Project NeuSpeeder

Ok, it has been a long while since I posted any thing anywhere, lot of things needed fixing here at Casa MacDude, and I hosted "She Who Must Be Obeyed" for two and half weeks from her lair in Japan. Coupled with the other one telling me that I (he who is the font of kindness and understanding) that "Stressed Her Out" and didn't want to see me any more, this on the eve of the impending arrival from Japan. So recovery from the visit and a general reordering of plans and work space have slowed down this my open correspondence with y'all.

I have several project in various stages of completion hanging around in boxes under the worktables, as I get them going again I shall document progress, tools, and methods. First off the table is a project that has been noodling around in the brainpan for the better part of this year. The idea occurred to me reading one of the background blurbs in the original WarHammer40k:RogueTrader rulebook talking about the "bus gangs" of a mining world, They drove HoverBusses and raced HoverBikes thus an Idea was germinated. Couple that with all the Post Apocalypse goodness I have been working on and you have NeuSpeeder's of the Southern Deserts.

NeuSpeeders are landspeeders as we see in Star Wars, i.e. floating cars, then add a PA vibe to them... So think Car Wars with Landspeeders. (Game details will follow in further blogs)

NeuSpeeder construction, well the models them selves start as kinda Speeder-ish shapes of Magic Sculpt, or at least that is how the first two batches started. 

The 1st step is to mix up a batch of Magic Sculpt optionally adding a little bit of pigment (this part helps in the shaping process if you use different colors for consecutive layers). Basic shaping is done with my primary tools, my fingers, all I am trying is get the basic shape roughed out. The pictures labeled Second Batch are the core blanks I will work up from (I used a little too much black pigment).

The next step is to use corse sandpaper to refine the core shape, and give a good tooth for subsequent layers to adhere to. This layer also can see a lot of work with the the dremel tools and corse files for shaping.

==>Design note; While the LandSpeeder is the inspiration, I am not going to try to replicate the entire jet engine thrust aesthetic. Thrust exhausts will be part of the body, intakes similar if the exist at all. 

Next is the adding the detail layers, as you can see in the 1st Batch pictures I have started on this on these.

The stands the blanks are mounted on are scavenged screw-top soda bottle caps. 

First Batch

Second Batch

Here is what is on the Stage.

A we all know I am a inhabitant of the Miniatures page and the question was asked; What is on our work benches. Well to be honest I have two main ones, The Stage, where all my pictures are taken, or really the end of my desk, because that is the range of the cord on my Document camera. And lots of construction takes place there. The other is the paint table, which I try to keep clean of construction debris, as the sanding and little bits tend to get all over. 

These first 4 are of a shuttle made out of expanded foam covered with Magic Sculpt, to be honest it has been kicking around the worktable for the last 18 months as the initial idea for texturing failed and the sanding has taken forever.... I was doing it by hand, pulled out the finishing sander today to knock down the mistake. The black lining is sharpie, which I used to figure out the the areas that need further work.

The technique is to paint/mark the surface, then sand it all over with a block. This clearly marks the divits in the surface that might need work. The real trick is to find a firm enough foam sanding block so that you skip the need work areas.

Note, to remove the Sharpie I will use either Acetone or Denatured Alcohol when I prep for painting.

(Edit, 09/05/2011 17:05, the shuttle is 20cm long, 9.5cm wide, 5.5cm tall to the top of the main hull, 6cm to the top of the sensor wing.)

And Chinese left-overs, yes I eat too many meals sitting in front of the Computer, 

And Finally a selection of tools that float around the work tables.

Ain't Dead Yet! But they keep trying...

Well this is more a check in, been busy making more of the MegaHexes, writing rules to use them with Savage worlds.

Plus making more Loot cards... Ok, teaching the Boy about pen and ink drawing so he can help with bulking out the deck. He is learning Graphic Arts in school so I figured a little homework would be in line. And he is the Playtest Slave as well, so all is good.

This weekend is CelestiCon! The highlight of which is a weekend full of SF gaming goodness..

Ain't dead yet....

It has been a while since I have posted, Sorry (actually I am, I like talking about what I am doing). Have had a couple of large 1:1 scale projects here at Casa MacDude, the Bigboss will be here for a month from Japan in a couple of weeks, and she starts at "Not Amused". As well as working hard on making enough Lucre to travel north to spend some time with "She who Understands and gives Comfort" We have both been busy with our own lives.

Add to that I have been distracted by a couple of new miniatures projects; the 1st is Mega-Hex a The Fantasy Trip inspired geomorphic Space Labyrinth, based on 7 hex "megahexes". Also working on specific rules for using them, mostly adapting using them to Savage Worlds/Savage Showdown rules. Will post them once I and the Test Dummy (aka "The Boy", aka "Onboar") are happy with them.

(image stolen from here)

The second is a set of Neuspeeders, think SF3D inspired Star-Wars-ish gravity skimmers (man, that sounds cooler in my head than it looks typed out). The are highly organic in form with technic details and the 1st set are giving me fits. I posted a couple of pics in earlier post, listed as turret-less tanks but really something closer to Gun Trucks, as the scaling is towards the automobile size rather than the larger AFV/Tank scale. Here is a gallery of models fueling my inspiration.

Lastly a set of hand drawn "Loot" cards for my Post Apocalyptic game.

Rumination about what is.

I just rediscovered Sean Patten's web site IronHand.com it give lots of material for the ol' brain mill. In other things the paint table keeps getting occluded by those little nasty house maintenance chores that seem to expand fill otherwise useful hobby time.

So my real question is why does it take me so long to get anything painted?

I will sit and build like there is no tomorrow. But once a project gets to paint it slows down....

Well the boy is gone all tomorrow, I get to chain myself to the table and make some head way...

Hopefully I will have pictures to post by sunday.

The World Intrudes

The real world intrudes here in the walled garden of my fantasy today. My mother, younger brother, his wife and three boys (all under 5 years) live in the greater Tokyo Metropolitan area.

My brother heeding the US State Department's evacuation request has taken his wife and sons south to Hiroshima for and extended visit with his mother-in-law. Which is good in a weird sort of what as his mother-in-law had a sever stroke two and half years ago and has only seen the twins once. Good thing, honest.

My mother has chosen to stay, she is in japan as a missionary and feel s that staying with her church in this time of crisis is important to her work. She is amongst people who care about her and will look out for her safety.

I handle business for both my brother and mother here in the states, I also am the chief contact point, so I get all of it. I have been fielding calls from well wishers and news seekers for days. As well as supporting My families concerns.

My brother is feeling bad about leaving my mother in Tokyo with her mission.

My mother is concerned about how he is feeling.

Good things really, I just am the pivot man.

In the end, colleges of mine and of my younger brother report no substantive rise in background radiation in and around Tokyo. This could change with a significant shift in winds. but not likely. But like everything, prayer isn't out of line.

Thinking about this out loud is all I am really doing. Thanks for your attention.