BCK's Thread of Stuff: Maybe not eldar...

[lionofjudah]

Fantastic! The detailing(and patience) is off the charts

[Brother-Chaplain Kage]

Looks awesome mate. Regarding the tow cable, how much space is there behind the turret?

 

Not much at all. There's hardly anything for a rear deck and the profile pic below shows that. 

 

Fantastic! The detailing(and patience) is off the charts

[Brother-Chaplain Kage]

The above placement idea for the tow cable won't work because I discovered that even a slightly sharp bend in the cable makes the wires begin to separate. I had a couple tries at making the tow hook and finally had success with this one.

 

http://i.imgur.com/rG5Y6a7.png

 

The hook started out as a solid piece of plastic rod that I shaped with files and a pin vice. The cable on the back end won't reach that far when finished but I'm leaving some extra length on it for now until I decide exactly where it will go. So, hook #2, the securing braces to hold the hooks and the cable in place, and then I'll finish up the stowage and be ready for paint.

Edited July 10, 2016 by Brother Chaplain Kage

[Brother-Chaplain Kage]

Life stuff, including more unexpected doctor visits for my mom, have slowed my progress. I had hoped to have it ready for painting at least a week ago, so I'm going to cut back on some of the extras I had planned in the hopes of getting it finished for the ETL deadline.

 

First up, the completed tow cable.

 

http://i.imgur.com/0ikmo5N.png

 

The clasps holding it in place are less detailed than I wanted to save some time. I also added one more brass wire rung just below the armor plate behind the sponson door.

 

On the front and rear...

 

http://i.imgur.com/vzBAyPp.png

 

Tow hooks completed and attached along with a bit of chain, holders for spare road wheels on the rear, the new exhaust stacks, a new scratch built engine deck cover, fuel tanks attached, a few more stowage bags on the rear of the turret (which I still have to finish up), and a Mechanicum icon on the back.

 

There's a few more little things to do, like adding the headlights and a few more stowage bags to cover up some miscast spots, putting the hatches on the driver and commander cupolas, and then it's on to painting. 

[Monstra Sumus]

That Macharius is inspired. Well done, I look forward to seeing it complete. 

[Soldier of Dorn]

And now I'm tempted to order a Macharius. Great super(?) detailing on the tank, really sells the model well.

[Brother-Chaplain Kage]

Thanks, brothers.

 

@The Psycho - Be prepared for some work on them gaps if you get one. As far as super-detailing goes, it might be for 40k, but you should see how crazy it can get for models of real tanks and airplanes.

 

I finally got to priming this beast today.

 

http://i.imgur.com/wYTmA5m.png

 

Note the addition of the tools on the rear armor panels. Also note that I forgot to put the headlights on.

 

On a different subject, anyone remember these guys?

 

http://i.imgur.com/2r49t1f.gif

 

I recently received one of the commander figures from Elijah7 (thanks again!) who long ago had the left arm removed, and decided to see if I could get him to fit in with my Dusk Raiders. Here's the before/after pic:

 

http://i.imgur.com/B051OPf.png

 

I'm thinking maybe a standard bearer in a command squad, or a vexila bearer in a vet squad. I'll be converting his armor as much as I can to look like Mk IV, and might shorten that sword scabbard. The head choice isn't 100%, but you can rarely go wrong with Mk IV.

Edited October 16, 2016 by Brother Chaplain Kage

[lionofjudah]

Looking great man! Nice placement on the tow cable. I used heavy picture hanging wire for tow cables and it bends easily and pokes holes in fingers easily as well.

Lol... Had the same tools on my Vulcan:)

It's several millennia ahead... Surely the drivers have better lowlight and NVGs than we have now;)

The helmet looks a wee bit big on the metal captains body- I always thought his scabbard placement was a bit funny. 'Avast ye scoundrels, let me cross draw my HuGe sward from cross body whilst it angles away from me.'- love his volkiteness

Edited July 28, 2016 by lionofjudah

[Ovidius Incertus]

Love the Macharius project.

 

Did you use the same file handle and paintbrush to set the radius for all the curves?  I'm looking at the lifting rings and the grab bars you added to the turret.  Are they all the same radius?  And how do you secure them for bending?  I have an adjustable hobby miter box that seems like it might make an adequate jig for such a purpose.

 

And I had to use the GS sandwich method you used to fill some egregious gaps on a Sicaran before.  Quite effective, if time consuming.

[GhostMalone]

Bring back the Viiith

[Brother-Chaplain Kage]

It's several millennia ahead... Surely the drivers have better lowlight and NVGs than we have now;)

I always thought his scabbard placement was a bit funny. 'Avast ye scoundrels, let me cross draw my HuGe sward from cross body whilst it angles away from me.'

 

I test fit the headlights a long time ago and I thought they looked alright, but going back and doing it again just now, I think I'll skip them.

 

That sword was always a bit awkward, huh? I considered grinding some of the bottom off to make it shorter, but just to make even more work for myself, I might remove it completely.

 

Love the Macharius project.

 

Did you use the same file handle and paintbrush to set the radius for all the curves?  I'm looking at the lifting rings and the grab bars you added to the turret.  Are they all the same radius?  And how do you secure them for bending?  I have an adjustable hobby miter box that seems like it might make an adequate jig for such a purpose.

 

Yep, same file and paintbrush, and I didn't secure them for bending. I held it in my hand and wrapped the brass rod around the handle.

 

Bring back the VIIIth

 

They will return, but for now I have all these Dusk Raider ideas in my head that I need to work through.

[Brother-Chaplain Kage]

I managed to get some more work done on my Macharius today, and finally try out the Iwata airbrush that I bought back in January.

 

Ok, so, hairspray chipping is where this is going. I've mentioned it before and I've seen others mention it on the boards, but for those who don't know, here's a quick rundown.

 

After priming and putting down a layer of color that you want to seen underneath the base color of whatever you're painting, you spray the areas (or the entire vehicle) where you want the paint chipping effect to be with a couple of coats of plain ol' hairspray. Once it dries, you put down your base base color with an acrylic paint so that you can use water to dissolve the hairspray underneath the paint, which will then allow you to remove the top layer easily and in a realistic paint chipping fashion, and expose the underlying color. You can do this if you use a solvent-based paint, but then you'd have to use some kind of thinner or turpentine or whatever to do the same thing.

 

For this Macharius, the idea is that it's recently been refurbished and given some upgrades, so the weathering and chipping won't be too crazy. I put down a light grey primer coat, then a black coat on top of that to the color that shows through the chipped base coat. Why do a primer coat and undercoat in different colors? If I see the light grey primer coat show through the black, I know I'm going at the chipping too hard.

 

I let the black coat dry for a good 24 hours, hit it with two coats of hairspray, and then painted it with a grey slighter darker than neutral (same color on my previous Dusk Raiders figures).

 

http://i.imgur.com/ihRweSt.png

 

For something like this, I always suggest trying out the technique first if you've never done it before to see what kind of tools and what kind of force or scrubbing motions you need to get the effect you want. Or if you simply haven't done it in a while, like me. To the right of the test subject is what I used - two cheap brushes I bought specifically to cut down, one of my metal sculpting tools, an old worn out drybrush (never throw anything away!), and another large brush I bought on the cheap for this.

 

Since I'm not going crazy with the weathering on this, I'm going to plan out where to put the worn paint and chipping effects in realistic locations like areas where the crew would frequently walk or sit on, where the tank might scrape against stuff, etc.

 

Twelve days until the close of ETL. I can do this.

[GhostMalone]

I have full faith in you brother! Drive it home for team aod

[Brother-Chaplain Kage]

I hope this isn't "famous last words" and all that, but the chipping is proceeding fairly quickly and I hope to have this done with time to spare.

 

Unfortunately, the chipping isn't proceeding exactly as I've been wanting, and is a good example of how fiddly this technique can be to use.

 

 

I wanted the rungs built into the side to have a lot of wear and show where not only hands would rub off the paint, but boot toes hitting the armor as well, and it went alright for the most part. Dampen the area to chip, let it sit for about 30 seconds, and then start gently scrubbing with your brush or whatever, until the paint starts to come off and then you be a little more careful about. The angled section above the tracks and below the tools reacted to the water a lot more in a much shorter time, and after sitting for about 10 seconds, my first gentle sweep with the brush simply to pick up some excess water pulled away all that paint.

 

http://i.imgur.com/kJdLKvl.png

 

The front part of the track is closer to what I was wanting, but there's still some chips that are a lot bigger than I was wanting. The fix is easy enough - once I'm done chipping I'll seal the paint job with a spray on matte finish so the hairspray will no longer react to water, and then come back in with the base color and paint out some of those really large chips.

 

Similar progress on the front of the tank body.

 

http://i.imgur.com/bzooE3H.png

 

I imagine there would be a lot of traffic up front where the driver's hatch is, as well as in front of the autocannon where the gun barrel would be cleaned, and heat and gasses from the gun firing would also act on the finish.

Edited August 4, 2016 by Brother Chaplain Kage

[Brother-Chaplain Kage]

I've done the hairspray technique before, mostly on test models and certainly not on something as big as this Macharius, and it's been a real learning experience. It's taken much longer than I expected, mostly because the hairspray layer doesn't always react the same way. What I do is brush on a little water where I want to do some chipping - just enough to get it wet but not have water standing or pooling in the area - and let it sit for a 5-10 seconds and then lightly touch a brush to it to see if it's working. Sometimes huge sections of paint would come off with the slightest amount of water and touch of the brush, and there were other sections where I had to go to the sponge and paint technique because letting water stand on the area for minutes and scrubbing with a really stiff bristled brush did absolutely nothing. In places where the chips came off larger than I wanted, I would use a fine brush or a piece of sponge to knock it back down to where I wanted it to be.

 

I just finished up the chipping earlier and took some photos, but all of them but two turned out too dark, and I can't go back and take new ones right now because it's got a layer of matte varnish drying on it.

 

http://i.imgur.com/tAsOgZM.png

 

http://i.imgur.com/i1av7Kn.png

[Olis]

God damn. Superlative work so far, brother. Great extra detailing. :tu:

[DuskRaider]

Stupendous work, man. Definitely more patience than I have, lol. Now will this be a Dusk Raiders vehicle?

[Brother-Chaplain Kage]

Thanks Olis, DR.

 

It's going to be part of a small force allied to the Dusk Raiders. Solar Auxilia or maybe something from the Milita list of my own creation. Mostly tanks with a unit or two of infantry.

[hushrong]

Superb work one the armor!

 

I love all the added detail you have added to it but my favorite thing is the AM shrine on the rear. That looks elegant and still fitting on a war machine.

[Dantay VI]

That is so realistic looking!!

 

Love it.

[Brother-Chaplain Kage]

Thanks for the kind words, brothers.

 

So, I've been busting my butt for the last three hours doing some weathering on this tank. My back hurts, my right hand hurts from holding the brushes for so long, and my left hand hurts from holding that heavy chunk of resin for so long (and the skin is all pruned up because I've had a latex glove on it the whole time I was painting). Even with the aches, I am happy, because I have beheld the power of oil paints for weathering. Like the hairspray technique, I've tried it out a little bit here and there on some test figures, but this was my first real go at something substantial.

 

You may ask, what are the benefits of oils over acrylics? Control, mostly. Oils dry very slowly and are workable the whole time, and even when they do dry, you can still go back with turpentine or spirits and bring them back to life. You can also use them to simulate a large number of effects from basic shading and blacklining, to dirt, grime, dust, rust, and even various stains from oil or fuel. And this is with a relatively cheap set of oil paints from Hobby Lobby. There's higher quality oils for artists, and several companies out there make oils specifically for weathering models in a lot of nice colors, but those are very expensive.

 

Enough words. Pictures!

 

http://i.imgur.com/2NG97Ef.png

 

http://i.imgur.com/PXYrIsj.png

 

http://i.imgur.com/KVcDPGs.png

 

Due to my imperfect light setup, these aren't quite how it looks in person - the top pic is the closest, the middle is little too dark and the bottom a little too light, but it was as close as I could get with PhotoShop. I tried to get a side angle where you could see the difference between the shading and dust on the main body vs the track section that hadn't been weathered yet, but no matter what I tried, one side always turned out too dark to see properly. Instead, I removed the turret in the bottom pic so you can see the grey base color there for comparison.

 

From here on, it should progress faster as about half of that three hours was me just fiddling around and trying out stuff that was far too subtle at first. I might actually finish this on time for the ETL.

Edited November 24, 2016 by Brother Chaplain Kage

[Hrolf the Cunning]

Looking fantastic! It's been a long slog but certainly starting to bear fruit. I can't wait to see it finished, any idea what sort of markings if any you are planning to apply?

[lionofjudah]

Burnt sienna, raw umber and black are my favorite oils to use- I have the rainbow of oils for lighter colored vehicles but seeing that we have a similar scheme I can say I like what you're doing:).

#2 pencils edge rubbed on metals is great for hitting the metallic sheen and my favorite dust powders are usually found at the bottom of the driveway;)

She's lookin fantastic man!

Do you plan on giving her any kind of aerial? If so, have you found anything that looks 'real' scale wise?

Edited August 9, 2016 by lionofjudah

[Alkaline]

I was skeptical of how this would turn out when you first posted it. The shoddy casts and spare rubber tracks... But your modeling skills are ace!

The chipping and oil work look fantastic too!

[Brother-Chaplain Kage]

Thanks, brothers. There is an ID number on the side of the turret, and I was thinking about some thin brass rod for an aerial (antenna).

 

I'm calling it done on the Macharius for now, and I'm about 95% satisfied with it. Some practice on weathering the tracks with pigment powder didn't go too well and I have to take my mother to the hospital for a procedure on her hand and a few days' observation, starting tomorrow morning, so I will definitely come back to the tracks at a later point. For now, here's some more pics.

 

http://i.imgur.com/ylhQgSe.png

 

http://i.imgur.com/BA9FdDg.png

 

http://i.imgur.com/QeznQmT.png

Edited August 19, 2016 by Brother Chaplain Kage