jeweler files to shape them correctly, and possibly add a thin "bead" of epoxy to shape the edge of the top flap, with a final filing for shape.
I first cut away the vertical pack straps across the lid of the pack. I later added the epoxy with the #11 blade to the sides and bottom face of the packs, while the epoxy was wet and flexible.
Years ago I used a jewelers file to behead several horses, then cut them in half from front to back. I then try to epoxy the right half of horse A to the left half of horse B to make horse C. I understand other have done this, then scoured out the bodies of the horses, and used them to make plaster of Paris molds for casting. By hollowing out the both, one uses less metal, and reduces the weight of the figures.
By the way, I recently saw a feature on the internet where people have been pouring liquid aluminum down fire ant mound openings, and then digging out the mound. The aluminum hardens, does not seem to go anywhere except the tunnels and chambers, and makes an impressive sculpt!
Has anyone ever tried aluminum with tin or other metals for castings?
GdeP