tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1886217857735645052024-03-12T20:26:35.425-07:00Mini Art DesignEddie G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/12454191216681990976noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-188621785773564505.post-76383252164324805762015-10-08T19:09:00.001-07:002015-10-08T19:10:34.632-07:00Arcadia Quest- Sonja<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Well after 2 months of working on my last project, I decided to continue working on a few Arcadia Quest miniatures. Lately I've been all over the place as far as painting miniatures. Since I have a dedicated hobby area, I leave about 4 different miniatures on my desk and work on them as I have the desire. I find this works for me since I get bored painting one miniature for hours on end. It may not be the best strategy to completing a miniature but it's refreshing having a variety of different canvases to pick from. Also I'm in no hurry to have all my miniatures fully painted :).</div>
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So here is Sonja from Arcadia Quest. I pledged to the Arcadia Quest Kickstarter and got a really great deal on some nicely sculpted miniatures. While I did get a Sonja with my pledge, this one was actually from a painting Chibi eye class taught by Elizabeth Beckley at the Cmon Expo this past year. The class itself was very informative. I also took Jessica Rich's blending skin class which totally changed my perspective on painting skin. </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kAsdVXaGs1k/VhcY_fVb1pI/AAAAAAAABnw/EO3BkjNo9K4/s1600/sonja1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kAsdVXaGs1k/VhcY_fVb1pI/AAAAAAAABnw/EO3BkjNo9K4/s640/sonja1.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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I started painting the skin by using Reaper tanned shadow and blended up to Reaper tanned skin. Next I picked out the raised edges of the skin and blended in Reaper tan highlight. The raised cheek bones got a light glaze of pink. I still need some practice on the technique but so far I am very pleased with the results.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XXbK9bG7PjM/VhcY_abk_qI/AAAAAAAABn0/VVXH39zZwrI/s1600/sonja2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XXbK9bG7PjM/VhcY_abk_qI/AAAAAAAABn0/VVXH39zZwrI/s640/sonja2.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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The back of the miniature is not too exciting. I just used P3 Rucksack Tan as a base, blended with P3 Menoth White Base, and highlighted the raised edges with P3 Menoth White Highlight. </div>
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I am very pleased with how it turned out and I love the quality of the Arcadia Quest miniatures. I am looking forward to the next expansion Arcadia Quest Inferno coming to Kickstarter next month. </div>
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Nothing like adding more miniatures to my ever growing collection :).</div>
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Till next time..</div>
<br />Eddie G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/12454191216681990976noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-188621785773564505.post-30292811472213015262015-10-02T13:37:00.001-07:002015-10-07T10:21:09.499-07:00Lifeguard House- Take 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
So one thing I enjoy doing is building scale models. It was a dream of mine since I was young that I wanted to grow up and build architectural models for a living. I loved seeing those scale models displayed for the public before they would build some new skyscraper or shopping center. They always gave you an exact idea of how something was going to look and you can interact with it in ways that you just couldn't with 2D drawings. </div>
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Some of the best models I saw was when I worked at Disneyland in Anaheim, CA and they were showing the concept models before they built California Adventure. I would spend a couple hours after my shift gazing at the huge master planned model for the new park and the various attractions. Some of them actually were working scale models that moved. It's amazing to see these tiny things get built into human scale structures.</div>
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Well my dream of getting a job with the Disney Imagineers never came true. I got as far as submitting a resume(numerous times) but never got a call back to interview :(. But I still enjoy building scale models for fun. I recently got contacted by a reader of my blog who wanted a lifeguard house model like the one I built awhile ago to use as a trophy for the winner of their fantasy football league. The model will get passed around every year between winners, so durability is a must. He gave me a few ideas of what he wanted so I got to working on it right away. He really wanted it to resemble the ones in Hermosa Beach, CA which are pretty neat looking as far as lifeguard houses go. They are bright and colorful which in miniature painting could be quite challenging to pull off without careful attention to paint thickness. The biggest of those challenges is making the colors pop while still maintaining opacity and then without making it look like you layered globs of paint on the model. So I had to utilize numerous thinned layers of colors on the house. Very time consuming to say the least. The end result looks great though. The bane of all paint colors has got to be the color yellow. You can paint on 5 layers of this color and it still will look pretty drab. One work around I used was P3 Menoth White Base which is very opaque, and then glaze on layers of P3 Sulfric Yellow. By the way, P3 paints continue to be some of the best paints to use on miniatures. I really wish they would extend the paint line and add more color tones though. </div>
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I decided to keep it simple with the lifeguard house so I avoided the overuse of highlights and shadows which I normally incorporate in most of my miniature figures. I wanted the lifeguard house to be the centerpiece and the focal point with only the bright solid colors and shapes being what draws your eyes in.</div>
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I added a lot of small details like mini sea shells and a trash can with various sporting equipment thrown in. Sounds weird I know. The idea behind it was an inside joke a friend of mine said once. "When football season starts, every other sport goes in the garbage." I researched what LA County beaches trash cans look like and I even found a sticker / slogan they put on them as well. All the lifeguard houses have an address painted on the side to indicate what street it's on. I went with 15 St. because that is the one my client had fond memories of.<br />
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This is actually one of the signs they have at one of the lifeguard houses. I copied and altered its size in Photoshop and printed it to a label, glued to plastic card and varnished the heck out of it. The Lifeguard on Duty sign on the front of the house was made in the same way. You can see that sign better below. I used a bit of artistic license on this just for aesthetics. <br />
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I used the Hirst Arts wood plank mold to make the Hermosa Beach sign. Originally it was made from plastic card strips scored with a knife to make it look like wood grain but then it looked too much like a fence than a sign. After painting the wood grain on the platform, I was tired of painting faux wood grain so I made the switch. Hirst Art blocks are great because you can just basecoat and dry brush the pieces and they end up looking like you spent hours on it. Most people usually cast Hirst Art blocks with dental plaster. I cast these in urethane plastic instead because I wanted to have the durability and no risk of it getting shattered with all the handling it will get between fantasy football winners. The letters I bought at Hobby Lobby and are laser cut scrapbook letters.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eaYCTLLrEmQ/Vg8RtV95HYI/AAAAAAAABnQ/Wd2Zq4K_LGk/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eaYCTLLrEmQ/Vg8RtV95HYI/AAAAAAAABnQ/Wd2Zq4K_LGk/s400/2.jpg" width="336" /></a></div>
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The surfer girl is lounging on a towel and using a small tablet device. I don't know if people usually lounge around in their wet suits after surfing but I figured she was taking a break before going out on the waves again.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0lwkpSo38Jc/Vg7hH1mS5DI/AAAAAAAABmw/8m5mVsoXs_4/s1600/DSC00268.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0lwkpSo38Jc/Vg7hH1mS5DI/AAAAAAAABmw/8m5mVsoXs_4/s400/DSC00268.JPG" width="335" /></a></div>
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The towel was made from Apoxie Sculpt and hand painted with Hawaiian flowers. The extra surfboard was made from green stuff, and the football was made from Apoxie Sculpt. I know that college regulation footballs are the ones with stripes on the sides, but when your 6 year old asks "Why is there doodie on the beach?" you are forced to make the change so there is no confusion on what it's supposed to be. The surfer/lifeguard is from Reaper Miniatures and the surfer girl is from Hassle Free miniatures.<br />
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It was a fun project and took 2 long months from concept to completion. Hopefully my client and his friends will enjoy passing around this trophy for years to come.<br />
I normally don't take commissions( I am too much of a perfectionist) but if it's something I am confident I can do well, I will consider the request. <br />
Till next time,<br />
Keep on Painting!Eddie G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/12454191216681990976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-188621785773564505.post-2680658703636964672015-08-02T17:34:00.000-07:002015-08-03T07:03:39.526-07:00Robotech RPG Tactics<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AEyzbUfj9Ck/Vb6qrnuXHuI/AAAAAAAABk0/SCzfKQzG3IU/s1600/Robotech4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AEyzbUfj9Ck/Vb6qrnuXHuI/AAAAAAAABk0/SCzfKQzG3IU/s400/Robotech4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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So I decided to finally start painting some of the Robotech RPG Tactics miniatures from the Battle Cry pledge I backed during the Kickstarter campaign. I am not too big of a fan of Robotech because I prefer the true anime Macross instead of the cut and paste job that is Robotech. If you've never seen Macross Frontier or Macross Zero, check them out for an awesome prequel story and sequel to the true Macross storyline. I won't go into too much detail over the disappointment many backers are having over the handling of this project but I am somewhere in between "These miniatures are a pain to assemble." and "These miniatures look pretty cool." and "Where is Wave 2?". First off these miniatures are small! I never realized how small the final product was going to be but they are darn small even for 1/285 scale. Compare it to a F-14 model from GHQ and you'll know what I am talking about. There is also many freaking little bits for one model! But if and when you get past that and actually get them assembled, they are kinda fun to paint.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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I decided to start with my favorite pilot Max Jenius. I went with his classic VF-1A colors. I really want to paint the VF-1J version but I am still holding out(and hoping Palladium can deliver) on eventually getting the Wave 2 extra copies of the exclusive Rick Hunter model I ordered to paint them in those colors.<br />
Two colors I try to avoid using most of the time is true white and true black. I usually go with light grey and dark grey for my whites and blacks. For this I primed with Vallejo Surface Primer Grey through my airbrush and then basecoated with Reaper Weathered Stone. I then took a 5/0 brush and lined the crevices with Warpaints Dark shade. I then highlighted with Reaper Leather White(My favorite White color) I left a little of the Weathered Stone showing just to get a nice highlighted effect. In the deepest areas I shaded with Reaper Stone Grey. For the blue I basecoated with Warpaints Crystal Blue and highlighted with Vallejo Andrea Blue. The deepest areas were shaded with Warpaints Blue Tone. <br />
The canopy was painted with Warpaints Electric Blue(A new favorite color) and highlighted with P3 Frostbite.<br />
The sky base was basecoated with Warpaints Electric Blue and the clouds were painted with a mixture of whites and greys mixed in with the base color.<br />
This was a fun miniature to paint and I am already pumped up to tackle the Guardian Mode and Battloid Mode next. Hopefully I'll have enough miniatures assembled and painted so I can at least try the game once. Hopefully I'll get my Wave 2 stuff before this game loses popularity and gets discontinued or Palladium Books goes broke. We'll see how this play's out. Till then keep on painting!<br />
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<br />Eddie G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/12454191216681990976noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-188621785773564505.post-55699094810073947512015-05-27T08:17:00.003-07:002015-05-27T08:17:20.789-07:00Update and PintrestOnce again, I am deciding to keep up with the blog and update it periodically. Now that school is over I need some motivation to get me painting again after a long hiatus. If you have noticed I updated the graphics on my page. I got into working with Adobe Illustrator recently and found it to be a fancier version of AutoCAD. I still have some improving to do but I figured the graphics were good enough for the blog. But anyways, we all want the minis. Here are some of my most current ones.<br />
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First up is Captain R. He was fun to paint. Decided to try a little NMM on the sword. </div>
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Second up is the Royal Paladin from the first edition Super Dungeon Explore. My NMM still needs some refinement. So I decided to purchase a set of these for help:</div>
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I started to use them on some miniatures and so far the results have been really good. I'll update soon with a full review.</div>
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For those on Pintrest. I have a Pintrest board now. You can find me on my <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/miniartdesigns/">Miniart Design Pintrest</a>. Lots of cool stuff to find and pin.</div>
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Well hopefully I can stay committed to writing occasionally. For anyone still reading this, thanks for sticking around and as always, Keep on gaming!</div>
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Eddie G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/12454191216681990976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-188621785773564505.post-13197761495718003192014-07-05T17:56:00.001-07:002014-07-05T20:31:41.413-07:00Been a long time ;)Hey all,<br />
It's been a long time hasn't it? Well these days school is keeping me really busy. Whenever I can find the time to take a break from writing c++ code, I do some painting. Well my method was slow but it worked and I actually got a few miniatures painted. Check em out!<br />
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Starting with the Pumpkin Head from Impact miniatures<br />
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Next is a Blue Castle Crashers from Velvet Mark and also from Impact Miniatures</div>
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I also painted Candy and Cola the SDE version from Soda Pop Miniatures<br />
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Practicing some dark skin tones with the acrobat from Impact Miniatures</div>
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and finally finished off with Kisa SDE version from Soda Pop Miniatures</div>
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Well I hope to continue posting more as I get them done. <span style="text-align: center;">Take care for now and keep on gaming!</span></div>
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<br />Eddie G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/12454191216681990976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-188621785773564505.post-15093478920895723172013-07-22T16:11:00.002-07:002013-07-22T16:17:04.122-07:001/285 Robotech scale buildings and a Chibi HouseHey everyone,<br />
I've been neglecting my blog a bit but as far as doing hobby related projects, I've been ramping up constructive time on it. Over the past months I've been working on 2 big projects simultaneously. I took part in the Robotech RPG Tactics Kickstarter and after spending more money than I should my head started spinning with great ideas for terrain. My first terrain project for this game is a 1/285 scale gas station. It's pretty much done construction wise just needs some paint.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-K1NJf5fztTg/UdHMu2kuJqI/AAAAAAAAA40/mMEcS_IyzlQ/s1600/DSC00170.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-K1NJf5fztTg/UdHMu2kuJqI/AAAAAAAAA40/mMEcS_IyzlQ/s400/DSC00170.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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The whole project was constructed using a variety of Plastruct rods and sheets and all precisely cut using my new Chopper II from Northwest Short Line. This chopper is awesome!!! It was the perfect Father's Day present from my family. It's been getting so much use these past 2 months. If you don't have one, get one. You'll never use anything else so much for scratch building.</div>
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I also made a small scale Scott Bernard figure in cyclone armor. Not really useful for anything else but to get a sense of scale of the buildings at 1/285 scale. He might just end up being a statue at the gas station entrance.</div>
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so moving on to project number 2......</div>
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a Chibi House!! After seeing Scenery-Planet's awesome table I knew I had to make some of my own.</div>
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I'll post more of a write up on it but if you happen to frequent the forums at Impact Miniatures you'll see more info about it there under the chibi adventurers section. I know what you are thinking....I need one of those!! Well not to worry your little chibi gamer head....they are for sale at my etsy.com store located here--------------><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/157446906/fantasy-gaming-chibi-house-kit?">https://www.etsy.com/listing/157446906/fantasy-gaming-chibi-house-kit?</a></div>
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so get one before they are gone.</div>
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So I got some catching up to do. Gotta post some miniatures and projects that I've been working on. So keep looking here for some updates soon. Till then....you know the drill ;)</div>
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Eddie G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/12454191216681990976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-188621785773564505.post-79927877992961962502013-04-23T07:19:00.004-07:002013-04-23T07:19:50.371-07:00MiniArt Store is launched tentatively!If you noticed at the the side of my blog page there is a link to the MiniArt store. Not a lot being offered but if you want your own bases here is the place to get them. If it turns out to be successful, I might add more stuff. Again I am sorry I can't offer international orders. The logistics are too complicated at the moment, but I might investigate how to offer it in the future if there is interest. Here's a preview of what I have in stock:<br />
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and some painted examples</div>
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check it out and if you have any questions please let me know.</div>
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Keep on gaming!</div>
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<br />Eddie G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/12454191216681990976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-188621785773564505.post-67948949171959196722013-04-20T15:42:00.003-07:002013-04-20T17:02:03.841-07:00Hydra W.I.P.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Well I know it's been a few months but I have been busy getting stuff done. Just want to post my hydra from Impact Miniatures. I am enjoying painting this. I'll do a more detailed write up once I am done with it. </div>
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Anyone planning on going to CMON Expo, I'll be there. Let me know if you are going as well and we can meet up.<br />
Keep on gaming!Eddie G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/12454191216681990976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-188621785773564505.post-58829989617932261142013-01-11T12:27:00.004-08:002013-01-11T13:02:31.270-08:00How to build your own X-Wing Miniatures Senator Shuttle <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My first almost completed project for the beginning of the year is a Senator's Shuttle for use in the X-wing Miniatures game. If you buy the core box you receive a card board card with a picture of the shuttle on it to use. Well that won't do. I like to represent objectives for games in 3 dimensions not 2. So I got out my tools and got to work.</div>
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After some playing around with the shape here is the finished product. It's mostly made from square styrene rod glued together to build the shape of the shuttle. I used 1/2 round styrene and flat plastic strips to add detail to the ship. The engines and the front of the ship are some blocks from the machine builder mold from Hirst-Arts. I cast the pieces in urethane plastic for durability. While I like the result, I figured there's got to be a better and easier way to build this. After looking at some pieces from the machine builder mold I found a way to quickly build a Senator's Shuttle and even create a whole fleet of them if you like. </div>
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So unfortunately for this tutorial you will need to own, or borrow Industrial Accessory Mold #326 and the Machinery Builder Mold #327 found <a href="http://www.hirstarts.com/molds/moldssci.html">here</a>. If you have never used Hirst-Arts, I totally recommend all of Bruce's product lines of molds he has to offer. The quality of the molds themselves is mind blowing and the detail is amazing. I currently own about 20 molds and use them for a lot of my hobby projects. But if you don't want to spend the money, there are a bunch of licensed vendors who sell casts of most of the mold lines. So you'll need the following pieces in the photo.</div>
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To make it a bit easier I labeled which pieces come from which mold. Unfortunately you will need to cast mold 327 six times to get the bottom pieces since they only get cast 2 at a time. </div>
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So now it's just a matter of gluing the pieces together in the following fashion to make the essential pieces of the Senator's ship. The pieces that make up the engines are supposed to be chemical containers and have a tiny skull in the center of the diamond. I just take an x-acto knife and scrape it off, but if you want you can leave it on. </div>
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Then it's a matter of gluing all the pieces together and done and done. So this new version is pretty simple to make. I think I glued it together in 10 minutes. Casting the pieces took way longer. But while you could use this ship as is, you can take it a bit further and add some more details to give it more of the Star Wars aesthetic.</div>
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All I did was cut up some styrene half rod and smaller styrene rod and glued it to the hull. Now it has a bit more detail and looks more Star Wars like. The awesome part is that the pieces from the Hirst-Arts molds give it most of the detail so you don't really have to do much after. </div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">A little paint and it will be ready to hit the table. So there you have it. Not much of a tutorial but I tried to simplify the process to make it possible for people who don't have much modeling experience can build one easily. So one project off to a start and it is still January! This might be the year of the hobbies yet ;). Any questions feel free to ask and as always....Keep on gaming!</span></div>
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<br />Eddie G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/12454191216681990976noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-188621785773564505.post-598223927372194592012-12-28T08:54:00.000-08:002012-12-28T08:56:23.989-08:00Another year almost gone but refocusing for 2013 :)Well the start of a new year is upon us, which means it's time to refocus on priorities. This year was more invested on my family, and with whatever extra time I had, I spent it trying to learn calculus and level up on Skyrim (which ended up taking 8 months of my spare hours at night). While the Christmas break is a great time to get some projects done for many, it usually means giving up my hobby space for our Christmas tree.<br />
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Here is my hobby space currently. I would complain but I do enjoy Christmas so it is a minor sacrifice. Although I am sure my family rather see the tree year round then my desk with all my junk on it ;).</div>
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One of the biggest realizations this year is that I will never find the time to build and paint my 3rd edition Space Hulk game. I bought it when it got released and to this day all I ever did was remove the shrink wrap. So I went ahead and placed it on ebay. Well if you are inclined to get a copy mine is listed here: <a href="http://www.ebay.com/itm/Space-Hulk-3rd-Edition-Games-Workshop-New-and-unbuilt-/290836299278?pt=Games_US&hash=item43b731be0e">Space Hulk</a> and ends in a few days. </div>
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So while it was a dry year for hobbies, 2013 will hopefully be more devotion to getting a couple hobby related things done in my spare time. That will also be a challenge since I am realizing that my spare time is becoming more scarce since my son is getting older and we are enjoying more outdoor activities together. </div>
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But at the same time he is also starting to take interest in some of my hobbies so eventually that spare time will become quality time with him....well one can dream right ;).</div>
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Right now X-wing seems to be a game I can play and do easy projects for. One of those being building a Death Star board. My wife purchased a 6"x 6" mold from <a href="http://www.combatwombatminiatures.com/star_fortress.htm">Combat Wombat miniatures</a> so I can make it possible. I've already cast 4 tiles using Smooth-on 300 and they came out pretty well. </div>
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Combat Wombat also sells a completed 3'x3' board with turrets for 99 dollars. While it was tempting to just purchase the whole thing, I want to have the versatility to build a Death Star trench if I wanted to. Of course as of this writing it seems like a lot of folks want their own Death Star so he has ceased production on the 99 dollar board till he can catch up with orders. Depending on how much you want to spend money or time to put work into, the cost of both the mold and the board will pretty much even out. </div>
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After doing some math I figured I spend 45 dollars for the mold, I can usually get Smooth-on 300 for a 30%-40% discount and would need about 2 pounds worth of casting material so that would be about $30-$35, add the 6 turrets he offers for $15 and you pretty much hit his price point give or take. The benefit to the mold will be if you can make the mold survive the 36 casts required for a 3'x3' board you can then use it to make a trench run board.</div>
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Here is the mold I received from Combat Wombat. Now from what I read on his website, he is a Army veteran which I have the up most respect for. I gladly support someone who defended our country and is trying to make a living by selling products they made. But as a fair warning if you go the mold route, don't expect to get a mold at the level of quality of Hirst-Arts. My mold had a few defects, and while it may require some sanding to even out the tile casts, the tiny defects on the surface are hardly noticeable. Some of my casting defects can easily be fixed with putty or light sanding. My only worry now is that I got some tearing on my last cast even after spraying it down heavily with mold release. So just a precaution if you are planning to purchase the mold.</div>
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Now I don't want to be overly negative or leave on a sour note. The tile cast themselves are very detailed and with Smooth-on 300 they are durable and will last a very long time. I recommend picking up a set or a mold if you want your own Death Star. With the Falcon and Slave I release on the horizon, I am looking forward to recreating the trench run from Episode IV.</div>
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So hopefully you all got some great hobby gifts this year. Here's to a hobby filled 2013!! Happy New Year and as always keep on gaming!</div>
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<br />Eddie G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/12454191216681990976noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-188621785773564505.post-13522698397208334922012-10-15T15:07:00.001-07:002012-10-15T15:07:36.448-07:00Imperial Landing ShuttleWell I can't really say I've been consistent in my hobbies lately, but so many fun games have been released lately that I've just been getting the hobby bug and no real focus to stay on one project long enough to completion. My latest project has been an Imperial Shuttle to use as an objective in the X-wing board game by Fantasy Flight Games.<br />
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It's amazing what you can do with a little bit of styrene sheets and rod. I tried to make it to scale but finding a comparison of an x-wing and an Imperial shuttle was hard to find. So hard that it is non-existent. But for an in game objective it will work.<br />
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It is a work in progress. I am probably going to add some more styrene to the wings to give it more of a Star Wars feel. The best part is that I went searching around the web and found a website that sells some bases made for the game. Eventually I can design some specs for it and use it in game as a stolen shuttle with the rebel forces or a troop lander that is trying to board a bigger rebel ship. I also managed to snag a used Tantive IV from Micro Machines that I plan to modify to use in the game as well. Too many hobbies not enough time to game. I guess that's life huh?Eddie G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/12454191216681990976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-188621785773564505.post-17218401664301796042012-09-26T15:31:00.000-07:002012-09-26T17:24:59.139-07:00Weapon Modding Ninja Turtle StyleOK I know what you are thinking...Ninja Turtles? What does this have to do with miniatures? Well everything. Modifying action figures was my intro to the hobby of scale models and basically how my obsession carried over to gaming miniatures as well. I had the Turtle Fever back in the 80's and well into the 90's...heck I even paid to go to their musical concert as lame as the premise of it was. But now being a parent of a boy who is just discovering Spider-man, Super-man, and all the rest of the Marvel and DC universe I had to pick up all 4 turtles from the new upcoming Nickelodeon TV show to give a new generation the Turtle Fever. These figures are probably one of the best renditions of the radical 4 turtles Playmates has ever brought out. The articulation is above average for action figures in their price range. The one main draw back came with my second favorite turtle Michelangelo. His nunchucks were terrible. They were very stiff and the plastic stressed as soon as you made him hold one with both hands. It took 1 day of my 3 year old playing with them till one of them finally snapped :(.<br />
Well lucky for my son, his dad is a hobby nerd and unfortunate things like this are more of an opportunity to improve on the original design intent. So I broke out my tools and got to work and ended up with the result in the photo:<br />
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Much better wouldn't you say? Well now that one is fixed might as well make a matching pair with the other nunchucks. It's a rather easy modification, you can find all you need at the local Hobby Lobby or Michael's and the end result will insure durability for even the roughest of fights against Shredder and his Foot Clan.<br />
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You will need the following tools starting from the top: Pin Vice with a small size drill bit(sorry I didn't know the exact size but it's fairly small), Hobby Shears/Cutters, and Hobby Pliers. Not shown in the photo is a hobby file with a 250 grit. You don't really need it but it makes it easier to drill the top of the nunchucks later.</div>
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You will also need the following materials both found in the jewelry section of the craft store:</div>
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A necklace that looks like a chain roughly to scale of the action figures( I don't know off hand what scale they are but take one of the nunchucks for reference). 2 miniature eye-bolt screws. I found these attached to some potion bottles in the jewelry section. These might be harder to find locally, but just in case, you can find them <a href="http://shop.hobbylobby.com/products/12mm-x-24mm-glass-bottle-with-cork-750315/">here</a>. Be sure to buy 2 since 2 come in one package and you'll need 4 of these. </div>
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Yeah you'll be shopping a lot in the jewelry section and if you are a guy, the lady shoppers will probably stare at you with a puzzled look on their face wondering why you are in the jewelry section. I get a little self-conscience at times but the jewelry section always has some of the best items to use in a model miniature scale. It's worth all the stares from the ladies to shop for those things ;).</div>
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Now it's just a matter of snipping the plastic chains off. See how the tops look bumpy? Here is where your file would come in handy just to make the tops more even.</div>
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After sanding the tops, take your Pin Vice and drill the top of the nunchucks just enough to get the eye-bolts situated. You will need to try your best to get the pin vice centered but if you are off just a bit, you won't really notice with the end result.</div>
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Once you can get your eye-bolt situated on the hole you just made, you can then just screw in the bolt by hand till it's flush with the top. Got big hands? The pliers also work as long as you don't use too much force. Now rinse and repeat the steps with the second nunchucks handle.</div>
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So once you have something similar to the top photo, it's now time to get these nunchucks chained together and ready for some Ninja Turtle action! </div>
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Next you'll want to grab your pliers and necklace and basically start at one end of the necklace and open one of the necklace links at the length you need. I started out with 6 chain links on the nunchucks but then it looked too long so I cut it down to 4 links and it looked better. I found the second time I did this I can open the chain link with my finger and thumb and then close it with the pliers after I get them situated. So once you get one side connected, the other side is a piece of cake</div>
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And you are finished! Like I said it is a fairly simple mod and your kids will love it now that Mikey's nunchucks look like the ones on the show. The nunchucks are now pretty durable and if they break again, you have plenty of necklace chain left to fix it again. My son is currently on day 3 of the new nunchucks and they already lasted longer than the stock ones</div>
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Cowabunga Dude! I think Mikey likes it. I also plan to modify the other extra chained weapons that were included with the turtles. I think Donatello has a chain-like bow, and Michelangelo has a chained hook. So my work isn't over just yet. </div>
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Perfect fit. I recommend you pick up a set of the 4 turtles if you are a fan. You won't be disappointed. Of course you can also just hold off and wait since the Turtle fever seems to go dormant for 3 years after the TV show gets canceled then comes back in full force again :P. Now to go kick some shell!<br />
Keep on playing!<br />
<br />Eddie G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/12454191216681990976noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-188621785773564505.post-53605302932417523352012-08-22T12:29:00.003-07:002012-08-22T12:37:22.774-07:00Princess Ruby- When Priming goes Wrong<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="text-align: start;">Happy August! Just a small blog post here to feature my latest project Princess Ruby! If you are like me than you probably are getting excited about Soda Pop's upcoming Caverns of Roxor expansion. Lately I've been trying to go with alternate paint schemes to give my miniatures a more personal look. For Princess Ruby, I took some inspiration from the not so popular Nintendo character Daisy. I always liked Daisy better than Princess Peach. I guess it's because Peach always has to be rescued from the same villain over and over, whereas Daisy just seems like she has it all together and doesn't need rescuin</span><span style="text-align: start;">g. Also I broke a few of the speed records in Mario Kart Wii using Daisy. But enough chatter, here she is</span></div>
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Well unfortunately she was not without flaws. The biggest one being that the finish looked grainy. Doesn't matter how great the blending or highlights look, the grainy surface just ruins it completely for me. I posted it on the sodapop miniatures forum and the comments I got about it where on par with what I thought. Her eyes supposedly look crazy as well. I wasn't offended by any means but after considering the comments and the finished look, I just couldn't convince myself that it was to the best of my ability. So as of right now Princess Ruby got a dip in some Simple green and got stripped down to bare metal so I can give it another go with paint. Hopefully this time the weather will be in prime(no pun intended) condition to, well...prime :).</div>
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Still plugging away with the painting tutorial. It's hard having to stop my groove and photograph my progress as I go, but I am hoping to have it posted late next month. So keep an eye out for it. Until next time, keep on painting and keep on gaming muchachoes.Eddie G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/12454191216681990976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-188621785773564505.post-73396345455925904252012-07-08T10:08:00.000-07:002012-07-08T10:16:09.328-07:00Super Dungeon Explore Rex<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Finally got some painting done for my Super Dungeon Explore set. After my wife bought me a SDE Battlefoam tray, I felt it necessary to start painting these guys up. How do you like it?</div>
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I went with a Trollblood base color scheme. I am currently working on a painting tutorial to paint the Mini Art way. Yes I know I don't have any golden demons or crystal brushes so your question is why would anyone want to learn to paint the Mini Art way? Well I like minis that look great on the table, and painting SDE has showed me I can paint decent looking minis fast. Will they win any awards? Probably not but painted minis will add a new dimension to your games. So keep looking here for a tutorial. But for now, Keep on gaming! :)</div>
<br />Eddie G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/12454191216681990976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-188621785773564505.post-55158883872442855132012-05-28T10:57:00.001-07:002012-05-28T12:10:35.580-07:00New Greens for bases<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Happy Memorial Day!!</div>
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I don't know who reads my blog, but if anyone is a serviceman or servicelady in the armed forces I just want to thank you for giving your lives so people like me can enjoy freedom and enjoy fun hobby stuff like this in peace. THANK YOU!</div>
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Well the Super Dungeon Explore bases were not as successful as I thought they would have been. I sold 2 sets at a decent price but after months of not selling any more sets I sold the remainder of my inventory for a bulk price to someone who originally purchased one of the sets off the Etsy store. The molds have now been destroyed and the originals have been stored away till I can at least get a better mold made and there is interest in them again. Here's my sad face----------> :(.</div>
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In the meantime I began to work on some bases for a Bretonnian Army for Warhammer. Honestly I never thought I would get into Warhammer Fantasy but I liked the Bretonnians and all the models they have for them so I ended up trading some gaming stuff I had lying around for a battle battalion box, a box of the knights errant/ knights of the realm, 2 pegasus knights, 2 lords of Bretonnia and a King Leouen Leoncouer miniature. So lots of miniatures to base. So I busted out the sculpting tools again and began work on some bases with a cobblestone and dirt theme.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3TuBmrdREY4/T8Ovf-NOgSI/AAAAAAAAAgI/Amk0XHeDAnY/s1600/IMG_0344.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3TuBmrdREY4/T8Ovf-NOgSI/AAAAAAAAAgI/Amk0XHeDAnY/s640/IMG_0344.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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What do you think? I thought the greens turned out great at least. As you can see I only sculpted the ones I needed for the Bretonnian miniatures. I know I have a few base sizes missing including the 50mm base. I figured since I only have one miniature on a 50mm base, there was no point in molding it since I only need one copy. So it's off to the molding station to mold these bad boys.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Y2tlPhmX_4w/T8O9lzP6woI/AAAAAAAAAgs/XoX7S9aWRbQ/s1600/IMG_0448.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Y2tlPhmX_4w/T8O9lzP6woI/AAAAAAAAAgs/XoX7S9aWRbQ/s640/IMG_0448.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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And here is my finished mold with a few casts from it. I was worried about the basing sand and how it would react with the silicone. But since I added a few extra coats of Future shine to seal my bases, it actually turned out fine. I spent the extra dollars and got some <a href="http://www.smooth-on.com/Mold-Star=-Silic/c1341/index.html">Mold Star 30</a> silicone to mold them. This stuff is the best and way better than Oomoo 30. The casts are pretty detailed and will probably look great once they are painted up. So will I sell them? Nope probably not in the short future unless I get some significant requests for them. Casting resin is too expensive and there is no guarantee you'll even break even with selling them. But it is not a definitive no.<br />
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In other news, you've probably noticed I changed my blog logo a bit. It's been a work in progress for awhile. I was never 100 percent satisfied with my original mascot/character. I wanted it to have a more anime feel. I think I must have drawn about 30 different sketches before ending up with this one. In addition, I also added a little tribute to my favorite video game that I have probably invested more time in than my miniatures hobby ...Skyrim. So who knows, maybe the logo might actually be attached to an awesome game or product someday but until then....<br />
Keep on gaming ;)<br />
<br />Eddie G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/12454191216681990976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-188621785773564505.post-19921463382729854712012-05-21T17:17:00.000-07:002012-05-28T11:08:39.331-07:00Burn In Designs Paint Rack Review For the longest time I have been shopping for a good paint rack to store my huge collection of hobby paints. I went with one of the Rubbermaid plastic storage bins that have multiple compartments to store your things. While this was a good solution to storage, I still ran into problems with easily accessing my paints. I just happen to run into a small laser cutting company named <a href="http://burnindesigns.blogspot.com/">Burn In Designs</a>. If you know me well, you'll know I like to support small companies that do hobby stuff. So after seeing their Facebook page full of laser cut awesomeness, I went ahead and ordered their paint rack that holds 50 paints in the standard wood. Here is the finished product on my desk.<br />
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Now for a review. Ordering from Burn In Designs is a bit more complicated in the sense that you have to email the company to request an order. Sure it's different but after using Etsy.com to sell and then using Paypal for transactions myself, your profit margin takes a hit. So their method doesn't bother me at all. So you'll just have to have faith and trust them that you'll get your item(you know, the old fashion approach to business). Shipping is fast and I got my paint rack within 3 days.</div>
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Before I ended up with the photo above, I had a pile of wood that looked like puzzle pieces that needed to be assembled without the help of any instructions or diagrams. Not to worry it is easy to figure out, even by the novice, but I am sure some people may have a more difficult time figuring out how the pieces fit and need that extra bit of help. I mean even Ikea stuff comes with some form of diagram right? I used super glue for construction against my better judgement only because I didn't want to wait the 24 hours for wood glue to dry.</div>
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The paint rack is constructed in 3 parts. 2 rectangle shaped paint racks that hold 25 paint pots each and the rack stand. I started by building one of the paint racks. Now I have quite a bit of experience building architectural models but even with all my experience I managed to screw up building the first rack. I glued the sides to the top rack with the hole cut-outs but then I couldn't glue the bottom of the rack and it fell apart. </div>
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After a few attempts to glue it together, I found that the best way was to glue the 2 smaller sides(the side that says Burn In Designs) together with the top and bottom of the rack and then that makes it easier to glue the longer sides after(which is why I reiterate the need for a diagram or instructions). The second rack was a lot easier and it was glued together with less stress.</div>
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Now the rack stand was another story. My wife saw the difficulty I was having with keeping it glued together that she thought I was duped out of my money for something that will never work. I was almost convinced of that too until I finally got it to stay together through some feat of hobby skill. I was almost afraid to put the paint racks on it since I thought for sure it would collapse. I nervously put the racks on the stand and then carefully moved it to my desk, making sure to hold my breath so it wouldn't move and started to fill the rack with the paints that I use most often. Then my wife and I stood by my desk and stared at the fragile but oddly sturdy awesome paint rack that now adorns my work space. My wife thought for sure that the whole paint rack would collapse during the night but here it is 3 days later still standing. </div>
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The cool thing was that included in my package was some little trinkets of laser cut skulls and advertising discs. I didn't have another use for them so I glued them to the rack for aesthetics. For my paint rack I glued the wood piece with the company name on the outside so when any gamer friends come over they can see who makes it and also I like the font on the company name, but you can also glue it with the name facing the inside of the paint rack to give it a more clean look.</div>
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Final thoughts: I give this paint rack an overall score of 8.5 out of 10</div>
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Here's how I grade it:</div>
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-.5- for slight difficulty of overall construction</div>
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-.5- for not including a diagram or instructions on how to build</div>
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-.5- one of my racks had a circle that was not fully cut so I had to cut it with an xacto knife. It was a very obvious QC issue that could have been easily noticed when packing it up for shipping.(even I have gotten knocked for QC when I was selling my bases)</div>
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Other than the QC issue it would have been a 9 overall, and I highly recommend buying from them. It is pretty sturdy even if it doesn't look it at first. They also have many options to choose from. If you don't like wood(or the smell of it because it will smell like burnt wood for awhile, just the nature of laser cut products) they also come in a variety of colored acrylic which costs a bit more, and they have another variety of paint rack that replaces one of the paint racks with 2 drawers for your hobby tools. I am sold on these and would most likely purchase from them again in the future.</div>
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Keep on gaming! </div>
<br />Eddie G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/12454191216681990976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-188621785773564505.post-70924453227956866442012-03-24T09:38:00.000-07:002012-03-24T09:38:01.356-07:00It's been a long time-Lifeguard tower W.I.P.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">Well I haven't posted at all this new year but I finally have something worthwhile to post. After purchasing the surfer dude miniature from Reaper, I didn't know exactly what to do with it so I decided to build a beach and lifeguard tower diorama. Don't know what it's use would be? Maybe if space marines were storming a beach? It's still a work in progress but I hope to get it painted up soon.</span> Enjoy!</div>
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and remember Keep on gaming!Eddie G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/12454191216681990976noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-188621785773564505.post-55179852689008433942011-12-28T09:23:00.000-08:002011-12-30T05:55:22.278-08:00Bases are on Sale!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I went ahead and signed up for an account on Etsy to sell my bases. I only have 5 sets right now but we'll see how it goes.<br />
here is the link; <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/89303177/dungeon-bases-compatible-with-the-super">http://www.etsy.com/listing/89303177/dungeon-bases-compatible-with-the-super</a><br />
<br />Eddie G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/12454191216681990976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-188621785773564505.post-69275926044999377142011-11-25T09:57:00.001-08:002011-12-30T06:04:27.670-08:00How to make a mold<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
I hope you all enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving! This year I gave thanks for Super Dungeon Explore! Of course I also gave thanks for my family, friends, and health etc., etc. :). But I was thankful for the extra vacation time that allowed me to dig into my miniatures hobby again. Since I've posted my how-to on making bases, I felt like I should complete the tutorial and post a how-to on making a mold of the bases I sculpted. The perfect opportunity came up with the full release of the Super Dungeon Explore game from <a href="https://store.sodapopminiatures.com/product_info.php?cPath=27&products_id=72">Soda Pop Miniatures</a>. The game uses 50mm bases for some of the bigger miniatures and it required me to sculpt a 50mm base to carry on the theme of the stone bases to all my SDE miniatures.</div>
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So I took to my sculpting tools and sculpted a 50mm base using the one provided with the game as a base for my base (yes you read that correctly). Nothing different or special. Used the same pattern as my current theme</div>
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Next I made a mold box from Legos. This is the best thing to use for mold boxes since you can make molds any size you need. Want to fit more pieces in the mold, just add more Legos!</div>
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The only problem I found with using Legos is that the silicone rubber would get into the cracks of the Lego blocks and would be rather cumbersome to clean after. so to remedy the problem I started lining the inside of the boxes with blue painting tape and since then clean-up has been easier.</div>
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So next I take a piece Styrofoam(or plexiglass) and first glue my sculpting master to the Styrofoam using wood glue like Titebond II. The wood glue is strong enough to hold the master down in place and still makes it easy to remove the master afterwards without damaging it. Make sure the Syrofoam lays flat on a surface and has no indents in it. The master needs to lay as flat as possible so no RTV can get underneath it and can mold properly. Be sure to glue only the edges of the master so it can seal it as well. Next take your mold box and also glue it down to the Styrofoam. Be sure to glue the edges only since your aim is to seal it from allowing any silicone rubber to leak(as well as holding it down). </div>
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Since my sculpted base is made from dental plaster, I then took some Future shine and brushed it on the master to seal it so it can release easier and not tear the silicone rubber in the process.</div>
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Looks nice and shiny huh? :). So I let the Future shine dry for about an hour before I do anything else. I am sure it does not take that long for Future floor shine to dry but I am a bit over-cautious. Next I take some Smooth-on <a href="http://www.smooth-on.com/index.php?cPath=1226">Ease Release 200</a> and spray it on the mold box and wait 5 minutes for it to dry. Be sure to spray this in a well ventilated area or maybe even outdoors. The odor from this pretty strong and I am sure it's not safe to breathe the vapors from it.</div>
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Alright so here is a bit of info that I know on silicone rubber products. You have typically 2 types of rubber that are made from silicone. Tin-cure and Platinum-cure. Tin-cure is very versatile, cheaper, but as a side effect can tear easier and usually needs some type of release agent with casting resins since the heat from the chemical reaction can slowly damage the mold over time. Platinum-Cure is more fickle and will not cure if the master you are molding is made from latex or has sulfur in it which typically is most things made out of clay. But it's strong point is that it can not tear easily, can even withstand being cast with low melt metals, and you can cast resin with it and not even use any release agent if you choose. Molds that are made from this rubber have a shelf life of at least 3 years. Platinum-Cure rubber is a lot more expensive but well worth the price you pay. I have made over 100 casts with resin and no release agent with a platinum-cure mold I made and it still looks brand new.</div>
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For most of my hobby molding needs I use Oomoo 30 also from Smooth-on. It is a simple to use 1 to 1 ratio Tin-cure silicone rubber. Not my first choice but I will get the occasional 40% off coupon from Blick Art in the mail which makes it the perfect choice for making hobby molds for the price. The product I recommend for a long shelf life and over 100 casts is Mold Star 30 from Smooth-on. For the extra money you get a high quality platinum cure product that is easy to use.</div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">So you have to do a little experimenting with how much silicone rubber you're going to need for your mold. The best thing to use for estimating the amount is rice. I tried using water before but some water droplets get left behind in the mold box and then reacts with the silicone rubber while it cures and can ruin your mold. Rice is dry and can get cleaned up easier and it gives you an almost exact measurement of what you'll need. So then I poured out the 2 rubbers into 2 separate cups making sure they line up pretty evenly. if you go a bit over it's OK, Tin-cure rubber is more forgiving than platinum cure. I then pour the blue rubber into the cup with the pink one. The blue rubber is less stiff and flows easier out of the cup. Be sure to wear gloves when using silicone rubbers. Rubber is hard to clean off your hands and will require the use of paint thinner to remove it completely(or a good 30 minute shower works too).</span><br />
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Next take an acrylic rod and mix the rubber together for 2 minutes. The rod helps by minimizing bubbles in your rubber and that is definitely what you want to avoid when making molds. Bubbles in your silicone rubber can prevent your master from molding properly and capturing every detail of the surface. Oomoo 30 has a light purple color when it is mixed together so take care to make sure it is well mixed or else you'll pour unmixed rubber into your mold and it won't cure. Let me tell you there has been many times when I ended up with uncured rubber in my molds and it always happens to be right on the master so basically the mold becomes unusable. Sometimes I pour it into the other cup I used just to be sure it mixed all the way through.</div>
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Next take an old but clean brush and brush some mixed rubber onto the top of the master. This insures that the little details on the top surface will mold properly after you pour the rest of the rubber into the box.</div>
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To minimize the bubbles that can form while you pour the rubber into the mold box, I usually hold the cup about 18 inches from the mold box and slowly start to pour a small stream of rubber into one of the edges of the mold box. Try not to pour any on the master and just let the rubber flow over it till it's covered up completely. It will get messy, very messy, but once the rubber cures you can just peel the cured rubber from any surface it fell on. Now just let it stand untouched and uncovered for a minimum of 6 hours.</div>
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So this is what you it should look like in after 6 hours if you mixed and poured the rubber properly. You might need to trim some of the edges of the mold if some rubber got underneath your master during molding, but otherwise it is ready to use. Casting it in resin is a similar process. You also pour equal amounts of resin and then mix together and pour it into the mold.</div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">Here is a comparison of the sculpted piece and it's duplicate cast in </span><a href="http://www.smooth-on.com/Urethane-Plastic-a/c5_1120_1209/index.html" style="text-align: justify;">Smooth-cast 300</a><span style="text-align: justify;"> from Smooth-on. I was impressed since the rubber actually molded the surface detail properly without any visible defects. This ended up being one of the better molds I have made as far as quality in the detail that got molded.</span><br />
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Already getting mass produced for all the miniatures in the game.</div>
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And as you can see the SDE Angry Bear is excited about his new base he gets to stand on. His hands are up in excitement over it :P. The new base is more sturdy then the stock base and will survive all the handling from gaming with it. So now you should have all the tips you need to start sculpting and molding your own bases. If you have any questions always feel free to ask and as always... Keep on gaming! </div>
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P.S. as promised here is the templates for the bases. It should print to a 8-1/2 x 11 sheet of paper if you save the full image size by right clicking the picture and opening it in a new tab.</div>
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<br /></div>Eddie G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/12454191216681990976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-188621785773564505.post-51400552072930021132011-09-02T15:36:00.000-07:002011-12-30T05:46:23.244-08:00Sculpting Bases: Part II<div style="text-align: left;">
Just in time for labor day weekend the much anticipated part II to my sculpting bases tutorial. I am leaving out the mold making part because I felt it wasn't necessary since you can find lots of how to's about mold making on other websites. I am just going to touch on what I did to mass produce these bases and what materials I recommend.</div>
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So I am just going to jump in and explain this process. Overall the sculpting is very easy and quite enjoyable. The stone texture takes almost no time to sculpt once you outline the pattern.<br />
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The tools I used for this is(from left to right):</div>
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1. Razor saw. Makes clean lines quickly and accurately. Use one of the finer toothed blades.</div>
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2. Dental pick. These work well to make grooves in the plaster blank. Check ebay for great deals on dental tools. I got a set of 5 for 6 bucks plus shipping. They also come in handy when using green stuff.</div>
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3. Exacto Knife: I have yet to meet a fellow gamer/ hobbyist who doesn't own one. You can use some old blades for part of the sculpting, but once you start texturing the stone it's best you use a new blade. Just be careful when using the exacto knife. I have a few scars on my fingers from being too careless with Exacto knives.</div>
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4. Your plaster/base blank.</div>
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Alright before you begin, I recommend you work in an area with plenty of ventilation and wear a mask to help you from inhaling plaster dust. I have asthma so I actually wear a heavy duty painter's mask when I sculpt multiple bases. Sure it's cumbersome and you feel like Darth Vader but it keeps nasty chemicals from going into your lungs. To minimize some dust, I usually get my plaster blank wet beforehand and sculpt immediately after. It almost feels like the water softens it a bit and makes it easier to carve and reduces the dust a bit. I first started out using the razor saw and etched in the lines I drew. The razor saw is the best tool for this since it grips the plaster and very neatly carves it away.</div>
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You should be able to carve the lines easily and quickly with your razor saw especially if you got the base wet beforehand. Try not to go to deep because the razor saw can very easily cut through the base fast. If the base ends up getting cut through, don't throw it out. You can still glue it back on with super glue and use it as normal to sculpt.</div>
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You also want to etch the lines on the edges of the base to give the base more detail. Again try not to cut to deep with the razor saw. You want it just enough to indicate the edge of the stone tiles.</div>
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Alright the next part you are going to use the point of your Exacto knife to further sculpt the grooves. Here you can use an old blade to do this. But be sure to replace it later on with a new blade.</div>
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So basically you take your knife and carve the groove lines a bit deeper to give the stone tiles the impression of having depth.</div>
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This photo shows how you should use your knife to carve the stone tiles. I find it really carves better this way and gives you more control.</div>
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Next take your dental pick and go back through all the lines you just scraped with the Exacto knife.</div>
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I know this step seems pointless but what I actually accomplish in this step is I widen the groove lines just a bit more. The dental pick I have is a bit thicker than the pointy end of my Exacto so when I scrape along the grooves, the pick actually widens the grooves more evenly so you can see the individual stones a bit better.<br />
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Well it's starting to take shape now. You can actually stop here and use this pattern as a ceramic type tile base. The only addition you would need would be a few bevel marks in between each tile to give it a more machined tile look. Which that actually introduces the next step.</div>
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Here is where you'll need your new blade. Carefully use your Exacto to bevel the edges of each individual tile along the groove lines. I was a bit careless since I was rushing to get the sculpting done.<br />
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Next you'll take your Exacto knife and randomly carve out some grooves into the tile surface. It's better to start with just slightly carving out some grooves on the surface and carefully dig in a bit more as you go along. You'll start to get lots of plaster dust on the surface of the base(and your work table, clothes, shoes, carpet, etc etc.) so be sure to take breaks and rinse the base every once in awhile and then start sculpting again. 90% of my finger injuries have occurred while doing this step so again be careful and always be aware of what you are doing. </div>
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To finish off be sure to cut some grooves on the edges of the tile. So that is pretty much it. Now you just repeat the same pattern on all the other tiles. You can see I went a bit deep on the grooves but it does still give the appearance of stone. This texture works better for a dungeon theme base, whereas less grooves works for more of a road, tavern, or more civilized theme.<br />
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Depending on what you want to do, you can add some more detail by taking your dental pick and scratching some cracks into some of the tiles. I've even broke some of the bases into pieces and glued it to a thin piece of round plastic card the same size of the base with some tiles removed and the holes filled with basing sand like the photo below:</div>
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The possibilities are endless on what you can do just with this type of base. The next step is to then take all the bases you made and mold them for mass production. I'll just briefly go over this process. </div>
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You basically want to form a "mold box" that can be used to mold your bases. I use a box made from Lego blocks with blue painter's tape wrapped around the inside of the box. I then use wood glue and glue the Lego box to a piece of plexiglass. Then I arrange all my bases in the box and glue them down with wood glue. I then seal the bases with Pledge FutureShine and then I wait about 24hrs. I mix some RTV silicone and pour it into the mold box and within about 12 hours I have a mold good for mass production. I've used many RTV silicone products but the best and easiest one to use is Mold Star 30 from Smooth-on. It is a 1:1 silicone that doesn't require any fancy equipment to use. Just mix and pour. Very easy for beginners and available from smoothon.com. Just be cautious when using those chemicals and always wear gloves. Silicone is hard to clean and usually requires turpentine to clean it off completely.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline;">So there you have it folks. That is pretty much all I do to make all those wonderful little bases. If you have any questions let me know. I will post the stone pattern in my next blog post if you would like it for reference. I also occasionally sell resin cast of these bases. I only have them in 30mm, 40mm, and 50mm sizes right now and are made to fit the fancy bases used by the game Warmachine. But if you are interested let me know and I can setup a sale through Ebay or Paypal.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline;">Thanks for your patience and sorry part 2 took so long.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline;">Until next time </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline;">Keep on gaming!</span></div>
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</div>Eddie G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/12454191216681990976noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-188621785773564505.post-53325853551127861222011-08-29T13:07:00.000-07:002011-12-29T16:48:30.129-08:00Sculpting Part II is coming soon.......<div style="text-align: center;">
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I know you've all been waiting for it and it is coming I promise. In the meantime enjoy a photo of some recent work I started up again. It's my eldar army. I've had this army for years and invested a bit of money on the bases. But it's coming along.<br />
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</div>Eddie G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/12454191216681990976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-188621785773564505.post-48682796453400685592011-07-21T11:48:00.001-07:002011-12-30T05:32:25.999-08:00Sculpting Bases: Part I<div style="text-align: left;">
Well after a few months of a hiatus I am back and writing up a tutorial for sculpting bases. I've been asked many times how I sculpted them so I decided to stop being a snob and show you ;).</div>
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First of all let me advise you. The method I am going to show you is a reduced cost but yet effective way to do this. You're going to spend a few hours and money doing this and you will need to know how to work with hazardous chemicals at a certain point. So if you feel this is too much then you are better off buying from great sellers like www.dragonforge.com.</div>
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OK let's get started. You will first need the following tools to make your sculpting blanks. Alternatively if you know someone with a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">lazer</span> cutter they can cut more precise 30mm, 40mm and 50mm round base blanks and then you can mold them(which is what I did) but like I said this is a more cost effective method. </div>
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So let me list off the materials(from left to right):</div>
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1. Circle template: you can use a template or make one out of white sheet styrene and a circle cutter. Use .30" or .40" for easier cutting.</div>
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2. Basic Sculpting tool: I got mine from Games Workshop. Privateer Press has the same one.</div>
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3. Bases: more for checking accuracy so it's not required if you're a math <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">wiz</span> and can convert millimeters to inches.</div>
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4. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Sculpy</span> or <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Fimo</span>: I used <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Fimo</span> for this exercise. Alternatively Green Stuff would work also since it cures and can act like a mold.</div>
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5. Roller: The most precise one is the pasta clay roller machine since it provides consistency. But if you don't have a problem sanding your blanks after, then use this.</div>
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6. Dental plaster: for casting blanks. Not pictured but more on this later :)</div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">First you roll out your </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" style="text-align: left;">Fimo</span><span style="text-align: left;"> or green stuff to a thickness of about a 3mm thickness or .12 inches. If you use a surface like </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" style="text-align: left;">plexiglass</span><span style="text-align: left;"> you can easily flip the </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" style="text-align: left;">Fimo</span><span style="text-align: left;"> around and roll the opposite side without damaging the front. Another reason why I love </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" style="text-align: left;">Fimo</span></div>
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Next place the circle template with the correct diameter that you want on top of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Fimo </span>and use your sculpting tool to cut and remove the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Fimo</span> from the inside diameter of the template. </div>
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With the the template still on the clay, take the blunt side of your sculpting tool(see photos above so you know what I am talking about) and wet the end of the tool with water and smooth the inside edges of the clay so you can have the most precise circle you can get. Just keep scraping around in circles till it's smooth and perfectly even. If the clay starts to tear or break, you can always add more <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Fimo</span> and smooth it out. </div>
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After all that, this is what you end up with. This is basically going to be your mold for your sculpting blanks. The next thing you do is pour some plaster into your "mold" to cast your blank. Wait about 5 -10 minutes after you notice the plaster starting to dry at the top and use the blunt end of a knife to scrape and smooth out the top surface of your cast. Don't worry about the plaster leaking out. If you rolled and flatten the Fimo with the rolling pin, it should hold the plaster with no problems. Now lets chat about plaster. I've had tremendous success with Merlin's Magic dental plaster, and I should for the money I spent on it :). But a good alternative is <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Hydrostone</span>. It is strong but easy to sculpt with and cheaper and easily available. Just Google it for more info. Don't use <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Hydrocal</span> or that stuff you find at model train shops. It's no good and will only make you angry ;). This is probably the most trial and error part of this process. </div>
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Now here's the kicker. With uncured <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Fimo</span>, you will only be able to use it once to cast with plaster. To make more blanks you'll need to go through the process again and you will risk losing consistency with your blanks. I recommend you sculpt and cast your different size blanks and then sand them to consistency with each other and then use <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">RTV</span> silicone to mold them. Smooth-on products makes a good and relatively inexpensive 1:1 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">RTV</span> silicone named <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">Oomoo</span> 30. Easy to use and cures in 6 hours.</div>
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Did I mention this was an investment?</div>
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After all that, this basically what you are going for. A nice blank round cast of your base. So now comes the sculpting part. </div>
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Since your blank will be relatively smooth, you can actually take a pen and draw your sculpting lines directly on the surface. To get that nice consistency within all your bases, I recommend using a template made on a CAD program. You can then use transfer paper and copy your pattern on to your blanks. Since I am so nice I will provide the template I used at the end of this article. So I hope I gave enough information to get you started. So hopefully within the next few days I can get the sculpting portion posted.</div>
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Like always, Keep on gaming!</div>
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</div>Eddie G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/12454191216681990976noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-188621785773564505.post-74961619308422105342011-02-26T18:03:00.001-08:002011-12-29T16:47:19.610-08:00First Super Dungeon Explore mini rolls out<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Well after a slow start thanks in part to the cold snap we've been having last month, I have finally completely finished one super dungeon explore mini. We finally got some 60 degree weather here in good ol' ATL that allowed me to spray prime all my super dungeon explore miniatures in one afternoon while my toddler was napping. I used a wide variety of paints for this mostly Reaper Master Series, GW paints, and Vallejo Game Color paints. The blue-green color is actually a custom mixed color I mixed from a base of Jade Green and then added some off-white and blue-green color to it till I ended up with an Aqua-fresh(as I call it) color. I mixed up to batches, one base color, and then a highlight color.</div>
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So how do you like the base? Yes this was my ice-looking base from my first post and as you can see now, it looks more like a dungeon stone floor. I had thought about selling them but I really didn't seem to get much interest in them. Oh well, That's life ;).</div>
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Keep looking here for the next batch of heroes coming next week hopefully....</div>Eddie G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/12454191216681990976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-188621785773564505.post-2254360575530830162011-01-27T07:52:00.001-08:002011-12-30T05:27:12.765-08:00Miniature pinning in a few easy steps<div>
Today I want to show you a simple technique I learned to properly drill and pin a miniature. Pinning is more of an advance modeling technique used to properly fit and glue two pieces of a miniature together. This is usually a more preferred technique when you have two pieces that are flat on the ends like this <a href="http://web.sodapopminiatures.com/selectcharacter/Kobold%20Gouger?product=SDE">Kobold Gouger</a> from <a href="http://web.sodapopminiatures.com/home">Soda Pop Miniatures</a>.</div>
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So I will be showing you how I pin the tail on the Kobold so it stays on and survives the wear and tear of gaming. You will need the following tools for this project:</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span">1. Pin Vice-</span><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span>Basically it is a hand operated drill. This allows for precise drilling without ruining any detail. A Dremel also works but I don't recommend it for small pieces like the ones I am working with unless you want a new hole through your finger ;).</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span">2. Drill Bit- </span>In the photo it is already attached to the pin vice. Bit sizes usually come in millimeters or inches. Miniature use drill bits range from .50mm to 1.90mm or 1/32in. to 1/8in. I prefer to use a bigger drill bit if I feel the piece can handle it without any damage. In my opinion it produces a better join.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span">3. Brass Wire-</span> Used to join both pieces. Comes in all sizes as well. Match your wire to the drill bit you are using.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span">4. Premo modeling clay- </span>This is what I used for this project. Sculpy or something similar works as well. You want to use a non-drying clay that can easily be cleaned up and not leave any residue behind. </div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span">5. Super glue(not shown)-</span> Almost a given for working with pewter miniatures. I use Gorilla brand super glue. Of course you can use whatever brand you prefer.</div>
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So you start by drilling a hole in the smaller piece that will be attached to the bigger piece. In this example I drilled out the Kobold mini's tail. You want to to drill it pretty deep but take care not to drill through the piece.</div>
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After you finish drilling, do a dry fit on the piece to make sure they fit together properly and are the correct pieces. Believe me, I have had my share of wrongfully pinned and glued miniatures in my day. So after you've done a dry fit twice, grab a small bit of the Premo clay and apply it to the piece you are going to drill next. In the photo you notice I placed it on the Kobold miniature where the tail is going to be pinned. </div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline;">Now carefully join both pieces and here is where it gets tricky. You have to try and be as precise as you can joining both pieces as they are meant to be fitted or you will have a mis-aligned piece. If the clay is too thick use a smaller amount. You want to use just enough to stick both pieces together.</span></span></div>
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Now I carefully remove the tail from the Kobold and end up with a blob of clay precisely where I have to drill my next hole. You might have to give it a few attempts to get something similar to the photo above. But if it is not working, try drilling the hole a little deeper on the smaller piece and that should give you better results.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline;">You can now take your pin vice and drill your next hole on the miniature. At this point, I just went ahead and drilled enough to get me started and then cleaned off the rest of the clay and continued drilling on a clean surface till I felt it was deep enough. Of course how deep your hole will be depends on the miniature's anatomy. Luckily the Kobold is a solid piece so I can drill it without worrying about over doing it.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline;">Next you take your brass wire and glue it to one of the pieces. It doesn't really matter which piece you glue the brass wire to but I prefer to glue it to the bigger piece. This is just my preference since I've had the smaller pieces take flight when I cut the wire and then spend about 20 minutes searching the carpet for it. I usually cut the wire a bit longer than necessary and either drill the smaller piece a bit more or sand the wire down till I have a perfect join.</span></div>
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All that's left is to do is to pour a bit of glue on one end and join both pieces together. You should be left with an almost seamless join depending on your miniature. You may have to go back and fill the seam with green putty. Judging from the photos it looks like that's what I'll have to do with my Kobold. <br />
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So hopefully I was able to show you a helpful technique to use next time you need to pin your miniatures. I am sure I had seen this technique explained somewhere else on the net before but since I couldn't find it I thought I would write up a tutorial explaining it.</div>
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Any questions let me know.</div>
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Keep on gaming!<br />
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</div>Eddie G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/12454191216681990976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-188621785773564505.post-85168447637109466502011-01-26T11:17:00.001-08:002011-12-29T16:45:56.855-08:00Some more of my past work<div>
Here is some of my past work from a couple of years ago. This is Dhalia and Skarrath from the Hordes game by Privateer Press. I painted these 2 miniatures for my friend Darren as a gift for him. I pretty much used the paint scheme that was recommended in the Hordes Metamorphosis book. The base is pre-made by Epicast bases with a few minor additions. I really wish I can remember all the paint colors I used to achieve the sand rock color but I think I just ended up using a mix of oranges, reds, and browns. I hope to post more miniatures as I get them done and hopefully with better description of paints and colors used. Enjoy!<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_FIl8mzufBGE/TUBzxxrTTOI/AAAAAAAAAF0/-hmKtmNEE9Y/s1600/Guitar%2BGuy-Dhalia%2Band%2Bskarrath%2B%25282%2529.JPG"></a><span class="Apple-style-span"><u><br /></u></span></div>Eddie G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/12454191216681990976noreply@blogger.com0