Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

I was merely suggesting a long term project for Gits, in case he got bored! Also, I was hoping to see how long it took for the local group to figure out what was going on. Also, it would be pretty cool, and a way to have a beat-up force and a clean force.
Also...okay, I am sorry Mr. Gits. I will stop trying to work you to death.

Arakasi wrote:Nice work on the speeder.

Thanks!

Re damage: While I agree with Minus (I imagine streaks and chips and scrapes more from debris than battle damage, but light arms fire would also suffice), I'd suggest for you adding "minimal" weathering to your vehicles as you do them, slowly increasing the amount over time until you hit a place you are happy with. This way the difference between vehicles will not be so obvious, and you can find that right level for you.

Excellent advice Arakasi... I think I'll take it.

Re gun rail: Nicely done. Does the traversing gun mount come off to be painted separately? Because otherwise keeping it mobile during painting seems like a challenge to me...

Yes, the whole thing is just pressure fit and disassembles for painting.

Re vindicator: Still like what you did there Keep up the good work (not that you need the motivation)

Thank's again! (I'll take all the motivation I can get.)

whalemusic360 wrote:Are you going to paint the skulls near the main gun? They appear to be just unfinished at the moment.

*sigh* If you insist....

Ramos Asura wrote:I dont know if it was intentional or not, but I love how you painted the damaged spotlight on the Vindi. It looks like its busted and not lighting up with the others. Real good light weathering.

Yep, that was on purpose. Note that the other lenses all have "glass" lenses in them but that one does not as the glass was shattered.

@Dragon Warrior: No problem my friend. Understood. Who knows what the future holds. I certainly have enough models for a "clean" and a "dirty" force. Just a matter of time is all.

That Vindi looks great. I echo Ramoss sentiment in regards to the busted up light. Its a real nice touch. Not one often seen unfortunately.

loooking good gits!!!! love the fw guys anf the ls !!!! ive got a half broken ls at hme that i may fix in the futre too!!!

 Gitsplitta wrote:

 wyomingfox wrote:
Ohh...like the tutorial! What size magnets are you using?

1/8"

1/8" Diameter by 1/8" High?

Mixed. I have both 1/8" high and 1/16" high, 1/8" diameter magnets... so I just mix and match depending oh how deep the hole I drill is and how things fit together.

Great vindicator, Gits
Love the subtle blend of the green (*sigh* I'm running out of good reasons to NOT get an airbrush and learn how to use it...) and the little details like the busted light and the gray "chips-offs" on the dozerblade

Keep up the good work, this thread allways renew my love for miniatures and painting done properly!

 Gitsplitta wrote:

How do you do the fade on the panels? I'm assuming this is with an airbrush somehow...

WOW!
That Vindi looks ace!! And your zenital airbrush is fab!

Just a question, where do you get those lenses for the lights from?
As i'm currently painting the vehicles for my Rogue Trader Company that would help me immensly.

hemmis92 wrote:Great vindicator, Gits
Love the subtle blend of the green (*sigh* I'm running out of good reasons to NOT get an airbrush and learn how to use it...) and the little details like the busted light and the gray "chips-offs" on the dozerblade

Keep up the good work, this thread allways renew my love for miniatures and painting done properly!

Very high praise hemmis92, thank you so much... I do appreciate it.

RiTides wrote:How do you do the fade on the panels? I'm assuming this is with an airbrush somehow...

Yes. As miniholic mentions below, it's called zenithal lighting. There are some terrific tutorials on youtube for it. It is indeed an airbrush technique but one that is dirt simple to learn. I did it "correctly" the very first time I tried it.

miniholic wrote:WOW!
That Vindi looks ace!! And your zenital airbrush is fab!

Just a question, where do you get those lenses for the lights from?
As i'm currently painting the vehicles for my Rogue Trader Company that would help me immensly.

Thank you mini, very kind of you. The lenses are actually made out of stuff called "doming resin"... it's a jewelry thing (my background is in jewelry so there's a lot of carry over for me). This little gem I learned from BLACKHAND however. It's a kind of clear, 2 part epoxy. You mix up a bit and pour it in for water effects, lenses, whatever... the advantage is that it doesn't really shrink when it dries, it keeps it's domed shape (at least more than anything else). I just put a drop in with a toothpick to get my lenses.

Here's the link to my supplier: http://www.riogrande.com/Product/Colores-Epoxy-Doming-Resin-System/623014
It's $25 for the set of materials... but you'll never need to buy more... not for years anyway. Here are some examples of other things I've used it for (water effects on bases)

Water effects on a dead marshes kind of base.


Again for a small river... that layer is probably 3/8" high and goes all the way to the edge of the base (I just used scotch tape to keep it in).

It does pull up a bit on the edges, but it's "truer" than any other type of similar effect that I've tried... and in a confined area it does dome nicely.


Hmmm.... Oh yes, an update! I finished building the gunner this evening. Now that it's all done I'll remove the various bits and toss it all in Simple Green to get rid of the old paint.


I wanted to give the impression that they were scanning the ground for something... a new target perhaps? A lost comrade? Who can tell the motivations of tiny, 20 year old toy soldiers??

OH, and I'm starting work on graven's GMS marine again. To refresh your memories... this guy.



Airbrushing the black is done along with the initial lining and some of the leather bits... I'm just trying to sort out the rest of the colors (he's supposed to be part of a Death Watch team / devastator in training). Not sure what to do about his actual clothes... but as they're supposed to be rather stealthy, I'm thinking grays.

The LSs should be ready to clean when I get back from my ski outing with Thing 2 this morning. Then we can get down to converting/fixing the second one.

Toodles!

Yay for preposterously awesome gun o'doom!

It's the thumbs up that always makes me chuckle....

I still think the thumb is too long. But, hey. Duke Nukem Forever!

looking good gits, as allways long the RTBo1 minis!!!! i may have to do the same to my LS... man ur making me want to refirbush it!!!!! Or repair at least!!!!

Excellent! Love he pose on this guy.

Thank you guys, I hope not to disappoint!

 Briancj wrote:
I still think the thumb is too long. But, hey. Duke Nukem Forever!

Actually Brian, I was looking at that picture closely after I posted it and I agree with you. I'm just not sure if I can cut it down without completely foxing it. I think I'll give it a try though... just for argument's sake.

 Gitsplitta wrote:
The lenses are actually made out of stuff called "doming resin"... it's a jewelry thing (my background is in jewelry so there's a lot of carry over for me). This little gem I learned from BLACKHAND however. It's a kind of clear, 2 part epoxy. You mix up a bit and pour it in for water effects, lenses, whatever... the advantage is that it doesn't really shrink when it dries, it keeps it's domed shape (at least more than anything else). I just put a drop in with a toothpick to get my lenses.

Here's the link to my supplier: http://www.riogrande.com/Product/Colores-Epoxy-Doming-Resin-System/623014
It's $25 for the set of materials... but you'll never need to buy more... not for years anyway. Here are some examples of other things I've used it for (water effects on bases)

Water effects on a dead marshes kind of base.

Thanks Gits for your reply and the link!

After having seen this fab base of yours i'm definitively going for water effects on my Space Sharks SEALS (Scouts)!!!

Thanks!

Well this is certinately an awesome blog. I'm trying to read it all but im only on page 13 everything looks great. Love how you mixed old and new minis together. Also thanks for posting about that resin stuff, may have to get some of that myself. Keep up this amazing work!

@miniholic: Glad I could be of service my friend. Any questions you have don't hesitate to ask. My "techniques" folder is an open book.

@Nashbashem: (great name) Thanks for checking the blog out. You can go directly to the P&M work or my battle reports from the links in the OP. However, if you're brave enough, you can try and plow though the entire blog. There's bits where it's pretty chatty, but there's a lot of goodness (not all if it from me) buried in these pages. Hope you enjoy it!


P&M Update: Sorry there hasn't been much to report, the LSs have been soaked and brushed twice now and are ready for painting. Turns out Simple Green can actually dislodge some superglue bonds but it looks as if it's only the weak ones. It worked out for the best though as the bits that fell of on the one LS were 2 of the 3 bits I need to fabricate for the other one. Working on that now. Just finished fabricating the foot step thingies. Will do the wind screen next, followed by the engine compartment door.

THEN I need to build the crew, traversing system & guns for the second LS. THEN I need to put the typhoon systems together for both and figure out how to magnetize them in place. THEN I'll finally be ready to begin painting. *Whew*... that's a lot of work!



Automatically Appended Next Post:


Visual proof of progress on LS #2. Unfortunately the white kind of overwhelms the pic so you can't see much of the details on the pieces, but I think they turned out pretty good. So... new wind screen, new engine compartment door, oh... and the instrument package broke off so that had to be drilled and pinned. Turns out I didn't need the steps after all, so I have 2 extra in case of accidents. Getting close now. Will work on the gun mount next.

You build those out of plasticard?

Yep.

Second gun mount and guns are ready to go.

Looking good Gits, the extra build looks very cohesive with the rest of the model...

Damn, musta missed that you were missing the side doors. I have spares, especially if its getting the missile racks back.

Thanks Reiko!

It's OK WM. I needed the practice. My scratch-building skills are weak. (not that it wouldn't have made things simpler but it was a victory to actually make a decent replacement myself).

Now it's on to the crew and the Typhoon launchers. Then finally... paint!

 Gitsplitta wrote:
Yep.

Second gun mount and guns are ready to go.

Well done, looked original enough that I had to ask.

Thanks wyfox, I appreciate that. They aren't perfect by any means, but all the dimensions and rivet placements are spot on. I couldn't do the handle "inset" on the door of course, but I may just cover up both handles with a Mantis Warrior badge and be done with it.

I'm thinking I can finish the last of the build today and with luck, get the airbrushing done. Time will tell. Thank Heaven for Vallejo airbrushable primers. I use their dark green on my marines and it really saves time and gives me very consistent final results.

So... why the grumpy avatar??

...Politics . 60% of the time they get me grumpy all of the time.

That and Fuhrer King Bradley from Full Alchemist Brotherhood is one of my favorite characters.

 Gitsplitta wrote:
I needed the practice. My scratch-building skills are weak. (not that it wouldn't have made things simpler but it was a victory to actually make a decent replacement myself).

You`re welcome

Looks great, jobs a good `un!

R

@Red: Go ahead... gloat!

Progress on graven's GMS. "One Shot, One Kill" Doesn't look that way but there's actually a fair amount of work here. Black with airbrushed highlights, then grey painted on clothes, highlighted then the entire washed black to mute it down a bit. It's a very subtle difference between the armor and the clothing but I like it so far. Oh, and a bit-o-leather too. How grey it looks depends on how much light you pour on it. Here, it looks pretty grey... in-hand it's considerably blacker. More to come.