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Thanks for the comments on the casting quality. Each time I do a new set of molds I always try to improve a little bit over my previous efforts and I think these mechs are the best items that I've cast so far. Its a bit geeky but I really enjoy having a direct hand in every step of the process and I'm very happy with how they came out.

I used a slightly differant method for these which is a combination of split molds and a vacuum system for degassing. It takes longer but it lets me use fewer sprue connections and less bubbling meaning I get very few miscasts. The molds don't last quite as long as my past molds but the cast quality is much better and IMO its well worth the trade off. I'll be using the same process for the future mech releases.

Just one question: are those weapon shields going to be available as separate parts if I want my weapons to have that look? As it stands, my big guns don't have it, which might be ok if we consider a balance issue (bigger gun, but less armour).

And here we go. Crappy pictures, but I was in a hurry last night.

The building behind is actually HO scaled, it's the 3 Flat Fronts set from Woodland Scenics that I used for my WW2 gaming. Speaking of which I will attempt to pick up their N scale building kits this week. Hopefully they have them locally, otherwise I'll have to order direct from their website. It's not super futuristic, but I don't believe in the "whole city being sci-fi" vibe.

I only put the NorAm star from the cards as a symbol for the moment, and a little Québec Flag, cuz, you know.

Dang...nice looking paint job. Mine isnt even primed yet.

That mecha does have a nice paint job there.

Nice paint job, bad camera

Yeah. My fiancee's cat even pushed it off the table once, so its screen is cracked. She says she finally found how to take pictures of close-up objects with hers, so I might give that a go.

I still want to magnetize mine, and I haven't picked up the magnet kits yet.

I think I need to order a gak-load of them, this project is worth it.

Addressing the issue of the guns and details: they work really well in resin. Can you give us a breakdown of pieces you'd have done in white metal on the Raptor, for example?

Looking very good. I'll try and make some of the shoudler shields available as individual parts. (I had the benefit of having a few miscast launchers that I could cut them off of). I'll see if I can squeeze them in with the next batch of parts, in worst case scenario I'll make some weapons and armor packs available at a later point.

The weapons on the final print ended up being twice as thick as what I'd originally featured on the renders. Before sending it out for print I basically doubled it in diameter and extended the length slightly as well. If you look closely they are a fair amount thinner in the renders prior to making my last minute change. The gun housing was also increased in wicth quite a bit to accomidate the larger barrel. It was initally flush with the angled piece diretcly above it (on the side of the torso) The modified version now sticks out further, but looks fine IMO.

At the current size they seem like they will handle game play fine so I may not need metal for durability like I initially expected. Later on if the demand for the game ends up being huge I may still need to make the metal switch due to it having a much higher production rate. However I'm still testing the waters on that and I do prefer to keep using resin if possible.

The Raptor was my test model to see how everything came together. I was bit uncertain as it is in a scale I haven't done yet but it came out quite well and I'm very pleased with it. It addressed as lot of the questions I had and gave me a good idea of what to expect for future models in terms of printing, molding, costs, etc so it was a very important first step.

Like an idiot, I keep forgetting my mech at home before I go to my FLGS to pick up magnets. Does anyone have the correct sizes for the hip to torso join and the arm joins? I'd love to start working on mine.

I like them thicker as-is, seems to work great and might make everyone happy since they could stay resin

 Valhallan42nd wrote:
Like an idiot, I keep forgetting my mech at home before I go to my FLGS to pick up magnets. Does anyone have the correct sizes for the hip to torso join and the arm joins? I'd love to start working on mine.

I used a 3mm dia magnet on mine. (1.5mm thick) It's a very narrow fit on the arm joint so take extra care with the dremmel or you'll end up carving through the wall. If they have a 2mm or 2.5mm option it might be better.

The waist I used the same 3mm and it works great, for extra grip I went two magnets deep on the waist. I glued the legs as there wasn't a need for magnets on those, the hip movement was plenty IMO.

For future use I've resized the launcher arms slightly taking the connection from 4mm up to 5 which will give a little extra wiggle room for the magnets. They'll be reprinted alongside the Light Bloc mecha. I've used those same connection measurements with the goshawk so that the joints are more standardized. I didn't have magnets in mind when I built the Raptor model and got lucky that the joints worked out ok with them. I've experimented with having preset holes on the model but they are problematic when casting, so unfortunately people will have to still have to do their own dremmel work but I'll be making sure the parts are sized large enough.

If you guys don't already have a dremmel tool you really should get one, its by far my favorite tool I own after my hobby knife. The 194 bit is sized perfectly for 3mm magnets, it looks like a cylinder with a flat end. Makes very quick work of magnetizing stuff.

http://www.dremel.com/en-us/Accessories/Pages/ProductDetail.aspx?pid=194

I used 3/16 magnets, 1/16 thickness, and I did all of my grinding manually, with a file. It literaly took me 5 minutes to get a perfect fit. For the missiles, I just cut off the little joint and replaced it with a magnet. If you let it dry completely, it's fine and won't come off.

I did not magnetize the torso though... maybe I should.

Paulson, I've been converting a "sensor pack" that would replace a weapon hardpoint. You don't mind 3rd party bits for the moment, do you?

I certainly don't mind people kitbashing with other parts. I want people to have fun both with the game and also their models. Yeah I know that's such an alien concept in the 40k circles now days


Also I haven't had a proper Mech Front Monday post in a while so here you go. Here's the Blackfrost Medium

I'll also have an updated render for the Neo-Bloc Goshawk later this evening.

 Mathieu Raymond wrote:
Paulson, I've been converting a "sensor pack" that would replace a weapon hardpoint. You don't mind 3rd party bits for the moment, do you?

Oh the irony

 bbb wrote:

 Mathieu Raymond wrote:
Paulson, I've been converting a "sensor pack" that would replace a weapon hardpoint. You don't mind 3rd party bits for the moment, do you?

Oh the irony

You do what you can with what you have is my new gaming motto.

Dude, Paulson, that Blackfrost Mech is sexy like an Eskimo Fridge. It seriously looks like a bouncer. Love it. So Goshawk is Neo Bloc light. Got any class names for the medium ones so far?

NorAm Light - Raptor
Neo-Bloc Light - Goshawk

NorAm medium - Lynx
Neo-Bloc medium - Osprey

NorAm Heavy - Wolverine
Neo-Bloc Heavy - Black Wolf

NorAm Quad - Kodiak
Neo-Bloc Quad - Tiger


Here's the Goshawk render it's 98% complete all that's left to do is touch up the detail on the toes and it's good to print.

I'd love to see some 3+ barreled rotary cannons...

I like the looks of it, but I'm definitely staying noram, possibly will get the black frost guys as well. The second army will have to wait to see future expansions.

I'm not trying to derail the thread... but I just noticed that Spartan is also making its dropship^in 6mm/10mm scale... I wonder how they could be incorporated in a game of Mecha Front.

They'd make for a nice objective/infantry deployment method. I've got some of your long gunz, they'd look suitably impressive on those models.

Lots of reveals today, nice! Blackfrost mechs continue to be my favorite

I just finished priming my second Raptor with sensor pod... I have to study real hard tomorrow, but I was going by the train shop to pick up N scale... anything really. And my fiancee will be nice enough to bring back the camera I forgot at work today.

Whoa, wait a minute, we can buy mechs already? I thought this was going to be a kickstarter....

That's what i get for not keeping up with this thread...

Yup, some are available in very limited numbers from Paulson's store.

Alright, back from the train store. Turns out they can get almost anything from Kato I might want, and stock most of Woodland Scenics. I decided to splurge on an Entire Town in a Box, a roll of self-adhesive road strips, two cars. They had no soldiers for that scale, apparently purists don't like models that small.

So I went to a FLGS a subway stop away (by foot, cuz 38 degrees is just so much fun) and realized Dropzone Commander uses 10mm infantry. So yay me! I've got an old city downtown squared away.

I was thinking of making my mecha part of the Gaspésie regiment, protecting the petroleum exploitations of Québec, a reluctant part of NorAm.

How much was that 'Entire Town in a Box'?

 Cyporiean wrote:
How much was that 'Entire Town in a Box'?

156 bucks... I already looked it up. Because I too was interested
http://woodlandscenics.woodlandscenics.com/show/item/s1485

 Alfndrate wrote:

 Cyporiean wrote:
How much was that 'Entire Town in a Box'?

156 bucks... I already looked it up. Because I too was interested
http://woodlandscenics.woodlandscenics.com/show/item/s1485

hmm.. I need to get a wholesale account with WS.

Can you take a shot of the mech next to the building? I'd like to see how well it pairs up.

(I don't own any terrain in that size & have been using cardstock stuff so far)

Looks to be a very promising set, I'd have to order it online somewhere as my local hobby shop has pretty horrible selection in their train dept.