Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

I made this hot glue octopus reaching out of the water to be a fungus infested spore servant octopus for D&D


I also made this dragon wyrmling out of hot glue. The head is from a mold, and the wings are from a mold of something I made, the rest is just made with the glue gun tip.

The octopus is terrific- what a fun piece to put out in a game.

The dragon is really quite nice and your ability to combine molded pieces and freehand work seamlessly is top notch.

Keep 'em coming!

Thanks Meer! Hopefully adding paint won't reveal too many sins.

The octopus is brilliant. You have a lot of patience and skill. The dragon will be fine I am sure. Yet again you amaze me.

Paint _hides_ sins- and you've nothing to hide here! Glaze those suckers and label them from an ice world.

Thank you both

I don't know when I will be posting again and have hobby time. My wife has a created a miniature for us that is so much more wonderful than anything I can sculpt from putty or hot glue. So I will be busy experiencing fatherhood.

Take care everyone, I will still try to enjoy your blogs during my downtime.

Congrats on the baby! They truly are the best miniatures.

Glue octopus is really cool! I really should get in on this hot glue action more.

Congratz Mate!!! gives your thread title al whole new dimension!!!

Wow, congratulations and good luck Syro_ !

Congratulations, well done Mrs.Syro! And indeed you should be busy with your greatest creation. See you when you can sir. Wonderful news.

Congratulations to all the members of the Syro family- wonderful news!

The newest addition should be helping with terrain in about four months- no hot glue gun until age 11!

Thank you all

And that's good advice Meer, but being my son I hope he can master a hot glue gun earlier

These hot glue creations are awesome, such ingenuity! Health and happiness to you and your family

Thanks Ragsta

Congrats on the new addition to the family!

Congrats on extending the family and enjoy the time!

Thank you both

I definitely have less time now with a baby, but I can't stay away from crafting completely. Especially since so many of my students are so interested in Dungeons & Dragons. This will probably be my last post with new stuff before the end of the year recap.

During rainy days some of my students play D&D with me since we can't go out to recess. They recently played "Accused Apple Twists". I made the apple monster from that adventure:

Making it:


I have also painted 38 cast copies of the 15mm British soldier I sculpted for American War of Independence battles.

WIP


I have also constructed a model spruce tree making jig. My students have mad fun with it.


With such a productive summer, and now painting 38 little British soldiers, this year I have both sculpted and painted more miniatures than I have before.

I am happy to say that I have sculpted more minis and painted more minis in 2022 than any other year since getting into the hobby and starting this blog
I finished sculpting 84 miniatures and finished painting 207 miniatures, this year. I also painted one old piece of terrain. Nearly all of this happened before the end of September when I became too busy

Most of the 84 sculptures:


Most of the 207 painted minis:


What I've painted up for 15mm historical wargaming:


The one piece of terrain that I painted over the summer:


I also received some fun hobby related gifts for the holidays:



That's all for this year, everyone. I hope everyone has a wonderful 2023.

Happy new year to you and yours sir.

Impressive yearly tally.

Thanks Cam Happy New Year. I hope you and I both have happy and productive years in 2023.

First mini of the year is done! I converted a He-man figurine from the dollar store in Heracles/Hercules from Greek mythology for the D&D game I play at school.


The process:


Thanks for stopping by, I'm close to finishing a set of terrain. Should be posting it soon.

Holy cow that's some vision, to see realistic Hercules figure in a 'heroic scale' He-Man- well done!

Great greenstuff work, too.

Thanks Meer!

Excellent sculpting skills. Very well done. Love the "club".

Nice!

Syro_ wrote:
I have also constructed a model spruce tree making jig.

Ooh. How does that work?

@Camkierhi: Thanks Cam!

 Vermis wrote:

Syro_ wrote:
I have also constructed a model spruce tree making jig.

Ooh. How does that work?

Thanks for asking, I should go into more detail on that.

These are the different materials to make a model spruce tree with the jig I made. Wire cutters help too.


You start by cutting the jute twine into small sections (2-3 inches) and prepare the wire with a twisted loop to hook onto the jig.


You place the twine pieces between the two halves of the wire in a single layer, making a twist in the wire at the end to help hold them in. All twists are in the same direction the jig will twist the wire. I have found it's better to twist them into the wire before unraveling the twine.


I like the use locking pliers on the other end of the wire, and then hook the loop of wire onto the jig and start twisting my rotating the handle.


Keep rotating until the wire snaps, and the twine will be securely held by the wire, and sticking out in different directions.


Then the long part of unraveling the twine


When finished you have something that looks like a green pompom.


Then you just give it a haircut in a somewhat conical shape. You can also use some spray glue and flock to make it look even better.

Holy cow that's brilliant! That's a pretty darn realistic little tree.

There's a pliers out there called 'lacing pliers'- they're intended to apply a wire safety to anything that might need it, like bolts that might work their way out of their seating in a machine from vibration and need a safety wire run through the head to keep them from turning.

The jaws clamp on the wire ends, much like you're using the vice grips and one handle has a spiral threaded rod run through the end- you pull on the rod and the pliers spin, tightening the wire nice and tight- but really, no better than you've done with your jig. You might see them at a junk/thrift/antique store for a good price one day though, and they might speed your production if you wanted to knock out a big batch of trees (a forest, one might say? )

Truly excellent little tree.

Thank you both

@Meer_Cat: I think I've heard of these pliers before, they seem cool. Any suggestions on how to speed up the unraveling of the twine? That's by far the most time consuming part. I think someone used a comb, but I haven't tried it.