Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => VSF Adventures => Topic started by: Cacique Caribe on January 19, 2019, 06:05:01 PM
-
So, what do you guys think of this, my first attempt at making a very weathered and abandoned “iron mole” (for use with 15mm figures)?
(http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4915/31858526657_19ef35daea_k.jpg)
More pics here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/9593487@N07/sets/72157705635591075
I started off with a piece of closet rod, a CD, and a couple of LEGO drill and gear pieces.
The drill screw was a piece of LEGO that I bought super cheap, and so were the two gear pieces that I added at its base:
https://www.brickowl.com/catalog/lego-rock-raiders-drill
https://www.brickowl.com/catalog/lego-black-double-bevel-gear-with-36-teeth-32498
https://www.brickowl.com/catalog/lego-medium-stone-gray-gear-with-40-teeth-3649-34432
I had been checking that site for a while, waiting for that specific screw piece to become available at a decent price. I finally got two of them for about a buck and a half each.
The body of the iron mole is just a piece of a closet dowel rod, to which I added rectangular pieces of toilet paper roll cardboard material. The hatch I made using a bit of green stuff.
The base is a CD to which I added a jumbled mass of foam pieces cut in blocky looking shapes, to simulate hard ground that had been cracked and pushed apart from underneath. Once glued down in place I used premixed joint compound to fill in some of the bigger gaps. I waited until the joint compound had dried a bit and added more texture by stippling.
I had some tufts, and a couple of shades of flocking. I’m about to seal it with diluted PVA or a spray sealer, depending on the weather.
And that’s all there was to it.
-
Looks amazing. Beautiful build and finish.
-
very evocative, and looks a lot better now its not just a piece of lego.
Nice
-
Wow, CC. That looks awesome ............as usual.
Just checking, are those bare figures actually 15mm?
-
Thanks guys!
And yes, those are 15mm figures indeed:
(http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4835/45888715965_435f9c4de3_k.jpg)
I believe that those particular ones are a combination of Highlander Studios and Blue Moon Manufacturing, though I have many more from other makers:
http://www.highlanderstudiosinc.com/Store/shop/space-1889/wilderness-adventurers/
https://www.bluemoonmanufacturing.com/view_product.php?product=15HOR-106
Thanks
Dan
-
Mmmmm..... :'(
Too bad, as that LEGO screw looks awesome, but it’s too small for my 28mm figures.
-
That looks brilliant :-*
-
Great job scratch building!n I'm jealous.
-
Mmmmm..... :'(
Too bad, as that LEGO screw looks awesome, but it’s too small for my 28mm figures.
Have you looked at the GI Mole Pod? The screw bit stuck on the end of a bit of drain pipe can work for 28mm (I have one somewhere amongst my many, many w.i.p. s).
-
Ahh.....
The GI Joe Mole Pod. Thanks for that.
-
CC, a very workmanlike model. Nice to see your work again.
-
Good work CC, nicely constructed!
-
Scratch building at its best.
-
Very cool!!
-
Thanks, guys, for all the kind comments.
Now I’ve gotta come up with a color scheme for these brave adventurers. I think that I will probably start with a party of 5:
(http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4880/46104457664_ed1f40fe79_k.jpg)
So ... what would have been suitable “travel” attire colors for that time? Suggestions?
Thanks
Dan
-
The GI Joe Mole Pod. Thanks for that.
A started project, nice if I ever completed one, has four MOLEs. One regular at each end, and just two 'bodies', matched open-removed-screw end to end, in the center, to make a sub-land train. I always assumed a rear screw engine would make sense for backing out of bad times...
Lovely work, Dan!
Doug
-
Doug
Thanks so much. I do have a couple of additional “Pellucidar-specific” bits to make in the foreseeable future, so that this iron mole won’t feel too lonely.
In the meantime ... with a rolled up piece of thick paper plate (rolled into a very gentle “cone”), a couple of paper clips and some hot glue, I decided to construct this 5-inch plant thing on top of an old recycled GW tree base:
(http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4894/46801428212_e0ddcd4b5a_k.jpg)
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7827/46802132282_1fbbcf24d2_k.jpg)
It really started off as an old prehistoric fern. But a couple of glue sticks later I decided to make it into something that I could use also for regular African adventures ... a baobab.
As you can see in the second picture, I used the hot glue gun to make a few random horizontal striations to the trunk, which I smoothed down and partially blended in with the tip of the glue gun. I guess the next step will be adding a coat or two of straight PVA, making sure to leave horizontal brush marks as the PVA starts to dry.
Now this is what a real baobab looks like, by the way:
https://www.thepatriot.co.zw/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/17-2.jpg
I’m not sure how far I’ll take this little baobab “distraction” of mine, or if I’ll just start over and make one with a thinner trunk, but I’ll keep you guys posted.
-
Dan,
Your work area is waaaayyy too clean. You are making me feel like a slob.
Other than that, Brilliant!
-
Lol. That’s actually our living room and bedroom, because I needed a bit of natural light for the photos.
My work area keeps shrinking, so it looks anything but clean right now.
Dan
-
Hi all,
I’ve also started on some “steam vents” for this Lost World project:
(http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4854/46935043152_e3a140da34_k.jpg)
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7825/46935043872_263eacaeee_k.jpg)
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7904/46262649234_4f75466687_k.jpg)
Or, perhaps, I should add some small bones at the base of the fumaroles and use them as hive entrances for large ants? Thoughts?
Thanks
Dan
-
I'd think separate bone piles would allow you to use the 'vents' as vents, or as hives... ;)
Doug
-
Doug
You are absolutely right. I need to keep reminding myself to keep it versatile.
By the way, these have got to be the weirdest tree photos that I’ve seen for members of the baobab tree family:
(http://file2.instiz.net/data/file/20140803/0/4/9/0492b11ae9015a247bc42b5715865ebe.jpg)
Dan
-
Those steam vents look just the job. What methods did you use to make them?
-
Thanks, glad you like them!
1) I used a couple of oval MDF bases (a large and a medium size) that I beveled;
2) Then I used hot glue* to build up some pieces into irregular “stepped” cones with a hole down the center of each;
3) I gave the cones a light sanding to round out the extreme edges a little bit;
4) I stippled filler (spackling, wall joint compound) over the entire surface;
5) I gave the joint compound plenty of time to dry before using PVA to adhere sand and stones in a few scattered areas (avoid creating large contiguous areas of PVC);
6) I very lightly stippled semi-diluted joint compound over the textured areas and allowed it all to dry throughly before doing any painting. Painting is my next step.
According to my notes, I think those are the main steps. I started writing down a lot of things lately, specially colors and texture schemes.
By the way, I just found a bag with 200 plastic ants. They are about 3/4” long, so the cones could definitely work as entry points to a hive. :)
Dan
* I’m trying to cut back on my use of PVA and other shrinking materials, wherever possible. That way I can avoid severe warping problems and even potential mold/mildew issues down the road. Contact cement works also for other materials.