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I've been doing some research, and I think these two would be the best to convert:

DINOSAUR


HIPPO


Which one do you guys think would work as a big Squiggoth?

WalMart has larger size wooden plaques for cheap, that will work great, also are thick enough so will not warp and will add height!
http://www.walmart.com/browse/party-occasions/art-supplies/2637_667479_1094401?page=1&cat_id=2637_667479_1094401&facet=material:Wood&sort=price_low
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Secret weapon has great resin bases, just depends on the size you require;
http://www.secretweaponminiatures.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=79_2_133
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pm me when you start posting the building progress!

So, say I buy that Hippo, what do I use to make the Howdah? All help is needed!

Probably be best to make it out of plasticard. I think the pentoceratops would work better, though, since it has the scaly texture.

The dino is more traditional, but that hippo would be pretty badass and would certainly get more attention.

Make the howdah out of plasticard for armour plates if you are building it for Orks, or wooden matchsticks/coffee stirrers if you are going the fantasy/Snakebite route.

Hippo! It's already got the big orky gob and tusks. And the FW squiggoths basically look like big green cartoon hippos anyway.

Not to put you off Dakka, but have you seen the Waaagh! forum? There's a colony of plasticard-building machines over there who make orky converting look very easy.

Give the hippo an Iron Gob made out of plasticard and it'll look suitably Orky.

Guys, I went to a toy store today, and the Hippo was tiny... :(.
I bought an elephant instead, it's a wee bit bigger.

+1 for Hippo, if only because we've all seen a million dino models on wargames tables.

The photo gives the impression there are no noticeable moulding lines - is that true, or just dumb luck due to the angle of the photo? I ask because some plastics used in toys are difficult to sand and fill, so getting rid of moulding lines can be a hassle. Happily, creating plasticard 'armour' for a counts-as squiggoth is the perfect excuse to cover up any annoying details like that at the same time.

I'll sculpt a lower jaw, and make a gob for him. The Howdah will be a mix of popiscle sticks, sprue and orky bitz. I would have loved the Hippo if it was 3 times larger.



Guys, that's a sneak peak! Check out my Dakka Gitz P&M to see more.

 Clang wrote:
+1 for Hippo, if only because we've all seen a million dino models on wargames tables.

The photo gives the impression there are no noticeable moulding lines - is that true, or just dumb luck due to the angle of the photo? I ask because some plastics used in toys are difficult to sand and fill, so getting rid of moulding lines can be a hassle. Happily, creating plasticard 'armour' for a counts-as squiggoth is the perfect excuse to cover up any annoying details like that at the same time.

The elephant I bought had no mould lines whatsoever. Although, they are hand painted, maybe the painters remove them?

Grab a handful of coffee stir sticks next time you visit Starbucks, lol, no REALLY.
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Inexpensive Supplies
 
Tools (Purchased);
Dykes; or heavy-duty wire cutters; NOT Sprue-Cutters (sprue-cutters are expensive and will get damaged when trying to cut metal or wood). Example; http://www.xs11.com/forum/images/tips/20020902-floatpinremove.jpg
Scissors; crappy or inexpensive, you are not a seamstress, so $1 ones will do fine when cutting stuff, if you need a more precise cut, you should probably invest in a straight cutting table or use a blade and metal ruler.
Metal Ruler; often called a Drafting ruler. Uses; guiding a straight cut, and measuring.
Hibachi skewers; (made of Bamboo) cost about $1 for a bag of 50 at local grocery store, great for spiky defenses, and etc…
Place-mat for dinner table; (made of Bamboo and other wood slat items) good for fences when cut.
 
Supplies (Found);
Wire Hangers; from the dry-cleaners. I prefer the plastic coated ones. (Cut-out the straight area and save). Then find a drill-bit the same size. Uses; pinning large items, axles on vehicles, BANNER-POLES, etc… Alternatively, LARGE paper-clips.
Broom (Old); (house/kitchen) with long Nylon bristles. Depending on stiffness can be used as Spears, Lances, Antenna arrays, poles, cabling, and etc…
Stir-Sticks; wood, (NOT Popsicle, they are treated and can have a to-finished look). From Starbucks for free with a cup-o-Joe or a box from Smart and Final for about $5. Uses; as wood, for everything wood; floors, bridges, fences, and etc…
Cereal Box Cardboard; Save the front and back of the Cereal-box or GW box, etc. the cardboard is treated and very solid. Uses, a VERY inexpensive substitute for plastic-card.
Rocks and Gravel; from your neighbor’s driveway (I Keed, I keed) Uses; boulders, and etc…
Old Toys; from your closet, from a yard-sale, and etc. Uses; BITZ for Orky stuff, rubble terrain, machinery, and etc…
Chopsticks; (fast food for free) Uses; large wood poles, fencing, supports, and etc…
Wrapping paper rolls; (thicker ones) Pringles can, oatmeal can, etc.
Telephone DSL Cabling (wires); they have 4-12 different colored wires inside
Pennies (or nickels fit ROUND base weights perfectly; if you are rich lol); (note; I have tried the washer and slug idea, trying to find the right size and driving around is not worth the penny, or the nickel) Alternatively, they can be cut in two (just off-center) to fit in the underside of the slotted-bases.

Thanks for the tips, man!

Things like coffee stirrers and chopsticks aren't too expensive if you can find them in a(n ethnic) supermarket, cash and carry, pound shop (er... krona shop?) etc. Saves having to buy a paper cup full of hot water and bitter, burnt, mushed-up plant seeds, too.

 Matthew wrote:
Guys, I went to a toy store today, and the Hippo was tiny... :(.
I bought an elephant instead, it's a wee bit bigger.

Sorry man! Looking forward to see what you do with the elephant. What are you using for the lower jaw? Which reminds me, there are some extinct elephant relatives with un-orky but pretty demented-looking jaws. Do a google image for gomphotheres and deinotherium.

I don't have access to plasticard, but I'm thinking about sprues. I'll probably make a quick jaw out of GS or clay, and then make the metal gob on top of that.

Any ideas for what base size I should use?

One that fits the elephant.

I dunno. Are squiggoths normally based, or are they treated like vehicles?

 Vermis wrote:
One that fits the elephant.

I dunno. Are squiggoths normally based, or are they treated like vehicles?

Monstrous Creatures, but I think bases are optional.

 Vermis wrote:
Things like coffee stirrers and chopsticks aren't too expensive if you can find them in a(n ethnic) supermarket, cash and carry, pound shop (er... krona shop?) etc. Saves having to buy a paper cup full of hot water and bitter, burnt, mushed-up plant seeds, too.

 Matthew wrote:
Guys, I went to a toy store today, and the Hippo was tiny... :(.
I bought an elephant instead, it's a wee bit bigger.

Sorry man! Looking forward to see what you do with the elephant. What are you using for the lower jaw? Which reminds me, there are some extinct elephant relatives with un-orky but pretty demented-looking jaws. Do a google image for gomphotheres and deinotherium.

Just found this: http://www.amazon.com/CollectA-Deinotherium-Toy-20-Scale/dp/B00BZA2UAM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1424731716&sr=8-1&keywords=deinotherium
$79 though ...

When I was in Paris at the Louvre there was this giant painting of an after battle of Alexander that Louis had commissioned, the Elephants face was goofy looking, but the howdah was great, then there was another giant painting with the same goofy face Elephant and the same great howdah, seems the artist had never seen an Elephant, but the howdah was in the palace museum.
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There are some great images of Howdahs out there.
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Base size does not really matter.
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Cereal box cardboard is a cheap alternative ti plastic card.

 rexscarlet wrote:
When I was in Paris at the Louvre there was this giant painting of an after battle of Alexander that Louis had commissioned, the Elephants face was goofy looking, but the howdah was great, then there was another giant painting with the same goofy face Elephant and the same great howdah, seems the artist had never seen an Elephant, but the howdah was in the palace museum.
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There are some great images of Howdahs out there.
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Base size does not really matter.
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Cereal box cardboard is a cheap alternative ti plastic card.

Doesn't cardboard warp?

I have this guy... he's the right size to match the FW kit.
On amazon I have seen them from $8-$30

Cereal Box Cardboard; Save the front and back of the Cereal-box or GW box, etc. the cardboard is treated and very solid. Uses, a VERY inexpensive substitute for plastic-card.
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Regular corrugated cardboard from mailing boxes will warp, YES, and it is thick, but still has uses; rubble building walls, if kept in small in sized areas.
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Cereal Box Cardboard (GW Box) is plastic treated, and nice and thin, I have seen it used to build a Thunderhawk; http://www.throneofskulls.com/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=2088
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Hibachi Skewers are $1 a bag at local grocery store/walmart, made of bamboo, and really sharp and spikey.
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Alternatively, a picture hanging kit can be picked up at a dollar store, comes in a small plastic carry case that can be used for bitz, and comes with all sorts of great parts, nails can be pushed through from the underside for spikes, or pushed in for rivet heads. wire can be used for cabling. look for this kit next time you are at walmart, dollar store, etc. parts are usually brass colored.
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