Battlecruiser - getting started

So here we go with putting on plasticard panels and also the tried and tested Go-Fasta stripes.

I want to have a slab-like feel to the sides so won't be putting anything on that juts out too far. You can see that i've put on a rounded shape, which is the underside bit to a tank turret. Thinking that maybe its an airlock, i scribed the plasticard vertically underneath it to suggest doors.

What i don't want though is everything to be 90 degrees to each other and pretty bland, so will be having a bit of variation in places. This applies to the front, which i don't want to be just a flat surface. Was thinking of building a command deck area out from this bit and my son's suggestion that it looks a bit like a Jawa Sandcrawler has me thinking i'll try and emualte the front of that. A bit.

Battlecruiser

Been looking around for something new to build - but spare cash is non-existant. So thought i'd have another go at a scratchbuild - they're cheap, uses up a lot of ammased junk and no-one can tell me i'm wrong.

So three quid spent at the craft shop gets me a large sheet of 3mm foamboard and here's the start.

I've deliberatly gone for a design that's a lot of flat surfaces - for some reason most of my scratchbuilds have been curved shapes, which create all sorts of problems and limitations when adding detail and i wanted to do away with all that.

I wanted a nice blocky battlecruiser look, with a big bulbous front a la the Dreadnaughts in Babylon 5 or Mark Harrisons ships in Durham Red. I also wanted to contrast it with some curves somewhere to break it up a bit and went with what you see here - a nod to Henry Flints brilliant ship design in Shakara.

Not started yet will be an engine section at back joined by a tube i think.

Psydon Ship - thank you Mr Bower

These bumps either side of the neck were always going to be a problem. I've known for quite a while that they're from the AMT "Man In Space" kit, which is pretty scarce these days and a LOT of money when i only need a couple of tiny bits from out.

Talking about it to Martin Bower and it turns out they're actually a combination of that kit and EMA.

Depression sets in - but next day Martin had bunged a couple that he'd made up for me in the post and here they are.

Dead chuffed with them. The only thing i have to do is widen the blanking plate they sit on as i'd not made it quite wide enough.

Lunar Dweller

This is the start of the group build project over on the SFMUK site, to commerate the 40th anniversary of the moon landing.

Basically, do anything you like as long as it has some connection to a Lunar landing.

Not giving too much away just yet as i may well change my mind how i'm going to go about it.

But here's the start - its an Airfix Lunar Module that'd been part built and painted (rather badly) and that's why i got it cheap.

Didn't mind though as i originally bought it just for its feet, needing them for my Psydon Ship.

So i'm gonna end up with a footless LM, but a few carefully placed lunar rocks should disguise that.

Andrew Glazebrook's Blog

About time i pointed you in the direction of Andrew's Blog page - always entertaining, always interesting and one i check out most mornings with a coffee.

http://bsmbow.blogspot.com/

Top work there Andrew. Jealous much that mine's not so much fun.

Psydon ship - another disaster

So, still pleased with myself for getting that Saturn 1B, even more so when i realise the part for the neck fits really snugly over the B&Q piping i've used for the support rod (pic2).

But now i've got this far, something that's been bugging me for a while now is how does the neck attach to the very curved rear of the Command Module? (pic1)

I first thought it must actually be recessed into the beak, but the neck is situated very low down on it - pretty much half on the beak, half hanging down, as does the flange around it (pic3 shows the flange hanging down on the underside).

But as you can see from pic 4, the neck seamlessly fits onto the CM.

Was having a natter with Martin Bower last night and he said the reason it does that, and i REALLY should have spotted, is that the back of the original was flat. Mine's not, it being a vacform of a 44inch Eagle beak.

So what the heck am i to do?

Psydon Ship - i'm a happy bunny

Been a bit frustrating that i haven't been able to go very far with this project. That's because i need an Airfix Saturn 1B 1/44 kit before a i can glue parts on, plus need to have the dimensions of parts to make other parts. Its doubly frustrating in that the kit is pretty rare, and therefore goes for big bucks when it does appear.

But just got one off eBay for a very resonable 27 quid so awwaaaaay i go. Here's the two main parts that i needed, just plopped in place for the pics.

Gans - all done

Krote - all done

Sulaco - painting

A breeze to build this - if i hadn't had to wait for the prongs to set, it'd been done within a couple of hours.

Top pic is it all assembled. The only glitch i had was trying to remove the sprue mark at the front. Normally that'd be sanded down, but here it was between raised panel lines and if'd done that i'd have lost detail. Instead, i've scraped away as much as i could then disguised it with a new panel over the top. Kept on with the new panels all the way along that join.

Other pics show it in primer, based in GW Fenris Blue and then where i am at the moment - drybrushing with that mixed with lighter greys. Have to decide whether to leave a lot of the blue apparent, thereby simulating how it looked onscreen, or keep going into proper grey so as to have it more like the actual model.

Sulaco - intricacies

Here's the finished sensor array and engine area. SO fine detail, they were great fun to do, but the instructions for the engine area were not at all clear and very fiddly to do.

Sulaco - simplicity and cunning

Top photo is how far you get with only 5 parts attached. Simple to do, but the details so detailed it looks great already. Next two shots show how cunning Halcyon were: there's a whacking great join up top, but its all concealed by this top piece. You can see here by the way that i've some work to do filling down the sprue joins aft.

U.S.S Sulaco

Its very strange, i got all the Halcyon when they first came out - except for the Nostromo (which was out of my price range back then, and even more so now) and this one. Dunno why - i love the design and its Injection Plastic, my medium of choice.

Anyway, been keeping an eye out for one since i've got back into hardware but they've always gone for big bucks on the 'Bay.

But finally got one for 20 quid from Italy. It was with some trepidation that i opened the box as its always had sniffy reviews, mainly over its size. But, what're they on about? That's a decent enough size, lovely intricate detail and looks to make for a neat finished model.

If there's any surprise its the few parts that go up to make it - and most of them go on the sensor array.

Jock sketchcards

Bit off-topics but thought you might like to see some of the 2000AD sketch cards that the mighty Jock did especially for this Squaxx.

Tony Hart dies

Awww man.

Bad enough that so many of my childhood heroes have gone now, but when its the gentle, artistic, charming, unique characters, its worse.

And Tony's passing so soon after Oliver Postgate is doubly so.

They were totally unique, and we'll never see their like again.

I feel sorry for the generations of kids who've come after their retirement, and now passing, who'll most probably never be exposed to their genius.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7836112.stm

Gans - nearly done

Cracking on with this as i've a couple of new projects i wnat to get started on.

Here are all the sub-assemblies all painted up. I've used a variation of my Himmelspion colour scheme, just using a different, lighter grey on it.

Decals are applied and i'm just about to put a coat of varnish on to pull everything together.

Gans - underway

Well, what i thought would happened happened - starting this project so soon after finish my Neuspotter and almost finished my Krote (which the Gans uses huge sections of both) has meant its proving to be a real slog on some sections.

The piece on the right is the Neuspotter head, which went together exactly the same, albiet the smoke dischargers and lower cowl broke the tedium a bit.

The piece on the left is an all new thing for me and because of that a lot more enjoyable, and its a connecting section between the head and lower body.

By the way, i'm still working hard on finishing the Krote and Gustav - just not got time to take pics and upload them.

Psydon Ship - first Saturn 1B parts

This project has been on hold for quite a while as a lot of what i can put on or constuct is dependant on their relative positioning to parts from the Airfix Saturn 1B kit - which i haven't got and is VERY scarce.

But, a bit of progress today thanks to the top blokeness of Keith Scaife, who's very kindly cast me these two discs from the kit to apply to the rear of main section.

No idea what they'd be on a "real" version. Escape Pod hatches? Mine launchers?

Krote and Gustav - painting underway

I've always found the Gustav to be a bit of a boring design and the guy peering out of the open canopy has always looked a bit naff.

The usual Panzer grey doesn't make it anything other than dull too. But i've found that, with the canopy in place, it actually looks a lot better so that's what i've gone with. I wanted to brighten up the colour scheme so i went:

Basecoat of Vallejo Luftwaffe Grey,

then GW Astrnomican Grey splogged all over,

and to busy it up - GW Bad Moon Yellow as identifying bands.

Next stop some decals before rusting it up.

The Krote has been washed with a black/basecoat mix. I've picked out the metallics and washed them with black .Again, decals next before MUCH rust.

With both kits i applied Mr Surfacer, but only one coat. That gives a subtle texture but not as much as i'd have liked on the Gustav.Rather than apply more coats and wait for each to dry, i've instead splodged on Liquetex Gel Medium to give a really bubbled up texture, which you can just make out in the pic

The new Wave Gans

After paying the right rip-off Customs charge, i was pretty hacked off. Till i opend the box that is.

What a lovely effort this is - a great box, looks like lovely casting of the parts, excellent decal sheet and a camo card too.

Can't wait to get started.

Krote and Gustav - basecoated

Here they are, and they've come out a bit different to how i planned.

For a start, the Mr Surfacer i applied isn't that noticible. I could've applied more layers of the stuff, but the new Gans arrived at this point and i want to get these quite a way under way as i start on the new kit.

Also, my original plan was to have the Krote here in a camo pattern and all beat up and rusty, and the Gans in a plain, Scorpion Green scheme and have them displayed together, implying that the Gans was the new kid on the block and replacing the well past it Krote.

But the Gans comes with a lovely winter scheme on the camo card and i'm going with that. So the Krote gets the single colour - and here it is, GW Catchan Green.

The Gustav is based in Vallejo Luftwaffe Grey, which is very dark, but i'm going to lighten it right up.

Krote and Gustav - Mr Surfacer applied

First time with this stuff and, while its as smelly as i've been led to believe, its nowhere near as lumpy and bumpy as i'd thought it'd be. A lot of folk have to sand down the bumps with Wet And Dry but its a nice finish like this after being applied with an old brush.

Was hoping it'd be good to cover some remaining seamlines but its a no-go there.

Krote and Gustav - assembled

First up, hope you're having a great Christmas and all the best for the next 12 months.

Second, apols for the lack of posting just lately. Despite the Crimbo rush i have been a busy modeller, but haven't had time to take pics really.

But as you can see, the Gustav and Krote are pretty much done. Had great fun with both of these and they went together really well (despite some errors in the instructions).

The Gustav was a pretty standard build, notable for the nifty lead weights included to put in the feet and the lovely metal accessories that come with it. You can see here that the pilot is done. I haven't gone to town on the finishing of him as i'm enclosing the canopy.

The Krote was a revelation - just how many parts were needed for the engine and waist sections????. There's a side panel that you have the option of having on or off. I've chosen off as its a right bastige to stick on. So it'll be off and i have it in mind to have a diorama of it broken down and under repair. You should be able to see that i've added greeblies to the interior just to busy it up a bit and make it a bit more 3D.

I'm keeping everything in sub-assemblies for easy of painting and ease of applying the Mr Surfacer - the next step.

Krote and Gustav

My latest tow kits arrived together. Always wanted a Krote and i only really got the Gustav because it was cheap, i want a suit that's clearly got a man inside rather than a head popping out the top and i can try the Mr Surfacer out on him before i apply it to the Krote.

Neuspotter - done

Very suprised to see the light still works after all the constuction but don't think i'll be using it.

S.A.F.S - finished

Pleased with how the paintjobs come out but that pose is SO stiff and dull. Tried pointing the camera up the barrel to liven it up but no dice. Could've modified the joints but don't think i'd make a decent job of it.

Judge Anderson original art

Not a modelling project, but this site started as a 2000AD as well as SF themed one so figure this is worth a mention.

Been a fan of Dave Taylors work since his work on Dark Horse's "Tongue Lash" and knew he was going to be doing an Anderson tale for the Megazine from his previews on his Blog.

When it arrived it didn't disapoint - an old school Mega City tale involving sentinent buildings getting up and smushing stuff.

And the art was top notch. Dave is excellent at both inticate machinery and the female form and this strip showed both off brilliantly.

So, dead chuffed to get this page. I wanted this one in particular as the final panel is an excellent example of what i'm talking about - a stunning Anderson giving off loads of attitude in front of a very detailed city (the panel itself is relatively small but the amount of tight, tiny detail is astounding).