Often I see beautiful paintjobs that are marred by a single flaw: the barrels of their guns aren't drilled. It is such a simple thing that really detracts from the finished look of a model. Often guns are the focal points of our figures, and if the barrel is just flat plastic then the dangerous end doesn't look dangerous. I'm not sure if it seems daunting or if it's just forgotten, but it always makes me sad when I see otherwise gorgeous models missing this one little feature.
Here's a short tutorial on how I drill out the barrels of my storm bolters. It is ridiculously easy and improves the look of the model by magnitudes.
Here is a storm bolter fresh off the sprue. First we need to trim the bit of sprue that is still on the barrel. I've never been certain what metrics GW uses to determine where a given piece attaches to the sprue, but sometimes they really don't make sense. The barrel is such a focal point that I don't understand why you'd make it such a high-risk spot.
As always when trimming flash or mould lines, get a fresh blade on your hobby knife.
Cut the flash until all the plastic is flush and even.
The next step is important to getting that machined look.
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Above is an example of Sad Gun Barrels. This was the result of just going at the barrels with my hand drill without a guide. It looks all wonky and terrible.
To avoid this, take your hobby knife and poke two small holes into the end of the gun. Center these holes, and you will have a perfect guide for your drill.
This is my cheap pin vise drill. It cost me eight dollars at my FLGS and came with a set of drill bits. This is not an expensive investment, if that's what has been stopping you from drilling you barrels.
Drill the barrels. You don't need to go very deep. Just enough so that shadows and washes sink in.
Behold! Drilled barrels. Easy peasy. Now you have no excuse to not do it on your models.
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