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Made in ca
Sagitarius with a Big F'in Gun





Toronto, Canada



An Introduction ~ Part 1

It came from the frozen northern Chaos wastes… Canada, that is. Welcome to this first in a long line of Text-&-Picture-Walls. (I tend to ramble sometimes, in a good way, with lots of nice photos.) Welcome to my muse, my passion, my obsession… my insanity. The Dark Gods whisper to me from the Warp, and I am compelled to obey. They let me see so many things I want to make real, but I only have one mind, two hands, and so many hours. Oh well, no rest for the wicked, no sleep for the weary… the whispers, the voices in my head, they won’t let me…

I’ve been gaming and playing Warhammer 40,000 on-and-off for over 20 years; the bulk of it, I attempted to collect and paint a Chaos army – Black Legion, more specifically. I always collected a modest force, but it was never as complete as I wanted. And so, as it happens to many of us, life distracts us from our addictive little plastic soldiers, and they get tucked away. But for most, that really enjoy the hobby, we always come back. In early 2011 I dusted off my bits boxes, cases of miniatures, supplies, and took stock. I had some solid units that could use some polish to get started with, and a few simple scratch-build projects that never got done. As good a start as any.


Before Highlights - I do some modest kit-bashing and converting on Troops and HQ, but vehicles offer such a large canvas I can really transform the model into a proper machine of Chaos.


I chose to do a cold-centric theme throughout the army; Most accent colours are in neutral or cool colours, and I extended the concept to the blue-grey highlights I use for the Black.


After Highlights - And here's a block of the army with highlights done, ready for weathering.

This time I wanted it to be different; I wanted to really create the unique, personal, and elaborate army that I could see in my mind when I was fifteen, and flipping the Realms of Chaos books. Only in recent kits has GW started to release what I would consider ‘proper’ Chaos Vechile kits; Love or hate the new Daemon Engines, they definitely have a good Chaos style/feel to them. Before this round of kits, Chaos got an extra sprew or two thrown into the box, and that was a major defining look for the faction. Just adding spikes does not a Chaos army make!



So, I went about making my army look and feel Chaos, without adding any spikes. I should also mention that I really like working with Rare Earth (Neodymium) Magnets, and I use them all over the place.


This Rhino and Predator were the first serious Chaos creations I put together with an eye for the look I was going for. When they were done, I knew I was on to something.

The idea was simple enough, just take the feel and look of Chaos used on the 'proper' Chaos Troops miniatures and illustrated in the books, and run with it. Read: Lots of banding/trimming, rivets, arrows, points, and layering... lots of layering. I had a general idea of where I wanted to look of the army to go, but now I need more of a theme. I found direction in the movie Apocalypse Now from the The 1st of the 9th Air Cavalry. In the movie, they are a… ‘self-motivated’ unit that bombs around Vietnam in helicopters looking for good places to surf between (and during) the fighting. During aggressive unexpected assaults, they terrorizing the enemy by playing Wagner (Ride of the Valkyries) over loud speakers attached to the helicopters. Switch helicopters for some VTL vehicles and loud speakers for Dirge Casters and the start of my theme was forming; The 1st of the 9th Black Crusade – Heavy Armoured Cavalry. ('Heavy' so I had added excuse to really armour the vehicles) At the time, fliers were still off in the distance; I knew I wanted some for show at least, for the theme, but formal rules didn’t even exist. So, I choose to focus on a mechanized army to build a core, and then consider some kind of flying transport in the future. In Warhammer 40,000 it’s the feet on the ground that gets things done, after all.



My preferred painting method is, paint the harder stuff messy and quick to get it done looking the way I want, and then go in to carefully clean up the mess. Rinse-and-repeat the process until the miniature is complete.



I put a lot of effort into the scratch-build, but these are playing miniatures, I choose to keep the paint job more straight forward and attainable. I let the building do the real talking.



Base colours + Lots of washing and glazing + Simple (but clean) 4-step layered highlighting + A bit of strategically placed blending + Some straightforward sponged chipping + A dusting with weathering powder = Now that's Black Legion.

One of my favorite materials is styrene plastic. If you’re trying to build something mechanical and angular, just put your mind to it and you can build it in plastic. Take it far enough and you can build actual working mechanics in nothing but styrene, if you wanted to. As a general tip about learning how to build in styrene, I suggest looking up general scratch building techniques. There are many tabletop gamers who are doing amazing things, but there is much more experience out there if you broaden your search. Military modellers have been scratch building models of exceptional detail for many decades; I just ignore the subject and absorb the technique.



Designation: Loricatus Pattern Mk.II Heavy Predator with Extra Armour, Havoc Launcher, and Destroyer Blades.



Top left is an early prototype for a replacement Havoc Launcher. That build evolved into a multi-part kit that both looks better, and casts cleaner; The Interitus Pattern Mk.II Launcher.

By late 2011 I had some good progress on the core I was bringing together, and I figured I’d start showing off some of my work. I started a modest thread showing a few of my builds, and blathering about what I do and how I do it. Little did I know I was already too far down the Dark Path to ever find my way back… wanting to reproduce things like the above Havoc Launcher, I started to work with RTV rubber making moulds for resin casting. Two things quickly happened: 1) I learned that I am quite good at making complex resin casting moulds. 2) I'm totally hooked to the process and really enjoy doing it! Now, as soon as I could actually replicate my work, that opened another door altogether...

But that, so they say, is another story, for another day. Most of what you see here was just the start, stay tuned for Part 2: I'll show where this has all has lead, and talk about where it's going. For now, thanks for reading.

Much more already in the works; Much more to come,


Subtle Discord ~ The Dark Works
(More suitable signature coming soon...)

This message was edited 4 times. Last update was at 2017/02/14 07:27:35


"The old galaxy is dying, and the new galaxy struggles to be born; now is the time of monsters."


 
   
Made in au
Boosting Black Templar Biker





Australia

Amazing, love the builds, love the paint scheme. Always liked the black / gold chaos schemes, the contrasting blue you've added in is really refreshing.

Can't wait to see some more.
   
Made in us
Ultramarine Master with Gauntlets of Macragge





Boston, MA

At first I kind of glanced over the trim on the vehicles - they look like they should be a standard GW kit! That plasticard work is absolutely fantastic, and I love it. THAT is what a Chaos vehicle should look like! The painting is also excellent, and while the Marines look great, my attention keeps drifting towards those lovely, lovely tanks.

Check out my Youtube channel!
 
   
Made in nz
Scarred Ultramarine Tyrannic War Veteran






Wellington, NZ

This is great stuff! I cant wait to see more man. Subbed!

___________________ Check out my Ultramarines P&M Blog!___________________

 
   
Made in us
Enigmatic Sorcerer of Chaos





Buena Park, CA

 Brother SRM wrote:
At first I kind of glanced over the trim on the vehicles - they look like they should be a standard GW kit! That plasticard work is absolutely fantastic, and I love it. THAT is what a Chaos vehicle should look like! The painting is also excellent, and while the Marines look great, my attention keeps drifting towards those lovely, lovely tanks.


Exactly how I felt. I've been away from 40k so long that I just figured they had updated the kits finally. So needless to say that your work is beyond awesome.

   
Made in gb
Regular Dakkanaut




I saw your work on "Comrade and Ruglud's Tank Round" and have been waiting for this thread to pop up. Great work mate.
   
Made in ca
Sagitarius with a Big F'in Gun





Toronto, Canada

An Introduction ~ Part 2 (A.k.a.: Derr-huh!? That's a huge post! - You have been warned.)

Thanks for the positive feedback! It means a lot that people think that the parts blend so well with the Chaos esthetic. That is exactly what I am aiming for - kits that look like GW made them that way. I stress detail and quality over quantity in everything I make.

I hope everyone enjoys what I have to offer over the coming weeks and months. Naturally, I want to show off a bit and get some feedback, critique, and input from people, but ultimately I hope I can inspire people to be ambitions and give big ideas a try. I'm not saying everyone will take it nearly as far as I have, but it's easy to take what I do, scale it back, and dabble. Future articles will show not only WIP of builds and other things I'm working on, but also tutorials on technique, walk-through's about equipment, and many (I hope useful) rambling about tools.

Ok then, where was I? Oh yes, the mysterious dark art of resin casting and how it has forever corrupted my soul... in a good way!

Now, I like scratch building, a lot. It's great to take an idea, design a flat template, and then turn that template into a three dimensional object. Problem is, scratch building is very labour intensive when you're as particular as I am. Larger things like vehicles may justify a one-off build that will take quite a bit of labour; They're large and not as prolific as troops, so why not? But, when you start getting down to doing smaller objects across an entire army, the idea of building say, six Havoc Launchers, becomes daunting. So I figured it may be a good idea to learn how to make some resin casting moulds...




I've always hated the Havoc Launchers provided on the Chaos vehicle accessories sprew. This is what I think a Havoc Launcher should look like.

I originally created my first replacement Havoc Launcher as a single solid object. It was one of my first moulds, so I was still experimenting. That early prototype worked, but it came with some limitations and drawbacks. If you resin cast, you quickly learn that your biggest enemy is bubbles. So, solid objects with no 'hidden sides' give you no place to hide bubbles. You can never get rid of all of the bubbles all of the time, but you can get rid of most of them. Also, if you cast an item correctly you can actually hide the rest. That is my constant goal - avoid or destroy all (most) bubbles. This kit is a perfect example; I've designed the moulds to intentionally cast the parts with the detail side down (As I try to do with all my moulds, when possible), so if any bubbles do form, they rise to the back/bottom of the part during curing, and will be hidden by the assemble of the kit. It's not genius or witchcraft, but I think it's clever. It doesn't work every time, but anything that saves a few casts from the reject bin is a good design philosophy.

With some logic, careful consideration, trial-and-error, and just a bit of luck here-and-there I worked out most of the kinks for making more complex resin casting moulds. It's one of those things that anyone can do, but it takes a certain knack to do it well. I've still got lots to learn, and I want to invest in more studio equipment so that I can start doing other casting processes. Currently I only use Pressure Casting (50+ PSI) for bubble eradication, but I also want to start doing Vacuum Casting for when pressure isn't the best solution, and that will require a proper Vacuum Chamber. Hopefully, all in due time.

I learned a lot making this little kit, but I wasn't sure if it was going to translate into larger items. Time to move up to making something... bigger...




I had this Land Raider kit calling to me, compelling me to make it Chaos, so who was I to argue? In these photos you can also see the Havoc Launcher prototype just before casting.


Did I mention it was a larger project? This is a picture of a mould, as large as the Land Raider itself, for just one (rather large) part in the final kit.

One thing I quickly learned making RTV (Room Temperature Vulcanizing) rubber moulds: Bulk matters. It takes some extra rubber, but in for a penny, in for a pound, I say. Making the walls of the mould thick ensures that the part casts without warping. Adding lots of the pictured locking-pins to hold the mould together is also key; A well made 2-part split mould like this locks together perfectly every time, minimizing mould lines and all but removing any mould slipping. Again, this mould cures the part face-down, so bubbles rise to the hidden back side. I put the same thought and process into all my moulds.


Designation: Loricatus Pattern Mk.I Heavy Land Raider

I think the investment in time and materials is worth it when you can make something like this, and completely transform the original Land Raider into a rolling icon of Chaos. (Look ma'! No spikes!) Ok, so clearly my ideas on making larger moulds were translating well to the larger objects. *In his best Montgomery Burns voice* Excellent! But there was still another challenge that I was trying to deal with at the same time. Enter the Proditor Pattern Mk.II Rhino Trim kit for demonstration.


This build was actually the first time I used one of my own resin kits to trim a Rhino. Up to this point they had all been one-off scratch builds made of styrene and glued to the model as I built it.

With the Land Raider I was worried about how large the parts are/were, with my Chaos Rhino Trim kits it was how small/thin they are/were. On the surface it seems straight forward to cast these trim pieces; they are nice flat-backed parts, after all. But, when you consider that they are only 0.8mm tall not including the rivets (I use two layers of 0.4mm sheet styrene for my trim/banding details) it makes the parts very long, thin, and delicate. How to get the resin into the moulds became a real issue because of this. After some research and a few practice moulds I adopted and refined a method of using a syringe to forcibly inject resin into the moulds. Without the added pressure to force the resin into the mould, I don't think I would be able to make these in my modest studio.


Proditor Pattern Light Armour Trim Kits - Left: MkII (Pictured here) Right: Mk.I (Pictured in Part 1)

So, even though these trim kits don't use that much resin to produce, they make up for it in the technical challenges inherent in their design. With what I learned here, combined with what I had learned from my other early projects, I covered most of the major technical issues I might run into for any of my current design plans. I was starting to feel confident enough to do something even more elaborate.



I had actually started this build before I learned how to resin cast. Unfortunately, I glued the scratch-built styrene directly onto the model as a scaffold to construct on, so I was never able to take it off to make moulds of it.

Unfortunately, all of my building has stopped my painting in its tracks. This Loricatus Pattern Mk.II Predator hasn't come any further than what's pictured here. One of these days I'll get back to painting... eventually.

Naturally, now that I know how to resin cast, all future projects will have that in mind from that start. As long as I make every part myself, (and don't build directly on or with any GW pieces) I'm free to replicate anything I build. Since I couldn't actually use this build for a kit, I was forced to make another from scratch...




This time I built everything 'loose' - able to come free from the model. Not being able to glue to parts down to the model for support came with its own challenges, to say the least.

I took the opportunity to tweak the design and incorporate elements I used in the Land Raider, designing them to look cohesive-but-unique when together. I also completely changed the shape of the turret by extending the slope of the original turret down. In my opinion, this turret looks like it is designed to deflect incoming fire much better than the original turret shape. Beyond those two major changes the overall design stayed very true to the MK.II Pattern.


Originally I had use the part in the GW Predator kit to make the sponson weapon link, but if I wanted to make a complete kit I needed to design my own solution.

I'm very pleased with how it turned out. It's a post with a 'cap' that has a proper seat for the optics bit. It's designed to work with two square 1/8"x1/8"x1/16" magnets, letting you easily swap between Las'Cannon or Heavy Bolter. Square magnets also let the optics turn with the weapon. It's a little thing, but hey. Normally I work in metric, with metric tools, but Neodymium (Rare Earth) Magnets are the one exception. The selection of sizes in Imperial is just so vast; I can't find the same in metric.



Designation: Loricatus Pattern Mk.III Heavy Predator - The culmination of everything I've learned so far about casting, manifest in resin for the first time. I do believe I've got the hang of this!

So this brings me to the end of the Dark Path that lead me to this point. My selection is modest so far, but everything seen cast in resin through the course of this thread is/will be in production, and available from my shop The Dark Works, if anyone is interested. I'll also add to this thread with some tutorials on what I learned and some of my techniques over the coming weeks and months. I've been itching to paint lately, so expect a painting article or two sooner-or-later, but for now it's all about the current builds and expanding the line of kits I have to offer. Speaking of which... (What, you though it was over? Never! Submit to the will of the Dark Gods... *Subtle starts speaking in strange tongues* ... *Cough* Err... where was I?)



In case you thought I only did scratch-build, here's a Chaos Decimator that's on my workbench. Naturally I took the time to magnetize the arms for easy weapon swapping.

For the most part, the Decimator will be stock. It's just such a hardcore miniature, it really doesn't need much modification if you don't want to invest the effort. I do plan on altering the weapons a bit; Improving the Storm Lasers, Conversion Beamer, and Butcher Cannons to make them more Chaos. The stock butcher Cannon especially, to me, is very... meh. Reaper Auto-Cannon barrels attached to an 'ok' ammo-drum-like-thing. I think I can do better. It needs more... Butcher!



What's that you say? A proper Chaos Storm Eagle? I think I may be able to work something out...

This is a very early proof of concept build, not even a prototype yet. (It's been in the back of my brain for quite some time.) Since building this, I've had time to contemplate, and I want to go back to the CAD design one more time and refine this base structure. It is very close to what is planned, but I have several adjustments to make. This is going to be a large ambitious build that will take some time to come together, but it's something I really want to make happen, so it's on my short list. Unlike the Forge World Storm Eagle, my kit will make much more use of the base GW Storm Raven kit. It's such a good model it's a shame not to use as much of it as possible. It should have a slightly longer and leaner line than the FW kit, while still feeling plausible. Compare this to the early build picture of the Predator, and you can have an idea where this is going. Being a flying vehicle, I plan on doing the Chaos Trim detailing with a lighter plastic; .33mm or.25mm. It should give it a more sleek lighter look. Well... as sleek as you can make these 'flying bricks' look, that is. And I think the missile racks are going to mount wrap-around on the corner of the engine housing, with a stabilizer coming out from the center. It's a little hard to describe.

Finally, also on my (not so) short list is a Chaos Vindicator kit in the Loricatus Pattern style, some Chaos inspire track kits for the Rhino and Land Raider chassis, and a selection of Chaos vehicle components: Chaos Search Light, Dirge Caster, 'Dozer Blades & Destroyer Blades for Rhino and Land Raider chassis. I'm also looking at the Hell Drake kit and trying to figure out a way to make a 'Hell Drake Jet' kit. Everyone who doesn't like the Drake seems to want it to be a jet, maybe I can help them out. I've also got this really cool idea for counts-as Chaos Drop Pods... I think I want to call them Hell Thorns... *Subtle speech starts to drift*
... or Hell Spikes... fired from orbit, they drive into the planet, planting themselves and opening a portal for troops... *Subtle starts wandering off, still muttering to himself* ... so much to do, so little time...

This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 2013/07/25 03:29:27


"The old galaxy is dying, and the new galaxy struggles to be born; now is the time of monsters."


 
   
Made in pt
Longtime Dakkanaut





Portugal



You are successfully converting me to the Chaos Gods. That is some AAA quality scratch-building. Happy you are going to start selling those add-ons, I want to see more vehicles that good looking!


"Fear is freedom! Subjugation is liberation! Contradiction is truth! These are the truths of this world! Surrender to these truths, you pigs in human clothing!" - Satsuki Kiryuin, Kill la Kill 
   
Made in gb
Regular Dakkanaut




Can't wait for some painting, might just get me back into painting - I prefer to convert models and the ideas that come with that.
   
Made in us
Small Wyrm of Slaanesh





I see you made it over from the B&C. As always, loving your work.

“I bring you the symphony of war, the bliss of ecstasy and the rapture of a pain-filled death to our enemies.” – Fulgrim, prior to the raid of Prismatica V
"For good or evil, may no Space Marine forget where he came from." – The Emperor of Mankind


 
   
Made in ca
Sagitarius with a Big F'in Gun





Toronto, Canada

Seeing that B&C is in a coma at the moment, it seemed like a sign from the Warp that I should get going on generating a bit more exposure for my work and studio. I think I'll find another board or two to add my Chaos taint, in due time. But I'm not sure where, yet.

And painting... oh yes, painting. It's been far too long, and the studio is finally back in some level of order. I actually have room to paint! what a concept.

I have a sizable blob of models that are all 75% done. But it's all the fiddly details (x50) of that last 25% that's so daunting. *Sigh* Yep, I love to build, but I think it's time to do some painting.

"The old galaxy is dying, and the new galaxy struggles to be born; now is the time of monsters."


 
   
Made in us
Bounding Assault Marine






Ask Blackadder. He posts his stuff on like 200 different forums.

 
   
Made in us
Small Wyrm of Slaanesh





Yeah. I'm sad the B&C is down. Dakka has always been my second forum-home and its a good one.

“I bring you the symphony of war, the bliss of ecstasy and the rapture of a pain-filled death to our enemies.” – Fulgrim, prior to the raid of Prismatica V
"For good or evil, may no Space Marine forget where he came from." – The Emperor of Mankind


 
   
Made in nl
Did Fulgrim Just Behead Ferrus?





The Netherlands

Kick ass stuff. I really hope GW won't send you a C&D order. Very curious to see that flyer kit you're mentioning...

Bits Blitz Designs - 3D printing a dark futuristic universe 
   
Made in us
Crazed Spirit of the Defiler





Portland OR USA

Amazing work! I am truly impressed by the professional quality of your molds. They look very sturdy. I haven't seen that dark blue color before. What brand of rubber and resin do you use? I'd love to know the specifics.

Depraved's Workbench (Chaos, Ork, Tyranid, conversions, terrain) http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/396886.page 
   
Made in gb
Huge Hierodule





The centre of a massive brood chamber, heaving and pulsating.

That is some of the best scratchbuilding I've ever seen. Pure win.

Squigsquasher, resident ban magnet, White Knight, and general fethwit.
 buddha wrote:
I've decided that these GW is dead/dying threads that pop up every-week must be followers and cultists of nurgle perpetuating the need for decay. I therefore declare that that such threads are heresy and subject to exterminatus. So says the Inquisition!
 
   
Made in us
Is 'Eavy Metal Calling?





Affton, MO. USA

How about a larger version of the havoc launcher to be a chaos version of a whirlwind. I would love to have something like that for an iron warriors army that uses c:space marine rules .

LOL, Theo your mind is an amazing place, never change.-camkierhi 9/19/13
I cant believe theo is right.. damn. -comradepanda 9/26/13
None of the strange ideas we had about you involved your sexual orientation..........-Monkeytroll 12/10/13

I'd put you on ignore for that comment, if I could...Alpharius 2/11/14 
   
Made in ca
Sagitarius with a Big F'in Gun





Toronto, Canada

Thanks as always, for the replies. People keep calling my work professional, and I very much appreciate the compliment, and I guess I'll have to start accepting it. However, I have a hard time using the term myself. It does fit with what I'm aiming for; premium quality, well executed, easy to build *scowls in FW's direction* kits with a lot of character. I'm glad that it shows in my work that I'm very particular about every step of the process, because I am. Certain steps only give you one chance to get it right, so I try very hard to do just that.

The only thing I can say of Blackadder is that I would not be surprised in the least if someday it is reviled that he is in fact a robot, cyborg, or some other collective consciousness. He has every right to be prolific; It's not just what he does, it's the ingenuity, scope, vision, and how quickly it happens that boggles me.

As for a C&D letter from GW. It could happen, but after the Chapter House Studios vs. Games Workshop ruling, I think it's unlikely. *Mutters a chant of protection to ward off any bad mojo that this statement might create* Even before the rulings, while I was building I was contemplating copyright and Intellectual Property (IP) very seriously. I didn't want to spend a lot of effort and materials making something that would get crushed as soon as it started, after all. The rulings just helped clarify the conclusion I was coming to.

First let me say that GW has every right to defend their IP; they have a rich universe of IP to rightfully defend. GW is a company of people not unlike myself, who are trying to make a living, after all. But, there's a logical/practical/legal limit to that right. It can be grey at times, but cases like this help define the boundaries. You can't just look at the ratio of the rulings for and against either side, but what rulings landed where, and why. When CHS created items that were directly named and inspired by distinctive GW names and images, and marketed them just as blatantly, they lost the ruling. When CHS tried to copy distinctive (not only in name but also image) wargear too closely, and again market it too blatantly, they lost the ruling. When GW tried to claim IP rights to overreaching broad things like 'Arrows' and terms like 'Grenade Launcher', they lost the ruling. The rulings about aftermarket kits very much like my own were all ruled in favor of CHS. It seems like an obvious trend; yes, GW has legitimate grounds for things they truly create to be covered by IP, but it can't be too broad. I claim no ownership of GWs property, I'm merely offering compatible upgrades to pimp them out. I'm trying to do so with tact and respect to the company that makes it possible for me to try and offer my product. Something I think was one of CHSs core mistakes.

As for my moulds, thanks again for the kind words. Moulds are something I've learned that I have a knack for. I'm a big fan of Smooth-On products for most of my supplies. I'm the first to admit that I'm a sucker for their marketing. The website isn't all that polished, but the wealth of information they give is excellent. With all of the information and tutorials, you really have a good idea how to use the products and what to expect. Their range of product is vast, and a bit daunting at first, but if you're willing to do a bit of reading, and experiment at bit with a starter kit, it's lots of fun to learn. There might be cheaper bulk alternatives that I'll look into later, but not for now.

I'll be happy to give more information on my entire mould making process some time in the future (that's what this thread is all about, after all) but for now you can see a snapshot of the process.



I've learned that building complex items onto a stump of plasticine improves the mould in many ways.

First, you get much more control over where the mould lines will form; I always try to keep moulds lines away from details and along an easy-to-clean edge whenever possible. The parts also get suspended in the very center of the mould; thick walls means parts that don't warp. The post also acts as a large key for the mould halves, helping them lock tightly together, avoiding mould slip. Also, while de-moulding a component, since half of the mould is removed from the center of the item/s, it is easier to splay the mould open to carefully remove the part without damaging/warping it.


The trade off is time and effort; the parts need to be cleanly bonded to the plasticine with care for clean mould lines, and the mould needs to cured twice. Once for each half.

To me the benefits far outweigh the added effort. Like the prototype component itself, if you take the time to do it right, you have something that will provide a top quality replication for a reasonable lifespan. Here you can see me removing the plasticine base, cleaning the parts and a few bit of unwanted rubber, and adding injection ports, in preparation for pouring the second half of the mould.

I'm casting with Smooth Cast 300 resin with a hit of Black pigment to turn it grey. It's an excellent blend of reasonably quick curing time, that produces very strong rigid parts after proper curing. After learning with with the starter kit product (I forget the name - OOMOO or something?) I moved to the pictured blue MoldStar 30. It pours noticeably thicker than the first rubber I used, and without pressure or degassing I would be worried about the odd trapped air bubble. However, I use pressure, so that's not an issue. I prefer it because it makes noticeably tougher moulds than the first rubber I learned with. THe first rubber was showing signs of tearing and damage far too quickly for my liking. Fine for a hobby project, but I want more life from my moulds.

Ok, I've rambled on enough, but it does bring up a good point. Comments, questions, ideas & input (I love ideas & input), and any other musings are always welcome. By no means do I have all the answers or 'the only right way' to do these things, but I am happy to give advice from a place of someone who is trying it first hand. I'll be happy to talk about all manner of tools and techniques over the coming weeks.

Thanks for reading.

"The old galaxy is dying, and the new galaxy struggles to be born; now is the time of monsters."


 
   
Made in gb
Huge Hierodule





The centre of a massive brood chamber, heaving and pulsating.

Lego molds, eh? Clever, most clever.

And there's no need to be shy; those castings are near industry quality. I'd buy those kits in a heartbeat (well I would if I hadn't got it into my head that I should convert everything myself).

Will you be doing any Legion specific kits?

Squigsquasher, resident ban magnet, White Knight, and general fethwit.
 buddha wrote:
I've decided that these GW is dead/dying threads that pop up every-week must be followers and cultists of nurgle perpetuating the need for decay. I therefore declare that that such threads are heresy and subject to exterminatus. So says the Inquisition!
 
   
Made in us
Sadistic Inquisitorial Excruciator





Good Ol' Texas

Wow, I'm at a loss for words. Amazing stuff!

May I ask where you get your casting supplies? I haven't seen anything like the stuff your using before.

Good luck with Panda's Comp. I'm sure you'll make the top 3, if not better

Again, amazing work, definitely subbed!

Lucarikx

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2013/07/18 19:12:22



 
   
Made in us
Crazed Spirit of the Defiler





Portland OR USA

Thank you for your detailed description. I also am a fan of Smooth on products. There website does make it tough to navigate their extensive line of products, though. I will certainly order the materials you listed when my own stock is depleted. I look forward to seeing more of your work and especially any tutorials and examples.

Depraved's Workbench (Chaos, Ork, Tyranid, conversions, terrain) http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/396886.page 
   
Made in ca
Sagitarius with a Big F'in Gun





Toronto, Canada

Lego is a must. Yes there are more elaborate/professional (read: expensive) solutions for mould boxes, but Lego is just so hard to beat.

Modular, tight-fitting, reusable, prolific and 100% customizable in shape in roughly 5mm increments. Win-win-win. And best of all, you get in touch with your inner child; sometimes I do patterns as I build for the heck of it. How many hours did I play with these little plastic blocks? Seems fitting they find a home in my process of making a new chunks of plastic.

*Sigh* Legion specific; there in lays the rub. I'd love to do that, but the only way I can safely do Legion specific is to keep it generic and avoid any icons or symbols expressly created by GW. In some cases that could be easier; Nurgle really just needs to be rusted, pitted, corroded, and maybe warped with pox, soars, and other horrible things. Khorn can be spiky, with blades and other pointy bits. Tzeentch I picture writhing and shifting, perhaps with faces and such. Slaanesh would be clean and graceful with weaving trim or other delicate details. But what would really set them off and bring them home is exactly what I can't do - add very specific chapter symbols and icons; as soon as I do, that's over the line. I can leave large areas with the intent that you add GW provided, or self sculpted icons, but they can't come attached.

The other issue is knowing my limits. I do excel at scratch building mechanical and hard line items. That could even evolve into the curved surfaces of Eldar and Tau vehicles. But sculpting top-notch Warp inspired mutations and alterations to a level that I would be happy with? I would need to seek some outside talent. Not saying it isn't possible, but I'll have to see how things do with my initial offerings.

A larger Whirlwind inspired Havoc Launcher - seed planted. I had interest in seeing a slightly smaller lower profile Havoc, but this is the first suggestion of even bigger. Bigger is good, I can think bigger. And the Storm Eagle kit will need some large racks, so I might be able to share some prototype parts between... *Ponders*

Edit: I get all my casting supplies form a local shop that happens to be in my city, Sculpture Supply Canada, and they give me great service. I found them online during a general search and research scrounge; It's nice to support a local business if you can, but the internet is the great equalizer. Check the Smooth On site for resellers of their product. As mentioned, the site can be a bit tricky to navigate, but they give lots of great information and have a huge line of product for all sorts of different projects/materials.

This message was edited 3 times. Last update was at 2013/07/18 19:55:04


"The old galaxy is dying, and the new galaxy struggles to be born; now is the time of monsters."


 
   
Made in us
Legendary Master of the Chapter






3 Things

1: Will you be doing non KAYOSS builds as well? (Tau)
2: Subbed and exalted
3: MOAR

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2013/07/18 20:00:35


 Unit1126PLL wrote:
 Scott-S6 wrote:
And yet another thread is hijacked for Unit to ask for the same advice, receive the same answers and make the same excuses.

Oh my god I'm becoming martel.
Send help!

 
   
Made in us
Crazed Spirit of the Defiler





Portland OR USA

Have you though about doing custom tank treads? I think they would suit your talents and flesh out your store a bit. One of my first purchases from a Dakka user was tank treads. (Blood and Skull industries on ebay).

Depraved's Workbench (Chaos, Ork, Tyranid, conversions, terrain) http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/396886.page 
   
Made in ca
Sagitarius with a Big F'in Gun





Toronto, Canada

1) I would really like to evolve to other races, but the straight lines of human vehicles make them a much better place to start. I'm also a slave to Chaos, and don't personally collect any other armies, so I have less incentive. But as my process evolves and advance even more, and things like vacuum forming plastic, and rapid prototyping start becoming more realistic (Read: I need to generate some capitol) I'd love to do Loyalist kits and any other faction that I can wrap my skills around. For now I'm trying not to bite off too much.

2)Thanks!

3) More it is! Stay tuned...

And yes, tank treads seem like an obvious place to go, and I was just thinking the same thing. I've been looking at the tread-less models I used for photos and keep thinking, "What do they need?" and then it dawned on me. I was actually looking at the stock treads and taking measurements today at my workbench.

"The old galaxy is dying, and the new galaxy struggles to be born; now is the time of monsters."


 
   
Made in gb
Huge Hierodule





The centre of a massive brood chamber, heaving and pulsating.

Yeah, I can definitely understand the desire not to create actual IP-protected iconography.

However, I have a few ideas regarding simple god-aligned armour without directly infringing on anything;

For Khorne, well, spikes and skulls. Fairly obvious.

For Nurgle, heavy corrosion, fungal growths, fly motifs, maybe eruptions of teeth.

For Slaanesh, possibly tentacles, speaker grilles are a must , lots of daemonic maw/screaming imagery, corrupted angelic wings, and gemstones.

For Tzeentch, once again gemstones, Egyptian iconography, eye motifs (including actual eyes), and flame motifs.

Squigsquasher, resident ban magnet, White Knight, and general fethwit.
 buddha wrote:
I've decided that these GW is dead/dying threads that pop up every-week must be followers and cultists of nurgle perpetuating the need for decay. I therefore declare that that such threads are heresy and subject to exterminatus. So says the Inquisition!
 
   
Made in us
Legendary Master of the Chapter






Actually speaking of Tzeentch. I always thought it would be cool to do Rhino panels that look like the Hell raiser puzzle cube.

 Unit1126PLL wrote:
 Scott-S6 wrote:
And yet another thread is hijacked for Unit to ask for the same advice, receive the same answers and make the same excuses.

Oh my god I'm becoming martel.
Send help!

 
   
Made in gb
Insect-Infested Nurgle Chaos Lord







Just managed to pick my jaw off the floor. This is simply astounding work, insane level of talent.

Can't wait to see more.


   
Made in nl
Did Fulgrim Just Behead Ferrus?





The Netherlands

What about Chaotic upgrade kits for the Leman Russ, Chimera and Baneblade?

Bits Blitz Designs - 3D printing a dark futuristic universe 
   
Made in ca
Sagitarius with a Big F'in Gun





Toronto, Canada

Oh absolutely, I have plans to extend this line to Imperial Guard kits. It seems like a natural evolution and I really want to start a Traitor Guard army; and by extension start doing kits. But, I'm forcing myself to get more of the Chaos Marine army done before I do that. More excuse to do over-the-top vehicles? Yeah, I can handle that, in due time.

"The old galaxy is dying, and the new galaxy struggles to be born; now is the time of monsters."


 
   
 
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