Blog Jay's Gallery of Random Guff!

[JTSleep]

I swear, every picture I take, I remember why I was reluctant to get into taking pictures. I feel like I'm insulting somebody by uploading images at this quality.

Keep calm and post more pictures.

If you really want to make a difference, take two sheets of office paper (because of transparency), slightly bend them to make floor and back wall and take pictures with minis on them. That is my personal trick for photo booth.

Spoiler: At your own risk

And sometimes, when I feel particularly adventurous, I roll couple of balls of poster putty to keep that paper in place, but that is more advanced.

 

[J.Logan]

Keep calm and post more pictures.

If you really want to make a difference, take two sheets of office paper (because of transparency), slightly bend them to make floor and back wall and take pictures with minis on them. That is my personal trick for photo booth.

Spoiler: At your own risk

And sometimes, when I feel particularly adventurous, I roll couple of balls of poster putty to keep that paper in place, but that is more advanced.

Part of the problem is that the lighting in my home is... less than ideal. Though thankfully not as bad as last week when my lightbulb decided to tell me it wanted replacing by trying to give me a seizure (no joke, I was lucky I'm not epileptic). But even with the bulb changed, there is no way to get good lighting, and you can tell which pictures I resorted to using the flash just to get something that you could see...

Still, I'll work on that. At some point.

 

[J.Logan]

Next on the agenda that isn't more redcoats... Pretty sure @JTSleep would like to see this chap done.


You can't kill the Messiah! But you can colour him. The question that comes is how to paint him... all blacks isn't visually interesting, even if that would be closest to his on-screen appearance. Purples for the trim perhaps? (He did have purple in his chaplain outfit in Wrath of Kane), or Red to go with the ol' Nod colour scheme (which would match his C&C Renegade outfit), but then I'll be using red for that patch on his right arm... Green for that belt buckle definitely.

Choices choices.

If anybody is interested, this figure came from Anvil Industry. Alternate head was Yuri from C&C Red Alert 2.

 

[JTSleep]

Pretty sure @JTSleep would like to see this chap done.

You are not wrong here

 

[J.Logan]

Kane lives!

Picture annoyingly doesn't capture my Tiberium crystals very well, though they are still noticeable. Also gad dangit, I swear taking pictures always mucks up the colouring. The hands look more grey than they actually are. The belt buckle isn't looking as green as it is. I swear, he looks better in person!

 

[JTSleep]

View attachment 156986

Kane lives!

Picture annoyingly doesn't capture my Tiberium crystals very well, though they are still noticeable. Also gad dangit, I swear taking pictures always mucks up the colouring. The hands look more grey than they actually are. The belt buckle isn't looking as green as it is. I swear, he looks better in person!

Great job! I am more concerned about him smiling than grey hands.

As for lighting of picture, I once saw great tip that I use.
One light from above (Lamp) and one light from same aide you are taking picture (I simply turn on LED on my phone instead of flash). Works wonders.

 

[J.Logan]

As for lighting of picture, I once saw great tip that I use.
One light from above (Lamp) and one light from same aide you are taking picture (I simply turn on LED on my phone instead of flash). Works wonders.

My phone has an irritating "feature" in that it doesn't let the LED be on while in camera mode. It's flash or nothing. Do plan to get a lamp at some point, so I'll put that higher on the list of things I need to do/get/sort.

I am more concerned about him smiling

That is a smile to fill you with dread.

 

[J.Logan]

My New Age Viking dude-man-dude.



You know what the absolute worst part about taking pictures of my work is? It isn't the lighting and picture quality that I do so like to complain about... it's now certain imperfections and mould-lines only become visible after a picture is taken. I swear I can stare at the model for literal hours and find nothing. I can paint them, still find nothing. Then the moment I take a picture, BOOM, mould-lines and sprue-scarring. Like they are tumours that emerged only because I took that picture. >:-(

 

[JTSleep]

it's now certain imperfections and mould-lines only become visible after a picture is taken. I swear I can stare at the model for literal hours and find nothing. I can paint them, still find nothing. Then the moment I take a picture, BOOM, mould-lines and sprue-scarring.

Joint the club, brother. We have cookies. They are in jar somewhere, unless AA's eaten them all, we share members.

 

[J.Logan]

Miscellaneous sci-fi rpg model. This one is another of those "throw random bits together" projects I did a few years back. Turian head bought from the Shapeways, Cadian torso, Catachan legs, ISB agent (Star Wars Imperial Assault) arms

 

[J.Logan]

My redcoats' taxi awaits.
Colouring that it. XD


This saurus is wondering what he did to be stationed on the crow's nest while a collapsed sun glares upon him.



Yes, there are gaps. I'm still learning to use the printer. Just when I think I'm picking it up, a new warping or deformity happens. Good thing I'm not planning to become an etsy merchant, I'd be getting so many 1 stars XD

Before I paint, going to greenstuff some of those gaps in the seams.

Also yes, one of the masts is coloured already. I figured it was a nice small mast, could experiment with doing a redwood colouring for the masts upon it, because it was small enough that if I fouled it up, it would be a quick replacement job. Also the masts aren't glued in yet, which is why that middle one looks wonky.

 

[- Q -]

My redcoats' taxi awaits.
Colouring that it. XD

View attachment 158757
This saurus is wondering what he did to be stationed on the crow's nest while a collapsed sun glares upon him.

View attachment 158758

Yes, there are gaps. I'm still learning to use the printer. Just when I think I'm picking it up, a new warping or deformity happens. Good thing I'm not planning to become an etsy merchant, I'd be getting so many 1 stars XD

Before I paint, going to greenstuff some of those gaps in the seams.

Also yes, one of the masts is coloured already. I figured it was a nice small mast, could experiment with doing a redwood colouring for the masts upon it, because it was small enough that if I fouled it up, it would be a quick replacement job. Also the masts aren't glued in yet, which is why that middle one looks wonky.

That's a really cool project! How long did it take to print?

 

[J.Logan]

That's a really cool project! How long did it take to print?

Considering some misprints that had me redoing parts before I said screw it I'll greenstuff anything that isn't too bad, the fact that like an idiot, three quarters of it I had it printing in finer detail than it really needed to be for no real gain...

A month. Hardly non-stop though. But the captain's cabin section? That was a straight 48 hours of printing because, again, I'm the fool that didn't think that certain things could be eased back. Would have still taken a while, but I could have likely shaved a week off if I started with what I know now.

I'm partly dreading my coming electricity bill. But I regret nothing. I learn by doing, so by doing a big project like this, I think I learnt more than I would have otherwise.

And still more to learn and pick up.

Just going to take a break to work out how much of a heart attack the electricity bill will give me

 

[- Q -]

but I could have likely shaved a week off if I started with what I know now.

Live and learn! Sounds like you have a much better handle on it for your next project. And despite the inefficiencies, you've ended up with are a really cool ship.

I'm partly dreading my coming electricity bill.

I guess I never really thought of the electrical cost as being substantial. Is it a really energy intensive process?

How about the resin, how much would that cost for such a large piece?

 

[J.Logan]

I guess I never really thought of the electrical cost as being substantial. Is it a really energy intensive process?

I don't know. I got the printer for Christmas and used it all through January, so this is the moment of learning. But it works by heating two separate parts for the duration of the printing. The hot-end extruder, which is at a nice toasty 220°, while the print-bed is consistently heated to 60-65°. So, there is energy being used, but how much that takes is something beyond me until I get that bill.

How about the resin, how much would that cost for such a large piece?

In resin? I couldn't say, this is a plastic printer But to answer the question: I used PLA+, of which a pack of two kilograms costs £25 give-or-take. I used 3 kilograms, but there were a lot of misprints, and one of my blunders was that I used more of an infill percentage than needed. I used 25% infill for much of it, which as well as extending how long a print takes is also using more filament. I could have probably cut it down to 15%.

But in terms of overall cost for that model? If we assume the price in material was in the £30 range... unless the electricity bill is scary bad even beyond what my paranoia is claiming - I've saved a LOT of money, as a buying galleon from Etsy would be in the £300 range, not including P&P. Mind, the one on Etsy is the Printable Scenery brand one, so not sure how that one is size-wise in comparison, other than it is also scaled for 32mm.

And in case anybody is wondering, this galleon was from the World of Pratheron: Great Naval Battles for Glory.

 

[- Q -]

I don't know. I got the printer for Christmas and used it all through January, so this is the moment of learning. But it works by heating two separate parts for the duration of the printing. The hot-end extruder, which is at a nice toasty 220°, while the print-bed is consistently heated to 60-65°. So, there is energy being used, but how much that takes is something beyond me until I get that bill.

Fingers crossed that the electricity bill isn't too high. Curious to know.

I couldn't say, this is a plastic printer

Does that mean that it is less toxic to work with than resin? Do you still need all sorts of fancy ventilation in your house?

But in terms of overall cost for that model? If we assume the price in material was in the £30 range... unless the electricity bill is scary bad even beyond what my paranoia is claiming - I've saved a LOT of money, as a buying galleon from Etsy would be in the £300 range, not including P&P. Mind, the one on Etsy is the Printable Scenery brand one, so not sure how that one is size-wise in comparison, other than it is also scaled for 32mm.

That sounds very reasonable in terms of cost. It looks like a really nice model.

 

[J.Logan]

Does that mean that it is less toxic to work with than resin? Do you still need all sorts of fancy ventilation in your house?

If there is any toxic-ness, I would imagine it would be from the fact that plastic is being melted to be squeezed through the extruder like toothpaste

No fancy ventilation needed, just have the printer in my kitchen, where I can shut the door to try and quiet the fan. Well, it has an enclosure, but that's about heat more then anything else.

You did hit the reason why I won't ever get a resin printer, despite wanting one. The is nowhere I could realistically put one. If I had even one spare room it would be a possibility, but I'm not keeping a resin printer in my bedroom (for understandable reasons, I'm sure), living room (where I spend 80% of my time, and where my lizard lives) or kitchen (again I assume for understandable reasons).

 

[JTSleep]

I wouldn't worry about electricity bill too much. It shouldn't take more than PC and when I worked from home for most of year during covid, my electricity bill went about 20% up and that was about 10 hours every day. But that might wary depending on region and how much electricity you use to begin with.

 

[J.Logan]

Ignoring some touch-ups and the fact that this ass was not photogenic in the slightest... No doubt I'll try for another picture once he is actually based and not white-tacced to my desk.

But...

I have successfully converted a redcoat cavalry skink. Woot... I have the formula to create my skink cav units sorted. Now to work out the secret of saurus cavalry!

Notes to self for future skinks... A bit of greenstuff to angle the head better. I give this one's upward look a pass, he's carrying the standard not a spear/lance. Do not use red for the top half of future raptadons. Maybe go tan/browns... ponder pose activate Orange for the feathers is fine though. I like the orange feathers.

Also yes, it wasn't until I had finished the skink himself that I actually saw that the skinks are supposed to be standing on the raptors, not sitting saddle style. But bugger that, I've worked out the right composition of bits to actually get a skink redcoat cavalry rider. I'm not going to mess with the formula now.

 

[JTSleep]

That is great conversion!