Target On My Back

Lego: Bookends

2011-12-17T02:57:00.000-08:00

Lego make a lot of merch, apart from their regular sets. For example, these dandy bookends.

Of course they are made of Lego bricks (glued together in the factory), so other Lego can be added to them. So, I made a Discworld bookend and a James Bond bookend, for their respective sections of our bookshelves.

The guns are from Brickarms - they are a Spy Pistol (clearly a Walther PPK) and a gold Spy Pistol with Silencer (to represent Scaramanga's Golden Gun.) Brickarms distributor in Australia is Minifig World, and they throw freebies in with their orders, which is how I got the gold pistol. They also do a pack of spy weapons which includes a model of the Golden Gun, which is cute.

Francisco Scaramanga: A duel between titans... my golden gun against your Walther PPK.
James Bond: One bullet against my six?
Francisco Scaramanga: I only need one, Mr. Bond.

"I often don't know where my Luggage is; that's what being a tourist is all about". Twoflower, in The Light Fantastic.

The Discworld scene is not from any particular book; it's just some generic wizards reconsidering their options, in view of the approaching Luggage.

WH40K: Puppetswar Big Gun

2011-12-14T03:37:00.000-08:00

Big Momma gun add-on kit from Puppetswar.eu

Another conversion/add on for a Warhammer 40,000 vehicle model, this time from Puppetswar. They are another Polish creator of resin miniatures and accessories. These Poles certainly know how to make a nice wargaming product!

All aboard the Warbus!

I really like their Ork style Warbus, but I plumped for the Big Momma cannon, because I had a spare Rhino in the stash, and the Mekboss in me likes really big guns.

The main piece is a single mould of the big gun and front/top armour, which can be glued straight on to the top of the Rhino kit. (You need both sides, all the floor pieces, the top piece, the rear hatch and the tracks from the original kit. You will also need a hatch, the headlights and any accessory pieces such as badges that you want to add.)

There is also a rear piece with fans moulded on it - this goes directly over the rear door of the Rhino. There is a dozer blade (very large), an ammunition crane, and four ammunition pieces.

In the pictures you can see some brass bits and bobs which I added, partly to hide some gaps, and partly just for decoration. I also used brass tube to extend the crane. I just wanted to strengthen the crane pieces and decided to make it taller.

I realised that, unlike the Vindicator, which this resembles (but much bigger gun - some sort of envy, perhaps?) there is no driver hatch or vision slits. So I added a couple of pieces from the bits box to represent sensors for the driver, who presumably is watching a screen to steer this thing. I also put a spare eagle on top of the gun, for martial decoration.

That dozer blade is huge.

Puppetswar sells it and a similar piece separately as the 'War Plows'. It it would be a wonderful cow catcher for the armoured train I am going to build (one day).

WH40K: Maxmini Siege Guns - mostly painted

2011-12-13T18:34:00.000-08:00

Here are the Siege Guns with most of the painting done.

I usually paint track pieces separately. I put them on double sided tape on a bit of board. I spray with Citadel Black and then Tamiya or Mr Colour Gunmetal.

The vehicles are undercoated in Citadel Black, then Tamiya Light Sand. The tracks get glued on, then I go over them with paint markers for weathering. Silver paint marker for wear and tear, and various mud and dust colours for dirt. It's not precise, and it won't win any modelling prizes, but it's good enough for the table top.

When I was building these kits, I accidentally dropped one of the guns, breaking the resin in a couple of places. Luckily I found a couple of the small fragments and glued them back on. Superglue (cyanoacrylate) adheres to resin very quickly, which is tricky if you are trying to adjust the placement of pieces on a model, but it is a very strong bond. Once painted, the join is hardly visible. I couldn't be bothered repairing the handle on the breech, because I expected it would just break off again during game play.

WH40K: Maxmini Siege Guns

2011-12-13T00:15:00.000-08:00

Maxmini are a Polish company making good quality resin figures, weapons and parts for conversions, for fantasy and science fiction wargames. Coincidentally, some of their parts fit neatly to Games Workshop's line of Warhammer 40,000 toy soldiers and models.

Their Siege Guns really caught my eye. They would be lovely substitutes for Medusa self propelled guns, but with your opponent's permission they could also be substituted for Colossus or Bombard mortars.

Picture of assembled Siege Gun with sandbag scenery, from the Maxmini website.

There is a nice review of the gun, showing the components, at the Bell Of Lost Souls website.

The guns and other bits are nicely moulded. There was a little flash, but hardly any airbubbles. When mine were delivered, they were missing the little wheeled ammunition loaders, but the guys at Maxmini were very apologetic and immediately sent replacements. Thanks guys, great work!

The guns are about the size of the GW Basilisk pieces, with much shorter barrels.

The models come with sandbag emplacements (three pieces of resin) which have been temporarily placed in the Terrain bits box. I assembled the guns and superglued them into the Chimera chassis, with a few extra bits such as ammo boxes, backpacks and communicator parts from the bits box.

This is what they look like attached to GW Chimera models:

(Apologies for the mobile phone photos; the next ones will be better. Promise!)

I'm Back Baby!

2011-12-12T23:50:00.001-08:00

After a few months hiatus, I am back.

WH40K - Trukk Crater painted

2010-12-17T20:45:00.000-08:00

Here's the Trukk Crater, with a slap of paint and ground cover. Paint as follows:
- light grey acryllic spray paint for the undercoat
- Tamiya Light Tan and Dark Yellow sprays
- Citadel Ogryn Flesh wash in the fissures
- drybrush of Citadel Rotten Flesh over the crater.
- Citadel Scab Red, Bolt Gun Metal and Tin Bitz over the 'trukk' pieces.
- Quick spray of Citadel Purity Seal (matt varnish) over the whole thing.

The ground stuff is the same material I use for basing most of my miniatures. It's a mix of stuff bought over the years, but mostly railway modelling 'gravel' or 'ballast'. I find that the light grey is a nice, neutral colour. However, since it is railway modelling material, it is a bit uniform. My favourite material, when I can be bothered to make it, is bits of concrete ground together. That makes a grit of differing sizes (less than 1mm) which looks a bit more realistic on the base of a toy soldier.

WH40K - Battlewagon with KillKannon finally painted (and photographed)

2010-12-17T05:18:00.000-08:00

Some photos taken on my phone, of the Battlewagon with BFG. I used paint markers to pick out the glyphs, and some of the weathering. I also drybrushed a lot of Citadel Bolt Gun Metal and Tin Bitz to make the armour and working parts look worn. Lastly I sprayed Tamiya Light Sand to make the chassis and wheels look dusty. I was a bit heavy handed with the last part, but I won't bother repainting. The wagon just drove through a big muddy puddle before the photo was taken!

WH40K - Crater or Trukk Go Boom!

2010-11-15T04:06:00.000-08:00

I didn't want or need six of the 'Moonscape' craters in the terrain pack from GW, so I bought a single crater from a stack of 'bits' being sold off by my FLGS.

I have made this: an Ork Vehicle Crater. Although I like the flame and smoke tokens I discussed previously, this piece is supposed to be what is left when one of my wonderful Ork creations goes 'ka-EXLODE!'
I just added a few bits of cut up plastic and leftover Ork vehicle parts to the crater. All the bits are polystyrene, so it is all glued together with ordinary model glue. That's the beauty of plastic models - easy to cut and convert.

WH40K - Ork Battlewagon with KillKannon, a bit of paint and a lot of salt

2010-11-15T02:06:00.000-08:00

I started painting the Battlewagon with Kill Kannon, as follows:

- undercoat of Citadel Black spray

- coat of Mr Hobby 'Steel' spray

- coat of Tamiya 'Light Gun Metal' spray

- first ever attempt at using salt to part mask a metal colour, and have paint chips when the next colour goes on

- coat of Tamiya 'Dark Red' spray.

I left the model overnight to dry between colours. I used the two metallic colours because I wanted to come up with a method for painting a vehicle quickly, but with some depth. I am never going to produce a Golden Demon level paint job, but I am happy with the way these toys look at arm's length, on the table top.

As it happens, I overdid the salt (dabbing on water and sprinkling salt) and it only stuck well to the top of the model. I let that dry and sprayed with the red colour. Once that was dry, I scrubbed off the salt, revealing worn 'metal'. It looks like the Orks have been stomping up and down the roof of their car with steel boots on, which they probably have. Next time I might salt the top surface, wait until that dries, and then do each side in succession. However, I am going to have a bit of a bash with more gun metal (actually GW Bolt Gun Metal) and an old tank brush. That should even things up. Then weathering with paint marker pens and a very light spray of Tamiya 'Light Sand'.

WH40K - Ork Battlewagon with KillKannon

2010-11-03T03:21:00.000-07:00

Another project which is taking a looong time from impulse buy to playable model: a KillKannon armed Battlewagon. (Orks are strong advocates of the BFG. They also approve heartily of More Dakka.)

I have made some minor conversions on the hull, adding a few glyph plates, some height to the uprights on the rear deck and closing up the cabin with various spare bits. Most of the work was put into the turret. I used polystyrene tubing for the barrel and mounted that on the gun that comes with the kit. The rear half of the turret is made from the sides of a spare turret, taken from another battlewagon kit.

The gun barrel is much larger than the one supplied with the Deff Rolla sprue (extra bits that you can buy from GW or some games shops.) I think it is also a bit smaller than the resin Supa Kannon from Forge World, but it would probably be acceptable to represent that weapon in an Apocalypse game.

When I put the turret on the vehicle, it looked like it was just sitting there. So, I used some leftover parts of the turret to make a sort of basket. I also used one of the 'boarding ramp' pieces to make a ladder on the basket. It would be a tight squeeze for an Ork but I figure that the gun is operated by Grots.

WH40K - Fernvale Specialty Scenics

2010-10-27T00:54:00.000-07:00

Another project finally makes it off the 'to do list'! I bought these resin scenery pieces a year or so ago. They are from Fernvale Specialty Scenics. (Although I don't see these pieces on the website; there are still some nice looking terrain bits for sale.)

They have been undercoated in cheap spray paint, then lashings of Tamiya Dark Yellow and Light Sand spray paint. I brush painted the rocks in Citadel Codex Grey, dry brushing in a mix of grey and white. I dry brushed some of the grey shades on the 'ground' but that looked a bit odd, so I touched it in with swabs from a Floquil Enamel Paint Marker (the colour is 'Earth'). This leaves a thin coat of 'dirt'; the markers are supposed to be used to weather AFV models, but once more I am finding that paint markers are the way to touch things up quickly. Also I find that scenery doesn't need the same level of care in painting as miniatures or vehicles do. Unless the dry brushing is too heavy handed, the only painting necessary is a couple of sprays of whatever colours are lying around. I used Tamiya Clear spray to varnish the pieces, but that turned out a little shiny, so I went over it with a dusting of Citadel Purity Seal, which seems to have worked.

The Ork graffiti is also done in paint markers, but it would be too easy to overdo that so I stopped. Sometimes the Finishing Fairy has to visit the work table and take your work away, letting you know that you have done enough and you can stop now.

WH40K - Ork Trukk finally painted

2010-10-27T00:43:00.000-07:00

I have had a few days off work and therefore the opportunity to do some painting (at last!).
Many months after I bought it I have finally finished one of my Ork Trukks (bottom of that post for the unpainted version). I added the horizontal roll bars at the back - they are just polystyrene tube or girder with bits of metal and masking tape. I also added some bits to the sides to make the tray look like it is one piece, with glyph plates and scrap plastic, so that they fill in the gaps. (These are where boarding ladders can be glued if desired.)

The main reason for converting them relates to my only criticism of the Games Workshop Ork Trukk model kit: It is a wonderful model of an Ork vehicle, that looks like a truly individual creation, bashed together by a mad engineer. That means that loads of models look like the same truly individual creation! So I convert mine to make them look a bit different to each other and any others on the table top.

The trukk was undercoated in Citadel Black spray, oversprayed with Tamiya Dark Red and then bashed about a bit with Citadel Tin Bitz and Bolt Gun Metal. Dirt was added with a Floquil Enamel Paint Marker, but this was a bit shiny, so I dusted a little bit of Tamiya Light Sand from the spray can, just around the wheels and chassis. The runes and emblems were picked out in a variety of paint markers: Pentel, Zig and Gundam Marker. These pens are also a bit smelly and sometimes paint comes out more thickly than with a brush - but they are great for quick touch ups and Ork graffiti. Lastly, the paintwork was covered with a light coat of Tamiya Clear.

Lego - Super Troopers!

2010-10-23T02:25:00.000-07:00

Here are the Lego Super Troopers:

The .45 Auto is from Brickarms, as are the smoke grenades. The Glock 17 and torches are made by STC. The utility belts and nightstick are from BrickForge as are the Ranger Hats. The figures and the yellow head are the original Lego Collectable Minifigures Series 2 Highway Patrol figures, as is the speeding ticket. The handcuffs are a Lego part. I like BrickForge because they sell via PayPal, but I generally buy Lego weapons from Minifig World, the Australian distributor for Brickarms, STC and BrickForge.

The minifigure heads have cool sunglasses, but don't have moustaches. (Rabbit has been growing his for a month.) Also, I appear to have bought the Ranger Hats in Dark Tan, rather than Reddish Brown. It looks like BrickForge have some more cool items for sale, so I can easily fix that!

Speeding ticket from the Lego Collectable Minifigures Series 2 Highway Patrol figure.

WH40K - Tokens

2010-10-23T01:55:00.000-07:00

Ork Trukk on fire, or 'Turn Two' as it is more commonly known.

I have bought some game tokens from Litko Aero Game Accessories and Gale Force 9. I bought the Litko tokens from their own website and the GF9 tokens from Maelstrom Games.

The flame and smoke tokens can be used to mark barrages, dangerous terrain or objectives. I put them on destroyed vehicle models to show that the vehicle is now a wreck. The tokens aren't as realistic as carefully painted cotton wool but they are handy and robust enough to be dropped back in the troop trays after the game.

I bought the following Gale Force 9 token sets a few months ago:

GF9 Fire and Explosion Markers (set of 6)

GF9 Smoke Markers (set of 6)

GF9 Sci Fi Infantry Status Token Set ('Pinned', 'Morale Check' etc)

GF9 Sci Fi Vehicle Status Token Set ('Weapon Destroyed', 'Immobilised' etc)
The last two sets are thinner pieces; black plastic backed with a velvet material, and are handy to use as reminders on the WH40K battlefield.

Smoking: Makes an Ork look serfisterkated.

Recently I bought some Litko token sets and they arrived a couple of weeks ago:

Flaming Wreckage Large (set of 3)

XL Flaming Wreckage Marker

Mini Wound Marker Set (set of 10 little skulls)

I has got... erm... lots of wounds left.

I use the wound markers by putting them near models that have lost some of their wound points (explanation for non-players: most toy soldier figures in WH40K have only one wound point, but a few models have two or more, such as leaders and characters.) Previously I had used dice, with the number of pips representing the wounds remaining, but occasionally they would get knocked over, or even rolled! Now, I will put a number of skulls down to represent remaining wounds.

Comparison: Litko vs Gale Force 9

The GF9 tokens fit together better than the Litko ones, and are made from slightly thicker plastic. They have a good range of basic tokens that would suit a lot of tabletop games, including the big names: Warhammer 40,000, Warhammer Fantasy Battles, Warmachine and Flames of War.

The Litko tokens are more interesting to look at, and their store has a much bigger range, to suit all the games already mentioned, and a lot of other well known roleplaying and wargaming products. However, the plastic stock is a little thinner, so the tokens need to be glued together.

In any case, I glued all the tokens with 'Tarzan's Grip', so they should stay intact under gaming conditions. (Whoops, drop, clatter...)

No worries Boss - dat will buff out!

Overall verdict: these tokens aren't mandatory for a tabletop wargame, but they are handy and colourful. Both ranges are quality products, at reasonable prices. I recommend you choose a token set that suits your game system first, and then go for the style that you prefer. The GF9 products fit together better, but the Litko have a wider range and are more visually interesting.

Lego: Collectable Minifig conversion idea

2010-09-24T05:00:00.000-07:00

The second series of Lego Collectable Minifigures have been released in Australia. I bought a few and ended up with three of the 'Traffic Cop' figure. Then I was browsing the Brick Forge website and I had an idea:

Collectable Minifig Traffic Cop
+ The Brickforge 'Ranger Hat'
= Super Troopers Lego!

;

I wonder what pieces I need to build Farva?

WH40K - Movement Trays from Litko

2010-09-18T06:36:00.000-07:00

I bought some movement trays for my Warhammer 40,000 Ork army. These are from Litko Game Accessories, who make a wide range of tokens, trays, counters and other items for roleplaying and wargaming. They also let you make custom markers and tokens.

The Litko movement trays are made of plywood - two layers already firmly glued together. They look like random shapes, but each pack has the same variety of shapes. The circles are 25mm, suitable for GW Slottabases, or competing brand names. Litko also do 20mm in this range, so be sure which ones you order.

The trays are neatly cut out, and definitely feel solid enough for play. The figures end up quite close together - they are about 5-6mm or a quarter of an inch apart. Usually, in the game, I tend to spread my figures out a bit more, within the bounds of the coherency rules of course, but I will be happy to try this product out and see if it speeds the game up.

I bought two sets of the ten-figure trays (with four trays in each pack), and one of the five figure trays (with eight trays in the pack). I will give them a quick blast of grey spray paint and some of the same 'ground cover' as on the bases of the minis. The results won't be very pretty but they will do nicely for the game.

Since I have over a hundred ork figures in my army, and they can be put into 'mobs' (or squads) of up to thirty models, these trays will make it much easier to shuffle them around the table top.

I have also ordered some of the Litko tokens: fire and blast markers, to adorn burning or wrecked vehicles on the 'battlefield'. I will show pics of them when they arrive, and compare them with the Gale Force 9 items I already own.

WH40K Converted Baneblade links or Vanity, thy name is TOMB

2010-07-23T03:53:00.000-07:00

In a fit of vanity I googled my own work. These aren't new links, but my Baneblade conversions were noticed in a couple of wargame/modelling forums.

Les Guildes

and

The Whiz Store Forums

Go me!

Lego - Sorting and Storage

2010-06-27T03:44:00.000-07:00

As might be evident from a minority of posts, I don't just play with Warhammer 40,000 models - I also collect and build Lego. "Collect and build"? OK - I play with Lego.

My collection has been built up from what a lot of AFOLs (Adult Fans Of Lego) call my "Dark Ages". That is, the time after childhood, when you put your Lego away, until adulthood, when you pick it up again. So, I have been buying Lego for over ten years - since about 1998 when Star Wars Lego first came out.

In that time I have collected about 70,000 pieces of Lego, and that is a lot of bricks to pick from when building. There are lots of ways to store Lego. I use tray boxes - the sort that can be used to store stationery. I also use Fischer compartment trays (which I also use to store WH40K figures.)

The tray boxes are stacked in rough categories: from left to right they are Technic, transport (wheels, engines, wings), flats, the all-encompassing 'misc', bricks, slopes and creatures.

The stacks rest on a few kitchen cupboards, which are used to store other toys and games. Lego instructions and catalogues are in a filing cabinet. This is all starting to sound more than a little retentive - but without some sort of storage system, it would be chaos!

Minifigures and things minifigures use like tools and weapons are in the Fischer trays.

I use Keji storage boxes, which come in 5 drawer, 4 drawer and 3 drawer versions. Most of these were bought from Officeworks at about AUD 15 each. I also have a few slightly larger ones bought from KMart.

Because some of the drawers are getting full, I try to keep pieces of the same colour attached. (Sorting by piece type first is easier than sorting by colour.) This makes them easier to find in the drawer, and reduces the chance of an accident sending some crucial Lego part into the unknown recesses of the room.
There are also two much larger seven-drawer boxes, also bought from Officeworks. They can be seen on the lower right in the big pictures, in line with the cupboards. They are used for bulky parts like Lego train tracks, or parts for which I have accumulated a very large number like the classic 2 x 4 Lego brick.

Sorry about the blur.

Keji 5 Drawer storage box.

Lego - Commotion On The Pitch

2010-06-25T05:52:00.000-07:00

I've been building a lot of my old Lego sets recently, including town buildings, cars and trucks, and the like. In 2000 Lego released some Football themed sets, and with the World Cup in mind, I added a small stadium, stands, and other accessories. (Check out http://www.brickset.com/search/?theme=Sports&year=2000 for a view of the range of Football sets for that year.)

Unfortunately, World Cup Fever seems to have overtaken one of the spectators, and a streaker has run onto the pitch!

Lego set 3409 Championship Challenge, released in 2000

WH40K - Ork Stormboyz painted by Mat

2010-06-07T04:57:00.001-07:00

Like it says above, here are my Stormboyz as painted by my friend Mat. His work is first rate, and puts my poor paintjobs to shame. Of course I paid him for the job - it started when he asked if he could paint a Stormboy, just to see what they were like. I knew his Tau and Tyranid armies looked pretty sharp, so I gave him the job and these were the results. I still have to add some grit and gravel to the bases, but I was very pleased!

Stormboy character Zagstrukk (scratchbuilt with two plastic 'power klaws' for feet).

The Grenade Fairy comes to life! Tink! Tink! BOOM!

WH40K - Ork "Deff Dread" Dreadnought

2010-06-04T22:39:00.000-07:00

This is my Dreadnought.

I built it pretty much out of the box. For a while I was tempted to reverse the body, putting the engine boxes on the round surface and painting the flat rectangles as armoured 'glass'. But I decided to keep it as is.

Before building this, I had seen another player's model and decided that it was a bit too spiky, so I have trimmed most of the spikes off. I also thought the four armed arrangement was very crowded on the model. It's cool, but a bit too busy for my tastes. I also wanted 'plenty of dakka' so I attached Big Shootas (machine guns, basically) to the arms. I also put some spare resin exhaust pipes on the engine blocks, instead of the original pieces.

The model comes with the option of using either claws or ends on the feet. I glued the claws on and added the bigger end pieces as well, to make its feet as big as possible. The Dreadnought is posed to look 'stompy' and the base is just scraps and bits from the bottom of the bits box. I use cheap superglue like an Ork Big Mek uses rivets. (More is better!)

The model is a lot more dynamic and detailed than the old metal dread, and fun to build. A lot of spiky bits!

Warhammer Fantasy - River Troll conversion ideas

2010-05-05T01:23:00.000-07:00

Just some ideas for converting the new River Troll models. Apparently the pack has sufficient parts to make three trolls, with two spare heads. Two ideas present themselves:

River Trolls as Killer Cans. There are plenty of spare weapons and bits on the Killer Cans sprues; they could be used to arm (and armour) the Trolls. Might even have gretchin (goblins) riding/controlling the beasts. Optionally, they could have wiring and control panels, suggesting that they are cybernetic rather than just big monsters with guns and choppers.

Troll Giant. The Giant with a Troll head. Probably a bit of Green Stuff necessary to convert the body of the giant to show scales, river slime, etc. One consideration: colour. Would I paint the Giant green, to make it some magically created freak (but with the game stats of the Giant), or would I paint it skin colours, but with 'green paint' liberally slapped on by the orks? That would be a trickier paint job to do. I would want to make it look like a messy paint job, but in a way that is clear that it is deliberately applied messy over the natural colours, instead of just my poor brush work. I think adding 'hand prints', or even painting the green in shades like drying pond scum would help the effect.

All pictures in this post are from the GW website.

WH40K - Minor conversion of Ghazghkull Thraka - Painted

2010-03-06T20:48:00.000-08:00

Here's the biggest of the Big Meks: My converted Ghazghkull Thraka, with a lick of paint.

Undercoated in Citadel Black, then Tamiya Dull Red. Plenty of Boltgun Metal and various colours for detail. Sprayed with Tamiya Clear, which I must have done a bit too heavily because it came out glossy. Sprayed again with a very light coat of Citadel Purity Seal (clear matt varnish) which took the shine off a bit. The base is a GW resin piece, done in shades of Codex Grey, blended through to Space Wolf Grey.

WH40K - This always happens...

2010-03-05T16:21:00.000-08:00

... you spend a while converting or scratchbuilding something that does not exist in the production range of the game you are playing. Three weeks later, they make that kit. This always happens to people I know who put a lot more effort into their models than I do - particularly with realistic military scale models.

I was inspired by cheap pieces of hardware to use this plasterboard (drywall) screw as a 'drilly bit' on my Deff Dread and a conversion of Ghazghkhull Thraka. Sure enough, the new GW Killa Kan kits have drilly bits!

Actually these kits, and the new plastic Deff Dread, look really good - and whichever way you build them, you would have plenty of interesting bits left over for your conversions. Now I am tempted to buy them!

WH40K - Minor conversion of Ghazghkull Thraka part 3

2010-02-25T00:41:00.000-08:00

The converted Thraka model now stands on some of the resin 'Cityfight' base pieces released by GW a couple of years ago. I have added some more details to the upper body, including a sight piece on the gun/claw, and a missile launcher and sensor cluster on the shoulders. The missile launcher was made from one of the 'rokkit' bits on the Lootas sprue, trimmed slightly to fit into a pintle mount piece from the Battlewagon kit. I ended up leaving the legs as they were - it would have been a fiddly job to separate them, and I don't think it would have changed the pose much. I might still change the details on the kneepads before painting the figure, but that's it for the lower half.

WH40K - Minor conversion of Ghazghkull Thraka part 2

2010-02-20T19:15:00.001-08:00

I have added the 'drilly bit' on top of some cog shaped 'gubbins'. I also glued some old earphone cable to bits of paperclip (for strength) and placed pieces of styrene tube on the wires. These make 'power cables' to drive the drill.

On to his gun arm: I had the idea of mounting the claws that come with the original model on the fist shape. I did quickly clip a notch into the base of the claws so they would fit better. I also used the single claw from the plastic Nobs sprue, trimmed to fit. I wasn't happy that the gun barrels were large enough, and even broke them off at one point. But I have added some more styrene tubing over the original barrels to bulk them up and I think that improves the look. The barrels are in fact slightly wonky, but I don't think it will show once everything is painted. His waist has been extended by a plastic cog, and the cables from the drill have been passed through that piece and wrapped around. I haven't modified the legs at all, except to clip off the mounting peg.

I am still considering putting some sort of claws on his feet, perhaps cut from the end of a Trukk boarding plank. Also, I want to put something on his upperback/shoulders - perhaps some missiles or a sensor mount. Nothing large, but enough to use up some of the space there.

WH40K - Minor conversion of Ghazghkull Thraka

2010-02-19T01:40:00.000-08:00

Ghazghkull Thraka is a character in Warhammer 40,000, a famous and brutal warlord for the Orks. The model is quite impressive - larger than any other ork figure, except for Deff Dreads and vehicles. He has over-the-top weapons and armour, as is appropriate for an Ork of his stature. Unfortunately, his weapon/arms are posed in an ungainly position, extended at his sides and pointing downwards. Fortunately the figure comes in pieces so he is not too difficult to rearrange.

I will be making some minor conversions to the figure to make a Mega-armoured Big Mek. I have enjoyed converting my ork figures and vehicles and think there is a heavy Mek influence in my force. On the table top he will still be played as Thraka, but with a name like OverDriver, or Da Big Spanna. It may be a while before I find a cool enough sounding name for him...

In this case, I clipped some of the power cables back a little, and I drilled and pinned at the joints so that the arms would stay on. I used the head from the plastic Warboss in the Black Reach boxed set, which is actually even bigger than Thraka's head. I also glued one of the hub pieces (actually two pieces) from an Ork bike over Thraka's jaw piece. It's now outrageously 'gobby'.

He also has a plastic cog glued to his chest as a sort of Mekboss medallion. I have since snapped that off - I want to make it more of a trophy on a chain (very '70s).

Since taking the photos, I have added a backpack fuel tank (from the Burnas and Lootas) trimmed to fit over his powerclaw. This gives me a flat surface to attach another 'screw' piece like the one on the Deff Dread. I will include some 'gears' and other bits to make it look more like machinery that is powered and driven by some sort of greasy engine. Orks are great advocates of the 'Dieselpunk' aesthetic.

I also added some plastic tubing pieces to his guns. I think the guns are a little underscaled so I might continue to add more ammunition, sight bits and gubbins to bulk them up.

I haven't decided whether to re-pose his legs. They are a solid unit, and it would be tricky but not impossible to neatly cut one off and place it at a different angle, but I don't think it would change the pose of the model much. I will add a 'belt' of plastic parts to give him a couple of millimetres extra height. Then I will decide what sort of base to put him on. Maybe something from Back2bas-ix.

Thraka as he appears for sale on the GW website.

WH40K - Another Ork 'Big Gun'

2010-02-17T00:47:00.001-08:00

I have built yet another 'Big Gun' for the Orks. Like the last one, this one is mostly from parts from the Trukk and Battlewagon sprues. Unfortunately I could not find the larger wheels that came with the original Kannon, Lobba and Zzzap Guns (not without buying the whole blister pack at 'collector' prices, anyway). So, I bought the wheels for the Warhammer Fantasy Battles Dwarf Cannon from a 'bits' seller. It turns out they are a lot smaller than the original wheel. However, they look solid and not entirely out of place, so I used them.

Other parts included the Zzzap gun from the Battlewagon, a boarding plank from the Trukk and a metal Big Gob piece from Ghazghkull Thraka.

Edit: If you haven't opened up a Dwarf Cannon and were thinking of buying the wheels as 'bits', be aware that they are considerably smaller than the old Ork Kannon wheels or plastic chariot/wagon wheels. They are about 12mm (0.5 in) across. However, I do think they look good as parts for WH40K weapons, and they certainly shouldn't look out of place as wheels on Ork or Imperial Guard heavy weapons, trolleys, carts or servicing equipment.

WH40K - Deff Dread Close Combat Weapon

2010-02-12T18:21:00.000-08:00

I dug my old 'Deff Dread' out of storage. (That's the Ork version of a Dreadnought walker in Warhammer 40,000. There is a new plastic kit coming out soon that looks rather good, but it was about time I finished this one.)

Deff Dread with claws from two battlewagon kits, and the old chain axe (in black).

For a while I had wondered what to use as the fourth Close Combat Weapon, as the 'chain axe' looked a little too small. Then it hit me: a plastic screw of the type used in plaster board.

Deff Dread with new CCW

Close up of 'Da Drilly Bit'

When it's painted, I hope it will look like an auger or 'Da Drilly Bit'. The idea is that the Deff Dread grips the enemy with the big claws, bashes it with the chopper and while it's at it, has a go with the drill to see what's on the inside. An elegant combination of mechanical curiosity and extreme violence.

28mm - Ren and Stimpy

2010-02-11T00:46:00.000-08:00

To show the scale of the resin scenery dumpsters in the post below, I used some old figures which I painted in the early 1990s. They are from the Grenadier 'Future Warriors' range, now sold by Mirliton, an Italian company. That particular pair came from the 'Interview to Rebels' pack.

Here's a pic of the bare metal from the Mirliton website:

On that day, way back when, I experienced a bright moment of painting zen perfection: the planets aligned, my mind focussed and I was able to paint Ren and Stimpy on their tshirts. I did this by just putting dots of colour on the minis, occasionally wiping off a mistake, until I had the figures just right. Although I think my painting has improved since, at least when it comes to rough and ready techniques to make an army look smart on the table top, these are two of my favourite minis, and I consider the detail work the best freehand painting I have ever done. Of course the rest of the minis are very simply painted, because I didn't want to distract from the logos on their shirts (and I honestly didn't want to mess up the rest of the paint job!)

28mm - Armorcast resin scenery: Dumpsters!

2010-02-10T23:44:00.000-08:00

I bought two resin dumpsters (large rubbish bins) in 28mm scale. They are from Armorcast - the same company who make the Mega Cannon, although I purchased them from an eBay store called Players' Cove.

The dumpsters as they appear in the Armorcast store website.

The dumpsters scale well for 25-28mm, whether you are using realistic or heroic proportioned figures. They look like the type with big plastic lids, so they are probably suitable for settings from the 1980s to near future/cyberpunk. I would certainly recommend them for skirmish games or roleplaying games where you use figures and like a little more scenery. They are also detailed enough to suit a diorama or display.

The pictures show the dumpsters with 1990s Grenadier 'Future Warriors' miniatures, in 28mm scale, and a Games Workshop plastic Catachan Imperial Guardsman, for scale.

The surface of the closed bin had a lot of little air holes, which is not something I had found on the Mega Cannon. These will have to be filled with glue or putty, although the 'urbanised' paintjob I am planning will mean that they won't be as much of a worry as they would be, for instance, on the body of a clean looking car. The open dumpster shows a lot of garbage, some overflowing. Good for gritty city scenes. There was also a little flash or overflowing resin on both models, but it was easily clipped off and sanded back. You would have to do that anyway for large resin kits, so it's not a big problem.

Armorcast Mega Cannon as it appears on their website.

Note: I built the Mega Cannon back in 2008 but haven't gotten around to painting it yet. A tip for prospective Mega Cannoneers - the working parts actually do work, but only if you glue them together in the right places. I didn't :(

WH40K - Idea for Ork Warboss Battlewagon

2010-01-24T20:58:00.000-08:00

I have stalled in building and painting my Ork Battlewagons, for a couple of reasons. One is that I decided to paint the interior before completing construction, so there aren't any unpainted areas visible when the model is finished. That is enough of a reason to make the cars 'open topped' as per the game rules - so I can stop building them, paint them up and get them on the tabletop already.
So, it occurred to me that I should make a flashy Battlewagon for my Warboss - with lots of 'bling'. (Trophies, spikes, chains, enemy heads, etc). I will build this one with an open cabin, so that the Warboss miniature can stand there. I will probably included one or two of his favourite guns, and a driver figure from the Trukk model to do most of the actual driving.

WH40K - Quick conversion - Ork Rokkit Boy

2010-01-11T23:11:00.001-08:00

A very quick conversion. I used two of the small rocket pieces from the Ork Stormboyz box (you get a lot of these left over). These were glued to the barrel of the Big Shoota piece from the Ork Boyz box. The barrel of the shoota was cut down, and the cog shaped 'gunsight' piece from the Lootas/Burnas set was glued on the end, to make it look less like a gun and more like a rail for launching rockets.

Of course it's ludicrously overbalanced, and it looks like the Ork firing it is about to get a face full of rocket exhaust. But that's what I like about it. (When I paint him, I will add scorch marks on his face.)

Tools and Tips - Cheap circular cutter

2010-01-11T22:54:00.000-08:00

I found this in the tool section of a discount store, among the blister packs of carton cutters and soon-to-be-rusty socket sets. It's a tool for cutting small pieces of pipe. I have used it on brass and styrene, and it works very well, considering that it cost all of two Australian dollars. I have cut lengths of brass pipe of approximately 5mm and 6mm diameter, and styrene tube up to about 13mm diameter.

It works by a circular blade (not very sharp itself) which freely rotates and is gradually screwed down over two steel rollers. The pipe is turned by hand on the rollers, as the blade scores and then cuts into the pipe. I have found that the brass tube does bend in slightly at the cut, so if you have bought two thickness of tube to slide into each other - for instance as pistons or gun barrels - you will have to file back the cut end so that the smaller tube can fit inside the larger. Also, when working with large but thin styrene tubes, the plastic can warm slightly in your hands. This means that the cutter will crush rather than slice through the plastic. I recommend going slowly. Again, the blade will score as you turn the tube, which means you can eventually snap the cut portion off. The end may be a tiny bit rough with a cheap tool like this, but sanding or filing will fix that.

Ork Flakka Trakk turret, with gun barrels made from sections of brass pipe.

I have been able to cut sections of pipe down to only a couple of millimeters length - basically brass rings. This tool is an incredibly cheap way to cut tubes for converting models: gun barrels, roll cages, suspension parts, pistons, rings and even 'brass' shells from fired ammunition.

Warlands - Box Contents and Scale Comparison

2010-01-04T18:45:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures of the Warlands vehicles from the boxed set. In that box you get one truck, two buggies, two white metal driver figures, three white metal gunner figures, two six sided dice, two ten sided dice and a small rules booklet, which includes cut out counters. The cars are nicely moulded, with only minor flaws. The figures are a little indistinct, but a clean paintjob would fix that. Scale is definitely 20mm, but they will work with vehicles in similar scales.

The truck. The tailgate is moulded separately. An airbubble is visible on the back edge of the cabin, but this could easily be filled with superglue, or left as a bullet hole. There are several bullet holes and areas of damage moulded on these vehicles, so it won't look out of place.

The Buggy. There are two of these, with the same 'battle damage'.

Here are some comparisons for scale. The green truck is an Old Crow model in 25mm scale. The bike is from the Grenadier Future Warriors range. The brown figures are 1/76 toy soldiers (It should be noted that figures in this scale, and 1/72 scale, are rarely consistent between brand names. Of course human beings aren't all the same size, but you will notice the difference when you mix brands of these or any figures.) The white car is a Matchbox model of a Bentley, in what it claims is 1:64. I have a tape measure, but not a Bentley, so I will have to take their word for it.

The vehicles and figures are clearly small scale - about 20mm or 1/72. The cars could be used with 25mm miniatures, but the more 'epic' the proportions of your miniature collection, the smaller these vehicles will look. So, they look good next to Grenadier minis (such as the 'Future Warriors' from the 90s) but tiny next to Games Workshop. In between would be ranges such as Street Violence. The cars would still be useable, but noticeably smaller. How well that works on your tabletop will depend on how picky you are.

If you were going to use these with larger minis, I would suggest moulding a new driver for the buggy, and adding a remote controlled gun, or a completely new gunner. You could also just use repainted or converted Matchbox or Hot Wheels cars, with the rules that come with this game.

Unfortunately, these little cars are visibly smaller than the 25mm scale Old Crow models. Old Crow make a range of 15mm models, but I have never seen them in the flesh (in the resin?) so I could not compare the two types.

WH40K: Scratchbuilt Zagstruk and Stormboyz Nob

2010-01-03T22:21:00.000-08:00

Before I went away, I built two members of my Stormboyz hierarchy. I made a Stormboy Nob (squad leader) from an assortment of parts, and then went to town to scratch build my own Zagstruk, a special character who can lead a Stormboy mob. He's not a figure I need in my army, but by the time I got around to building him, I had a couple of plastic power-klaws available. The hard part was mounting him in a flying pose, but not having him overbalance. The base has a few pieces of scrap white metal superglued in, for that reason.

Games Workshop's model of Zagstruk is available here - but support your Friendly Local Games Shop!

Warlands!

2010-01-01T01:34:00.000-08:00

I found the basic boxed set for 'Warlands', a Mad Max style car skirmish game by Aberrant Games, at Milsims in Melbourne. These are crisp little models in 20mm scale - so they are far too small for Warhammer 40,000. However, they don't look too bad next to 28mm scale figures of more realistic proportions, so they would be fine in most Cyberpunk or post-Apocalyptic wargames or roleplaying games. The cars are made up from single pieces of resin for the bodies, including wheels, engines and upholstery. White metal is used for the roll cages, figures and some small accessories. The moulding is nice, although there was an air bubble on the back of the cabin of the truck. This will be easy to fill with superglue. I expect that they will scale nicely with the Old Crow Models tanks that I have.

Oh yes, and I am back!

Note: All these pictures are from Aberrant Games' website, and belong to them. Go there and spend your hard-earned on these shiny, shiny toys!

WH40K - Assemble the Away Team

2009-09-17T01:04:00.000-07:00

I've been away from my hobby table for a while now, and will be for a few more months (hence the break in modelmaking and pictures of things that I have glued to other things.) My boss has asked why someone as nerdy as I am doesn't have some minis on my desk. So now I am wondering, is there a 'starter set' or a 'beginners pack' of WH40K, WFB or any other system, that I could buy on the internets, with figures, glue, paint, clippers etc. Or, do I have to go to some web-shop and pick it all out myself?

WH40K - B-4 M1931 203mm Howitzer model kit

2009-09-04T18:23:00.000-07:00

Here's another model kit that would definitely look right on the WH40K battlefield. It's a 1/35 scale model by Trumpeter, of the WW2 Russian M1931 203mm Howitzer.

The tracks aren't powered, they are there to help when the gun was towed over rough, frozen ground. 203mm is about eight inches - that's a big gun, even by WW2 standards. The kit comes with the little trolley for carrying rounds, and a set of large wheels for the towing end of the gun carriage. You would have to do a little work to make it suit 28mm wargaming figures rather than 1/35 scale model figures. Also, being an accurate scale model, the parts would be a bit more fragile than the basic GW kits, when you are physically moving it to and around your games. There were several good reviews of this kit, and the price is about US $70. So, not cheap - but compares well with GW and Forgeworld.

One note of caution - in real life, this gun had a relatively small barrel - 25 calibres - so you might want to modify it for WH40K use. In my opinion the short barrel makes it look more brutal and suitable for the immediate battle, so I would keep it.

WH40K - Opportunity for rethink on Forgeworld

2009-09-04T18:18:00.000-07:00

Late news but when I ordered the Forgeworld items I described below, I made a mistake with my credit card. FW sent a polite message letting me know, but I took the opportunity to rethink spending AUD $500 on toy tanks. Maybe when I get into playing the game more... Until then, I have cancelled the order.

WH40K - Bombard Battery from Forgeworld

2009-07-21T00:00:00.000-07:00

I have ordered three (!) of the Imperial Guard Bombard vehicle kits from Forgeworld, because I want to make a siege artillery battery. They aren't cheap. (In fact they are outrageously expensive) but I have been thinking about them for quite a while and have decided to bite the bullet.

I have also ordered the Trojan support variant of the Chimera, and the Space Marine 'Air Defence Command Platform'. I plan to mount the dish piece on the hull of the Trojan, to make it into a Command Post vehicle.

In the new Imperial Guard codex, the same gun as the Bombard can be seen on the Colossus vehicle - which uses the Chimera chassis instead of the Leman Russ. Apparently the stats are the same (or similar), and this suggests that the Colossus could eventually become available as a plastic kit - a variant of the Chimera. However, I have finally decided that I won't wait that long. Also, I prefer the 'weight' of the Leman Russ chassis - it looks more suitable as an artillery carrier for a gun that big.

The Trojan suits my idea of a command car - the boxy hull is a bit higher than standard, something like the real life M577 variant of the M113 APC.

In the codex, up to three Colossus, Griffon, Basilisk or Medusa vehicles can be taken as an Ordnance Battery, in any combination. This encourages the modelmaker/collector to have a diverse collection, but I like the idea of a battery of the same types. In game, I think I could use the Bombards as proxies for the Colossus. The Trojan would have no particular game value, except possibly as a proxy for a command Chimera, or a Salamander.

As their main armaments are the big guns, which have a minimum range, as well as a maximum, they are actually vulnerable to close assaults. I think this weakness makes a more interesting game - they become as much an objective as they are a weapon.

28mm - Geezers! Shut it!

2009-07-20T02:48:00.000-07:00

I was taking a look at the new Fernvale Specialty Scenics website, and followed some of the links from there, when I found this game based on 1970s British police dramas.

I have included just two photos of the almost 50 miniatures these guys have made - they look great and I intend to buy some. (Compliments to the painters too - good work!)

From the looks of it you could roleplay The Sweeney, The Professionals - even Minder if you were feeling creative (or Life On Mars if you wanted something with a twist). There is an 80's supplement with a Miami Vice feel. It comes with a range of 28mm minis for the game with great sculpting and character names and it looks the dog's proverbials, if yer know wot I mean.

WH40K - Ork Characters

2009-06-30T02:11:00.000-07:00

Here are my plastic Warboss (from the Black Reach boxed set, but bought on eBay) and Boss Snikrot, the special character for Ork Kommandos:

I had converted the plastic Warboss slightly - new boss pole, new claw etc.

I wasn't very happy with Snikrot's paintjob, because he is a quite expensive figure, in dollars and points value. But he is good enough for table top play. I stopped where I did, because I had been considering giving him camouflage on his skin (very unOrky to hide from your enemies like that) but couldn't decide on colours. I want an obvious pattern that doesn't actually obscure detail. Perhaps like the warpaint Arnie wore in Conan The Barbarian.

(Painted figure of Conan by NECA)

WH40K - Games Workshop Deff Rolla Sprue

2009-06-21T01:19:00.001-07:00

Fresh from Issue 47 of the Games Workshop Newsletter:

Incoming! Ork Deff Rolla
Ork Warbosses and Battlewagon krew everywhere have been awaiting the release of the Battlewagon Upgrade Pack since the Battlewagon's release in Janu-Waaargh!-ry - and today at Toronto Games Day, it was finally revealed.Ork Battlewagon Upgrade PackThis new sprue - the first plastic frame to be designed exclusively as a Bitz Pack - includes the mighty Deff Rolla, a lobba, a brutal-looking killcannon and a cheeky Grot rigger. Available to order from the 1st August, make sure you check out the Incoming! article on Monday to see more of this new Bitz Pack.

I think it is a fine construction - certainly a good addition to the Battlewagon kit, and as spiky and dangerous looking as any of the scratchbuilt versions out there. I will be buying one, and finding uses for all the other gubbins that come on the frame. The only concern I have now is that, since building my own version, this one might look a little small.

Ork, Warboss, Battlewagon, Killcannon, Grot, Deff Rolla and pretty much everything else I have written on this post are trademark Games Workshop. Thanks for the cool toys, guys!

WH40K - Ork Stormboyz

2009-06-19T22:37:00.000-07:00

I bought a box of the Ork Stormboyz when they came out and have gotten around to building them. I also bought a few more of the Stormboyz bodies and rokkit packs (jetpacks) on eBay, since I knew I had a lot of leftover arms and weapons.

I have built most of them 'out of the box' and made slight modifications on a few, trying to make each figure unique. I didn't use all of the rokkit pack bits - I wanted to make the rockets single tubes, with a minimal amount of auxiliary gubbinz. So, I clipped some of the smaller details of the small parts and just used whatever was at hand to cover the gaps in the large rockets.

A couple of these guys have bodies made from a regular ork torso with the front ground down to about half thickness, glued to a stormboy front (there are six in the set, although there are only enough other bits to make five boyz). I have also tried to make each base unique, with other pieces of scrap plastic. Obviously not all of them are 'flying'; some are just standing on the ground.

I haven't decided if I will build a 'nob' (squad leader) for them - it might be made out of larger ork pieces, and I might even buy or build a couple of Power Klaw pieces for his feet, to make the character from the Ork Codex - Boss Zagstruk. There is a metal figure of him, but he doesn't come cheap.

WH40K - STOMP-E teaser

2009-06-19T22:34:00.000-07:00

Not really a teaser as I am nowhere near starting work on STOMP-E. I just had an idea for a logo/glyph plate for the model.

It's just a piece of scrap plastic, from the 1/35 landing craft, I think, with a variety of pieces from the bits box glued on. The 'brackets' holding the hammer and axe are made from the twisty wire that came in the packaging for a Transformers toy.

28mm - Resin APC Identified as 'A.T.A.C.' or 'Scarab' by Grenadier/Grendel

2009-05-22T05:49:00.000-07:00

Starting with the info I received from Cyborg Trucker (comments on the previous post) the APC has been identified as a model originally made by Grenadier/Fantasy Forge, and re-released by Grendel.

It was originally part of the Grenadier range of science fiction wargame miniatures and vehicles made in white metal and resin. I believe it was part of the Kryomek game. The fantasy side of Grenadier was Fantasy Forge.

It was re-released by Grendel as the "A.T.A.C. APC", with the model/product number F0007. A few modelling and gaming forums have the number as F007, and some call it the Scarab APC, which is a good name for it.

^ F007 Scarab APC - according to Chronofus. Note that the hull is in more pieces than the model I own. It looks like this one has an upper and lower hull, plus a separate 'front bumper'. Possibly the model in this picture was 'reverse engineered' from an older version. This photo also shows the moulded tow rope that I clipped off my model.

^ F0007 ATAC APC according to the Miniatures Atlas. Note the one-piece hull.

28mm - Can anyone identify this Resin APC in 25mm or 28mm Scale?

2009-05-21T00:14:00.000-07:00

Rummaging through the bits box, I found this old vehicle. I had to search for a while to locate all the wheels. I bought it some time in the early 1990s as a Cyberpunk or Science Fiction APC for Aliens style troops. (I have a lot of 28mm scale modern era and Cyberpunk miniatures for when I played Cyberpunk and other roleplaying games.)

Does anyone remember the game this comes from? The company made resin scenery and vehicles, as well as white metal figures. The theme was an Aliens type universe with a range of Space Marine style figures (armed with guns and flame throwers, and wearing everything from cotton tshirts to full armour suits). These were pitted against a spiky alien species, a bit like the Aliens from the movies, or the Games Workshop Tyranids, except with a tendency to serpentine tails rather than hind limbs.

The vehicle came as a main hull with seven separate wheels (including the spare) and a turret armed with a minigun. It also had some sort of hull weapon, which I vaguely remember clipping out and replacing with some plastic Games Workshop pieces. I also removed a tow cable that was moulded as part of the hull, probably intending to replace it with another spare part. I had spray painted the pieces and painted some of the details dark blue for some reason. Perhaps it was a colour scheme I was using at the time - blue for parade vehicles, desert cam for operational ones.

I gave it a few quick blasts of Tamiya Desert Tan spray - a bit heavy handed as it turns out, but it could easily be sanded down and another coat sprayed on top. The lines are simple but crisp and there is some nice detailing around the vehicle, including suspension and stowage.

WH40K - Ork Kannon from the Bits Box

2009-05-20T23:58:00.000-07:00

Building the Battlewagons and Trukks has left me with some interesting 'bits' to put in the bits box. I put a gun from the Battlewagon on a boarding plank from the Trukk, added some old plastic wheels, and a few 'gubbins to make it go boom'. If I can find enough wheels I will build two more and make another unit of Big Gunz for my Ork Army List (WAAAGH Grabba!)

WH40K - Ork Deff Dread with four CCW

2009-05-16T18:42:00.000-07:00

I bought an Ork Dreadnought (or Deff Dread as they are now called) a long time ago - I think when they were about 60 AUD, rather than the current price of 95 AUD! I never built it, and eventually used some of the bits - the buzz saw blade went to one of my Cyborks, the Burna to an ork boy in the Burna Mob, and the top hatch on the side of my Looted Wagon with Boomgun (originally an old Predator Destructor).

I finally built the Deff Dread with four Close Combat Weapons, because if I left the guns on, it could either shoot or fight, but not both. I would rather that the Deff Dread ran up to the enemy and got stuck in!

The plastic arms are from the Battlewagon kits. The big choppa is from an ancient (1990?) Ork walker thing, made by an Australian company called Inquisition, which I don't think exist any more (No relation to the GW game Inquisitor, or the Inquisition in WH40K). They were crude but imaginative models. The black weapon is the chain axe choppa from a Warboss, and the Grot and hatch are from the Trukk and Battlewagon kits. I think the Grot's head is from the plastic Gretchin box.

WH40K - Ork Flakka Trakk - Some paint and some Krew

2009-05-16T02:07:00.000-07:00

I undercoated the Flakka Trakk with Citadel Black spray paint, and then went over it in Tamiya FS-33 Dull Red spray paint.

I made the driver pretty much standard, with a Burna Boy head (I like the goggles) and a gunner from the Trukk box. The Grot riggers are made from the Ork Grot Mob plastic set, with bits added to the weapons to make them look like tools. The cables are twist ties from the backs of toys - the sort that keep the toy attached to the cardboard packaging.

I will make a Mekboss for the top turret - probably holding binoculars or pointing and shouting at incoming aircraft. I also have to do a lot of weathering, dirt and stowage (ammo and jerry cans, mostly).

Lego - Digital Designer creations

2009-04-19T04:22:00.000-07:00

I bought Lego set 10200 Custom Car Garage which came with Lego Digital Designer software. This is also downloadable from the Lego Factory website (about 100 Mb).

The software is simple and fun to use. You can build from a limited palette of bricks (still hundreds to choose from) and actually order the set you build from Lego. Not cheap but amazing to get your very own Lego design in the post! You can also upload your design to the website so others can buy (or copy, or even improve) it.

Removing 'filters' in the brick collection allows you to use even more pieces and colours - but not upload the design. I guess there is a limit to the number and type of pieces that Lego has alloted for Factory models. You can still save the design, building instructions and pictures of your creations. Beware - homemade designs come out a bit more expensive than the shop bought equivalents, especially when you use intricate combinations of unusual pieces.

Here are a few I have made:

A copy of the rare set 20004 - Indiana Jones Jeep (given away with Brickmaster magazine in the United States) :

A poor substitute for 886 - Space Buggy - released in 1979. (note the limited palette of colours for some of these pieces:

And my first elaborate construction: a Toyota Landcruiser type vehicle for the State Emergency Service:

WH40K - Fireworks Label

2009-03-28T22:49:00.000-07:00

This is a long-delayed post:

In 2007, we bought some fireworks for Cracker Night. The fireworks were mostly Chinese made, with labels that contained various images, presumably collected from the internet and slapped on to make the products cool and exciting. Star Wars, Batman, Predator, etc. My favourite was this one:

So, GW, off you go to China with your lawyers and have a word with these people!

WH40K - Fernvale Specialty Scenics

2009-03-28T20:59:00.000-07:00

I picked up some cast resin scenery pieces from Underworld Games in Ipswich, Qld.

These are made by Fernvale Specialty Scenics. I have found a number of miniature and hobby sites that sell them, but the designer's blog/website is here:

http://fss-resin.blogspot.com/

I bought five of the 'Rock' series and two 'Pond' series.

RF-001, RF-002, RF-003, RF-004 and RF-005.

WF-002 Pond and WF-001 Oasis.

These pieces are approx 10 - 20 cm wide and up to about 8 cm high. They are moulded in dark brown or black resin, with realistic looking rocks and a coarse, sandy/foamy surface for the ground. They look like they will paint up very easily, but I will add a little flock and dirt to the bases.

They do look as if actual rocks have been used as casting material, but I think this is perfectly acceptable. Nothing looks more like rock, and I don't have the time or the skill to find and assemble natural looking scenery and make terrain pieces from it.

The smallest rock looks like a good aiming spot for a firing squad.

The key reason I like these pieces is that they have been carefully arranged to allow WH40K scale (28mm) figures - with bases - to stand among the terrain without toppling over.

The rock pieces would look good in any desert or alien wasteland - add plastic aquarium or home-made plants to make them more like jungle scenes. The large pond could have a chemical tank and green paint added for that 'toxic spill' look. The small pond could easily be used to represent the horror of horrors, the nastiest place in any Ork settlement: The drops...

The smaller pieces in the Fernvale Specialty Scenics range were about AUD 5-6 each and the large ones AUD 8-10 each. Very reasonable in my opinion.

Lego - 8396 Soldier's Arsenal - Built in the bag!

2009-03-28T20:45:00.000-07:00

Like Lego? Bored? Stuck in a confined space but with lots of time on your hands? Why not build your next Lego set entirely in its bag? This one is 8396 Soldier's Arsenal, from the Pirates range, released in 2009.

Obviously this only works if the Lego set comes in a single bag, but a lot of them do - particularly the Racers, the small Creator sets and the single minifig sets. (Impulse sets!)

There is no particular point to this; it's just a way of exercising the mind and fingertips.

WH40K - Test Fit of the Deff Rolla

2009-03-10T00:20:00.000-07:00

I did some test fitting of the Deff Rolla (Death Roller) I was worried that it would be too big for the Battlewagon. Turns out, it is.

However, with the roof and turret fitted, it starts to look less ludicrous. Orks are many things; subtle is not one of them.

WH40K - Deff Rolla

2009-03-07T23:28:00.000-08:00

Every Ork wagon needs one.

The plating came from a variety of sources, including an expired credit card. Some of the hooked spikes are clipped from the power claw of the plastic Warboss.

WH40K - Plastic Warboss - minor additions

2009-03-07T23:24:00.001-08:00

Some further work on the Black Reach Warboss. I added a scope from one of the Ork plastic sets - could have been the Boyz box set - I am losing track of which bits came from where! Also, I replaced the power cables with a pair cut from old headphone wires, and plugged into the grill part of an Ork Slugga.

WH40K - Plastic Warboss

2009-02-23T23:37:00.000-08:00

This is a slight conversion of the plastic Warboss from the Black Reach boxed set (I bought the Warboss and the Nobs on eBay.)

I cut the claws off and replaced them with the horn pieces from the Battlewagon, as well as a horn clipped from the plastic Black Orks banner. His head came from one of the five plastic Nobs from the Black Reach set, with the neck carved so that he is looking slightly to his left.

The original banner top and hairpiece were cut from the bannerpole, and the pistol grip of one of the Sluggas replaced with one from an ordinary Shoota. I also added the top piece from the old metal Nob boxed set banner pole - pinned in place with a bit of paperclip. Lastly I clipped a couple of the spikes off the figure - notably the boots and shoulders.

I wanted to build a tough looking but slightly subordinate Warboss, to add to the "Thraka's Boyz" Apocalypse formation.

Lego - Bride and Groom

2009-02-22T04:03:00.001-08:00

I made a Lego bride and groom (and wedding cake). Photograph by Kate Nutt.

WH40K - Ork Flakka Trakk

2009-02-13T00:17:00.000-08:00

The main body work on the Flakka Trakk is complete. I used most of the hull of the 1/48 KV-1 tank, just gluing it together and sawing it off at the right length. This made the whole car a bit tall, but it looks better in my hand than it does in the photos. I added a couple of cut up deck pieces from the Trukk model at an angle, to give it some bulk and make it look more like an ork construction.

Then I got lazy and made 'baskets' at the back, rather than continue the sloped sides. These can be used for stores or to carry grots. I will probably use the new plastic grots in these, to represent grot riggers.

WH40K - Deff Rolla and Flakk Turret

2009-01-25T21:42:00.001-08:00

Work in progress on the Deff Rolla (Death Rolla) attachment for the Battlewagon:

As I mentioned, I have cut the original rolla into three sections, shorter than the original. I inserted two disks cut from scrap plastic. (The disks were cut with clippers to make a cog/saw blade shape).

Here's the turret for the Flakka Trakk.

It is made from a 1/48 model kit of a KV-1 tank (the WW2 Russian tank with an absurdly large turret), pieces of brass tube and spare bits of plastic, including the aerating tube from an aquarium. I decided that building a turret would be simpler than assembling firing mechanisms for four flakka guns. I will add hatches, battle-damage, grot loaders and other details. I still have to figure out how to mount it on the truck bed of the Flakka Trakk vehicle, so that it has some clearance over the cabin.

WH40K - Battlewagon on Wheels

2009-01-24T20:58:00.000-08:00

Here's the next Battlewagon. The eight wheeled configuration is supposed to be reminiscent of an ASLAV, Stryker or even a BTR-80.

WH40K - Deff Rolla

2009-01-21T00:36:00.001-08:00

A Deff Rolla (Death Roller) is an ork attachment for squashing foes. I found a toy roller which could supply the bits necessary to add a Deff Rolla to a battlewagon or two. A typical Deff Rolla attached to an Ork vehicle can be seen here, at Waaagh Gargunki.

Here's the toy, made by Bruder and bought from the local toy shop for AUD $30.

Bruder Roller toy with GW Ork Nob (Black Reach box set) for size comparison:

Concept comparison - the roller might be a touch too big for the Battlewagon.

I will add spikes, rivets and other details, so if I decide the parts are too big, I might saw the roller into two or three parts, cut out a short section and glue it together around some 'saw blade' shapes:

WH40K - Searchlight

2009-01-20T23:32:00.000-08:00

This is the AFV Club 1/35 searchlight - or Flakscheinwurfer according to the box. It is a detailed model kit of a WW2 German searchlight but I intend to build it as an Imperial Guard emplacement. It may be a freestanding model, or I may put it on a small diorama base as an objective.

Here's a review of the kit from the Perth Military Modelling Club.

It cost about AUD $30 from a local toy shop, which is comparable to Forgeworld Sabre Platform searchlight kit in resin. (GBP 17.60 or about AUD $35 at the time I write this, plus postage.) The Sabre Platform can be found on this page; pics of that kit on various vehicles are here.

Note: I first read the box label as "Flakschweinwurfer" which I took to mean "Antiaircraftpigthrower" or somesuch. The sentiment seemed appropriate.

WH40K - Trukk and Battlewagon Wheels

2009-01-17T06:01:00.001-08:00

There is a slight difference between the large wheels that come with the Battlewagon and the Trukk model kits. They are not quite the same in each kit. Both have the 'round' and 'square' style wheels, but the rear axles on the trukk are a tiny bit smaller than the ones on the battlewagon. Also, the battlewagon wheels have a bit of a raised rim on the inside of the wheel, where the axle goes. This means that the battlewagon wheels are a little loose if they go on the truck, or the trukk wheels are a little difficult to put on the battlewagon axles. This shouldn't be a challenge for even an amateur conversion - just use some imagination and your hobby knife... carefully!

WH40K - Flakka Trakk (and new Trukk)

2009-01-17T00:01:00.000-08:00

Here's the Flakka Trakk so far:

It comprises the track units and rear bed of the battlewagon, joined to the cabin and front wheels of the trukk. Wheel arches and front pieces come from the old plastic war buggy set.

The 'chassis rails' that join the two structures are from the straights and L-pieces in the modular movement tray set. Fuel tank is from the Imperial Guard vehicle accessory sprue. (The wheels and tracks aren't glued on; I will paint the body before attaching them.)

The trukk has been built pretty much out of the box, but with a lot of the spiky bits clipped off. The truck-bed sides from another trukk kit have been cut down to close in the truck bed a bit more. The gaps in the piece behind the cabin have been covered with Forgeworld ork glyphs and pieces of strip styrene.

WH40K - Flakka Trakk (and Trukk)

2009-01-16T23:56:00.001-08:00

Smaller pics for Librarium Online and Work In Progress forum posts.

WH40K - New Battlewagon and New Trukk

2009-01-16T23:23:00.000-08:00

I have started some work on the new plastic Battlewagon - and finally gotten around to putting one of my trukks together.
Here's the scheme so far:

Battlewagon 1 - front cabin, front chassis (four wheels) and part of rear cabin built. Awaiting purchase of other battlewagons, so I can supply this one with four or six more of the same style of wheel. This will be my 'Stryker' style Battlewagon.

Battlewagon 2 and Trukk 1 - cut and shunt to make the Flakka Trakk. Left over bits going into sundry vehicle projects.

Trukk 2 - being built pretty much standard, with a touch of kustomization to distinguish it from other trukks.

WH40K - STOMP-E

2009-01-10T19:12:00.000-08:00

Ideas for Ork Stompa based on WALL-E toy:

- it should be armed in accordance with codex/Apocalypse rules, and WYSIWYG.

- it should be look more heavily armoured around the weapons and vital areas.

- guns and CCW will come from the GI Joe Sigma 6 walker.

- STOMP-E could stand for "Supa Tuff 'Orrible Machine for Poundin' Everyfink".

WH40K - Battlewagon Barmy

2009-01-10T06:21:00.000-08:00

I have gone a bit Battlewagon Barmy and bought a third one, as well as an additional Trukk, to add to my first (unbuilt).
Here's the plan. It involves a bit of the old 'cut and shunt' (vehicle halves being welded together. Very unsafe to do, or indeed say after about a dozen squig ales.)

Battlewagon 1 to lose tracks and be given extra wheels to become wheely battlewagon. Probably an eight wheeler, like an ASLAV or Stryker. Bits from the modular movement tray pack will help restore the chassis here.

Trukk 1 to lose four wheels, and gain tracks from first battlewagon. Add a big gun and it becomes a Flak Trukk. The grot riggers will be falling over themselves to get on board that one.

Trukk 2 and Battlewagon 2 to be built pretty much normal. That way you can see what havoc I have wreaked on the other ones.

Battlewagon 3 to become bitz for STOMP-E (that's the new name for my WALL-E based Stompa. Expansion of the acronym to follow)

I will definitely use the 'jaw' pieces from a battlewagon on the head of STOMP-E, and I might buy the deff rolla sprue from GW direct if and when it comes out.

WH40K - Anticipating the Battlewagon

2009-01-08T17:12:00.001-08:00

I am buying two battlewagons. One will fall victim to my Mekboss genetic imperative and form the outer details of the WALL-E Stompa. The other will be built pretty much normal - although some kustomization is mandatory.

Ideas: Lowering? Biiig exhaust pipes, hot rod style? I am thinking of leaving the 'jaw' piece off and building a death roller (or waiting until the direct-only death roller sprue becomes available from GW)

I have seen the early pictures of the GW plastic Stompa and I am very impressed - but it's not what I want in a Stompa. So, like any Mekboss worth his bolts, I will be going ahead with my own (the WALL-E Stompa). It will have the weapons and gubbinz described in the Apocalypse books, but will be more angular than the 'production' model.

My main critique of the GW Stompa design is that while the body looks well armoured (in an appropriately ramshackle way), the weapons are very exposed. I imagine that a Stompa would be a fire magnet on the battlefield and even the dimmest grotrigger wouldn't want the crucial mechanisms (ie: honking big guns) to fail because of a stray bolter round.

Lego - 8285 Tow Truck for a song

2008-12-27T00:48:00.000-08:00

I found a bargain in the Boxing Day sales: a Technic Lego Tow Truck (set number 8265, from 2006) for AUD $20 at Kmart! It's a big set, and I haven't decided whether to build it or sell it. The box is a bit ratty but it looks like all the parts, instructions and stickers are intact.

WH40K - New Battlewagon

2008-11-23T03:52:00.000-08:00

I have seen the Battlewagons in my local GW store and they do look a lot better than the photos suggest. They are more squat than they look in the pics. They are also very modular: The turret can be fitted on the rear or the cab. The jaw piece hinges, or can be left off, revealing a more conventional truck-like front. Also, the lid comes off the rear section, making it more of an open topped car, and the small turrets and guns are all interchangeable. Price in Australian dollars: $75 or $85 apparently. Touch and go if I will buy more than one. Or two...

Wish list:
- one or two Battlewagons
- one more adding detail to my long postponed second Battlebarge/Tankboat.
- one for bits to add to the WALL-E Stompa.

A thought strikes me: the Stompa should have a stupid joke acronym name like "WAAAGH Attack: Lots 'n Lotsa Enfoosiasm"... I think I can do better than that.

Edit: Cyborg Trucker also demonstrates some deep orky enthusiasm.

28mm - Armorcast Resin Scenery - MegaCannon

2008-11-03T05:28:00.000-08:00

Another company making resin scenery for 28mm and other scales: Armorcast.

They have a great range of figures, scenery and weapons, from which I have purchased the MegaCannon. It looks very impressive in the pics; I will have to see how well it goes together when it arrives.

This outrageous weapon will either become a weapon arm for an Ork Stompa, or an emplacement for the Boyz (or the Imperials. When the fighting gets nasty and the scenery takes some hits, sometimes it's only the graffiti that tells you who owns a particular piece of turf.)

If the Armorcast MegaCannon is good, I might return to their site and buy some of their Soda Can Storage Tanks. These are resin bases and fittings that suit a standard sized (American) soft drink can, turning it into a piece of scenery. As the site says:

Upside down soda/soft drink cans look cool as storage tanks, but what do you do about the depression in the top of the can? Armorcast has solved the problem for you with Soda Can Storage Tank kits. You supply the cans and Armorcast provides a base with recesses for two or three upside down soft drink cans and detail pieces that fit into the tops of the cans. Drink a soda, build gaming terrain and recycle at the same time!

Very imaginative. It's what gamers have been doing for ages, but the resin pieces turn an objet trouvee into a work of art.

28mm - Ramshackle Games - 28mm Postapocalyptic Vehicles

2008-10-31T23:11:00.000-07:00

Increasing my collection of 28mm scale vehicles for Cyberpunk and/or postapocalyptic roleplay, I found Ramshackle Games' Website. I ordered the armoured Quad and the Truck, as a generic transport vehicle for my future world.

I have also decided to paint the second Old Crow Models Trojan in a sort of splintered olive drab/grey-black scheme, a bit like a WW2 Stuka or a modern Swedish AFV.

These pictures are from the Ramshackle Games website, showing the vehicles I bought:

Old Crow Models - Other people's work

2008-10-22T04:52:00.001-07:00

Here are a couple of sites I found where people have painted their own versions of Old Crow Models vehicles:

http://wastedroads.blogspot.com/2007/11/road-warrior-another-update.html

http://marks-minis.blogspot.com/2008/01/old-crow-grav-tanks-preview.html (15mm tanks)

http://brandlin.blogspot.com/2008/01/creating-grymn-force-ii_12.html

and this is a very good painting guide (PDF):

http://www.kevindallimore.co.uk/pdf/web%20THUNDERBOLT_RGB.pdf

If I see any more I will add to this post.

Old Crow Models - Trojan in Digital Camouflage

2008-10-22T04:09:00.000-07:00

Here's the Trojan in Digital Camouflage. It's just Tamiya sprays on masking tape, Citadel black on the tyres and gun barrel and a little Citadel Tin Bitz on the exhaust. A little thinned out black brushed along the panels. Could do with some dirt, and detail painting; maybe some tactical signs or unit markings.

Metamorphosis Alpha

2008-10-20T02:53:00.000-07:00

Another mention for the blog - this time on the forum for Metamorphosis Alpha.
MA is a post-apocalyptic roleplaying game of humans, androids and mutants.

MA4e is the 4th edition of the world’s first Sci-Fi RPG. It is designed to be playable, and not to get bogged down in rules. It is flexible, and values fun over mechanics. The game has been developed by a small team of dedicated Metamorphosis Alpha enthusiasts, supervised by James M. Ward himself.
This game has been a long time coming. The game has evolved a lot since 1976. The new version of the game has tried to emulate the original 32 page book, in that the mechanics are simple and functional. The adventure begins, as per the original, on the Starship Warden, a massive ship that has experienced disaster. Rather than just simple radiation, as in the first edition, the ship has been exposed to radiation, mutation-causing substances and aliens. It is a busy place to wake up in!

Mmm... kill all humans... hey sexy mama... wanna go kill all humans?

28mm - Old Crow Models - Revisiting digital camouflage

2008-10-20T02:13:00.000-07:00

In a previous post I decided I would paint my Baneblade variants in digital camouflage. This idea was dropped due to the difficulty I had masking the digital squares on the riveted, panelled surfaces of the Baneblades. However, it might just work on a couple of the Old Crow models. Time to dig out the old Tamiya masking tape!

WH40K - Stormhammer on Swedish forum

2008-10-12T00:19:00.001-07:00

The Stormhammer got a mention on a Warhammer 40,000 forum in Sweden!
http://tok.sverok.net/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?11510.0
According to the google translation, they were asking each other when a Stormhammer model would be available. One answer was to convert one - and the example given was mine.
Thanks guys!

PS: For those who came in late: A Stormhammer is a variant of the Baneblade. It has only appeared as a production model for Epic scale games, but several people have converted or scratchbuilt their own. Armaments include two x twin linked battlecannon, four or five twin linked heavy bolters and four lascannon. The battlecannon can be substituted with demolition cannon, depending on how the model was converted.

WH40K - Drop Pod Conversion Ideas

2008-10-10T02:28:00.000-07:00

Am I the only person who looked at the drop pod and immediately thought 'space train'? There have been some really great train conversions and builds recently. So, I think the panels and parts of the pod will be very useful in giving whatever I build that Imperial look.
Anyone else got crazy pod conversion ideas? The center engines will definitely go in a new Ork Fighta, and the wing panels could be wings of some sort of super-speeder।

Yes, a space train। In space!
(Actually a train on a futuristic industrial planet. There have been some amazing conversions and builds on Work In Progress)
http://z11.invisionfree.com/Work_In_Progress/index.php?showtopic=13068
http://z11.invisionfree.com/Work_In_Progress/index.php?showtopic=12730

WH40K - Comparing Old Crow Models to Warhammer 40,000

2008-10-01T05:21:00.001-07:00

The Old Crow Models are nicely proportioned 25mm scale vehicles.
Warhammer 40,000 models are exaggerated 28mm scale. Here are some shots comparing the two types:

28mm - Old Crow Models - Basecoats

2008-10-01T04:59:00.000-07:00

Samson Engineer Vehicle
Trojan APC

Gecko Pickup
Goanna Scout
Provider Transport (Crates come off) Rebel Light Utility Vehicle

A while ago I put some paint on the Old Crow Models vehicles. These are 25mm resin vehicles, suitable for near future science fiction wargames or roleplay. I chose the wheeled versions (and all the wheels are the same mould) and went for cars that would be useful in a Cyberpunk or similar world.

All of these vehicles were built "as is". The smaller ones came as an entire moulding, except for the wheels. The larger ones were generally a top and bottom half, as you can also get hover and grav variants on the Old Crow Models website. You also get a few white metal details like exhaust pipes and bumper bars. The Trojan comes with a choice of weapons. I used the autocannon, which comes with a white metal barrel. There are also rocket or missile launcher versions. The Samson's crane turret is about 6 pieces, and I added the hook to the end.

Detail painting is needed; this will happen when I get around to it... like everything else.

WH40K: Warhammer 40,000 Motivational Poster

2008-09-29T04:51:00.000-07:00

A motivational poster (or demotivational poster) for Warhammer 40,000:

WH40K: Imperial Guard Armour

2008-09-27T20:41:00.000-07:00

I have mentioned a couple of times the various combinations of vehicles and weapons that evolved from Project: Bull Grox and Project: Tank With Too Many Guns. (The Baneblade Recovery Vehicle and the Stormhammer, respectively.)

Here are the Leman Russ variants that I made to escort those beasts:

Leman Russ Vanquisher. This is a plastic Leman Russ, with a plastic Baneblade battlecannon.

Leman Russ Vanquisher - Commissar version. Same as the above, but with a mount for devotional readings on the turret and the Aquila plate on the rear deck to inspire the troops following (and protect the Commissar's supply of Tanna brew gear. Crucial for morale.)

Leman Russ Demolisher - built from the box. Originally I had plans to use the Demolisher gun on the Bull Grox but it looked a bit small for the larger tank.

Chimera Manticore - Self Propelled Anti-aircraft Artillery (SPAA). Convertible into a Chimera Tracked Load Carrier (TLC or Tilly). The SPAA is useful in Apocalypse games - but keep it protected because it has very low armour. The Tilly is good as an objective or just scenery. The missile launcher is of course from the Space Marine Whirlwind - but with extra bits added. In fact the large missile mounts are glued on to the small missile mounts to give the launcher extra length. I added plates to the launcher box to make it more IG and less Space Marine. Also, half way through building it I realised that there were no hatches for the crew, so there is now a big door in the back.

Wh40K - Bull Grox pics

2008-09-20T00:06:00.001-07:00

Here are small versions of the Bull Grox pics for posting to the Librarium Online modelling forum and to Work In Progress Imperial Guard Forum.

WH40K - Bull Grox nearly complete

2008-09-19T23:50:00.000-07:00

The Bull Grox - or Baneblade Recovery Vehicle - is nearly complete. I added the manipulator arms - they are pretty much straight out of the WALL-E toy, with a few nuts and bolts added from the tank-traps in the GW scenery kit. (The one with the oil drums and ammo boxes).

I undercoated in Citadel Black and sprayed over that with Tamiya Deck Tan. The strips were already painted on the yellow plastic WALL-E arms, so I just masked with a strip of Tamiya Masking Tape to keep a section of diagonal 'danger stripes'.

Toycollector.com

2008-09-19T23:44:00.000-07:00

This blog has appeared on the Toycollector website. Microfame! Toycollector describes the blog as eclectic, which is pretty appropriate. Thanks for the mention guys!

WH40K - found a body for an Ork Stompa

2008-09-04T03:09:00.000-07:00

I have been collecting bitz like a true Mekboss, just in case one day I have a project that requires some special part I have been saving. Case in point: I have plenty of weapons and bits that would suit an Ork Stompa - but haven't seen anything to make into the body that is more inspiring than a flowerpot. Until now that is.

I found this in Toyworld, for about $40 (Australian dollars). The body is roughly cubical, black and metal details painted on yellow plastic, and the head, arms and tracks pop out. The tracks I will probably keep, the rest of the stuff will have to make room for guns, armour and gubbinz. When? I don't know... but it's in the bitz pile now, ready for the Next Great Project.

Incidentally, while searching for pics of the WALL-E toy on the web I found this. If it isn't a battlewagon, I'm a Squig.

More Old Crow vehicles

2008-07-15T02:58:00.000-07:00

I bought three more Old Crow vehicles.
They are very easy to assemble, because they arrive trimmed of moulding blocks and flash and already sanded. Word of warning though - superglue grabs the resin very quickly and very hard.

WH40K - Project Bull Grox - 90% Built

2008-05-31T07:17:00.000-07:00

Ninety per cent of the work is done on the Bull Grox (Baneblade Engineer Recovery Vehicle).

- double bulldozer blade mounted on a mix of bits, plastic tubing and paperclips.

- hatch and smoke launchers on the front hull.

- Twin Linked Heavy Bolter turrets (from this kit and the one that became the Stormhammer)

- mounts for manipulator arms (still haven't decided on the exact structure for the arms, but they will have large grips like those on servitors as well as a bolter or flamer for 'clearance' work)

- commander, antenna and other bits on the crane turret

- tow hooks on front and rear of hull, and on rear below turret to hold a length of chain (old bracelet)

Still to come are the manipulator arms mentioned above, and plenty of stowage. I might brace up the double fuel drums with plastic strip and put some stowage bins between them. Otherwise I might convert a Leman Russ or Chimera to be the 'stores truck' that follows this monstrosity.

Here are a couple of the Imperium's finest directing combat engineer operations:

I am toying with the idea of 'nose art' in the form of a prehistoric rhinoceros such as the Arsinotherium. I know that in most Warhammer 40 000 fluff, the grox is a sort of big lizard/dinosaur, but I prefer the idea of of a monster rhino with side-by-side horns. The troops could have the head of one of these painted on the side of the hull.

Small version of side view for use in Librarium Online and Work In Progress forum posts:

Lego - Brickarms and Brickforge

2008-05-08T03:54:00.000-07:00

I bought some custom moulded Lego weapons from Brickarms and a few helmets from Brickforge. Here are a SWAT team, some city cops and their plain clothes friends. They are here to deal with a group of miscreants who have some clearly terrorised civilians at gunpoint.

I also committed an act of sacrilege and PAINTED A PIECE OF LEGO!

Ok, it was a hat from one of my two Indiana Jones Lego sets. I have a spare one, since I only need one Indy.

Why would I do this? Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows...

Links to posts on Brickshelf for the cops and the Shadow.

WH40K - Stormhammer Painted

2008-05-04T00:01:00.000-07:00

Here's the paintjob on the Stormhammer.

Short version:

- undercoat of Citadel Black

- heavy drybrush on the tracks of Citadel Boltgun Metal

- base coat of Tamiya tan spray on the tank

- went around the cracks and crevices with a tan coloured felt tip pen

- plenty of dry brushing with Citadel Bleached Bone

- gun barrels and engines in Citadel Boltgun Metal

- a few transfers

- masked off an arrow head shape and dabbed in Citadel Skull white

- went round the arrow shape in dark grey felt tip pen (less successful)

- sponged on some Citadel Tinbitz, Boltgun Metal and other odd colours for that chipped look

- a very light spray of Tamiya tan colour for some 'dust'

- spray of Citadel varnish to keep the transfers on

Overall it still looks a bit sloppy but I think it's good enough for table play. Won't win any Golden Demons, but I have a lot more models to finish and I will stop here on this one.

Small versions of pics for link to Work In Progress and Librarium Online forums.

WH40K - Bull Grox

2008-04-15T23:29:00.000-07:00

Here are the main bits of the Bull Grox (Baneblade recovery vehicle / engineer vehicle / wrecker):

Still not sure about the construction of the manipulator arms. I may cut them apart and extend them.

WH40K - TWTMG painting

2008-04-15T23:24:00.000-07:00

I undercoated the Stormhammer with Citadel black and then Tamiya sand sprays. I tried to paint a digital pattern in olive and dark grey along the hull sides of the hull and turret, but it was a bit indistinct due to my use of cheap masking tape, which left a lot of 'bleeding' where the colours met.
My next bright idea was to outline the digital camouflage squares in lighter shades using paint markers, but the colours did not match the pen lids (too bright) and it was very difficult to get the pen around the rivets on the model.
So, the Stormhammer has been resprayed in sand.

WH40K - Project TWTMG 90% complete

2008-04-02T20:12:00.000-07:00

The Tank With Too Many Guns - AKA the Stormhammer - is 90% complete.

I assembled a couple of crew in their hatches, left separate for painting. I also left the tracks off for painting separately. I also jammed several pieces of foamcard into the hull and under the (broken) turret ring. An old broken file down the middle, and now I can rotate the turret!

I added antennas and spotlights to the turret, but no stowage. The four sponsons on the hulls are standard for a Stormhammer: four twin linked heavy bolters and four lascannon. (So more fire power than four Chimera APCs in the sponsons alone!)

The rear dozer blades were more complicated to mount on the hull than I had expected. The support frames looked very long and flimsy, so I used the two spare Hellhammer guns and a lot of plastic bits to give the assemblies some bulk. The Hellhammer guns have sufficient 'heft' and resemble hydraulic equipment, so it works for me. It also leaves two small Imperial eagles showing for a bit more of a 'Guard' look.

I am considering placing fuel drums on the hull sides, between the sponsons. There is enough room, and as the idea of the fuel drums is that they are used for 'admin' moves, rather than in combat, I don't think they are too vulnerable to enemy fire. (The drums are used for fuel before the vehicle's own fuel tanks, and then dropped before going into combat.)

Next job - paint it and glue it all together. Then it's on with Project Bull Grox - The Baneblade Engineer Vehicle.

Here's the link to the post on the Librarium Online modelling forum.

WH40K - The Tank With Too Many Guns

2008-03-27T20:46:00.000-07:00

I have started the conversion work on the Stormhammer, AKA The Tank With Too Many Guns.

That's the turret. It will sit more centrally on the hull, but it will not rotate. (It will in game terms, but the modelling is too complex for me to make it work on the actual plastic kit.)

I added a demolition gun mount to the hull, for the two glacis mounted battlecannon:

I was not sure whether to use long barrelled or short barrelled battlecannon for these weapons. I have now decided to use short barrels. They will be within the length of the tracks, making this behemoth look slightly more compact. This will also leave me the third and fourth long guns for modification of a pair of Leman Russ tanks. Perhaps the long barrels would look good on a 'tank hunter' variant, with no turret. I don't know - two Baneblades are enough for me.

I also decided I didn't like the single suspension arrangement of the front rollers. It seems to me that the first sharp turn would tear a wheel and half the tracks off. So I have decided to beef up this with parts from one tank. The Bull Grox will have a shorter track arrangement (the tracks are segmented in straight lines, making it much easier to cut them neatly. Good thinking Games Workshop!). Also, the Bull Grox will have dozer blades and manipulator arms, hiding the change to the front suspension.

Lastly, I blanked off the 'shrines' in the engine plating. (Personal preference.)

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Here are small versions of these pics, for links to the Librarium Forums and
Work In Progress.

WH40K and GI JOE = Titan Weapons!

2008-03-22T02:58:00.001-07:00

I found this beastie in a toy store.

It is a walker for the GI Joe Sigma 6 line of small figures (the human figures are about 6 cm tall).

The machine comes as a bipedal walker, with four attachable weapons. The weapons are surprisingly functional - a push-button makes the claws grab, the mace pops forward, and the gatling gun launches safe plastic darts.

The proportions are more heroic action figure than WH40K, but there is serious potential for development into Ork Stompa or Imperial Titan here.

Here's link to the product at the Hasbro website.

WH40K - Old Crow Models

2008-03-20T07:01:00.000-07:00

I purchased three vehicles from the 25mm range on the Old Crow Models website.

Samson Engineering Vehicle (tracked version)

Gecko Scout Car

Provider Transport

They are nice resin models, in a well proportioned 25mm scale. This makes them slightly too small for WH40K, but suitable as scenery, or for use in RPGs, etc, as props with 25-28mm figures. There was no extra resin to carve off, or flash to trim - these are top quality model kits at a reasonable price (ten pounds stirling)

They are moulded in parts - The Samson comes as hull, chassis(which can be different in other models, eg grav, wheeled or tracked), turret and several pieces to make the crane. The Gecko is just car body and separate wheels. The Provider is truck body, wheels, crates. All come with extra details in white metal, including exhausts, tow hooks etc. The website is pretty clear on construction and parts.

(Pics are taken from the Old Crow Models website and are owned by them.)