Monday, 4 August 2014

Medieval Knight 1:16

Subject of my next project is a figure of Medieval Knight from MiniArt in 1:16 scale. Kit was bought at Midlands Air Museum Model Show back in July and will be built as a gift. The box contains three frames with parts, over 50 components altogether. Assembly sheet for the first glance looks great, but after second look I had some trouble identifying certain pieces as it is not a diagram usually provided with model kits but more of a painting guide showing only front/back of the knight (actually cover art picture). Box art shows the knight in rest position with war hammer & shield, in my kit I had received halberd instead (not all components provided within this kit are listed on the assembly sheet), also right arm was bent at elbow. Quick look online made me realize it was one of 3 or 4 different kits sharing number of parts with only minor differences. 

Saturday, 12 July 2014

Vault Dweller #4 / Painting & Weathering /

Fat Man & Little Boy (Internet)
The Atomic Age began at the end of World War 2, when two bombs, Fat Man and Little Boy, were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan. Two explosions rocked the world, at first bringing joy and euphoria, soon after putting coat of fear and terror across continents, making human kind crawl on it's knees. Two nations were about to use power of atom against each other to cause maximum devastation of the other side. It would mean end of known world, as soon as first rocket was launched, other side would do exactly the same, what would lead to draw, nobody wins, everybody loses... Rather terrifying topic, as man made device could wipe out life on this planet. What are the effects of such action? What would happen after? 

Saturday, 5 July 2014

Vault Dweller #3 / Groundwork /

Building dioramas is very addictive activity, only limit seems to be imagination and availability of modeling & scale resources. More details could be added, but there has to be an end to it, otherwise it may never get finished (wonder how it is with large diorama builds? sometimes it does feel like OCD!). Build continues, with main piece - fallout shelter entrance wall fitted to the base using super glue, what was not the greatest idea as it turned out, for super glue started melting polystyrene. Floor grid was fixed at the back, using PVA glue. I am not really fond of using PVA for such components, as this adhesive has got tendency to make card wavy, hence had to use minimal amount and keep floor panel in one position until glue cured for at least an hour. To cover irregular edges of polystyrene base I also used card, but for this purpose Timbond adhesive was used, which also started melting polystyrene but not to such degree as superglue & cured very fast.