SotHT: Stairs Based!

After playing around with Gripping Beast plastics for a couple of days, I decided to glue the metal base to the stairs, after all.

GB Dark Age Warriors WIP 4

My in-laws left early this afternoon, so I managed to pull some stuff back out and assemble the swordsman and the spearman.

Using the helmeted head with the big beard, I should have fixed the shield in place before the head, as the shield couldn't get a snug fit.

Note to self:

Dry-fit parts before deciding which combinations to use!

Next step for these is putting some filler on the bases.

GB Dark Age Warriors WIP 3

Some progress.

The helmeted head is from the Viking Hirdmen set.

Dark Age Warriors WIP 2

Got up at 1.15 p.m. so I thought I would continue working on this little batch of plastic men.

There are five minis per sprue, which is a manageable number to do in oine go - I just have to wait for the glue to dry afte attaching the bodies to the washers.

I am doing this batch with mixed weapons, as I intend to initially use them as a small group from a settlement nearby the village of our RPG characters, coming to steal supplies in the night.

I plan to use a helmeted head from the Viking Hirdmen (there are plenty of extra heads in all the sets, which is absolutely great!) set on a guy with a sword, to mark him as leader (and freeman; the others could, theoretically, be thralls).

I am thrilled about the legio possibilities for using these minis, and I think shall get quite a few done over the next couple of weeks!

Dark Age Warrior WIP

I was sleeping until 4 p.m. after working last night, and the afternoon was dry and sunny, so I decided to spend the rest of it in the garden, digging up some of the last potatoes (they seem to be quite all right, although they have been in the ground all winter).

I managed to start prepping and assembling my first Dark Age warrior, after pondering a bit about what size washer to base them on (I really could have used a 21 mm or 22 mm washer, but they do not seem to be available here in Denmark).

I opted for 20 mm, which requires some of the integral base be cut away, but 'levy' infantry like this should not have too prominent bases, I think.

I shall finish this one and do a couple more tomorrow afternoon/evening.

Resistance is Futile!

No idea how it plays, but I am very eager to try it out in a game!

Excuse the somewhat blurred picture - the light plays tricks on my camera today.

SotHT: Stairs Phase Two Completed!

Everything glued in place; I may have to carve a bit here and there, but overall, I am pleased with the result.

I may skip the metal base, as the model is fairly heavy in itself; I have to ponder a bit about that...

Little Men Everywhere!

The current state of our kitchen table:

I washed and rinsed the sprues from all three sets of Gripping Beast Dark Age minis I received today (not the bases, have no immediate use for those).

SotHT: Phase Two Commenced!

I've started glueing the layers.

I expect to finish this process today, but painting will probably have to waint until next week, as I am going to work tonight and tomorrow night, and the weekend is all booked up with a delayed birthday party, and the girls attending a riding event.

Dark Times Ahead!

Got this in the mail today, discounted, and with free P&P from Wayland.

The Dark Age minis are for SAGA, SBH, our RPG project, and alternative LotR minis (Dunlendings, Rohan, Mirkwood humans, Gondor Fiefdom Warriors, whatever....) - everything I buy must have multiple purposes, otherwise it is not viable to spend time and money on.

I am looking forward to try the Borg Tactical Cube in a game of Star Trek: Attack Wing, as the Borg's relentlessness and near invincibility in the series/movies universe has always fascinated me.

Now, back to carving stairs!

SotHT: More Steps!

Got a couple of layers done before going to the post office this morning.

I expect to finish the build today (i.e. carving all the layers, and glue them in place).

SotHT: More Steps!

Two thirds of the steps, and maybe three to four
fifths of the total carving done (the layers get shorter).

I have reached the second step with space for minis, and I'll rest my X-Acto until tomorrow. and watch som Game of Thrones and Rome for therest of the evening.

Oh, and nothing has been glued into place, yet, in case anyone wonders...

SotHT: Stepping up to the Challenge!

Having the day off, I am getting somewhere with my temple stairs.

I started by making a template marking up the metal base I am going to use - for two reasons: 1) it will add weight to the stairs, making them less prone to topple over, and 2) I can store the stairs securely in one of my boxes with a magnetic sheet in the bottom.

After marking up the footprint of the stairs, I cut out the base with a hacksaw.

I have cut and carved the first five layers of 5mm foamboard - the fifth layer will have the first step wide enough for a mini's base (if I have calculated correctly, there should be three such ledges in total), thus I have carved the stone slabs about 3cm into it.

I expect to do at least the next five layers this afternoon, but now it is time for some excercises, a 5km run!

Strawberry Liqueur

The title says it all.

I had a jar with strawberries in vodka sitting in the cabinet since late summer, and I deemed it ripe for filtering and sweetening today.

It is good, though not exquisite - I think that if the berries had been sweeter, the overall result would have been better.

I shall put the bottle in the cabinet for a while to let the liqueur mature a bit.

SotHT: Work has Begun!

I slept until 4 p.m. today, but I managed to ready the dining table and start measuring and making a template for the metal base I am going to make for the stairs.

I may achieve some progress this evening, before going to work, but there is not going to be any quantum leaps until tomorrow (I end my 5-night period this night, so have the next couple of days off).

The stairs are being made of layered 5mm foamboard, with a thin metal base. I plan to carve the foamboard to look like large stone slabs, Membership of LAF oblige, so I have to up my game a bit to earn a place among all those other magnificent projects!

Table Mended!

Got the screws in the wedges replaced today (also hammered the table top a bit to close a gap/crack that had formed between two parts of it).

We bereived the cat of its new favourite resting place earlier today, as we turned the table over for proper use.

Maybe tomorrow I'll get a little work done, there...

Doing some Gardening...

I have to wait for my wife buying some replacement screws for the table wedges (i need torx instead of Phillips, to use my accu-drill), but in the meantime, other tasks can be reported, such as cutting down the last part of our garden hedge, in order to get it to renew itself.

Using my chainsaw, it actually was faster cutting it down than removing the brambles afterwards.

Some tidying up needs to be done, and the wild laburnums growing in the hedgerow have to be digged up or either ditched or planted elsewhere, but that must wait until I have my next 5-days-off period.

For now, I hope that my wife gets the screws tomorrow, while I sleep after working night shift.

Mending the Table

We got the table overturned last night, and an inspection revealed, that not only has the leg come loose, but the tabletop seems to have shrunk a bit in the warm, dry living room, so that some of the wooden wedges holding the top in place against the frame no longer have a grip.

In addition to fixing the leg, I'll have to shift quite a few of the wedges, to secure a stable connection of the top and frame.

But I did manage to get the leg glued in place today (with the help of PVA and a rubber mallet), so I expect to get the table back to fullly operational status tomorrow, or Saturday at the very latest.

Major Obstruction!

Leg placed to support the table

I had planned to start working with the decals for the DreadBall team today, but, alas, the Powers that Be willed it differently...

While I was checking my email, and ordering a few bits and bobs, I noticed that the table (the old dining table in the living room, and on which I conduct extracurricular hobby activities) was a bit wobbly. I investigated the matter, and found the leg where I was sitting a bit askew. I assumed that the table had been pushed a bit by someone, so lifted the table corner to allow the leg to align itself - and it simply fell away!!

There I was, with my laptop in front of me, holding the table corner with one hand and trying to get hold of the table leg with the other...

Luckily, the table is solid oak, and very heavy, so it actually stands on three legs (as long as there is no object in the leg-less corner), so I managed to save the day, but the weight of the table also meant that I could not turn it over by myself for repairs - thus, no further tasks cold be performed on the table.

I placed the loose leg to support its corner, while I emptied the table (we wouldn't have candlestick, vase, and other stuff tilting onto the floor by a freak accident, now...).

Plain to see that something's askew...

My wife is trying to get the kids to sleep right now (it is Pancake Day, or Hvide Tirsdag/Mardi Gras, so we had pancakes with lots of syrup, which is, perhaps, not the best diet just before bedtime...), so I am not sure if we'll get the table overturned this evening.

I need the table space to lay things out on, when fiddling with decals, and cutting cardboard and foamboard for some stair for my Hidden Temple project, so I shall not be making progress until the table is fixed.

In the meantime, I'll try to get some painting done on an overdue sort of 'commissioned' task - but I am entering my 5-night work week tomorrow night, and I haven't had much luck finding painting time after sleeping 3/4 of the day after a night watch.

Well... 'crumbs are also food', as we say around here, and if I can once more make a habit of painting at least one hour each day, I should be able to make some progress, however slowly.

SotHT: Critters Done!

Finally!

With the bases finished on these, I can now turn my painting attention to other pending projects.

Getting Ready for Decals!

Got Micro Set and Micro Sol (and a flat brush for applying the latter) from Frontline Hobby here in Denmark today.

I may try it out on a couple of DreadBall players one of the next days - if I can find the time to do so in between the outdoor chores.

No matter what, I should now be set to get good results when fiddling around with decals, which has always put me off for fear of botching the job...

SotHT: Rebasing some Critters, WIP 3.

Not a whole lot of progress, but still...

Got the Mummy bases basecoated (still wet in this pic):

And sand is being glued onto the Cobra base:

Saturday, I'm not likely to get a lot done, as I have somesome outside tasks that are overdue because of the very warm winter (I have a hedge to cut back, and some big hazel bushes to to cut down, to get both renewed), and in the afternoon we are taking the kids to the cinema for Big Hero 6.

Sunday probably will not see much action, either, as the forecast says dry weather, and I have some firewood outside to move into the shed, and in the afternoon, Lea's choir has a performance at the Shrovetide service in the local church (just across the street), and after that there's a 'barrel bashing' aka 'beating the cat of the barrel' (similat to beting a piñata - an old Shrovetide/Carnival tradition hereabouts).

SotHT: Rebasing some Critters, WIP 2.

Did some work yesterday.

Worked over the bases with filler twice, and filled the base for the Cobra.

I also glued sand to the Mummy bases, but I had to glue some extra sand to a few bare spots today, so no pics, yet.

SotHT: Rebasing some Critters, WIP 1.

Next up for rebasing are these:

It is actually the second time I rebase those Mummies; first time they had their square Metal Magic bases removed, but, alas, I based them on copper coins (Danish 50 øre) instead of washers, so no magnetic properties.

Before:

First step done:

SotHT: Rebasing the Germans, All Done!

Did the finishing touches (added leaves) this afternoon.

Next up are some Mummies, and a Black Cobra. And THEN work should commence on the subterranean temple interiors!

Armed, Dangerous, and Very, VERY Angry!

DreadBall: The Referee!

So, finally the last piece missing (except, now I need to paint a second team to do demo-games).

I did a fairly simple paint job on her:

1. Base Coat, Vallejo Polished Gold + Black
2. Badab Black wash
3. Vallejo Polished Gold heavy drybrush
4. Vallejo Polished God + silver light drybrush.
5. Black touch-up on eyes and hip joints
6. Eyes light grey
7. Cords in hip joints blue, green, and red.
8. Touch up around the eyes with Vallejo Polished Gold, and the Vallejo Polished Gold/Silver mix.

 

No excuses for postponing adding the transfers, then - I shall have to order some MicroSet and MicroSol very soon.

Expenses, expenses...

SotHT: Rebasing the Germans, WIP 4.

A little bit of progress.

I hope to get the bases highlighted later this evening, but no promises, as I didn't sleep well after working last night, so am rather tired.

Afternthis batch is re-based, I need to do some mummies and a couple of snakes, and then it is time to build some stairs to lead down to the Hidden Temple from the surface.

As soon as I have done that, and sorted out the various floor plans, markers, and other features to be found in the sjub-terranean corridors and rooms, I shall start fleshing out the leagues to figure out if I need to paint additional minis to add to the factions.