Tools

Tools: Gamecraft Paint Racks

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I’ve been using some Ikea storage boxes to hold paint, but I’ve wanted to upgrade for some time.  I’ve out-grown the number of boxes I had, but Ikea stopped selling that particular one.  I wanted some kind of rack, and after shopping around, settled on the ones made by Gamecraft Miniatures.

These aren’t the sexiest of all the options, but I like that they are available in a lot of sizes (I also have Tamiya paints, which I may want to put on racks later) and is located in the US (which means reasonable shipping).  That gives me confidence that I can expand later if needed.

They warn that there’s a 5-15 business day waiting period, since kits are made to order.  I got the shipping notice very late on the 15th business day.  I was definitely getting impatient, but it was (barely) within the promised window.

Rack, assembled
Rack, assembled

The instructional YouTube video is worth watching.  This was my first time using CA accelerator.  I let the guy at the store talk me out of getting an needle applicator bottle.  This ended up being a mistake.  I sprayed the stuff all over the damn place, including my hands.  It still worked, though.  I wouldn’t want to have tried to put it together without the accelerator.

Rack, filled with washes
Rack, filled with washes

All in all, I was able to assemble the three dropper bottle (26 mm) racks inside of an hour.

Paint racks, all laid out
Paint racks, all laid out

I thought I was going to lay them out all in a line, but I think I like the angled approach after all.  I’m kind of kicking myself for not buying the 45º bend pieces, so there may be a followup order sooner than I thought.

Random Rursday, Reaper

Random Rursday: Wench with Mugs

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On Thursdays, I like to take a break from my army projects.  Instead, I try to do something that I can start and complete all in one evening.

Today I was finally able to do the Wench with Mugs.  This is one of the townsfolk models from the first Reaper Bones Kickstarter.  This time, I didn’t try to just use washes.  It worked out a lot better.

The primer I used for this batch (OSH White Primer) seems to have left a bit of a sandy surface texture.  I’m pretty sure I did it in decent weather (<60% humidity, >60ºF is my target), so either I did it wrong (held to close, maybe?), or the product is just unsuitable for modeling.

Wench with Mugs

Updated December 2017 with improved images.

40k, Inquisition War, Spin-o-matic, Ultramarines

Inquisition War: Deathwatch Kill Team

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As part of the Inquisition War campaign over at Endgame, I decided that Inquisitor Volta should call on a favor from the Deathwatch.

In the fluff, the Deathwatch is an extra-bonus-elite set of Space Marines, with individual members coming from different chapters.  I wanted these guys to be badass, so everybody needed a sculpted shoulder pads.  This meant a combination of bits from my stash, Ebay, and the Deathwatch shoulder pad set from GW.  Most of the rest are from the plastic Sternguard kit.

The bases are all Secret Weapon’s Urban Streets set, with some of the static grass I use on the rest of my Ultramarines.  That ties them both into the Marines army, and the Inquisitor and his retinue (which get Urban Invasion bases).

Brother-Librarin Joab of the Genesis Chapter

Joab is the Dark Vengeance librarian, the first I’ve actually used from the set.  I scraped off the DA icon on the chest and printed out a decal for the Genesis Chapter.   I also swapped out the Dark Angels shoulder pad for a metal Deathwatch one, although you can’t really see it in the picture.  That means that this dude has a blob of ProCreate  as an upper arm.

Brother-Captain Garran of the Red Scorpions

For some reason I really love this head.  It’s like the perfect combination of Picard and Riker.  This head alone sold me the Sternguard kit.  Garran’s chapter shoulder pad is an individual bit from one of the Forgeworld sets.

Brother from the Mortifactors

This guy’s skull shoulder pad is a green stuff experiment.

Brother from the Salamanders

Another Forgeworld individual bit on the shoulder.  He’s also magnetized to take the heavy flamer.

Brother from the Space Wolves

I originally didn’t have a Wolves head, so he was helmeted.  I thought he looked a little tame, so I traded some bits with my friend Ann to get a proper space viking head.  The legs are Sanguinary Guard.

Brother from the Iron Hands

This guy may be the most expensive of the set.  He’s got an Iron Hands shoulder pad and torso front, as individual bits from the GW upgrade set.  He’s got the Deathwatch shoulder pad plus Deathwatch bolter.  He’s got a Mk2 Iron Hands bionic arm from Forgeworld.  Plus, he’s got a bionic leg I cut off an old metal metal inquisitor (it seemed appropriate).

I noticed after I had attached it that the bionic leg was a few mm longer than the other one.  Fortunately, one of the bases had a curb/step on it that was just about the perfect distance.  Crisis averted!

Updated April 2018 with improved images.

Past Projects, Random Rursday, Reaper

Ghosts of Random Rursdays Past: Snakeman

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On Thursdays, I like to take a break from my army projects.  Instead, I try to do something that I can start and complete all in one evening.

I didn’t get a chance to go any painting this Thursday, so instead I’ll feature one I did a couple of week ago.

This is Snakeman, from the first Reaper Bones Kickstarter.  Its painted in my traditional Random Rursday technique: midtone, wash, drybrush or edge hightlight to taste.

Snakeman

I’ve done the red fletching things for arrows a couple of times now, but it never quite turns how I want it to.  I should probably branch out a bit.

The blood on the knives is Games Workshop’s Blood for the Blood God technical paint.  It’s pretty easy to get a nice effect, although I haven’t been able to get enough volume on a splatter type effect.

Updated December 2017 with improved images.

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