Deathwatch 007: Contemptor Update

Just a quick midweek update here. I've been trying to paint a little every night this week. I've got all the silver metallic laid in so far. Tonight I plan to tackle the gold metallics. Once they're done it'll be all about the details and finishing up.

And coming right on the heels of this project is DREADTOBER! It's good to have a community that pushes one another to excell.

Cheers,

CJ

Saturday Workbench Update

It's been a good week this week. I got the base paint on the Deathwatch Conteptor and tackled the build for my Salamander Scout Vehicle.

I've got one week left to finish the paint job of the Contemptor to finish up the Four Dads September Hobby Challenge. I feel good about being able to get it knocked out in a timely manner.

This week also will see the preliminaries for Dread-tober get underway. Joe B over at brokenpaintbrush.com is organizing this year. Get on over there and sign up!

In other news fall arrived in Utah with a TORNADO! I still can't believe it...

Cheers!

CJ

Imperial Armour: Chimera Project v2 001

A couple months ago I posted about using one Chimera hull for many different vehicles. Courtney Hollyoake, who runs the Cadian127th blog, asked me about it and I decided to repeat the conversion and document it.

I started by assembling the main hull of the Chimera. Using a chisel blade, I scraped off the guide lines and drive hub that are exposed.

Next I got all the bits for the crew compartment ready. The compartment hull is made from .030 sheet styrene. The deck plate is a piece of double diamond plate sheet styrene from I don't remember what company. I know I got it on clearance at Hobby Lobby about 4 years back...

The deck is 50mm x 56mm, the diamond plate 48mm x 55mm. The sides are each 28mm x 55mm, and the front of the compartment is 14mm x 50mm. The slot for the Autocannon was cut before the compartment was assembled.

Detailing the compartment I used bits from the Razorback and Rhino kits, as well as from the Imperial vehicle accessory sprue. Floral wire bent to shape provided power lines and grab handles. The comm pack is from Mad Robot Miniatures. A lasccarbine hangs next to left of the Autocannon gunner, Each crewman has a couple frag grenades as well. In the dead space under the Autocannon I placed a toolbox. On top is a copy of the Imperial Infantryman's Uplifting Primer and another lascarbine. The Autocannon mount is 1/8" styrene rod.

Even with a few vehicle accessory sprues I didn't have a turret ring. I used an extra Rhino hatch and modified it so the Heavy Stubber fit.

Here's the finished scout tank. The crew and Autocannon are all loose to facilitate painting the model easier.

Mr. Hollyoake also informed me that FW no longer produces the Salamander, so I hope this helps anyone who wants this tank in their army.

Cheers,

CJ

UPDATE: I forgot to include where I got the idea for this build: Black Gobbo. Remember that?

Saturday Workbench Update

It's been a slow week. I think all I really got done was to get sand on the bases of the new Platoon Command. Oh, and a base coat on the base for the Deathwatch Contemptor.

I need to knock out my dreadnought for the Hobby Challenge since next month I want to take part in...

I'll have some updates soon.

Cheers,

CJ

Deathwatch 006: Ready for Paint

This conversion is ready for a basecoat.

With the left over putty from the text tutorial, I sculpted a purity seal over the thin spot on the pauldron text. Then I set the arm aside and moved on to the body.

I mentioned before this the BaC Contepmtor was an ideal candidate since it has the ornamentation similar to the Relic Contempor. My all Techmarine army uses Iron Hands chapter tactics on the rare occasions it sees the table top. Deciding that this Contemptor could be an Iron Hands Deathwatch veteran, I took a look at the Iron Hands Contemptor on FW to see what I might add and decided on the bonding studs. I marked out a pattern, drilled and countersunk holes, and used steel sewing pins. The right pauldron got ten studs and an Iron Hands sigil.

With a little deconstructing a train wreck of a base was converted to one that works really well.

I am good at fixing gaps in models and sculpting purity seals. This whole arm was definitely a challenge. I'm glad I decided to try, and am pleased with the results overall. I look forward to trying my hand at more new things in future projects.

Cheers,

CJ

Saturday Workbench Update

Good week this week with getting the Deathwatch Contemptor ready for paint. I've got the base done now, too. I think the next one I might work on that static pose.

Looking forward to next week I'm going to be painting my Dreadnought and Drenn Redblade. Also I have the new Platoon Command I knocked up to base and paint still.

Cheers,

CJ

Deathwatch 005: Sculping Text

MasterSlowPoke asked me in the comments to the last installment of the Deathwatch Contemptor how I go about sculpting the text in the greenstuff. Here is a brief tutorial on how I went about the process for the single line of text on the Contemptor forearm.

First I marked out where I wanted the text to go. Using a sharp blade and a file I carefully removed a channel about 1/32" deep and 1/16" wide.

Once the channel was ready I mixed a bit of greenstuff and rolled it into a tube, then worked it into the channel. Using the edge of the blade on my sculpting tool I marked out the blocks for individual letters. Next I used a pick to make indents in the blocks. If you squint it says +ORDOXENOS. My tools for this are pictured above, the standard GW sculpting tool and a dental pick.

For the lines of text on the shoulder pad I performed basically the same process. I ended up with what looks like lines of text.

I hope this helps anyone who has a Deathwatch conversion, or Astartes army for that matter, in mind.

Cheers,

CJ

Score: Found Gears

I found these gears in the shop yard. I've got a couple ideas on using these in some terrain in the future. It always pays to keep an eye out for great found objects.

Cheers,

CJ

Saturday Workbench Update (Sunday Edition)

It's been a long week While I did get some work done on my Contemptor conversion, I didn't get the update posted until yesterday, and since then I've got some more work done. This week I hope to get the rest of the sculpting done and move onto paint.

My cat has been helping me keep sane during this last week. This fuzzy little monster does wonders for me.

Cheers,

CJ

Deathwatch 004: Dreadnought Conversion

As I stated previously, I'm participating in the September Hobby Challenge as presented on fourdadsoftheapocalypse.blogspot.com. Ive been meaning to post my progress sooner this week but it's been a tumultuous one. Enough about that, though.

First thing I did was put a piece of floral wire in place to mount the arms. Now I can put it together and look at it, instead of having to hold everything in place while I ponder hobby philosophy ;)

The most distinctive feature of the Deathwatch is, after the black and silver power armour, the left arm and especially the shoulder pauldron. The BaC Contemptor comes with some ornamentation to it, so I focused on the arms. I made the pauldron's gardbrace and the couter out of .020 sheet styrene. The cog tooth pattern on the right arm was made from a stick of .030x.060 styrene stock and careful trimming.

Then I broke out the green stuff and very carefully set to creating the pattern of lines of text on the pauldron. I did my best, and I think it will pass the all important three foot test. I'll build up the text one face of the shoulder at a time then come in with successive layers to finish the Deathwatch insignia. I'll also sculpt the skull and starburst on the couter.

Paint hides a multitude of sins XD

Cheers,

CJ