First up, I'd like to welcome A Thousand Hats to my humble blog...
Welcome to my Blog!
So what has been going on today then? Packing, packing , packing...and a bit more packing. Oh not to forget cleaning and a bit of shopping.
I'm watching Son of Rambow. What a strange little film.
Every day it rains...
Catch you on the Dark Side.
Sunday, 26 July 2009
Sunday Boredom...
I guess it's time for a Sunday update...and there isn't one.
All my stuff is packed away apart from my paints...but with nothing to paint, there is no point to them being out. I just need to pack my paints and a few little pieces and that's it...done.
One of the things about not having my hobby stuff to hand is that I get to think about things.
The Votoms Project.
I have chopped the lower part off the Scopedog pictured in the blog. In doing so, I have discovered that he can be disassembled quite easily. I have also discovered that the upper legs were plastic after all.
My plans have not changed though. I will need to make shorter legs, a bulkier 'skirt/abdomen' and maybe shorten the arms. The only trouble with shortening the arms is that they won't be able to reach around the chest (so the Scopedog won't be able to use a conventional style of rifle). the lower part of the legs will need to be completely re-made but I reckon I can just shorten the thighs and add a ball for positioning purposes so that shouldn't be too much of an issue. The visor will need to be completely re-made as well because it is made of a rubbery type of plastic that I'm not convinced will cast. It also means that I can add a bit of variety by making different ones for different weapon layouts.
I already have in my mind how I am going to make the pieces fit together and what joints will need to be made. Every joint will be completely loose so will need to be glued in place (there will be no pivots so without glue/pins, the limbs will fall apart). I am not making a toy, I will be making kits that need to be stuck together.
Grymn Bike Platoon.
I have a lot of Lego components set aside for this project. Currently I have enough for 8 bikes but if all goes well, more components will be ordered. I am saying no more on the subject as I have very fixed ideas of how I want to progress the project...and I want to keep the design secret until I have a finished product.
Dark Grymn Project.
The original grey faced Dark Grymn was only supposed to be a diversion from my normal painting routine. Instead he has become the focus for a small raiding force of Dark Grymn to be put together. I am not going to go too mad on this one but there will be 3 Grizzly Battlesuits and about 20-30 troops, with some form of transport to ferry them around in.
Resin Projects...Various.
The 6 Tiger APCs will remain packed, as will all of my Old Crow tanks, until I get my airbrush. I see no point in trying to paint any vehicles until I have a streak-free way of doing it. The same will apply to my 3 Pilum Dropships and my Phoenix Starship (which will need to be stripped, anyway). I doubt if they will be unpacked for quite a while...
Grymn Urban Army.
The close-combat platoon will get finished first. I plan on leaving everything else packed until I can achieve this. I need to finish the platoon so that I can move on to other infantry. The other infantry will have a simpler camo scheme that doesn't involve painting hundrds opf tiny little squares...otherwise I will go completely mad!
As for the army composition, I have all the units for a close combat platoon, 2 light infantry platoons, a heavy infantry unit, a Kindred scout unit, a Clanker platoon (Vulkan Walkers), a couple of support units and 3 Pilum Drop ships. I also have 5 Glaive APCs (which will be used by the light infantry - but I'll need to get a few more for other units). Apart from vehicles and tanks, I still need to sort out a command platoon and a few powered armour units (when they get released).
The Grymn Urban Army is my big project and it is likely to be the one that gets the most attention (distractions allowing).
Genetic Infantry Project.
Still ticking along. I have a good bunch of troops for the army and may be using the Halo Warthogs for a bit of transport for them.
Miscellaneous Projects.
I will eventually finish the stealth fighter, the BIG TANK and all the other scratch built stuff.
My desert veterans army (Grymn) will eventually get finished but I really need to sort out my Urban Army first.
All of the Macross kits need completing (however I plan to do that).
The Super Zaku Mega Robot Fighting Team GO! project will be worked on SLOW TIME...
That is about it for projects (I'm not even thinking of Tyranids, GW stuff, OGrymn squads...etc, etc, etc...)
WOW!
It's only when you start writing everything down that you realise the enormity of everything!
See you on the Dark Side!
All my stuff is packed away apart from my paints...but with nothing to paint, there is no point to them being out. I just need to pack my paints and a few little pieces and that's it...done.
One of the things about not having my hobby stuff to hand is that I get to think about things.
The Votoms Project.
I have chopped the lower part off the Scopedog pictured in the blog. In doing so, I have discovered that he can be disassembled quite easily. I have also discovered that the upper legs were plastic after all.
My plans have not changed though. I will need to make shorter legs, a bulkier 'skirt/abdomen' and maybe shorten the arms. The only trouble with shortening the arms is that they won't be able to reach around the chest (so the Scopedog won't be able to use a conventional style of rifle). the lower part of the legs will need to be completely re-made but I reckon I can just shorten the thighs and add a ball for positioning purposes so that shouldn't be too much of an issue. The visor will need to be completely re-made as well because it is made of a rubbery type of plastic that I'm not convinced will cast. It also means that I can add a bit of variety by making different ones for different weapon layouts.
I already have in my mind how I am going to make the pieces fit together and what joints will need to be made. Every joint will be completely loose so will need to be glued in place (there will be no pivots so without glue/pins, the limbs will fall apart). I am not making a toy, I will be making kits that need to be stuck together.
Grymn Bike Platoon.
I have a lot of Lego components set aside for this project. Currently I have enough for 8 bikes but if all goes well, more components will be ordered. I am saying no more on the subject as I have very fixed ideas of how I want to progress the project...and I want to keep the design secret until I have a finished product.
Dark Grymn Project.
The original grey faced Dark Grymn was only supposed to be a diversion from my normal painting routine. Instead he has become the focus for a small raiding force of Dark Grymn to be put together. I am not going to go too mad on this one but there will be 3 Grizzly Battlesuits and about 20-30 troops, with some form of transport to ferry them around in.
Resin Projects...Various.
The 6 Tiger APCs will remain packed, as will all of my Old Crow tanks, until I get my airbrush. I see no point in trying to paint any vehicles until I have a streak-free way of doing it. The same will apply to my 3 Pilum Dropships and my Phoenix Starship (which will need to be stripped, anyway). I doubt if they will be unpacked for quite a while...
Grymn Urban Army.
The close-combat platoon will get finished first. I plan on leaving everything else packed until I can achieve this. I need to finish the platoon so that I can move on to other infantry. The other infantry will have a simpler camo scheme that doesn't involve painting hundrds opf tiny little squares...otherwise I will go completely mad!
As for the army composition, I have all the units for a close combat platoon, 2 light infantry platoons, a heavy infantry unit, a Kindred scout unit, a Clanker platoon (Vulkan Walkers), a couple of support units and 3 Pilum Drop ships. I also have 5 Glaive APCs (which will be used by the light infantry - but I'll need to get a few more for other units). Apart from vehicles and tanks, I still need to sort out a command platoon and a few powered armour units (when they get released).
The Grymn Urban Army is my big project and it is likely to be the one that gets the most attention (distractions allowing).
Genetic Infantry Project.
Still ticking along. I have a good bunch of troops for the army and may be using the Halo Warthogs for a bit of transport for them.
Miscellaneous Projects.
I will eventually finish the stealth fighter, the BIG TANK and all the other scratch built stuff.
My desert veterans army (Grymn) will eventually get finished but I really need to sort out my Urban Army first.
All of the Macross kits need completing (however I plan to do that).
The Super Zaku Mega Robot Fighting Team GO! project will be worked on SLOW TIME...
That is about it for projects (I'm not even thinking of Tyranids, GW stuff, OGrymn squads...etc, etc, etc...)
WOW!
It's only when you start writing everything down that you realise the enormity of everything!
See you on the Dark Side!
Tuesday, 21 July 2009
Tuesday.
It's all over.
The only thing I haven't packed up is the stealth fighter-bomber.
My cupboard is bare :(...
...On the bright side, it means that the move is getting closer and closer and soon I will be able to unpack everything and get to work all over again.
So...things will be a bit quite for a couple of weeks in Inso's World. Don't worry though, in the words of Arnie...
"I'll be Back!"
See you in the funny papers.
The only thing I haven't packed up is the stealth fighter-bomber.
My cupboard is bare :(...
...On the bright side, it means that the move is getting closer and closer and soon I will be able to unpack everything and get to work all over again.
So...things will be a bit quite for a couple of weeks in Inso's World. Don't worry though, in the words of Arnie...
"I'll be Back!"
See you in the funny papers.
Sunday, 19 July 2009
Another Weekend Update!
I haven't really done much hobby stuff this weekend but I did manage to tidy up a few holes in the stealth fighter-bomber. As you will see in the following pic, I have added a little shape to the wings, filled the holes in the lower structure and fitted a bomb-bay. I've also tidied up the rear a bit and added vents to the rear exhaust area. I still have a long way to go but it is ticking along nicely at the moment:
Click the Pic!
Click the Pic!
Click the Pic!
Now it's not very often that you come across fellow model maker in the work-place but it just so happens that the newest member of my team happens to be a collector of Alien model kits (from the Alien films...with Ripley in). On the other side of the coin, she isn't a very good model-maker (that's what she has told me...I don't know because I haven't seen any of her work) so I have been sharing advice with her. One of the things she is dreading is painting her large alien figures so I gave her an idea of what I would do and said that I'd knock up a quick paint-job at the weekend to show her how easy it could be. The next pic shows half an hour's work on a spare Tyranid miniature I had lying about. I haven't added any specific details (like colouring teeth, claws etc.) because the aliens in the films are pretty much monochrome and also, this was just a quick demo of what could be acheived with very little effort (and would show that with a bit more effort, you could get a very passable paint-job). Sorry about the poor pic:
Click the Pic!
The whole process was:
Undercoat: Chardonite Granite.
Basecoat: Boltgun Metal.
Drybrush: Chainmail.
Wash: Devlan Mud.
Wash (in small areas): Leviathan Purple.
Wash: Devlan Mud.
Varnish: Gloss Polyeurethane.
No accuracy was required so it took very little time. I think that when it comes to painting the larger figures, an airbrush and a few extra watered down washes will be required to make the best job...but I think she'll be happy with something like this.
See you on the dark side!
Undercoat: Chardonite Granite.
Basecoat: Boltgun Metal.
Drybrush: Chainmail.
Wash: Devlan Mud.
Wash (in small areas): Leviathan Purple.
Wash: Devlan Mud.
Varnish: Gloss Polyeurethane.
No accuracy was required so it took very little time. I think that when it comes to painting the larger figures, an airbrush and a few extra watered down washes will be required to make the best job...but I think she'll be happy with something like this.
See you on the dark side!
Saturday, 18 July 2009
Double Jeopardy!
I haven't done any hobby stuff today, I've been too busy cleaning, shopping and doing the family thing to get my hands on anything hobby related. However, I have managed to get a couple of pix taken.
First up, here is an idea of how big the Stealth fighter/bomber is:
Click the Pic!
Click the Pic!
First up, here is an idea of how big the Stealth fighter/bomber is:
Click the Pic!
Next up is a pic of the 1/60 scale Scopedog out of its box and with a Grymn next to it for scale. You'll also notice my conversion in the pic just to show his size as well:
Click the Pic!
Some things to note about the Scopedog:
1. The head, Body and leg tops are a single die-cast piece. There are no hip, waist or neck joints.
2. The arms are plastic and one piece as well. There are no joints other than where they attach to the torso.
3. The lower legs are plastic and only have a joint where they attach to the die-cast metal upper legs.
4. The visor is plastic and raises to show a hole for the pilot to look out of.
Plans for the Scopedog:
1. Chop the arms off.
2. Chop the torso off the top of the waist.
3. Separate the lower legs from the upper legs.
4. Remove the visor.
5. Segment the arms and shorten the various pieces.
6. Shorten the lower legs and segment them.
7. Build a new abdomen and upper legs.
8. Make all of the new bits in a way that can be cast, in component form so that they can be positioned in a number of ways.
The result (hopefully), will be a Scopedog with torso, arms and legs that can be glued in a number of positions. The arms and legs will be shorter (to reflect the pilot being a Grymn and not a human) but the body will be the same size. I will also be adding a bit more detail, sorting out the hands to look a bit better and making a better rifle for the thing.
I plan on this taking a long time...but I hope the end result will be worth it.
There you have it!
See you on the dark side!
1. The head, Body and leg tops are a single die-cast piece. There are no hip, waist or neck joints.
2. The arms are plastic and one piece as well. There are no joints other than where they attach to the torso.
3. The lower legs are plastic and only have a joint where they attach to the die-cast metal upper legs.
4. The visor is plastic and raises to show a hole for the pilot to look out of.
Plans for the Scopedog:
1. Chop the arms off.
2. Chop the torso off the top of the waist.
3. Separate the lower legs from the upper legs.
4. Remove the visor.
5. Segment the arms and shorten the various pieces.
6. Shorten the lower legs and segment them.
7. Build a new abdomen and upper legs.
8. Make all of the new bits in a way that can be cast, in component form so that they can be positioned in a number of ways.
The result (hopefully), will be a Scopedog with torso, arms and legs that can be glued in a number of positions. The arms and legs will be shorter (to reflect the pilot being a Grymn and not a human) but the body will be the same size. I will also be adding a bit more detail, sorting out the hands to look a bit better and making a better rifle for the thing.
I plan on this taking a long time...but I hope the end result will be worth it.
There you have it!
See you on the dark side!
Saturday Surprises!
Before I start all of the usual stuff, I'd like to welcome the newest follower of my humble Blog; Gaz.
...WELCOME GAZ! I hope you enjoy perusing my meanderings through the hobby world.
So, why a Saturday post this week? Well, I received a parcel that I wasn't expecting from my friends at Hasslefree Miniatures. Inside was a die-cast Scopedog in just the right scale:
Click the Pic!
Click the Pic!
Click the Pic!
...WELCOME GAZ! I hope you enjoy perusing my meanderings through the hobby world.
So, why a Saturday post this week? Well, I received a parcel that I wasn't expecting from my friends at Hasslefree Miniatures. Inside was a die-cast Scopedog in just the right scale:
Click the Pic!
I mentioned on various forums that I needed one for my future projects and Kev said he had one to send me with my next order...but I didn't make an order and he turned up any way! How cool is that? Well, not nearly cool enough as it happens. Why? Well a few months back there was a 'Sculpt a Kev' competition on the Forum of Doom. A 'Naked Kev' miniature was sent out to all those who wanted to take part so that it could be converted in what ever way you felt. I, like so many others, sent my conversion off to Hasslefree and waited for the response. Well, below, is the response:
Click the Pic!
Yes, that's right, everyone who sent in a conversion got their miniature cast! That means that I now have my first work 'In the Metal'! You can see a pic of my efforts below:
Click the Pic!
It is a future warrior wearing armour similar to a Grymn and armed with an auto-gun and power-glove...you never know...it may become available in the Hasslefree shop in the future!
...So to say that I was awoken with a great surprise this morning was a huge understatement!
My huge thanks go out to Sally and Kev at Hasslefree Miniatures!
...By the way...Happy 40th birthday Sally...you'd better have a great one!
Catch you on the sunny side!
My huge thanks go out to Sally and Kev at Hasslefree Miniatures!
...By the way...Happy 40th birthday Sally...you'd better have a great one!
Catch you on the sunny side!
Thursday, 16 July 2009
Thursday THUNDER!
I have had a bit of time to play with plastic and glue today. As a result, I have added a bit more to my stealth fighter:
Click the Pic!
Click the Pic!
As you can tell, I'm still fleshing out the shape but it looks a bit more substantial now. In fact, it may end up a stealth fighter-bomber if it gets any more substantial.
Well, there is a lot of trimming to do and a few more panels to fit before I get anywhere close to detailing but I think it is going in the direction I want.
Comments are welcomed!
See you on the flip-side!
Well, there is a lot of trimming to do and a few more panels to fit before I get anywhere close to detailing but I think it is going in the direction I want.
Comments are welcomed!
See you on the flip-side!
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