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Made in de
Been Around the Block




Stuttgart, Germany (Transplant of the Military)

INTRODUCTION

I cannot say that I am any good at this, but I do get a few nice comment, so I will give it a try. Plus, I have been meaning to do this for a while….the prize money was a great motivator.

Hopefully you will like it, hopefully it will help some of you.

Myself, scratch building is a necessity! All the models I want cost a fortune, and all the terrain I see is kind of junky, poorly sculpted or two tone painted foam. I wanted to have good terrain, without breaking the bank…or having to explain where the savings went to the wife.

“Honey…were broke! But hay, look at this cool new 6 inch long barricade I bought, it was only $30.00”, yeah that goes over well!

I will have to update and add over several days, as I am still working on this piece, and trying to make it as informative as possible.

This message was edited 8 times. Last update was at 2009/08/29 09:27:49


 
   
Made in de
Been Around the Block




Stuttgart, Germany (Transplant of the Military)

GETTING AN IDEA

I was stuck in a lengthy meeting, where only about every twenty minutes or so actually contained information that was actually credible and interesting, so I sketched out what I thought would be a cool Ork watch tower.

I usually get my best ideas while bored at work (Shhhhh! Don’t tell my boss), and they tend to be really quick, easy concept ideas since I am not a great artist.

Here you can see the work in progress and the structural planning.

I think it is very important (even if you cannot draw or illustrate well) to put your plan on paper, work out what you want it to look like. This helps get it all together, and gives you a goal to shoot for.

Do it in crayon, on a napkin, anywhere with anything, and than save them. Any idea you have, cause you never know when you need that cool piece for the big game, and wouldn't you know it, you can not think of anything original!

You can see here that I want this build to look hap-hazard, and orky, as it should be!
[Thumb - DRAFT SKETCH 1.jpg]
Quick line drawing of an idea.

[Thumb - DRAFT SCAN 2.jpg]
More detailed concept art, just to keep me motivated.

   
Made in de
Been Around the Block




Stuttgart, Germany (Transplant of the Military)

PLANNING THE STRUCTURE

After getting a good idea of how I wanted it to look, along with some researching some other Ork terrain and items online, I was ready to start figuring out how I wanted to put it all together.

I know that I will be limited on material, as my career choice leaves a lot of pinching pennies when it comes to hobbies or myself. I will have to use what I can find, build, salvage or just create. SCRATCH BUILD !!!

Since I have some construction background (lots of time with LEGO’s and some drafting), and know how to use Microsoft PowerPoint, I will use these to layout my floor plan and templates. I choose this, since I like to keep an archive of how I build items, so I can build them again without having start from scratch, plus I can share it here!

The other great thing about PowerPoint is you can set the grids on it for metric or Amreican standard, and draw the templates almost to scale, which will help when making bigger and more intricate structures or for some of you out there that are into "Paper-Hammer" it is a great start for your own unique Army.

Below you will find photos of the lay out design, and a file for the actual PowerPoint.

Remember that the PowerPoint is a template, however you may have to adjust your print setting to convert for metric or you own tastes.
[Thumb - Slide1.JPG]
Plans for the build - Page 1

[Thumb - Slide2.JPG]
Plans for the build - Page 2

[Thumb - Slide3.JPG]
Plans for the build - Page 3

[Thumb - Slide4.JPG]
Plans for the build - Page 4

[Thumb - Slide5.JPG]
Plans for the build - Page 5

[Thumb - Slide6.JPG]
Plans for the build - Page 6

[Thumb - Slide7.JPG]
Plans for the build - Page 7

[Thumb - Slide8.JPG]
Plans for the build - Page 8

 Filename BUILD PLANS (Office 2007).pptx [Disk] Download
 Description Power Point File - Build Plans - For Vista and Office 2007
 File size 136 Kbytes

 Filename BUILD PLANS (97-2003).ppt [Disk] Download
 Description Office 93-2003 Version - Build Plans
 File size 806 Kbytes

   
Made in de
Been Around the Block




Stuttgart, Germany (Transplant of the Military)

DRAWING AND CUTTING THE STRUCTURE

I have completed deciding how best the structures should look, taken them from idea into PowerPoint and started making templates each piece.

Once this was done, I printed each out, not to trace later, but to use for my measurements.

For this part you will need foam core, a ruler, some pencils and a razor or other sharp cutting knife like an exact-o blade.

A cutting board would be good, I tried it without and needless to say, my wife loves her new kitchen table. (Kids – ALWAYS use a cutting board and be very cautious with any cutting items)


[Thumb - DSC02289.JPG]
Starting Materials

   
Made in de
Been Around the Block




Stuttgart, Germany (Transplant of the Military)

DRAWING AND CUTTING THE STRUCTURE - CONTINUED

There are some other odd cuts in the plan, some calling for 45o angle, other to be “tongued”.

With the 45o angle, your simply going to cut along the edge at close as possible to this angle, giving a beveled edge. This will help join to angled pieces and will look like the one posted below.

The tongued pieces make joining edges easy, and are very simple to do.

Simply follow this guide:
1) Cut the foam core along the joining edge, but do not cut all the way through. You only need to cut through the top paper, and the foam, leave the bottom paper.
2) You will than cut into the foam along the paper, so that you have an edge that looks like the ones below.

[Thumb - DSC02303.JPG]
Tongued Edge Cut

   
Made in gb
Lesser Daemon of Chaos




Minting, Horncastle

Looks nice, Might use the templates and convert the plans to plasticard.

7/10 so far, keep on going
   
Made in de
Been Around the Block




Stuttgart, Germany (Transplant of the Military)

DRAWING AND CUTTING THE STRUCTURE - CONTINUED

Now it is time to cut out your pieces, and have some fun and before I forget.

Mark your pieces so you can remember how they fit together and where they go.

Remember this is an Ork building, getting this perfect is not really a problem!

Starting with the floor, I slowly start drawing out my pieces. The floor will have some strange angles, and will also be duplicated in the roof, so I will have to carefully lay it out once and cut it cleanly.

The floor will be cut as flat and perpendicular to the foam core as possible, this will give a nice edge for the walls to be glued and pinned to.

The roof will be cut at a slight angle, so that it can slide in and out of the building, and rest on some supports that will be glued to the walls.

At 2 inches up from the bottom, I will mark the a line to show where my roof supports will be glued later. This is just my own way, you can measure it later, but I hate having to put marks in after I put somthing togeather, and getting a pencil into some spots is difficult.

[Thumb - DSC02306.JPG]
I cut a long strip at 3" tall, since most walls will be 2-3/4 inches.

[Thumb - DSC02305.JPG]
I have marked all the joining edges, and made my roof support line, and even got ahead and made some cuts.

[Thumb - DSC02302.JPG]
Cutting the edges does not have to be perfect, how well will an Ork cut with a blow torch!

   
Made in de
Been Around the Block




Stuttgart, Germany (Transplant of the Military)

DRAWING AND CUTTING THE STRUCTURE - CONTINUED

Once you have cut out all the pieces for your build, you are ready to start putting it together.

You will need a few items. You will need your cut pieces, just the ones for the floor your working on (I’ll be working on the 1st Floor in this part of the tutorial). I try to lay the items out (when I have room - I usually have to share the table with cats, kids and an angry lady who thinks that the table is for dinner, not wargamming or modeling).

You will also need straight pins, the kind you can find in sewing stores or just about anywhere.

Lastly you will need PVC Glue and the Exact-O blade. Don’t worry, PVC Glue is just a fancy name for “White Glue”, the kind most of us ate in school at one point or another. I still like the taste, but don’t let your friends catch you eating it!

[Thumb - DSC02309.JPG]
This is not a plug for the glue, just what I had on hand...you can also see the pins.

[Thumb - DSC02311.JPG]
Typical run of the mill straight pins...a must for working with foam core.

[Thumb - DSC02308.JPG]
Laying out the pieces and getting ready to build.

   
Made in de
Been Around the Block




Stuttgart, Germany (Transplant of the Military)

DRAWING AND CUTTING THE STRUCTURE - CONTINUED

Lay your floor piece flat against a flat surface and choose which edge you will start with. The flat surface will help you keep your edges flush, but remember to put something down or you might be buying your wife or mom a new kitchen table (see my comment in the “Cutting the Structure” section). Trash bags or newspaper should work.

Coat only the edge of the floor, along the exposed foam, and line up the appropriate wall section so that the edge that is not “Tongued” is lined up along a corner.

Push the straight pins into the wall, and through into the floor, and wipe off any excess glue. The straight pins will add strength to the model, as well as hold the walls in place while you move to the next piece.

The next piece will be the wall that will connect to the wall you just placed, the tongued end piece overlapping the new wall end section.

This prevents having to seal all the foam, and give a firm area to pin from along the edge. Note on the pins, if you do not hide them, you can paint them later to look like rivets. On this section, you will glue the floor edge and the edge that sits into the tongued edge.

Continue around the floor section till you have worked around to the beginning, and let it dry.

If you like, you can reinforce the edges, by tracing them with a small amount of glue and working it in with your finger, just to fill the cracks and seams. You will do this for all the floors, or if you have only the one floor, your done, cut the roof and get ready to detail it out.

Pinning the roof supports might be a little tricky as the pins will push all the way out the other side...you can angle the pins or clip them short.

NOTE: You will cover alot of the cutting, pinning and errors with bits, details and other items...don't worry! It will be Ork-e-fied.
[Thumb - DSC02312.JPG]
Pinning the first wall to the floor.

[Thumb - DSC02313.JPG]
Pinning through the joining walls - Remember to pin from both sides here.

[Thumb - DSC02315.JPG]
Some walls will have to be pinned at the top, since the anfgle is very slight.

[Thumb - DSC02314.JPG]
Here you can see where the tongued edge will marry up with the next piece.

[Thumb - DSC02317.JPG]
View of the completed first floor with roof supports.

   
Made in de
Been Around the Block




Stuttgart, Germany (Transplant of the Military)

DETAILING THE STRUCTURE

One of the great things about scratch building, you can find materials everywhere, and they are a lot cheaper than buying a piece for a specific purpose.

You can see here the materials that I have collected over the course of a week, just during day to day errands, that will work great for this build. Also, when you find items like these, get extra, they do not spoil or go bad!

Some of the items that I found were straws, extra bits of foam-core, a plastic clear CD dividers, industrial staples (for a staple gun I have in the tool box), wire, and bamboo barbeque skewers (I love to grill, so I might have to go easy on these).

NOTE: Everyone knows that orks meks will use anything to weld, bolt or rivet into a structure to give it strength. So use whatever you can, no set angles and no wrong answer in adding depth and detail to your building.

Most people have shown that corrugated sheeting is made from cardboard, just strip off one of the covering layers and there you go.

But, a little known tip is to use the cup holders you get from the overpriced coffee shops…you know the ones I am talking about, the ones that sell Grande Mocha Latte Crappacinos. They only have one side, and have a smaller curve, great for adding variety to your “Tin Bits”. While you are there, grab some stir straws or sticks, they are great for pipes, or wood flooring, and at the whopping price of FREE, you cannot go wrong.


Below are just some of the free items I have found, or scavanged around the house...


[Thumb - DSC02324.JPG]
Household bits, and other items to break up the outside of the model.

[Thumb - Bits Labels.jpg]
A better view and labels for thoese that need a little help.

   
Made in de
Been Around the Block




Stuttgart, Germany (Transplant of the Military)

DETAILING THE STRUCTURE – CONTINUED
DETAILING THE STRUCTURE – CONTINUED

One of the things that I like to do is break up the pattern, too many times I have seen perfectly square, industrial built models. They look like the “cookie cutter” models, not like they were built on the battlefield, under the pressure of combat.

Having served a few years in the military, and going to some nasty places, I have built some of my own hunker down spots. Even with the choice of materials, and good tools, not to mention a little construction experience, mine never came out looking like some of the perfect builds you usually see.

So this being said, I tend to use just about everything that I can to make the exterior look rough and slapped together.

Bits of cut foam core is a quick build up, than I will add screws, bolts nuts, bits of plastic, and other junk. I use all these to try and hide the edges and lines, as well as over the edges of the holes.

Below you can see some of the examples of how I have started to build it out and get the rough details.

I used a different material on each of the sides so that you can see the various thicknesses and textures that are available, and how you can break up the edges.

The different materials present different challenges and different bonuses to the project.

1) FOAM CORE BITS – Little bits of cut foam core, small enough to call trash, but big enough to use to break up the outline of the building. If your using foam core, you will have plenty of this around, if you don’t…I need to read your tutorial. This stuff is good for the major bits, but leave a lot to later touch up and detailing. I use it so that I have stand off pieces to glue other odds and ends to.

2) PLASTIC – DVD Cases, CD dividers and other plastic items are easy to work with in random straight lines, as all you have to do is score the item bend and it will break along the line. Leaving a nice quick piece, and can be painted to look like smooth stock metal sheets. Bead up some glue on the edges and you have a piece that was welded over another piece.

3) WOOD, STIR STICK, POPSICLE STICK, AND TONGUE DEPRESSORS – They are easy to use, cut and make various marking on. Take three or four wood stir sticks, break the end and cut the other end flush for planked flooring. Take some wire cutters, and squeeze hard to score a tongue depressor, bend and it will bread along the line. This is good for larger metal sheets, and if you take an Exact-O blade or other share razor to the edge, you can make it look weathered, worn or cut!

NOTE: Three stir sticks glued togeather makes a cheap I-Beam. Glue along the very edge of one, than center it along the flat of another. Do this again, and you have a free I-Beam. These lovely items are found in all sorts of rubble, and war torn cities, and if you try to buy one from a hobby store, you will pay a fortune. You can see one I made in the photos below

4) CARDBPOARD – Strip off one side of the paper to reveal the corrugated inside, a few coats of various paints and now you have sheet metal siding, just like the trailer park back home….sorry, maybe not your home!

[Thumb - DSC02334.JPG]
FOAM CORE BIT - Build up the outline and glue other pieces to it...recycling at its best!

[Thumb - DSC02337.JPG]
PLASTIC - I know it is hard to see here, but when primed it will look like stock sheet metal. Bead glue on the edges for a welded look.

[Thumb - DSC02338.JPG]
WOOD - Stir stixs, from your coffee, and popsicle sticks from your kids come in handy. If you have a friend that is a nurse, you can get the tongue depressors too.

[Thumb - DSC02335.JPG]
CARDBOARD BOX - Peel off one side of the paper and use some sandpaper to clean up the leftover paper and you have corrigated metal.

[Thumb - DSC02336.JPG]
COFFEE SLEEVES - Coffee cup sleeves from all the over priced foo foo coffe stores come with one of these. Tear or cut, glue in place....can not mess with free stuff!

   
Made in de
Been Around the Block




Stuttgart, Germany (Transplant of the Military)

DETAILING THE STRUCTURE – CONTINUED

Another thing that I think make some models stand out, and that can be used on conversion, scratch built items, or anything else you want, is “Armor Plates” or “Iron Banding”.

Here is how I make it and it is almost so simple is might not even qualify for a tutorial, but I like it and you will see it first here.

The materials you will need are:
1) Exact-O Blade
2) Masking Tape
3) Straight Pins (now 102 uses!)
4) Cardstock or Heavy Paper
5) Glue
6) Wire cutters
7) Cutting board

The first step is to lay down three to five pieces of masking tape, lining up the edges so that they remain in a straight line. This helps later, and reduces the amount of cuts you have to make. The masking tape is flexible and usually has a nice texture for painting later.

The second step is to measure and cut your cardstock into the shape you need. This is than pressed onto the sticky (adhesive) side of the tape, and will give you a cutting guide. Cut right along the edges and you now have a sheet of metal (unpainted – use your imagination).

NOTE: The more masking tape you use, the thicker the “metal”. If you want to add armor to your converted Rhino or other tanks just use the tape and stick in place.

After I have cut the piece out, I will lay it on an extra piece of foam core, Styrofoam or card board. This will prevent me from poking it through and into my leg or finger….Remember the bit about the table, well this is another one where I have learned from experience!!! The pins are hard to push through, you might want to take the flat end of a pen, piece of plastic, or if you have a thimble…use them to push it through.

SAFETY NOTE – WEAR EYE PROTECTION FOR THE NEXT PART…..PLEASE!

Once through, pull the straight pins all the way through and push one or two into the foam edge of some scrap foam core or Styrofoam.

You ask why, well as your clipping off the excess with some wire cutters, the pointy end tends to fly off at high speeds. I learned to use the foam as a hold after a sharp bit shot off and stuck into the skin on my inner arm. Not enough to bleed, but enough to make me wonder what it would do to small animal, cat, child or your eyes.

Clip off the excess straight pin, really close to the tape than add a drop of glue to the back side and let dry. The head of the straight pins will make great rivets and beats the hell out of clipping and gluing lots of little plasticard dots.

Another thing you can do is make steel or iron bands - using the same process as mentioned in the last post, omitting (leaving out) the cardstock, and taping a thin strip directly on the building.
I than push the straight pins through and cut them shot on the other side. This will give the same riveted appearance, and also hold the “Band” in place against the form of the model.

[Thumb - DSC02326.JPG]
STEP 1 - Layers of tape to desired thickness.

[Thumb - DSC02327.JPG]
STEP 2 - Measure, cut and place your cardstock.

[Thumb - DSC02328.JPG]
STEP 3 - Push your pins through to the cardboard or foam - NOT your leg, thumb, or little brother.

[Thumb - DSC02329.JPG]
STEP 4 (Without Foam Anchor) - Clip carefully!

[Thumb - DSC02333.JPG]
"IRON RIVET BAND" - Pins anchored in foam core - This will prevent them from flying off in all directions.

[Thumb - DSC02332.JPG]
STEP 5 - Adding some glue to hold the the straight pins in the tape.

[Thumb - DSC02341.JPG]
IRON ARMOR WITH RIVETS - Well it will be when it is painted, inked, washed, and touched up.

[Thumb - DSC02339.JPG]
STEEL BAND WITH RIVETS - Used to support the Orky shack - well it will!

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2009/05/25 21:07:11


 
   
Made in gb
Adolescent Youth with Potential





Near Portsmouth, UK

Looking good so far, with plenty of detail. I like that you've added the plans as a download.

Makes me want to build one!

Of all the things I've lost, I miss my mind the most!
DS:70+S+GMB+I+Pw40k88/f/re+D+A++/sWD?R++T(?)DM+
3000pts 10000pts
 
   
Made in us
Servoarm Flailing Magos





Alaska

All that precision goes into an ork building? I can see it now, some mekboy sitting on a laptop drawing up drafts to use to make his tower! Lol.


Anyway, great stuff so far. I love how everything is being made presentable right off the bat, it just needs a coat of paint. Usually when I am working with foamcore, it needs a heavy layer of textured plaster to hide all my mistakes, but yours obviously have no such requirement.

http://www.teun135miniaturewargaming.blogspot.com/ https://www.instagram.com/teun135/
Foxphoenix135: Successful Trades: 21
With: romulus571, hisdudeness, Old Man Ultramarine, JHall, carldooley, Kav122, chriachris, gmpoto, Jhall, Nurglitch, steamdragon, DispatchDave, Gavin Thorne, Shenra, RustyKnight, rodt777, DeathReaper, LittleCizur, fett14622, syypher, Maxstreel 
   
Made in ca
Long-Range Ultramarine Land Speeder Pilot





Portsmouth, UK

Very nice tutorial, lots of pics. I particularly like the pinhead rivet idea.

Stubby

 
   
Made in de
Been Around the Block




Stuttgart, Germany (Transplant of the Military)

ANSWERS TO COMMENTS

ANT
Thanks for the comment: I have found alot of great models online, but they are always the finished product, never the dimensions or how they built it. I like being able to use the best elements of other designs, but hate spending an hour printing and adjusting the sizeing till I get something I can work with.

This was a way to get the plans out there so even the youngest - Grotz - could have a go at it, which is how I started the terrain builds to begin with...teaching my kids science projects and building terrain with their friends for their "Waaagh".


FoxPhoenix135
Yeah, I do not think any self respecting Mekboy would sit down with more than a piece of wood and some charcoal from last nights fire....if that. However, I am a little OCD when it comes to planning and building.

Them more you plan, the less you spend! If you have everything worked out on paper, you only cut once, everything fits and there is little trim. I have watched a few guy go into down right fits when they have one wall to finish, it is sunday and they are out of materials cause they short changed by making pieces to small to use. That doesnt happen much on an Ork build, but it does when working with almost all the other more perfecting races.

Also, there will be some plaster or clay to flesh out some of the details...just ran out of time this weekend. That will be a later part of the tutorial

StubbyGB
Thanks for the comment!

The pin head and tape idea has been out for many years, but seems to have faded from glory with plasticard and ready made bits. I first read a small article on it in "Fine Scale Modeler" back in the 80's - before internet. It stuck with me, as I used it to beef up all my M60. M1A1 tanks in 1:35 scale.

Glad you liked it, very easy to use, and the head of the pin usually does not sit flush, so inks and washs sit there and add to the weathering effect.
   
Made in us
Moustache-twirling Princeps





About to eat your Avatar...

Fantastic tutorial.

I'd recommend taking a few hours at some point to make this into an adobe file. Many people would appreciate it.

Your format is very clear and understandable, if not disrupted by the forum format as I mentioned earlier. Nice model as well, I look forward to seeing it painted. An airbrush knows no end of uses when making terrain. I have made foam-core structures many times before, they are great for one story buildings. Reinforcing a two story structure with architectural balsa wood will give all the strength it needs. Popsicle sticks can be used inside but they are harder to blend into the structures. Great Ork building


 
   
Made in au
Longtime Dakkanaut






Brisbane/Australia

Bloody brilliant work.

"Kudos Muchos" -for the effort you have put in sharing your knowledge/hard work.

Watching this thread avidly now!!

"Dakkanaut" not "Dakkaite"
Only with Minatures, does size matter...
"Only the living collect a pension"Johannes VII
"If the ork codex and 5th were developed near the same time, any possible nerf will be pre-planned."-malfred
"I'd do it but the GW Website makes my eyes hurt. "Gwar
"That would be page 7 and a half. You find it by turning your rulebook on its side and slamming your head against it..." insaniak
MeanGreenStompa - The only chatbot I ever tried talking to insisted I take a stress pill and kept referring to me as Dave, despite my protestations.
insaniak "So, by 'serious question' you actually meant something entirely different? "
Frazzled[Mod] On Rule #1- No it literally means: be polite. If we wanted less work there would be no OT section.
Chowderhead - God no. If I said Pirates Honor, I would have had to kill him whether he won or lost. 
   
Made in us
Death-Dealing Dark Angels Devastator




Saltillo, MS

Exactomake a foamcore cutter that helps you cut at a 90 degree angle. It also comes with a 45 degree attachment to cut angled edges so you can butt two edges together to make a mortise. It has two blades, you can take one or the other off or you can leave both blades on to cut a 10mm channel so you can make a groove so you can slip foam core into it. You can adjust the depth with a screw. They were $10 at Office Max, I took advantage of one of their paperbag days and picked one up, it's a huge time saver and wish that I had picked one up a long time ago.

I'm going to use the tape and pin technique for the corners of my bunkers and everything else, but I won't clip the pins completely off when I'm working with foam core.

If you do your clipping inside a gallon sized bag, you can save the pieces for stainless pins for pinning, after you clip the tips off.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2009/05/28 01:36:55


 
   
Made in au
Homicidal Veteran Blood Angel Assault Marine





Melbourne, Australia

Looks cool - I like the idea around the rivets etc.

Can't wait to see it complete!

There are 10 types of people in the world - those who understand binary, and those who don't.

My work in progress thread 
   
Made in de
Been Around the Block




Stuttgart, Germany (Transplant of the Military)

UPDATE

Thank you to all the people that have been leaving some outstanding comments. I do appreciate the support!

WREXASAUR - I might have to make it into a PDF file, once everything is completed, however, due to the late start, I do not believe I will get into painting and basing before the completion of the contest period. I also did not know that you could edit after posting, or I would have maintained continuity. If you know how to insert the photos between paragraphs, rather than at the end....I would apperciate the lesson.

AKIRA5665 - Great name...big fan, the books were better than the movie. Anyway, thank you for the comment, they help motivate me to continue on even with my already strained work schedule.

WITTZO - Thank you for the cool bit of information. I have been looking into getting a foam cutter, as foam core is my medium of choice so far. Mainly cause it is cheaper than anything else here in Germany that I have found yet. I will look into the officemax deal, maybe they ship to APO, or I can find it at Exato.com or somthing.


I wanted to let everyone know, I am still working on the detailing and the next bit of info....SCULPTING. Shoulc be out tonight! Never fear, I will finish this build eventually, and again...thanks for all the support.
   
Made in de
Been Around the Block




Stuttgart, Germany (Transplant of the Military)

SCULPTING SOME BITS

One of the other items that I wanted to try was sculpting, something that I have had little to no practice at, but figure that making metal plates out of some clay would be easy.

I picked up some Marblex Clay at a craft store, and gave it a shot. The stuff is very hard to begin with, but a sprinkle of water and some folding and kneading and it is ready to go.

I also did not have any sculpting tools, so I figured that I would make my own from some extra bamboo skewers that I had from my grill. Making several different points that I will use to sculpt with.

Round, Wedge, Pointed, and chiseled edges both round and flat. The made the edges with sandpaper by sanding them down to the desired edges, and smoothed them out with some fine sand paper. The same was done to an extra tongue depressor I had, which I put an edge on to cut the clay and make long lines.

Items I use are:
Wax Paper (placed on a hard cutting board to prevent the clay from sticking)
Rolling Pin (String is wrapped around the rolling pin as a thickness guide - preventing from thiniing to much).
Bamboo Skewers.
Soft and hard Brushes (For texture and to remove small bits of clay from the sculpture).
Anything else I can find!

[Thumb - DSC02343.JPG]

   
Made in de
Been Around the Block




Stuttgart, Germany (Transplant of the Military)

SCULPTING SOME BITS - CONTINUED

I wanted to add some armor plating, and some other items that looked like they came off some vehicles, and with some patience, the Marblex Clay and the tools I made I started in.

After the prep, I tied some shoestrings around a rolling pin, this will limit how high the roller will sit off my table, and how thick the clay will end up being.

I figure about 1/8 of an inch would be some really thick stock metal bits, so I rolled out a few sheets, started carving out the shapes and began on the details. The great part about this stuff is that you let it air dry and it gets hard, no baking, no heating…and if you mess up, crush it up and now you have the rubble you wanted for ruins your thinking about building!

Marblex Clay comes ready to use, but must be cut from the block, and then I will usually add a very small amount of water dab your fingers in the water, drip on clay, repeat. Do this three or four times as you fold an kneed the clay, and you will get a nice study consistence. Too dry and it will crack, too wet and it is very sticky. You may want more or less water, add to your liking.

I will roll it to the desired thickness, ususaly the rolling pin with guides is thick enough, but if I want thicker, I might add magazines under each side, or even thicker books.
[Thumb - DSC02352.JPG]
Rolling Pin - Two layers of shoestring works well as a thickness guide.

[Thumb - DSC02354.JPG]
Thicker Pieces - add books or magazines under the rolling pin.

[Thumb - DSC02356.JPG]
Cutting the clay.

[Thumb - DSC02360.JPG]
Too Dry

[Thumb - DSC02367.JPG]
Add Water and Fold, add water fold and kneed.

[Thumb - DSC02370.JPG]
Add Water and Fold, add water fold and kneed.

   
Made in de
Been Around the Block




Stuttgart, Germany (Transplant of the Military)

SCULPTING SOME BITS – CONTINUED

Okay, here you can see that I have started rolling out the clay. When you do this you want to do it in small amounts. Do not try and do squish it down all in the first go, 1/8 to 1/16 of inch at a time, and I will do it up and down (vertical) and then left to right (horizontal).

This will help form a wide round shape, rather than a long thin line.

I have decided that I wanted to make a banner or marker, so I drew out a template of the pieces I wanted to sculpt (Yes, back to having an idea first, a plan, and then building).

I cut the template out, starting at the outer most area first, and laid it across my clay. Tracing the edge, than carfully cutting it out to get the bottom layer. This is where all the tools come into play, and there is no specific use for any of them…whatever is comfortable for you.

Pointed skewers are good for the tracing, and then an Exact-O blade will cut it pretty quick, but remember to tilt your blade slightly or your angle will be off a little. The angle on the edge of the blade is tilted, so it will push the clay unevenly.

I also used a tongue depressor that I cut and sanded to an “Exact-O Blade” to straighten up the straight edges, and a quick drag along the clay to make gouges and ripples. The same tongue depressor, tapped on the edge fast and light will make torch cutting marks, while a soft tap on the edge will leave a small groove from the edge of a blade.
[Thumb - DSC02374.JPG]
Rolled out and ready.

[Thumb - DSC02380.JPG]
Traceing

[Thumb - DSC02386.JPG]
Bottem Piece Cut.

[Thumb - DSC02391.JPG]
Adding some rough lines for detail.

[Thumb - DSC02392.JPG]
Torch cutting the edges.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2009/05/29 06:33:08


 
   
Made in de
Been Around the Block




Stuttgart, Germany (Transplant of the Military)

SCULPTING SOME BITS – CONTINUED

Now we are ready for the second half, the outer square. To do this, I again used the template, but this time, only the four corners of the square, than I cut along a straight edge, and cleaned it up a little.

To join the two pieces, I coated them with a light coat of water on the sides that will touch, and pressed them together.

Measuring in an equal distance, I measured off another line. This will be the inside edge of the square, which will be cut and scooped out quickly.

Sine you lower piece is harder than the piece your working with, since it has more time to air dry, you will be able to tell when to stop digging out clay (or you will hit your working surface…at which point, let it all dry, crumble it up and use at as rubble on your damaged building and start over….I did).

When you get into sculpting, and are making fine detail, you will notice your scraps or left over excess will stick to the sculpted piece, use your soft brush to get these out or off. Simple turn the piece over, and brush lightly and the excess will fall away.

Using the Exacto-Blade, I cut off uneven edges, and smoothe and joined the two pieces. I then blended the edges of the square to make them look like one piece.

After that was all completed, I started in on the skull. I used the same method as above, only this time I pressed the clay onto the template and cut away the excess slowly to reveal my lines.

A little clean up, some random tapping with the rounded end of a paintbrush (this was to give it a pounded look, like it was beaten out and into shape with a hammer), and the piece is nearly complete.

Join the skull with the bottom, and you are done….let it dry overnight and it will be ready for gluing.

I did mess up on the skull! Some will ask why the banner sketch looks different from the sculpt, well this is simple…I changed my design after seeing the piece. I thought that the square looked odd, so I decided to make it bands rather than solid. Having not changed my skull template it was too big to fit, so I changed it up, and it still looks fine.
I also made some other pieces, armor plates with and without damage.

Adding the details and sculpting the clay, well that was another story. I used the various tips, to make different weathering and damage.

Wedge pointed tip drug along the clay will provide nice “Power Claw Marks” while he round point makes nice bolter impact points. I also used the long edge of the tongue
depressor, tapped rapidly along the edge to create plasma cutter like gouges, and than a little harder tap on the surface to rough the edges.

There is no limit to your ideas, so there is no limit to the detail of your sculpting.

These items will be glued randomly, along with other items and stuff to break up the flat surface of the building even more.
[Thumb - DSC02397.JPG]
Making the Square.

[Thumb - DSC02398.JPG]
Ready to stick in place.

[Thumb - DSC02399.JPG]
As the second layer.

[Thumb - DSC02402.JPG]
Digging out the inner portion.

[Thumb - DSC02404.JPG]
Cleaning out the crumbs.

[Thumb - DSC02410.JPG]
Building up the skull

[Thumb - DSC02428.JPG]
Some of the bits I completed last night.

[Thumb - DSC02429.JPG]
The Skull Banner / Icon.

[Thumb - DSC02430.JPG]
Small Plate Piece.

[Thumb - DSC02431.JPG]
Dammage and Texture = Power Claw - Bolter.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2009/05/29 12:39:13


 
   
Made in de
Been Around the Block




Stuttgart, Germany (Transplant of the Military)

DETAILING THE BUILD - GETTING READY TO PRIME AND BASE (I HOPE)

Here you can see that I have really detailed out the structure, adding bits of plastic from CD cases, foam core bits from previous cuts and some card board.

The overall look is starting to look really junky….GREAT…since it needs to look like a three year old or a Mekboy made it. You can do at little or as much as you would like here, and depending on how you paint it, the more each piece will stand out in contrast to the next.

I also added clay, as before, only this time I covered only the exposed foam edges and lines. This can be done with your sculpting tools, and then scored to make it look like rough cuts by marks. You can also bead it along the seams and edges of items to make welding beads.

I used the same clay as perviously noted, and it should seal the foam. This will be important, as I am going to spray prime it.

NOTE: Aresol Spray Paint will eat (disolve) the foam in foam core, as well as styrofoam. You need to seal it well before using sprays.

Some other items that I have added are staples to make a ladder, just push them in, and glue in place. Nails or other items will work as well, but I found that these industrial staples are great.

I was helping my daughter with a craft project for school, using some plaster of paris gause tape. The tape was wound around a plastic tube that had some real intresting holes in it, so I have decided to substitute this for the support arm.

Using some hobby toothpicks ($ 3.00 for 100 at the local hobby store) and some of the tongue depressors that we bought for a school project I had an idea The new support arm will look like this, so do not worry if yours does not look like mine, it will probably come out looking much better than mine in the long run anyway!

I will add some chain along the handrails so “Grot no felled O’va”. I will do this after priming, since the color of the chain my wife is giving me (she doesn’t know it yet) is an awesome bronze color.
[Thumb - DSC02411.JPG]
Added a little water to some leftoaver clay, made it a little more like putty.

[Thumb - DSC02412.JPG]
Clay trimming the edges, prepping for priming.

[Thumb - DSC02417.JPG]
You can see on the seams that I also added clay, to make them look welded togeather.

[Thumb - DSC02420.JPG]
Starting to look like somthing longtooth green fellows would build.

[Thumb - DSC02423.JPG]
First floor - I need to detail a little more on the interior.

[Thumb - DSC02424.JPG]
First Floor, Second Floor and Crowsnest

[Thumb - DSC02425.JPG]
All the pieces come apart to gain access to interior.

   
Made in de
Been Around the Block




Stuttgart, Germany (Transplant of the Military)

QUICK QUESTION - (I'm Stalling, since I am still adding details and preping for a paint test)

Has anyone started to attempt to build the Ork Tower. If so, please PM or Email me the links, I would love to see how everyone else is doing with this project.

RickC1971@yahoo.com
   
Made in de
Been Around the Block




Stuttgart, Germany (Transplant of the Military)

PREP AND PAINTING THE STRUCTURE

All right, I am finally satisfied with the detailing and “junking it up”, and I think that I am ready to start on the undercoat.

Since this is an supposed to be built by Orks, which would scavenge anything that the could find…new, old, Ork, ‘oomie, Tau or whatever, I figured it would have been there for a long time.

I have never tried this before, so it was a work in progress but I had enough of an idea formed to get it started, and all worked out well.

NOTE: Since we are using spray at this point, please make sure you are in a well ventilated area. The spray can be harmful if used inside, and mom will kick your butt!

First I coated the entire model with flat black. Most would have told me to use Chaos Black spray, but that is twelve Euros ($15.00) a can, and a little too expensive. Instead I used flat black from the local store, which was only $2.97.
I made sure that all of the surfaces were coated with a fine mist, several times. Using lighter coats will help prevent the paper from getting wet and warping, while also sealing the paper.

After I ensured that everything was black, I started on the second color.

The second color was a flat brown similar to bestial brown, maybe a little darker and a little more red. It did not come with a color name, just the color of the cap.
Holding the can about 15-20 inches away and up wind I sprayed back and forth, letting the paint carry on the wind and land where it may. This process allows it to settle on the highpoints and corners more naturally, and will give a very uneven color, letting the black cause depth the model.

I than used the grey to add a stippleing effect. Holding down on the spray cap, just enough that it barely sprays will cause the spray to form droplets, and splatter the model. This was just to add contrast, and will only faintly show on the finished painting.

I used the same process with the fluorescent orange.
I tested it out first on a piece of paper and it was unearthly bright, but with the undercoat of brown and black, it give a great rusted color that makes the entire model look great. I will be using this technique again, as I fell it came out perfect.

All that is left is to start off coloring the pieces, adding specific variants to the model to show that it was made from pieces of scrap and what not.
[Thumb - DSC02432.JPG]
FIRST COAT - Undercoat black.

[Thumb - DSC02435.JPG]
SECOND AND THIRD COAT - Brown and Orange.

[Thumb - DSC02438.JPG]
TOUCHING UP A LITTLE - Adding more highlight.

[Thumb - DSC02439.JPG]
OVERALL - Here is how it looks at the moment.

[Thumb - DSC02440.JPG]
COLORS - Brown, Black, Hunter Safety Orange, Grey

   
Made in de
Been Around the Block




Stuttgart, Germany (Transplant of the Military)

PAINTING THE STRUCTURE – CONTINUED

It has taken a little bit of motivation to get into painting this week…too much going on at work and home to relax and enjoy it, at least until last night.
Now that the entire model looks like a rusted box of scrap metal…it is time to make it look like a Orc-made rusted box of scrap metal”.

I started by using Boltgun metal to do a heavy dry brush on all the edges that looked like they had been cut with a plasma cutter, blow torch or simply ripped to size and welded.

When I say heavy, I wanted the areas to look like freshly cut stock or scrap metal, but I did not want to cover all the rust in these areas either. I wanted it to have the appearance of an area that has some areas where rust has started since water pools there, and other areas where it has not yet started.

I also did this on the weld marks that we sculpted into the model along the seams, this will give a bit of realism to the edges, as well as blend in the areas where the foam core might still show a little.

Another note…the clay that I used to sculpt onto the model, if put on too thin and not wet enough will flake off in some areas of the model. I found this to happen a few times on the faint welded areas inside, but it was not a problem, just more paint.

It will all be hidden in the end.
[Thumb - DSC02441.JPG]
RUST ONLY - Ground floor with just the rusted paint job.

[Thumb - DSC02455.JPG]
BOLTGUN DRY BRUSH - Again the ground floor with the boltgun dry-brush.

   
Made in ca
Fresh-Faced New User






This is a fabulous tutorial!!! Well Done!!! Looks like my Orks are getting a new house.

 
   
 
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