Pewter Pops! and Head Stands!

Ever have trouble handling miniatures for painting? Want to create awesome scenic bases without ruining your miniatures' paint jobs? Pewter Pops are the solutions for all of your troubles!

Okay, this idea is stolen from Confrontation Miniatures.

Tools & supplies:
[list]
[*]Xuron track shears from Heresy Miniatures
[*]small needle-nose pilers
[*]1 mm titanium drill bit and pin vise from Heresy
[*]diamond files and/or dremel tool with a carbide cutting burr
[*]xacto knife handles or old paint brushes
[*]your favorite instant glue, CA adhesive, epoxy, etc
[*]your favorite thickness of brass wire
[*]razor saw (xacto-style hobby saw)[br]
[b]Optional:[/b] For extra strength, use Piano Wire
[*]0.039" hard wire (piano wire, available at hobby shops)
[*]Hard wire clippers[br]
[b]More:[/b] Options and accessories:
[*]old-paintbrush-handle holders
[*]priming block
[*]pewter pop holding block
[*]headstands!
[/list]

Here we go:

[list=1]
[*]Once your miniature is all cleaned up and assembled, clip off the tab base, grind all of the excess material down to the soles of the miniatures feet. With a bunch of work, the same thing can be done to a "broccoli base."
[*]Drill a 1 mm hole straight up into the foot or the strongest area most obviously capable of supporting the weight of the miniature and can be easily filled or hidden, and as far into the miniature as you dare, at least 4 mm. Work the drill in this hole to make sure to clean it out really well.
[*]Cut a 1.5 - 2 inch length of the wire. Knurl the end of the wire that will be cemented into the hole by crushing the wire a bit with the pliers. This will give the glue a good surface for adhesion. Glue the wire into the hole. Caution! If you use piano wire, note that this wire is stronger than the track shears, so use hardened clippers for this stuff or you'll ruin your nice track shears. Believe me, I know.
[*]When the cement hardens, use your needle-nose pliers to bend the end of the wire into a small zig-zag or S shape. This will give it a bit of springiness for sticking into the holder.
[*]You can now prime your miniature; stick the wire into a block of styrofoam and have at it. You can also line up a bunch of pewter pops onto the same block of styrofoam for mass priming.
[*]When you're ready to start painting, your xacto knife handle becomes your miniature handle; unscrew the handle, loosen it as much as you can, remove any blade that's still in it, and shove the other end of the wire into the handle. Crank it down tight, and you how have a handy handle for your miniature!
[/list]

[b]Old-paintbrush-handle holders[/b] -- for those of us who don't feel like buying a handful of pin vises, old paintbrush handles work great. Especially the thicker ones, like those made by Citidel. They are tapered at both ends, and they are made out of a good hardwood.
Take your old paintbrush and cut off the ferule with the hobby saw. Then cut the paintbrush right in half. Both halves have a cool gentle taper. Drill a nice deep hole into the thick end, large enough to accommodate your wire. If you bent in the zigzag, that springing action should hold the mini firmly for you.

[b]Priming Block[/b] -- now that your miniature has a nice metal wire sticking out of its bottom, it is that much easier to set it up for spray priming!
Take a handy-sized block of wood, and drill a bunch of holes into it, in a staggered pattern like the stars on the USA flag, about 1.5 inches apart. Voila! You have a block that will hold a good number of miniatures of varying sizes all ready for priming.

[b]Pewter Pop Holding Block[/b] -- You can make a handy block to hold your miniatures during your paint sessions by drilling holes of the right size to fit your handles into a block of wood. If you are using paintbrush handles, a 1/4 inch hole should work just fine.

[b]Headstands![/b] -- Sometimes it is easier to paint the head of a miniature before attaching it to the body. Maybe it has a helmet with deep features to get at, maybe the arms or weapons or shoulders or wings are in the way for an effective job of painting. I figured out a good solution.

Tools & supplies:
[list]
[*]Xuron track shears from Heresy Miniatures
[*]small needle-nose pilers
[*]1 mm titanium drill bit and pin vise from Heresy
[*]diamond files and/or dremel tool with a carbide cutting burr
[*]xacto knife handles or old paint brushes
[*]your favorite instant glue, CA adhesive, epoxy, etc
[*]your favorite thickness of brass wire
[*]razor saw (xacto-style hobby saw)
[b]Optional:[/b] For extra strength, use Piano Wire
[*]0.039" hard wire (piano wire, available at hobby shops)
[*]Hard wire clippers
[/list]

Instructions:

Drill a hole in the bottom of the head, and cement in the wire just like you did for your pewter pop. Bend the bottom of the wire into your zigzag, and then prime it on your block then stick it onto your handle!

Voila! A head stand! This way you can handle the head easily. Paint it the same time you paint the rest of the miniature so that the colors match.

[b]Now What?[/b] Okay, once your miniature is painted and sealed, you can just clip off the excess wire to leave a pin in your miniatures' foot so that you can cement it to your finished base. That's it!!