Magnetizing Floppy Arms

[hivemind03]

I'm magnetizing up as much or my collections as I can. Magnetizing marines is easy breezy beautiful covergirl, but tyranids with so many front heavy, ball and socket joints has posed a problem. For example, I'm using some 1/8" x 1/16" n52 magnets for my Tyrannofex. The magnets easily hold the weight of the entire model but do nothing to keep the arms from rotating limply forward.

What do you guys do to keep your Venom Cannons from looking like they have ED? The best I can come up with is using a small blob of blue tack, but even that is insufficient when you start moving the model around.

[Overread]

For something like the Tyrannofex where you've got a very long arm and thus the magnet acts like a pivot the best thing is to pin the join area. Drill a hole into the arm and the socket and then glue a bit of metal (brass is often used) into the arm. Now whenever you fit the arm the magnets will hold the two parts together whilst the pin will help prevent rotation of the arm.

If you put the drill hole and pin into the underside of the arm you should be able to have it fully hidden without much trouble.

It can also be worth doing if you ever join two larger parts together, eg I know some people magnetize the winged and land hive-tyrant and a simple pin would be essential to help steady teh body to legs part of such a kit.



Ps if you still have stability trouble try using two pins.

[gigasnail]

^this. pin it along with the magnet. works good lasts long time.

[hivemind03]

That would have been a good plan from the start. The magnets I'm using take up most of the socket, though.