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OK, progress with pics:





And with the cut-out-and-now-movable hills:



Time for some washes (on the rocks, mostly) and massive drybrushing, I'm guessing.

Thanks for stopping by.

 Littletower wrote:

@Red: Regarding mounted:idea is to fix the two half boards to the aluminium hinged frame for: a) added structure/prevent warping (a bit less needed now since the MDF sheet is thicker than originally planed, but always helpful. Also, a 5.5 centimetres surrounding edge for nicer finish, protection and keeping things from falling over; and b) by folding unto themselves, the "terrain" side of the boards face in when folded, for ease (relative, it is still big) of storage and eventual transport.

Alternative alignments would have been best, indeed, will try to make do for it with the free standing terrain pieces instead.

The other thing about clamps of some sort is the ability to swap out panels, so you only need to build the frame once. In my experience, tables with fixed terrain tend to get a bit, well, dull, with repeated play. Of course, if you only play infrequently, this won't be a problem. And you can always build overlays too.


Oh, and back OT, more C&C, that sanded surface. Messy, especially if you plan on moving the pieces around. Layering it over the white styrofoam ( It looks so) is a good move. The foam has enough flex that the sand surface is less likely to break off, and is surprisingly easy to repair. However, to increase its durability seal it to the surface with a thick coat of latex acrylic house paint ( indoor, matte or satin finish) or two. You will still get the texture, but the housepaint, when applied thickly, effectively serves as a glue and makes a membrane over the sand. The sand can be quite sharp, and unkind to minis that are knocked over, as well as knuckles that scrape it while picking up dice and minis and w/e. The paint layer 'dulls' the sharpness. Don't be stingy with the paint. Go with 2 layers, and make sure to keep the MDF dry to avoid warping.

Ignore if you've already thought of this.

Edit to spoiler the Off-topic stuff

Coming along very nicely.

Board's looking good.

Made it to the news!!!

A few weeks ago we (as in the loosely knit warming community hereabouts) were invited to take part in a games' Convention. Though mostly inclined towards boardgames and role playing (exhibition, sales, demoing and seminars, there was room for more (there even was a mini-escape room demo going on), and so we packed up and set up a couple boards there for the weekend, put some things on display and played a few games.

(Going to the Convention was what finally triggered the board I'd been working on the prior weeks, purely for "display purposes", of course)

We got yo talk about wargaming and the hobby a lot, both with people already into gaming and visitors alike, and hopefully, even maybe made a convert or two out of the crowd...

There was media coverage too, and one of our interviews made it to an online news channel,

And then, to everybody's surprise, the next week "our" part of the Convention turned up on the paper, printed edition even!

Pics from the newspaper, all credit to Nicolás Galuya, photographer for Diario Uno:










(Eldest Cub in the background. Hardly a cub anymore...)


(That's my measuring tape!! My tape made to the newspaper!)

Wargaming is in now!!

Will resume our normal programming soon.

Cheers!

Very fun news LT, good on ya!

The geek shall inherit the earth! Honestly, we're the next part of nerd culture to go mainstream, I tell ya. No more mouth breathing gate keepers...

 Littletower wrote:
...That's my measuring tape!! My tape made to the newspaper!...

Let's hope your tape doesn't get ideas of grandeur and leave you for a better life elsewhere.

Cool.

Cool news. Now the burning question. Is that famous measuring tape in inches or centimeters?

So, after checking out the on-line version of Diario Uno, I learned a new definition for Mendocino. It's the name of a city and county in California too.

Hmmm, Looking at the Atomo advertisement: $99 seems a bit high for a box of Huggies diapers. $55 for 2 liters of Isenbeck beer. Is that a good beer? Damned expensive... and $21.32 for a bottle of Miller? Loco. Completamente Loco, even if it is an import...

... Ah, Argentinian dollars, er pesos. Nevermind

It sounds like y'all had a grand time at the convention. This is a good thing. And it is nifty to see photos from conventions not in the USA. Amazing how similar these things are across the globe. Thanks for posting these.

New year, new WIPs...

DKK Centaur Tractor / Light Transport:





And Hades Breaching Drill:



(I think my picture-taking might be improving a bit at last, )

Both factory new yet, fitting to the season, weathering shall come along in due time.

@Gits: Belated thanks!

@graven: Indeed!

@Dr H: That's a "gaming exclusive" tape! I can always threaten it to go back to the toolbox if it gets too cocky!

@Red H: Centimeters. Hard to find one in inches in these parts. Yes, pesos (19 to the dollar, after last week's "adjustment". Never boring , could use some first world problems any day now!)

I did finish a couple more things before year's end, here's to hoping for better plog updating for the New Year!

Hope everybody had a great Christmas and a happy New Year, on to 2018!

Thanks for stopping by.

Cheers!

I just love the breaching drill model. So much character! Looking forward to a great new year following your blog!

 Littletower wrote:
@Red H: Centimeters. Hard to find one in inches in these parts. Yes, pesos (19 to the dollar, after last week's "adjustment". Never boring , could use some first world problems any day now!)

I'm told the Panama Canal is to blame.

The picture taking: Try for stronger contrast between background and subject. One way is to use a warm background, or warmer light, for a cool foreground, and self-evidently, vice-versa. Or arrange some lighting to hit the edges of the subject and direct less light to the background. I've seen this latter technique done beautifully for wildlife photos. Do a search for "The Photo Ark". Amazing work. It always comes down to lighting.

Do you have a tripod for the camera? Get one. Or make one. The latter might be more fun, but then, y'know how we are...

Bear in mind that I am a rank amateur too, so take my advice with

The centaur looks pretty good, but I'm drawn to that breaching drill. More about its construction would be most welcome. It's a kit? It would be perfect on so many tables.

Yep, good work on the photos.

Good work on the subjects too.

I'm lagging behind with this blogging gig.

Finished the first DKK Squad and some:



Guardsmen:



Sergeants with Power Fist:



Grenadier Lieutenant:



And an (indispensable) Commissar:



Will we actually catching up soon.

Thanks for stopping by!

Good to see you popping in. Good work.

Really nice to see you about, great work on those guys, Com is spot on bud.

Thanks, gents!

Not much sense in putting up WIP shots when batch painting a squad, and progress is always (even) slower in the summer.

Had to scratch a building itch tonight, though, will get some pics of a little bare plastic soon(ish).

Cheers!

Nice stuff! Cool to see TTWGs getting press as well.

Only issue I have is that commissars flare gun. Uuuuge barrel! Lol

Good to see you around and great work on the krieg!

Really love the greens on the Hades and Centaur.

Beautiful work!

@SlaveToDorkness: Thanks for stopping by! You are probably right and might have overdone it a bit when drilling the barrel on that one... Hopefully, it will not be as bad at arms length,

@OMN: Thanks, good to see around! Little tanks was my first time really trying something other-than-a-basecoat with an airbrush, glad you think it looks decent enough,

@Gits: Thanks, sir!

On another front: long time since building something (re-putting the Kriegs together after they came apart in the strippping bath does not really count, ), plastic-glue withdrawal and all, thought about some small/scatter terrain for the new (WIP still, as most of my stuff) table.

Googled tank traps, just 'cause, and found out the metal caltrop-shaped anti-tank defences are actually called Czech hedgehogs. Who would try to stop a tank by throwing a hedgehog at it? and a Czech one at that? With that name, I just had to try to make some.

In the making:



(I didn't have any L or H beams, so I just stuck some strips together first for angle beams. Not crazy enough to scratch build my own H-beams. Yet)

And trusty (and sadly last can, usual supplier said it's being discontinued) of red primer (Great tone for a rust undercoat, I'll miss it):



Calling the day, I stippled some more brown/sienna/red, hazaphardly, and a wash:



Ready for seasoning (salt, at least) and some more paint. Was thinking either blue or steel grey for the base colour, either will contrast nicely with the rust showing through, and, if more pop were needed, some green shrubbery once based.

C&C are always welcome!

Cheers.


Edit: Double posted, fixed.

Didn't you know Czech hedgehogs are 250 kg killing machines? Seriously normal hedgehogs are kinda cute, but Czech ones... *Shudders*

Bad jokes aside the tank traps look great!

Hello, my name is Littletower, and I might have a problem: I have the attention span of a kindergarten squirrel, with ADHD, while high on LSD and Red Bull. That's been making out with a Bufo toad.

Context: I felt like building some terrain, as a little aside project, lots of minis to paint. Tank traps sounded good, did a quick search, awesome names: Dragon's teeth (already made some, even painted those up), Czech Hedgehog (seriously, who comes up with those names?).

Built a few of those, even started painting them. So far, so, good.

But, HTML happened. Tank traps, tanks, tanks made to get around tanks traps. Rare tank designs: Mine sweepers, bridge layers, the actual Rhino tank, Hobart's Funnies, Armoured Ramp Carrier, tank-recovery tanks.

So, it starts.

Based on a 1:32 old and quite poor model of a BTR-50 Personnel Carrier I'd got in a lot for parts I'd bought long time ago, only a chassis for now.

The kit (part built, glue spills all over, poor if any details. Great for chopping up without a hint of pity or remorse):



Too big. Fixed it.



(I have my own vices, too)

40K-scaled:



Trimmed and patched the (single piece, soft rubbery plastic) threads too.

And for reference, aside Guardsman Ubiquitous for scale, only unpainted mini left around (Not)



Note to self: get a big can of gap-filler during the week, it's going to get messy.

That's it so far.

Thanks for stopping (and hanging around this far) by!


@STG: Vicious creatures indeed. So bad, they should probably be called Australian Hedgehogs instead.

Good chop-job on that old soviet vehicle kit

A very elaborate mitre box for the hobby. I do approve. I'd be inclined to turn that chassis into some sort of terraforming piece. It has a nice 'heavy industry' look.

Australian hedgehogs. Lol. Aussies have a lot of poisonous stuff (and scary poisonous too.) but apart from crocs, their fauna is kind of wimpy. No wolves, no bears, no panthers, etc.

Your tank traps turned out nicer than the ones which GW included in the 3rd ed box.

Great tanky. I envisage some kind of mega trench anti-anti tank.

Nice tank traps.

Good chop-job too. Remember to forge the MOT documents to go with it.

An update a week. Guess I'll have to live with that.

@Shas: Thanks! Rebuilding in progress.

@Red H: Mitre box: not too good for woodworking (too much plastic, too flimsy), great for this job! And thanks, will finish painting and basing those tank traps any time now (just don't hold your breath in the meantime, just in case)

@graven: "mega trench anti-anti tank", I like the sound of that!

@Dr H: Had to look that up. No need, it's never going to roll on a road after all!

Progress on the extra support legs for heavy lifting duties, assuming some kind of heavy lifter/mover of sorts is going to be on top.



And closer up:



Drawing heavily on Dr H's recent massive heavy forklift and Camkierhi's tank-shop robo-arms, credit and praise where they are due!

C&C are always welcome, thanks for stopping by!

Great work on the support legs, they look fantastic!

Are those ball bearings in the ball and socket joints?

Those legs are masterpieces, nice!