Goatboy’s 40k: Top 10 Modeling Pet Peeves
Goatboy here again with a few things that just drive me crazy when trying to model/noodle/fool around with a new kit. These drive me CRAZY!
Goatboy here again and instead of looking at something competitive, today I want to wax a bit about modeling. I still play this game because I genuinely love to built and paint the models. I am so happy that they have really gone gung-ho about having everything made in a conversion happy plastic. I remember the days of trying to “create” something with a metal starting point and cutting the crap out of my fingers. Still here are a few things that just drive me crazy when trying to model/noodle/fool around with a new kit. With that – let’s get on with a simple list.
Not Drilling Out Your Barrels
I understand that it can be a big pain in the ass but when I see guns without their needed bullet holes it drives me crazy. I even drill out holes on metal models clients send me. I find it to be the easiest thing to do and helps create a true 3d experience with the kit. Its the only thing that makes me like the older kits that were originally based on a pewter/metal material. they normally had the barrels pre indented to look like they were – you know an actual barrel. Nothing breaks the whole fake realism of a model when I don’t see those dang bullet holes not drilled out.
Kits with Really Frustrating Extra Build Steps
There is nothing worse then getting a brand new kit and seeing how someone just went crazy when they cut it to fit on a sprue. The latest pain is the new Wulfen kit. They are pretty cool models, lots of neat stuff but the way GW cut the legs its frustrating. Its not like you can really change up the legs – they are all pretty mono posed so why are each set of legs 6 pieces? Why do they have to have separate feet when its pretty obvious you could just make it one solid piece and have the model have a really strong anchor for the base? Heck I understand all the separation on the arms as you have a ton of options for load out on each kit – but how the heck does it make sense to have each set of legs be 6 pieces? For those wondering its 2 feet, 2 legs, and 2 thigh plates. Yes to make your leader you can have an extra “thigh” plate but you don’t have those options for all 5 guys. This kit still isn’t as frustrating as the Storm Surge with its random extra broken apart chest pieces. This could have been 2 pieces instead of 4+ but no… GW wants to make their kits a bit more fancy. The other hated model maker is those dang Infinity models. Why does the bike model have tiny little handle bars? Why are they separate? Why is this still in metal? blAAARGGGH!!!
Hidden Mold Lines Are the Bane of My Existence
Once you have a buddy who points out any and all mold lines they see you will find them hidden on any new model you build. Why does this mold line have to cross hits head? Why isn’t it set up to I don’t know – follow the helmet in a way to hide itself? Why does the mold line have to cross over the plasma coils? WHY DO YOU HATE ME! WHY ARE YOU MAKING ME PAINT A PLASMA MODEL? PLASMA IS SO 2008?!?!
Forgetting a Paint Scheme
I’ve thrown paint on a ton of models. Normally I try to keep within the basic set up of colors. I don’t really go crazy with mixing, tinting, and changing what I do as I know I am a better “bulk” painter and not a fancy pants GentleBen amazeballs painter. So it gets super frustrating especially with the paint change we had to try and remember old schemes I did. Plus a lot of the time I’ve become “better” or different enough in my own style that it gets hard to remember it. It doesn’t help that having a baby really makes you become a heck of a lot more forgetful.
Dropping Tiny Bits on the Floor
I won’t go into how awesome my wife is when she helps me looking for the tiny little bit of plastic nonsense I lose on a consistent basis. It doesn’t help that its an important piece of whatever model I am currently wrestling with. Oh is that a one of a kind bit from this kit that is totally not worth it but has to be on there? Yup that thing will shoot out of my fat little goat hands and bounce down my leg and try to make a new home for itself in the carpet. I give a gasp of “Oh Sh$t”, pull out my phone and turn on the flash light in hopes my terrible vision can spot it. Most of the time the wife finds it, I am thankful, and then proceed to drop another piece of the terrible puzzle that is miniature building.
Gluing the Crap Out of Your Hand, Face, Leg, other things…
I remember when I first got into this hobby and brought home the really old Chaos Army box set when everything was mostly metal. I got so excited, pulled out the terrible metal dreadnought, and got to work putting that behemoth together. I pulled out my super glue, started to get this thing going, and dropped a huge blob of it on my part of my leg in-between the top and bottom part. I was sitting with my legs crossed because I was young and didn’t know I shouldn’t be glueing over my sensitive bits. Well a quick yelp, some hoping and a shaver later I had a nice bit of bare skin, some super glue to peel off and a nice story. I still haven’t learned from my mistakes and have a plethora of ruined pants, shirts, missing skin and even a time I accidentally got glue on a tooth and tongue. I never said I was smarts.
Watching Your Army Hit the Floor
There is nothing more depressing then watching your army eat it. I have had a few armies eat it pretty well. I have had a few armies I painted for people eat it too. I remember getting into a minor fender bender with a Khorne Killdozer and some daemons in the car. The Kill dozer lost an army but he took out 3 Daemon princes like they were nothing. Of course they were all Slaanesh so it made sense. I had a big Nidzilla army get launched off a table was well. All those converted Hive Tyrants did not do well when they decided to fly “Sad Pants Panda” airlines. As models get taller I get sadder as knowing those guys will just eat it whenever someone gets a little too excited to move their miniatures across the table top.
Setting Up Your Magnets Wrong on Multiple Models
I finished painting another set of 3 knights for myself a few months back. I thought I spent the right amount of time setting up all the Magnets to allow myself to swap all around. Of course I only messed up one kit where the top weapon carapace upgrade got swapped with exactly one model. Luckily the arms were alright and I should be ok if they ever come out with another arm kit but still – goofing up you magnets is such a frustrating thing. Especially when it took a lot of planning to get it in there, locked down, and set up right.
Searching For a Bit
Inspiration can come from all over the place and when building a custom figure it gets doubly frustrating when you can’t find the specific bit. I have a ton of bits as I am bit of a plastic dregs hoarder when it comes to modeling. I’ve started to store and clip things better but it does feel like I will never see an end. It does let me build some interesting things but when you can’t find that specific bit it just drives you crazy. There have been many days I just start searching through tubs of sprue clippings hoping to find the specific claw/spike/etc needed to make whatever counts as piece of nonsense work.
I was going to list another one but I figured you guys have something in mind that frustrates the heck out of you when trying to get your toys put together. Right now I got a ton of models to build for clients so I am living in a world of aggravation. I wonder how much of my finger prints are left after so many years of screaming at the terrible liquid bonding my soul to this plastic bit of nonsense?
~What’s your hobby pet peeve?
