TMP Vehicle Exchange

Ok recently on the TMP we have had a Miniatures exchange Featuring 15mm Vehicles. 

This is what I got from D. Gilbert, A loverly Infinity bot accompanied by four gents who by their dress and mix of equipement are some flavor of Post-Apocalyptic Miltia and bit of terrain. 

This is What I sent to Mr. Jeff Worley. Yes he got the bus. And my interpretation of Marcus from Borderlands, and looking at the picture It looks like I missed painting the headlamps.....

I hope Mr Worley is as happy with the Bus as I am with what I got.

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.

Some of the Tools I use.

This is a picture of the array of tools I keep on hand when building with Plastic Card.

It is a assortment of clippers, generally I get a new set every years or so the best one I have so far is GallForce9's Large set. But to be honest the set from Harbor Freight are almost as good and half the price. The newest one from GW is sub-par, it works well but the bevel on the cutting face is a little steep, making tight or plunge cuts difficult and they are expensive.

A leather punch for making small circles not so good for making holes as bevel on each die tends to deforme the parent sheet.

A couple of Pin-vises with a variety of bits, Dremel make a nice Index of bits, 7 bits with the largest being 1/8th inch.

A carbide tipped scribe, good for marking up and detailed scribing and cutting they are generally $5 or $6 in the hardware store, look with the rest of the marking and measuring tools.

A selection of flat faced pliers and hemostats, these are very useful for holding onto little bits when scribing a break point.

Other tools not pictured. well mostly, files and rasps, sanding blocks pre-made foam/sponge core and older "wrap sand paper around" types. these are use to.... Need I explain? Wait, the softer sponge core one are great for rounding complex curves as they tend to follow the surface better than sand paper around the finger.

Ok, these are the basics of the tools I commonly use when building with plastic card and sheet. I use a different subset when working with putty, mostly the addition of wax and dental tools generally sold as sculpting tools, a variety of wooden pottery tools and set of Clay Shapers, brush shaped tools with a number of differently shaped silicon tips.

Krash Wagon Pics

Here is the latest Vehicle build, The Krash Wagon, a converted Police heavy response vehicle. The "front" end is the the one with the turret, but there is a driving station on either end so front is relative. I am figuring the turret will have a mounted grenade launcher and a water cannon converted to a Flamethrower. I haven't modified the turret yet. The Turret is from Old Crow Models 6mm line.
Here is a size comparison with one of Proxie Model's Trencher tanks. I have to say the Trencher Platoon deal is a great one 3 tanks for $10 plus shipping.

Turret-less Grav Tanks

Recently on the The Miniatures Page in the SF Discussion forum there was some talk about wether Gravity lift and drive tanks needed turrets or not. Considering this question I kludged together a couple of concept sculpts. Just to play with the Idea. Bob isn't sure, but these are only concept tanks....