Not Dead; Just Resting

Okay, it has been (time-wise) a country mile, since I've posted anything on a regular basis. What can I say, life sucks!? That, and setbacks. First was the unfinished mini-gun arm for one of the previous batch of CASE-2X Dogs.

Second being the missile pod mounts. The problem was the cast metal pods drooped.

Can't have one's missile pods drooping so, after much procrastination, I came up with another way of mounting them with magnets, which involved order some more parts too. I need to add Milliput to fare the pods to the magnets to finish them, but the end is in sight.

Hence the delay in getting around to doing the work. I've also started a couple more combat armour Ape suits conversions.

And, there's more to come. Ive been beavering away, and have a bunch of stuff I need to take glamour shots of. This includes some NAC laser towers and turrets, the finished Russian quad mechs with decals, and more.

 So, watch this blog. Catch you all on the bounce. 

Big Buster Mostly Finished

I've mostly finished the rebuild CAS-4CP model. It still needs a coat of gloss varnish before adding decals, and then afterwards I will need to spray matt varnish.

I'm so glad I've finished this rebuild because this rebuild has been a bit of a slog.

I think the added bulk really adds to the feel that the Buster is big, much bigger than the conventionally sized Ape and Dog combat armour suits that the Army and Marines use.

Kneeling Combat Armor Suit Mostly Finished

Mostly finished meaning that I need to spray some gloss varnish and then add decals and then spray again with some matt varnish.

So, this is the third Special Forces CAS-3-Mod-1 mech finished for my Combat Armor Suit Detachment Alpha  that appeared in my second novel, Strike Dog.

The remaining three mech models for my Special Forces unit are waiting some TLC on my workbench. As they say, watch this space.

OMWB: Frustrating Big Buster Rebuild

This is what I've been working on for the last month, with additional delays due to new glasses and general life events getting in the way. I wanted to improve the fit of the torso by seating the magnets better.

However, the first delay was waiting for more magnets to arrive.

This model is one of a pair I originally built as reference for the artist I commissioned for the cover art for my novels. So this build served a dual purpose.

 

I also wanted to take the opportunity to refit and upgrade an earlier conversion with ball joints. Adding ball joints appeals to my inner nerd. 

 

Shock horror, it did not go well. There was much buggeration with the old two steps forward, one step back. But, challenging setbacks are an opportunity to improve.

The other part of the rebuild was changing the backpack and pop up missile pack using parts from a RAFM Kodiak I'd acquired.

 And here it is. Looking totally bad ass even if I say so myself.

But, another mishap occurred when drilling the attachment points for the ammo chute (not seen because, duh!), when the drill bit broke. So, still a work in progress.

It is what it is.

OMWB: CASE-2X Version 3

Above is my third CASE-2X Mod 1 variant standing pose mostly completed. I say mostly because I need to restore detail lost from the conversion. Delayed by illness impacting my ability to work due to the pain in my wrists.

It's a bitch.

Again, the model is poseable. So the torso twists, the arms and head can move using magnetized ball joints. 

Though I've yet to assemble the missile pack the model is largely complete.

OMWB: CASE-2X Kneeling

 

Still feeling a bit rough from Covid, so this is just a compilation of pictures taken so far with this project, which by comparison, made the conversion I did for the Hunter running pose seem like a piece of cake.

There was just so much fettling to make the pose work.

When one cuts a casting apart to rebuild it, what one finds is how much is wonky with the sculpt. Nothing is truly square or symmetrical, and well this just makes everything more difficult.

Nowadays, with digital sculpting this would not be a problem

However, digital sculpts can end up looking lifeless, which takes a really good artist to add life back into the finished product.

Also, for this conversion I wanted to mount a gauss rifle, as described in Bad Dog.

So, I assembled some parts to make a nice chunky, but not too oversized model. I used a Rapid Fire Bazooka from the Dream Pod 9 1/144th range as the base on which to mount  a combination of original RAFM weapon parts.

As before, there's still some detailing work to finish this conversion, which is delayed by my ongoing infection leaving me a bit ragged around the edges.

Still, I'm pretty pleased with the repose.

OMWB: CAS-3-Mod 1 Kneeling

After gathering a bunch of a parts I eventually got around to assembling my kneeling CAS-3-Mod 1 Ape. I changed out the yellow part in the picture above for another for this conversion.

After drilling to magnetize the torso, I found that the body couldn't turn because it interfered with the raised plates on legs. Hence the photo on the right showing how I rebuilt the parts so that the torso would clear the plates, which I really shouldn't have had to do because this was sculpted as a kneeling Gear.

So, I bit the bullet and re-sculpted the lower torso top, and corrected the mismolded lower torso.

Finally, with that corrected, I could finish the conversion. As you can see I've added some stowage.

I have some old RAFM weapons, quite a few in fact, but some of the weapons are ridiculously large. Hence the substitution of the new Heavy Grenade Launcher from the current Dream Pod 9 1/144th range.

I decided to make the torso on this version a recon specialist variant inspired by the Ape suits that in my novel Strike Dog.I used a part from the current Kodiak from Dream Pod 9.

My plan is to make six mechs given that each half of the detachment was a mirror of the other. So, this model represents either Sergeant Mary Lewis, communications, or Sergeant Miguel Sanchez, communications from my novel Strike Dog.

Combat Armor Suit Detachment Alpha 5136

    Captain Anthony Downey, detachment commander
    Master Sergeant Campbell, operations and team sergeant
    Staff Sergeant Morales, combat engineer
    Sergeant Mary Lewis, communications
    Sergeant Schmidt, medical
    Sergeant First Class Frank Radoslovich, weapons

    Chief WO1 Andrew McAdams, assistant detachment commander
    Sergeant First Class Thomas Nguyen, assistant operations and intelligence
    Staff Sergeant Julia King, combat engineer
    Sergeant Miguel Sanchez, communications
    Sergeant Daniel Robinson, medical
    Staff Sergeant Juan Espera, weapons

And yes, this means I working on three more CAS-3 Ape conversions.

Still some final detailing to finish, which is going be delayed because after three and a half years of avoiding catching COVID19 I've tested positive. To say I feel ill only scratches the surface, and I can't remember being this ill in over forty years.

Guess it sucks to be me.

WIP: Still Rebuilding and Magnetizing

Back here I started work on magnetizing models with ball joints. The extra flexibility for poses and alternative weapon loadouts from magnetizing is very alluring for someone like me. 

It allows me to have lots variations with only a handful of models.

Useful when one is converting long out of production miniatures, like the old Heavy Gear models from RAFM. But, it can be quite time consuming too. As is the case when the rotation magnets for the ball joints on my large Buster conversion turned out too wimpy to hold the arms firmly enough.

So, I ended up ordering some medium sized X-Wing rotation magnets from Green Stuff World. Hence the lack of progress while waiting for the items to arrive.

Then when they arrive one has to remove the old small magnets, and then re-drill larger holes for the new magnets etc., etc. It's a thing. A process that involved a lot of cursing.

Now moving forward. Catch you all on the bounce.

WIP: Magnetizing and Rebuilding

I finished the above model way back here, but I wanted to improve the arm joints, magnetize the weapon hardpoint, and rework the centre magnet to hold the torso to the legs better (more depth with deeper magnets).

Not only that, but updating the model will allow me to change out backpack missile pack.

You can see below (click to embiggen) the new recessed arm magnets, and the ball joints that allows for a wider range of movement and posing.

You may remember I broke the original model, which you can see here. Below on the left is the original build, and on the right the rebuilt comms array for the command variant of the CASE-2XC Dog.

So, slow work is slow, but it is what it is when one's joints ache.

Catch you all on the bounce.

OMWB: CASE-2X Version 3

I plan to do little other than magnetize the third Marine combat armor suit. Since the magnets have arrived (earlier than expected), I've advance all three models on my work bench.

So, left to right: a kneeling RAFM Heavy Gear Desert Shark Hunter; next my work in progress on the kneeling conversion of a Jager (lots of sculpting still to do; and on the right the standing Jager, which will only have the backpack modified to meet my needs.

That's all for now. Catch you on the bounce.

OMWB: CAS-3-Mod-1 Kneeling Conversion Progress

While drilling out the above, to add magnets, I had an oopsie moment. The drill bit in my Dremel bit into the metal resulting in a RUD event (Rapid Unscheduled Disassembly), which will teach me, I guess? 

The pieces flew every which way.

As you can see, I glued the magnet in the center bottom section, mostly because it was something to do in between hunting wide and low for the parts that flew off at a rate of knots.

Eventually I found the other missing parts. Rather than reassembling everything back together I thought it would be easier to repair, and then reassemble.

So, I fixed the left leg to the base, and the right to a piece of wood to make it easier to handle. Then I started re-sculpting the damaged castings. I have a lot of work left to do.

And, now I've run out of magnets, doh! 

It never rains but it pours. My stupid fault, I miscounted the ones I had because I didn't check the sizes. I have a selection of heights and widths (3x5mm, 4x4mm, and 4x7mm), and mistook the 3x5s for 4x7s for some insane reason.

That's all for now. Catch you all on the bounce.

OMWB: CASE-2X Mod-1 Kneeling Conversion

 

Above is the start of my next radical conversion, which is using a Desert Sharks Hunter as the reference to make a kneeling version of a RAFM Jager. First step was to cut apart a standing Jager.

 I have a few spare old RAFM Heavy Gear random parts that I scooped up as job lots of mismatched models.

After a lot of sawing, some drilling, filing, and a casting of Hunter foot I started assembling the parts for a kneeling CASE-2X Dog. 

Oh yeah, I had to carve out the other leg, which a bit of a faff. My wrists hurt after doing it. The other original foot wasn't such a chore, and now I'm ready to bring all the parts together.

Two views to show what I have to sculpt to complete the conversion.

That's a lot of volume that needs filling with Milliput to make the model whole again. That knee joint is alone is going to take some careful sculpting.

And I also found that the assembly wasn't as rigid as I would like it to be. Therefore I added a reinforcing bar, which I would have to do before basing the model. So no big deal.

That's all for now. More work to follow.

Catch you all the bounce.

Acquisitions: All the Shiny WIll Be Mine!

Perhaps not all, but like most wargamers I have that tendency to buy new toys that catch my eye. As an old time grognard I know one thing, all that is new now will be unavailable sooner or later.

So buy it now. Buy More!

Okay, the Evil Dead aside, hey you gotta keep up with the asides, references, and plugs here. I ain't got time to explain it all.

Ongoing work. The Russian Walkers first picture and above, and repairs to broken bits and using the excess Milliput to convert a heavy missile pack for my American force's combat armor suits below.

 

And other acquisitions. After a year of waiting, I finally acquired some Grym power armor from Hasslefree Miniatures. Six bodies with only one repeat pose, which is nice.

And, and assortment of arms and accessories to go with.

The swords and axes will be replaced with proper ranged weapons or grenades, and I also plan to add flight packs, as these miniatures are meant to represent the Chinese FATS-Cs. 

But I may change my mind as they're a lot smaller than I expected. There again they will match nicely with the Dream Pod 9 Gears I have.

I don't know, I just make it up as I go along. That's all for now.

Catch you on the bounce.

OMWB: Subatduku Combat Armor

 

My District 9 exosuit inspiration for the Subatduku combat armor still remains a work in progress. It has taken me longer than I anticipated to finish the sculpt largely because I keep making changes and modifications to tweek the design, see here.

I know that is just so me.

The head required a rethink, but it now swivels nicely. The arms are a pair of repurposed legs from my battletech box of spare parts. Still got to to change the ankle joints into hands, and some extra details to add to the legs too.

Also, this model is currently sidelined as I slap some paint on the mecha and combat androids I'm working on. Still, it is good.

Progress: Three Mechs Ready for Paint

Finally, got another two combat armor mech suits ready for painting. Above is the running version of the CASE-2XC Mod 2 (backpack with two weapon mounts), and here it is broken down ready for primer.

Below is my second standing CASE-2X Mod 1 pose completed.

And below broken down ready for primer.

 

And for those who remember the CAS-1-Mod-1 Army construction combat armor mech suit has been tidied up and is also transferred to the paint shop.

OMWB: M2084 Conversion and Progress shots

I got distracted by a post on on social media, as one does, by Rattapoom Kotchapong about making a HEMTT like truck. Excited by the tease, I offered him some reference pictures (some being 36mb of pics).

So I pulled down one of my two Matchbox HEMTTs and starting working on scaling one to match my mecha by first comparing it to an old 15mm HEMTT casting from QRF. 

After comparing the length, I was satisfied I could convert the Matchbox 8x8 into a 10x10. I'm basing my M2084 HEMTT on the Oshkosh 10x10 HEMTT PLS, which is larger than the earlier 8x8 series (HEMTT portal).

After cutting the castings apart, the major job will be narrowing the cab and engine casing.

 

All I can say is that I have a lot of work ahead of me. The price of me being me.