Carlson793

Today, I'm waiting on the rain to stop so I can hopefully get some models at least primed for this weekend.

Today in Titanicus, I'm... • preparing a 3D printed epic-scale Spartan for basing (something to stick under a Reaver's foot) • printing some "Interplanetary Empires" tiles for the campaign we've got starting this weekend • getting weapons for my titans painted • and if time allows, reading up on the rules for a game I've played one time so far ;)

Generally for infantry and vehicles (depending on size), you'll want a resin (SLA) printer. There are many brands out there, and the differences between most are poTAYto/poTAHto. Prices are quickly falling on RGB resin printers since mono printers are becoming more affordable. I'd recommend checking out reviews on All3DP. You'll need a curing station, either a purpose-built one like the Elegoo Mercury, or a homemade one using UV lights, a turn table, and reflective material. Decide if you want to go the cheap-but-caustic standard resin route (which requires cleaning the model with IPA) or water washable resin (more expensive, but you can clean up with tap water). For both options, you'll need a separate bin or bucket for washing - don't want that stuff going down the drain. Also, for a resin printer, I'd recommend getting a magnetic flex-steel plate system. Though you lose a few millimeters of build height, they make removing models printed directly on the build plate a breeze. The Sovol 3D plates I bought a couple months ago have been getting almost constant use (there are other brands out there, but Sovol had the best prices I could find). All that sounds like a lot to absorb, but once you get started, it's a breeze. The Elegoo Mars I bought last summer has been in almost constant use, with the RGB LCD screen being replaced once (burned out from heavy use) and five FEPs replaced (the film the lines the resin tank) from my own stupidity in handling - and both those issues amounted to about $50. Considering all the models I've printed for pennies... well, I've printed up armies and fleets that would have run me a hundred times as much purchasing models. Good luck!

Meanwhile, here in Kentucky (especially right next to the Ohio River), you have to wait till about midday for the humidity to "burn off" to about 50%-60% primer weather... if it burns off that day. It's gotten to the point I'm turning to brush-on primers, and those just don't give optimal coverage. Luckily, I've got an unfinished shower in the basement, and if I get desperate can primer down there. Here's an example of what happens when the weather goes from perfect to 60%+ humidity with zero wind in a matter of minutes. Everything else I primered came out with smooth surfaces; this guy ended up rough.

Start with a white base coat, and use washes to build up to the hair color you want. Since the wash mostly settles in the recesses, it has the advantage of highlighting the surface at the same time. Did these gorillas for another game, and using washes allowed me to give a proper silverback look.

• Slice them while they're still on the sheet, before soaking in water. • Soft slices with a sharp hobby knife - you want to go through the decal, but not the underlying paper. • Cut no more than a third of the diameter on each side - basically slice North-South-East-West. • You might want to make sure the decal soaks a little longer than normal to make sure it floats freely on the paper. • Be careful the decal doesn't fold at your cuts when applying. • Apply as normal using your WinterDyne instructions.

As long as the decal you're using is 8mm or less in diameter, it should work fine. If it's below 6mm diameter, however, it might start looking a bit too small. For comparison, Mk VII knees usually take a 5mm diameter decal.

With a very-little bit of 3D modeling/printing, you could easily modify the end of the lightning gun into a rad cleanser. Just need to model the conical tip with fins. If you know your TinkerCad, it'd take about 10-15 minutes to design.

Part of the decision process is easy - use White Decal Paper. Buy the paper for your specific type of printer - Inkjet or Laser. Put the paper in the printer, open the file, and print. If using an inkjet printer, after the sheet has printed, allow it some time to dry (15-30 minutes), then spray a light coat of clear gloss paint over the sheet. allow this to dry fully, then spray a second coat. This will seal the sheet so the ink doesn't run. (This step isn't necessary when using a laser printer.) Application is the same as for any other decals (I recommend Winterdyne's tutorial in my sig). Note, however, that as your using white paper, when you cut out the decals, you will have a white edge to them. To fix this, cut the decal a bit wide before applying. Once the decal has fully set, use some of your background paint (black in this case), and use that to cover/blend the decal edges into the model background. That was the technique used on the Imperial Raptor on the missile pod on my Deredeo below.

Since I've got a few minutes of down time before starting my next terrain project, and as I'm getting rusty with Illustrator, I whipped up Daimyo-Phaeron Lenoch's Black Guard and Rob P's Astral Hawks. See the Downloads section.