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@ tipios- Thanks for the cheese, but I didn't understand the fuel line?

@ RSJake- ...or maybe a Plague Tower? Hmm. Ok, maybe it has a chance of making the cut. Will consider this applicationn and report back.

Skalk Bloodaxe wrote:
@ RSJake- ...or maybe a Plague Tower? Hmm. Ok, maybe it has a chance of making the cut. Will consider this applicationn and report back.

Yeah, I'm not as familiar with Nurgle forces, I figured they would have their own tower, but I didn't know for sure. Of course you might need a Baneblade or similarly sized model tank to make it, but I'm sure you will consider all options. I hope it makes the cut! I'd like to see it!

Skalk, I am taking 3 back to back Hirst classes on Sunday during GenCon- I'll be bringing home a LOT of hirst castings and probably invest heavily in some molds while I'm there too I'd like to concentrate on getting the architectural molds before I delve into stuff like the crate molds.

@ RSJake- Plague Towers are usually made like medieval siege towers. I'm thinking more on this.

@ dsteingass-

dsteingass wrote:I'd like to concentrate on getting the architectural molds before I delve into stuff like the crate molds.

Good to see you're starting with the easy stuff like gothic arches and flying buttresses before diving into things like crates and barrels.

Skalk Bloodaxe wrote:@ tipios- Thanks for the cheese, but I didn't understand the fuel line?


Woooops, I didn't give the best description. Your picture with all the arrows pointing at it, looks like fuel tanker or pipe, could be used as a fuel depot.

Ah. That's actually a pic from ARKURION. I think it is time to make another list of current terrain threads I'm following or have been greatly impressed by.

Dave,

Make sure to ask questions! Lots of questions! You'll enjoy those, I took a Hirst Arts class at Adepticon. You WILL need to have a spare bag for your castings! Suggest a box to mail them home in.

Note: Dental Stone is AWESOME, but two part resin is, really, the way to go for lightweight and sturdy.

Skalk, the tower would fit in a Necromunda collection in my opinion, ditch the crenellations/top section, add some bulkheads and walkways going around it. Maybe glue the orky tower thing on the top and the plastic houses around the bottom!

The thing about Necromunda is that it's all built on top of itself, maybe one year someone builds a stone tower, then someone else comes along a decade later and repurposes it, then a century later a different building falls on top of it... I've found it is possible to combine all sorts of different bits so long as you can link them with some consistent colours and details.

Alternatively, chop it in half and use it as two foundation blocks/risers for other buildings or bridges to go between. Each wall must be nearly 6" high, or 3" chopped in half, perfect to go together with some bulkheads. I'm tempted to get one myself now.

Skalk Bloodaxe wrote:Good to see you're starting with the easy stuff like gothic arches and flying buttresses before diving into things like crates and barrels.

LMAO

Skalk, if you want to include some bulkheads to your WHFB tower to build a plague tower, here's a detail pis of mine if it can be of any help:




Forget about the pink chubby flesh (not rotten enough), but that's what I did to nurglify my bulkheads. Knowing what you did with your vehicles I'm sure you can make something far better.

Plenty of Grimdark going on in that chamber....

hyenajoe... that tower is full of nice details... that stuck out grasping hand...lol... and those alien heads! good idea there!

Thank you Vik. I just hope I'll finish it one day (I haven't touched it in nearly 3 years )

Knowing his work on the Death Guard, I think the clockwork mechanisms/pipes/daemonic elements are typically what Skalk is likely to build

I just hope I'll finish it one day (I haven't touched it in nearly 3 years

all part of the hobby^^...

and yep that would be a fitting one for him i bet!

@ Briancj- I agree that dental stone is awesome. Have never used it, but have seen pieces made from it. It's the most durable stuff out there short of 2-part resin.

@ Bruticus- Those are some good ideas, especially the one where I just build the walkways. I'm thinking on this one more and more.

@ dsteingass-

@ Hyenajoe- That looks amazing! I love the detail you put into it! I don't know what I'm going to do w/ all the bulkheads, but I'm keeping this in mind.

@ DemetriDominov- Hi. I'm guessing you were saying that to Hyenajoe.

@ Hyenajoe and Vik- Yeah, HJ totallt nailed it. It looks great and I have to admit I'm feeling the urge to create somehting similar, but... must... resist!!! I have a lot of work to do before I get back to bulding things that go w/ any army.



Not officially an "update", more of a "where I am so far" sort of thing. I took some time last night and took a lot of pics.

However, it's a BEAUTIFUL day, I've already been out for a ride early this morning (I took the day off from work- much needed brain break and 100% Skalk time) and I'm heading out again as soon as I post this, so I'm going to leave you w/ a teaser for the day and I'll be back later tonight or this weekend for a much longer post and hopefully a new piece to share.

Here's a "family photo" of almost everything I have that is "tabletop" quality, and you can see the newer stuff vs. the older w/o much effort.

Here you go. Can you find my Pit Slave gang and the Bounty Hunter that is tracking them?

Catch you all later.

Skalk Bloodaxe wrote: Can you find my Pit Slave gang and the Bounty Hunter that is tracking them?

Catch you all later.

Humm, I'd say the bounty hunter is 8 inches North of the tank traps and the Pit slaves dispatched between your awesome red/rusty passageway and the crates/barrels barricade below...Am I right?

^^^ That's what I would have said.

Nice stuff Skalk!

@ Hyenajoe and RSJake- Yes.



Here's a few photos of that tower I was talking about. After taking another close look at it, it's completely salvageable as a Necromunda piece.












size is par w/ the current CoD scale more than the Necromunda "3 inches = 1 level" scale.



And my lone single rivet:




A few more "action shots":









... and a "virtual tour" of my version of the Underhive Grimdark:

















Nothing more to add right now, hoping I'll get a chance to do some work this weekend. Comments welcomed. Thanks for looking!

i like those fisrt person action shots of models and terrain... yours specially remind me strongly of a certain computer game^^ must be so cool to game on that table!!! and now i am looking forward to you getting a lick of paint on that salvaged tower^^

I agree with Doom, great photos

Oh Man Skalk! The Photos ROCK!!

Those are really cool pictures of some fantastic terrain! I love the mini-eye's view! Thanks for posting them.

That tower is so cool! I'm doing some terrain myself right now, but nothing so interesting or in-depth (Just foam mountains).

The scenery is really looking great skalk, very impressive.

You also get bonus points for the Cannibal Corpse flyer

Really great stuff and this thread, and others like it, have inspired me to make some of my own super detailed scenery. Love this stuff and keep it up!

@ Viktor von Domm- I've always enjoyed setting my camera in random places and taking a picture of how things look from a miniature's perspective.

@ tipios / dsteingass / Yellowbeard- Thank you. I'll be doing something like this again.

@ loota boy- Foam mountains have opportunity all to themselves. Flocking, scree, broken trees, etc. Have fun and if you are sharing your work please let me know!

@ GiraffeX- Thank you... and the Cannibal Corpse poster in the photo wasn't by accident, awesome that someone mentioned it.

@ Cave_Dweller- Thanks for the compliment! There are some incredible modelers on Dakka that have inspired me. There's a post toward the beginning of this thread where i listed a lot of the threads that inspired me. I'm getting ready to update that list again, so check back when you ghet a chance. And drop me a line if you start doing a terrain project, always enjoy seeing new work and offering support.



(I'm noticing that my pictures are getting a bit more blurry these days. I am not sure why, maybe it's because I changed my lighting? I'll investigate.)

Actual update with new stuff! I made some time this weekend and threw the finishing touches on a few things, and created pieces that I didn't expect but really enjoyed. Here's a group shot of everything that got done this weekend:



And here they are one by one. First up, the dreaded crate barricades. I did not want to do these, and I do not particularly like the results from a modeling perspective, especially when the object of this project is to improve on the quality of my terrain. I don't know why, but I virulently hated these crates and wanted them done. I actually thought about throwing them away just to be rid of them (which is ridiculous on many levels, bears mention as an indicator of where my head has been at for a while now) but instead I forced myself to work through it. Granted, all I did was cut some sloppy corners and slap a bit of color on them to call them done. They perform the function I want and they are still a welcomed addition to the tabletop (comparing them to based black and unused). I'll leave them as is for now, and will not dismiss the possibility of going back to them in a few months or a couple years to add some fiddly bits or to add some texture / detail. But for now they are done and they are what they are. It beats having them in the local landfill at least.





Next is something I've had kicking around in my "unpainted" box for over 15 years. I remember the yard sale in Hawaii where I picked this up. It was part of a bunch of other toys I was grabbing for my daughter and this got pocketed for my own collection. I based it black while I was in Virginia, and it has seen the tabletop before, but now it belongs there. Just a simple drybrush / wash / highlight / decal process and I suddenly have a huge shipping crate. What never ceases to amaze me is how adding a decal forces everything into scale and makes something look SO much better. If I had not added the decal it would have been a brown rectangle on the table. Now it looks like this:





Last item up is my favorite from this batch. It's a simple palette of barrels that started out as a complete accident and turned into a really cool bit for my tabletop. I had the loose barrels and needed something to put them on. I tested them on a bunch of other things and none of them looked right. I went to try them on somehting else (between working on other projects) and noticed they were on a piece of plasticard that was on a dowel. Looked like a huge palette. I made a smaller one on purpose, and there's the result:





I'm serious about sticking with my schedule. Having a clear vision and applying some discipline has really helped me produce results. It's an extension of my resolve to keep my workspace cleaned and organized all the time, and I've maintained that standard for a few weeks now. I will be keeping some loose pieces for random placement and for ease of use when it comes to Necromunda (like I'm actually ever going to play that again... I need more gaming friends) or a scenario game.

The "loose bits" project will be finished in another week or so if all goes well. I'm looking forward to moving onto (literally) bigger and better things. plastic or resin because they are tougher and will stand the test of time (in fact many already have, 15+ years and counting) but the plaster stuff (regardless of size) is not durable enough to survive on its own. I've even changed how I store my scenery bits based on the material it is made of. I have to say I really am not liking plaster as a materiel for active wargame pieces, but the stuff I have made from plaster is too cool to not have. If I use a bit more care I'll be able to keep them in good condition and get many years of use out of them.

I have a few small pieces left and then it's FINALLY time to resume the Necromunda Restoration project. I'm really excited about that, even though it is going to involve rivets. I'm looking at different methods to efficiently cut rivets that are uniform in size, applied with correct spacing / measurement, and look like they belong on the piece. If I do this correctly my membership in the LoER is all but assured!

That's it for now. Thanks for reading, and thanks for the feedback. It really is a motivator. I'll be back as soon as I can.

I REALLY like the big crate man! You are right, the decals really bring it into scale!

Thanks D! And speaking of "scale", it would have been nice if I had used a model next to it. That thing is huge (in relative terms, of course). You can fit a Chaos Space Marine (w/ backpack) under it.

LOVE the barrel pallet - might have to steal that idea, if it's ok with you

I'm tempted to try some decals too now - I've never really played with them before, and they really do add to the scale. Ace work, as ever!

lol... same as dave... i am a big fan of that giant of a crate mate! together with a model i would love to see it soon again here... this crate reminds me of frankenstein somehow... i picture some kind of shiped monster inside... just waiting to get out... maybe the mummy even^^

and seeing all these other crates and barrels... do not short sell your stuff here! they look very good!