M_S_Statues

Hello friends and community!
 This week was once again all about preparation work — and honestly, prepwork never really stops on projects like this. One of the major steps this week was installing magnets into different parts of the statue. This makes the entire piece much easier to disassemble later on for transport, shipping, or simply taking it to events and exhibitions safely. The magnets come in different sizes depending on the part and the amount of strength needed. Some of the holes are already prepared in the print, while others — like the one inside the hand — had to be drilled manually. This process requires a lot of care because resin prints can crack or get damaged very easily if too much pressure is applied. Sometimes even a fraction of a millimeter can make a difference when fitting the magnets, so in certain areas I carefully widened the holes using a hobby knife until the fit was perfectly clean and secure. A particularly important area is the hand, since it sits very close above the delicate chess pieces. Because those small figures are extremely fragile, I decided to magnetize the hand separately so it can be attached later to the main statue safely without risking damage during assembly or painting. The same approach was used for the head to improve handling and accessibility during the later stages of the project. Another big focus was the lower cabinet section. As you can see, the two printed parts do not fit together perfectly yet. In the end, most people would probably never notice it once everything is assembled, but I personally always try to push every part of the project to the highest level possible — even the areas that may never be seen directly. To fill the gaps between the cabinet parts, I used Green Stuff, which is a two-part epoxy putty. It comes in blue and yellow, and once both components are kneaded together, the material turns green and becomes workable. After mixing it properly, I rolled it out by hand into a thin worm-like shape and carefully pressed it into the gaps. Afterwards, I used a fresh hobby knife to trim away the excess material as cleanly as possible. This helps reduce unnecessary sanding work later and keeps the surrounding details much sharper. I also already pre-filled smaller areas, like the holes underneath the chair, so they can later be sanded and refined properly together with the rest of the piece. For me, high-end collectible work is not only about the areas people immediately notice, but also about all the hidden details and clean craftsmanship behind the final result. A lot more sanding, refining, and cleanup is still ahead — but step by step, everything is coming together. That’s it for this week’s update! I’ll see you all next week with more progress on the project. And as always, if you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments. Peace out!