Steel Penguins braying

[Steel Penguin]

Narses,  you can tell how long they have taken to do,  when i mentioned that id finished them to Mrs SP i got a blank look for a few seconds as she tried to remember what in heck i was talking abought     they are quite nice figures in their own way, but i do wonder if they are rather over parted for what they need to be,  head one part, neck one part, body front 1 part, main body 1 part legs 1 part each, but some of the arms were 3 parts and with the break areas being rather small it was a bit of a struggle on some.

I have assembled and undercoated the 5 packs of Empress minis  80s era SAS / special forces as well they are all winter dressed so will go well with my winter camoed land rover and chally 2 when done, weapons are M16s, M203s, Law72s and SLRs in varying amounts  none of which will look out of place for several decades after the time line for them  the command / support pack has a GPMG which is timeless still and a couple of figures on a sat phone, which isn't too dating either.  so happy there.   The 2 Space ships are undercoated as well  still not certain on the finished scheme  will have to keep thinking ( shrug)

[NARSES2]

Narses,  you can tell how long they have taken to do,  when i mentioned that id finished them to Mrs SP i got a blank look for a few seconds as she tried to remember what in heck i was talking abought     

But I bet she remembered when you last bought her a bunch of flowers   

[Steel Penguin]

Narses,  you can tell how long they have taken to do,  when i mentioned that id finished them to Mrs SP i got a blank look for a few seconds as she tried to remember what in heck i was talking abought     

But I bet she remembered when you last bought her a bunch of flowers   

that was at a craft fair a few years ago, the blacksmith on site had roses that hed made..  
neither of us are cut flower people.

[NARSES2]

Narses,  you can tell how long they have taken to do,  when i mentioned that id finished them to Mrs SP i got a blank look for a few seconds as she tried to remember what in heck i was talking abought     

But I bet she remembered when you last bought her a bunch of flowers   

that was at a craft fair a few years ago, the blacksmith on site had roses that hed made..  
neither of us are cut flower people.

Whenever I've bought females flowers the standard response from my mother, through wife and various girlfriends has been "Well, what have you done now then ?". Try and say "I just saw them and thought of you" and your not believed in a thousand years 

[PR19_Kit]

My lady love just says 'Ooooooh, how lovely!' and rushes off to find a vase, or milk bottle or similar device.   

[NARSES2]

My lady love just says 'Ooooooh, how lovely!' and rushes off to find a vase, or milk bottle or similar device.   

And then you duck   

[Steel Penguin]

having had today off to chauffeur Mrs SP to an eye test, ive been working away on several inportant things,  firstly mowing the front lawn, it took longer to get the mower out and round the front of the house than to use it, but its done, and hopefully the grass will recover from the summer reasonably well.
Ive also been inking both the NAC spaceships again, this time a blue  / black mix ( rotering drawing ink, so very colour dense at source, but can have plenty of water added to dilute),  and ive been putting the buff base coat on the Empress figures, then giving them a brown / black ink wash, letting that dry then dry-brushing the buff again,  the green of the DPM is next, but thats done in squiggles and fits and starts.

things are going reasonably so 

[Steel Penguin]

the green and brown are done on the Empress figures, and now its time for the black, boots, rifle butts and hand guards, and the black squiggles for the DPM,  takes a little longer as the lines need to be rather thinner due to the visual density of black on the pattern, so it takes a little more concentration.
Ive got a little more on the 2 NAC ships they are going to be long term i think as i want them to look a little more than grey.

[Steel Penguin]

posting this here as opposed to on the more technical boards as its a few thoughts and a link

https://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=150457.0
the link is to the wargames forum Lead Adventure,  a rather civilised place, that is a very broad church as far as wargames goes,  And is a thread on a problem that some one has had with 3D printed scenery  where over the course of several years the painted buildings have started to  powder and the raw unpainted stuff has done similar and worse,  some suggestions are made to provide protection and what will and wont work..
Its a bit of a sobering read.
It also mentions an exploding tank ,  this is in an other thread where one of the posters, had a solid resin printed tank have its turret pop, due to the uncured resin inside it heating up and expanding,  not good as is pointed out, do you know exactly whats in the resin ?
I have looked on 3d printed stuff as very useful and certainly something to be explored, but not as perhaps the all singing, all dancing solution to all modellings problems that it has been touted as , for myself its a matter of space, I just dont have any that i would be able to use safely, and the problem that unless im purchasing off the shelf designs, its having to learn how to use the 3d design tools, splicer to split the model and whatever other programs are needed.
Ive purchased some items that are now going to be well dosed with solvent and  similar to ensure they bond into a single mass, and checked for break down,  and have been told by a friend who has both a filament and resin printer, that certain filaments dont have this problem, but they need to be printed at higher temperatures than others, and Resin  need proper drains, and access to internal voids to be "safe".

Have a read and hope that anyone out there isnt badly affected.   

[NARSES2]

Interesting read mate thanks 

[Steel Penguin]

i carry on with the figures,
its now the webbing green, also a good base for the external tubes for LAW 72 rockets.

In other news Sunday 21 sep 2025,  The wargames tabletop sale is on at the memorial hall in Penkridge 09:00 till 13:00
Peace Memorial Hall,
Pinfold Lane
Penkridge,
Stafford
ST19 5AP

I will once again be trying to sell stuff we no longer want or need, and Mrs SP will have her leather craft stall.

[Steel Penguin]

back from penkridge,  and managed to sell more than we spent ( see the growing stash report)
having listened the the F1  im now  having a quiet read, and will be doing some painting, i will need to repack things into the loft but thats for tomorrow.
 

[Steel Penguin]

the stuff to sell is back in the loft having been sorted and compacted down.   
the Empress figures are all done ( well the gloss varnish is drying, so good as)
20 more figures

50 figures 12 pieces of scenery and 17 models

feeling good! 
the next build is going to be  ( gasp!) one of the multitude of airfix 1:48 warriors.  It will be a box build as its for wargames, so no internal detailing,  hatches shut and down.  it will give me a chance to have a go at a kit, i can see meeting many more times in the future.   
Im hoping that it will be relatively  easy,  it being a modern airfix i dont expect too much trouble.

[Steel Penguin]

welp, me and my big mouth.
the warrior is boxed together.   the inner floor bowed straight off the sprue.
the back section ( with the infantry entry door hole) wont fit the bottom half as it wants to bow as well, so ive had to glue it to the hull top, and the place them together...
the bottom plate is on and will hopefully hold things together wile it sets.  but if this is a typical example, the other dozen i have to get together are going to be an uphill struggle 

poot !  and Badgers !   

[Steel Penguin]

slowly gluing a box shut 
the exterior hatches for the driver is on, its a 3 part assembly, but only needs  2 for the box  ,  the back troop door is 2 parts, but dosnt need the interior face, so again left off ( its done so you glue the faces with the ejector pin marks on it back to back to give a wonderfully detailed piece, if you want the open door version)     the engine louvred hatch is a single but drops in wonderfully snugly.
Its strange, the design work in places is well thought out and the above parts just click together a spot of glue and done,  nicely placed sprue gates that clip off easily, and then a quick flick with the modelling knife and smooth as butter,  I am a little concerned with the turret as i wonder if the turret basket will bind against the interior detail if fully assembled ( mine wont be, as a buttoned up turret dosnt need a basket below it     )
im wondering if this may be rather a curates egg.  And that with a little experience and forethought, i could do the all singing and dancing open version.   but if i manage a few parts on an evening itll soon be together and stay fun