Bish: Good to hear that Vader is coming along- looking forward to photos!

That sounds like a good reason jack. I imagine it not easy to do, if you add to much it would look out of proportion, but she looks spot on to me.

My first problem is now solved. Some may recall I said mine was a copy and that for some reason the feet were to close together, the heals were almost touching, and that I was going to try a soak in hot water to try and spread them out. Well, I have just tried it and, working to the measurement Stephen gave me, thanks buddy, it worked a treat.

I was surprised at how little time it needed in the water, just a few seconds. And then it only needed holding in place for a minute before it had hardened again. My main concern was that the crouch area might have deformed, but its worked out great.

Now I can get on, if this had not worked, the build might have been a no go. I am going to fill the legs with plaster of Paris, this will add some weight and give me something solid to drill into and add some rod to secure it to a base.

Thank you Gamera and Bish.

The lengthening of the torso was just a personal choice -  her being a heroine, i think she should be taller.  When I measured the figure's height, it scaled out to about 5'9".  With the addition, she is closer to 5'11" now.

Handling the tackiness of the putty can be addressed a couple of ways, either use talc powder or vaseline.

Happy New Year!

regards,

Jack

Seems I have a bit of catching up to do, its been really hectic the last couple of weeks trying to meet GB deadlines. But thankfully, that all done. Going to be getting Darth out later and make a start.

Jack, that is awesome work your doing there. I may have missed it, so forgive me for asking, but what was the reason of adding height to the figure.

Hey guys,

It seems to me I forgot the obligatory "parts" shot when we started this whole thing. Therefore:

And ...

You'll notice that the base and the treasure chest are missing, because I'm working on them.

Gamera - Glad you enjoyed the blast from my past. I actually was planning on keeping the chest closed to mimic the Marvel comics cover it's based on as closely as possible. We'll see though. It depends on how ambitious I get and how good the chest looks when it's put together.

OK, so, though I've gone about this all the wrong way this time, I should be caught up. Now, off to tape an installment of the NPRD.

Tim: Hey thanks for posting the photos of your old gaming figures. The first ones I painted back in the late '80s looked pretty much the same though I did use matte paint! I wish I had preserved some of them but ended up stripping and repainting them. They still look kinda bad but not as bad as the first paint jobs.

Looking forward to seeing you build up the treasure chest, I assume it's going to be sitting there open? I remember opening too many of those in various fantasy games using an axe for a key...

Jack: Very impressive work so far! I've modified some gaming and 54mm figures but it's always been something simple like replacing a head or the arms. I've tried using Green Stuff for storage on tanks but the stickyness I find a little hard to work with.  

Jack,

Your research really shows with what you're doing. The gloves are a perfect example of your attention to detail and the comic art, both the Marvel material and the new via Dynamite. You're definitely setting a high bar. 

As I make plans for Conan proper, I may have to give this mix a try. Though, I don't foresee any modifications as complicated as yours. Replacing a belt (which I may to with lead foil), filling the seams around the arms, and possibly giving him a new sword.

hey Tim, thanks!

Yes, the lengthening of the torso wasn't planned, but the more I looked at it and after having sawed it in half, decision was made to lengthen it.   Confirmation of Red's height was through some kind of Marvel database found online.

I prepared the two brand products separately before combining them together.  Both have identical working times and full cure in 24 hours.  I still found it workable after 2 hours.  As mentioned, the addition of apoxie sculpt (as I was told) is for easier sanding and better pliability (without tearing) when rolled really thin.

regards,

Jack

jgeratic

Tim - a fine mini project you have going with the wood chest.   Thanks for sharing your memento of the past with the D&D figurines.  

The Ironman by your son looks great!  Seems he has a pretty steady hand to have achieved good edges painting the red and gold.

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Hi Jack,

Thanks, on Kid Kidwell's behalf. The kit was Revell's new PRE-PAINTED Iron Man, so no airbrushing required. He's chomping at the bit though. He has a Viking long ship made of Popsicle sticks that I think I'm going to turn him loose on for his first model painting project.

Excellent progress on Red. I love the detail you've added to her boots and the artistic flair with the gloves. Also, I don't think many people would think about, let along have the guts to chop apart a figs torso to get a couple inches in scale height. Well done, sir! 

I've never tried mixing Apoxie Sculpt and Green Stuff. I take it you mix the Green Stuff first, and then add the Sculpt? What does it do to the curing time? 

I hope to have the base done this week. 

Gamara - nice to see some further progress, should look pretty interesting with the varied flat and shiny finishes.

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Tim - a fine mini project you have going with the wood chest.   Thanks for sharing your memento of the past with the D&D figurines.  

The Ironman by your son looks great!  Seems he has a pretty steady hand to have achieved good edges painting the red and gold.

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In about another week I should be done sculpting the extra bits for Red Sonja, but here is where it's at now:

I had a sheet of lead foil on order, but that has yet to arrive, so decided to forgo it's use and rely on the putty entirely.  The guys at Planetfigure gave me a few tips and I used that as best I could.  The green stuff was mixed with epoxy sculpt 50/50.  Oddly, both products smell like tortilla chips, but yea, the apoxy sculpt is added as it also better facilitates any sanding required afterwards.

Pretty much all of the work started off with creating a ball of putty, about a thimble size worth, and then rolled out flat.  It's very tacky, so a plastic ziploc baggie is used, with a bit of talc powder shaken around to cover the insides.  The ball of putty is placed inside, and then rolled out.  I just used a large empty pickle jar for this, but some prefer an empty beer bottle, drinking a few to find that right one - lol!

The downside of the powder is the adhesive quality of the putty diminishes greatly.  So I used super glue to tack one edge down and worked it from there.  

Did the Harry Houdini act to her torso.  This was to make it easier to clean up the vest like top.  Also took this as an opportunity to add some height, scale wise 1/8" equals 1.5 inches in actual height, which brings her closer to the 5'11" that she should be standing.  Since the arms are already separate pieces, I'll likely do the same thing and add about 1/16" as well.

regards,

Jack

OK, I spent the morning cleaning up my workbenches. The WWI Aeroplane Group Build and the Nautilus left everything a gigantic mess. Not to mention the ship that continues to take up one end of the work area. Note to self: Gotta get that done!

After getting the clutter cleared, I cut a groove down the center of a length of 3/16" x 3/16" basswood with a Dremel table saw. Using a jig and a miter saw, I cut the basswood to the appropriate lengths. To the left you can see the birch plywood I intend to use for the chest's panels.

Here are the handles and hinges I've decided on, digging them out of the substantial stash I inherited from my dad.

Gamera - Thanks!

Jeaton - Well played! Still wiping tears from my eyes.

It seems to me that I promised you all some pics of my first figs. I dug them out and here they are in all their 25-year-old glory.

They were painted with Testors gloss enamels (the square bottles). They were what I had at the time. That pile of crap on the end in the third pic is a shambling mound, so it's supposed to look like a big mass of rotting vegetation. To me it just looks like gray poo, but whatever.

It wasn't long after I painted these that I was introduced to two artists who worked for TSR (the original publishers of Dungeons & Dragons) Larry Elmore and Keith Parkinson. They shared a studio in Lake Geneva and both had a ton of figs. Keith liked to paint his. Not considering that Keith's were better than mine because he was older, more experienced, or an artist, I asked about the paint and brushes he used. He introduced me to acrylics and those became my paints of choice from then on. 

Thanks guys!

Shiv: I think Picard's shiny boots are another one of young acting ensign Wesley Crusher's duties...

Enjoy your vacation- wet, cold, and rainy here! 

Tim, about those firing pins...I was out and about the other day and stopped by your house and a young man answered the door and I gave them to him.  Might that have been Dark Power?  If so, sorry....but he had them before I knew it and was gone!

Tim- If I had that kind of get up and go I would be doing a GB build every other day. Really nice job on the Ironman.

Gamera-coming along nicely. I see the federation really likes it spit and polish. I really like the shine on the boots. Or is that just from the flash?

Still on vacation here in the maritimes. Going to be another week and a half before I see any bench time. Hope everyone had a good Christmas and enjoy your new year.

Tim tell Dark Power I'm impressed, looks good. Wish I had that kind of energy!

I did get a little more work done, mostly painting the leather or vinyl or whatever they use in the future of the figure's boots etc.  

Then I worked on both figures black pants till my airbrush that I'd just cleaned that morning decided to gum up. Hope Santa doesn't remember all the cussing I was doing a few days after Christmas next year...

An Erector Set may slow him a bit, you should be very proud.

P mitch

Tim

From a fellow Iron Man builder I'd have to say well done and I also wish I could build that fast  

Phil

Phil, 

On behalf of Kid Kidwell, thanks!

You ain't kidding about the speed. But at 5-going-on-6, it's GO GO GO all the time. His mom had to put her foot down to keep him from building the last model under the tree ("No. You've built enough models. Let's do something else.") So, it was on to the new HO railroad set (now running around the base of the tree--"Dad! It can go 100! LOOK!" as passengers scream in terror) and LEGO blocks.

On the agenda for this weekend: lots of running in the snow.

Also, I've bought the wood for Conan's treasure chest. Gotta dust off the mini-table saw so I can cut some grooves.

Tim

From a fellow Iron Man builder I'd have to say well done and I also wish I could build that fast  

Phil

Hi all!

I'm back in the office today and my son, who's online moniker is Kid Kidwell (though he also goes by Dark Power) wanted me to snap a pic and let you know what he built on Christmas day. I thought it appropriate for our GB:

He's also completed a Sherman and P-51 in the last two days. He wanted you guys to know.

Marc - great job fine tuning  those edges of the gills.

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Guys, thanks for the comments on the base.  It came as part of the female figure kit I'm using.  Didn't add anything structurally to it, except leveling a small section where her right foot will be.  The putty talk is for creating some gloves, more detail on her boots, etc. which will be up next.

Tim, thanks for the pdf. link.  I've already tried some green stuff to repair the plastic handles on some scissors.  No gloves, and I didn't experience any negative reaction on the skin.

regards,

Jack

jgeratic

The green stuff is in, but awaiting some two part apoxy putty.  I've been advised to mix these two types/brands if I want roll a thin sheet.  Apparently the Kneadatite tends to crack if worked too thin.  I also noticed on a  youtube demonstration, the person was wearing gloves - is that just to keep hands clean or is there something toxic that can leech into the skin from the green stuff?

Beautiful looking base, Jack. 

I've always used it with my bare hands. However, some people might have an allergic reaction to the epoxy resins, so if you don't know if you'll have a reaction or not, you'll probably want to wear gloves. Here's a link to some info.

Tim: That's not generally a good sign when you have to break out the power tools for a model...

Jack: Is that the base you're using for 'Red Sonya'? Wow, you're making great progress, very nice work on the detail, it all looks so perfect I'm not sure what you added there? And the painting looking so good.

Marc: Nice, I like how they molded the gills as separate parts for better detail there. Sad to see that you had to file and putty to get a cleaner fit.  

Base look great Jack.

The big guy and I got some face to face time yesterday.  Grinding of mating surfaces and thinning the gills with some work on the edges.  Still need to do some putty work to get rid of some gaps and seems that are out of place.

The before 

The after

Tim, just like you, I've been working on the base while I wait for my sculpting supplies to arrive.

The green stuff is in, but awaiting some two part apoxy putty.  I've been advised to mix these two types/brands if I want roll a thin sheet.  Apparently the Kneadatite tends to crack if worked too thin.  I also noticed on a  youtube demonstration, the person was wearing gloves - is that just to keep hands clean or is there something toxic that can leech into the skin from the green stuff?

regards,

Jack

After the putty dried, I sanded the top of the base. It turn out there is a hill in the center that rises and expands toward one side. I may have to resort to more extreme measures: the belt sander!

I think they engineered Robby too…...

Gamera

Hey Tim, nice looking base there.

So the chest isn't even square? Some odd Hyborian geometry at work there?!!

I don't think we can blame all Hyborians--certainly, Cimmerians were not mathematicians, but I think the chest suffers from poor Zingarese workmanship. 

Hey Tim, nice looking base there.

So the chest isn't even square? Some odd Hyborian geometry at work there?!!