French Landship Completed!

   The French landship is completed, after receipt of replacement starboard drive units. Also, tricolors and a personalization icon have been added. The cock is the symbol of French athletics, in this case, the French National Rugby Football team (better known as Les Bleus). I think I will call this little scout ship Les Bleus.

The missing starboard drive unit, in place.

FFR Logo, rear of landship.

Oops! Blurry.

  A wall of paint bottles shields from view some of my Lead Painters' League entries still in process. No peeks! I will hint and say that there will be some VSF elements in my LPL entries. Big surprise.

Steam Armoured Dwarves?

   I happened on these whilst researching items of critical importance on the interconnected differencing engine. Produced in Poland (Grand Duchy, I think), by a company known as Scibor. Some sort of short but powerful man, heavily whiskered, and wearing an ornate suit of what appears to be steam-powered armour.

From the Horizon: Harold's Patent Aetheric Interface Assault Craft!

   Mr. Harold has designed a new type of aetheric craft. Intended to rapidly introduce troops from an aethership orbiting the planet, these Aetheric Interface Craft (known to Tommy Atkins as a 'drop pod') can carry an entire squad of Her Majesty's Loyal Servants in splendid comfort [not really-Ed.] and complete safety [hardly!-Ed.]. Her Majesty's Royal Navy has ordered the construction of hundreds of these disposable units for the Aethermarines, Skywalkers, and even a Naval Brigade Artillery Group. They can also be utilised for the resupply of troops in distant areas!

   To date, attempts to use the Harold Patent Interface Craft to land cavalry have been a dismal failure. The horses, you see.

Seems to have lost its parachute somewhere...

[Editor's Notes: Okay, these are really cool, and pretty inexpensive. You can find out more about them here. And here. I am going to add a parachute draped over the side, and paint them in a lovely Victorian scheme. 15mm, and quite good, really.]

Interesting eBay finds

   Found these models when looking for a way to recreate the vehicle found in this TMP post. I thought the Triarch Stalker would make a good vehicle for a Mad Scientist bent on Domination of the Solar System.

Triarch Stalker (40K) Proxy / Alternative: $50 from here

SM / SoB Whirlwind Alternate: $16 from here.

Necron Scarab Alternate (x12): $10 from here.

   The eBayer who has these also has other interesting 40K proxies that could be used for VSF projects, I think. Worth a few seconds to take a peek, at any rate.

Handwavium Found on Venus

   The following photostats show a new set of handwavium crystals. The green rock powers the most amazing of modern technologies by providing intense heat without consuming oxygen.

[Editor's Note: This is a new set of resin crystals my sons bought from Acheson Creations a few years ago at Historicon, I think. I saw it sitting around, and just decided to finish it. Very handy for VSF terrain and objectives.]

The People Have Spoken!

   And thus, the heretofore unnamed scout Aeronef shall henceforth be known in the RNAS rolls as...

HMAS DRAGONFLY

   Work is nearing completion on this project. I have installed the rope railing around the entire deck, attached the lower hull to the upper, and the tail section as well. The Nordenfelt has been mounted, the white ensign attached, and very little still waiting completion.

   What is left to do? I need to attach the scratchbuilt hatch onto the superstructure. I need to touch up some spots where handling has rubbed the paint thin. I need to attach the deck gun. I need to print a decal with the ship's name and attach it. The whole model needs to be clear-coated. Finally, I need to devise a flying stand of some sort. To the Dollar Store!

DRAGONFLY              Dragonfly                          (Stencil)

DRAGONFLY             Dragonfly                         (Algerian)

DRAGONFLY                          Dragonfly                             (Black Adder)

DRAGONFLY               Dragonfly                                    (Brush Script)

DRAGONFLY                   Dragonfly           (Copperplate Gothic)

DRAGONFLY           Dragonfly (Engravers)

DRAGONFLY              Dragonfly           (Lucida Calligraphy)

DRAGONFLY                  Dragonfly                    (Old English Text)

Unnamed Scout Nef Project

  A few shots to see what has been going on. I decided to go with the rope and stanchion railing as suggested by the poll. The first photo shows how I did it. Simply, it is some 1/16" brass tube cut with a razor saw to about 20mm lenght, inserted into holes I drilled in the model with my Dremel. To that, I used superglue to attach some beading cord that looks like braided manila. I had thought to use some small brass rings glued to the stanchions and then run the cord through them, but could not find any that I liked well enough.

Rope Railing Closeup

Upper Hull Section

   You may note the change in color scheme. I decided to match a historical pattern of the Victorian Royal Navy, with black hull, white superstructure, and yellow ochre stack. Also, questioning the use of ventilators. It came with a pair, but I don't know that I want to use them.

   The tail I am considering painting a blue-white-red roundel upon the upper half. Also need to figure out how to do a decal for the name - which I need to decide upon! Check out the poll for that, please!

Tail section assembled, needing more paint. Roundel?

Newest Lower Hull. Help from a Mad Man in a Blue Box?

   Changed the lower hull plan from the original idea. Originally it had two resin portholes on each side, but the starboard pair were damaged at some point, so I cut them all off. Then I added round gunports over the four portholes, going to fit each with a Hotchkiss rotary cannon. But once I looked at it, I decided that it was over-gunned at that point. Cut off those ports, added a washer to each side for a single porthole - that's the engineering area, not a passenger lounge, after all!

  Plenty of work still to go. Need to finish cutting the stanchions for the main deck's railing, finish painting the deck gun and the Nordenfelt for the pilot house deck, need to make a hatch for the roof of the pilot house, finsih painting the details, and then there is asssembly! Oh, and a line for the ensign, of course! I was thinking smokestack to rear of the armoured boiler box. I've some small-ish eye pins I could set in for that.

Scout Aeronef, Part I

   I recently obtained a 25mm scale Scout Aeronef, made by Ironclad Miniatures, from someone on TMP. The casting looks very nice, but has a few flaws. The worst of these was the portholes on one side of the lower hull were about half gone. I don't know if it was a casting problem, or if they were chipped at some point afterwards. Either way, they were not going to work. So, I got creative.

Stock, primed gray.

   Here is my 'creative' solution: I cut off all four of the lower hull portholes and replaced them with these plastic fittings. The fittings are from my wife's O2 tanks, and I have been saving them as I could for something just like this! However, these do not match the perfectly good portholes on the upper hull or superstructure. So I decided they would be gunports instead!

   The plan is to make a set of four revolving barrel cannons to protrude from the gunports. 3-pdr Hotchkiss Revolving Cannons for a broadside armament! Huzzah!

As you can see, it needs more rivets. And some replacement rivets.

Starting to paint the upper hull and deck. Not glued yet.

   I had to do a few other minor repairs to get started, but the project is on! I should finish in a few weeks, as I am easily distracted by other projects and a massive "Honey-Do" list from the memsahib. Silly me, I thought that I had the summer off from work, being a teacher and all!

   Oh, does anyone recognize that piece in the background? It is not going to be fitted to the scout aeronef - too heavy. But it will see use.

Defensive Items Available!

Quantum Gothic is a British terrain manufacturer. They make some really nice looking resin 'gothic' 25mm sci-fi terrain. But to be honest, I think most of it could easily be used for VSF gaming. When I finally convince my wallet that I have not been abusing it (this may take a few months), I want to remember these models. I especially have my eye on the forcefield pylons, the comm array, the armored gate and the watchtower.

Professor MacGlarrigy's Galvanic Defense Field Focussing Array Pylon

Note: Photos taken from Quantum Gothic website for illustrative purposes only.

I neither claim nor challenge ownership of these pieces or their design, nor am I affiliated with Quamtum Mechanics.

I just think that they look awesome and hope you will buy some, too! Free advertising!

Aethergraphic Relay Station

Anti-Saurian Rocket Defense Turret

I found these fellows sort of by accident whilst rummaging about on TMP tonight. And my wife thought I was wasting time. Harrumph!

To quote Doctor Henry Cavor, "Imperial! Absolutely imperial!"

Unobtainite At Last!

ORE FOUND IN CROWN COLONY

Viceroy Claims For Britain

As our more scientifically savvy readers can tell, the photostat above reveals the site of a massive source of unobtainite, the wondrous mineral that sunders the fetters of cruel gravity, binding all things to the planetary surface. Merely energize the smallest fragments of this fantastic substance with [CENSORED BY VICEROY'S OFFICE] of pure galvanic energy and soar into the heavens, shielded from - nay! repulsed by! - the gravitational force dragging us all to the core of the planet.

These crystals and the land surrounding them have been seized under law by the Viceroy himself. The discoverer of the deposit, Mister Clyde Abernathy, formerly of West Stoking, currently residing in Singh's Songhouse, Victoria Landing, has already filed suit to maintain his properly filed deed of claim on the property. The Viceroy's son-in-law and principle advisor on commercial legal affairs, speaking to our correspondent solely under the condition that his name would not be printed, revealed that the courts have already been influenced by the Viceroy, and the suit would be summarily dismissed.

Maton's Mechanical Monstrosity!

Herr Professor Doctor Otto Maton, the brilliant but utterly ruthless and maniacally despotic mechanical genius, has been at the drawing board again, developing a larger, more dangerous creature of unlimited power.


Here is the result: a massive mockery of Man in mechanical menace! Note the massive galvanic collector coils mounted on the giant's back. They supply power the matched pair of magnetic disruptor cannons which replace the infernal device's arms.

The photostat presented here was taken by Miss Eugenia P. Whistlebum during her brief but unwilling stay with the Belgian Madman. Miss Whistlebum smuggled the exposed photostatic plate out of the fiend's lair under her petticoat bustle when she was released following the undisclosed but reportedly very hefty ransom paid by her father, her fiancee and her future father-in-law.

[Editor's Notes: Back at it at last. I have some new terrain. The old handwavium crystals were made of pink foam cut with a hotwire, then painted. This unobtainite (blue, not handwavium green) is a resin product from Armorcast. Pyrite crystals, if I remember rightly. The new automaton is from Hydra, one of Matt's pulp sci-fi line Destroyer Robots, or Warbot Destroyer, or something like that. So far, it has been assembled and primed black. I hope to get a bit of painting time tomorrow night, so it may get brassy by then. The chest plates may get steel instead, to protect the delicate inner workings. Red eye? What do you think, HAL?]

Goals for February 2010

As part of my ongoing commitment to getting a dent in the lead pile (which grows daily, somehow, even though I have sold off things and traded away others), I am trying to set achievabel goals to complete each month. Some of the things I will do are projects already started but never actually finished. Some are totally new.

Without further ado, the list for February:

• Finish current vessels for Republic of Venice's Aeronef fleet (need some more ships)
• Finish ten Hydra Miniatures Vardu sprout warriors
• Finish projects from January that are undone
• Repaint on old edition of GW Skink Stegadon for Venus
• Ten 28mm Copplestone German Marines as Atherbattalion
• Armorcast Gothic Laboratory Power Generator

It's a short month this month, so I think that's a good amount. Wish me luck!

New Very Cool 28mm Vehicles from Germany

I don't usually make more than one post a day, to keep things nice and tidy, but I don't think I can wait on this one! The maker of some very cool VSF-worthy equipment was on TMP's news today, and rightfully so, I think.

The armored steam tractor (above) was the new release being advertised, and it is very nice, and will probably find its way onto my gaming table. But the monowheel (below) has got to be the coolest thing ever. Even if you do have to provide your own crew figure and gun.

Here's the website:

http://tobsen77.de/index.php?lan=en

I will be buying both of these items, probably more than one of the monowheel. The only question is which nation gets to use it? They used a Copplestone British machinegunner in their photo, but state that most any seated crewman and gun will work.

French Foreign Legion? British (as shown)? Texican? What do you think?

I just don't think German when I see the monowheel. Too light for Germans in my mind. Though that tractor fairly screams RaupenPanzerzug (tracked armored train, in my bad German translation).

The Prince is Ready!

Whorled Deathray Cavalry Take to the Skies

At long last, His Highness, Prince Musta Gopotty has finished training the first of the golden whorled deathrays for cavalry service. Eleven more brave Martians have volunteered to train with the Prince in the art of aerial cavalry. Some are armed with guns, some with lances, and two are known to have been in possession of musical instruments when they volunteered. Perhaps once a few more golden whorled deathrays are captured and saddled, they will be seen practicing their graceful yet deadly art in the skies of the Red Planet.

Photostats of this momentous occasion in Martian military history are forthcoming, awaiting only proper lighting conditions for a better quality photo.

"Ghost" Archers Sighted In Outlying Agricultural District

In other news, we have sighted a few Martians dressed in strange headdress and carrying bows sneaking about the countryside. Martian militia units have also been sighted in the same area, armed with a mix of guns and swords. Only time will tell the intent of these furtive figures, but this journal would suggest that the Government send patrols to the Ukana District.

Sentinel #2 Preparing for Service at Orlock

From Orlock Ironmongery of Mars, reports filter out that bombardment rockets for the long-awaited Sentinel #2 are in development. Only time shall tell what form these terror weapons shall eventually take, as security has been extremely tight (good show, that!) and many copies of misleading evidence have been allowed to be discovered, in order to confuse the spies of Napoleon III and Kaiser Wilhelm.

[Editor's Note: I must remember the silly names I give these Martians, for continuity's sake. I rather like Musta Gopotty, though. Be careful to wear nitrile gloves when pouring resin. It does not come off of skin easily. Please let me know if you like the 'new' look of the posting - more like a newspaper, I think. It won't be every post I make, but...]

Reports of Progress on Deathray Training

Gentlemen, we have received alarming reports that Prince Musta Gopotty of the Martian state of Galfor, that implacable opponent of all things Right and Proper - that is to say, British - is readying troop of soldiers mounted upon devilish flying mounts. The Martian Deathray is a rightly feared predator of the Martian highlands, where it gracefully soars under the twin moons of the Red Planet. Never before has anyone even tried to keep any in captivity. Their enormous size and strength and well-known ferocity indicate such would be nigh on impossible!

And yet, the impossible does seem to be happening! As these photostats clearly show, the renegade Prince has mounted one of the smaller species of deathrays, the golden whorled deathray. While smaller than its cousin, the Great Deathray, it is much faster and more agile, and clearly capable of carrying off a man, or carrying one mounted on its back.

[Editor's Notes:]
The ray is a spotted eagle ray toy I bought at the Dallas Zoo. I think it was manufactured by Safai Unlimited or something like that. I scraped that info off the bottom - oops! Then I drilled a hole in its belly and popped it onto a clear flight stand. The rider is a Martian prince in 18mm from Black Hat miniatures. The straps are some strips of sueded lacing that I just superglued onto the toy.

The big problem was that the cast miniature would not sit on the flat back of the ray. So I had to make a saddle of some sort.

I bought some clay, mold putty and two part casting resin at the local Hobby Lobby. I sculpted a saddle out of the clay and baked it hard, per the package directions (I used green Sculpey Primo).

Next, I made a mold using the mold putty. It was really easy: knead the two equal sized bits of putty together, then press onto the master and let it sit. It took all of about 30 minutes for the mold to be ready.

I popped the original 'green' out of the mold and

mixed a small amount of the resin - still way too much, it turned out. Poured the resin into the mold, waited about 10 minutes (just to be sure), and popped out the little white beauty you see here, next to the original.

The whole process was really easy. Granted, the sculpting is primitive and a simple form, but I am still very happy with how it came out. I can make more saddles for the Great Deathrays now. I have even figured a way to modify them to make a two-man saddle possible for the bigger rays.

Other projects are moving along as well. I have been working on several Martian buildings from plastic containers of various shapes and sizes, filled with expanding insulating foam for extra rigidity, and then the bottom given a layer of Water Putty for heft. When I get one really finished, I'll post pictures. I even have some "in progress" shots. I am nearing completion of the entire squad of 28mm British Secret Weapons troops [Praetorians from GW], and have one of the two modified Sentinels ready to go except for a final shot of matte spray and the banner.

I bought some dried plants to make more Martian terrain, as well. Some strange looking trees will be making their appearance on the gaming table soon.