So, I'm also a writer, and I'm working on this really really really long novel, and the guy who's reading my really really really long novel had a problem with one of my chapters. In short, he found it to be too wordy. Basically, it was twenty single spaced pages worth of junkies talking about God. So, now I have to rewrite it. The thing is though, I've been writing this thing for some time and so I'm not always jumping for joy at the prospect of writing a whole bunch, even when I know what's going to happen.
As an incentive, I have given up painting until such time as the chapter is written. In the meantime, I've been trying to figure out how to make molds. I'm in the experimental stage right now, but I hope to soon share some wisdom with all of you. My goal is to turn my group of 3 Raveners into a group of 10. I'm nearly there, but we'll see.
Actually my goal is to sell $100 worth of stuff on Ebay per day this Summer, but I'm trying to crawl before I walk.
Anyways, as I'm not currently painting, I decided to put up some of my past successes.
This one's an Ogryn painted up in Deamonhunter colors. I've decided that since I have an imperial guard army and a couple of inquisitors, I officially have a daemonhunter army as well as an imperial guard army as long as I'm careful with my color schemes. There is, by the way, an I in team, if you can't spell very well.
This next one is my Ultramarine Dreadnought. Yes, yes, I know, decals, flags, etc. but look at the shoulder. That Tyranid with a sword through its head--that's all me.
Finally, the piece de resistance--my workbench. In the background, you can see my Tyranid army just waiting for the drought to end.
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
Saturday, February 11, 2006
Plastic--the new wood
Avram is a modeller of some skill. In fact, Avram is a modellor with a hell of a lot more skill than I probably have, and certainly more years of experience. Were his eyesight not going, I'm fairly sure that you would be reading his blog about making your 40k things look good instead of mine. So, when Avram advises that you should try using plastic, or more precisely styrene, it's a good bet that you should listen.
However, Avram is absolutely right. I make 40k scenery on the cheap. Sturdy, good looking, but cheap. Case in point, the local Toys R Us is going out of sale and I just bought six sets of matchbox ramp building stuff, and this will, honestly, suffice for probably 20-30 scenes of techno-garbage. I bought each for about $3.00. That's cheap. The same effect is created, according to Games Workshop by buing a Land Raider and cannabalizing it for parts. That's expensive.
Now, I bought sheet styrene a while back and I still have it because the shit's precisous. $4.00 per 1/2 sq. foot is a little pricy for me to use it except on special projects, so instead, I use wood. Avram, per your instruction, I decided to try out plastic and so here's what I've found.
First of all, you can find places that will sell you serious sheets of plastic. I found one place that would sell an 8'x6' for about 66.50, which is a nice chunk for initial investment, but I'm fairly sure that 48 sq. feet of plastic would probably last me a while. $66.50 isn't too bad when you think about it.
I was fairly sure that there was a cheeper option. First of all, I thought that rigid plastic might not necessarilly be the best kind. I need to cut this stuff after all, and not into foot sized pieces. What I was looking for was sort of thickened mylar, but if you've ever shopped home depot you already know it doesn't work that way. The first question that someone is going to ask is, "what do you use it for," and then you're screwed because I can't think of anything that you use thickened mylar for, and I want something thcker than a plastic dropcloth (though now that I think about it, that might come in handy as well...).
In any case, here's what I came up with. A quick search through home depot yielded those plastic sheets that people put up to cover flurescent lights in offices and schools. They're light, they're about half a milimeter thick, they're textured on one side, and best of all, they're about $7 for a 3'x2' sheet. Guess what they're called, by the way...sheet styrene! Just like they recommend in all those GW guides.
How do they work? Well, you want to buy the knife that comes along with them. If you use that knife, it takes very little time to cut a straight piece, but it's not very precise. For precision, you want to get out a hot knife X-acto. The melt cut pretty much makes it through the stuff pretty easilly but you're going to get some chaff at the edge. Just use a file and it comes right off.
I suppose that I like the feel of the stuff better than wood, and let's face it, it's plastic so it has a better reputation than wood. Yes, broken pencils do look like cracked pipes or busted out support beams, but plastic looks good.
In other news, I finally got my WS_FTP working again, so I can show you all my new color scheme for my Tyranids. Enjoy.
However, Avram is absolutely right. I make 40k scenery on the cheap. Sturdy, good looking, but cheap. Case in point, the local Toys R Us is going out of sale and I just bought six sets of matchbox ramp building stuff, and this will, honestly, suffice for probably 20-30 scenes of techno-garbage. I bought each for about $3.00. That's cheap. The same effect is created, according to Games Workshop by buing a Land Raider and cannabalizing it for parts. That's expensive.
Now, I bought sheet styrene a while back and I still have it because the shit's precisous. $4.00 per 1/2 sq. foot is a little pricy for me to use it except on special projects, so instead, I use wood. Avram, per your instruction, I decided to try out plastic and so here's what I've found.
First of all, you can find places that will sell you serious sheets of plastic. I found one place that would sell an 8'x6' for about 66.50, which is a nice chunk for initial investment, but I'm fairly sure that 48 sq. feet of plastic would probably last me a while. $66.50 isn't too bad when you think about it.
I was fairly sure that there was a cheeper option. First of all, I thought that rigid plastic might not necessarilly be the best kind. I need to cut this stuff after all, and not into foot sized pieces. What I was looking for was sort of thickened mylar, but if you've ever shopped home depot you already know it doesn't work that way. The first question that someone is going to ask is, "what do you use it for," and then you're screwed because I can't think of anything that you use thickened mylar for, and I want something thcker than a plastic dropcloth (though now that I think about it, that might come in handy as well...).
In any case, here's what I came up with. A quick search through home depot yielded those plastic sheets that people put up to cover flurescent lights in offices and schools. They're light, they're about half a milimeter thick, they're textured on one side, and best of all, they're about $7 for a 3'x2' sheet. Guess what they're called, by the way...sheet styrene! Just like they recommend in all those GW guides.
How do they work? Well, you want to buy the knife that comes along with them. If you use that knife, it takes very little time to cut a straight piece, but it's not very precise. For precision, you want to get out a hot knife X-acto. The melt cut pretty much makes it through the stuff pretty easilly but you're going to get some chaff at the edge. Just use a file and it comes right off.
I suppose that I like the feel of the stuff better than wood, and let's face it, it's plastic so it has a better reputation than wood. Yes, broken pencils do look like cracked pipes or busted out support beams, but plastic looks good.
In other news, I finally got my WS_FTP working again, so I can show you all my new color scheme for my Tyranids. Enjoy.
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
GW stores as refs
I was recently informed by a reader via email that rubric marines and rubric terminators can move, rapid fire, and assault. This bit of information purportedly was confirmed by a GW store manager--which, as far as I'm concerned, is pretty much liking getting Catholic dogma from the pope. The information is good.
A tip on the subject. In this age of cell phones and free long distance, there is good reason to believe that no matter when you are playing your game (I play mine on Tuesdays between 7:30 and midnight) somewhere in the world a GW store is open and waiting to answer your questions. According to the rulebook, the game is friendly and people should reach an accord, which I absolutely believe to be true, but if you need a ref, having GW London's number handy is not such a bad way to go.
A tip on the subject. In this age of cell phones and free long distance, there is good reason to believe that no matter when you are playing your game (I play mine on Tuesdays between 7:30 and midnight) somewhere in the world a GW store is open and waiting to answer your questions. According to the rulebook, the game is friendly and people should reach an accord, which I absolutely believe to be true, but if you need a ref, having GW London's number handy is not such a bad way to go.
Wednesday, February 01, 2006
For your toolbox
Some of the most important information a 40k modeller requires no snappy pictures. In fact, I daresay that snappy pictures are dangerous. I remember the old Heavy Metals in White Dwarf, and the tips, and I would grab the same miniatures paint them exactly as was explained to me, and it would never look like the picture in Heavy Metal. Heavy Metal aught to start their entries with the words, "First go out and get ten years of experience to go with your inherent astronomical talent. Okay, next, highlight scab red with blood red, oh, and don't look at your miniature except in full daylight or under a day lamp." Shouldn't we already know this: pictures can be deceiving. Doesn't everyone have photoshop.
Nonetheless, a toolbox recommendation does not require pictures, and so.
I have recently discovered a number of items to add to my terrain making toolbox. As many of you know, or should know, you need about 1000 popsickle sticks lieing around in order to build ANYTHING, but what I only recently realized is that in the same section of the craft store where they sell popsickle sticks they also sell thinner craft sticks (with square ends!), miniature dowells (fuck yeah!) and popsickle sticks that have knotches cut into them that make for lincoln log construction (if that's what you're into) or...look industrial (as in metal) when painted.
Here's the thing: wood looks like wood. Construct the thing anyway you'd like, but wood looks like wood. Wood is sturdy, that's a big plus. You can make foam core look like cement, but wood without a cover like spackle, will always look like wood. Also, wood is a pain in the ass to work with. You know that it can be carved, routed, sawed, etc.. but that requires tools. Foamcore only requires an exacto blade. The thing is, and we all know this, nothing says cheezy like foam core. You build scenery with foam core you have to do everything in your power to take attention away from that. Great paint job, interesting details in the scenery, but if you try to sell it on ebay, the word foam core will be your bane....now wood, that's a different story.
Which brings me to my next suggestion for your toolbox. I have been working with wood for a while now. That's how I'm converting my Thousand Sons, for instance. And to work with it, I have been using the Dremel cutting disks to sand and cut. The problem with this tool is that its not very precise. In cutting, you almost inevitably lose a milimeter to sawdust, and the cut is rarely straight, which means sanding, and sanding is a bitch when you're wood's as thin as a toothpick and glued on with hot glue. It either breaks or comes loose.
What I've realized is that WIRE CUTTERS (the very same ones that you already have) will cut flat pieces of wood without frayed edges, it will cut them straight, and in a clamping motion! In other words, no torque to tear the wood from the side of the building. Combine this with the various alternative craft sticks and wholly crap you can make serious buildings in very little time. Furthermore, they're sturdy.
Now, for the unsturdy. X-Acto has a tool that I recommend everyone out there get if they do anything with foam core. It is pretty much a blade with a guide and that's it, but the guide allows for 45 degree cuts which means that you can make cleaner joints. Normally I would say a knife is a knife is a knife, but as far as foam core goes, a good tool is golden. So far, the blade and its guides have allowed me to make clean cuts.
Nonetheless, a toolbox recommendation does not require pictures, and so.
I have recently discovered a number of items to add to my terrain making toolbox. As many of you know, or should know, you need about 1000 popsickle sticks lieing around in order to build ANYTHING, but what I only recently realized is that in the same section of the craft store where they sell popsickle sticks they also sell thinner craft sticks (with square ends!), miniature dowells (fuck yeah!) and popsickle sticks that have knotches cut into them that make for lincoln log construction (if that's what you're into) or...look industrial (as in metal) when painted.
Here's the thing: wood looks like wood. Construct the thing anyway you'd like, but wood looks like wood. Wood is sturdy, that's a big plus. You can make foam core look like cement, but wood without a cover like spackle, will always look like wood. Also, wood is a pain in the ass to work with. You know that it can be carved, routed, sawed, etc.. but that requires tools. Foamcore only requires an exacto blade. The thing is, and we all know this, nothing says cheezy like foam core. You build scenery with foam core you have to do everything in your power to take attention away from that. Great paint job, interesting details in the scenery, but if you try to sell it on ebay, the word foam core will be your bane....now wood, that's a different story.
Which brings me to my next suggestion for your toolbox. I have been working with wood for a while now. That's how I'm converting my Thousand Sons, for instance. And to work with it, I have been using the Dremel cutting disks to sand and cut. The problem with this tool is that its not very precise. In cutting, you almost inevitably lose a milimeter to sawdust, and the cut is rarely straight, which means sanding, and sanding is a bitch when you're wood's as thin as a toothpick and glued on with hot glue. It either breaks or comes loose.
What I've realized is that WIRE CUTTERS (the very same ones that you already have) will cut flat pieces of wood without frayed edges, it will cut them straight, and in a clamping motion! In other words, no torque to tear the wood from the side of the building. Combine this with the various alternative craft sticks and wholly crap you can make serious buildings in very little time. Furthermore, they're sturdy.
Now, for the unsturdy. X-Acto has a tool that I recommend everyone out there get if they do anything with foam core. It is pretty much a blade with a guide and that's it, but the guide allows for 45 degree cuts which means that you can make cleaner joints. Normally I would say a knife is a knife is a knife, but as far as foam core goes, a good tool is golden. So far, the blade and its guides have allowed me to make clean cuts.
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