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 inmygravenimage wrote:
Really nice to see you are alive

Thanks, graven.

 Tiger9gamer wrote:

I like that idea and I'm probably going to use it for my blacktop on the street itself! And I should have specified: It is going to be a bridge, maybe 1 foot wide and 2 feet long. Any ideas for that then? also I do like that mixture idea. Would it work on pink foam too?

Yes, that mixture will work on virtually any surface or material. As for a bridge I'd recommend pink foam as your core material due to its light weight. If you add thick wooden dowels to the centers of each structural support, it will add rigidity and strength to the uprights. I recommend doing a Google search of concrete construction highway supports for reference. I live in New York and there are dozens of elevated roadways with blocky concrete risers holding the road beds up. Many of the photos on this page are perfect examples of this. Always use photos of the things you're trying to build as reference. I hope this helps. Also, post pictures of your work in progress so we can see what you're up to. I know I'm interested in seeing that build.

Words of wisdom from The Boss.

Bit extreme, but I made tarmac with a very similar method. Mixed sand with dental plaster PVA and water. Went on a bit thicker, allowing weathering and damage to be applied. My only gripe was once mine set I could do nothing with it, it would not sand down, could not cut it even with a serious saw.

And the boss is right look to RL, reference material is key.

Seconded, or thirded . Photo references are so easy to find these days, and invaluable. And judging from all the WIP photos I see in these blogs, everybody has a monitor in their workspace... I hope they are using it for *reference* purposes

Warboss, this hobby is something we all can pick up and put down as time is available. That's part of its appeal-- at least to me. I wouldn't worry about disappearing for a time every so often. RL demands are sometimes hard to predict, and there are those days when no energy is left for much of anything except for family time or a quiet activity like reading.

 Camkierhi wrote:
Words of wisdom from The Boss.

Bit extreme, but I made tarmac with a very similar method. Mixed sand with dental plaster PVA and water. Went on a bit thicker, allowing weathering and damage to be applied. My only gripe was once mine set I could do nothing with it, it would not sand down, could not cut it even with a serious saw.

And the boss is right look to RL, reference material is key.

Thanks, Cam. Yeah, I try to shy away from anything with "dental" in the title. That stuff is made to last forever. If you want something utterly indestructible then yes, go ahead and use it. But if you want to still work it after it's "done" dental plaster is your worst enemy.


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 Red Harvest wrote:
Seconded, or thirded . Photo references are so easy to find these days, and invaluable. And judging from all the WIP photos I see in these blogs, everybody has a monitor in their workspace... I hope they are using it for *reference* purposes

Warboss, this hobby is something we all can pick up and put down as time is available. That's part of its appeal-- at least to me. I wouldn't worry about disappearing for a time every so often. RL demands are sometimes hard to predict, and there are those days when no energy is left for much of anything except for family time or a quiet activity like reading.

Thanks, Red. I need to be reminded sometimes that the community is still here for me even when RL takes me away for a time.

RL is a bother that way. Don't feel pressured into starting to post again, or as regularly. Take your time, we'll be here

 inmygravenimage wrote:
RL is a bother that way. Don't feel pressured into starting to post again, or as regularly. Take your time, we'll be here

Thanks, graven.

I'm sorry I've been away so long. Blah, blah, blah, family issues, sickness, work, etc. I started work on a series of rock spires. I pinned a plateau on my base and took some pictures. I promise I'll get back to the building I last posted in a few days. In the meanwhile, here's this rock thing:



The top is very slightly irregular:


And there's a gap to be filled with stones and clay. As you can see I've tried to create a surface texture on the stone by stippling white glue onto the surface while the clay was still wet:


More photos and more progress as time permits. Thanks for looking. C&C always welcome. Have an awesome day.

Good to have you back. Be intrigued to see where you go with this - can't visualise it just now but I have faith!

 inmygravenimage wrote:
Good to have you back. Be intrigued to see where you go with this - can't visualise it just now but I have faith!

Thanks, graven! The skewers are for internal strength of larger blocks that will go on top. It isn't necessarily coming together the way I orig Nelly planned it, but that part's irrelevant to me. This thing will look like whatever it looks like and if it doesn't look like what I wanted I'll just make another one until I get it right. More pics up tomorrow.

I like the rock thing so far!

EDC

I spy rock hard fun ahead!

I am excited to see how this takes shape Boss.

 evildrcheese wrote:
I like the rock thing so far!

EDC

Thanks, EDC!


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 cormadepanda wrote:
I spy rock hard fun ahead!

I am excited to see how this takes shape Boss.

Thanks, Comrade!

As promised, I did more work on the rock thing I'm making. I carved down one skewer:



And test fit the first prototype rock formation to it:


And detailed up the small pile of pink foam on the base:


Thanks for looking, more pictures following feedback. Have an awesome day!


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I didn't like how the first rock " lump" was turning out, so started a new one by gluing some cast offs together and then chopping it up a bit with a hand saw.

Looking very cake-like in those colours.

I look forward to how it comes together though.

 Dr H wrote:
Looking very cake-like in those colours.

I look forward to how it comes together though.

Thanks, Dr H! I've heard that a lot, actually.

Here's some shots of the base coat I put on that building I was working on 3 months ago.


So essentially it's a blue-grey base coat with a brick red wash in some places. Next I'm going to drybrush a medium tan and a sandy yellow. The gravel needs more blue before it gets its grey and the sidewalk needs lighter grey before it gets a brow wash, but I like how it's coming out so far.

As always, thanks for looking. Critique and commentary always welcome. Have an awesome day.

Rocky mountain looks promising, and paint job on the building is coming along well, wiil be waiting for the next coats!

I sudenly feel I'd like to get kebab for dinner, I wonder why...

I like how you approach grey with blue under it. Never really thought about that, but it makes sense.

Lump rock was... well lumpy. What type of formation are you after?

 Littletower wrote:
Rocky mountain looks promising, and paint job on the building is coming along well, wiil be waiting for the next coats!

I sudenly feel I'd like to get kebab for dinner, I wonder why...

Thanks, Littletower! Your craving probably has something to do with the materials I've used, but I can't quite put my finger on which one...

 cormadepanda wrote:
I like how you approach grey with blue under it. Never really thought about that, but it makes sense.

Lump rock was... well lumpy. What type of formation are you after?

I had a stylized lump in mind, comrade. I'm not trying go emulate any real stone formation. I don't like how the original shape was ...well...shaping up, so I've switched to a different chunk in the hopes the aesthetic works better. Ultimately, if that doesn't work either, I'm just going to get more pink foam and start over. I think I need both grittier and finer sand paper, too.

Thanks for the feedback! More pics up soon.


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My original idea was for a gigantic slab of stone with multiple tiers to sit on top of the irregular disc I have there now, but I keep cutting my lumps smaller and smaller. I think I'm going to scrap the spires on this one and just use the irregular disc as the top. Then, as I'm concurrently building another base, I'll create a much larger starting slab (maybe 18" cubed) and carve down into that to create a multitiered "spire".

Looking great Waaazag

Glad to see you back

 JoeRugby wrote:
Looking great Waaazag

Glad to see you back

Thanks, Joe! I'll have more progress photos up tomorrow.

Nice blue as a change from grey buildings.

Thanks, Dr H.

So, as I work on a billion simultaneous projects, I'm going to start some hive world terrain inspired by weirdingway's Navigator Household project. I'm wondering if I should just include that here or open a new topic? Any thoughts? I kind of feel like I should keep all my terrain related stuff in one spot, but if you all think I should put that separate I will do that instead.

Rocky outcrop is coming along and the bunker looks great.

EDC

Absolutely in here that navigator stuff is inspiring indeed, I'm trying to channel some of it for Gitsplitta's mantis maker challenge.

One spot is good nough mate. Tho i want nid terrain.

Yeah, I'd keep all the terrain together. If nothing else, it'll keep the blog flowing as per the previous conversation about blog updating and comments etc.

Thanks for the advice, guys! I'll post up progress pictures shortly. And comradepanda, I hear you. I'll add nid terrain to the docket and start my research.

Sorry for the blurry, high contrast photo. I did more work on the building. The backyard is mostly finished.


Thanks for looking. New updates soon. Have an awesome day.

Looks 'crate'.

(I regret nothing!)

EDC

looks like someone should spend more time watering their lawn!