Figure Sculpting: Slotted Base Jig

I recently had to sculpt a figure and add a strip to the base of the figure that would fit into a plastic “slotta base”. Normally, I would use a pre-cast metal strip (I received a good supply of them from my caster many years ago), however I ran out recently and I haven’t had a chance to get any more. So I ended up sculpting the strip myself from my sculpting putty.

This led on to the idea of putting my initials and date on the strip as a kind of signature, as is often seen on figure bases. It is very difficult to sculpt text neatly and quickly. Also it is far easier to “write” the text into soft putty rather than to build it up on the surface, even though the built up text does look more attractive.

This got me thinking, first off I tried writing the text into some putty, letting that set and then pressing some more putty into it to get the reverse (press moulding). It worked reasonably well, but still had that “hand sculpted” look, not as slick as I had hoped. Still the process worked, but how to improve it?

At this point I turned to my laser cutter (as I am doing more and more these days). The “Deep Engrave” setting for acrylic seemed like a good place to start. So I designed a little set of plates, a base plate with Iron Mammoth Design written in reverse. A middle plate, with a cut out 3mm x 20mm (a good standard size for a slotted base) and a top plate with 2012, also written in reverse. I cut the plates, and some locating lugs out of 2mm acrylic sheet.

Then I glued the lugs to the sides of the base plate. Before putting the putty into the mould, I lubricated it with some Vaseline (Petroleum Jelly), to aid removal once set. Then I  fitted the middle plate and pressed some putty into the cut-out section. I smoothed it in well, and just left it a little proud of the surface. Finally I pressed the top plate (with 2012 on it) into the top surface, squeezed it nice and tight and left the putty to set.

The cut-outs at either end are there so that you can put rubber bands around it. You don’t need the while the putty is setting, as it holds the whole thing together, but it is handy when storing the jig.

For a first attempt I am very pleased with the results. The text is raised and easily readable. I might increase the font size a little for the IMD side as it could be slightly clearer, but in general it works perfectly.

I can see this being quite useful for a lot of sculptors, especially the individual and freelance ones. It is cheap and easily made, I can change the text very easily, so for example I can make a new “year plate”…

Any one who is interested in trying this out, please email me and I will see what I can do!

Model Making: Futuristic Building WIP

After the fighting pit I felt like a bit of a change of pace. I wanted to make a building that is simple and without too much fussy detail, but is still eye catching!

I had an idea for a building that would pass for a retro 60's style prefab and also work in a sci-fi setting.

I have knocked out this rough first model just to get a feel for it! I think it's coming together well!
I want to do some more work on the roof, and also do some different interiors.  I also neef to add steps at the back and a railing at the front.

I see it being used as a series of buildings for everthing from science outposts to holiday resorts.  It even struck me that it would make a good life guards station!

Model Making: 28mm Scale Fighting Pit (or possible a Raptor Pen)!

The Barbarian King’s Hall was very well received, although quite a few people ask for the doors to be scaled for 28mm figures. So, as it seems to be the preferred scale I have made the latest model at that size.

Moving on with the barbarian village theme it occurred to me that no right minded barbarian chieftain could be with a fighting pit as a way of keeping his tribe entertained (and disposing of enemy captives).

While I was designing the model it also struck me that it would be just as suitable in a Post Apocalyptic environment and also possibly would double as a dinosaur cage for those intrepid big game hunter who like to visit the odd lost plateau, an ancient Martian civilisation or possibly even Mordheim.

The string I have used in the photos is a little over scale, so I think I will replace it with some thick thread, or if I can find it some fine chain…

The dowels I used as bars at the top of the pit are 2mm diameter and are acquired from long handled cotton buds used for cleaning the laser cutter.

This is one of the simpler kits I have produced but I think it is also one of the more effective!

Addendum:

As usual I didn’t have any figures handy when I took the first batch of photos. Anyway I have added these for a better idea of scale. The figures are 25/28mm!

Model Making: Laser Cut Barbarian King’s Hall – more photos…

I was very pleased with the reception that the photos I posted yesterday received. There were a few requests for photos with a figure in, so as to get an idea of scale.

So here are a few more photos, I didn’t have a 15mm figure handy so I have used a GW Lord of the Rings figure, as everyone should have an idea as to how big they are…

As you can see, scale wise the building works quite well with 28mm figures, it may not be a huge King’s Hall, as was intended for the 15mm scale, but it makes a reasonable scale house.

The rear door definitely shows that it is aimed at 15mm though, unless it is the Dwarf/Halfling entrance…

For those that have enquired, I am looking into the best route to start selling my laser cut models. Please be patient as I sort out how I am going to do it. If you don’t have any patience, then you can always email me and I will do my best to arrange something for you…

Model Making: Laser Cut 15mm Scale Barbarian King’s Hall

After being smitten by Mark Copplestone’s 15mm Barbarians and deciding to go with them as my new project I immediately started to think about terrain. I do have some plans brewing away in the back of my mind and while they develop I knocked up this building.

It’s not perfect, I still need to refine a few things on it (especially the roof). Also, I am going to add a throne and a fire pit. Still I thought it was worth putting an update on the blog.

Actually from the front there is nothing that stops this working fine for a 28mm building, it is only the rear door that shows it to be 15mm scale. Of course once I have added the 15mm scale throne it will become even obvious what the scale is!

Here you can see the view through the front door, with the roof in place. The model is designed to have a lift off roof, ideal for skirmish games!
The columns holding the rood up are laser cut, but with a length of dowel running down the middle, I wanted to experiment with this to see if it would add something of the 3rd dimension to the very flat nature of the laser cutting process.

In this photo you can see the rear half of the hall. My next task is to add a fire pit in between the columns (with a smoke hole in the roof), and a throne at the far end of the hall.

This is the roof, once removed from the hall. The rafters sit on to the tops of the columns, which can  be seen when looking through the front door.

Finally a couple of more views of the front of the hall. The engraving I have used is a mix of Celtic and Pictish design, suitable for a good Cimmerian village hall! Running around the base of the walls are a couple of layers of stones, this is then carried on through the interior floor which is flag-stoned!
I think this building will become the basis for several future projects, as with a little conversion it will fit into several periods and styles.

Note:
I have  posted some photos with a figure (28mm GW LoTR) to give an idea of the size of the hall! Check them out HERE!

Interesting Model Painting Tool

I recently found this neat little app for my Android smartphone, called Hobby Color Converter, it lists ranges of acrylic paint available from Tamiya, Revell, Humbrol and just this week they have added Vallejo.

Not only do they have lists with colour swatches, but the app also shows the comparable colour paint available from the other three manufacturers.

I haven’t actually used the app while in a shop looking to buy a pot, but I will be keeping it on my phone, with anticipation that it may well come in useful…

If you use any of these brands of paint it is well worth checking out!

Here is the link to the Android Market page LINK

That time that all wargamers dread–rationalising your collection!

Recently I have been very busy, between a commercial sculpting project, putting together a new website for my pal Sholto at Scheltrum Miniatures (I did their old website as well, but it hadn’t been updated for a good few years) and my full time day job is at it’s busiest at this time of year too. Consequently I have had very little time to do any painting or terrain work since Christmas. While working on these other projects I have had plenty of time to consider my collection, decide what I want to paint next and make a few decisions about reducing my lead mountain to a slightly more achievable size.

I have started by listing all of the armies and projects I have started over the years and still have stored away ready to finish, as well as simply listing them  I have included a ranking based on my current interest levels.

Project	Priority
28mm Pulp Sci Fi	10/10
Weird War	8/10
40K Tau	5/10
Steampunk Skirmish	5/10
Shieldwall/Saga Vikings	2/10
20mm WW2 British	5/10
Sci Fi Terrain Project	10/10
28mm Samurai Skirmish (Perry Miniatures)	4/10
Necromunda	4/10
Mordheim	4/10
40k Kroot Army	7/10
28mm “Fantasy Mongols” (Ebob Miniatures)	5/10
Warhammer Dark Elves	3/10
40k Dark Eldar	5/10
Crimson Skies (metal models not the later plastic collectibles)	3/10
Confrontation Barbarians	2/10
Sudan British Colonial (Camel Corps. etc.)	6/10
Ancient British	5/10
6mm Sci Fi	4/10
28mm Post Apocalyptic Skirmish	5/10
28mm Fantasy Skirmish	6/10
15mm Sci-Fi GZG Kra’Vak	8/10
15mm Sci-Fi CMG Praesentia	9/10
15mm Sci_FI CMG ARC Fleet	10/10
15mm Mongols	3/10
15mm Barbarian Wars	7/10

There are several factors that I have tried to include in my priority score, firstly my current level interest, then completeness of my forces, and finally the possibility of my actually using them. This last one springs mainly from the fact that I don’t wargame regularly and I am not in a wargames club at the moment, my armies are based more or less exclusively on whatever I fancy doing rather than on what fellow gamers are playing at the time. I periodically consider joining Aberdeen Wargames Club (lack of time usually holds me back, but eventually I will get around to it), and so I intend to hold on to the obviously popular forces (28mm Ancient British, Sudan British) so that I will have something to use when I do get around to joining them.

Working my way down the list I will try to explain my thoughts on each genre.

28mm Pulp Sci-Fi Skirmish This is always going to be a favourite of mine. I just love the Hydra Miniatures range, they are so evocative of the 1930’s to 1950’s Sci-Fi art. I have big plans for terrain, buildings and even more figures with this one. It will always be skirmish rather than large battles, as I think it suits the genre much more closely!

28mm Weird War  I can probably put together enough forces for a skirmish game. I enjoy the genre and have some plans for scenics and terrain that I know I will enjoy building and will also be usable for the Pulp Sci-Fi games.

40K Tau I bought into the Tau when GW first released them, even played in a couple of tournaments that GW put on in Edinburgh (didn’t win much but I enjoyed the days – I have never been particularly competitive anyway). I have enough Tau to build two or three 40K armies, partly due to Jeff giving me his Tau army when he was clearing out a few years ago. I put a lot of time into putting together my basic Tau army, converted every figure in a couple of the Fire Warrior squads etc. I still love the look of the figures and the vehicles, and to be honest I have always preferred a “shooty” army when I am playing 40K. So I wont be getting rid of these, although I may thin out a few of the spares…

Steampunk Skirmish This has been a period I have wanted to develop for a long time. I have read a lot of steampunk books over the past two or three years, which have fuelled this, but it goes back a decade or more to when I was sculpting VSF figures for Scheltrum Miniatures, and helping them develop and playtest their as yet unpublished VSF rules. As it is I don’t have many steampunk figures, three 54mm figures and a couple of 28mm one. So, as much as I want to try it I am probably going to side line this project. I’ll hang on to the figures I have, and possibly buy a few more, but purely for painting and modelling purposes.

28mm Vikings I could say the same for the Vikings I have. 60 or 70 Foundry Vikings that I have sitting the box they came in... Now, unless one of my gaming buddies, Jeff, talks me into playing Saga, I  can’t see myself ever using them. My army is far from complete and I don’t see a time when I will want to paint them. So it seems like a good time to part with the Vikings while Saga is drawing so much attention to that period!

20mm WW2 British I have quite a large collection here, both figures and vehicles. Definitely in need of thinning out, but the core is worth hanging on to.

Sci-Fi Terrain Project I am part way through creating a series of terrain boards, buildings, scenics and other items that will represent an alien planet. I am aim for this to be usable for both 28mm and 15mm (at least most of it). So this is a top priority project and will remain so for a long time to come.

28mm  Samurai Skirmish I have always wanted to have a go at a samurai game. I can’t see myself doing a fun size battle, but I already have enough Perry Miniatures Samurai, so this one will stay on the back burner, but I don’t plan on getting rid of them at the moment.

Necromunda and Mordheim I have both sets of rules (and of course they are free to download from the GW website now). I have played Mordheim a few time and really enjoy it. Never played Necromunda, but I imagine I would enjoy it as well. These two projects are both related to the later listing of Post Apocalyptic Skirmish and Fantasy Skirmish. Any figures will be interchangeable with those projects and I don’t have any of the official figures from these games anyway, just the rules and scenery etc.

40K Kroot Army I bought into the Tau because I liked the look of the Kroot so much. When GW brought out the original semi-official army list that was it I immediately started to convert up an entire Kroot army. Far from finished, but still much loved. I wont be parting with this one…

28mm “Fantasy Mongols” Ebob Miniatures produced this range of miniatures a few years ago, before GW had released their own range of LOTR Easterlings. I picked up the infantry and Cavalry army deals. I have not done anything with them, but as I have always been interested in the Mongols I wont be getting rid of these either…

GW Dark Elves I have been collecting GW’s Dark Elves since the very first pre-slotta based ones were released. I didn’t like many of the early slotta based ones but when Chris Fitzpatrick did the re-sculpts for the re-launch I started picking them up again. So I have a large collection across at least three distinct styles. I doubt I will ever field a whole army (although it is the only complete fantasy army I have now), so chances are, I will get rid of most of these and just retain a few choice figures for use with a fantasy skirmish game or Mordheim.

GW Dark Eldar When GW launched the Dark Eldar, back when they were included in the box with the rules. All my pals got rid of their Dark Eldar, so I acquired a large force for virtually nothing. I added quite a bit too it and had everything I needed to field a full size 40K army. I have also more recently had a small army given to me so, making my DE force even bigger. I don’t have any of the newer designs, they are all 1st ed. DE, but I will probably hang on to them as opposition for my Kroot and Tau armies.

Crimson Skies I have the original FASA rules sets and about two dozen of the original metal planes. Being pulp based I like the background fluff. I also like the FASA rules which share much with their Renegade Legion Centurion Sci-Fi Ground combat rules. These are in a limbo state in my mind, I like it and will probably keep it, but if someone made me a good enough offer I would probably part with it!

Confrontation Barbarians Not a lot to say about these. Beautiful figures, I have a reasonable size force of them including their minotaurs, amazons, giants etc. but a dead system! I have an awful lot of 28mm barbarians, from various manufacturers, these are just lumped in with the rest now. Will I ever do anything with them, well maybe but I doubt it.

6mm Sci-Fi Another system I have had plans bubbling at the back of my mind! I have Future War Commander and also Renegade Legion Centurion. The actual models don’t take up much space and wont take much painting, so chances are I will keep them, but on the other hand, I don’t hold any particular urge to run out and game with them…

15mm Sci-Fi Anyone who has read this blog for a while will know I am very much into 15mm sci-fi at the moment. No chance of these disappearing anytime soon.

15mm Mongols As I mentioned earlier, I have a keen interested in this period of history, I’ve read several books on the subject etc. However, I am starting to think I will never do anything with these. I have a large collection from several manufacturers, Irregular Miniatures and Museum Miniatures for a start. Probably about time I moved them on…

15mm Barbarian Wars I took quite an extensive look at 15mm barbarians in my last blog post, but I have since found the carrier bag with all my Demonworld Orcs in it. So the plan for buying some Copplestones 15mm Barbarians and doing an REHoward style game has evolved a little into barbarians versus orcs. I am planning on building a terrain board around 3 or 4 foot square, possibly in square tiles that can be rotated to create different configurations. Something with a very Cimmerian feel, possibly with a hint of mythical Celtic Britain...

Now I need to sort through my store room (for that read garage) and organise all of those figures etc. into separate boxes so that I can find them a little easier. No doubt I will find other treasures that I have forgotten about!

Next I will have to start Ebaying off the stuff that rates a 1 or a 2 out of 10 on my priority scheme. I will also have to do some hard thinking about the 3s and 4s…