A special evening.

Hello and welcome to Inso's World again.

Today, I have a last evening at work before two week's holiday and I am mildly happy about it... well... very happy because I need a rest.

I started in care work almost a year ago (Oct 11th, 2018) and like a complete idiot, I have only had a week's holiday since I started. With dementia care being so physically and psychologically challenging (especially considering  that I had not worked for over a year, prior to starting the job), I have made a big mistake and should have had a bit more time off because I am pretty burnt-out at the moment. Lesson learned. At least I still love my work, the people I care for and the mates I work with... I just need to get the balance right.

This week, I have mostly been tinkering... with no real progress on anything so I don't have any hobby pictures to show off.

The Taurox conversions are coming along. I have almost got the box bodies on the three hulls finished and will most likely be focusing on those in the coming week or so.

In other hobby news, I decided that I needed to make some progress on my Squat Primarch (counts as Roboute Guilliman LINK) and instead of finishing my sculpt (sorry, no images), I have decided on a different approach and have bought an Orruk Megaboss (LINK) to convert. You may think it is an odd choice but I have looked at the proportions and think that it will be just what I'm looking for. I have already started the conversion... I have assembled the body (without the head) and have started sculpting a new, Squat-like head instead. I have also clipped off the axe head and will be creating a hammer head in the shape of an anvil. His other arm will have a ranged weapon of some kind (to match the Guilliman profile). I will post pix once the conversion is complete. Further to the conversion, I popped into my local gaming shop and have picked up a few paints for the finished item... I have some plans...

This coming Tuesday could be interesting. I am hoping to look at/purchase the VFR 750 that I have mentioned... so that will be cool (I am very keen). I also have my charity shave so next time I post a self portrait, I'll lookslightly different.

Click the Pic!

Only two days to go so please pop along and donate, if you are able:

Steve Baldly Goes LINK

Well... apart from a bit of chilling out, I have very few plans for the next two weeks so I guess we'll just have to see what happens.

See you from the island!

More Sculpting.

Hello and welcome to Inso's World again.

This week has been a good one. Work has been great, sometimes challenging, but definitely a case of when the going gets tough, the team pulls together... and team-work, makes the dream work!

Speaking of team-work, last night a large clump of my work mates gathered in my local last night and we all had a blast together. I got to introduce my wife to my friends and even threw a few shapes on the dance floor... a cracking night was had by all!

I have had my son and his girlfriend visiting this week as well and we have been enjoying a few quality days together. He is in good spirits and it is always nice to see him.

I have had notification that a Kickstarter pledge is in the delivery pipeline so it looks like I'll be getting some troops to chop up pretty soon. Which ones? These ones:

Kickstarter Link

I have pledged for the Northmen and will have about 42 infantry to turn into men-at-arms for my Primaris Knights:

Click the Pic!

There will be lots more information, once I have recieved the pledge and started conversion work. 

Speaking of conversion work, The Beastman Jedi has had a small amount of work done... but not enough for me to show off. He now has a right arm and the start of a lightsaber so things are moving forward.

Sculpting has been my main priority, this week and as a result, I have finished the second of my competition sculpts:

Click the Pic!

I think he turned out quite well and scales up with the Sgt quite nicely:

Click the Pic!

I have started to bulk out another armature, in a bid to get another basic trooper sculpted. I am thinking of sculpting a few basic troopers, a comms specialist and maybe a few special weapons troopers (Melta, Plasma and Grenade Launcher). That way, there will be enough to build a veteran unit. It's early days but while I am enjoying sculpting, I may as well take advantage of it.

Speaking of sculpting, I have got embroiled in another competition which is all about alien creatures. I need to convert an alien creature, paint it up and put together a bit of fluff to go with it. I knew what I wanted to do so I have been sculpting a successor to this one (that I sold off a long time ago):

Click the Pic!

The one pictured was a "three-eyed, moustachioed, hairy, groper" but the one I am working on is going to be called "the Catachan, moustachioed, hairy, groper". It's another full sculpt that will be a one-off (I have to paint it) and it will be markedly different to the one pictured above... so watch this space for an image or two, next time I post.

Well... that's about it for now. 

See you from the sculpting bench!

Back to the Army.

Hello again. Welcome to Inso's World.

This week has been a beautiful, challenging, tiring and rewarding week.

Work has been really good. I have worked with some proper team players and have had a very positive week... even though the temperatures within the care home have been like a sauna and I have faced some challenging behaviour from some of the residents. The good thing about the challenging behaviour is that it isn't the resident's fault, it is their dementia so I can blame the disease and not the person which means I never feel the need to get upset with anyone.

I can safely say that this week has really confirmed the fact that I love my job.

In other news, the garden is now cleared and has been mowed and actually looks like a garden again... which is nice. As well as sorting the garden out, I also managed to get a trip out on my bike during the week and yesterday, I drove up to Aylesbury to see my in-laws. It was a lovely visit and although short, was very much worth the long drive.

Alfie has properly settled in and has been well and truly adopted by Sam. It is ever so cool, watching Sam protecting little Alfie when he goes out into the garden. It's like he's got a little brother that needs keeping an eye on. Yep... Alfie is properly settled:

Click the Pic!

Now for some hobby news and I have had a distraction again. I have stalled on my Electropriests because I got fed up staring at an older project on the work bench. After a bit of effort, I finished off the third of the three veteran units for my Dwarf Army:

Click the Pic!

This unit will join two others and Colonel Straken to form a Vanguard Detachment. The same detachment will also include some Ogryn but they haven't arrived yet. After all my indecision, I finally decided to get some Ogryn from Mad Robot miniatures in the USA. As a result, I have six of THESE (with guns) on the way. When they arrive, they will climb to the top of the conversion list so that I can finish off this detachment fully... and also see how the miniatures assemble and maybe write a short review.

Now that the veterans are finished, I decided to start work on something else from the army. After trying to clean up some legs for my Hearthguard and losing the will to live, I decided to keep things simple and start small so I dug out a Tau Firewarrior body and started work to convert it into a Beastman Psyker for the third infantry platoon. Here's where it's got to, at the moment:

Click the Pic!

It is very early days but hopefully, I can make a bit of progress over this week.

That's about it for now.

See you from the production line!

Things...

Hello and welcome.

This week has been one of all sorts of things so let's get to it.

Cats.

On Tuesday, little Alfie went to get his first jabs and have a check up. He's in perfect condition and is settling in beautifully. He has adjusted to all the cats and they have adjusted to him... so we have a four cat family now.

Click the Vid!

Sam, on the otherhand, hasn't had such a good week. He got himself injured and his tail stopped working. After a few days of him disappearing and me eventually coaxing him in, I managed to get him X-rayed at the vets and he isn't too damaged after all... just bruising, swelling and a temperature... so he had an infection as well. Pain-killers, anti-inflamatories and antibiotics are working to resolve the issue and he has started to regain the use of his tail again.

Click the Pic!

He's got to go back to the vets on Tuesday for a check up and has to be kept in... but he has resigned himself to his incarceration and it has given him a chance to enjoy the company of the kitten... and he has been socialising with Alfie very nicely.

I'd like to say that was the end of the expensive week... but then there was the fence...

Fence.

Yep... we now have a glorious fence around the garden that is rock-solid and not rotten (YAY!). We are just waiting for a couple of old posts to be removed and the old fence to be disposed of and it will be a good starting block to crack on with the rest of the garden... money well spent but still 'more expense'. At least it was planned. I haven't taken any pix yet because of the rubbish in the garden. Once it is all cleared away, I'll get some pix.

Job.

This week, I have finished my care certificate, had my probation interview and also been trained as a care certificate assessor. I now have an extra "BUDDY" badge to wear at work. So I have an official qualification and have a second career (the first being aircraft, engineering technician) as a Health Care Assistant. I am rather happy about that.

Hobby.

As you can imagine, I have not really had the time or motivation for much hobby this week so I only have a small update that was finished last Sunday evening... and this is it:

Click the Pic!

The pic shows the last infantry elements of the Artillery Company... this is Blue Company Command. With these troops finished, I just need to sort out the vehicles and the company will be finished... well, when everything is properly based, of course. 

I have started work on the second infantry platoon for Orange Infantry Company... but have only got as far as base-spraying them and adding ten pink faces. Hopefully, this coming week will provide me the time and motivation to get back to painting them again.

Who knows what this coming week will bring?

See you from the surgery!

More of the same.

Hello and welcome to Inso's World again.

It has been two weeks of pretty much the same old stuff... lots of work, a few bumps in the road and a little bit of hobby... so here we go.

I have been enjoying work and had some really good shifts where there were no agency staff so the continuity meant that the shifts went without any bother and were really stable. The clients were happy because they knew us and we were happy because they were. I am certainly not saying anything against agency staff because they are a key part of our home running efficiently and they work as hard as us... but some of them don't work with us very often and aren't as familiar to our clients and it can cause them (clients) a little confusion.

So... work has been good...

BUT...

One of our clients passed away and has left a big hole behind them. They were absolutely awesome, genuine and always appreciative of the care they received and will be sorely missed. There were more than a few tears... but they went peacefully and had family around them so it was a good way to go. Safe travels to them.

Life has been pretty straight up. Pottering along, as I do.

Hobby has been a bit hit and miss... but I have found time to continue with my Epic Squat army:

Click the Pix!

From the top, we have the second thudd-gun section for Blue Company, then -  Orange Company, Blue platoon command squad, 2 infantry squads and heavy weapon squad. I have also cleaned up a second infantry platoon, with a third one cleaned and primed ready to go. In the meantime, I have the third and final thudd-gun section for Blue Company, on the painting table, getting painted.

I have also received my order from Vanguard Miniatures so have a few vehicles to add (once the troops are finished). Here's an idea of how big they are:

Click the Pic!

In other related news, I have been trying to decide what to go with this little army , as heavy support and will be building a Titan and possibly, a large, train-like land vehicle... but it's very early days yet.

Three weeks until Alfie arrives.

See you from the fluffy place!

Another sunny day.

Hello again.

It's a beautiful sunny day in Inso's World today... even if it is quite chilly.

The last fortnight has pretty much been all about work, lack of sleep and a little bit of hobby here and there... but as of yesterday, I am not only on a week off work but have also acquired a head-cold so this post is going to be a bit random.

Work. As I have mentioned before, I now work as a health care assistant (HCA) in a relatively high dependency, Dementia care home. As much as I love working there, there are times when it can be challenging because some of the residents have quite complex issues/needs. There is also the constant threat of residents passing away... another part of the job that can be challenging to deal with. Over the last couple of weeks, there has been a death, a fall (resulting in a leg injury), some very challenging behaviour and a couple of new residents who are going through a settling in period. There has also been a decline in some of the resident's health. As a result, I have had a lot of different things to cope with... but have remained up-beat and cheerful throughout (at work) but have also been quite drained (at home)...

... but I wouldn't change things. My job is extremely rewarding and I wouldn't want to be without it now...

Hobby. I've done some... namely a bit of press-moulding... but before I got on with that, I finished off two units of Hearthguard Assault Frames (count-as Space Marine Centurions):

Click the Pic!

If you look at the image, I have shown the four possible poses that can be achieved, without having to alter any components. I am pleased with how they turned out and it opens up the possibility of getting another six, in the future, and turning them into heavy weapon variants... who knows?

Press-moulding? What's that all about then? Well... I got fed up and couldn't get any sculpting done so I decided to get some legs out and cast up a bunch of legs for some Steel Warriors so that I could turn them into Hearthguard, like these ones:

Click the Pic!

I have cast up six pairs of the same legs but have yet to clean them up because I am struggling to do anything at the moment, due to my nose dripping all the time. I have managed to dig out the components required to complete the Hearthguard but have only carried out minimal assembly so that I can be sure that things will fit together without making pouch-sculpting impossible. I tried a second go, with different legs but the mould didn't work very well so I scrubbed it. The process goes like this:

Click the Pic!

In another fickle moment, I decided to dig out a couple of Arkanauts to convert into a few more Big Dwarfs to go with these:

Click the Pic!

So far, I have cleaned up two bodies and glued heads on them so I don't have much to take a pic of... but hopefully, there will be more to share soon. I am thinking that they would make a good Kill Team or Necromunda gang... and with the addition of a couple of random Halflings from HERE (I have them on the bench as well), there will be a good representation of the Abhuman races from the games.

Well... that's about it for now. I'm sure that I'll think of something to write about by the time I write the next post.

See you through bleary eyes!

Happy Camper.

Hello again. Welcome.

This week has been pretty much the same as most others. I have been working hard, getting a few charity bits and bobs sorted, doing the odd chore and getting some hobby time in as well.

At work, I am starting to feel like I have properly settled in and am relaxing a bit. My work-mates are including me in more conversation and have realised that I am in for the long haul. I still think that I have found my calling and am really happy to have been given the opportunity to work alongside some wonderful people in such a challenging, yet hugely rewarding, career. It is most certainly a 'job' that has got me smiling more than any other job ever has. That said, I think that the timing was important... I could not have worked in Dementia Care five years ago. I don't think I could have coped because I was less patient and quick to get annoyed. Now, I am being praised for my calmness and patience!

Anyway... enough of me gushing about work... Let's talk about some hobby stuff. First up, I managed to get a grip and start a bit of sculpting on the Squat Veteran Squad. It isn't finished yet but I have managed to finish the standard Veterans (with shotguns):

Click the Pic!

Now I just have to finish the five special ones (meltas, comms and Sgt). Since the picture was taken, I have reworked the pointing arm of one of the troopers; it was too short so I had to pull it off and sculpt in an extra segment. As for the rest of them, I will sculpt the hands/sleeves on the four troopers first because the Sgt will need a bit of extra work due to his bionic arm (he has a cuff mounted chainsword and I am also planning to attach a spare hand to his belt so that he can swap out his chainsword when he needs to). 

But...

My three boxes of Ambots arrived yesterday and I seem to have fallen into the usual trap of getting distracted. As a result, I have started working on a pair of them but only one has got far enough to be of use... so here are some scale pix of my Ambot with a Squat and a Primaris Space Marine for comparison purposes:

Click the Pic!

I think it is perfect for the Centurion role that I have chosen it for. It is 50mm tall from the bottom of the base to the top of its carapace.

As for the conversion, I had all sorts of plans but decided that less is more so I have gone for the simple option of replacing the head with a bubble windscreen. There is ample room inside for a Squat pilot  so that is good. I have also decided to use the thumbs from the kit and move the meltas to the back of each fist (they fitted to the thumb position but didn't look right to me)... no trimming required just a case of gluing them in a different location. I will also be adding the 'shoulder shield' to the top of the carapace so that it can represent an assault launcher (as per the Centurion rules).

On to the kit. The kit is a nice one. It has the options of fitting a thumb, graviton gun or meltagun to each hand, in the thumb position. Each sprue contains all the components required to make the robot in two poses... and as a result there is an extra set of legs/abdomen, and extra head and an extra shoulder joint. I am very happy that there are extra legs because they will make great conversion fodder and I am already thinking of upgrading one of my planned Minotaur 'Ogryn' with some mechanical legs. 

The kit assembles simply but the upper armour on the thighs, needs some careful positioning or it will look odd.

I am very happy with my purchase and, to be honest, I don't think that they are too badly priced either.

On to a bit of life and I am currently under the influence of pain-killers due to my shoulder being horrible today. That means that it's going to be a day off from pretty much everything so the hobby has taken a hit. I also apologise if this post doesn't make sense.

See you through the haze!

Of Space Knights and Superheroes.

Hello and welcome to Inso's World again. It's been two weeks since my last post but I want to try and keep things relatively interesting so I felt a longer gap than usual, was warranted.

This week, has been very similar to last week... lots of work, lots of sleepless nights and lots of tiredness... but I had a birthday in there, so it wasn't all doom and gloom.

I have now been on the wagon for over eight months and the time is flying by now. May is creeping up nicely and I will soon be able to enjoy a nice pint of ale again.

At work, I am now (more or less) part of the furniture so I am working hard and people are starting to listen if they need to... which is nice. I still have some ice to break, here and there, but I'm getting there.

Hobby time has been relatively slim but I have managed to get a few things done.

First up is a converted superhero:

Click the Pix!

It started life as THIS Hasslefree Miniature and ended up as a new speedster for my little group of superheroes. A very simple conversion and it has worked out quite nicely.

Next... this:

Click the Pic!

Yes... I have been painting Primaris Space Marines.

I have called them Space Knights and they will all be represented by metal armour and their own personal heraldry. It is early days yet but the sixth one is on the table... so it's ticking along.

The bikes (from the last post) have not progressed at all and still sit on my painting table.

That's it for the hobby.

In fact, that's it for the blog this week.

See you from the carriage!

2018 in retrospect.

Hello and welcome to Inso's World again.

It's very nearly 2019 so I thought I'd look back over a year that has seen a lot of change for me and my family... plus a little bit of hobby along the way... so let's get started.

Early in the year, things were pretty settled. I was at home, my wife was at work and things were ticking along nicely... then my other shoulder froze up so the painkillers came out again. As a result, I became lethargic and began to get a little bit house bound... so I decided to do something a little bit different, in memory of my Dad, and quit drinking for a year (the only exceptions were toasts for very special occasions and the passing of friends/relatives). Since 8th May 18, I have been on the wagon and have had seven toasts... I will be finishing this drought on 7th May 2019, which is the evening before Flora Day and the first toast will be to my Dad.

Quitting drinking has made a big difference and I have been more cheerful as a result. I have also lost all of my 'drinking' weight and am back to where I was when I was fit and healthy in the RAF.

This year has also seen the completion of my "leaving the RAF" list because I have not only become a member of a charity committee (Marie Curie) but have also got myself a job, working as an HCA in dementia care, for a non-profit, charity organisation... completing my list, which was:

• Move to Cornwall.
• Become part of the community.
• Get a part time job that I could walk to.
• Get involved with charity.

It wasn't a big list but it was an important one. Now the list has been completed, I can properly settle and get my feet under the desk. 

As I have mentioned, my job has changed directions in a dramatic way... from Aircraft Engineer to Dementia Care-Worker. It has been a real eye opener and has been extremely tiring... I haven't had such a physically demanding job for years... but I love the work and get a huge amount of satisfaction from it so I am likely to be doing care work for the foreseeable future.

From a Charity perspective, Not only have I been assisting and working for charity, I have also been able to do a bit of fund raising and donating and have raised well over £1200 this year for various charities... especially those of which my friends are involved. I hope to exceed this amount in 2019.

From a family perspective, my daughter is doing very well at her job and is gaining more training and responsibility... and getting suitable pay rises to go along with it. She has also found a nice lad to share her journey and things are settling down nicely... joint habitation is their goal in 2019. My son has been in the RAF now, for 3 years and is currently enjoying a detachment in the Falklands (another coincidence because the Falklands was my first overseas detachment when I was in the mob). 

Click the Pic! (Port Stanley, The Falklands)

He is enjoying himself and has really flourished in his military role... and he has grown up considerably as a result. He passed his driving test this year and will be getting a car when he returns to the UK. My wife has been pottering along as she always does... being the anchor for us all to cling to. She was the one who gave me some tough love and got me to seek work... something that needed to happen. She still loves her child-care job and is looking forward to a few changes to her work routine in the new year. The pets are all doing well (apart from Boris, our Giant African Land Snail, who passed away), especially my cat Sam, who has really grown into a proper cat now:

Click the Pic!

The house renovations have stalled... I am too tired to start doing all that stuff at the moment but will look to ramp things up in the new year. Another thing I plan to do in the new year is get some miles in, on my bike. I am ashamed to say that I have had the bike for a year and haven't even ridden a thousand miles yet! That will change in 2019... my bike needs to be seen:

Click the Pic!

From a hobby perspective, I have been fairly productive. In fact, I thought I'd been pretty slow this year until I checked back through this blog and listed what I'd done... Here's the list:

• Sly Marbo - Conversion.
• Valkyrie Drop-Ship - Conversion.
• Sgt Harker - Conversion.
• 6x Demiurg Air Guilders - Converted and Painted.
• Squat Berserker - Sculpted, Sold, Cast Received, Painted.
• Halfling Cavalryman - Converted and Painted.
• Badger Rider Squat - Converted and Painted.
• 2x Dreadnought - Converted.
• 5x Squat Bodies (Commission) - Sculpted.
• Tank Company - 11x Armoured Vehicles - Converted and Painted (Awaiting Decals).
• 10x Halfling Snipers - Painted.
• Engineseer and 4x Servitors - Painted.
• Primaris Beastman - Painted.
• Squat, Platoon Command Squad - Painted.
• Squat, Infantry Squad - Painted.
• Dash Hound (Superhero) - Converted.
• Big Olaf - Painted.
• Snorri the Giant -Converted and Painted.
• 3x Hearthguard Bikers - Converted.

On top of all that, I have also painted a few Primaris Marines, part painted a host of Drones (for my Demiurg project), part sculpted a bunch of commissions (but lost my mojo and haven't sculpted properly for most of the year), part sculpted an Ogryn, Lizardman and various other characters... and I am currently in the process of converting a couple of Hearthguard Biker units. That said, I think that my crowning glory, this year, has been my tank company. I have always struggled to complete armoured vehicle conversions so I am glad that I have managed to complete the tank company:

Click the Pic!

That was 2018... so what will 2019 bring? 

Hopefully, a settled year where I become accustomed to the physical aspects of my job and start getting my home-life back... rather than getting home and flopping! More bike riding, more charitable activities and more hobby time. I don't make resolutions because they just set you up to fail but I do plan to try hard in 2019, just the same as I do every year... and that is resolution enough.

I'll be celebrating the New Year in company and will be having a toast at mid-night (the only drink of the evening) so I will take this opportunity to wish everyone a 2019 that they deserve and also that you all stay safe and remember that living to work, will kill you... so work to live!

Click the Pic! (Taken at Perranuthnoe Beach).

See you from the big reveal!

Company is a good thing.

Hello and welcome to Inso's World again.

This week has been pretty much the same as last week. I have been working hard, had a small amount of time off and have squeezed in hobby time here and there.

At work, it has been a good week. I have had my first assessment and they are very happy with both my performance and my progress so I am happy with that. In between work I have been helping the Marie Curie committee with their accounting and have also managed to see my wife occasionally... I'm sure that one of the reasons I left the RAF was to see more of family but it doesn't seem to be working at the moment...

So... hobby time.

To start with, I finished painting my Tank Company Commander (I'll take some pics at some point) and this is where the Company is, at the moment:

Click the Pic!

I still need to add the markings but I have now received my order for varnish so it is just a matter of time before I knuckle down and get the Company finished.

In the meantime, I have also received my Black Friday offer from Mantic and now have fourteen Valkyr Bikers to add to my army. They will be Hearthguard Bikers and will count as Space Marine Scout Bikes (for rules purposes). I decided that they needed to be converted to match the existing Hearthguard better so I have started work on them and have finished the first one:

Click the Pic!

As you can see, the body and head is the same as an existing Hearthguard and I have converted the legs and arms to pad them out a bit. These are the existing Hearthguard:

Click the Pic!

I am not going to be going too overboard with these and they are likely to look extremely similar to each other because, to be honest, they are a bit of an afterthought and do not really inspire me too much. They should look good 'en-mass' and painted up though... and will certainly beef up the 'Space Marine' section of my army.

As well as the bikes, I have also dug out the next four Toon King Tigers, washed them and have started to convert them into Chimera transports for No1 Platoon. They are at a very early stage so I haven't got pictures that I wan't to show off. However, I am taking 'step-by-step' pictures so that I know what I am doing (and can repeat it) and I can post a guide, later on. Watch this space.

Christmas is on the way and the lead up to the event is going to be very busy for me. I have a few long shifts so I doubt that I will have much time for the hobby... but I guess it's for the greater good.

See you from the ropes!

A little bit of sculpting?

Hello and welcome to this week's blog post.

To say that this week has been an uphill struggle would be an understatement.

Working in elderly care, especially where dementia is high on the agenda, can be a roller-coaster ride. This week has proved it to me. I have seen the highs of making a huge difference to some of the resident's lives and I have seen the lows of watching the coroner taking away residents who have succumbed to dementia.

There have been staffing issues, disgruntled people and 'interesting' challenges that have arisen due to some of the more diverse behaviour that dementia can cause... I have even worked two extra shifts to try and ease the situation... but it has all been positive (for me) so I am happy ticking along.

Add to that, my charity duties whilst I have had time away from work (counting charity boxes, creating event programmes and paying in money at the bank)... and that means that I haven't had a huge amount of hobby time...

... however... a small miracle has happened. My muse has paid a visit and I have got a little sculpting done. I'll also add that the sculpting has enabled me to remove a stumbling block from my work bench.

This week, I have finished off the company commander for my little tank company. Here she is:

Click the Pic!

As you can see, I still have a lot of work to do on her tank but that all revolves around getting sprues of components sprayed, ready for assembly so everything comes together when the painting starts. Sadly, the weather is dreadful at the moment so getting the spray-cans out, isn't going to happen for a day or so... which is going to be frustrating; now that I have finished the commander.

To add a bit of an explanation to the sculpt; she is holding some paper in one hand (orders) and a microphone in the other (so she can give the orders... loud and clear). The brown thing on the side of the turret, is a set of speakers. Her tank has a Heavy Bolter in the hull and has a Vanquisher Battle Cannon in the turret. The finished model will proxy for an Astra Millitarum Tank Commander, in a Leman Russ Vanquisher.

The good thing is that once this tank is painted, I can then get all 11 vehicles marked up with decals and finish the company properly. In case you can't be bothered to trawl through... here are the other ten vehicles:

Leman Russ Punisher Squadron:

Click the Pic!

Leman Russ Executioner Squadron:

Click the Pic!

Leman Russ (Battle Cannon) Squadron:

Click the Pic!

Engineseer Chimera Transport:

Click the Pic!

... and to finish off the company, the Engineseer and his Servitors:

Click the Pic!

Hopefully, I'll be able to get some paint on the command tank this week... but only the weather can say whether or not that can happen... so we'll have to wait and see.

See you from the workshop!

Getting there.

Hello and welcome to Inso's World again.

This week has been one of this and that...

There's been lots of work and I'm beginning to get used to the demands of it. Having something to eat, before going to work has made a lot of difference so that is a good thing. As is normally the case, I got the wrong day off this week... I wanted Friday but got Thursday... so I am now hoping that I don't have to play hooky on Christmas day because they haven't taken into account my initial request (when I joined) and the Christmas rota request (that I have clearly marked)... I have PLANS, Damn it! Hopefully, they will understand and realise that I will not be attending work on Christmas day, whether I am supposed to or not.

So Friday was a bit of a rush. I worked until 14:30hrs and then dashed to the local church for my 14:35hrs, blood-donation appointment (33rd donation). When that was done, I pottered home, sorted my life out and when my missus returned from work, we went out for a meal to celebrate our 27th Wedding Anniversary. I worked yesterday, have work later today and tomorrow but have Tuesday off... but I'll be counting charity money and sorting out event paperwork for a Christmas concert for Marie Curie.

It seems that I have gone from "not very much to do outside" to "EVERYTHING to do outside". Luckily, my motivation is good and my physical fitness is improving so things are able to go at the pace I want to without falling over.

I am still loving my new job and will love it even more when I get used to the physical demands of it and gain more experience... but I am learning fast.

On a more hobby related subject... I have been bombarded with Black Friday adverts. Normally, I would immediately delete them but I saw one that appealed to me so I have ordered something that will start to ship from December 7th. The something in question is from Mantic Games and is 12 Forge Father motorbikes. This is the first time they have been available in groups, on their own and I have jumped in quick...

Click the Pic!

I will be using them as Hearthguard Bikers (proxy Space Marine Scout Bikers) and they will replace 3 standard Hearthguard squads in the High Echelon, Command Battalion (I will need to use the components to convert these bikers). There will be more information on this, very soon.

You will remember from last week, that I converted a Bullgryn Bodyguard. Well, here he is; finished:

Click the Pic!

He's called Snorri the Giant and he is pictured with Big Olaf. He isn't a Bullgryn though... he's a very badly wounded Squat, in a robotic suit of armour that proxies for a Bullgryn Bodyguard... Here's his story:

Snorri the Giant.

 Snorri glared across the field and saw the warboss, bold, 

And as he glared, his anger rose and then his blood ran cold. 

He knew the Warboss must be stopped, before he reached the gate, 

So his ancestors infused with him and filled his heart with hate. 

 He leapt from off the parapet, with axes in both hands, 

And as he charged the Warboss, he was joined by allied bands. 

The sound of clashing steel rang out, when the enemies first met, 

And in the guild's librarium, began the bravest story yet. 

 Snorri fought the mighty Ork, with fury rarely seen. 

His bravery, the kind of which, had rarely ever been. 

He brought the monster to the ground, and cleaved off his raging head. 

And he stood upon the Warboss' corpse as it lay there, clearly dead. 

 Alas his triumph was short lived, as Orks are hardy foes. 

And though its head was clearly gone, it's axe, it slowly rose. 

And with a final death strike, the blade met Snorri's head.

And Snorri dropped down on the field, the Squat was surely dead. 

 Snorri's lifeless body was, removed from off the field. 

But there was the slightest heartbeat, and the hope he could be healed. 

All the guilds around the lands were called and asked for aid, 

But the best of all the medicae, failed and were dismayed. 

 Poor Snorri was alive in mind, but his body was a shell. 

His arms and legs were useless, he felt he was in hell. 

But a Squat called Jorgen Bursmith, had an idea in mind. 

And he built some special armour that would leave his woes behind. 

 Now Snorri, he could fight again and he made sure that he would, 

And his fame was too important, so his guild ensured he could. 

But his size was far too great now and he needed to be seen, 

So the guild made him a warden and he was sent to guard the Queen. 

In time, the legend of the Squat, in massive armour spread... 

Of the cybernetic warrior, who refused to lay down dead. 

His name "Snorri the Giant", with shield and gun in hand, 

Who defends the royal family, the Guild and all the land.

See you from the battlefield!

Life's distractions.

Hello and welcome to Inso's World again.

This week has been one of slowly getting used to working for a living (again) and a bit of hobby stuff... so here we go.

Work has been pretty heavy this week. I haven't really had a manual job for a good ten years and I think that the heavier aspect of this job... especially when stepping up from two years off work... has caught up with me. How can I tell? Well, I nearly collapsed at work on Thursday and if it hadn't been for the fact that I knew where the chair was, I would have. I managed to quickly back myself into a seat and put my head down to try and shake off the feeling that I was going to pass out. Five minutes rest, a drink of water and some fresh air sorted things out but I learned a valuable lesson... I need to eat breakfast. With that in mind, I now have some breakfast bars to go with my morning tea so I am hoping that the energy boost will keep me going at work.

Apart from that, I have had a great week at work and am getting properly stuck into things now. It is great to be part of a team again.

On a different note, I have got two good friends who have been running during the year and have clocked up an amazing amount of miles in aid of the Royal British Legion. One of them, finished the year on the 11th of November, by running 11.11 Km up to the Menin Gate Memorial, in Ypres... reaching his total mileage in the process. Here are their stories:

Paul's Story

Scott's Story

If you would like to donate to the RBL, on either of the links, please do.

From a hobby perspective... I got distracted again. No Dash Hound this week but instead, I have Big Olaf:

Click the Pic!

He is from Hasslefree Miniatures and can be found HERE. Here is a scale pic:

Click the Pic!

In addition to Big Olaf, I was also drawn to another big Dwarf... but he turned out to be VERY big... here's what I mean:

Click the Pix!

The miniature itself is from HERE (EBay link) and I have decided that it will make a perfect Bullgryn Bodyguard. I have swapped the Axe for a shortened Slab Shield and have got this far (still WIP):

Click the Pic!

Whatever happens, it will join Big Olaf in a small detachment of some kind and will be getting some background fluff to go with him at some point. Obviously, I still need to finish painting him but I think he looks pretty cool so far.

In addition to those two Squat related miniatures, I have also assembled an armoured Platypus from HERE but haven't got any further with Dash Hound just yet... maybe he'll get some attention this week. Who knows?

See you from the gurney!