Hexagon bases done

   I did up a mold of Hexagon bases. This is stretching the limit of my machine. I should stay under 14 square inches of surface area, and 8 bases of 30mm plus the sprue clearly surpasses that. The result is a bit of flash, but not very much.  I put these on E-bay and in the web store as usual. In case anyone has not noticed, the new stuff on E-bay is 10% higher in price than the web store. This is to encourage people to shop via the store and also to help pay for the E-bay commission.  I never claimed to be a businessman, but even a novice like me can figure out that paying E-bay 12% on the cost of the item and shipping is not smart when the same item is setting on the web-store.     And now I got to get back to work.

Next step and new predator

   Here is a pic of the mold with the next step done.   It has been cut with a 1/4 end mill for  a little closer tolerances.

  After that I trimmed it a bit more with a 1/8 ball mill and it looks like this.

  There are 2 arms in the lower left, some legs in the lower right, and up top is the head and torso spaces.

  Here is another pic, a bit hard to see due to shavings, but I have done a bit of smoothing with the same 1/8 ball mill.

  I will keep posting till the mold fails or until I see what pops out.

  And in an unrelated story, my battle hardened fish are being tested yet again. A snapping turtle is now living in the pond. Notice the foliage he has used in a clumsy attempt at camoflage. This rank amateur poses little threat to my veterans. I just let him go about his business.

Building done-troll started

  The new building is in the store. I made up a few packs today. Mold ran pretty well, there was a bit of flash around the sprue but it snaps off easily.  I decided to put up some pics of the troll in progress and see how he is going to turn out. This is my second attempt at an organic model. The first ended with the sci fi women militia mold ruined and my CNC machine broke down for weeks. Let's hope this one turns out better.

  Here is a block of aluminum that has been roughed for a few hours by a 1/2 inch end mill. Just getting the most basic shapes in for now. I will hit it again on Friday with a smaller end mill and start to get some closer tolerances in. This roughing is the part I hate the most. It is extremely messy and takes a long time. It is also the loudest.
   I will keep posting live action shots until the troll stands ready for the tabletop or the mold lies in a pile of scrap. Most likely the latter, but I will just pick up another block and try again. 
   And finally- there is a meteor shower this weekend. If you get a chance go outside and make a wish.

Some progress- prototype painted

Hello again, here is a brief update on what I have been doing lately.

  Here is a pic of the gothic building painted up with a quick drybrush. It measures 2.25" square across the top so it is smaller than the other ruins. It can be combined with a second kit to make it larger. I glued in some card stock for floors. I was thinking of doing a floor mold but without any floors it makes it easier to build a bigger version and add some sheet styrene or cardboard. I got a fair bit of polishing to do on this one, but it should be available in a day or so.  The butresses want to stick in the mold so I have to take small polishing stones and smooth it out. That is a pain but it seems to be a requirement if you want the parts to come out.

  

Here is a pic of the new sci fi womans militia. There are some fundamental changes. The weapon is not in the hands. It must be attached but this will allow me to include a flamethrower and sniper rifle. I added a belt which I plan to seperate the torso at. This can make the model more multi-pose. The arms are a generic semi-bent. I am going to take them off at the shoulder. The head will most likely have to stay with the torso due to the hair hanging down. I hope to create a sprue that will allow a variety of builds.
 But I need a LOT more practice getting parts to fit together nice. So, I am going to make this guy-or somewhat like him first.

   I am cutting it out now. I removed the boots and helmet and made him a bit more plain, but it will give me a chance to see how a 5 part model fits together. This troll will have the usual torso, legs, right and left arms, and head assembly that is my ultmate goal. I left his 2 fingered hands open and gave him a choice of 2 primitive weapons.   After looking at the sci fi women I was working on I realized that I still have a lot of work to do before I am able to make the versatile multi part molds I want to make, so this guy is a baby step in that direction.
   So that is about it for now. I hope to have the building out by the weekend, the troll if it turns out, then on to those canon fodder militia. After that, I got to see what looks interesting.