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Looks like an interesting project.

EDC

 evildrcheese wrote:
Looks like an interesting project.

EDC

Most interesting! Can't wait for spring to start casting stuff! But right now i can only gather materials and plan as much as time allows.

I've got Secret Weapon 120 mm resin base three female casters from different manufacturers to become druids and pressed cork for stone-imitating parts. Glue and resin not shown!


Merry Christmas! (for those who celebrate)

Happy New Year 2017, everyone!

Now, what did I said last year?

Wirecat wrote:
Let's start it with a couple of proper New Year resolutions! First, to actually make this thread into a weekly log (in hopes that this will result in more finished miniatures and less idle browsing), and second - to actually finish the Circle! Of course, every wargamer knows that his army is NEVER finished, but I'll still try. After all, there are not that many things I'd like to add to it. Just about a dozen models, really...

Weekly blog thing - FAILED! But it did run for a second half of 2016 on a weekly basis, yay! Got some comments too, thanks everybody!

Finishing Circle - FAILED! I've made some models I didn't expected to even touch, so it is still 10 models from being finished. :(

Thus, a new set of resolutions coming up. First, to try and continue that weekly report thing. Second, to split off generic fantasy and generic modern/SciFi threads to have something to post even when there is nothing to post about the Circle. Third, to finish these final 10 things and proclaim the Circle complete! Lastly, to play more...



Comparing that to a year before, not much have changed... but still it is closer to completion!

Lets start the new year with more Circle, this time - a freshly unbound from the Unit Attachment role Tharn Shaman solo. I like metal infantry miniatures from PP, especially slightly older ones. That's all I have to say on the subject. Two parts, slightly awkward pose, a single difficult mould line. Fun to paint, if a little fiddly at some details. And - I do not like painting dead flesh...




What is next? Maybe Brennos, maybe Gallows groove...

Apologies for a slow progress - ER resin curing is especially unpredictable in cold time of the year. Here is my newest Gallows groove, I don't know whether it is a WIP or a finished piece. Probably I will dip it in a clear resin or a furniture lacquer to improve the transparency of its base. And maybe I'll paint the base rim in white or cream, but only maybe - I've plans for it in a more generic fantasy games as a marker or a terrain piece. Enjoy.

You really were busy this past year Seeing all your lads together, Megalith and Ghettorix really stand out as improvements in both sculpting and painting. Really nice work.

 Wehrkind wrote:
You really were busy this past year Seeing all your lads together, Megalith and Ghettorix really stand out as improvements in both sculpting and painting. Really nice work.

Thanks, Wehrkind! I am trying to do my best, although I still fail a lot, as this post will certainly show...

That poor Brennos... he is finished, finally. Every time i look at him now it brings all kinds of things to mind, from "almost cute" to "outright horrible" and from "could have been better" to "failed opportunity". I really should not have spend so much time on him, especially early on drawing different variants and not deciding between them but drawing more instead. Now its just a toy with a lot of negative mentality in its greenstuffed body! Just look at him...



Best thing - once design was finalized, it all went rather smooth with him. Almost nothing to repair and repaint. Almost best thing - painting his hide with dry Vallejo pigments using Vallejo air series paints as a binding medium. This produces neat, slightly sandy coating, will certainly try this more. Not good - trying to repeat on a 3D object ornament first drawn on plain paper. My 3D mentality is not that advanced. Failed - painting white on his fingers with Tamyia undercoat. This produced greasy glossy coat that repulsed almost every paint I've thrown at it. Never again.

Some more views of this failure:



What is next I do not know. My improvised sentry stone is still getting a new base, its mannikins still need greenstuffing and the base for the Fulcrum may not be finished until this spring hits. Probably it is time to set my sights somewhere else...

Being sick is counterproductive to everything, including hobby, but I'll try to update everything. My celestial fulcrum is progressing through iterations, perhaps the next one will be really close to final one. What remains is slight adjustment of several parts (sectors too close or to wide) and painting some ornaments on the exposed parts to represent calendar/celestial events. Then the final drawing will be sent to laser-cutting experts to get all parts in MDF or plywood and then, I hope, it will be warm enough outside to consider working with smelly substances to put everything together.



Sorry about weird things taking place of druids and witches! They are for height estimation only. Central part will be taken up by miniature representation of Kaen while each of outer platforms will have its respective moon. Dais with figures and celestial bodies will be removable for ease of transportation, held in place by magnets.

No other progress on the Orboros side of things, but I hope to report at least something before the end of this month.

Month? Ha! Almost a year... I've really cooled off towards Hordes with the release of Mk III, not a bit of desire to paint or play for most of the spring and summer.

But a few games and a rather weird thread here on Dakka somewhat forced my hand - I am back with more progress on that fulcrum thingy. Now to keep going and by all means avoid feature creep... like making Kaen levitate in the center of all that!

First thing first - miniatures on the images in this post are not from Privateer Press. They are fakes, recasts, forgeries and whatever name You prefer for non-licensed unlabeled copies coming from China. Now, the details...

There was a long and quite insightful tread here on Dakka - How do you spot a recast on the table top? that got me thinking. In my miniature related experience so far the most direct face-to-face with a forged models was an offer to buy three "metal GW minotaurs". When we met the seller casually said something along the lines "well, they are not really metal at all, You know, like in garage kits" and then pulled out of the bits box three quite misshapen figures only distantly similar to what they should have represented.

But this new discussion of forged FW models got me thinking. How far did these things went and changed in ten years? Having no experience with FW kits I chose stuff I had some experience with - recent models from Privateer Press and with very little search found four miniatures I would not consider buying under normal circumstances, advertised using "names similar to the original", sold from China. Wait was long but finally they were on my table... and here is the first part of this experiment.

I see tharn miniatures as a lost opportunity. Yes, I was smooth-talked into getting Kromac2 and a tharn shaman to accompany him, but they only reinforced my opinion about their design and aesthetic. Since I am not inspired by the original, my expectation about the copycat is even lower. But it turns out that this White Mane survived that process with least suffering. Unknown Chinese recaster reproduced the original metal kit by Privateer Press part for part. Unlabeled ziplock bags contained body, both hands holding the axe and the base (also resin). No effort to represent this as an original model at all. Parts went together with a bit of a problem. No amount of hot water treatment allowed me to position arms with minimal gap, forcing to use putty. Not much, but still worth mentioning.




Resin mix was on a "brittle side of good". Easy to cut and drill but not to the point when it is too easy to ruin everything. Quite heavy too, although still much lighter than a metal miniature of an equivalent size. Painting was quick and a bit dirty, but the result is rather... OK. On the tabletop, next to other miniatures painted and based in a similar fashion I really need to know where to look for clues.



There are two extra mould lines on the figure, most notably the one on the headdress. Removing it would definitely remove all other details on that horn. But original Privateer Press models, metal and resin, also frequently have similar mould slips. It looks like an axe handle on the model, used as a master for recasting, was broken and hastily fixed, resuting in a misaligned handle. But metal figures bend and break and are ofter repaired in a bad way too. This leaves weight as the only tell-tale signature... but had this model been one of PP PVC miniatures, known for their unpredictable quality? I wouldn't bet a dime.

Second piece, a copycat of a recently released tharn wolf rider solo. Probably a different caster, definitely a different resin mix. Soft, very similar to the soft PVC "feeling". Moderate mould flash, easy to remove except on hard to reach places and thin parts like the javelin and shield decorations. Also lighter, probably on par with HIPS cavalry figures from GW. Again unlabeled plastic bags, no effort to misrepresent it as an original. Three parts, mount, rider, javelin with an attached hand, And a solid resin base, so warped that it went directly to the bin. No problem assembling, very little problems painting. Had I left gluing rider to the mount off until everything was painted, it would have been even easier.




Now we are talking multi-mould lines! Wolf hind legs - lots of them. Wolf underside - same picture, across all the harness too. In the mane - but fairly well hidden in this case. Overall, looking on this miniature from above, nothing directly hits the eye, but examining closely the cast is obviously suspect.



Stay tuned for the next week installment and a rather obvious conclusion to this experiment.

First thing first - miniatures on the images in this post are not from Privateer Press. They are fakes, recasts, forgeries and whatever name You prefer for non-licensed unlabeled copies coming from China. Now, the details and the conclusion.

To the bad things. Actually, this copycat Una is a pretty good reproduction of the original, if one disregards some small QC issues. However, one problem turns a good copy into bad - brittle resin mix. Perhaps the most brittle resin I've worked with. By the time tabs and air channels were gone her staff already was in four pieces. Slow pinning process, more repairs, even more repairs. There is, quite likely, more brass in it now by weight than resin. Considering amount of work, drill bits, epoxy glue and cursing, no discount is worth the trouble.




Pinting was fun, I admit that. Privateer Press have designed a very nice miniature I had no use for. "Models with flight"? Apart from weakbeaked stormbird - griffins? PVC? No, thanks...

And then comes mounted Kaya...




No, when painted and looked at from good distance and right angle, this miniature looks OK. But don't try to pick it up and look her in the eyes... I'll spoler that image.



Resin was very bubbly and very brittle, all the "joys" in one piece. Under normal circumstances it would have been an instant return for a refund. Unfortunately, to finish this little experiment I had to sit it through her rat face, broken tail, disappearing harness and multitude of mould lines.

Summary? Well, here it is.

What good has come out of this? I see only one - I've got to paint things I would have never painted otherwise, rekindling my interest in Hordes. PP prices and design choices, unfortunately, discourage random purchases and I've been off the game for six months when this opportunity knocked. Now I've got some tharn females in the pipeline - real metal!

What good? Well, everything else. Quality control, as sloppy as PP has, is better that this. Ability to return for a refund or a replacement is really worth it. I may disapprove the PP design, but at least their figments of imagination have anatomy. Pure resin kits have their benefit when compared with metal-resin hybrids, but the amount of preparation work is closing in with outrageous. I've got all four miniatures for the cost that is less than a RRP for a single mounted model from PP, including postage, but the amound of time and effort spent on fixing problems instead of enjoying the build and paint process by far outweights any possible cost savings.

Tl/DR = this was the first and only dealing I had with Chinese recasters, and it will be the only one ever. Period.

That was quite the interesting read. Must say knock offs never crossed my mind as I'm very OCD and only buy direct from stores like GW and other known hobby stores.

 bunnygurl wrote:
That was quite the interesting read. Must say knock offs never crossed my mind as I'm very OCD and only buy direct from stores like GW and other known hobby stores.

Glad You liked it! I too prefer to buy at stores but am not averse to buying second hand items (although preferably from people I at least somewhat know). OCD or not, proxies are a big part of a hobby for me, but these "unofficial exact copies" were never on my mind until this experiment. Funny, but this has brought up the reason I've not considered buying them before - buying not only a "cat in a bag" but, well, to put it bluntly, cr@p the seller has no interest or obligation over. In that sense the experience was educating. Lets keep the hobby clean!

I am really impressed with your sculpting skill. I was impressed with the cape you added to the alpha, very nice motion to it, but I was blown away as I scrolled down farther. I didn't even realize that lady wolf was sculpted rather than bought until I read the post. I also really like the dynamic pose of Ghetorix with the axe. I'm looking forward to more cool sculptures showing up on your blogs.

Thank You, Syro. I am still very much a beginner, so it is inevitable that there will be more sculptures, frustrations and, hopefully, coolness! I should finish that fulcrum thing, preferably sooner than later, and then it will be griffin sculpting time!

Wirecat wrote:
I should finish that fulcrum thing, preferably sooner than later, and then it will be griffin sculpting time!

Yeah, right. One year of silence, two years in the making, but here it is! My! Personal! Fulcrum! Sculpted base, cork panels, epoxy glue and putty, three miniatures from different makers combined into something new!



I wonder if this is a single most lengthy of my small projects. I can go from wireframe to a painted sculpture in a month but this has taken more than two years from idea to completion. Can't say it was bad time, but it was nipping at the butt of my mind every time I've passed it by, leaving bagged on the shelf for yet another day. Well, now it takes a proper place on a finished stuff shelf - and on a battle table this week.



Old druid wilder sculpt from PP was never wild enough for me, looking more like a fire wizard apprentice - so now she is one. No idea what other two druids are, although I suspect the air wizard is from French Zenith - same smelly resin, ugh! Metal storm druid figure with a lightning bolt and crescent staff is really badly cast, with a mould slip running over as many details as possible.

But when looking from the above it is tolerable. Contrasting on almost every tabletop, easy to pick and place, not too heavy and unlikely to break.



And from a viewpoint of a trooper on the battlefield... it is properly terrifying.



Base is magnetized, heavy globe of Kaen can be removed from the center of the stone disc and everything is safely bagged for transportation...



Finally, a bad stuff... In some distant future, if it will ever to come, I will break off the rim of the base and place it on a properly sized 120mm base. Secret Weapons make nice bases, but they are wrong bases. While marketed as 120mm they are exactly 125 mm in diameter. For a time being I will simply measure everything ignoring that unpainted rim... but still...

Beautiful piece of work Wirecat,a lot of the part build off each other and draw the eye with contrasting colors. It must feel great getting it off your unfinished shelf.

 Syro_ wrote:
Beautiful piece of work Wirecat,a lot of the part build off each other and draw the eye with contrasting colors. It must feel great getting it off your unfinished shelf.

Thanks! Yes, it does feel wonderful. Except it now reminds me of every. Single. Piece. Of unfinished scenery from the last, let's say, five years? But I gave myself a promise to reduce miniature backlog as fast as possible and that is what I am trying to do. So far it is somewhat working and finished stuff safely outnumbers stuff purchased.

Speaking of that - two more miniatures finished, very "ancient" Baldur (Baldur1 under curtrent naming convention) and a very recent light warbeast. Right for the Halloween!



Almost perfect casts and very well sculpted pieces, don't know which property should prevail here. But they are very nice to paint. They carry emotions very well. The stone soul of warlock and creepiness of the construct warbeast. Almost no casting defects, easy to undercoat, apply dark wash and work from there into highlights. I've even tried some directional color lighting on them...



That "scarecrow" is still looking too dark to me on the table, but, well, perhaps it is just my perception... Anyway, liking them as they are now. Moving on! Lots and lots of pygmy ladies out there...

Yeah that scarecrow construct is perfect for Halloween, and just in time too

Well, they haven't had a spectacular show on the tabletop, I've lost (entirely my fault) but it was still fun. Loving fast dwarfs, no idea how to counter them, but they are so fun...

Anyway, last miniatures for this year Circle - Tharn ladies! I still consider Tharn design a failure from PP part, but... cheap bodies are cheap bodies - and they are metal and with only one duplicate sculpt. Good old times...



They were on and off my painting table since August, so this is not a quick work of 6 miniatures in a week. Yet I have enjoyed painting all that leather - but not skin. from now on I will not try to salvage AV skin tone ink recipe, instead I'll be mixing my own skin shadow and highlight. I simply cannot get any sort of consistent result...

Wow that is a lot of leather. You picked out a lot of detail in all that stitching, wraps, and fringes on their bodies.