Magnus...Ashlynn...Pendrake...oh my!

Ive been busy attacking my unpainted masses! As per the usual disclaimer, I havent decided how to base them yet(so dont nag the basing!) and theres still some details I have to pick out.

The E-Magnus I got in a trade with the 'conversion' done on him already. I didnt feel like mangling his hand further to get the jack head pried off, so I cleaned it up as best I could. A bit too much glue had been used so theres been some detail loss on his cyber-hand. but all in all it turned out alright.

Pendrake was kinda fun, lots of contrasts in textures, cool specs and a good sculpt to work with. PP has really evolved thier level of product over the years.





And for the record, I kinda hate the Ashlynn fig. I did a minor repose on the arms so it looked less retarded. But then once I started painting....I really, really, dont like the sculpt on her face. PP- PLEASE give us a resculpt of her soon!!!

And p-Magnus, simple and fun to paint up.








Some new tricks I used on all of these, was my first foray into wet blending on the various capes. That was the biggest reason for the array of colors used, I wanted to experiment :D Also, when taking the pics, I noticed the metals were really popping out. This is because I tried mixing a drop of Vallejo Air metals in with the VMC metalics and P3 cold steel Ive been using. Really adds alot of sheen and I think its something Im going to keep doing.

All in all Im quite happy with them for a monday nights worth of painting along with 6 steelheads ^_^

Saturday Sculpting trick- Power cables!

Ok, we've all been there- a really sweet conversion idea for some space marine- but alas, those dang expandable cable/hose bitz are missing and leave the guy looking half done!

But- worry not lads- Ive figured out a pretty simple method to make your own hoses! It takes just a few minutes of practice, and next thing you know youre looking for models to start slapping even more of those cables onto lol

First off- I made a simple little tool for this. What do you do with your old exacto hobby blades? If you said 'I save them to make my ork and chaos conversions uber 'Ardcore!!' go take your meds and get a tetanus shot.

If you answered 'I wisely save them because you never know when they might come in handy...' you are wise! Because now you need them!


What you're looking at there- is some left over blades, lined up side by side and glued together with some nifty CA glue. The more of them you have- the wider your tool will be(hence a bit faster).

Now- I dont have a way to take pics without both hands, so I cant yet get pics of the items in use. But its pretty simple.



Roll out some putty, green, grey, whatever stuff you have. Im using sculpey for this tutorial because its easy and Im lazy.

Roll it out into cylinders/rods that are just a bit bigger around than the cable you wish to make.

Now, for small cables you use the exacto-tool, the blades are closer together and make the ribbing on the cable smaller. My cam doesnt have a macro setting so this is the best pic I could get of the quick results:



I might hit that with a quick wash so the detail is more apparent- but for now thats what you get ;)

For the bigger cables, like dreadnaught sized, I use the tool I made out of old razor blades. The wider spacing on the blades works really well for this.



Now- the technique is pretty simple, and works best if you have let the putty settle in a bit so its a bit firm. Then you just gently press down with whichever tool you're using, and roll it across the putty cable. Pushing hard enough to press into the putty, but not enough to flatten the cylinder shape so it wont roll under the tool. If you want to make the ribs a bit more noticeable, after you have the grooves set into the cable, make a second roll and just pressure a bit to the side when rolling the tool.

So, the duller the blades are, the better this will work since the ridges will be more pronounced. Now, get out there and save those blades, make your cables, and show that you have the power to cable up your troops gear!

This is the first of my Saturday Sculpting tricks, it wont be the last, and I'll try to get one out every week or two. And if youre lucky maybe even weekly ^_^

Let me know what you think- or if you have an easier/cheaper way to make these cables!

New weekly features ahead!

So, now that it only takes me a few minutes of minimal effort to get pics posted up Ive decided I can get some weekly articles up.

Ive been doing this hobby & gaming thing for a long time, and even with the plethora of great blogs out there- I still dont see alot of things I do covered. So, maybe sharing the way I do things can help some people out or give them a light bulb moment of their own :)

The first thing Im going to do- is a tool post. Im going to grab some generally obscure piece of gear outta my kit and tell you all about why I think its worth the money, how I use it, and some basic safety(but Im not extensive source for safety matters- so any missing digits or limbs are not my fault!). Depending on the response to a particualr item, a full blown tutorial may follow :)

The next feature- is Going Green! I've been doing my modeling a certain way for so long, I never noticed that most of the stuff I use is sort of recycled in some form. So, since people like saving money some of my ideas might help pinch the pennies needed for that squad or warjack you've been wanting :)

At random intervals I'll drop in a sculpting tidbit since I have some tricks I havent seen posted elsewhere. And if anyone likes a particular way I paint something I may be convinced to do a tutorial of some sort.

And, like other blogs, Im considering some random give aways. Probly when I hit certain levels of membership and if I get enough responses & comments to keep me motivated ^_^

Big Bada-Boomhowlers!!

Finally, Im getting some content up! The last few months have been a bit insane, but thats done for now I hope ;) I got a shiny new phone that makes getting pics posted pretty simple and painless, so along with getting pics of my painted figs up Im planning on doing some Tool & Gadget articles and maybe even some tutorials for stuff that doesnt get much coverage.

Anyhow- onto the Mercenaries!