Ork Kopta Karrier 3

So I started building the Baneblade part of the Karrier.

Takes a while to do this as entending it in both directions makes a lot of extra work.

So far I have done the base plate and built the internal tracks sides. The external face of the base plate has been detailed, the next job will be gluing the panels so far extended/widened and then detailing the internal faces.

The base plate is 80mm longer and 50mm wider. The mock up had the Baneblade 30mm wider but I increased this to allow more room for the lift shaft.

It looks very rough inside, for a normal build this wouldn't be a problem but I will be doing an amount of internal work so that you can look down the lift shaft and not see crap.

I plan to get a fair amount done over the weekend expect an update or two to come...

COMPETITION!

(copy and past job from the last post I admit, but it covers everything and saved me some typing).

I have decided to run a competition revolving around the Karrier.

In the past while doing conversions people found it amusing if I kept a track record of the number of rivets I added, so I thought for this huge build I would do the same.

So the competition is this, you have a guess on the number of rivets I eventually add to the karrier with the person who is closest at the finish getting a Gun Emplacement kit as a prize.

However, to take part you will have to Follow this blog and post up your guess as a comment to this or the next two posts I do regarding the Karrier. You can change your mind providing you post your revised guess before those posts are surpassed by more updates.

After the posts open for guessing have passed I will do a running total.

* Notes - at the moment, depending how things go (i.e. if not much is shown in them) I may extend it.

** You may be thinking this is just a shameless plug for the blog attempting to get people to join in for a chance of a prize, and you would be correct.

Recalcitrant Daze - Part 2 and a Competition!

As the previous post descended into little more than a rant at White Dwarf I thought I would do a quick follow up with more happy/jolly things as a subject.


First up I have a new camera. Woo.






A new Panasonic Lumix. Shiney.

It looks like this:

I have more new things...

Yep, I finally have both the Baneblade for the Karrier and also the 6th Edition Rulebook. So far I have only flicked through looking at the pictures in the book. There is quite a lot to read.

What else have I done today? Well not much as I still feel like crap. However I hope I have solved a problem I keep getting, namely knocking over the liquid poly cement. To try and avoid losing more glue (I have probably lost about three bottles worth over the last few years) I decided to 'base' the bottle.

That should stop it tipping over.

The only other thing I managed to do today was to get some pictures using the new camera. I grabbed the Grot Kommanda and a looted wagon and snapped a few shots.

The first picture of the Grot Kommanda is above while the rest are below...keep in mind I have kept these pictures large - all I did was crop them. They therefore show the errors, mistakes and so on far more than the actual models do. I just wanted to have a play and see what the camera was like. It would of been better to do them when we had some decent daylight, but that was about two months ago so the daylight lamp has to suffice.

One Final Thing:

COMPETITION!

I have decided to run a competition revolving around the Karrier.

In the past while doing conversions people found it amusing if I kept a track record of the number of rivets I added, so I thought for this huge build I would do the same.

So the competition is this, you have a guess on the number of rivets I eventually add to the karrier with the person who is closest at the finish getting a Gun Emplacement kit as a prize.

However, to take part you will have to Follow this blog and post up your guess in any of the next three posts I do regarding the Karrier. You can change your mind providing you post your revised guess during those three posts.

* Notes - at the moment i am saying three posts, however depending how those three posts go (i.e. if not much is shown in them) I may extend it.

** You may be thinking this is just a shameless plug for the blog attempting to get people to join in for a chance of a prize, and you would be correct.



Recalcitrant Daze - 15 Months in and White Dwarf.

The monthly post was actually due yesterday but I put it off as I was ill Sunday. Actually feel worse today but as this post will be a brief one I thought I would knock it out anyway.

So what to write? Hmm, not really sure. Hence this being a short post.

White Dwarf.

Due to still waiting for my 6^th Edition rulebook to arrive I decided to buy White Dwarf for the first time in a couple of years (and for a couple of years before then I think). And wow, really hasn’t improved. I used to love WD, it was something I looked forward to getting every month with the anticipation building up to it each time. I would consume it then go back and read it through again. Even articles for games I didn’t play (like WFRP) were excellent as they contained so much rich material.  I remember the first three WD’s I bought in 1990 (#124, #125, #126, #127) and the awesome articles on Beastmen and MInotuar Warbands for Realm of Chaos, the birth of Eldar Aspect Warriors (and the brilliant Goodwin sketches I still love), Epic Guard, Squats and Marine army lists and background, Ork Madboyz (why can’t we have them back GW?) and so many more articles I can still go back to now and enjoy reading.

So here I am looking at WD #391 bringing us 6^th Edition 40k. People may accuse me of rose tinted spectacles, they may point out that when I bought those early WD’s it was 22 years ago and I was looking through them with the eyes of a 14 year old and I am sure that does play a part in my disappointment. WD was always a catalogue, a means to advertise the games and models, to showcase the hobby and so on. But they did all that so much better, there didn’t seem to be the need to shove it down your throat. The latest issue may be 20-30 pages longer, but it has five solid pages listing stores. It has six pages showing 13 new Finecast release, six pages for 13 new items?  In total I make out 28 pages which are pure advertisements. I don’t include things like advertising Events or GD as that is passing on valuable information etc.  And on top of that not one article feels like one I will go back to, in the issue launching a new edition of their flagship gaming system that is a huge let down. Seeing Dave Taylor's Empire force was a rare highlight, I have seen much more of that on his blog obviously but it is still good they bring in inspiring work by people outside of GW into WD.

Is all this worth the rant I seem to of gone off on? Probably not, GW is set on a direction for WD and they aren’t going to change. If nothing else buying this issue means I won’t be tempted to buy another one, or god forbid a subscription, for another couple of years.

Thankfully my new rulebook was posted today and I can stick WD in with the recycling tomorrow without a pang of regret later on.

Frankly the demise of WD and Games Day is depressing. Feel bad enough already without those bringing me down further.

Turned out not to be quite as short a post as I was intending.

So anyway my Baneblade I ordered has finally been posted meaning the real work of building the Kopta Karrier can start tomorrow.

I have already made a start as seen in my last post on RD and yesterday I intended to crack on with the Rokkit Launcha, but I felt naff and really couldn't focus on anyway. I therefore only managed to knock out five doors for the Karrier...

...and that was it.

Right, that is all for this month. Probably not worth reading the above so apologies for those who did.

Normal service will resume shortly.

Ork Kopta Karrier 2

Well the Baneblade still hasn't arrived from Wayland, getting a bit annoying now actually...

But I made a start on the Karrier anyway. There are some things that I don't need the BB to build so I cracked on with those.

First thing to tackle is the AA capability.

Detail shot of the ammo feed.

Removeable weapon and the hatch which will remain unglued.

Now what is better than a turret with a massive mini gun?

Why two turrets with massive mini guns...

In place on the mock up:

They still have a few details left to add, mainly the ejection port, handles and cosmetic bits and bobs.

Will look at the rokkit launcha next.

Gun Turrets 5

So, I've not had any time to build the Mk. II Gun Turret, however while working on the new modified gun mounting plate for the gun emplacement I got thinking about using 3D modelling/printing to make the new gun turret.

This had led me to a crossroads as there are two ways I could take it...

1. Scratchbuild the basic shape then add detail pieces (such as rear door area, turret ring etc) which have been 3D printed.

2. Do the entire thing as a single 3D print.

The former will be a deal cheaper, while the second will allow more detail and be less hassle.

I am tempted to go with the second option but it really depends on how many casts I am likely to sell to people as that would make the initial expenditure worthwhile.

So to help me work out costs and to gauge interest I did a 3D mock up.

Now this is just a mock up, the basic size and shape is there but the details were just slapped on, the final design would be more developed.

To mount the turret there is a recess for a magnet and a 2mm hole  as an alternative means.

So what do people think? Is there enough interest out there for me to go down the one piece print?

Ork Dread Mob 12

My new magnets arrived so the Dreads now have arms...

I kinda want a fourth one.

TA DA!

Who's a pretty boy then? Who's a pretty boy?

Numnuts, he just wants a hug.

I decided on a minor change on a set of upper arms, I just replaced the cables on the back. All three sets of upper arms now have enough differences to make them more individualistic - including different cables on each one.

My Baneblade for the Karrier still hasn't arrived, but I will be making a start on the Karrier this weekend BB or not.

Until then I have more than enough to keep myself busy.

Gun Emplacement MK. II - 7

Though I have cast a number of sets recently for people (nine so far) I haven't touched my own gun emplacements since I first assembled them.

So while I await the Baneblade I have on order for the Kopta Karrier I decided to get back to them and start the Earthshaker gun mounting.

I took a new base plate from a Bassie kit and started cutting it up. I decided in the end to alter the base with two aims in mind, one minimising it giving more room on the mounting plate for the crew and two to increase the possible elevation of the gun (as suggested by Gonzo some time back).

The bulk of the work is now done, it needs to be added to the mounting plate and the details finished off. I will then cast up extra ones for a battery of guns, however I won't be selling these as it will be using GW parts.

As you can see much of the rear of the piece has been removed and replaced with styrene lowering the top surface which the gun sits over. The piece is also slightly shorter at the rear. More detail will be added to that plain face though.

You can clearly see just how much more the gun can now elevate.

Detail shots above show how the gun fits up against the curved surface carved out of the top face. On the one side a notch out gives room for the hinge to move down.

Final shot showing how the part fits on the mounting plate.

I am going to modify it slightly more before adding new details and attached the piece to the original master for the gun mounting plate so I can do the mould. I will take the opportunity I think to modify the mounting plate as well, such as filling in the small round recess bottom right.

Next update will either be on this or on the Deff Dreads, depending on if the magnets turn up tomorrow (fingers crossed).

My aim is to get a couple of smaller projects finished before the Baneblade arrives and I start on that.