Legion Rising

[Studio Silvernale]

I need reinforced armor for like 8 loyalist rhinos =O

[Lord Commander Eidolon]

Ooh yes! I'll need to get me a set of those panels! Looking awesome!!

[Subtle Discord]

@ Eldrick Shadowblade: Jeez, you’re gonna’ make me blush; while my ego does enjoy the boost and it really motivates me it’s not my main motivation in the slightest, only a fortunate additional benefit. However, I’m glad you said something and put it the way you did because what you expressed really is my primary motivation. I know that there are people out there who would do it themselves if they could, but they lack the skills and/or the time to make it a reality. That really is my main motivation, to help my customers create amazing models for themselves and those who’ll get to see them, instead of keeping all of these ideas to myself. If it was somehow possible to do it for free, I suspect I would be compelled to do it as a service to my fellow hobbyists. This really does seem to be my muse, for the love of doing it first, followed somewhere far behind for the desire to profit or inflate my ego a little bit.
 
@ Studio Silvernale: *Subtle Discord suddenly appears wearing a cheesy ill-fitting tweed suit with a mustard stain on the lapel*
Wellll you’re in luck, my good friend. *pats you on the shoulder, grabbing it in a slightly intrusive way* Come on over here, I’ve got a few beauties with your name written all over them. Low kilometers, power steering, air conditioned, tracks that are virtually new, and ready to paint (not included) in any colour you can imagine. *offers a sly crooked smile as he leads you towards a row of vehicles*
 


There’s very simple reason why I’m choosing to develop this kit first, and this illustrates it perfectly.
 
The current Extra/Reinforced Armour Kit available at my shop that I designed to fit Rhino chassis was really done from the start with the Predator tank in mind. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but after being asked if I had (or planned to) Armour Kits that fit just the Rhino, I noticed a big oversight on my part. Take the Predator bits away, and in my opinion, the armour plates that remain don’t suit the Rhino as well as I’d like. So, I’m creating this armour kit specifically to work well with the Rhino and the Predator.
 
In fact, looking at it now on the digital Rhino model from the back it seems a bit sparse for my liking, I think it needs just a bit more to make it complete, so I’m going to create a set of top hatch doors to fit in with the Rhino iteration of this kit; they’ll be super easy to do and I think they’ll add the last bit that will complete the look for the Rhino.
 


So once I was (mostly) happy with the design on just the Rhino, then I worked on making suit the Predator.
 
With the turret and sponsons in place I’m very pleased with the results. I wanted to add enough armour to make it look like it can actually provide additional protection, while still portraying what is supposed to be ‘light’ armour. To me, it feels like the vehicle has been upgraded to resist ground fire from the front and sides, and try to protect soft points, while still leaving it vulnerable to attacks from above and behind in a plausible way. An effort to balance increased protection with the weight that would be added to the chassis.
 

Heck, since I’ve started to pontificate, let us have a closer look at the counts-as Combi-weapons I’ve recently finished.
 
As mentioned, I’ve done my take on all four weapon systems. It’s was a bit of a challenge fitting some details into such a small area that can do a good job of distinguishing each of the unique weapons; the Bolter gets ammo feeds, the Flamer has a pressure cylinder and pipes, the Melta has heat syncs and a corrugated hose, and the Plasma has a coil and fuel cell. You can hardly see them, but I don’t think that matters.
 


Designing the kit in a thoughtful way offers the builder several different assembly options as well as permitting the weapon to tilt and rotate.
 
Naturally, any magnets that are required during assembly will be included in the kit. While it won’t have a massive amount of tilt when assembled, I think it’s still more than enough to emulate that the weapon can track ground targets as the vehicle advances over rough terrain. As mentioned earlier, I will be looking how I can fit a selection of heavy weapons into this assembly, but I’ll wait to start the design until I’ve made these a reality and see how they turn out. It’s a small kit so it will be cost effective to use as a test.
 
Currently, I’m finishing up the Armour Kit with some Chaos/Renegade detailing and as I mentioned, I also want to create some hatch doors for the Rhino version as a last minute addition to the kit. *Subtle ponders if he should also do side doors or if that would take it too far* From there I’ll need to get the sprews and vents needed for production attached to the parts, and that in itself can take longer than you’d expect; but even with that to do, these kits are in the absolute final stretch and ready to go very soon. I can’t wait to start seeing these transform from digital concepts to actual resin.
 
Buuut, with that said, since I’ve been working so hard on these designs I’ve decided to reward myself with a weekend off to get away from the digital workbench and get some actual painting time in! That’s right, actual paint! A while back I came to the conclusion that I must give myself weekends off to actually do my hobby as, you know, a hobby. I’ve chosen to postpone that a bit while I get the studio up-and-running, but it will be something I honour going forward, so expect to see more-and-more personal projects and actual paint on models as time goes by and I get my studio routine sorted out.
 
Ok, thanks again for joining me on this small step in my journey as I endeavour to make ideas real and create some of the best 3rd party kits on the market. As always, comments, questions, input, and general musings are always welcome, but if you prefer to lurk that’s great too.
 
*Subtle wanders off to find something to paint*

[Augustus b'Raass]

Fantastic update. Those combi bolters will be very welcome indeed. I do think side hatches for the side doors to fit in, like the FW versions of the armour kits.

[Subtle Discord]

It’s… The Legion Rising Show!

 

*Cue The Benny Hill Show theme song – Yakety Sax*

 

Now, including spectacular colour! That’s right, actual paint!

 

I’ve magnetized my models for years to facilitate my eventual need to transport them, but it’s quite useful for painting too.

 

I mount a small neodymium magnet in the center of the base (or several, in the case of larger models) and then I attach a layer of magnetic sheet cleanly finish the process. The rare earth magnet provides the main sticking power while the magnetic sheet adds to the effect by making the entire base hold firm. Needless to say, I have no fear of models knocking free when they’re on a metal tray. Added bonus, it’s super simple to add a bit of metal to the end of a piece of dowel so I can paint without touching the model. Not as useful when you’re doing sub-assemblies, like in this case, but better than a poke in the eye.

 

As mentioned, I invested in an airbrush a while back, settling on a Badger Sotar 20/20 based on reviews, videos of performance, and helpful input; a key feature was its ability to switch between a very fine 0.20mm needle, a medium 0.45mm needle, and a large 0.70mm needle, to suit the range of jobs I expect to use it on. I helped to rationalize the purchase by using it first to paint the thesis model for my bachelor’s degree, so let’s just say it forced me to overcome any fears of a learning curve very quickly as I used it for the first time on an extremely critical project. As a funny addition to the experience, I painted my model a bright yellow to contrast with black and dark grey details, and used the entire bottle of airbrush yellow paint I purchased for the task. It was a rather large model. Caught in a pinch, with parts that still needed paint and no time to get a new bottle, I turned to my hobby supplies and pulled out a very old bottle of Sunburst Yellow; to my surprise it was a very close match and despite it being very thick and needing to be rejuvenated, it saved my bacon.

 

On hobby models, once you get past the intimidating initial learning curve of using an airbrush, it really is a significant game changer, completely altering how one might consider going about painting a model. Even simply applying primer is elevated, with it able to apply it in wonderfully smooth layers while offering complete control over coverage. While rattle spray cans are not exactly hard to use there are occasions when they can be temperamental, creating a less than desirable surface finish, and they simply can’t get into the nooks-and-crannies of a model like an airbrush without applying way too much primer to everywhere else. Once you get the hang of it with the airbrush the progress is brilliantly quick.

 

To start I’m doing a 10x unit of Vanguard with three Plasma Calivers and a 10x unit of Rangers with two Transuranic Arquebus'.

 

All hail the ever useful Poster Tack! Great for working on perfecting a pose, and helpful in this case for keeping the bits-n-pieces on their assigned painting stick. They do fall off from time-to-time but it’s easy to replace them and it still greatly reduces how much I would normally handle them. If you’re painting Skitarii I strongly suggest keeping them separate at the waist to save your sanity; I’m assuming they are intended to be painted this way as I simply can’t see how you could get under the long coats otherwise. I had started assembling them with both arms in place, but I soon changed my mind as I looked at the model. While it will take a bit more care to do the final assembly, I find it takes much more effort to paint all the nooks-and-crannies of these models when both arms are in place. By attaching the left arm (using the right arm to ensure it’s in the correct position) it will be an easy task to attach the right arm in perfect alignment in the future. Some carefully placed bits of Poster Tack is also perfect for masking the areas that will need plastic-on-plastic contact.

 

In keeping with my current preference for a cold-centric paint scheme Blue, Silver, and Black will be my primary colours, with Green used as the main accent colour.

 

It can’t be understated just how much faster it was to paint these coats/cloaks with an airbrush and to a much higher quality and uniformity than I could ever hope for by hand. I might be able to get the blend reasonably close by hand since it is a nice smooth flat surface, but without a doubt, it would take me muuuch longer. I started rather cautiously at first, but quickly found my groove and sped up considerably once I got into it. To get them to this point was surprisingly straightforward.

 

• Two layers of Vallejo Magic Blue over a Black prime.
• Two layers of Blue Wash; the first over the entire area with some quick wet blending to keep most of the shading up near the torso, and a second selective application to reinforce the shade effect at the top of the model. I didn't worry too much about getting a perfect blend or if any shading dripped/drooped too low, because the final Blue application cleans it up nicely.
• After that, I used an airbrush to blend the Magic Blue back up from the bottom.
• From here I will be using Vallejo Magic Blue combined with Vallejo Electric Blue to work up the highlights.
• Cleaned up all the non-cloak bits with Black.
• A layer of Vallejo Air Silver was hand painted on; by far one of the best acrylic Silver paints I’ve used with a normal brush or through an airbrush.
• A Single Black wash over the Silver and a cleanup with Black paint (still in progress).

In order to avoid using rust and adding the warm element it would bring to the theme, I’ve decided to borrow a bit of inspiration from the fiction of Lucius Forge World and bend it some to fit my purpose. Atrum Laboris is skilled at producing quality metal alloys so wargear of their manufacture is resistant to typical corrosion or oxidation, and prone only to superficial tarnishing, developing a darkening patina over time; I may take the idea further, making Alphas and other veteran models darker and more tarnished to reflect the fiction. So, with that base covered, when it comes time to weather some of this strong colour down I’ll focus on grease, dust, soot, and carbon to add more grit and grime to the models, instead of rust and oxidization.

 

Ok, so not the largest update, but progress... measurable, quantifiable, documentable, painting progress!! I'm already starting to dread all the little fiddly bits, but really, only a little bit. It's sooo cathartic to finally be able to get back painting again I'm eager to push forward. Now that I have control of my schedule I can also start doing it more regularly. Being forced away from it for so long, even if for the best of intentions and outcomes, has left me quite hungry and the prospect of doing 40-60 of these actually feels like a treat! Let's hope the enthusiasm lasts. I think it will. I need to get to the Onagers, after all. Mmm... walking tanks with... Neutron Lazor Beams!

[Eldrick Shadowblade]

Always nice to see your actual hobby pursuits!

 

Now... back to the Dark Works! ; )

[ChazSexington]

Gorgeous!!

[Augustus b'Raass]

Subtle Discord actually painting.... by airbrush.... mostly blue models. Colour me surprised! ;)

[Subtle Discord]

*Sigh* Yeah, I know, despite being very creative I'm also rather predictable. Like I said in 'A. Mechanicus... Darkly' I really wanted to get away from typical Red for my Mechanicus to be visually distinct and reinforce the independent Forge World narrative. Wanting to keep it in the cool colour range it was a hard choice between Blue or Green as the dominant choice, but as I worked out the fiction for Atrum Laboris that included a bright blue sun, the choice kinda' made itself. In turn, my original idea to do them in a very deep dark blue evolved into something much brighter in homage to the vibrant blue star that influenced my decision.

[Augustus b'Raass]

Oh, I was just teasing you! You said something about feeling inspired/pressured on my thread, where I've started painting Night Lords again... ;)

[Subtle Discord]

See... I take everything too damn seriously! I get it now and it makes perfect sense. 

 

But yeah, you don't have to use an airbrush for long before it completely changes your perspective on painting. Few tools have had such an impact on me. I didn't consider it at first and you actually drove it home when someone else remarked on your progress with the Night Lords Land Raider, and part of your reply was "get an airbrush...". Yep, I absolutely understand the cost barrier and won't ever suggest someone get something beyond their budget, but if there's one thing that returns real dividends in speed and quality, it's an airbrush.

[Augustus b'Raass]

Absolutely. I use my airbrus for the three most basic things: priming, basecoating, and varnishing. The second has a ridiculous four colours for my Night Lords, but my Imperial FIsts and my World Eaters both use only two colours. But the airbrush makes them blend perfectly - the airbrush for me really is a tool of speed, not of finesse. 

[Eldrick Shadowblade]

How much work space / ventilation / clean up does an airbrush require. Always been interested but terrified of destroying my models. Also, noise? I paint at night whe. The kids are asleep but my progress is soooooooooo slow. 11 models in 60 days or so....

[Subtle Discord]

On the Subject of Airbrushes:

 

I can only speak for myself, and I'm still learning how to make the most of an airbrush, but I can confidently say that it's one of the few new tools I've purchased that has completely changed the hobby for me in a very tangible way. You can't really paint an entire model from start to finish with one, at least not without lots of masking that simply isn't realistic most of the time on a small model, but the steps that you can do with it become unbelievably fast while also achieving wonderfully consistent high-quality results. Progress can be so fast that it takes more time to set it up, and then clean it up after your done, than it takes to do the actual painting. However, cleanup is a critical step that's important to have the airbrush last and perform exactly how you expect; a little bit of dried paint inside the airbrush can cause all sorts of problems with the flow of the paint, causing lots of frustration as you try to work. It's an intimidating process at first (you don't want to break the damn thing or lose any of the small bits, after all) but once you've done it a few times it becomes much less daunting. It will get faster, but no matter how comfortable you get with cleanup it's always going to be an important but time-consuming step.

 

The cloaks on my Skitarii are an excellent example of the results you can achieve in short order; 20 cloaks done to the pictured quality level, completed start-to-finished in about an hour or so. It would take me days to get similar results by hand and I doubt I could get the blend as smooth as I did with the airbrush. Note that it also only took one colour of blue and some blue wash to get that result as the airbrush did all the blending work. I'll still need to hand paint the rest, but the time I saved to this point was considerable. It's got me almost eager to try using it on a large vehicle model where it's obvious that I'm going to save a huge amount of time while also getting great results. I'm also eager to try my hand at a bit of OSL work which will be much easier to achieve with a little practice. 

 

It's not going to take a particularly large area to use one and it packs up small enough to tuck under a desk or in a closet easy enough. If you have a dedicated hobby area you may be able to keep it set up all the time and still keep it out-of-the-way when not in use. However, it will create dust with overspray as you work. Depending on your hobby space arrangement your need for ventilation will be subjective. Yes, if you can set something up then it's never a bad thing to try and capture and remove most of the overspray before it becomes a problem, but if you have a work area in a garage, workshop, or basement, then you might be able to make due with less. Dust will be concentrated where you're working, but it absolutely spreads throughout a room if nothing is stopping it. It adds to the cost, but there are several ventilation solutions ranging from ones that exhaust outside with a vent you'll need to install, to units that have filters that catch the dust before returning the air to the room. Even with ventilation, it's a good idea to use some kind of respirator that can catch dust particulate. It's non-toxic but inhaling too much of any dust is bad and even with ventilation you'll get at least a little escaping; if you can smell the sickly sweet aroma of the paint as you work, you're inhaling at least a little bit of the paint dust you'd rather avoid. Noise pollution is also subjective, but a reasonably good quality compressor will be quiet enough to use while the kids are asleep. I've used mine (Badger Aspire TC910) in the basement directly under my 8-year-old son's room as he slept with no problem; he does sleep like the dead, however. If you can be in another room and close the door at most it's going to be a light hum that will be heard, two rooms/doors away and it's all but silent. Also, a good compressor with a tank isn't going to be running non-stop as you work so it's not a constant drone.

 

As with anything, the cost is a major factor, but if you can put a price on your time it can quickly become an investment that gives very tangible returns with time saved. You don't need to get all top-of-the-line gear, but if you want good quality equipment that's versatile you'll want something more then the lowest price you can find. Expect to pay more for a good compressor then you'll be paying for the airbrush itself; don't skimp on things like a moisture trap to keep the supplied air nice and dry, or an in-line valve that you can use to adjust the air pressure with more care. You should expect to spend a surprising extra amount on all of the extra things you'll need. Some are one-time purchases like a good cleaning kit and the filter bottle (shown in the bottom right of the airbrush picture above) that's very useful during cleanup. If you get an airbrush that can take different needle sizes you'll also need to invest in those and they're not exactly cheap for what they are; if you take care of them and don't have an accident (bending the tip all but ruins a needle) they'll last forever, but needles are delicate so treat them with care. There's also a few consumables like the thinner, flow aid, lubricant, and cleaning solutions, that will add to the cost; they're consumables, but get a medium or large bottle and they'll last quite a while. Finally, there are things like gloves, mixing cups, towels/wipes, and the like that aren't huge costs but you'll still want them.

 

There is a learning curve and that will vary depending on the person and how much they want from the tool; like any skill, it takes some practice if you want to do precise work. That said, applying primer, using stencils, and doing reasonably simple fades/blends are very straightforward tasks that shouldn't take too long to get confident doing them. I found taking the airbrush apart the first few times was one of the most daunting things to learn; if you're careful and pay attention, there's virtually no chance of doing anything really wrong, but there are several small bits that can get away from you if you're not careful, and it's not the kind of tool you can toss back together without using some care. Keeping it clean is critical to having it perform how you want the next time you pick it up. It's not hard to do once you get confident taking it apart, but you must be willing to do it right. There are ways to use some 'shortcuts' that will let you get away with a quicker cleanup, but eventually, you'll want to take it totally apart for a proper cleanup and to lubricate moving parts, especially if it's performing poorly in any way. If it's not spraying properly it's likely that it needs a good cleaning.

 

One major general use tip: Keep working as quickly as you can. Don't rush, but don't get distracted and needlessly slowed down. The paint is constantly drying in the cup and in/on the tip of the airbrush if it's not flowing, and even if it is flowing a small blob can collect and cause problems. If the airbrush is freshly cleaned, many new users will get sputtering, splattering, bad aim, and other problems because a bit of paint is drying on/in the nozzle tip. Have a small brush handy that you can dip in some thinner or cleaner and use to delicately scrub nozzle now-and-then. You can also dip the tip of the airbrush into some thinner and carefully wipe it away to keep the nozzle clean as you work.

 

Wow... that's quite the wall-o'-text. I didn't expect it to get that long, but there you go. I hope it's helpful to you, or anyone else who may stumble over it.

Edited September 2, 2018 by Subtle Discord

[Eldrick Shadowblade]

Thanks a lot! That was very useful! I plan on investigating airbrushes in the new year. Any recomendations for brand names? I don't mind spending money for better quality! Also, looking forward to the new releases!

[Dantay VI]

I had been using a no brand el-cheapo brush, which cam e with my budget compressor. However being 0.25mm, I had a lot of cloggage issues and found after taking it to bits it never worked right.

 

If you are on a tight budget, the Sparmax airbrushes are a great starter brush, I am using and enjoying a Sparmax 4 (0.4mm), and havent had any issues (yet!)

 

The reviews from Lil Legend helped to sell me on it :)

[Subtle Discord]

Expect to be somewhat daunted as you do research. There's a vast selection from several companies that all have a lot of overlap in the features and functions. I ended up watching several videos that showed footage of different airbrushes in use so I could see actual output and what to expect. Once I built a shortlist of a few I liked I shopped around to compare prices and spec sheets. Then I agonized over the the choice some more and did more research. What I've come to learn is that you can expect to invest in more that one actual airbrush (sharing the other equipment between them) over time as you get more comfortable using the tool. In my case I think I'll be using the Sotar 20/20 I picked up for fine work and at some point I'll invest in another airbrush more suited to doing larger work. The Sotar is very good and has the option to use a larger 0.5mm needle but swapping it out isn't ideal if your switching between jobs with any frequency; for me it's acceptable for now as I learn, but I think I'll be better served by another airbrush with a larger cup for larger jobs that can keep a larger needle in place all the time. All the easier to get both going, using one to put the base layers down, then follow up with the other to do finer work.

 

As I said, I did research to see output and then I shopped around for price. I have a local hobby supplier who stocks paints and other hard to find products, and I'm a firm believer in supporting local businesses when I can. In fact my local supplier has prices that are usually better than those offered by Amazon and other online suppliers, so it wasn't exactly a hard choice. However, they stock primarily Badger brand so that did influenced my find decision process. That said, Badger is a USA based company and that's another thing I like to support if I can; not to knock other companies that are making great products (Japanese based Iwata comes to mind as another brand I was seriously considering), but I do like to support North American manufacturers when I can.

[Eldrick Shadowblade]

wesome feedback! Thanks for the time invested in your answers! 

[JeffTibbetts]

Sounds a lot like my process when choosing a Sotar. I'm glad I did, and I think eventually you will be very well served by adding a Patriot to your setup and a Quick Disconnect to both of them for insanely easy swapping. Works very well for me. 

[Subtle Discord]

Ok, design philosophy time! Where we delve a little into the dark nooks-and-crannies of Subtle’s design process to learn just how much he overthinks things, but in a good way!
 
It’s funny, one of the most profound lessons I learned while attending college is actually quite straightforward and one of the most frustrating truths I’ve been forced to accept. Put simply, as you design something almost every task it requires during the development will take longer to complete than you’ll expect it to. The general guideline my professor gave was roughly 3-to-1 and they seem to be close to the mark; if you expect a task will take you about 1 hour to complete, don’t be surprised when it takes 3 or more hours to finally finish. For some reason, despite coming to experience this firsthand, over-and-over, I struggle to take this into account and adjust my expectations to something realistic.
 
In this case, I’m on the final steps to completing the first batch of 3D models and that requires filleting (read: rounding) the hard/sharp edges of a model ever-so-slightly. This subtle step takes the designed object from something of a rough state to a refined finished state and it’s quite noticeable in image renderings of a design and ultimately the final production of an object. It’s not particularly hard to do (although it can be tricky in some locations of a model if the geometry is complex) but it is completely mind-numbing and takes a painfully long time to finish. Needless to say, what I thought would be done in days is taking longer than I expected. And I don’t even want to get started on adding sprews, gates, and vents, which you would think isn’t that tedious, but I digress.
 
TLDR: I’m putting the final touches and details on the first batch of 3D models. They look great but daaamn it’s taking longer than I expected. Note to self: Attention to detail simply takes time; adjust schedule expectations accordingly.
 
The redesign of the Interitus Missile Launcher (counts-as Havoc Launcher) is an excellent 3D prototype build to illustrate the design choices I make in order to create the best possible kit I can devise. Three main ideas guide my choices. 1) Find ways to improve how the model will be produced; is there anything I can do to make it easier to cast, improve the lifespan of the mould, and/or reduce the chances of casting flaws? 2) Find ways to make it assemble with the least amount of frustration; what can I do to ensure everything assembles with the least amount of cleanup and effort? 3) Find straightforward ways to add assembly options to a kit for more variety; what opportunities present themselves that might let me add more assembly options?
 

By offsetting the mounting point on a round plate simply rotating the plate changes the launcher’s position on the model.
 
A very simple design choice lets the builder put the missile launcher where they want; to the left, right, front, or back. Not anything elaborate by any stretch, but a good idea doesn’t need to be complex.
 

I initially split the mounting ‘yoke’ for the launcher into two parts to make it easier to cast each of the parts.
 
Soon after I split the part I noticed how easy it would be to add a few extra holes to match the small locking key detail. This, in turn, lets the builder assemble the launcher centered, or to the left, or to the right. Again, not exactly elaborate, but it’s also not exactly difficult to add the option, so why not?
 

I try to design kits to complement each other in both design style and how they function.
 
Modularity, it’s a good thing. Not only do I want my kits to interact well with each other; using the provided assembly options should help to avoid clearance issues. I also want kits to be able to switch and swap logical parts with each other. In general, if parts from one kit look like they could fit with another kit, odds are good that they will. Mmmm… options.
 

Sometimes you design to solve a problem, sometimes you design to add a feature, and sometimes one leads to the other.
 
When you’re creating a casting prototype it’s in your best interest to avoid details that will create a ‘knife edge’ in the mould rubber. Rubber that forms very thin shapes like this will tend to deform very quickly and because they are delicate they are also prone to tearing well before the rest of the mould wears out. Due to the shape, the ring around a missile sitting in a tube is a good example of this and it was one of the main problems I had with my first attempted making the Interitus Missile Launcher; this thin bit of rubber would first deform, and then eventually tear free, ruining the gap that is meant to simulate a missile sitting in a launch tube. At first, I considered widening the gap in an effort to make the rubber thicker and more resistant to tearing, but I’m much happier with this final solution for several reasons.
 

By completely splitting the part into two components I solve the initial problem and in turn, I created an opportunity to add some more assembly options.
 
I was pleased with solving the problem in this reasonably simple way. The ‘knife-edge’ issue is completely resolved and since they’re both flat-backed parts it won’t be any harder to cast these two components as it would be to cast it as a single piece.

If they choose, the builder will also have the option of painting the parts separately which should help the assembly process. It also makes it very easy for the builder to remove some of the missiles if they want to have the missile rack appear to have fired a few volleys of ordinance. It’s a pet peeve of mine when a missile rack on a model has a few missiles missing by default; if it’s ever duplicated in the collection they all look the same and I personally hate that kind of repetition in a collection. Let the builder make that choice, dammit!
 

As shown earlier in the thread, this also makes it very easy to create several unique varieties of missile for the builder to choose from.
 
Not every kit will get this many small options on how it can assemble, but this is an excellent example of how I try to discover opportunities to improve every model I design. It can take longer to complete a design as I work through the process, but I think it’s the kind of attention to detail that people will really appreciate as my kits start arriving in their hobby spaces. I build these models and miniatures too, so I know how nice it is when something assembles without too much fuss, and a little bit of choice when I build is never a bad thing. I aim to combine this design philosophy with top quality execution to produce some of the best kits on the market. It’s going to take a little while for me to find my stride, but it’s finally starting and I can’t wait to see where this all leads.
 
More updates coming soon’ish. Hopefully, with some actual first 3D prints in hand. But for now, it’s Saturday, time to go and paint something!

[Brother-Chaplain Kage]

Don't forget the little people that cheered you on when you get rich and famous. :D

[Pearson73]

I must say, these insights into your world of designing and refining are really quite fascinating and it's clear that you've got a solid perspective from a hobbyist's viewpoint as well as that of a designer. As you, and others, have said, the designs are looking great aesthetically but also great as practical kits to work with and I wish you the greatest success with this venture.

[Subtle Discord]

Don't forget the little people that cheered you on when you get rich and famous.

 

Ha! I make no illusions that I'll be getting rich or famous (at least not with a wide audience) and I simply don't care! I'm positive I can make a living (for now that's all that matters), and hopefully, I can help a few others make a living too as I expand and require more talent to make things happen. However, I do want to do something special for the community of B&C and hopefully tie in a fundraising element for the boards as a whole. I'm still struggling to come up with an idea, but I will make something happen at some point. It will involve cool casting of some sort. They will be given my usual attention to detail. It will be completely B&C exclusive design/s. Whatever 'it' or 'they' happen to be.

 

 

I must say, these insights into your world of designing and refining are really quite fascinating and it's clear that you've got a solid perspective from a hobbyist's viewpoint as well as that of a designer. As you, and others, have said, the designs are looking great aesthetically but also great as practical kits to work with and I wish you the greatest success with this venture.

 

Thanks. It's taken a while to get used to the idea of being referred to as a professional since this all stems from a hobby, but I've gotten used to it. Now I find the idea that I'm actually a designer feels strangely awkward despite having an expensive piece of paper to prove it.  I'm getting over it. Being able to take part in a hobby as I also try to supply that hobby in some way really is a wonderful crossroad to find myself and I aim to take advantage of that.

 

This hobby really does offer a unique market to try and appeal to. Many/most other products don't have a large base of their consumers who really care about what goes into the creation of that product. Given the nature of this hobby and the creativity it entails to take part, many of my potential consumers actually are interested in a little more insight into the process. It's the least I can do, as I enjoy making the content and it's exactly the kind of information I wanted to see when I first started looking beyond paint into things like scratch building and resin casting. I still contend that much of what I'm doing is simply a matter of scale and I hope there is some information that can help those who might be trying things on a hobby level, as well as those who find the deeper insight into the process interesting, and those who just want to see some nice images.

[Subtle Discord]

Happy New Year to the citizens, ditizens, and other creatures that lurk the Bolter & Chainsword! Time for a brief sneak peek from The Dark Works, exclusively for the B&C community.

 

Hinted at earlier in the thread, here's a better look at my take on enclosed Land Raider sponsons (inspired by the Mk.2b Land Raider variant) designed to fit my Loricatus armour plates.

 

I started this design after absorbing a comment about how my current Loricatus armour plates created for the Land Raider chassis are practically begging for something like this. Naturally, I wanted to add some of my own design stylings to the idea, so I made sure it could accommodate the actual Land Raider doors (opposed to the Rhino sized doors used in the FW kit), added rotating armour plates to protect the weapon systems, and designed the weapons to be modular/swappable so the builder will have a choice over what weapons they can mount in the sponsons.

 

After getting the design this far I've since chosen to change my progress and put this idea on hold, for now. I've come to the conclusion that if I don't give myself some structure to how I proceed, I'll be bouncing from idea to idea without any proper direction and slow my overall progress. So, for now, I've decided to concentrate on specific models/chassis, and do several kits for each model/chassis before I move on to the next one. I'm sure it can be observed this has me starting with the Rhino chassis, which has its first batch of kits nearing completion. Once those kits are completely finished in digital form and starting into production, I plan to return my focus to the Land Raider chassis, completing this sponson kit along with other kits suited for the Land Raider. It should be noted, it may not look like it, but the armour kit shown here already has a few more design surprises hidden in plain sight that I'll be showcasing in the future; these larger kits have provided me with an idea that I think will be very well received once I reveal what I have planned. Modular is the name of the game, and I have plans to take the concept of modular as far as I can push it. But I digress, that's another story for another day.

 

Thanks as always, for following along, lurking or otherwise, as my ambitions have grown and evolved over the years. The community here at B&C really has been a huge encouragement to me as I prepare to take my next step in this evolution, and I have every plan to continue to drag bring you along with me as I explore the ideas gifted to me by the many voices from the warp that infest my brain, compelling me to make these many ideas real.

[Eldrick Shadowblade]

More killer stuff! I'm gonna need like 8 of those chaos missle systems! : )