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Caine's progress
Started by
Captain Caine 24th
, Feb 08 2019 01:43 PM
Urban Rubble basing. Ok, so experiements on methods for cement rubble (1) using irregular shapes of cork, with styrene on top and vallejo texture on the sides, and rebar/metal reinforcement made from .2mm wire wrapped on paperclips or brass rod; (2) plaster; (3) large/thick cork alone; (4) dental stone or harder plaster-type material. Taking time and adding a lot to the cork does make it look better. It is time intensive though. The thicker cork can be roughly cut and to some extent resembles construction blocks, though height is an issue--that is to say the model on the base stands maybe 1/8 - 1/4 inch too high. I like it on flyer bases though as this isn't an issue.
Now, to the latest experiment, variations on dental stone or rather stronger versions of a plaster type material. After reading the Hirst Arts instructions on their casting molds, I went with 'Merlin's Magic.' I cast a uniform block in a thin plastic box, that would've otherwise been trash. It didn't take long to cure/dry 15-30 minutes. It might be a bit thick for normal bases, but probably fine on a larger scale model like a dreadnought. I'll see how it takes to glue. My hope is that it's stronger than regular plaster, which is really just a crumbly mess on a gaming base. Adding re-bar shouldn't be too much of a problem.
Imperial Fists 3rd Company "Sentinels of Terra" WIP: I wanted to get a firm base of an army built for 9th. There's always the risk that an old army will be total garbage coming into new rules, but I hate having no ready-to-go army. My blood angels have languished in disrepair for years. So, in defiance of laziness, that dull evil that it is, I'm making an army--maybe not optimized, but ready. Team leaders & Sergeants are more easily identified in gameplay (if not totally loyal to the lore) with death watch shoulder pads (in case thunder hammers are unusable I've at least got a stand-in sergeant for a squad of less than 10).
Better to be on hand with ten men, than absent with 10,000. - Tamerlane (Timur)
Urban rubble basing. The dental stone, Merlin's Magic, is working as a representation of destroyed building material. Unlike ordinary plaster it doesn't crumble or break nearly as easily (I can drill into it to secure models on the base with a pin/rod). I'm finding gorilla wood glue is working exceptionally well to secure bits and pieces to the base. I also water down gorilla glue to secure very small bits, essentially just washing it over the model. White/pva glue didn't work. Cyano acrylic/super glue didn't work. The metal rebar isn't too hard to add because the dental stone allows you to drill into it. Thus far I've been pouring what looks like a board or plank of the dental stone and shattering it in a bag to make basing material ...the next experiment will be to cast the dental stone with rebar set up inside. If it turns out it really might look very realistic.
It will be interesting to learn how your "internal rebar" experiment goes - one potential concern is that the rebar function like, well, rebar and adds to the structural integrity of the dental stone such that it become very difficult to break. How do you intend to hold it in place while doing the pour so that rebar is in the middle rather than the bottom (assuming that's how dental stone works - never worked with it).
It will be interesting to learn how your "internal rebar" experiment goes - one potential concern is that the rebar function like, well, rebar and adds to the structural integrity of the dental stone such that it become very difficult to break. How do you intend to hold it in place while doing the pour so that rebar is in the middle rather than the bottom (assuming that's how dental stone works - never worked with it).
Hahaha, well, in an unintentionally comedic hobby moment, I have in fact, created reinforced concrete on a miniature scale. It's one of those moments where you stare at the project realizing you've made more work for yourself. But, the experiment has been informative.
Urban Rubble Basing. To recap, I like the dental stone because it sets quick, like in 30 minutes. It doesn't fully cure (i'm not sure if that's correct scientific jargon) for at least a day or so. But, I never had success with plain old plaster--it broke apart way too quickly on a base. Even if it is far cheaper, plaster of paris just couldn't fulfill it's intended purpose (diorama or terrain is a different matter due to being handled less). So cork made sense, but it has it's own problems, mainly texture.
So, (#1) using a forgeworld blister, I was able to pour 1/4" to 1/2 inch slabs of dental stone. I was able to break it apart with a hammer and a pliers. Just breaking it apart and using Gorilla wood glue on a base works. I wanted rebar, so (#2) I used paperclips wrapped with .2mm copper wire to create a frame. Using a hammer or pliers here worked, but generated new problems to solve. Chiefly, hammering creates random breaks in size and place, not optimal for using on a small base 32mm, 40mm, etc.(you could make ruined walls or dreadnought bases ok as it's bigger). One solution is to pour a slab without reinforced steel, and just break up the slab, adding rebar later by drilling into it. Dental stone is tough enough and allows you to drill into it with shattering so easily.
One positive result of the experiment is that imperfect breaks when making ruins out of a dental stone slab are very useful--you need different sizes of rubble anyway, and odd bits and pieces are needed. Adding water to the wood glue makes a great slurry to secure bits and pieces to a base. It soaks right in. Anyway, for the next experiment (#3) I switched to K&S .81 brass rod instead of paperclips (usually I use this for banners/lances for my death korps army). Paper clips were basically free of cost, but i never bent them perfectly, this made them very hard to secure in a grid. I also attempted to secure them with super glue and this was sub-optimal. So, this time I used the plastic blister to set up my rebar grid with blue tac to hold it in place. Then, I soldered the brass rods together. Smelly, but it's a better hold. I've poured it thicker than normal because I need sufficient thickness to prevent it all from shattering.
In Experiment (#4) I used the plastic brush case for my windsor newton brushes as a mold to cast cylinders of dental stone (to emulate structural supports & such). I didn't put rebar inside, just drilled some holes and added my wrapped brass rod. I've added some plaster bricks, and styrene H-Columns to add a bit more visual interest. Breaking the dental stone can also be precise/intentional--it need not be wild hammer swinging. With a small screwdriver and utility knife more precise cuts can be applied. Dental stone has a better compression strength than plaster, but it still chips and is workable.
Interestingly, YouTube recommended a video to me yesterday (6 months too late!!) by Lukes Aps called "Ultra Realistic Warhammer 40K Terrain Concrete Fortification." I think it's right on point. I like my wrapped wire better than the twisted wire he uses to make the reinforced concrete, but I think it's a good video. He made a series of holes in the plastic he used as a mold to cast the slab, so that he could set his rebar at a uniform level when pouring. But I just pressure fitted it in there believing if i drilled into the plastic I might make a mess. That worked fine (I'd also thought about twisting some thin wire to prop up the rebar off the floor of the plastic mold). I also painted the concrete instead of using pigments mixed into it, though I'm using grey colored dental stone. Painting it probably doesn't look as real. Though with weathering powders & such I think I'll get there. Adding the odd plastic acquila or imperial paraphernalia is a nice touch.
BITS. I picked up the Necromunda Slave Ogryn Gang. Their powerfists are getting looted for my imperial fists. Tor Garradon style power fists with every sergeant! The conversion won't even be that painstaking really. Praise the omnissiah.
Painting. I've been working mostly on my imperial fists this year. Some blood angels and ultramarines made it in there too. I've got a few squads battle ready. I'm getting some clear coat on for a transfer sheet/decal assembly line as well.
Krieg. With the Slave Ogryns I've finally found a way to convert up some bullgryns for my Death Korps of Krieg. Lorewise... well I'll have to wiggle a bit with it. Oh come on, if kreig is all clones, they'd have no problem enslaving giant mindless cyborg killers. So, what I want to do is have a controller for a 'servitor bullgryn,' just like castellan robots have a little techpriest dude with them. So, I'm thinking of adding the krieg artillery radio operator or mole launcher crew, with some wires running to the head of this beast. The problem is the base size. It's real tight on 40mm, to the point I might abandon the controller idea. Still, I like the pose and the flavor. Well, mono-poses are another problem.... Anyway, Another idea I had was having slave ogryns as part of a diorama. Krieg might not fight with the auxilla lorewise, but they could be in a ordnance loading bay or some such--as tyranids or chaos comes swarming in, these dudes join the fray.
Bullgryn Conversions (Krieg IG/AM): I got some paint on this guy quickly. I wanted to see what I could do with him. I got so excited to paint, I didn't bother adding too many details. Though I think I could easily add more green stuff wires/cables (with the roll maker tool). Maybe some adeptus mechanicus parts would kit bash nicely. The power fist and the upper arm aren't attached--making it easy to attach a shield or whatever. For one guy I used a sentinel chainsword arm to start the conversion (maybe a terminator arm would work too?).
The paint decision was difficult. I find myself returning to the narrative that these bullgryns are loading ordnance at the outbreak of battle, and pick up weapons to join the fight. So, I like the idea of yellow or hazard stripes to set a construction site or loading bay theme. I want the bullgryn to look like a piece of construction equipment. I saw on reddit a guy did cadian green and tan for his conversions. I like it (real nice paint job) and it makes sense, but I don't think it'd fit my army. Yellow looks great with rust also. I think an off-white is a great android color too--for a cleaner look (like if i was planning a loading bay on a ship).
My vision of having a controller/operator doesn't seem to fit. I've got him blue-tac'd on there to get a feel for it. I think the base is too small... I'm not sure. Adding the krieg model would really help tie him into the setting (adding a stack of artillery shells might be great too). A larger base might be the obvious answer (though not tourney legal)... or just saving the idea for a knight base instead of a squad I plan to use on the table top. Input/ideas/brainstorming is welcome.
Motivation. Motivation has been low recently. I can identify at least three mistakes. Varying projects is nice as you can work off of what you like, instead of dogged persistence and determination (this is supposed to be fun afterall). I've been doing just marines... and yellow ones for months. Keeping the desk clean helps motivation. Keeping the desk organized reduces startup time and yields more work. My desk is a disaster right now.
Painting Log. I'm at 299.5 hours now. Last year I made it to 272.75. Make the time, not excuses. Instead of phone/internet time I could easily find 15 minutes here or there. I've not been making an hour a day, though I usually make it to around 7 per week. Last year, the first year I started keeping track, I missed most days, but would binge paint on the weekends. This year, I've not missed a day since February 14. It's hard to see how youtubers can do 3+ hours a day. I don't count basing, cutting, sanding, decals, etc--just painting. Thus far I'm still thinking that about doubles my hobby time.
Urban Rubble Basing: I got a 1/35 and 1/48 scale construction block mold (Greenstuff world). The more varied the debris in size, shape, and frequency the better the rubble comes out. So, I'm looking to make bases out of concrete blocks, bricks of different sizes, cork, balsa wood boards, brass rod rebar, styrene i-beams/h-columns and tubes. Sprinkle skulls in to taste.
Bullgryn: I'm alright with the progress on these guys. I'd like to convert more on them, but I didn't find the time. So, my vision for bullgryns in my Krieg army is that some are on the front line, and some are working in loading docks--brought into the fight as the lines get over run. Everyone loves a last stand in 40k. Interestingly I found a company TTCombat on Ebay which has a lot of cool terrain bits. As it pertains to bullgryns, they sell large seal-able doors (like you might see on a submarine, ship, or bunker). I got to thinking these doors might make a great slab shield (lore-wise a bullgrn rips a door off and uses it for shield as grenadiers gather behind him to repel the enemy room to room, like a sector mortalis setting). Now, they'll still need an impromptu weapon--for that I'm thinking of using my favorite dental stone again. I think i could make a weapon out of styrene rod set in dental stone, to look like something ripped out of concrete. And, there's precedent for it. Renegade ogryns had such concrete weapons.
FW Avenger: I don't know that a flyer makes sense in 9th edition. On a small table it'll get shot quick. Anyway, apparently this flyer comes with a smaller base. I'm not entirely sure if that's a mistake or not. I recently saw a great color scheme on Reddit for a Valkyrie. I figured I'd give it a go. Part of the theme of my Krieg army is trying to fit in the same colors across the units, even though they don't have the same camouflage. I see the value in the standard or orthodox view of army painting which encourages every unit to be largely similar in paint (e.g. Ultramarines as a sea of blue), but I don't think it's always necessary. Uniformity makes sense on parade, but in the trenches there's constant replacements, units mixed and matched, tech advances, and new recruits. So, here the undercarriage in Tamiya Field blue, medium blue, and light blue matches up well with my thunderhawk blue, the fang, and fenris grey death korps. The brown should fit the mud theme, though not directly matching my troops great coats or armor.
Goals: I'd like to sit down and really put 20, 30, or 40 hours into a model. I hear about guys putting 100 hours in a model. I think I'd need a better magnifying glass. Well, the only way to get better at techniques is to really put the effort in. I continue to practice edge highlights, but I wouldn't say I'm making progress. At the same time, it'd be great to have units painted to fill out an army. And, that's been my focus for a long time now. 345.5 hours so far this year. Last 3-4 weeks I've not been meeting my goal of an hour a day, or at least a little painting every day. I took one weekend off for a wedding and got real lazy real quick (well life happens).
Working with Resin. So, I'm looking at Alumite Amazing Clear Cast and Envirotex. These were the cheapest and most available options to me. These are two-part resins, mixed equally by volume. There's a decent work time. A couple of years ago I tried adding various paints (citadel, tamiya, inks) to the resin to see if it would prevent the resin from properly curing. A small amount of paint didn't seem to hurt anything. Will the resin be clear or turn yellow? Have a look at the hardener.
Water bases. At adepticon 2018 or 2019, took a class on 'water effects' with Seth Amsden. (https://www.adeptico...am/seth-amsden/). I took a lot of notes, but really my mistake was not having a plan to use the teachings of the class right away, while it's fresh in my mind. Oh well. Time for fun anyway.
My ultimate goal is to make a large display board with water effects--a trench scene. The ultimate project is no time to be experimenting. So some relatively cheap models are needed to move from hypothesis to testing. Sentinels!
Bubbles are a problem. Slow mixing (and I do mean painfully slow) helps reduce the amount bubbles. Mixing in a small plastic cup allows me to partially submerge the cup in mildly hot water (don't stick it in boiling water or get water in the resin). I'm not sure I'm using the word correctly, but the heat appears to affect the viscosity--some heat allows easier pouring. The Alumite especially is thick like cold syrup. A bit of heat seems to help flow. The instructions say that breath helps break up bubbles and explains that it is carbon dioxide not heat that has the best impact. While it may be true that breathing on the pour helps break up bubbles, it certainly doesn't get rid of them all.
Mess. Use rubber gloves, have popsicle sticks available to stir.
Level surface. Keeping it level was a problem for me. I made adjustments with putty, but the weight of it shifted and ended up uneven... It looked fine when I left it. Lesson learned. I think i can save it by adding another layer of resin on top.
Depth. Envirotex appeared to pour perfectly fine at this depth of an inch or so.
Color. On amazon I purchased some plastic medicine cups in bulk for cheap. I use them for all sorts of projects. Very handy. Anyway, I used these to measure out my ratio of 1:1 resin parts. I found it is very easy to add too much color. Less is more. Any details get very easily obscured by tinting the resin. I also wonder if I ought to paint the base of the model relatively brightly so as to stand out when the resin is applied... more investigation needed. I just used vallejo moss green, and army painter quick shade for a bit of brown. Two drops seemed too much. I mean I want a harsh swampy trench feel, but I also want details to stand out.
Working in depth. It appears my work on barbed wire was all for naught. The color turned out too opaque. But, the idea for me was to not have 1 inch of empty standing water. Instead I wanted barbed wire and leaves to be at various depths to add more character to the piece. So... here's the barbed wire that was supposed to look cool. Better luck next time...
Imperial Fists. Work still continues on my space marines. I added tactical and squad markings. I used weathering powders on the base to give various brown tones to the grey urban rubble. Unfortunately the powders went airborne and got them all very dirty. Perfect is the enemy of good. Better to try and learn than to scrap the project. Still, I've now got 30 intercessors ready and playable.
Goals. The space marines are the army I want prepared for fighting. Krieg is more the passion project and diorama work. I've got two more sentinels to ruin with experiments. I'm excited. There are still a lot of unknowns for a large trench base I want to figure out. LED lighting is a big one. Size is difficult to work with as most boards are limited to 3'x2' at Adepticon. That's really not enough for a scenic diorama. There is an option for 5'x3' but I'm getting the impression that's by invitation only. Multi-levels is the only way to fit everything while still expressing a meaningful narrative in the piece. I'm increasingly preparing towards a top level showing a charge across no-man's land, and a second level of a large underground bunker.
Bladeguard. Couldn't decide on a chapter. Then I saw some really awesome ultramarine shields & heads on Shapeways. I've never been overly impressed by the quality (or price) on shapeways 3d printing, but the designs just looked fantastic. I also have been very interested in Conversion World for some time for my blood angels. They had closed international shipped due to the pandemic, but when they reopened I finally pulled the trigger. Their swords and shields are second to none. I mean some 3rd party bits are sort of a cheap substitute, but these really exceed GW. Also, I had some MKIII marines laying about. Turns out the forearms match indomitus armor rather well. I picked up some shields from Spellcrow as well, as I wanted a templar brethern feel the the imperial fist... should've painted him black.
Goals. My imperial fists are really filling out. At the rate of releases I don't know that I'll catch up. Well, Despite occasional indulgences, I know buying units while chasing the best tournament lists isn't a good idea--it changes too often. By the time I've bought and painted it, it's already past it's prime. Building a solid foundation of an army seems the more sustainable way to hobby... though this method also has its faults. Units don't have an infinite shelf-life. One edition champions swords, and the next thunderhammers. New wargear like grav-cannons comes out too. But it's not just the changes in the multi-part kit anymore, now we've got multi-squad choices - infiltrators/incursors, intercessors, and gravis troops. I think I'll build 3x squads of each, and wait for new wargear repackaging in 2 years. Then again, we're not even at the end of the space marine launch yet. Presumably we'll see some version of gravis 'devastators' with lastalons at some point.
Blood Angels. Got a whole army in a pile of shame. I've been working on Imperial Fists and Krieg during 8th and 9th ed. Well, I figured I'd resurrect the librarian and got a base coat on him. Discovered some mold lines so will have to dress it up. I used some pre-shading to a similar effect of color modulation. I figured I'd spend some time on him though. So, he's got a long way to go. For now I'm just working on the weapon with some brush blending, or glazing really. I've got some white and black blocked out and am moving in with some vallejo green (which I like with the red). Theme: start somewhat sloppy and narrow it to precision.
Water Effects: I'm back on the bubbles issue in working with epoxy--in sum I've not figured it out yet. My current experiments in basing are crucial for the big display board I want to do this year for Krieg. There seems to be a lot of 'snakeoil' type fake cures for bubbles around (blowing on it, warming the expoy parts, stirring expoy slowly without cavitation).
We both know the real answer is a vacuum chamber but it's just expensive. So, I'm experimenting with some neat ideas. So, using a cheap jar as a chamber, there are few options to create a vacuum pump system:
#1 ($10)- the cheapest method is to use fish tank supplies (hoses, adaptors, 1-way valves, and a plastic hand pump), or maybe a science classroom education set. The 1-way values allow you to suck air out when you pull the hand pump, and to not push air back in when you depress the pump again.
#2 ($30) hand held food vacuum sealer. I tried it, and it does suck air out, but it didn't seem to fully remove all very small bubbles. i'm not sure that it's strong enough, though we're not really looking to hardcore science here--a small vacuum force ought to do it. It could also be that I've not constructed a properly sealed chamber.
#3 Vacuum aspirator. It appears to me to be a 1 way valve attached to a garden hose and a chamber. As the water passes through the hose low pressure is created drawing air out of the chamber. Seems fairly cheap. Since I live on the ice planet Hoth, this experiment will have to wait till spring when I can run water outside.
#4 Buy. Looks like Ebay has chambers & pumps ready to go at $94. Professional science stuff would be around $300+.I don't know I guess I could get into pouring epoxy counter tops after this...
#5 Scrounge. If you were to find a pump/compressor (from a vehicle or fridge at a junk yard), that takes care of half the cost. I'm not particularly handy, though YouTube videos might be enough for the DIY oriented. I suppose you could also cut costs in buying materials instead of a ready made chamber. I'm also looking into whether an air compressor can be reversed to suck air...
Hobby Progress.Alright, as of yesterday I got to 365 hours of painting on the 2020 year (excluding sanding, cutting, gluing, decals etc). Last year 2019 I had only 272.72 hours. Big improvement. I also maintained painting every day between February 15 and Oct 8 (about 237 days straight) in 2020. My longest continuous stretch last year 2019 was... wait for it... 6 days. Not so hot. Most of 2019 I wouldn't paint during the weekdays and would binge on the weekends. I also only got to 272 hours even though I did a TON of painting classes in 2019. I was actually, 58.5 hours ahead of schedule during the last week of July, but alas things fell off quick in October. Maybe I can get a few last minute hours in this year still...
Hobby Goals. I want to increase my minimum time of 15 minutes. I'd like to do the hour a day. I just don't want to quit once life gets in the way. A lower time allows me more flex. Also, 7 days a week is good to stay on task, but not all that practical. Maybe 5 days a week. I also want to take classes again at conventions (who knows when those will restart). It may make more sense to do Patreon personal lecture classes though. I want to focus the classes I do on specific work and specific questions. It doesn't do any good to listen to someone's top 10 painting tips over and over again. It's got to be specific. Also it doesn't help to take a course and forget all about it. it has to be internalized. In sum, directed feedback and explanations for improvement will probably net the best results. This is the point where we say something about working smarter not harder. well... here we go for 2021!
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