Hobby Cheating 205 - Fixing Gaps from Subassemblies 

This is a great tip. Especially because I paint all of my large scale figures in sub assemblies. Important to note and the part that scares most people. If you have to fill. Use a filler that is water soluble and the excess can be removed as you go. Avoid sanding if at all possible! I found acrylic gel medium to be a good option. It's durable, bonds to anything, can be cleaned or thinned with water, doesn't shrink and can be colored with any acrylic paint. Food for thought.

Vince, I had to comment after watching this video. I watched your video because I'm a new beginning painter and trying to do a Japanese army for Bolt action, and after a ton of frustration getting started I decided the best thing to do would be to paint my army in sub assemblies. So in an attempt to see how everyone else does this I watched your video here. Well, I spent more time ooohing and ahhhing over your model's paint job than really watching and listening to the video, I'm not so sure I heard anything you had to say on the subject at first. It was truly fantastic. I eventually backed up and watched your video again so I could see more what you said, but I immediately began watching your beginner videos and found myself binge watching both your beginner videos, the one on primer and another one on diluting paint. I think your videos are some of the best I've ever seen, and instantly subbed to your channel. Your 20+ years of experience truly shows when you explain things. It's very obvious to me you know what your talking about. And I always enjoy learning from people that are the best. Your work speaks for itself. I'm just getting started, but can't wait to watch each and every one of your videos on painting techniques and learn from all your videos you've posted on painting topics. Thanks so much for all your efforts of making videos and sharing your talent with us. You've cleared up alot of questions I've had on painting, I wish I could have found your channel sooner for sure. You asked in one of your videos if there was anything you didn't cover. Not really, but this is probably a newbie question. For me, I started with Vallejo paints. However, something I found to be an issue was when they've been sitting on the shelf for awhile and even after a ton of shaking the paints are still very very thick or seem dried out. Is there a good way to prep your paints? Thoughts?? I would also love to know what your position is on companies that claim you don't have to primer their models before painting. Namely Reaper Bones and Nolzurs miniatures. I thought of this when watching your primer video. You are a wealth of information my friend and I can't wait to be a student and learn from your knowledge on this subject. Your work is truly amazing. Sorry this got so long...but I had to comment. Thanks...Cheers!!

I'm definitely one of those who has had clear assembly lines on models in the past because "I've mixed so many paints and inks, through the shades and highlights - I'll never be able to colour match it" Vince: "It doesn't matter, noone will notice". Me: "Wait... what?" I think one of the best things you're doing here is giving people permission to fail (and fix afterwards), as you did (particularly) with the Chibi eyes too. That is an incredibly powerful thing...

From a real beginner, it's really awe inspiring how fearless you are about the placing the paint

Thanks so much for this! I've been looking everywhere and found nothing covering the end of the sub-assembly process.

Good shout Vince! I've said it before, but you've been more helpful to me in this hobby than the combined efforts of the entire community. Really man, you've made a really impressive mark on the scene. Always recommend your hobby cheating videos to people with any questions. Would you consider reviewing the new scale 75 paints? I'm really intrigued by them. Tube paints for minis?? Crazy!

Thanks Vince! This was a really useful video. I'm beginning assembly on a dragon project and was sure I needed to paint the wings as sub-assemblies as they are gathered around the body. Was worrying how I'd fill the gaps and match up the paint when the painting was finished and I was assembling the piece. This gives me the confidence to try it! Have found your channel extremely useful since my return to the hobby almost 2 years ago. 👌😎

Ah, just in time for my Warhound Titan. Thanks for the vid, love the series.

OMG soo good! Amazing work as always, and thanks for the tip.

Thank you for this tutorial, been waiting for this one :D You're a true hero

Thank you so much, this step is my own personal Kryptonite.

I couldn't take my eyes off the shield. What amazing details all around the figure... Like the scarring, I am still not sure if they are painted or actually scratches.

This is great, I really needed this video, like today!

Great video Vince. Very handy.

Would love to see NMM Bronze done. Great video as always my man!

I love your painting! I want to have painted miniature babies with you!!! :P Your painting is amazing and thank you for the great tip on fixing minis :)

9:19 "Revarnish that backside because it's got a big crack in it." Do you want to rethink that wording, Vince?!

Beautiful paint job, and yep this is a big reason I almost never use subassemblies. Maybe I’ll start!

Another great hobby cheat, another great vid!

I use this all the time since you showed how to get rid of mold lines with varnish while painting. I now often chose gloss varnish over milliput. But very often after painting the gloss will show through the colors. So I always make a final layer with AK Interactive matte varnish.

The other thing to consider is when you've painted your sub assemblies and you've painted everything (including the points where the parts are to have glue applied to them) how do you neatly remove the paint from those points prior to applying plastic glue ? infact do you even do this ? or do you just put the plastic glue over the paint ? I'd rather not do this as the plastic glue often dissolves the paint and the glue melted paint residue starts going places where you don't want it to. Do you guys remove the paint from the sub assemblies using a cotton bud dipped in some alcohol based liquid only on the part where it's going to be glued ? The other thing to highlight in this video is perhaps the importance of glue application, there is nothing worse that having painted your sub assemblies to perfection and then you apply too much glue to the joints and then it spills over the join onto the visible part of your lovely painted model. For superglue I use a ca glue applicator from Flex-i-File with very liquid super glue (say Bob Smith Industries Insta Cure or Army Painters super glue, not the think gloopy, stingy superglue such as gorilla glue; this is a very precise tool and you just burn and scrape the glue off the metal tip if left over glue gets too bulky). For pastic glue I just use an old fine brush to paint on the glue precisely, the bristles harden afterwards but then re-soften when you dip it back into the super glue.

Good stuff as always! I’m about to do a lord discordant and this is really helpful

great video on a much needed topic.

Vince... you inspire me

Hi Vince! Matte vs Gloss: You wrote in the comments that gloss varnish is better than matte varnish for gaps filling (if I've read you correctly). Would you mind telling us more about why it is the case? (I suspect the surface tension of the glossy varnish makes layers thicker, but since we push the varnish onto the crack, it shouldn't really have any effect, should it?)

Your varnish trick is amazing. I did a "worst case scenario" with my current project and the gaps and lines did practically disappear. Thanks

Very nice, thanks for this.

Could you please discuss that wire loop thing and other tricks you know for mounting heavier models on a grippable thing? For some reason I just struggle getting heavy models to stay put on my jam jar lately and my plasti-tack is failing at its one task. *Klunk* *Smash*

Thanks for the time and effort you spend on your videos. Have you tried this with non Vallejo varnishes? I tried this with AK Interactive varnishes after seeing your old video, and after many applications on a small crack, it didn’t have any noticeable effect. Maybe I should just pickup some Vallejo varnish for this sole purpose.

I get this is a large model, so overdoing it with CA is probably not as big of an issue. But with something a little closer to 28 mm, being a noob I find it easier to use a thin layer of epoxy putty to put everything back together for certain joints. Gives a little more time if I screw things up. For something like ball and socket joints in GW models, super glue is great. But when I'm connecting legs to torsos in thin female minis (say like Relic Knights for example), it really sucks when the alignment is slightly off because the glue dries too fast. You can't remove this with an ultrasonic cleaner because there is virtually no room for the bubbles to get in a joint like this once it cures. You can cut the model up and reattach things, but then you have to re-sculpt details that get damaged in the sawing process. It's a real PITA. That said, I love your varnish trick. I saw when you used the matte variety in an earlier video when I didn't have the plastic putty on hand, and it saved me a hassle more than a few times.

Thanks for this 'stop gap' video :0 Great interview w/Erik and great to get a class in with you at Nova, I'm feeling a good deal more confident with free-hand. Video topic suggestion: Forge World Warpgnaw Verminlord aka how to build/correct/paint large resin Skaven (maybe basing ideas too). 6 Keepers now but how many greater Rat Demons? If it's less than 6... well Thanquol probably has some words for you.

That model is so Vince!

The accelerant doesn’t mess up your paint? That’s so cool! Do you prefer the dropper to the spray?

Great tip thank you! Quick Question. Can it work with matt varnish?

Came to this from March '24's AMA video. I've run into problems with superglue vapors discoloring the paint. It seems to be at it's worst when I use a gel superglue with an accelerant. Beyond the Zap-a-Gap shown here are there any other tips on glues that don't discolor?

Does the accelerant you use dry clear? If some of it touches a part of the model it you don't want it to, does it mess up the paint job?

nice tip thx vince

So when do you usually sub assembly Vince? Do you ever if a piece is not going to be in a competition? I finally got over the painting hangups I had when I got into hobby at AOS launch and am knee deep in my nighthaunt army. I dont swe any major issues with them but I'm going to get the bone Reapers and some of them seem like sub assembly candidates. But I'm just painting them for myself and trying different things. Is it really worth the trouble then?

Funny I’m definitely one of those people you describe who doesn’t do sub assemblies because of too many past mistakes and disasters trying to fit in pieces. The Khinerai were a nightmare :(

Did you varnish the model before gluing it. I always assumed that accelerant would eat the paint.

How did you get that effect on the cloth?

BUT VINCE you once made a video with matt varnish our lord and saviour and now you cheat on him with the gloss varnish?! what is this madness?!

"Down the crack... onto the backside" Come on, Vince, you're better than this :D

the belt buckle turned today's video rating to M for mature....

This is all far too neat for me 😂

Yet another reason to use a wet pallet