Lead Adventure Forum
Other Stuff => Workbench => "Build Something" Contest => Topic started by: zemjw on January 26, 2023, 10:30:26 AM
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Bath Salts (actual, not any street slang), vinyl floor tiles, polystyrene, 3d modelling and 3d printing. What can possibly go wrong :D
Pictures and background stuff once I work out how to upload to the gallery
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I still have to create a gallery!
And bath salts? oh wow, this should be fun :D
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You had me at bath salts. ;D
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Bath salts :o
Sounds interesting!
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Bath Salts (actual, not any street slang),
Ah go on, come clean on this. lol lol lol
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Ok; mysterious...
But it sounds like you already thought this through. I'm curious now.
Best of luck :)
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Clickbait teaser introduction aside, yeah, there is a plan...
A few years ago I saw a picture of a floating obelisk in a book called Beginner's Guide to Sketching (which now seems to be out of print and stupidly expensive on Amazon). I liked the idea so made my own.
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/AMWts8BUnra-sczSHRgM40O3dvgzSG_BUZq397KZf2Niq6e7-bTcZnOsawgk8B6_KuzqL_j4cynL6ZXqseY0rTTBpr3FQMsHwUJ7H8k06WccWlIDVcRaOHYE7zNjaUm77k7YkcIj92YQky7ZxQOB9NYxjNCI=w1038-h829-no?authuser=0)
Two Christmases ago I was looking around the seasonal stuf in ASDA and came across a bath salt thing in the shape of a spaceman
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/AMWts8BQqq3fgSKVFjNu6GXPa5XwsP-chTOi5Gc6QrOnuVn38qb8G3FDLV21E3ncqHA2hDvcjMNZqMySRDIkr5PO6gY4QmhbjNiYDN-OC6zZoe2W6KhItVXhk9HTyJ6hu4y_TsD0ULKeHUcACwo_cqVm4l-W=s829-no?authuser=0)
I thought that it would make a good statue, so bought one. The plan was to sculpt a copy of it, as dissolving scenery didn't seem a good idea. However, it has been sitting on my desk since then, about 20cm from where I'm typing this.
This theme (not the one I voted for ;D) caused the two ideas to jump together in my head, giving me the idea for, well, this
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/AMWts8AfzNqEVPu95Hu1hGTroXaaJzBFwBYDjrRj88t3EDLtBNhxXnWzBJVacY168ZVm5D3B_l_IxXfYeLqOqbN9AoflYsTF0ze4OWMHMhHOVXe4uXoFWuXViV6Oc9H84JFmaj22fFJILRPhmWaluc92jsKh=w1024-h720-no?authuser=0)
The current plan is to make it relatively pristine, with the "magic" keeping the jungle at bay. However, it will have started to encroach where the obelisk has fallen.
The figures in the picture are 28mm foot to top of head, and the thing sits on an A4 foam PVC base. I'm planning to either have the spaceman just standing there, or do something with magnets, so it should all break down for storage.
There are a couple of big unknowns for me
1. I've never worked with XPS foam, so gluing and painting are learning curves
2. I'm planning to use vinyl floor tiles with a hexagonal pattern for the floor, and I have no idea if they'll take paint
The obelisks are 99% done, although I need to print out new ones for this. The 1% to do is to add runes to the bottom of the blocks for the fallen ones. After that, it's just feeding the printer.
The only thing I've had to buy is some acetate rod for between the blocks. It should turn up tomorrow.
I'm blocking out the astronaut, but it still has a long way to go. Still, my 3d mojo largely evaporated last Spring, so I'm hoping this entices it back out to play.
Things will change (the side walls may get higher), but for now, that's my plan
I am planning to put the files up on Thingiverse. However, the meshes are very dense, which, while not a problem for the slicer, leads to some very large files. I did a test in Zbrush and I can reduce the polygon count by at least 50% without any loss of detail that I can see, so that's on the to-do list at some point.
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I have no idea what this is going to look like but that then is part of the fun all the best with the build.
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zemjw: don't know if others having issues but I am not seeing any images.
I'm sure there are other options but I use a Google blog I created (fairly simple and free) to post photos. Then I copy the image address and use the left most bottom row above icons to post the image in a thread here on LAF. Hope that helps.
You can use the same "copy image address" to pull photos for various sites - just me mindful of copyright restrictions.
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That's annoying :( I copied them into the google photos album I use for forum posts, so the permissions should be there for sharing. They show up for me when I'm logged in here, but not in an anonymous tab, so something has gone haywire o_o
I shall fix that this evening, thanks for pointing it out
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Right, they should be showing correctly now. They certainly show up for me in an anonymous tab, so fingers crossed. Not sure what happened, but I may have copied them from outside the album, rather than within it :?
I'm wondering about having the obelisks be metal, rather than stone, so I may play about with that. I've sliced the hovering versions, so I'll print one tomorrow. I've gone for 0.1mm height, which is the best my printer can do. I suspect that's overkill for this, but the lines in the photos of the current ones surprised me slightly, so I'd like to try to reduce the banding.
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When you talk 'THREE-DEE' I have absolutely no idea what it means. ;D
But, now I can see the pretty pictures :D I love the idea.
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Pleased to report images are now visible to me. Curious concept. Have fun with it.
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That's going to be a great build! I really like the concept drawing; this clarifies all the previous teases about bathsalts and 3D modeling :D
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I'm planning to use vinyl floor tiles with a hexagonal pattern for the floor, and I have no idea if they'll take paint
You could try enamel paint as an undercoat - I am sure I've spilt that and had issues with the clean up before!
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You could try enamel paint as an undercoat - I am sure I've spilt that and had issues with the clean up before!
I have many pots of enamel still in the loft(*) from before my switch to acrylics, so I shall put that on the "things to test" lists. Thanks for the tip :)
(*) probably about 20 years now, so not sure how fluid they will be ??? For reasons completley lost to time I still have a jamjar with paint stripper on my desk, so at least I can clean my brushes afterwards lol
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Just a quick Sunday night check-in, as there's not much to report.
Printing is underway, and it's just a case of removing the printed piece and starting the next one for a while. I'm not sure I have enough filament left, but I do have most of another spool in reserve.
I'm refining the spaceman sculpt. I don't know what it is about shoes and boots, but I struggle with them in greenstuff and digitally. These ones are no different, so it's just taking time.
The spaceman is the big target for this week, along with cleaning up the obelisk pieces. I'll try to get some shots of the spaceman when it's in a slighly better place :(
I did try to buy some PVA glue from Amazon, but apparently it's an incredibly hazardous substance, so they don't want to leave it anywhere ??? I should be near some art shops later in the week, so hopefully I can buy some then (note to self, remember to take hazmat suit ::))
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Lots of printing this week.
I have printed all the obelisk pieces, along with a load of connectors. I was going to use acetate rod, but cutting it was a pain, and the holes weren't as accurate as they should have been. I'm blaming the software and printer for that one, as I used the same cutting mesh for all of them ???
Fortunately I had bought a 6.2mm drill bit, just in case, so there has been much hand drilling to make the holes consistent.
I've started on the XPS foam for the blocks, so there's more cutting and texturing ahead next week.
The spaceman sculpt is coming along. I noticed yesterday that I had messed up his hand, but I think I've fixed that.
I lost a lot of time to the whole hole issue, but fingers crossed that is resolved.
A couple of pics of the current list of parts. The obelisk pieces will be separated from each other, I just haven't plugged the connectors in.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/58/4040-120223165308.jpeg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/58/4040-120223165224.jpeg)
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Those obelisks came out nice. Can't wait to see the spaceman.
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Those obelisks came out nice. Can't wait to see the spaceman.
Yeah, the light-grey filament shows them off pretty well. However, I fear it may come back to bite me when I have to get paint into each and every rune o_o
The 10mm XPS is only about two feet in "real life", which isn't exactly the cyclopean walls I was hoping for. I'm going to add another layer, so they should look a bit more impressive
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Very nice, this is already looking great. :o
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Very nice, this is already looking great
I agree.
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Nice, looking good
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great
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I uploaded the pictures last night, but got caught up in other stuff, so a slightly delayed update...
I got the walls textured this week, and decided to add another layer.
I printed off a test of the spaceman statue. It needs a few tweaks, but it should be fine - it's just a statue, after all ::)
I'm dropping the vinyl tiles. They weren't quite the correct dimensions, and working with the material looked messy. However, the main reason was that I realised that the floor needed runes. All floors in these sorts of structures need strange markings, it's tradition :) I am, therefore, going to 3d print the floor tiles, complete with runes (a test is printing as I type).
New adventurer has found the temple this week
http://(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/58/4040-190223193522.jpeg)
The spaceman statue
http://(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/58/4040-190223193554.jpeg)
Lower angle shot. I am already wondering how I'm going to photograph this thing ???
http://(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/58/4040-190223193622.jpeg)
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That statue works a treat. I have always had a love/hate relationship with vinyl tiles. Designs and texture tend to look quite useful but the material leaves something to be desired. Hope the 3d printed floor works out as the rest of the build is well cool.
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Looks fantastic!
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Grand show; I appreciate the photography problem! Looking superb, though. Can't put my figure on it, that spaceman reminds me of something from the 70s or 80s.
A bit later: got it!
It's the spaceman from the cartoon video for Rondo Veneziano's La Serenissima!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UDT3RtbYQw&ab_channel=Sinriel (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UDT3RtbYQw&ab_channel=Sinriel)
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Hope the 3d printed floor works out as the rest of the build is well cool.
Thanks. I'd been worried about the tiles from the start, so switching was an easy decision. I'm just printing out the last few tiles just now
It's the spaceman from the cartoon video for Rondo Veneziano's La Serenissima!
I wanted to say that I'd never seen that video before, but the more I watched it, the more familiar it seemed ???
However, I am not adding an orchestra to the design, even if it does make me want to do a robot band for 5 parsecs!
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I finished printing the pieces for the floor. They're just on a marking template below, but give an idea of what it'll look like
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/58/4040-220223134515.jpeg)
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Much better than the vinyl.
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Despite the fact that 3d printing is obviously witchcraft, this is all looking very promising.
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Great progress! I like the aesthetic.
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Robot chamber orchestra, go for it! :D
Love the floor design 8)
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The main thing added this week was the printed floor.
I wondered about having steps up to the statue, but settled on an offerings table instead. It's nothing complicated, just some blocks with yet more runes on them ;D
I put the connectors in this week, so the blocks are actually "floating", rather than just sitting on each other. The plan involves painting them green, to match the "energy" coming from the runes.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/58/4040-260223201624.jpeg)
A slightly higher angle shows the offering table a bit better
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/58/4040-260223201705.jpeg)
I'm mulling creating some spaceman totems for the table, and I've been trying to see what different sizes look like. To scale, it should probably be 6mm, and even that is just over 15". However, the Epic 40k figure doesn't really read, so I think it'll be 10mm, as per the skeleton. I should have some spare skeletons that I can chop up, as I'd really rather not try to create something that size in greenstuff o_o
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/58/4040-260223201725.jpeg)
I have to print an updated version of the spaceman, and decide if he's getting a backpack or not. Once that's done I need to print him a pedestal, with holes for magnets.
However, I think my plan this week is to start gluing things in place. I've been avoiding that step, as it seems rather final, but it has to be done...
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Ooooh. That is very nice.
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This would fit right into the No Man's Sky game.
Looks great.
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Starting to glue things down. This is my hi-tech jig for making sure the floor is square.
The tool at the front is a "Model Pal". It's a suction thing with different sized heads, and was very handy for lifting a tile without disturbing its neighbours. I've had the thing for many year, and I think this is the first time I've used it ;D
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/58/4040-020323204738.jpeg)
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Lego and masking tape for the win!
Really like the look of this as it comes together, the whole "weird sci-fi" vibe appeals to me.
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That looks fantastic 8) 8)
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Thanks folks :D
I lucked out with the Lego. The half-height brick is exactly the height of the ePVC base, so I was able to get a nice clean line the whole way down.
The walls are now glued down, so it's time to start thinking about painting the thing, even if this is called a "Build Something Contest", not a "Building Something And Then Paint It Contest" ;D
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This looks Amazing :-*
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I've been bulking up the spaceman a bit, and getting the holes ready for the magnets. I have to say that I really hate working with magnets, as the little $%^" keep skidding all over the place >:(
I need to bulk up the shoulders a bit, as it looks like he doesn't have any deltoids, and there's a tiny bit of work on the fingers, but I think I'm pretty much ready to call it done. I was going to add a backpack, but it complicated printing and didn't really add anything to the scene.
After and before pic. The more I look at them, the more I see Mr and Mrs Spaceman Came Travelling ;D
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/58/4040-050323200621.jpeg)
Holes for the magnets. There are corresponding holes in the plinth
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/58/4040-050323200640.jpeg)
This looks Amazing :-*
Thanks. I'm happy enough with the build, but I'm now starting to stress over the paint job. I enjoy building stuff, but there's so much that can go wrong during painting that I put it off as long as possible. However, with only a little over four weeks to go, that's not an option o_o
The plan for this week is to finish the spaceman and modge-podge the XPS pieces to seal them. Then it's time to start on the painting...
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That looks incredible already :-*
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It's been an odd week of ups and downs.
The main "down" was a seam up the side/back of the spaceman statue. It turns out this is a known problem in 3d printing, but one I'd managed to avoid before. However, on cylinders it turns out to be really noticeable. For info that explains it better, see this link (https://3dprintmentor.com/z-seam/), but basically it's because each layer starts in the same place on the print. I've done some tests, and a random start cured it on my test cylinder. I shall find out tomorrow if it actually works on the statue.
On the "up" front, the walls and floor are glued, and I've made a start on painting the walls. I had wondered about painting the walls before gluing and decided against it. That was not a good choice, and I'm now faced with getting paint into thin gaps.
I made a start priming the obelisk pieces, and I've settled on a colour scheme.
One thing I like about 3d printing is that it lets you make tools for specific purposes. I want the obelisk blocks evenly placed, but I didn't want to draw on the XPS (and it was no longer square after texturing), so I made myself a handy guide.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/58/4040-120323201551.jpeg)
It's sized to let me place the obelisk bases centrally on the wall and equidistant from each other.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/58/4040-120323201533.jpeg)
I have a few things I'd like to make if I have time. This week, however, is a lot of painting, so this may be my last picture update for a while
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Nice work. 3d prints are great for templates. I always struggle with 90 degree cuts so I'm stealing the lego idea (kicking myself for not thinking of it). Speaking of lego, they have an idol piece that I use for pulp alley and i think it's scale appropriate.
Here with reaper figure
(https://i.imgur.com/Ky0zeeA.jpg)
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I like that Lego piece. I'll need to see if I can find it online, as, being a middle aged man, I get odd looks when I walk into the Lego shop on my own ::)
As for progress, I think I'm on schedule with the painting. I knew painting the runes was going to be a chore, and I was correct :( Contrast paint, however, has proven very useful, as it's runny enough to flood the rune, and has enough pigment to be visible.
I'm not sure if I'll have time for the offerings or totem, although the upcoming Easter Weekend may give me an opportunity.
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You can order it directly from lego pick a brick, it's called "mini figure trophy". I can't remember which set I got mine from.
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I took some pictures yesterday and shall send the entry in tonight :D
Post match analysis can wait, but so many runes o_o o_o
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And, after a major senior moment where I forgot to post it last night, it is now on its way.
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And, after a major senior moment where I forgot to post it last night, it is now on its way.
Smooth save and nobody saw it! lol
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Bearwoodsman mentioned over on the voting thread about the backstory of the piece. To that end...
My original thoughts were that this was a temple created by the local tribe based on material they'd found in a crashed spaceship. The walls of the temple are locally sourced, so of a much cruder quality.
The obelisks were the main power source in the ship, while the statue was carved from material found in the wreckage, in homage to the bodies found in the ship. The floor tiles are the tribe's replication of the spaceship floor, in good cargo cult tradition.
However, Bearwoodman's comment got me thinking...
I'm now wondering if it was a prison ship that crashed, and the statue is actually a cryo chamber holding a dangerous criminal. The locals turned the wreckage into a temple, not knowing what it was.
The obelisks are keeping it functioning, but they're starting to fail. What will happen when more fail? What creature lurks within?
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That works for me as a theory! Now you have to make a model of the statue once it has been broken open and it's occupant has escaped...
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Ooh, now that sounds a great starting point to a game.
Have the 'prisoner' wounded in the process & leaving a trail of 'blood'...
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Some more pictures from the photo shoot
Other angles
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/AJFCJaWiKvAOU7cqrL9jAPcPqXfKZFakeFoCpBwVTRQrBPNjIbt-Inuotonw1DabWp9CFW6LjulwdzX2TU88jqS0xCYV8IUijdd8cifjnKC-0LedUf2TKT4_kqPfpulLQTmFH6Rp845fCtNdfMfDf9wTtgjz=w1128-h820-s-no?authuser=0)
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/AJFCJaUW54D1nQX9s1Egb5vP5jqZuEU0ZX1s-8HpafTGBTrsq11pi6TxoEzpHMU2aBkPX0hkyIdhw7toZZMoE891Hw4kcdDPHR35Hdof1ZyXXf36zF_l_t0Zi7QnpZoz_myZ0w1ALrp_O0pxw6r2YGCS-W0M=w1128-h820-s-no?authuser=0)
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/AJFCJaUPRDPZlNtvVyknaki1Ary9j-4VS9GGIJBbZJM-QHCw3R9-7mbUm4L2LjtEXOqFDOh3N_uaHJYvZwI8E_QqXy9higrygL_lVnVeaf-PW2DKWg91J4Mfy80-Prc2o2GKfuuS0iARpFf82cuSFN3MOGsI=w1136-h820-s-no?authuser=0)
And a closer view of the many, many, many runes o_o I didn't really get the glowing effect I wanted, but there was a trade-off with time and effort, and time won ;D
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/AJFCJaV1dnpd46C9ElTaJX82CR4xfG_SrKijgrmCAdTOhn91iIXFxp5q5kDT4iJP6YMSUqpvGmdujAq_HM9rWwX6tfxXgDGIoUrcqh-cFYT2Guhl0_T7oq6uy-uw-j8xjQCTaL1FZQ1YUVL8Vt_lREQ29-1R=w402-h820-s-no?authuser=0)
Indie wasn't the only adventurer who visited the site
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/AJFCJaVYQ7cR3I5bR2MQFUhY7wJoJx6RjhOMZ5Rtu2TZQUVEcsuupPGXpbF-uG7sMOO2LO7MKHWvUxxgOojM-jvy1POhrOQ0GdFEUP9cSHpfu08gg5P6puWXbZAE1Ci4_r1DHjm48k0S-4hbUEUCEJ7U7iY0=w1162-h820-s-no?authuser=0)
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/AJFCJaUnY5vsKohTZCULFbdr2V8LO-6YKULAlfOfRN4Tu3aO_Cgh6D6UL0tSeBYgE41p4LiOzsZrvAuPPalJQDzKe3rhQr16wsIYRV_T24uWdiWYfYrNMeAC-4yf2seQWXNWfUwZ3dlMdLtPI5pPJqpwMGoW=w1128-h820-s-no?authuser=0)
I sealed the flock yesterday, so hopefully it will now stop shedding all over the place lol
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This is still a very, very cool concept and build.
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I loved this build. I hope that you get a lot of fun out of it on the game board.
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That is super cool.
The 1000 px image doesn't do the entries justice!
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That is super cool.
The 1000 px image doesn't do the entries justice!
My thoughts exactly. Speaking of, we will need more detailed pictures of your build. ;)