Scratchbuilding a Heavy Bolter with Plasticard: A Beginner's Guide

[YorkNecromancer]

I think so.

Now, cutting through cylindrical rod is a *****. What I do is to extend the blade like you see, press down onto the mark I made from above and then use both hands. One presses the blade GENTLY down and forward, rolling the tube as it cuts. Ideally the front of the cut should meet the back, Ourobourous-style. Your other hand gently steadies the rod as it rolls.

You’re not trying to cut through the rod, just score it...



...like so:



You can use your fingers to crack it, or if you’re like me and have sausage fingers, a pair of modelling tweezers will do the job nicely:




Repeat this for the targetter.



Next, sand down all the remaining surfaces on your gun’s body and get ready to assemble your bits.



Glue the barrel and targetter in place:



And now the gun is looking more like it should.



Next comes the greebling process. I’m just going to include the shots of what I did. You can copy what I did, or do what you like to develop the detail on your gun.



Note that if I’m doing precise, tiny cuts, I’ll use the very tip of my knife, press down directly on the back of the blade. Remember, if your blade doesn’t have a tip, break/replace that blade. It’s not safe any more.