Legion Rising

[sarabando]

i need these in my life.

[Subtle Discord]

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Motivation Subroutines ∙ Recalibrating…

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Information Exchange ∙ Update

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+++ Output Quota ∙ Inadequate +++ Incentive Reprimand ∙ Administered +++ +++ Praxis Protocols ∙ Decrypting… +++ +++ +++ Output Quota ∙ Adjusting Parameters… +++

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Praxis Protocols ∙ Initialized

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[Augustus b'Raass]

 

+++ Output Quota ∙ Inadequate +++ Incentive Reprimand ∙ Administered +++ 

I suggest administering copious amounts of Distilled Water and Dust in cogs and gears, instead of Blessed Oils and delivering the Lubrication Sacrament. 

[Subtle Discord]

Ok, so maybe four versions of the Interitus Missile Launcher redesign with four missile options was a bit ambitious to start, but I really wanted to make versions suited to Loyalist and Chaos aaand an alternate version with a lower profile, so four was what had to be. With the number of moulds required and the additional cure time the new rubber is adding, it’s taking longer than expected; driving home that I simply need more and/or larger pressure chambers sooner rather than later; all in due time. However, things are progressing and while there still a few moulds to go, the end of these are in sight… sorta’.

 

I’m happy to find that the components don’t need any special treatment before the mould making process. Past 3D prints I’ve worked with had a porous surface that would bind with the mould rubber if the parts weren’t treated.

 

So, thankfully this isn’t a problem with the components Solus is producing. I still need to remove and clean up the supports used during the printing process, but that’s not too bad, usually. While the printing resin is very strong and hard it’s also somewhat brittle and it’s prone to chipping if you don’t take care as you file and sand them away. If it happens it’s usually a toss-up between repairing the chip mark or just printing a replacement part. Beyond that, this is how parts turn out straight from the printer right into the RTV rubber. Fewer steps in the production process, It’s a good thing.

 

Moulds for the Launchers are still in the works, but the yolk is ready and looking great. Naturally, it’s magnetized for posing/swapping and they’ll be included in the kit.

 

The only catch with the yolk components is hidden within the current moulds. While they’re producing great parts I’m finding that it takes quite a bit of force to remove the parts from the moulds. The new rubber I’m using is very tough but I’m just not sure how many pulls I’ll be able to reliably get from them like this. The mixed outcome is somewhat good since I had done them as simple and straightforward as possible, so I can see now that I’m going to have to do them in a way that’ll take a bit more work, but that’s just what some components need if you’re going to make moulds in what I feel is the right way. The two-part moulds take more time and effort, but I just can’t ignore the superior results.

 

Beside that minor hiccup, these are looking as good as I could have hoped. The rest of the moulds will be finishing up over the next few days and fully assembled photographs of the kits will be sure to follow. After that, I’m going to be pulled by my ear, figuratively… mostly, but a bit literally, by my family to spend a week out of the city at the cottage. While a large part of me doesn’t want to leave the manufactorum as I’m finally gaining momentum again, I’m quite sure it’s in my best interest to relent and expose myself to some unpolluted atmosphere, some dirt, and a dose of solar radiation in order to maintain some semblance of an immune system. Naturally, I’ll be taking some hobby supplies and such along with me for the evenings, so I’ll keep some progress going of some sort, but I’m still not sure just what quite yet.

 

Ok, bed ways is right ways. Viddy well my droogs, viddy well.

 

[JeffTibbetts]

Insane finish quality on the final pieces. That's so great to see. Any misgivings folks may have had about 3D-printing and all the 'stair-stepping' that comes should be well and truly put to sleep. 

 

And on another note, those 'striders look so dang cool I can't even...

[ElDuderino]

Holy hell, that looks so good. I know you've probably answered this thirty times already, but how much did the printer see you back? I'm thinking if getting one, not primarily for miniatures though so I'm curious how much more this quality would cost me

[Subtle Discord]

 

+++ Output Quota ∙ Inadequate +++ Incentive Reprimand ∙ Administered +++ 

I suggest administering copious amounts of Distilled Water and Dust in cogs and gears, instead of Blessed Oils and delivering the Lubrication Sacrament.

 

It has been found that liberal application of the Motive Force to select neural regions and/or nerve pathways produces the desired corrective effect while causing minimal permanent damage.

 

Insane finish quality on the final pieces. That's so great to see. Any misgivings folks may have had about 3D-printing and all the 'stair-stepping' that comes should be well and truly put to sleep. 

 

And on another note, those 'striders look so dang cool I can't even...

Thanks! Yeah, ain't it great? *giggles and claps his hands like a happy fool* The not-so-secret is getting that layer height (Z resolution) under 25µ (microns) in height. 50µ is where most mainstream printers have been hovering for several years, and while that's still amazing and works just fine for objects that are larger in scale it will struggle with certain angles and details that miniatures demand and show that obvious layered 'stair-stepping'. I've worked with the parts at the resolution and they were sooo close, but I knew I wanted needed just one step better to do it right at this scale. Really, the layering is still there, but it's so fine that they're almost invisible; the mill marks on older GW styrene kits are many times larger than the surface 'stepping' that does appear in the stubborn spots. In the near future, I'll have some time to put paint on some things and I'll be sure to show what a stubborn area looks like. Really quick early tests with primer seem to have smoothed them out, but I want to see what happens when I paint something properly with layers, washes, and such to see what the final product will really look like.

 

And as for the Dragoons... *big goofy grin* heh... yeah, they're perddy. But the vivid red sure contrasts/clashes with the grey, so it'll be nice to see them unified under a layer of primer. Soon enough.

 

Holy hell, that looks so good. I know you've probably answered this thirty times already, but how much did the printer see you back? I'm thinking if getting one, not primarily for miniatures though so I'm curious how much more this quality would cost me

Yep, Servitor Solus is a gift from the Omnissiah and I have no qualms saying that it performs better than I could have hoped. I was optimistic but skeptical, but after using it the results are excellent no matter what I toss at it. It is a resin based 3D printer so it comes with material handling, maintenance, and operating costs that should be considered. It does require hands-on setup and some trial-and-error test printing to dial in the accuracy and how much work that will be for you really depends on how much you like to tinker with such things; from my perspective, it's not hard just a bit time consuming, but it's not a ready out-of-the-box type of setup.

 

Go have a look at Junction3D for yourself for the USD price (unlike many companies, they actually show it and don't make you contact them to get it) and I highly suggest reading their forums for troubleshooting, feedback, tips-and-tricks, and examples of what people are doing. Some of the pieces being done by jewelers are just jaw dropping and if they don't sell you on Solus, nothing will. It does require a dedicated computer to operate the setup, but the requirements are modest by modern computing standards; a low cost and/or secondhand PC can easily do the trick. Also, note that with the high resolution and surface quality comes a limited build area of 80mm x 40mm x 80mm, so it really is specialized to do small objects at high resolutions.

 

If there are any other insights I can offer about Solus, please just ask and I'll do my best offer my input. If small-scale high-resolution at a price point that won't force you to contemplate a second mortgage on your house is what you're after, I really didn't find any other 3D printer during my research that could compare with Solus. Most companies will show prints made by their printer that downplay limitations and show off what it does best. The makers of Solus show images of things being made by the customers using their printers and the results simply speak for themselves.

[hushrong]

Looking fantastic as always blessed disciple of the Omnissiah!

[Eldrick Shadowblade]

You can put me down for a pre-order of those chaos missile systems!

[Subtle Discord]

Well, I’m not going to get all the moulds done before I flee the city for the week (heading out early tomorrow), but I’m in the home stretch. I just need to get the second pair of missile components moulded for this set but that’s no problem now that I’ve done the first two and they’ve worked out perfectly.
 

Split like this to solve a production problem with rocket/missile ordinance loaded in tubes, it’s worked out nicely. However, the sprew is causing the part to be a tiny bit out of alignment in this image.
 
When created something like this as a single part the mould will wear out rather quickly as the delicate rubber creating the missile detail tears away; a mould for a part like this would need to be replaced 4-5 times beside the moulds for the rest of the kit and that just didn’t make sense. This solution was to avoid that problem, and it solves the problem perfectly as the moulds for both of these parts will now wear about the same and in line with the rest of the moulds for the kit. But once I solved the problem it quickly became apparent that it also adds to the design in other ways. First. I made a few different missile types to add options for the builder. It’s also very easy to remove a few missiles and drill out the back plate to make the rack look like it’s launched a volley or two. People who prefer to do subassembly paint jobs might also want to paint the missiles first before inserting them in the front plate. A reasonably small change equals win, win, win, for the kit? Works for me!
 

From my mind, to the computer, to Servitor Solus, to reality. Since the old counts-as Havoc Launcher was one of the first kits that my studio started producing, it’s fitting that it should be one of the first to get a proper reboot.
 
A few moulds in the set will need a bit of tweaking the next time I make them, to let the parts pulling free easier, but that’s no problem and all part of the ever ongoing process. Everything assembles perfectly with just a tiny bit of wiggle room to permit glue between seams and gaps and avoid any possible shrinkage causing fit issues. As with the Pintle Weapons, this is one part creating a new’ish kit, but also one part testing the waters to make sure more ambitious future designs should be possible. Not that I expected any problems but these first few kits were small enough to fail without wasting too many resources. Prototyping resin is expensive so naturally, I want to save mistakes and testing for the small stuff. Again, just look at those clean lines, sharp details, accurate fit, smooth surfaces, and know that I am completely giddy with anticipation to see just what I can do with this at my disposal. Oh little Havoc launcher, you signify so much more. *Subtle grins wickedly*
 
The Mk.4A Loyalist version is also finished and looking great, but I just don’t have time to assemble one right now. I still need to complete the moulds for the lower profile ‘B’ versions and the corresponding missile insert components so the ‘A’ kits will be in production a few days after I return to the studio and the ‘B’ kits a few days after that. Thanks as always to everyone past, present, and future, who are making it possible for me to do this seriously. I hope that I continue to show that I’m very serious about producing some of the best models and miniatures available, and while the start-up is going a bit slow there are great things in The Works as the momentum continues to build over the coming weeks, months, and years.

[ElDuderino]

Thanks for the breakdown SD! The solus seems like a mighty beach, a bit above my budget however:) 40k isn't the primary reason I want one, it's more for other hobby stuff where fidelity and smoothness is secondary, so I think I'll save myself $3000 and keep to greenstuff for modelining. Maybe doing basic structures by printing and then smoothing and detailing by good old putty and plasticard? Seems like it'd simplify things at least!

 

The result you're getting are super impressive however, these havoc launchers look superb, and I wouldn't think twice about investing if I ever made a business out of this hobby thing. Do you do all your production work in CAD nowadays or do you still mix up some putty now and then?

[hushrong]

That looks fantastic!

 

One idea I'd like to throw into the logic cogitators is making your own variant of a launcher for a scorpius. I do not remember seeing that mentioned before though I could easily be wrong. I bought one of those loyalist AA rhinos and I use the hunter variant as a FW scorpius tank for artillery. I like the way it looks but I feel silly that I am using an AA launcher for ground pounding. I had been thinking of ways to make it look closer to the FW kit...and just thought this may be a fun project in the future.

[Pandoras Bitz Box]

I have havoc launchers on basically all of my chaos tanks... I would like to buy yours and replace them, they look immense. 

[Subtle Discord]

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Comm-Link ∙ Active

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+++ Neural Congress ∙ Initialized +++ Transmit ∙ 'Dragoon Zero-Six tack Zero-One... Telemetry confirmed. Hold for Engagement Protocol down-link.' +++ Receiving ∙ 'Zero-Six tack Zero-One... Transmit confirmed. Slowing locomotion to 3%. Awaiting Engagement Protocol down-link.' +++

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[Brother-Chaplain Kage]

Neural congress?

 

[Augustus b'Raass]

Neural congress?

 

Best reply ever.

[hushrong]

Even the dragoon you pict-captured is pointing to your forgeworld upgrades he wants.

[Subtle Discord]

Thanks for the breakdown SD! The solus seems like a mighty beach, a bit above my budget however:) 40k isn't the primary reason I want one, it's more for other hobby stuff where fidelity and smoothness is secondary, so I think I'll save myself $3000 and keep to greenstuff for modelining. Maybe doing basic structures by printing and then smoothing and detailing by good old putty and plasticard? Seems like it'd simplify things at least!

 

The result you're getting are super impressive however, these havoc launchers look superb, and I wouldn't think twice about investing if I ever made a business out of this hobby thing. Do you do all your production work in CAD nowadays or do you still mix up some putty now and then?

Happy to help. Yes, it really depends on how you plan to use it when determining how realistic the price point is for your needs. For the typical hobbyist high-resolution resin-based 3D printers are still far too expensive for casual hobby use, but for someone like me Solus is producing results that would normally cost at least 5-10 times as much, so by that measure, it's a game changer for my small studio. Now, there are resin-based DLP printers that are starting to arrive at the below $1,000 range and I even recently saw a review for a ~$500 one (the name escapes me at the moment) that was quite compelling for the price point. This is a segment of 3D printing that will likely see many new offerings in the next few years.

 

For now, yes, I'm shifting all of my design to digital, using CAD to create the model that will be printed to use as the casting master. It provides virtually complete freedom to create shapes and forms that would be difficult or even virtually impossible to produce by scratch building them, especially on small-scale objects where it just becomes harder-and-harder to create high-quality details the smaller you get. Add to that the ability to produce several identical copies of the same object in order to create more efficient moulds; compared to trying to accurately scratch-build an object several times the improvement in output is profound.

 

That said, scratch building and the like will still have its place when the scale suits it (with 3D printing, high-resolution usually comes with small build area), but even then it will likely be supported by 3D printed components. It will likely start with a styrene structure that provides the base form and larger details and then 3D printed components would be added to detail and/or veneer the base styrene structure. Naturally, I'll also be doing plenty of scratch building for personal projects in places where one-off creations are needed and the time and cost factors would be roughly the same to make it by hand versus 3D modeling and printing it. 3D printing offers unparalleled freedom to create any form you like and that's very compelling, but it really is best suited to create very accurate repetition and/or masters for casting; if a project is something that can't really take advantage of those things odds are good that I'll go old-school and build with styrene and putty. I also want to continue scratch-building in an effort to document technique and process for instructional and informative articles, so rest assured that my scratch-building days are far from behind me.

 

That looks fantastic!

 

One idea I'd like to throw into the logic cogitators is making your own variant of a launcher for a scorpius. I do not remember seeing that mentioned before though I could easily be wrong. I bought one of those loyalist AA rhinos and I use the hunter variant as a FW scorpius tank for artillery. I like the way it looks but I feel silly that I am using an AA launcher for ground pounding. I had been thinking of ways to make it look closer to the FW kit...and just thought this may be a fun project in the future.

Thank you. Yep, works for me! More images of the other versions will be coming soon. I changed the design slightly (it's hollow now, where it was solid before) and I'm very pleased with how well it's all fitting together.

 

One of my broader projects is to create weapon systems and corresponding turrets in a range of sizes and styles. The idea will be to make the weapons fit well with existing GW/FW kits so a builder can get just the weapons systems and integrate them into the build, but for someone who wants to take it further there will also be the corresponding turrets to match the weapons, and those will also fit GW/FW models either directly or with a conversion plate of some sort. While I had considered a long list of weapons I have to say I don't think I'd considered a heavy missile version, so thank you for the data input. It has been corrolated and archived.

 

I have havoc launchers on basically all of my chaos tanks... I would like to buy yours and replace them, they look immense. 

I look forward to supplying some of your future wargear needs. They are a modest example of many things to come in the future, but an excellent smallscale showcase of the plans I have. It's beginning slowly, but there's much more to come and starting to arrive... errr... now!

 

 

Neural congress?

 

Best reply ever.

 

Yeah baby! Agreed, brilliant reply.

 

Hey, I'm just lifting the term from a Mechanicus audiobook I listened to, so it's not my fault if the terminology might make you a bit... randy. It's fitting really, since it's said that when the will of the Omnissiah enters a servant to communicate directly it feels really goooood.

 

Even the dragoon you pict-captured is pointing to your forgeworld upgrades he wants.

Touche! Now I can't unsee that; "Hey, the bits, they're right over there you know."

 

Very astute of you to notice the omission. Since most of them will be kept off the model for priming I set them aside while I'm getting the assembly done and didn't want to mock them up quite yet for the image. They're gorgeous models, but daaamn they're full of lots of fiddly little parts and putting all the extra bits on takes more time than this image warrened since there's still some tiny bits of final assembly to be done. Images of them properly blinged up will follow soon, I promise.

 

It should go without saying that I'm very eager to start getting some paint on these so they can soon take their place on the flank of my Vanguard and Rangers. However, that motivation is a mixed blessing, since that's also got me doing my usual overthinking about the colour scheme I want to do on the vehicles; the plan has long been to do the armour plates in blue with the appropriate underlying components in black, but I keep thinking that black armour plates with a blue chassis would look sharp as well. I'm starting to become tempted to do both to add some cohesive variety to the collection but I'm still pondering on it.

[hushrong]

The ideas for weapon systems and turret mounts sounds dreamy. Like I said I feel a tad silly using an AA weapon as artillery. It looks cool and I imagine they just modified it to just lob munitions up and at an angle. Yet there is that nagging sensation that its not 100% right. Then I remind myself of Germans using modified AA guns in tanks. And that worked pretty well.

 

Also, these new bits that are hollow, is it safe to assume they are quicker to make and reduce materials (and cost)? Or is it fractional or not even noticeable?

 

And you are not kidding about the model having fiddly bits. Just looking at the railing around his console I know I would have messed up and broken that a few times before assembly. I do think it would be cool if you painted up the GW mini and then placed on those sweet, orange plates pre-paint to really show off your products for your store. Be a very cool picture to show off next to the completed mini.

 

Sidenote: I keep scrolling back up to look at the dragoon and I cannot believe he is literally riding piggyback on his warstead.

[Subtle Discord]

Yep, I seem to recall a story of 88mm AA crews being forced to level their guns on advancing armour as a last-ditch effort, and quickly discovering that they were extremely effective.

 

If there's one thing I've got, it's plenty of concepts and ideas to keep the forges of The Works busy. I have to be very selective and considerate of the kits I'm doing right now but it's inevitable that the pace of the studio will increase and I really aim to get to them all in due time.

 

Yeah, isn't it just wonderfully dark? the Dragoon/Strider model has to be one of my favorite in the Mechanicus line; the fusion of human and machine that is such a signature element of the faction is on complete display while also being pushed a bit further than usual with the nature of this particular fusion.

[Gederas]

Yep, I seem to recall a story of 88mm AA crews being forced to level their guns on advancing armour as a last-ditch effort, and quickly discovering that they were extremely effective.

Eyup. Early on in the war, some German AA crews had to quickly defend themselves against tanks, and they found out the 88 was much better at killing tanks than airplanes. Cue Germany proceeding to stick that gun on almost every tank they had :lol:

[Eldrick Shadowblade]

Blah,blah,blah. I want me some missles!

[Subtle Discord]

Workin' on it! It'll be a few days to get the last moulds for the Mk.4 and 5 'A' finished, and then the parts for the Mk.4 and 5 'B' (lower profile) will follow over the next few days after that.

[Eldrick Shadowblade]

I know. Amazing work! I'd also like some of those mobile weapon platforms.... another set of chaos barricades..... and and and and and and and and.......

[Subtle Discord]

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Inquiry Input ∙ 'Kastelan'

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Retrieving ∙ Primary Data

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