MAD WARS & MAD WORLDS : Joel's Workbench Archive

Welcome to the Joel's archive. If you are viewing this you must think my work is awesome and I agree with you! Chances are if anyone is viewing this page it is just me feeding my delusions of grandeur.

T-4B conversion project (100%)

5/27/13 - Pictures posted. I will probably touch up the sensor at the top to make it look shiny. Tips welcome because the dome is a hell of a lot bigger than a spirit stone on the Eldar models.

In the broken latin style language of 40k I am going to say the expression on the sides says "The force comes with us." What does it say really? Absolutely nothing.

5/26/13 - Finished painting yesterday, before the 1250 throw down between the THeX and the filthy unbelievers. I will post pics and possibly a report tomorrow.

5/3/13 - I am in the process of painting but I am not feeling it. I am trying to stay as close to the scheme in the picture and keep it consistent with the snow speeders. While this scheme works well with the snowspeeders it really doesn't work here. I'll ready to trudge on but I am open to any suggestions.

4/28/13 - Turret assembled! It is not an exact match but pretty close and I am happy with it. I originally wanted the sponsons on the top of the tread guard but they didn't fit and I would have had to go back and cut away some of the trim and heavily modified the sponsons so that they would spin the right way. This way it is a bit closer to the inspiration. The final dimensions are 10 cm across, 12 cm long, and about 8 cm tall. In comparison to a leman russ it is about 2 cm wider and about .5 cm taller (or a little more). Time to paint.

4/21/13 - Still waiting for bits.

4/10/13 - Primed. There are a few holes I need to fill in the rear (huh huh... huh...) but not as many gaps as I thought there were going to be. I am disappointed in the canopy. It was vaccu formed plastic which allowed me to cut it without shattering but it is very flimsy and not as detailed as I hoped. Just primed like this I could have gotten the same effect with half a dixie cup and saved $5.

The little squarish/diamondish things are really there to break up (and cover seams) the bare platicard. I hoped it would provide more of an armored look but I think it has more of a netting look. We'll see what happens when its painted.

For the turret... should I copy what is there and then worry just say what it is or go for more of a wysiwyg style and the turret be just the main battle cannon and then add the sponsons either on the sides of the turret (like the base picture) or add the sponsons on the top of the tread guards where the tube things come off the rear?

4/7/13 - Almost finished putting together the body of the tank. I order some bits from the UK for the turret so it will take a while to get in but in the mean time I will finish the body and paint it up. Pictures after it is primed probably tomorrow.

4/2/13 - Finished as much as I can for now as I wait for shipments. So far I like it even though it won't be an exact copy. I should have used green stuff for the rivets and unfortunately that didn't occur to me until after I had already finished it. I did use green stuff to box out the corners of the detailing where the different pieces of track guard meet. It has turned out to be more time consuming than I thought it would have been. Should I add more detailing to the center of the plasticard track guards?

3/30/13 - After defacing a tau hammerhead, scouring the internet for the right 1/48 scale model kit, and considering other mashups of GW kits, I think I have finally settled on using the Chimera/Manticore kits. I need to place an order for the manticores and hopefully a few other bits. The manticore missile rack should work for the turret. The B series canopy hopefully is on ebay too. (Holy crap, I don't remember all of this being this expensive before.)

Obviously, I am going to have to try my hand at some plasticard for the track guard and that hole in the front. That didn't work out very well last time. I need a better cutting tool than the hobby knife. Suggestions?

3/23/13 - Can't use the other kit as that would be almost 13" tank. That is superheavy proportion. Not good. Any other suggestions?

3/16/13 - I decided to contemplate this project and scoured Ebay for baneblade tread only to find that there is nothing out there; nothing at all. That turned my thoughts to it's inspiration. After a few moments of browsing Google the design was inspired by a tank in the command and conquer series, which in turn was inspired by a prototype world war II tank. There has to be something out there.... and sure enough there is ... and there is a tank kit for it. Its pricey (not really saving any money over a baneblade) but could be a solution with a bit of well placed hacking. The only major problem may be scale. 1/35 scale of a 36 foot tank.... holy moly !!

8/25/12 Still on ice but Rhino bodies combined with a B series bomber cockpit canopy might do just nicely with the larger tread of the baneblade.

5/7/12 - On Ice... Need to focus on the 1000 point list.
5/6/12 - Ughh... not sure this is going to work. Honestly, with the state of bits availability on ebay, I am not sure I can do this.
5/5/12 - Chopping up a tau hammerhead.

Missile Launcher Squad (95%)

4/7/2013 - Finished painting. I just need to base but need to order more snow flock. I could use baking soda. I wonder if it discolors?

4/4/2013 - Primed and painting.

4/2/2013 - In between waiting for parts to dry on the T4b I put together a few more guys. Priming is next. How they enter into the army depends on how suped up I am going to run the T4b. Lightly armed T4b then I can run this squad as a weapons team. Otherwise they will replace the autocannons through the army and bump the heavy bolters to autocannons.

Snowspeeder underside (100%)

3/30/2013 - Second one completed. Thanks for the suggestion madwars. Save some time.
3/24/2013 - I am finally following up on Madwars' suggestion on doing something to the underside of the snowspeeder. I originally intended to put the eagle torso on the lead snowspeeder and then each wingman would have a wing. Now that I am this far I am rethinking it. So two questions:

Should I do the whole eagle with wings on each snowspeeder or stick to my original idea?

Oh, how I hate painting in red! How does the color look? Any suggestions for improving the depth of color?

Special Weapons Squad #1 (100%)

3/23/13 - As promised finished in the week (barely). Firefly marathon has been playing all day. I am ashamed I didn't watch this when it was on. Good Sci-fi is hard to find.
3/20/13 - Finished painting. Waiting to finish the other squad before basing.
3/16/13 - I am going to start here while I wait for feedback. Should be finished within the week.
7/15/12 - Stopped line painting. 2 finished 4 more half finished. Funny, with the new rules set I am not sure how much use they are going to be.
7/6/12 - Painting. I hate line painting it can be so tedious in the beginning. (See what i did there?)

6/21/12 - Assembled and Primed.
6/20/12 - Assembling.

Infantry squad #5 (100%)

3/23/13 - Both squads finished in under a week.
3/20/13 - Returned to painting the remaining 4 in the squad.
8/20/12 - The long absence is due to remodeling. Will return when remodel finished or work drives me to painturbation. (Painturbation: painting for the sake of avoiding reality.)

7/15/12 - Three finished but the rest are on hold until the special weapons squad is finished.

7/6/12 - Painting. I hate line painting it can be so tedious in the beginning.

6/21/12 - Assembled and Primed.
6/20/12 - Assembling.

Battle Report #5 (100%)

8/24/12 - Finished as much as it ever will be.
7/6/12 - Not in the mood to write. Need to read. Where is my rule book?

7/1/12 - So much wild shit happened I should be having more fun writing it but it is hard to keep the main narrative while jumping around to different characters on both sides.

6/25/12 - ehh.... why bother?

6/18/12 - Writing.

5/26/12 - Arc completed. Writing Commencing after 4 is finished.

THeX vs Xenophobic IG. Battle fought 5/19/12

Snowspeeder #2 (100%)

Which style should I use for the 3rd snowspeeder?

7/6/12 - I am finished with painting the base model. Sadly I got a bit overzealous on the glue and smeared some on the left side of the canopy. The stencil image is on hold until I get to lowe's to pick up painters tape but I am going to call it finished anyway. I ordered the valkyrie pilots but honestly I prefer the standard troopers I used with the first one. It looks more like the snowspeeder pilots than the valkyrie pilots.

7/1/12 - Shit! I forgot how to do it. Ehh.. looks okay. White drybrush then details. I have an idea for the bottom, suggested by Madwars himself, for a stencil image for the bottom.

6/29/12 - First three coats of stimpling applied. Time for stimple/smear.

6/25/12 - Cockpit painted.

6/18/12 - Already primed from like a year and a half ago. Acknowledging that this in the things to do in the next few weeks though not necessarily next.

Battle Report #4 (100%)

6/18/12 - Finished and posted.
6/17/12 - First draft finished. Revising and will post later.
6/16/12 - Finally picked it back up. Inspired start.
5/26/12 - Arc completed. Writing Commencing.

THeX vs. Xenophobic IG. Battle fought 4/14/12

Tauntaun Riders x5.5 (100%)

PREVIEW: THeXian Plamsa Infusion Lance (1) The plasma reaction is triggered when the pointed end makes contact with a target. (2) The stable chemicals stored in the container at the base of the lance is injected up the shaft and combines with the solid state fuel rod in the mixing chamber (3) where it creates the reaction to cause a focused plasma burst that punches through the armor of the target and consumes the mixing chamber and the lance shaft (4) by dissolving it into the target. MUH HA HA HA!
6/16/12 - Finished. Pictures have been taken and will post later. They look good mounted up. I retract my statement of disappointment.
6/13/12 - The reins are teh last thing. I think they will be fairly standard rope/strap look. ~~As excited as I was I am a little disappointed. Maybe that will change when they mount up.~~
6/10/12 - Base coats and washes complete. The devil is in the details, which is next.
6/9/12 - Priming complete. Base colors started and almost completed. Ugh.. Need to pick up more paints.
6/7/12 - Assembly completed. On to priming and painting.
6/4/12 - Green stuff on guys is finished. Hunting lances are next. How do you put an explosive charge on the end of a lance? I've thought of everything but that. Go figure.
6/3/12 - All men assembled. On to the extensive green stuff work. This is going to be a pain but it will totally be worth it. They look awesome sitting on top of their tauntauns as they are now.
6/2/12 - Legs and torsoes attached. It is going to be diffficult to get all of them with the lances charging. That is kind of disappointing but whatever. 4 more to go.
5/27/12 - One is mostly assembled (sans green stuff). 5 more to go.

Wall Sections (100%)

6/2/12 - Finished walls, archway, and the electric fence set. I tried to make the coils look like they were hotter the closer they were to the contact points on the energy field.
6/1/12 - Painting archway. Damn! Ran out of paint. Also started the electric fence set that came with the old macragge set from way back when.
5/31/12 - Textured the archway.
5/30/12 - textured walls complete. 2 wall sections painted.
5/27/12 - I made these a while ago then stopped. I am going to texture the walls with the fine play sand so that there is more detailing in the wall. Plus I need to show the girl how to do it so she can do a project for science. Two birds with one stone!

Before

After

Tauntaun x 5 (100 %)

5/27/12 - Finished. There was one mishap with some paint last night but hopefully covering it with snow hides it. Not great picks but okay. Snow is still wet.

5/26/12 - Holy shit "I'm so fucked up, I'm so fuckd p. Tim to stp panting.

5/26/12 - Saddles finished. Eyes, mouth, and basing next. Hopefully it still looks good tomorrow when I sober up.

5/25/12 - Dry Brush Finished. Saddles and claws next.

5/22/12 - Base coat finished. On to dry brushing.

5/20/12 - All mossed up. On to painting to make it look a bit more like fur.

5/17/12 - First coat of flock for that oh so furry look. Another coat is definately needed.

5/10/12 - Time for some green stuff on the hack job I did on one (or rather a couple). Waste not want not.

5/7/12 - Found horn bits. Assembling. Took Jonny's advice from before and shortened their arms.

5/5/12 - Ordering horn bits and chopping up some cold ones.

Battle Report #3 (100%)

5/26/12 - Posted.

5/25/12- Finished writing. Will revise tomorrow and post.

5/24/12 - Promising restart.

5/22/12 - Back to the drawing board. Things got tedious really quickly.

5/20/12 - Story and character arcs completed for next 3 battle reports.

4/30/12 Prewriting.

THeX vs. Xenophobic IG. Battle fought on 3/31/2012

Landing Platform (100%)

5/5/12 - IT IS FINALLY FINISHED. Who would have thought that the most difficulty I had with the damn thing would the be the little hatches. In honor of Cinco de Mayo I'll celebrate mexican style: AYE YAI YAI YAI !

5/2/12 - I can see the promised land and yay... it is alright.

4/30/12 - I tried outsourcing but even they wouldn't do it.

4/23/12 - Why God Emperor, Why? I am ready and willing to model your blessed servants but you have blighted me with this endless task.

4/18/12 - Supports finished. Platform next.

4/16/12 - 3 supports finished.

4/11/12 - Ran out of paint.

4/09/12 - Painting.