Major_Gilbear Posted July 31, 2016 Author Share Posted July 31, 2016 So, I'm closing in on the final details, and I probably could have completed the squad this weekend... However, as is so often the way with creative endeavours, I got slightly sidetracked. I spent a frankly ridiculous amount of time cleaning up and bodging old SM kit parts together to make some more models in what I regard as the "DV style". The first of these is the Sergeant of the next Tactical squad: He's missing his shoulder pads as these are still being sculpted (another reason these have taken so long - but I'll post more on that later as I have a plan to help these along for next time ). I've tried to ensure that he has suitable DA bling and icons, and although a bolt pistol would have been more logical than the chainsword, I regard the chainsword as the iconic Sergeant's weapon and so "Rule of Cool" won easily. He's also got nowhere convenient for company markings, so I added a little plasticard shield to his left greave so that I can paint it on there. The gun will get drilled, and I plan on magnetising the upper combi part - this is not just for list-building flexibility; it also lets me pull it off when fired in game as a convenient record of the fact. Anyway, I usually paint in the week, so let's see if the motivation to finish Tac squad 1 prevails! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Epher Posted August 1, 2016 Share Posted August 1, 2016 He is turning into a fine looking sergeant. Where did you get the torso with the tabard? Most of my sergeants get chain swords and bolters. Not practical at all but it makes them look the role. Looking forward to seeing him painted! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dtse Posted August 1, 2016 Share Posted August 1, 2016 Really awesome models. I'm surprised nobody has commented or in fact complimented you on your use of surgical snaps for holding models! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Major_Gilbear Posted August 1, 2016 Author Share Posted August 1, 2016 Thanks guys. :) @ Epher: It's converted from the ones found on the Black Templars upgrade sprue. I have enough for all the company sergeants I'll likely need for this project (i.e., about 12). The rest of the sprue is not really very DA-friendly, so I just picked them up from ebay as bits (I collected mine over a couple of years from here and there because I didn't want to pay too much for them). @ dtse: My use of hemostatic clamps has been commented on in other forums previously! ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greenz Posted August 1, 2016 Share Posted August 1, 2016 Awesome sergeant Gilbear! Great little additions on him, especially the necklace. I mean... man collar Sweet idea with the shield for company markings! Cant wait to see the shoulder pads Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Epher Posted August 1, 2016 Share Posted August 1, 2016 Have said clamps been sterilized or are there traces of blood from the Fallen? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Major_Gilbear Posted August 2, 2016 Author Share Posted August 2, 2016 Okay, blurry-photo tutorial time! I mentioned how I was trying to make more consistent DA chapter badges, and being the sort of cheapskate I sometimes am, I didn't really want to go the 3d-printing route. Besides, I'm somewhat old-school and I like to do things myself. Now, the technique is this: Step 1 I made a press-mould of the DV Sergeant's chpater badge. I chose this model because his badge is face-on to the mould, and therefore presents the least "smeared" version of it in the squad. I made the mould in ProCreate, and then took casts from it in the same material (using a little vegetable oil as a release agent). Once cured, I sliced off the badge (very carefully using a brand new blade!!) and stuck it down flat onto some very thin (0.25mm thick) plasticard. Step 2 Once the super glue was fully dry, and using a very new blade in the knife, I carefully cut out the badges again. Step 3 I glued these cut-outs onto some thick (1.5mm thick) plasticard, and used a brush-on solvent weld to get a smooth join between the cut-outs and the new backing. This stuff ic very volatile and is applied with a brush - my top tip to avoid knocking the bottle over is to use some blue-tack to stick it firmly to the cutting mat (I use a big A3 mat). As soon as you're done with it, screw the lid straight back on to avoid it all evaporating. Step 4 Using a brush, I carefully use the solvent's strength to dissolve the first thin layer of plasticard a little, smoothing the cut edges and transitioning the pieces neatly into the new thick backing. Step 5 Once it's fully dry again (it might take a couple of hours for all the solvent to evaporate fully), I use a little gloss varnish to seal everything and give it a nice smooth finish. Then, I mix up a two-part silicone putty, and carefully press this on to the master. Once cured (takes about 10 mins), I carefully peel the master out of the mould, and trim up the mould with a sharp knife. I normally make a couple of moulds so that I can do all my casting for a squad in one or two rounds with a few spares (as I always bugger a few up). Step 6 Using some ProCreate, mix up a little ball (half the size of a small garden pea) for each badge, and then press them into the mould. Excuse my finger in this photo - the putty isn't cured here, but I wanted to show what the cast looked like! Now, I'm sure you may wonder why I went to the trouble of double-moulding the badge? It's so that: 1) I can transfer the badge to a flat rather then curved version. Easier to cast, easier to trim, and easier to get it straight on the shoulder pads. 2) The thickness of the badge is increased, which (along with being flat now) makes it easier to slice off neatly for application to a shoulder pad, and also makes it easier to clean up. 3) I can make one mould with several badges in it, cutting down the time and effort required to make enough for a squad. I hope to have to finished examples on shoulder pads to show you soon, and I should be back to painting Tac squad 1 this evening. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marvmoogy Posted August 2, 2016 Share Posted August 2, 2016 Loving your work! It's threads like this that have made me move my DAs up on my projects to do list! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raztalin Posted August 2, 2016 Share Posted August 2, 2016 Fantastic tutorial Major. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greenz Posted August 3, 2016 Share Posted August 3, 2016 Great write up Major! Did you find the ProCreate at a speciality shop? Ive tried a few different casting mediums for pouches and such, but none have reproduced with good quality. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Major_Gilbear Posted August 3, 2016 Author Share Posted August 3, 2016 @ Greenz: I buy mine from Heresy Miniatures here. The blue putty has no labels any more, but I got it from eBay I think - a search for two-part silicone putty should bring up several suitable results like this. Normally I get a better definition from my casts, but the lack of undercuts on plastic (especially on sharply-curved surfaces like pads) makes getting a really sharp mould/cast very difficult. A couple of observations for you as well: 1) I always knead each part of a two-part putty separately first until smooth and pliable, and only then to I mix them together. Not only do you get a more even mix, but the putty is better to work with and has a more even cure. 2) When using the blu-stuff silicone putty, do not touch each of the components without washing your hands first, and in between. Traces on your hands can cause each of the parts to inadvertently cure without mixing them, causing lumps and other associated problems. Also, this stuff cures in about ten minutes, but is past re-shaping after only one minute. So get everything ready and set up before you mix the two components together, and then try to work as quickly and smoothly as possible! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greenz Posted August 6, 2016 Share Posted August 6, 2016 Thanks for the info Major. You really are an endless supply of tips and suggestions, and always more than willing to help a brother out! I thought I'd thanked you a couple days ago, but apparently it didnt post. Not the first time I've done that! Ive read a lot of good feedback about blu-stuff, but with the conversion to Canadian dollars and shipping I never wanted to risk it. Maybe I'll bite the bullet and give it a go! What do you use for casts? So far I've only used greenstuff, but I'm thinking I need to step up my game here Edit: nevermind the dumb question, I realized right away it was the ProCreate. One of them days Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcifer Posted August 11, 2016 Share Posted August 11, 2016 Thanks for the tutorial on molding. I have been thinking of doing some of this and was not sure where to start. Lots of good info. Also I love your painting job on your DA. First Class! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Major_Gilbear Posted August 17, 2016 Author Share Posted August 17, 2016 Well, last night, after varnishing and matte-sealing them, I got the last members of the first Tactical squad all based. To celebrate, I snapped a few late-night photos to share with you all as proof of the deed: And a closeer-up pic of the Serg and special weapons: I still have a couple of teeny-tiny touch-ups to do, and I need to add some tufts to the bases. I'd like to get some better photos in natural light (maybe this weekend...?), but I felt it was import to share these with everyone sooner (especially after all your patience with me in getting these done to this stage!). Anyway, I hope you like them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chaplain Raeven Posted August 17, 2016 Share Posted August 17, 2016 Your mini's always look like they came out of a painting. Very nice! Your blending is top notch! Marines really look awkward on their old bases since the introduction of 32mm. The one the right looks like he's floating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJD Posted August 17, 2016 Share Posted August 17, 2016 I have to agree with Grayraven these guys look like the stepped straight out of a painting. The quality is fantastic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Major_Gilbear Posted August 17, 2016 Author Share Posted August 17, 2016 Your mini's always look like they came out of a painting. Very nice! Your blending is top notch! I have to agree with Grayraven these guys look like the stepped straight out of a painting. The quality is fantastic. Thanks guys - your comments are particularly flattering as the DA artwork look is just what I was trying to acheive! Marines really look awkward on their old bases since the introduction of 32mm. The one the right looks like he's floating. Yeah... I thought that waaay before 32mm bases even existed, and very nearly based them all on 30mm Warmachine bases instead. As I was basing them yesterday, I was thinking exactly the same thing again - how some of them look like they're floating. I had already made and painted all these bases for the squad (three-plus years ago!). However, each time I look at them, I keep having this nagging feeling that now is the time to re-base them before I go too far down the path of 25mm bases... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chaplain Raeven Posted August 17, 2016 Share Posted August 17, 2016 Marines really look awkward on their old bases since the introduction of 32mm. The one the right looks like he's floating. Yeah... I thought that waaay before 32mm bases even existed, and very nearly based them all on 30mm Warmachine bases instead. As I was basing them yesterday, I was thinking exactly the same thing again - how some of them look like they're floating. I had already made and painted all these bases for the squad (three-plus years ago!). However, each time I look at them, I keep having this nagging feeling that now is the time to re-base them before I go too far down the path of 25mm bases... You won't have a choice after a while. Initially I kept basing my marines with the 25mm bases, but I ran out of bases pretty quickly. And the new tactical, devastator & assaultkits barely fit on 25mm. It appears like they take more room on the base. But it might be my imagination, since your marines don't completely fit on their bases either. If you would rebase your whole force, how many would that be? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Major_Gilbear Posted August 17, 2016 Author Share Posted August 17, 2016 Right now, I've only got ten models based on 25mm. As for how many bases I've made, I have another fifteen waiting to be used. Beyond that, I have hundreds of 25mm round bases (besides which, 25mm bases are still made/sold for all other non-SM armies, so getting more is actually pretty easy). For this project, I have about a quarter of the DA Chapter bought and ready to build...! That would mean I'll need around 140 small round trooper bases. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chaplain Raeven Posted August 17, 2016 Share Posted August 17, 2016 Beyond that, I have hundreds of 25mm round bases (besides which, 25mm bases are still made/sold for all other non-SM armies, so getting more is actually pretty easy). Right, I forgot that most people have more armies than Space Marines Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Major_Gilbear Posted August 17, 2016 Author Share Posted August 17, 2016 Beyond that, I have hundreds of 25mm round bases (besides which, 25mm bases are still made/sold for all other non-SM armies, so getting more is actually pretty easy). Right, I forgot that most people have more armies than Space Marines Well... You could always get more from the Scouts kits too, right? ....Right? ...No? Well okay, they are awful! :P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greenz Posted August 17, 2016 Share Posted August 17, 2016 Just stunning Major! I love seeing your paint jobs. I've gone on about your greens and reds before. This session I'll focus on the tabard. Beautiful blending, it's extremely crisp. Mind if I inquire on your approach? I'm struggling right now with my terminators robes And the base issue... I curse and applaude GW on the switch. All my old models are on 25mm bases. Id rather put my money into models, not buying bases, so I think I'll be scratch building new ones :s But you're right, the more you look at the old ones, the more you feel that tug to upscale Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Major_Gilbear Posted August 17, 2016 Author Share Posted August 17, 2016 Well, even though they are done... I'm still pretty tempted to re-base. At first, I was double-resistant as I like older editions of the game and keeping them on 25mm lets them be "backwards-compatible". However, I am only playing with friends anyway, and I don't see using bigger bases in older rules being an issue; the bigger bases to help the models stay upright too (in fact 20mm square bases for most Fantasy models has already presented me with the very same issues many times - only magnified due to the need to rank them up!). Anyway, I have plenty of 32mm bases, so I'll see how the mood/muse takes me. Painting the tabard is tricky. I'm not very good at painting whites really (...painting an army of white power-armoured models is what caused me to pick up the DA again!), as I never really manage to get them as smooth as I'd like. Plus, on these models you can't really do cool whites, and other warm whites look dirty. In the end I used a mix of light tan, beige, and a grey-greeny colour, and gradually added pale ivory to it. Final highlights were super-translucent white. What this does is add a hint of green to the shading of the tabard - which helps if fit into the model's other colours, suggests a heavy rougher (but clean!) material like linen, and also avoids the usual issues with the colour looking too stark/streaky. Colours are all from P3 paints as usual: (Base) P3 Hammerfall Khaki P3 Trollblood Highlight P3 Cryx Bane HIghlight (Highlight) Gradually add P3 Menoth White Highlight Final highlights are P3 Morrow White Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raztalin Posted August 17, 2016 Share Posted August 17, 2016 Amazing blending, just stunning looking marines! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcifer Posted August 18, 2016 Share Posted August 18, 2016 Oh man. It must be contagious because now I am second guessing if I want to continue forward building without upgrading to the 32mm bases. It would only be a few squads... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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