Was thinking in the lines of what Studio Update mentioned, that there might be some mixed material miniatures in the future.
This seems extremely unlikely. If they're going to make this capital investment for this technology, they're going to use it. I don't think this would be an interim solution to the tin problem.
A few more questions. Q: Can you recommend any cleaning procedures to prep before painting? How about acceptable primers? Q: is the material compatible with epoxy putties (green stuff) and other common modeling materials?
this might be more for @Muad'dib but still: Q: What chemicals would you recommend and which you would warn against for paint removal (stripping)? How will the material behave in prolonged contact with acetone / isopropyl alcohol (IPA) / ethyl alcohol / biostrip and other popular chemicals used for the purpose?
Some common alcohols are compatible with polyamide. No idea what are the active components of biostrip. Here is another table with also PU and PVC, saying ethyl, methyl and isopropyl are OK (IIRC @Muad'dib link said IPA was not so OKish), and acetone OKish (so always quick bath, and as last resort).
MayaCast review. "For hobbyists, modellers, artists, the clean up is a little bit rough and hard to get perfect." In another spot he says the same thing and adds that it's nowhere close for artist painters to the clean smooth surfaces you can get with metal.
I could not possibly respect the opinion of a "wargamer" who does not wear his smart watch on a NATO strap. ( or zulu or RAF strap. Yes, I know there are no one piece NATOs for the Apple smart watches.) Just sayin'. I think using a chisel point hobby knife blade will work better for scraping the mold lines-- the action is more like planing a piece of wood though. It's been my go-to 'scraper' for PVC plastic minis. Also, file in one direction, not like what you see in the video. The point is to not generate too much friction at once, since that generates heat, and softens and melts the thermoplastic. Use the pointed hobby knife to slice.
He needs a better mic and / or editing. Intro music OK, then whispers. Have you watched the video? Have you been replaced by aliens? 15 seconds and BAM!!! Only fifteen until catastrophe! Back to serious (just in case nobody noticed it was a joke)... rough files leaving rough surfaces... welcome to sanding in phases, try "multiple thousands" grit before concluding it can not end smooth. Accelerated bonds (legs to base) being easier to break than plain bond (arm to body, part of the plug breaks)... thanks for the demo. Also I wonder if a method involving sandable primer helps with the "beard" fuzzy thing. Oh, well, I want one to test myself. Maybe first and last for me, maybe not. To follow file teeth? Or for different reason? Flame polishing. ;)
Wow, this looks even worse than I had originally imagined. Super flexible material. Going to feel like a cheap toy.
With a risk of setting myself for a cheap NSFW joke - flexible toys doesn't mean cheap toys. But I don't like how the material handles cleaning too and I'm really concerned about antennas, gun barrels and so on. Way too bendy. Nopenopenope! The very mention gives me the heebie-jeebies
Maybe someone already did the ebb00fe5be6a2c502cb3334e303254fd question... More uses for the kitchen torch! Anyone for the challenges?
It is not a bi-directional tool. Same with a hand saw. It only works on the push stroke ( or pull stroke for Japanese saws. And recently, a few saws available in the West) Ah, and the material removed on the push and caught in the file is rubbed onto the surface of the material on the pull stroke. Now where did those fuzzies come from again? Derp. Push and clean. Push and clean. Nail files can go bi-directional, but it is a bad idea to use them on fingernails that way. The internet will tell you why.
Even with files that can go in any direction or with sandpaper, if you want precise results, its best to push, clean, then push again and so on... It's a right pain if you are not patient though. And if we're swapping the hurdle of gluing metal miniatures with the hurdle of cleaning these plastic ones, this might not be a net positive. We shall see...
Not sure why this it's so surprising that a new material requires new techniques and different tools. They already told us in this thread that this material doesn't work well with files. They said to use blades and fine sandpaper.
Not sure why it's so surprising that it's at the very least inconvenient when established techniques need to be adjusted and that it's at least very concerning that the end effect is still not acceptable (not smooth) for artist painters, unlike previous material.
Unlikely to make enough of a difference. Nylon doesn't change its mechanical properties drastically at least until -40C.
