Arrived!

After an extended move I'm finally in the house although I'm not entirely unpacked as the renovations monster reared its ugly head! 


The good news is that I will make it to Geekfest 2011 for the continuing saga of Corpulous Prime.  In this installment the world will be subjected to the rigors of a full blown WAAAGH! in addition to the existing factional fighting.  Should be a great couple of weeks of modelling and mayhem!

I did take a couple of hours to work on one of the new Finecast models.  A Harlequin Shadowseer.  The model is beautiful and had very little mold release although it is indeed frail.  I manage to snap the wrist of the gun hand while removing the model from the frame.  It was easily repaired but I'm not certain how robust these things will be for actual gaming... especially given that they are replacements for the exceedingly durable metal minis.  My Ork, Eldar, Chaos, Space Marine, and Imperial Guard armies still include models (both metal and plastic) I purchased 30+ years ago and I wonder how many of the Finecasts will still be serviceable as game pieces in 2041 and beyond.  Time will tell I suppose.
Project Thunderhawk seems to have made the move relatively intact.  No small achievement for the Metal Beastie!  It is scheduled to return to the dry dock for finishing work immediately following the 4th of July weekend with an eye to finishing the project before Games Day at the end of the month.

I should be back to regular MiniSwelter updates by the first week of August and do plan to drop in stuff as I am able prior to that.

That concludes the mini update for MiniSwelter!

Moving soon

I've had a hectic couple of weeks.  It seems that *surprise!* I'll be moving soon... we do move quite often so its not completely unexpected but I had thought I'd be in place here for another couple of years.  Most of the major projects are on hold while I pack get to the new place and unpack.  Unpacking is always the evil part and I never know just how long that will take... but I imagine it will be June before my workspace is together and I'm producing regularly again.  At that time I'll have to really focus on Golden Demon entries if I hope to have any this year. That will delay Project Thunderhawk and the Sisters of Battle fortress until after Gamesday.  I had hoped to center an Army on Parade around one of those projects this year but that seems unlikely at this point with the change in entrance rules.  I hope to get some work in on some of the smaller stuff even as the move is ongoing and will post those when I'm able. 

The Runtbot  is the farthest along and it should be a good  bit of fun assembling the display base.
I've been working on The Changeling here and there and it is broadly sketched in.  There remains a lot of revision and touch up still to do which fortunately uses a limited palette that I'll use as a travel project.  Prince Yriel is in early stages as well and Greasus Goldtooth is about 20%. 


Thanks for visiting and I'll post when I'm able.

Flappy bits!

Ferrum Ira is shaping up now.  Today I added the large side imperial eagles, engine access and attitude covers, wing engine intake cowls and fans, vertical stabilizer, the control flaps for all wing surfaces, canards and forward heavy bolter arrays.  Remaining construction items for the model itself include the cockpit hatch, the afterburners, hulltop flashing, and the wing mounted heavy bolters.  Once all of this is in place I can do touch ups and a blending weathering treatment.  The detail bits really have broken up the massive green hull making the whole bit more engaging.

Doors and more

Added Details for port and starboard hatches.  These are from Forge World brass and resin accessories.Also got the targeting sponsons on.

The various control surfaces; flaps, the vertical and horizontal stabilizers and canards are all getting the base coat work ups.   The detail bits should break up the great green hull slabs.

BooM!

 Finally got some time in today!  Here is an Ork Medallion that will adorn a stompa in the near future His teef are as angry as mine! In addition to the medallion I've dome some work on The Changeling and some minor terrain features.  I'm staring to put some other large projects in the queue as well, primarily an update to my Dark Eldar Army and a slew of Ork toys.

On another note Ferrum Ira got the upper casement added as well as details for the crewed nacelles.  Things should pick up steam from this point.  The targeting arrays are about 50% complete and  I shoulod be able to install most of the add on details in the next couple of days with the  most work remaining to be done on the interior of the cockpit hatch and the attitudinal flaps.  The afterburners are painted (both versions) and I just have to decide which set to use.  I'm leaning toward the fully opened set at the moment. 

Now I'll have to get serious about designing the display base.  I've had several iterations of ideas about it, the surviving elements of which include a decorative power switch and apparatus for the off board power, servitors and mechanics, and some integrated support stands to help relieve the landing gear of bearing the whole weight of the model in the long term.

Oi dats me toof!

Since my last post I've suffered from a desperately cracked molar deciding that its time of service has expired. Four days of excruciating pain and one root canal later I'm starting to see the light at the end of the vicodin haze!  I hope to have some shots of the upper casement and gun for Ferrum Ira up later this evening. 

Holiday Aftermath

I picked up the brush today and did dome work.  Holidays always disrupt my schedule!  Today was pretty light consisting of an Evil Sun medallion that is intended for a Stompa, a tiny bit of jungle terrain that was sitting around half complete, and some fiddling with the Thunderhawk's Main Gun.  I've also begun assembling bits for the base of the FW Runtbot project.  Mostly it was just a day of sorting out where I am and what I was doing when I stopped.