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Post by: smurfmaster
Week one:
- fixed many broken marines.
- about 40% still unpainted.
- 90% of painted models need touch-up.
- parts ordered for magnetized tank conversion.
-need help-
what will strip the paint & glue off a land-speeder?
and yeah
ALL GLORY TO THE EMPEROR!
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Post by: warboss
are you planning on keeping the older style weapons (the chubby bolters and over-the-shoulder heavies)? i decided to mainly replace them in my 2nd/early 3rd edition SM army (keeping only a single squad of old devastators). the classic rhinos and other vehicles sometimes garner some nostalgia and compliments but i've never had someone say something nice about the older man-portable weaponry.
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Post by: smurfmaster
I think the old shoulder-bolters look fine. Missile-launchers look natural too. All my MM are new/converted and I have no heavy plasmas, so the only really goofy looking weapons would be the 3 lascannaons. I think i'll probably leave it for now.{the new lascannons still look ridiculously long if you ask me}
As for the old-bolters-
They're staying right where they are and I'm leaving them all bright red! I think it will be a nice complement to the classic-look I'm going for. My veterans and some of my command have new bolters.
Don't really care for the 'Movie marine' paint-jobs
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Post by: Ramos Asura
What kind of glue are you looking to strip from the Land Speeder? If its plastic glue, youre out of luch, as that bonds to the plastic chemically. If superglue, however, youve a number of options, dependin on how bad it is: If its just a little, you can prolly just scrape it off carefully with a knife. For thicker stuff, either try putting it in the freezer for a bit (this makes the superglue brittle, and it breaks easier) then use a knife. Finally you can use Superclean (its an engine degreaser) to strip paint and to a lesser extent glue. just soak it in a little tupperware container for a day or two and itll come off with a toothbrush (and naturally, a knife)
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Post by: smurfmaster
Ramos Asura wrote:What kind of glue are you looking to strip from the Land Speeder?
I think its all super-glue -I'll definitely try that freezer method! -thanks!
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Post by: smurfmaster
Just finished-up the assault marines -7 were unpainted 3 are touch ups.
This is the first time i've tried to freehand-paint and let me just say, that ultramarine 'omega-symbol' is proving to be quite a challenge
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Post by: smurfmaster
Week Three: Starting the work on the tanks. By the end of this project I hope to have a small fleet of modular tanks.
Here's the first: Automatically Appended Next Post: I'm hoping to make every tank in my army a 'three-in-one.' This way I can save some cash and still have options!
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Post by: risewiththefallen
looking like some old school ultras nice
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Post by: Miss Dee
not bad at all, with the picts outside and something white for the background
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Post by: smurfmaster
Heh-heh yeah, sory about that, I'm not much of a photographer. I try that with the next photos.
Ramos Asura- used your glue trick for the tanks and it's worked great so far!
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Post by: logg_frogg
This is very neat! The majority of the models I own are from this generation and I am currently going through the same process of refurbishing old model with my chaos, maries and tyranids! my god does it ever take a lot of time!
Keep up the good work!
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Post by: Segef
Didn't read everyone's post to be honest, so don't know if this has been covered, but for paint / glue removal I've found Simple Green all purpose cleaner. Works great just soak them in a bath of it for a few hours and scrub with a tooth brush. Doesn't harm plastic or pewter.
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Post by: smurfmaster
Segef- It was not yet covered -thank you, that's exactly what i was searching for!
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Post by: smurfmaster
I always liked the look of the fifth-company colors, so I had to include a Devastator squad in black & blue.
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Post by: sennacherib
Looking good. Though i dont use washes much you could really perk your models up by using the red and the blue wash to paint in shadows on some of your models. I paint the blue around the joints and stuff. Makes the details pop. Otherwise i think you are off to a find start.
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Post by: Miss Dee
@Smurf, try taking them outside in the sun and use a old white sheet.
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Post by: smurfmaster
After repeating the process enough times I think I've found a sound method for freehand painting the Ultramarines icon. I'm not sure if it's 'off-topic' to include painting-instructions here -maybe I'll start another thread w/more details.
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Post by: nerdfest09
I really like these dude! i've seen a few armies made up of older models and they really look awesome! your pastel feel and solid color is really neat and looks good on them, keep it up!
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Post by: smurfmaster
-Miss Dee- I tried to follow your advice but unfortunately there is no sun in Minnesota this time of year
I thought my full-spectrum light would do the trick but I guess I'll have to wait till June to get some good pics.
Thanks for the encouragement -nerdfest09.- I use a little ink or 'Armour-wash' -but I never cared for the shiny/glossy look of excess ink under 'purity-seal.'
I use badab-black now & minimal red-ink for shading, and VERY minimal highlighting- this is because I think the gloss from purity-seal is enough to brighten them up. I avoid blue-ink and lighter blue highlights, using instead solid ultramarines-blue to bring out their regal-pattern.
I have seen some great highlighting -but I tend to go overboard personally.
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Post by: smurfmaster
Keep in mind many of these were previously painted- in the future I'll definitely try harder at getting rid of 'mold-lines.'
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Post by: Miss Dee
Thats better
Automatically Appended Next Post: The old ones take the new arms
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Post by: smurfmaster
As promised here are some detailed pics of the freehand-process {not a tutorial mind you -just recording the learning process}
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Post by: Asherian Command
I like this project!
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Post by: Lord_J
Really cool looking marines! I quite like the old school look on ultra marines, they where my very first army. Subscribed!
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Post by: smurfmaster
A little something I'm working on for the HS -whenever I get sick of painting, I play w/conversions
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Post by: smurfmaster
Presenting, the 'Autocannon MkI -Galea class.'
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Post by: smurfmaster
I'm not sure if the AC is done, because I was distracted building this:
Week four: touch up on 1of2 tactical squads -total restoration cost so far- $40
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Post by: smurfmaster
...and included in the restoration cost is a real cheap way to store an army! 2gun-accessory cases=$20
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Post by: warboss
smurfmaster wrote:...and included in the restoration cost is a real cheap way to store an army! 2gun-accessory cases=$20
where did you get them for that price? on sale or regular MSRP?
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Post by: kenshin620
Looking pretty good! I do like how when you get down to it, a lot of the old models dont look drastically different from the modern ones. Neat looking conversions you're doing
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Post by: smurfmaster
$10 each for the cases -brand new- wal-mart. {drove all over town trying to avoid that place -couldn't find a cheaper deal even building from scratch} DAMN YOU WAL-MART and your strangle-hold on cheap foreign petroleum products!
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Post by: Miss Dee
Shame they dont stock it in the uk.
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Post by: smurfmaster
That is a shame, just because you blokes don't have 'gun accessories' doesn't mean you couldn't use a nice padded-case. If Wal-mart got enough requests I'm sur they'd stock it in another section.
Otherwise here's the make & model:
--protector series plano model 1404--
you might be able to find it online -but then you gotta factor in shipping Automatically Appended Next Post: Can anyone tell me what the requirements are for conversions in tournament games? Are the conversions i posted here 'legal'??
If it's an issue of % of material used {as I think it is} keep in mind the base for the autocannon turret is one whole piece from a Leaman Russ.
-please help-
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Post by: smurfmaster
Old Imperial guardsman may recognize this bit- I thought I'd never use it but as it turns out, if you cut the little plastic tabs from the sides, it fits the new Razorback/Whirlwind turret perfectly!
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Post by: smurfmaster
Getting tiered and running out of pieces. More work tomorrow {maybe} -this is all I have so far on a stronos pattern razorback turret:
[wait, I thought I sat down to paint ]
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Post by: smurfmaster
Ok, this is as far as I got before I cut the bajesus out of my thumb -hope it was worth it -let me know what you think.
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Post by: smurfmaster
NOOOOOOOOOOOOO! My magnets came in the mail and my thumb is all screwed-up. Quick, cut off my hand and replace it with a servo-arm!
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Post by: smurfmaster
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Post by: smurfmaster
Week five: Fun with magnets
I don't have a lot of weapons-bits so of course I wanted to magnetize as many as possible.
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Post by: risewiththefallen
Go on hobbykingdom.com they have tiny magets 100 for like 5$ or somthin
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Post by: Ramos Asura
I get all mine at K&J Magnetics, google em. They have just about any size you could ever want, and their prices are very reasonable.
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Post by: bigfish
wow, some of the conversions youve got on here are awesome smurfmaster. im loving the havy flamer you had made and also the autocannon plasma gun turret. subscribing. nice work
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Post by: smurfmaster
risewiththefallen wrote:Go on hobbykingdom.com they have tiny magets 100 for like 5$ or somthin
I checked, and I believe the site has been shut down- thanks though.
bigfish wrote:wow, some of the conversions youve got on here are awesome smurfmaster. im loving the havy flamer you had made and also the autocannon plasma gun turret. subscribing. nice work
Thanks! I thought you'd like the flamethrower, it turned out pretty 'orkish' I think. I'll post another picture -now that the nuts & bolts have been glued on.
BTW- is this too many pics for a project blog? -I've been saving the finished pics for my 'Army-profile.'
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Post by: Commander Cain
Great restorations so far! I love he clean, crisp look of your marines so far. Excellent use of bits by the way, where do you get your plasticard from? My little town has no such thing as 'hobby shops'
Nice find with the figure cases, I shall have to check my local wal-mart to see if they stock them!
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Post by: bigfish
nah its not too many. there helping to show the "work in progress" and i dont think anyone is cappable of interesting the veiwer with just text on a thsi type of project blog. and might look into the the flamer design
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Post by: smurfmaster
Commander Cain wrote:... where do you get your plasticard from? My little town has no such thing as 'hobby shops'
I have a local place I buy from when I don't have an order big enough to justify shipping -but otherwise:
http://www.evergreenscalemodels.com/
or in the UK
http://www.anticsonline.co.uk/2141_1.html
I got a few Serendipitous finds from the surplus-store and some plastic-rod -putting the restoration-cost total to $45- in order to build this:
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Post by: bigfish
:O..... it spins with daka daka goodness. AWESOME
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Post by: Skalk Bloodaxe
In general I'm not a fan of Imperial Space Marines at all ( DEATH TO THE FALSE EMPEROR! ) but I am a HUGE fan of 2nd Ed armies and I really enjoyed seeing your older stuff. Reminds me of playing at my FLGS back in the mid-late 90's. A friend of mine from back then played Ultramarines and seeing yours made me remember things I had forgotten.
Really enjoy the conversions / customizations you are doing as well. This is great stuff, subbed, will be back for more.!
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Post by: sparkywtf
Eww Smurfs.
With that out of the way, great work restoring stuff.
I love the conversion work.
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Post by: smurfmaster
The original plan was to work my way through painting squads, one week at time, saving the HQ for last and taking breaks from painting to work on conversions. However, my FLGS had a character free-for-all/painting competition that bumped Marneus A. Calgar up to 'TOP-PRIORITY'
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Post by: bigfish
your pictures are kinda messed up. not the model liturally the pics
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Post by: smurfmaster
BTW- Marneus took 1st place in the painting category -and a young Eldar-commander took 'best-performing' w/his Avatar -though, I gave him a run for his money in CC!
It was much better to see the look on his face -after he beat me in a 'Mortal-Combat' style Fight on top of a piece of tower-terrain- than to win both categories.
bigfish wrote:your pictures are kinda messed up. not the model liturally the pics
Yeah -I only have one more picture of Marneus, the rest, I accidentally deleted. -I'll try to take some pristine shots when I do my 'Army-Profile'- for now it seems like too much for one model.
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Post by: mray01
Thanks for the post...I play ultramarines and (until seeing your post) had a much more difficult (and less clean looking) method of creating the inverted Omega for the Ultramarines Logo on things.
Your method is very simple and looks great - will certainly use it in the future.
Cheers.
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Post by: Skalk Bloodaxe
Yay! The original Marneus Calgar! Looking forward to seeing more pics of him. I always loved that model, even when it was force-feeding a Power Fist to my Bad Moon Nobz.
Ahh, 2nd Ed. I miss it.
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Post by: Miss Dee
The original was a RT mini.
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Post by: Skalk Bloodaxe
Miss Dee wrote:The original was a RT mini.
I wasn't counting that one because I doubt anyone ever dragged one of those across a game table, but you are right and I stand properly corrected.
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Post by: bigfish
lead calgar, talk about heavy hitters. (someone had to do it)
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Post by: smurfmaster
This is not quite done but its coming along nicely -I still need to ad nuts, bolts, purity-seals, ect.
I also changed the design to include another servo -for more Dakka-power!
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Post by: bigfish
"This was made freehand without taking any measurements."
so not only is this awesome but it was done without measuring.... that is just genius.
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Post by: smurfmaster
As I've mentioned before, I don't have a lot of money to spend on this army-restoration [I believe I'm still at $45] so I wanted to find a cheap way to make some molds.
I used this epoxy and made a few purity-seals already, now I want to try something a little more complicated.
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Post by: Miss Dee
I have some seals if you want them as I wont put them on my stuff.
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Post by: smurfmaster
Miss Dee wrote:I have some seals if you want them as I wont put them on my stuff.
That would be awesome -I love playing w/conversions- I really need to get my hands on bits of any kind -I'm nearly out! -and if there's anything I can do in return, just let me know.
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Post by: Miss Dee
Pm me your address and I'll dig up a tone of left over Ravenwing stuff. Automatically Appended Next Post: could not find seals but have some other bits.
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Post by: smurfmaster
Ok, I've been sick and not working on this as much -so progress is a little slow.
The combination of casting material I'm using makes for unreliable results. But the materials are so cheap, and i use so little, I can afford to get accurate results from volume. Also, I'm not including this in the army restoration 'total-cost' because the Air-dry-clay & epoxy were in my house from previous projects {and there'll be plenty leftover when I'm done}.
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Post by: Gitsplitta
Interesting stuff surfmaster.
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Post by: bigfish
"Hey Bigfish, check it out- with the bolts added, it looks even 'Orkier' {if thats a word}" lol i noticed . i was liturally thinking that when i saw the pic. btw i think your space marines have inspired me to start doing mine again (raven gaurd.... the easyest army to paint ever.. and mine still suck) keep up the awesomness
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Post by: smurfmaster
bigfish wrote: -raven gaurd.... the easyest army to paint ever..
-I couldn't remember how Raven-Guard looked -I just looked it up though- and yeah! I'd say it's time to invest in some black-primer!
-
Now is as good a time as any to mention my desire to do a little commission-work. Firstly to all the BA brothers out there reading this thread -I want to motorize a Baal-Predator turret! I'm not very keen on buying a tank I can't field for my army then trying to unload it on ebay -so here's the deal;
First person to contact me about a motorized Baal turret gets it done for REALLY CHEAP! {I'm talking cost, materials + shipping} Just so I can figure out how much time it takes and what its worth to me. Think about it -its a good deal- and the one I have here cost almost nothing to make.
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Post by: smurfmaster
Ok, once again, only half of the molds I made actually turned out. Lots of air-bubbles in the ones that didn't.
-If anyone has any how-to information on this -i.e: casting-technique, other paint schemes {pics please} or even the name of the thing- it would be of great help.
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Post by: Miss Dee
Press mold
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Post by: smurfmaster
Miss Dee wrote:Press mold
Not sure what you mean Dee. Do you mean literally press-down on it? I tried to press down on the mold after it had set a little {so it wouldn't stick to my hand} but I may have waited too long. -Or is it press-mold? I've also tried setting on the dryer -no luck.
- btw- Did you get my PM? What do you think of the tank??
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Post by: Miss Dee
Im doing night lords, got a baggie full of bits for you. Tank looks cool
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Post by: smurfmaster
Almost forgot about this -I'm not fond of the way it looks now- but I think with a nice paint-job..
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Post by: Miss Dee
Ohhh well done I'll bung some of the wassname sprues in too
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Post by: smurfmaster
Just finished the easiest project I've ever started- a couple of damage-panels quickly whipped up from plastic-card, for my tanks.
Going to attempt to have a life this weekend -then I should really get back to painting- though conversions have been fun.
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Post by: smurfmaster
Finished painting one of the SB turrets. The 'Autocannon MkI -Galea class' -I still need purity-seal -or some reasonable substitute. That stuff should 'up' the project costs.
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Post by: Gitsplitta
Nice detailing. have you though about doing some lining with a wash around all those plates. I bet it would really help things pop.
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Post by: DarkStarSabre
Seconded with the wash - the wash would help bring things out a bit better.
But superb restoration on a budget!
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Post by: smurfmaster
I have done a light coat of ink -but, you guys are right, if it doesn't show on camera it probably will not show very well under purity seal.
-I could also use some advice when it comes to battle-damage. These panels are not turning out like I had hoped.
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Post by: DarkStarSabre
Regarding the battle damage - the metal should be scorched. Blacks and browns to make it look burnt, chip the metal to show that pretty Marine paint gets wrecked.
Edit: Derp. Spelling fail.
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Post by: Gitsplitta
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Post by: smurfmaster
This is sweet! I'll have to try this out on the damage panels.
Update:
My Calgar won another local painting competition, which resulted in the prize of much needed paint. -Cost to restoration $0 -woo!
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Post by: smurfmaster
It has been a while since I last posted- and I'm afraid it's going to be a while longer.
I'm preparing for a month long survival hike that should keep me busy till late fall. So, looks like everything is going back into storage for another season. :(
Hope to be back on Daka soon!
Keep up the great work everyone!
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Post by: Miss Dee
Sorry sweetie I lost your address can you pm me, got a very big bag of bits for you tho.
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Post by: bigfish
o maaaaan. dont forget to update when you get back into making
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Post by: Miss Dee
Ya bits iz in da post
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Post by: smurfmaster
Miss Dee wrote:Ya bits iz in da post
Excellent! I might have to push back my departure date, so maybe I'll have a chance to use some of 'um.
-Thanks Dee!
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Post by: HAZZER
Nice rouge trader erea smerfs man! Love them, like the idea of an army on a budget. So far so good, Im loving the stuff man! The spinning autocannons is suburbe! Loving the suff, Hey how about you check out my blog too?(Link is in signnuture). Can't wait till next update. Btw the scrch building is great!
Subcribed
HAZZER
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Post by: orknidious
Instasculpt works great for making press molds. all you need is green stuff and insta sculpt.
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Post by: bigfish
There has not been an update on here for 4 months by smurf..
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Post by: smurfmaster
Sorry for the crazy delay... what am I saying -down right abandonment of this project.
I've been dealing with the forces of chaos in the real world and I won't bog you guys down with the details of my life outside of hobby-craft -but lets just say, you should be very careful in choosing who you live with. Lesson learned.
Anyway, much damage to trust and personal property aside, the army is undamaged and still in storage. I have new living arrangements and a new place to set up shop (though for now in an unheated garage that still need serious cleaning), so activity on this restoration-blog will return soon. Posts may be less frequent now, but with my very first 'permanent work-space' and a better camera, they should be more steady and reliable.
Oil & blood pump steady -this Tech-marine has faith and resolution anew -I AM READY TO BUILD AGAIN!
-HAIL THE TO ADEPTUS ASTARTES AND PRAISE THE EMPEROR OF MAN!
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Post by: smurfmaster
Back in the saddle again!
Can you spot the conversions in this photo?
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Post by: smurfmaster
I wanted the Barret look for this rifle, and after carefully scratch building 3 little vent attachments for the end and shooting 2 of them across the room with tweezers, I finally have it!
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Post by: smurfmaster
I had a miscast scout, so I reshaped his head with a Dremmel and added three small styrene bits to construct my smallest conversion to date!
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Post by: smurfmaster
Just a warning- This is no longer the frugle project blog that it once was.
After reading the forums thoroughly, I've decided to invest in a few things to help with convertions. So, I've been slowly building my supply of polystyrene everytime I go to the Hobby shop -add to that; a new hobby-saw, some mold making supplies, the Dremmel I'm borrowing from a friend {$90 if I'd bought it}, the testing of every single glue and epoxy the hardware store had to offer {some returned}, two ebay dreadnoughts and the sweet craigslist deal that nearly doubled my army for $200 -and the costs have kind of ran away from me. Next on the list is a couple bottles of paint and some green stuff. I probably could make due without some of these purchases but I figured 'what the hell -I've had some of these modles for over ten years- chances are, that money wouldn't have been spent on someting that would be around for another ten anyway. Plus, everything in my life is so serious all the time, I though it was time to invest in fun for a change.
Alright, I'm done using Dakka to justify my spending habits.
Lots more pictures to come -just as soon as I get back to my pc.
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Post by: smurfmaster
Extra bits and finished paint job
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Post by: smurfmaster
I'm back from a long hiatus, the models are back out of storage, and I'm excited to show Dakka what I've been working on!
Let's get to it. Here are my Rhino resize/rebuilds:
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Post by: smurfmaster
Some photos for size comparison:
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Post by: smurfmaster
Crow's nest cupola:
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Post by: smurfmaster
I still have 3 Rhinos to finish, but as soon as I'm done, I'm thinking about closing the tops of a couple Land Speeders and changing the profile.
I was thinking Jeeps (fielded as Attack Bikes) -or something like this:
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Post by: smurfmaster
A little better one..
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Post by: smurfmaster
One with the top swept back, and a couple different wing designs:
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Post by: smurfmaster
A few more shots of the detail coming together. Just need to add bolts and do some gap filling.
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Post by: smurfmaster
My two favorite solutions for rivets; small half-round beads, and 'Lazer Bond' -a UV reactive glue that bonds in three seconds under UV light.
It's a great gap filler too!
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Post by: smurfmaster
Pretty much finished.
It has little of the same profile as the old Mark I Rhino, but since I used the whole tank, I'm hoping it will still be legal for tournament play.
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Post by: smurfmaster
From the depths of a forgotten Martian armory -a relic is resurrected, and put back into service.
The Mark I Castellan Missile Launcher!
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Post by: smurfmaster
I made a couple of side turrets for a Terminus Ultra, which can support the LC from underneath -or suspend it.
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Post by: Master Azalle
So pumped I found this. Your work is fantastic. Love the rebuilds and resizing well done brother!
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Post by: smurfmaster
Thanks for taking an interest man!
I had a big gap in posting while I straightened out my living situation -but I should be posting much more frequently now.
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Post by: Nevelon
Nice work on all that scratch building. Love the retro crayon launcher!
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Post by: smurfmaster
Damn. Your the third person to mention the Crayon-like shape. Now I'm thinking I should definitely round them out -to make them look more like the Mark II. Automatically Appended Next Post: Here it is again -missiles rounded down, and painted!
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Post by: smurfmaster
Oops -forgot the attachments:
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Post by: Master Azalle
Very cool brother. Keep up the work
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Post by: smurfmaster
The Castellan Mark I is nearly complete!
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Post by: smurfmaster
Testing pics
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Post by: smurfmaster
The Mark Ia 'Vorolanus' pattern Rhino/Predator.
The parts are from a super old LR stand-in that was supplemented after they discontinued the first Land Raider -right around the time I picked up the game
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Post by: smurfmaster
Have a ton of heavy weapons to paint -along with a few more squads & characters.
I'm not a very fast painter, so, from here on, things will probably slow down a bit.
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Post by: smurfmaster
Back with more conversions!
Making a shoulder-fire Las cannon into a hip-fire, without too many extra parts.
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Post by: smurfmaster
Just putting on some finishing touches. I'll post more pics once they're painted.
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Post by: smurfmaster
Here we go!
Just one more LC to paint, and I'm done with the most (imo) ugly weapon in the Imperium.
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Post by: smurfmaster
One more pic of the two of them
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Post by: smurfmaster
Working on a hip-fire RL
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Post by: smurfmaster
Getting though the next 20 or so Tactical Marines sill put me well over the hill. Then I just have vehicles, a command squad, and a dozen or so Terminators -and this army is complete!
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Post by: smurfmaster
Getting nearer to the end of this project every day.
I decided to buy a FW Rhino to add to my unique collection of tanks. That, plus $10 in spare parts from Ebay, and a homemade rear door = Buy 1 get 1 half-off Rhinos.
After I paint the Tanks, I have about fifteen more marines, a small command squad, and few Terminators to go. Anything else Space-Marine is probably going to go into a small Iron Hands army, so I can use some of my funkier conversions.
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Post by: smurfmaster
This is my first shot at doing some weathering/battle-damage.
Any feedback or tips would be greatly appreciated.
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Post by: smurfmaster
This is the final result -after the satin varnish.
The sealer made the dust effect look a lot darker (and wetter) than I'd planed, but I like the way it enriches the blues & yellows, so I'll have to compromise with mud instead of dust.
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Post by: Kid_Kyoto
Great job on both rhinos, clean and clear and ready for battle.
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Post by: smurfmaster
Thanks man!
I've got one more finished, and two nearly complete. They'll have to wait to be sealed -the humidity is at 90% for next couple of days.
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Post by: smurfmaster
5 down -4 more to go!
I used the rest of the track from the old tanks on the FW kit, and it was just barely enough left to cover it. Looks pretty good, and gave me some Ideas for similar Land Raider tracks.
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Post by: smurfmaster
That's all the Rhino's done. Now I'll probably move on to painting the last handful of troop units, and organizing squads -or assembling Dreadnaughts. I haven't decided.
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Post by: smurfmaster
I stumbled upon a thread here on Dakka that was about the unrealistically low and flat ground clearance of the tracks on the LR. The more I looked at it, the more it bugged me, so -with 3 extra pieces of track (each side) and a few lengths of half-round- I gave it a little boost.
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Post by: Nevelon
Nice motor pool. I like the boost on the LR’s traks, it does look a lot more realistic.
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Post by: smurfmaster
Nevelon wrote:Nice motor pool. I like the boost on the LR’s traks, it does look a lot more realistic.
Hey thanks for stopping by!
I've been keeping an eye on your WIP blog. makes me want to pick up some Wraithlords. Very cool stuff.
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Post by: smurfmaster
Next up, I have one more LR to customize.
I was thinking of an open track, something like a mix between the pictures below:
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Post by: Briancj
Damn fine work on those Rhinos!
--Brian
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Post by: smurfmaster
Thanks Brian!
Getting a bit nervous now, Those old Rhinos are pretty easy to come by (especially since I could use badly damaged pieces), now I'm working with an $80 kit that doesn't resell quite so cheap.
Here's what I have so far:
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Post by: smurfmaster
Here's what I have so far.
Might have to pick it up tomorrow. This gluing fifty of the exact same piece is getting old.
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Post by: Skinflint Games
Loving this. I'm a sucker for some 2nd ed nostalgia, and the ingenuity of the conversions, not to mention the cracking paint jobs- colour me subbed!
Of course,l for true 2nd ed, shouldn't you paint your bases goblin green? ;-)
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Post by: smurfmaster
Skinflint Games wrote:Loving this. I'm a sucker for some 2nd ed nostalgia, and the ingenuity of the conversions, not to mention the cracking paint jobs- colour me subbed!
Thank you kindly -and welcome aboard!
Yeah I know a couple of people who still do this out of habit.
I'm doing this sand/rock mix, because it'll match the sand-box game table I'm building. Water effect bottom + heaps of sand on top = infinitely modular game table!
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Post by: smurfmaster
Making slow -but steady- progress.
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Post by: Captain Brown
Great stuff smurfmaster.
Old school is still the best school of GW in my eyes.
Cheers,
CB
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Post by: smurfmaster
Captain Brown wrote:Great stuff smurfmaster.
Old school is still the best school of GW in my eyes.
Cheers,
CB
Thanks Capt - Couldn't agree more! Can't wait to paint some of these old metal units.
I've finished the base of the track, and I think I've got a pretty good idea how to proceed with the details.
Whata you guys think?
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Post by: Briancj
Looking good, but you've clearly doomed yourself.
--Brian
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Post by: smurfmaster
Man. You're not kidding. Two days at work, and two days off to work on this, and what I have so far are the hinge-plates & most of the hinges.
I'll have to get some sleep and try to finish the rivets tomorrow.
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Post by: Not Online!!!
yikes.
Also good job but yikes.
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Post by: gobert
Looking good, but that’s an insane amount of track bashing you’ve taken on!
I also wanted to say that it’s really impressive how your painting has improved markedly since the earlier pages. Your flotilla of Rhinos look particularly good!
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Post by: smurfmaster
gobert wrote:I also wanted to say that it’s really impressive how your painting has improved markedly since the earlier pages.
Thank you for noticing
At some point I reevaluated what I was doing, and decided to start binge watching tip videos. I still can't highlight properly, but I'm learning a few other tricks to creating contrast.
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Post by: smurfmaster
Here's the (more or less) finished track-
*4 Paper thin styrene strips for the track belt
*6 (old) rhino 'roadwheels'
*28 small half-rounds for the inner track teeth
*42 large half-rounds for the suspension/'roadwheels'
*101 medium half-rounds and...
*101 small round stock for hinges
*101 small, paper thin rectangles for hinge plates
*144 (1.5 mm thick) rectangle sections for the track and support
*228 half-spheres for rivets
-bringing this project to a total to: 755 individual pieces. Making this the most tedious conversion to date.
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Post by: smurfmaster
Since I'm missing the bottom door plate, I figured it'd be a good opportunity to change the profile of the front to something more like this:
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Post by: smurfmaster
Using a little poster tack putty to dry fit the front end.
It seems like it still needs something to fill out the space around the dozer blade, but I think this is a good base to start with.
Let me know if you have any ideas, Dakkaites.
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Post by: smurfmaster
One more dry-fitting shot before I glue anything down
Still feel it's missing something...
...maybe it'll look better when it's squared away and bolts are added.
Feedback is -as always- earnestly welcomed.
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Post by: Briancj
More greeblies around the green putty bock, methinks.
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Post by: Kid_Kyoto
Loving the RT conversions.
And I whole heartedly agree on the raised tracks for the Land Raider. It annoys me with Chimeras and Russes but I lack the energy to do something so ambitious...
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Post by: smurfmaster
Briancj wrote:More greeblies around the green putty bock, methinks.
You're right on the money, Brian, and I think I found just the thing -a broken dreadnought arm I found in my scrap parts.
Also, not that it's important, but that green block is actually the bottom of a SM attack bike.
A lot of the stuff I have is recovered from a badly painted craigslist lot. It's the only way I can afford to hack this stuff up
Kid_Kyoto wrote:Loving the RT conversions.
And I whole heartedly agree on the raised tracks for the Land Raider. It annoys me with Chimeras and Russes but I lack the energy to do something so ambitious...
You should give it a go. The lift job on the first LR only takes 3 extra (single) track pieces, and a few pieces of half round plastic stock.
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Post by: smurfmaster
Ok. A few days of work and house chores, so progress is a little slow, but this is what I have so far.
Just a bit more gap filling and I can move onto the side doors & guns.
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Post by: smurfmaster
The most infrequent space marine army blog on Dakka is back! -and I have room to work for once.
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Post by: smurfmaster
New storage space as well
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Post by: smurfmaster
Without really expecting anyone to still be following this mess of a thread, for posterity and the sanity of the tome keepers I feel I should bring things up to date.
I'll skip explaining my absence since I'm gone more than I'm here.
The Craigslist purchase I made a few years ago, along with a going-out-of-business-sale where I picked up two more tanks, brings my collection close to an old-school 2nd Company -real close! So, I grabbed a random handful of damaged & badly painted "firstborn" from ebay to fill in the appropriate squads.
Now I'm 1 tactical squad and 3 flyers from a full 2nd Company- but, since I'm not really interested in the flyers, my second company will be retooled for deployment to a planet with frequent & intense ferrous dust storms. This will give me a chance to use one or more of the LR models in this project. Automatically Appended Next Post: The over all plan is to finish the squad I'm working on, branch out into some smaller 'Kill-Team' sized squads with different color schemes, then bring what I learned back to the remaining command squad & Dreadnoughts.
More conversions and some non-blue paint to come!
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Post by: Nevelon
I know the 2nd co was detailed in the older codexes. I want to say the 5th, but would have to check. Might have been later. Was more than one of them. The pics with the flyers are from the webstore, and I would not treat as cannon.
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Post by: smurfmaster
Nevelon wrote: The pics with the flyers are from the webstore, and I would not treat as cannon.
That's good news. They're fine models, I'm just not planning on buying anymore imperial vehicles atm.
-
Ok. I know everyone's probably seen enough tactical marines to last a lifetime, but here's a few select shots of the army post mud weathering.
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Post by: smurfmaster
One of the last projects for this army is a little hight adjustment at the feet and waist of Brother dreadnought Agnathio, as well as a bit of a more dynamic pose in the arms.
The second dreadnought is getting more of a facelift, but also the same height boost.
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Post by: smurfmaster
Some amateur greenstuff work and a plastic gear from throne knows what, cut at a slight angle gave me the pose I wanted.
I don't know if the last photo shows it, but the second dreadnought is in much rougher shape. Leg broken at the knee, markings filed down on the arm, and he's the wrong chapter.
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Post by: smurfmaster
Since the 2nd takes up too much horizontal space and not enough vertical, I'm thinking about making my shelves into dioramas.
Taking inspiration from the sandstone shores where I grew up, one of the shelves will be a dried riverbed in front of a eroded sandstone ledge.
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Post by: smurfmaster
Well, in the time honored Dakka tradition of starting a huge project before you've finished with another huge project, I am in over my head.
The general shape of the shelf coming together, but it needs more depth. I'm not sure how to break up all the flat areas.
I have some plaster, and I'm thinking about collecting some bark.
I've never built terrain like this befor, so I'm open to suggestions.
I want the area between the shelves to look carved out, and the rest to look like sandstone, but I'm not sure how to get there.
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Post by: Stevefamine
Great idea to make a display
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Post by: smurfmaster
Okay, I think the bark was a good move. Now I just have to establish the border of the background and figure out a way to make the center look purposely carved out.
I've got plenty of time to figure it out, because I'm still waiting on Roman columns from etsy.
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Post by: smurfmaster
Working late into the night. I think I have the shape of the background.
I also found this tutorial on a cheap water effect that I think I can modify for the carved portion of the sandstone: https://youtu.be/2TwpB7sVMn8
I made a mold of a column that honest didn't turn out great, but they're going to be weathered so much I'm hoping it won't matter.
Only two more things to potentially mess up:
-plaster
-paint
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Post by: Nevelon
That should look great once you finish.
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Post by: smurfmaster
Man, I sure hope so. The closer I get to painting the more nervous I get. I've never really painted anything other than power armor.
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Post by: smurfmaster
Spent the entire day sculpting cracks & battle damage to cover up the mold lines & bubbles from my crappy mold.
I'm fuggin' spent
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Post by: smurfmaster
Adding plaster/paint/ Mod Podge solution gave me an idea of what things will look like with shading & highlighting, and gave me a lot of confidence to finish this project.
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Post by: smurfmaster
I'm stoked with how this is shaping up.
It might need some more debris, as well as:
*undercoating
*paint
*wash/weathering effects
*matte varnish
The cost of this thing is starting stack up, but at least I'll have plenty of supplies left over for terrain projects.
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Post by: gobert
This is already looking fantastic! Giving me some ideas for my display unit. I doubt I’ll get to a full company and need anything of this scale though. It’ll be something to be very proud of once it’s done I’m sure
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Post by: smurfmaster
gobert wrote:This is already looking fantastic! Giving me some ideas for my display unit. I doubt I’ll get to a full company and need anything of this scale though. It’ll be something to be very proud of once it’s done I’m sure
Thanks, bud. Glad I could inspire.
I did a little test fit to see how much space the added bark & plaster took up, and things are a bit crowded, but I think it'll work.
If I were to design this all over again I'd probably make the upper level a good 6" longer on both sides.
Previously, I set the Army up so it was facing out towards the viewer, but this time I faced them all towards the empty space in the center of the cabinet, which gave me the idea to suspend a bunch of tyranid gargoyles from strings in the dead space in the center. Maybe print out a picture of a swarm and use it as the backdrop for the cabinet, I'm not sure.
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Post by: smurfmaster
Going through one of the last squads, and I only feel like I'm just now comfortable painting this scheme.
These guys came out super clean
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Post by: Guardling
Very nice storage shelf slash diorama!
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Post by: brushcommando
Pretty epic project. I admire your dedication to sticking with the 2nd ed color scheme.
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Post by: smurfmaster
Guardling wrote:Very nice storage shelf slash diorama!
Thanks for stopping by!
I used to be a competitive player, never saw myself making dioramas, but here we are.
brushcommando wrote:Pretty epic project. I admire your dedication to sticking with the 2nd ed color scheme.
Thanks, bud!
I made the number one rookie mistake of painting the same thing in the same scheme over-and-over, so I never really developed good wetblending, highlighting, and other skills, but I feel like I gained pretty good brush control and learned to dilute my paint better. In the future I'm going to cap my projects at 20 guys, or 2 vehicles at a time.
To that point, I think I'm going to dabble in a few different painting styles, then bring what I learn back to painting the command squad, so the 2nd Smurfs might be leaderless for a while.
The updated checklist -
Convert/paint:
*2 Dreadnoughts
*2 Predators
*1 Rhino
*1 LR Terminus Ultra pattern
When written out this looks like a lot, but I've saved my favorite projects for last.
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Post by: gobert
Clean job on the last squad, they look cool. The dreads look neat, good work reposing the legs on one the left one.
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Post by: smurfmaster
gobert wrote:Clean job on the last squad, they look cool. The dreads look neat, good work reposing the legs on one the left one.
Thanks, gobert!
You really gatta have a wide selection of glues and a heap of patience to do any conversion to these old pewter models.
On to my favorite pastime, converting tanks!
I had this MDF conversion kit from Miniature Scenery for so long I almost forgot about it completely.
I really wanted the two Predators in the army to stand out from all the other Rhinos, so a while ago I set aside my Rogue Trader era LR conversion for a Predator (since these days it's quite a bit undersized for a LR).
The MDF kit is perfect for the other Predator and will fit into the rest of the tank conversions nicely, but I still have no idea what to use for the cupola. The standard Predator cupola doesn't look right.
The kit:
https://miniaturescenery.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=21
Automatically Appended Next Post:
I see some gap filling and a whole lot of tiny rivets in my future.
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Post by: smurfmaster
This last Rhino isn't finished, but I'm so excited about how it's shaping out that I have to post some progress pics.
From the depths of a techno-archive, pressed back into service- for the first time since the Invasion of Ultramar in 854.999.M41-for the glory of the Emperor,
The Mk1 'Chronus' siege pattern Rhino with high-capacity 'Scorpion Bolter'
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Post by: smurfmaster
MDF soaked up a half bottle of thinned superglue, but I'm loving the look of this conversion kit. I painted them both with a semigloss varnish so it wouldn't soak up a bunch of undercoat as well, then gave one a quick base coat to tie the materials together to see what I'm working with.
The disadvantage of using UV glue as a gap filler is that it's clear. It's really fast for gap filling & small rivets, but sometimes you have to paint -just to see it, then do a second touch up fill.
Little bit more gap filling and a decent paint job and no one will ever know it's an $8 wood kit.
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Post by: smurfmaster
Some late-night, teeny tiny greenstuff work.
I start to sweat over cure time, but this stuff always seems to stay soft longer than advertised.
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Post by: brushcommando
Tank is looking pretty sweet. Also kudos for converting those pewter dreadnoughts. Not an easy task.
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Post by: smurfmaster
brushcommando wrote:Tank is looking pretty sweet. Also kudos for converting those pewter dreadnoughts. Not an easy task.
Thanks brushcommando. I might not have gone for it if one of the legs wasn't broken.
Starting work on the last Predator now. The Predator shouldn't need much, but the converted LR really needs something special, since it's my last and largest vehicle. I'm thinking some Romanesque greenstuff designs on the open panels.
...but first, swappable tanks!
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Post by: smurfmaster
I haven't finished anything yet, but I'm loving the process so much I thought I'd post some WIP pics
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Post by: brushcommando
Predator is looking cool. Has a bit of the 3rd edition (hybrid of metal and plastic) style to it, which is one of my favorite iterations of the tank.
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Post by: smurfmaster
brushcommando wrote:Predator is looking cool. Has a bit of the 3rd edition (hybrid of metal and plastic) style to it, which is one of my favorite iterations of the tank.
Mine too. The whole merge from old-hammer [Rogue Trader to 2nd] to 3rd was the inspiration for this army project- particularly the tanks.
The shelf terrain isn't totally finished, and I'm not crazy about how bright the red tones turned out, but I think I'm going to proceed and see how it looks with a sky background and the army in place.
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Post by: smurfmaster
I think I'm done (for now).
If I mess with this again I might tone down the reds into more of a yellow-brown, add some dead grasses, and maybe darken the riverbed.
We'll see what it looks like once the army is packed in there.
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Post by: Nevelon
Looks good! I think the tone of the reds look good. Should pair well with the blue Ultras.
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Post by: smurfmaster
Nevelon wrote:Looks good! I think the tone of the reds look good. Should pair well with the blue Ultras.
I think you're on to something, and similarly think my Tyranid color scheme will be an awesome contrast to the sky background as well.
Just doing some test fitting. The tanks are in there a little bumper-to-bumper, but I can always pull out one or two Rhinos if it comes down to it.
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Post by: gobert
Wow! Looks awesome, the red tones do work well against the ultras. Having a horde of Tyranids coming the other way would be pretty cool for a background. I wouldn’t have put he Ultramarines down as having the same logistics issues as the Russian warmachine!
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Post by: smurfmaster
gobert wrote: I wouldn’t have put he Ultramarines down as having the same logistics issues as the Russian warmachine!
This hobby is where I go to escape the news. So, in the future, I'd thank you to keep political/current events commentary off of my project blog -or refrain from commenting at all.
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Post by: gobert
Noted, all the best for your projects.
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Post by: smurfmaster
One last tank to finish customizing.
I'm glad I took a sharp turn on the design of the side sponsons, because now it's starting to look like a prototype of Forgeworld's 'Armored Proteus'. Ultimately, I think the extra width will represent the firepower of a Terminus Ultra a lot better than just adding more dakka to the stock LR would.
So far so good [though not looking forward to cutting chips into each individual track. ]
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Post by: brushcommando
I think the Land-Raider might be my favorite conversion yet. The longer side-sponsons give it very much the WWI landship look.
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Post by: smurfmaster
brushcommando wrote:I think the Land-Raider might be my favorite conversion yet. The longer side-sponsons give it very much the WWI landship look.
I'm glad you like it. This has turned into my favorite too- especially now that I've got some paint on it and all the different colored pieces aren't as Chaotic.
...which reminds me, the Land Raider kit is a blast to work with. I'll definitely be keeping my eye out for a Chaos LR to kitbash.
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Post by: smurfmaster
Everything that's left to paint >
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Post by: brushcommando
Force is really coming together! And I agree, the land raider looks even cooler in the uniform paint scheme. When you say this is everything left to paint, does that mean the entire battle company + armor support will be finished?
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Post by: smurfmaster
brushcommando wrote:When you say this is everything left to paint, does that mean the entire battle company + armor support will be finished?
Yep. I'm missing 1 tactical squad, and I haven't quite figured out what I'm using for a command squad, but that's almost a full company complete.
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Since I've never painted a Dreadnought, I figured it'd be a good idea to do some color tests.
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Post by: brushcommando
I like the one on the left a lot. Especially the hazard stripes on the power fist.
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Post by: Nevelon
brushcommando wrote:I like the one on the left a lot. Especially the hazard stripes on the power fist.
Agree. Although the yellow slash on the right guy’s torso is also a nice touch.
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Post by: smurfmaster
Nevelon wrote: brushcommando wrote:I like the one on the left a lot. Especially the hazard stripes on the power fist.
Agree. Although the yellow slash on the right guy’s torso is also a nice touch.
I'm glad you guys like it. I think there's just enough yellow to balance the colors with the rest of the army.
I tried the hazard stripes in a different pattern on brother Agnathio. I'm also using the Dreadnoughts to test some other techniques- sketching highlights, layering washes, and using ink over brighter highlights.
Not finished yet, but I think that's enough for tonight.
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Post by: smurfmaster
Batch painting some tanks today!
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Post by: Nevelon
Nice striped shield on the vindi. Just feels right to hazard stripe the whole front.
Warning: BFG. (Plus ram plate/dozer blade)
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Post by: smurfmaster
Nevelon wrote:Nice striped shield on the vindi. Just feels right to hazard stripe the whole front.
Warning: BFG. (Plus ram plate/dozer blade)
Heck yeah. It's so much easier on a big flat surface that you can mask off.
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Post by: smurfmaster
Okay. Batch painting turned out to be a bad idea.
It worked with multiple Rhinos, but these tanks are too different from each other and have too much surface area.
Instead, I'm just going to paint them individually, then weather them together.
I have all the primary colors and metallics on the LR, but I definitely want to add some freehand designs.
I'm thinking of something basic, but with a Greek/Roman feel- like columns and vines.
I'm confident I can freehand plants, but I'm not sure how complicated I want to go, since I have limited freehand experience.
As always, suggestions are welcomed.
What should I incorporate with vines?
What would you want to see on a Smurf tank?
What hasn't been done before?
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Post by: smurfmaster
Brother Ultracius, nearly finished Automatically Appended Next Post: I have no idea why the picture rotated.
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Post by: brushcommando
Looking good! Is he gonna get a banner or just display the Eagle's head napoleonic style?
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Post by: smurfmaster
brushcommando wrote:Looking good! Is he gonna get a banner or just display the Eagle's head napoleonic style?
I've got some cool banners a graphic designer friend of mine printed on this canvas-like fabric.
I'll try to finish up one of the Dreadnoughts tomorrow and post some pics.
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Post by: smurfmaster
brushcommando wrote:Looking good! Is he gonna get a banner or just display the Eagle's head napoleonic style?
Here's the banners.
The colors turned out great, but the ink is reactived from nearly everything that touches it, so I sprayed the printed side with a matte sealer. I'm hoping I can weather them without pulling up the ink.
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Post by: smurfmaster
Putting the finishing touches on the Dreadnoughts.
These have to be my favorite GW model.
I do feel like I should go back when everything else is done and give these guys some special attention.
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Post by: Nevelon
Love the old dreads. So much classic glory.
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Post by: brushcommando
They look great, especially with the classic banners. I agree that there's probably not a more iconic 40k model than the classic dread.
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Post by: smurfmaster
Nevelon wrote:Love the old dreads. So much classic glory.
brushcommando wrote:They look great, especially with the classic banners. I agree that there's probably not a more iconic 40k model than the classic dread.
Glad you guys like the retro look.
I made the mistake of staying up until 3am painting, forgetting that the crew working on the road outside my house would be at it by 7am.
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