Guide on how to assemble the Dracula Bust

Assembling a multi part resin bust can be a little more complicated than putting together a typical miniature. For that reason, James Stone, the brilliant painter responsible for painting our showcase bust has put together a guide on how to do it. If you have any questions or run into any issues, please contact us at info@blacklettergames.com and we will get back to you.

Step 1

When casting busts like these, a chemical is used to make sure the resin doesn’t stick to the mould, making it easier to remove. Before painting it’s advisable that the parts of the bust are washed. This can be done with a small amount of washing up liquid, warm water, and an old soft toothbrush. Following this step will help to make sure the primer coat of paint adheres to the bust without any issues.

Step 2

Before building the bust, make sure you have the following tools, though bear in mind, the brand you use will usually not matter. From left to right: Milliput or similar filler; a pair of hobby clippers; a file or sandpaper; a sharp modelling knife; superglue—not plastic glue. Once you have all these supplies, unbox your bust!

 

Step 3

Here, you can see that the resin bust is supplied unpainted and in several parts which must be glued together. Make sure you have them all before continuing by using this picture as a reference. Supplied are: the torso/head; the base; the hand; the sleeve; the collar.

 

Step 4

 

Start by “dry-fitting” the parts of the bust together. This means to build the model without gluing the parts to test how well they fit. As you can see above, the bust doesn’t seamlessly go together in some parts, such as when attaching the torso to the base. If this, or similar, is the case, there’s nothing wrong with the model—this is just a natural part of the casting process and is easily remedied as shown in the following steps.

 

Step 5

Start by identifying which joints are stopping the pieces from sitting flush. As you can see here, where the underside of the torso should be flat, there’s some excess resin which is white. This also appears on the sleeve, which I will use as an example.

 

Step 6

 

For this, you will need your knife and your file or sandpaper. Start by running the knife against the flat of the joint, cutting away from you at all times. It’s imperative while performing this step that your safety comes first!

 

Step 7

 

Once the excess resin has been scraped away, your piece should look flatter, like above. Discard of the excess resin by throwing it away in a wastebin. While this should improve the fit of the bust by removing unnecessary material, it might not be quite flat, so use your file or sandpaper to file down the joint until it is flat.

 

Step 8

 

Repeat this across any joint pieces that need it until they’re flat like these. Dry-fit the pieces again before moving on.

 

Step 9

Again, dry-fit your pieces. This time, as shown above, they should fit together much more cleanly, with only a thin seam between pieces. You can fix these seams and imperfections next.

 

Step 10

 

Once the filler has dried, you’re ready to glue your bust together. Apply a blob of superglue from the nozzle on a throwaway surface or piece of paper to test its flow first. Once you’re confident with the flow of the glue, place a small blob (as seen above) onto a joint, and then immediately press this joint flush against the adjoining piece. When connecting two pieces, only put the glue on one half. Hold these two pieces together until fully dried before moving onto the next step. If you’re having trouble with the pieces drying, take them apart, wait for the glue to fully dry and use your hobby knife to gently score the flat connective surface where the glue goes. This increases the surface area of the joint so there’s more space for the glue to dry.

Make sure during this step that you don’t spill glue on anywhere but the connection points for the bust. Once dry, superglue can obscure or damage the detail of the cast.

 

Step 11

I have assembled my bust to this point; I’ve opted to leave the collar and hand separate so I can paint them separately to the main bust. This is entirely optional, however, and you can choose to assemble the bust completely before painting if you wish. You may also see at this point, as in the picture above, a small seam between the torso and the base of the bust, and between the torso and the sleeve. Again, this is a perfectly normal part of assembly which you can easily rectify using the Milliput or filler.

 

Step 12

 

Here you can see the yellow areas where I’ve filled the gaps with Milliput. I did this using a toothpick to press it into the recesses. I’ve left some tiny parts of the seam left unfilled—this is fine, as the primer/ spray you use before painting will fill and obscure these areas. In the second image above, you can see that some of the Milliput has got into the detail of the bust. Make sure to pick this out with a toothpick before it dries.

 

Step 13

After filling these final gaps and allowing the filler to dry, the model is ready to prime. Use an acrylic matt spray to do this (I would recommend black or grey). This primer layer allows the paint you brush on later to stick to the model by creating an even canvas which is friendly to acrylics. Shake your can for a minute or so before using. Be sure to spray the model outside or in a well-ventilated area, preferably with a mask. Hold the spray can about 12” away from the bust and spray it in thin, short bursts, observing the bust at intermittent points to make sure it’s coating the model without going on too thick. Repeat as necessary until the bust is entirely coated. For best results, leave it overnight to dry.

If you are painting your bust in multiple parts as I am, spray these as you would with the main bust.

 

Step 14

Here you can see, I’ve sprayed the bust and its component parts entirely black (grey is also fine). I’ve mounted the extra parts on some spare wargaming bases using a tiny drop of superglue that will be easily broken off to assemble fully after painting. These allow me to hold the parts better while I’m painting, but if you’re assembling in multiple parts, any small, flat and disposable surface will do. Once this primer coat is fully dried, you’re ready to start painting!

If you’re painting some parts of the bust separately before fully assembling them, once you’ve finished painting them, follow the early assembly steps in this guide by using a small amount of superglue on the connective areas to complete your masterpiece.

A huge thank you to James for putting together this comprehensive guide, which no doubt translates to any resin bust that you’re looking to build in the future. You can follow James on his website: https://jamesoftheempyrean.blogspot.com/ and on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theempyrean_/