Boil and Pop- The Boil and Pop method is the best way for removing a head from one figure and placing it on another figure. You do this by bringing a pot of water to a rolling boil. Place your figure in the boiling water for 1-2 minutes. Take the figure out of the water and gently pull the head off. The boiling water softens the plastic and makes it easier to remove the head without breaking it.
Dremeling- A good Dremel type rotary tool is essential in customization. It is much easier to grind off surface details that you need to remove than it is to cut them off or sand them off. A Dremel will save you a lot time. I actually use a Black and Decker RTX. Rember when Dremling to to be patient and take your time. Don't grind off too much! It's always easier to go back and take off a little more than it is to fix the figure with Sculpey when you've taken off too much.
Sanding- After you Dremel surface details of your figure, it will be a little rough. Use sand paper of varying grits to smooth down the surface of the plastic.
Sculpting- To add surface details, I sculpt them on using Sculpey III. I have a variety of sculpting tools that I purchased at Hobby Lobby. Patience and attention to detail are the keys to sculpting. The great thing about using Sculpey, which is a heat curing clay, it that if I screw up the sculpt, I can just pull off the clay, roll it into a ball and start all over again. Sculpey doesn't harden until it is baked, so you can work with it for an indefinite period of time. Air dying clays, such as Milliput, harden with exposure to air, so you only have a limitied amount of time to do your sculpt before it cures. Some customizers use air drying clay because they are afraid of curing their figures in the oven. I have heard horror stories of figures turning into lumps of protoplasm in the oven. I must say, though, I have never had a problem with this. I preheat the oven to 275 Degrees and cure the figure for 15 minutes. (One exception: NEVER bake a Wonder Woman more than once!!!!!. She will melt if you bake her more than once for 15 minutes!) I have found that placing the figure on a glass cooking pan on the top rack of the oven works best. Remember: Keep a close eye on your figure while it is baking. As long as you are careful, you shouldn't have any problems with melting. After you take the figure from the oven, allow it to fully cool for about 30 minutes before touching it. This will allow the plastic, which will become soft with baking, to fully harden.
Priming- Using a good spray on primer will make your paint job alot easier. Covering a dark colored plastic with a light colored paint is especially difficult without priming. If painting small details, such as eyes, are difficult for you (as they are for me) you can mask them off with masking or duct tape.
Painting- I use acrylic paints. These are readily available in a variety of colors at any good hobby store. DO NOT use Testors model paint. It is awful for painting plastic and it remains tacky to the touch forever. Good brushes are the key to good detail painting. A good brush with a tiny pointy tip is essential.
Sealing- I always protect my paint job with a coat of spray on acrylic sealant. This come in either matte or gloss finishes. I prefer gloss, because the original Super Powers figures had a bit of a shiny look to them. The sealant really is essential to prevent your acrylic paint from chipping off.
And most importantly... HAVE FUN. Remember that this is your custom and you can do whatever you want with it. It doesn't have to look just like the one you saw on the internet. Make it look the way YOU want it to look, and have fun doing it!
