Sternguard Conversions, Fists are seeing progress

I've spent the past week and a half working on many of the tanks for my Imperial Fists.  Three rhinos, one razorback, two speeders and my landraider have been basecoated and washed. Scratch that. I just looked over at the painting table and realized the razorback just needs highlights, the details, and the tracks painted up before it's finished. Well, mostly finished. I may weather them a bit.

Pictures are being taken for the WIP post, but I won't put them up just yet. Instead, here are some photos of my Sternguard squad! These still have a little ways to go before they're ready for paint. The bolters need bigger magazines, and possibly straps and scopes. Even once assembly is finished, they'll be staying on a shelf for a while (except to come out for games). I want to leave them, along with my terminator squad, until after I've refined my painting technique and the painting process I'm using for this army.


Most of the squad:

Here is the sergeant:

 

Here is one of my combi-melta veterans:

Regular veteran:

And another angle:

And the last one I have a decent photo for:

Helmets: space wolves pack (two per box) (thank-you ebay)

Torsos: Tactical squad box (one per box) (thank-you again ebay)

Metal shoulder pads with Imperial fist symbol:  Bitz pack from GW

Other shoulder pads: Command Squad box, tactical box


For larger magazines, I'll be using the pintle-mounted bolters that come with Space Marine vehicles. I'll be taking the straps from Black Reach marines, or using plastic card.

Librarian Conversion

This model was originally put together to go with the Imperial Fists successor chapter I had been working on. His look is a bit different from the standard librarian, and this fits with the background I developed for the chapter. As I still plan on doing that successor chapter, I won't go into what that background is just yet. That project will have to wait!

The legs and head are from the Dark Angels veterans models, I believe, while the torso is from the Space Marine Commander box. His staff is part power axe, with the winged skull coming from I think a command squad sprue, and the skull at the bottom is from a Vampire Counts box of skeletons.

I wanted him to look like he was advancing confidently and unstoppably towards some foe, either getting ready to hit it with a psychic power, or stopping the psychic attacks of a Chaos sorcerer.

Venerable Dreadnought, versatile drop pod icons

I really like this kit. The three different guns it comes with are a nice addition to my dreadnoughts' arsenal. I already had an assault cannon and a Forge World plasma cannon, but now I have two of each! Who doesn't want two Dreadnoughts armed with plasma cannons? I would happily field six of them with a Master of the Forge in a silly/friendly game if I had them.

As it happens, I can now field five dreadnoughts: two normal, two Ironclads, and the Venerable. One of my best friends will be made aware of this the next time we decide to play a game with ridiculous army lists. I'll have to keep my Master of the Forge model and Dreadnoughts hidden when I ask him if I can borrow a few of his drop pods...he might suspect something otherwise.

Nothing out of the ordinary with this model except for two magnets and the Imperial Fist icon from the Drop Pod kit.

The Drop Icons continue to find uses. It took a little bit of effort to make it fit on the sarcophagus cover, but I think it looks alright.

I felt that the Dreadnought looked way too cool with the torso exposed to put the cover on. On the other hand, the cover was really cool too. So...magnets!  It was really simple to do, and now I can field the Dreadnought either way.

Land Raider ready for paint!

Here is the Land Raider for my Imperial Fists army. It has seen some slight conversion work, has been primed, and will shortly come under assault from a paint brush!

Of note are the Forge World Terminator door upgrades, as well the statue and engraving I have added to each side. You can also see how all four hatches have coins glued in place. The Terminator doors, as well as Redeemer Cannons and twin-linked lascannons, are magnetized so that I can easily switch between Land Raider variants. When I want a Redeemer, the guns go up front and the doors go in the rear hatches. When I want a God Pattern 'raider, the doors go up front with the lascannons in the back.

Both of the add ons are from the Bastion kit. They were part of the relief sculptures that could be put in the wall mounted turrets in place of the heavy bolters. I used clippers to cut them out and then a file to smooth out the edges. The Imperial Fist/Crimson Fists icons behind the Terminator doors are from the Drop Pod kit.

And here is a shot showing the magnets. The mounts I used for the coins came with the Land Raider kit.

My plan is to paint the Terminator doors and statues with a marble effect. How exactly that effect is achieved is something I don't know. Hopefully I'll manage achieve a decent measure of success. I'd hate to put to waste all the effort of cutting that saint statue out with a lousy paint job!

Using Simple Green to strip models

Works way better than Windex!

Four plastic models, primed black, basecoated Adeptus Battlegrey, and then painted with Fenris Grey, were placed into a small container filled with Simple Green. The models were fully submerged.

After 4 hours, I checked on the models to see how they were doing. I could see that the Fenris Grey was easily coming off, so I pulled one out and gave it a scratch. All the paint except the primer easily came off. I then pulled out each one and used a toothbrush to completely expose the primer, hoping this would help take the primer off. The models are now back in the Simple Green where they will stay for another 20 hours, unless the primer looks ready to come off sooner.

Like the other models, these ones had painted sand glued to the base with PVC glue. This came off with little trouble after the 4 hours.

I found the Simple Green at Canadian Tire, and payed $5.24 for a 650ml bottle. There was a larger bottle, which lowers the amount of money you pay per ml, but I didn't want to spend more on a bigger bottle until I knew it would work. I'll definitely be picking it up tomorrow, since the 650 ml size doesn't provide a whole lot.

From what I've heard, the solution can be used 2 to 3 times before it loses its effectiveness.

Results of using Windex to strip plastic models

Recap: The models have soaked in Windex for 24 hours.

I pulled out the four plastic terminators. All four were primed black. Two were basecoated with Adeptus Battlegrey and then painted with Fenris Grey (I was experimenting). The other two were basecoated with Fenris. All four were washed with Asurmen.

The results:

• The wash had already come off, as mentioned earlier. 
• Paint that wasn't the basecoat had mostly come off on its own by now.
• The basecoat was still on, but mostly came off when brushed with a toothbrush.
• The primer seems to have been unaffected (primer was GW brand).
• The sand which had been PVC glued to the base was completely removed, along with the glue.

I can't say that I'm happy with the result. The models aren't completely clean of paint. I wouldn't mind if it was just the primer that remained, and am worried about how smooth I'll able to apply the newer paint scheme.



Next up, I'm going to try the product Simple Green.

Save your money, buy from the UK

If you're looking to pick up a new army and would like to save a couple hundred dollars, check out Maelstrom Games

Consider the following:

They have a 10 - 15% discount on most 40k and fantasy items

They offer FREE overseas shipping if the order is over £10

The current exchange, rate thanks to Britain's massive debt.


Example

A Landraider retails for $74.50 CAD. Maelstrom lists them for £33.75.

£33.75 = $51.17 CAD

As shipping is free, this means you pay $51 for a Landraider. Americans, I think you save even more.

A friend just purchased an entire Guard army from them, saving himself $250. The only question is over import taxes. I'm not sure how high the duty will be, or if there will be one at all.

Inaugural Post!

-Expunged from Imperial Records-