Saturday Workbench Update

I've been working on my drawbridge piece this week. Today I hit Hobby Lobby for a hobby haul! I'll cannibalize the robot kit for its gears... and everything really.

Terraforming Necromunda 004: The Drawbridge

While working on the sump station project I had an idea for controlling access to the place with a drawbridge. At first I was eager to incorporate it into the sump station, then decided it was better served as its own piece. I got out my notebook and sketched out a few things.

This is the first design I cracked out. You can see the suggestion of the Necromunda bulkheads in the column that supports the bridge. No sooner had I finished this quick scribble than I had the idea to incorporate a few shanties to the base, and an array of spikes and other physical obstacles blocking access to the bridge platform from below. If the Scavvies  could just scramble up then they may wrest control of this vital underhive crossing!

So with that in mind I revised my art, and set to work. I envisioned thicker walls, a near completely ruined structure that has been co-opted into use as a base for this ramshackle bridge above, as well as a group of shanties in the shadow of the bridge.

Now at work we had recently tidied up a bit. One of the things that I saved from the bin was a one by eight sheet of 1/2" thick foamcore, clad with plastic instead of card. I set about cutting it into two foot lengths and brought it home where it wait for a use. Turns out its perfect for this project. I set to work cutting the shapes I would need and then peeling the cladding.

Here is the basic structure of the ruin, held together by cocktail sticks. Nothing is glued at this stage, waiting for the base, a piece of MDF. I drilled holes through the base and secured the foamcore structure with more cocktail sticks and wood glue.

A little further along. It was late while I was getting the base prepped and I decided to carve in a Genestealer cult sigil and a paranoid slogan. The former will be completely covered by a shanty, while part of the latter will remain visible. I'm interested to see how visible the letters will remain after a coat of spackle.

The shanties basic shape are accounted for by blocks of blue insulation foam. Into each I cut a rude doorway and gave each a door frame made of stir sticks cut to size. They are secured to the base and ruins with more wood glue and cocktail sticks.

So next up is the coating of spackle and then detailing the shanties. After that, sand and debris and the base of the drawbridge will be done. I've yet to start on the platform and bridge, aside from the above sketch.

Finally, I'd like to give a nod to The Terrain Tutor, Mel, and his excellent YouTube channel. If you haven't heard of it or given it a look yet, go to it. He used to run a blog called Corbania Prime, and his Imperial Guard stuff is just excellent (fair warning, its been some time since the last update there). Anyway, watching his videos has been inspiring. The board he's been working on most recently for Bolt Action is just beautiful.

Until next time!

Cheers,

CJ

Genestealer Cult 002

Just a quick update on these models, I'm nailing down exactly what I want to do with the rest of the brood here.

Genestealer Cult 001

Nothing major but I got my first seven hybrids cleaned up and assembled.

More xenos scum to follow sooner or later... I'm considering picking up Space Hulk for the Purestrains.

Cheers,

CJ

Good Guy Amazon

So a month or two ago I saw the post on Naftka about the 17$ W&N paintbrush set. I ordered and then cancelled when I saw it was a 4 month wait and furthermore that W&N quality has slid since moving to China. Silly me I didn't remember to cancel the Prime membership I had signed up for with said order.

Today I check my balance and its 99$ low... PRIME!

So I panic a little and call Amazon customer service and the first option is a to cancel Prime. Security confirmation done, push to cancel and get full refund. And just like that I have a email telling me about my full refund.

Thanks, Amazon.

Cheers,

CJ

Terrain: Terraforming Necromunda 003

My housemate got new speakers for his car and as soon as he opened the packaging I knew it was terrain waiting to be realized.

So I set to with some cardboard tubes, foamcore, card, and some plastic grid from light fixtures to make something suitably underhive-y and industrial. I used the coffee sleeves from the 7-11 for the corrugated walls.

As I worked on the project it grew out from my initial vision.

And this is where I'm at with it after about two weeks of crafting after work and in my free time. I'll have another post where I get into the guts of the construction a bit more.

Cheers,

CJ

Happy Hobby New Year 2016

Another new year has rolled around. I made it through another holiday season, terrible Christmas music was only suffered briefly. All in all 2015 closed quietly and relatively uneventfully for this hobbyist.

New job and moving presented serious disruption to my available hobby time in the last quarter of the year. I've got my routine pretty squared away now and will be working to get some hobby work done in the time I have available. I do have all those Betrayal minis to work on, not to mention the assassins and other minis from Execution Force, and my new Knight... and everything else that is kicking around. The pile of gray shame grows ever higher.

These two cultists are the results of my last assault on said pile last year. I plan to add them to the Abhuman Technoheretics and so did them as a colour test. I still don't know what I'm going to do with the Chaos Marine stuff from that box.

Finally, here are the bases for my chaplain, dreadnought, and captain from Betrayal.

So I'm doing stuff again, I'll try to keep the updates rolling as it happens... Last summer I built a Knight and made him modular-ish while maintaining radio silence here. I'll do better.

Cheers,

CJ