oileanach

My first resin minis. Not bad. The level of detail is good, castings were ok and the material is relatively easy to work with. I'm still experimenting with RG paint schemes. This is the tried and tested flat black with light grey highlights approach. The wee bit of white I used for extreme highlights and the blue glow on the jet exhaust doesn't really show on the photos, sadly, but neither do the flaws on the shoulder guards, so being a gash photographer does have its' advantages! In spite of giving the resin a good soapy scrub before assembly it still wasn't keen to take paint. Even when it was on and dry some peeled with very little provocation. Worth considering if you intend gaming with the finished article. I've given them all a good, all over coat with Vallejo matt varnish, which should help. The lads: I actually spent some time basing them for a change. I liked the way this one turned out: And in their natural environment: Thanks for viewing, comments, critique and mickey taking are all welcome...

Result! Glad to hear you got it sorted.

It's huge! And very orky! Don't forget to post up when you've done the arm.

Nice! Any decision on the feathers? I'm working my way up to a Corax mini, but I'm a bit stuck for ideas on the wings. I was thinking of lightly 'dusting' (is that even a word? ) them with an extremely dark blue, to try and catch that blueish sheen real ravens have on their wings.

Beautiful. If mine turns out half that well I'll be ecstatic! Nicely done Dean.

Sounds like fun! I've got a speeder (Storm) on the back burner- could I use that? Bearing in mind I've still got the jump troops to finish, plus a couple of character minis and some unrelated 1/72nd stuff on the go...

Sorry guys what does a 'group build' involve?

Cheers Paul1958, that would have been great advice before I bought the H&S! It's probably worth repeating that there was nothing wrong with the set-up I already had, in fact the results were so impressive they persuaded me to invest further. There are no Jones's involved, just very specific improvements to the kit I've been using for the last year or so. The excellent advice offered above helped enormously. I'm not exaggerating when I say the new brush and compressor have far exceeded my expectations. Likewise, Little-Cars service was second to none, a welcome surprise in 'rip-off Britain'!

Simply superb! What did you use to string her, Michaelvk?

Ok guys, update. Firstly, thanks for all the advice, it's very much appreciated. Special thanks to tinytuco for warning me off on the compressor. That could have been a very costly mistake for me to make. Secondly, another big thank you to Paul, (Little-Cars). Many vendors will offer good advice, few will try to talk you out of buying the most expensive object they have on sale. Pauls advice was bang on the mark, making it a genuine pleasure doing business. I can whole heartedly recommend him. I may be preaching to the choir here, but if you're looking at getting something as expensive as a quality airbrush it's a great comfort to talk it through with an expert first. So, the new toy. Words don't convey just how happy I am with it. I've sprayed just about anything paint will stick to (or that the wife won't flip out at me for respraying ! ) I went against Pauls excellent, measured advice and bought an Infinity. Its so shiny! First impressions. It doesn't like GW paint! Nothing new there... Got some Model Air in though, and whahey! This thing's good. Better than good, this thing's fantastic! Yesterday, I base coated some 28mm minis with the large nozzle. I've been experimenting with air flow and fine (well, less cack handed ) control all week. I wonder? With a wee bit of practice I was able- with the large nozzle- to spray detail on a figurine one inch tall! Unbelievable! I'm not talking eyes and teeth, but picking out belts, highlighting weapons, the control is amazing! I can see terrific potential here. The bundle Paul provided has a wee spray jar/brush holder thing included. So simple and yet so effective! It cuts down on the space needed for the brush- always a good thing- while giving you a reservoir to spray cleaner and unused paint into. No more squirting into coffee jars, no more knocking the brush off a fiddly wee holder every time you turn around. Little things can make such a difference, you know? The compressor is a Sparmax with a built in air tank. Quieter than my PCs fans when it's running, lovely silence once it's up to pressure. I'd like to tell you how long the tank lasts, but the compressor's so unobtrusive I can't really be sure whether it's refilled once, twice or many times per paint cup. That's another revelation. When the nozzle clogs- as they all do- a gentle flick of the sprung needle and a quick burst of air clears it. The needle tip can be cleaned with a tissue and off we go again. As compared to the whole, tedious, strip the brush rigmarole I have to go through with the Badger. In fact, just a quick flush through with some tap water is enough to change colours. But it's so easy to strip and clean properly, I generally do a full strip and rebuild between colours. This probably isn't the site for landscape paintings, so I'll spare you that, but expect to see some smaller aircraft kits ruined by me soon! Rest assured, the myriad painting errors will be all my own work, with the fine finish by way of Harder and Steenbeck.

Hi guys. My first inspection, kind of my way of saying helo and thank you for the many tips I've picked up lurking! Anyone remember this wee guy? That's his original enamel. Back when Airfix dabbled in such alchemy... 'bout '84, as I recall. I'd been painting a few minis for my kids when I found some of his buddies. They were probably worth something, still in their original packaging, but I really couldn't resist the temptation. So, a quick dab with some GW acrylic and Vallejo varnish: It's kicked off my interest again. I bought a few bits and bobs, here's the first batch: And to give an idea of the scale, for those who haven't seen any GW minis in the flesh: Thanks for viewing, comments and mickey taking welcomed. Don't worry, your Golden Demon's safe for now!

That's amazing! Have you got a personal connection to the subject, Chewitt? (Hope you don't mind me asking! )

Looks good Hurri. What paints do you use? I especially like the fresh complexion you've given him, it's a nice contrast to the dust and mud, it really captures that 'para' look.

Thanks for the replies, fellas! Much appreciated. Ok, I'm getting close to spending now. Good heads up on the compressor front, guys, it's now looking like the Infinity is a definite, probably with a small Sparmax. Any words of warning/positive thoughts on the combination?

Looks good, I'll keep my eyes out for it next year. The last W40K movie wasn't all that bad- decent actors, kinda atmospheric. If we weren't Warhammer fans we'd have taken it as a pretty good effort for a straight to video sci-fi flick. The trouble is, as Mike said, the bar has been set pretty high in terms of an excellent, professionally written back story and the impossibly cool models available to us. It's tough to make a b-movie on a shoestring budget that'll live up to our expectations.

Hi guys. I'm currently using a Badger 200 and a cheap, Revell compressor. Nothing's wrong with either and I'm getting results consistent with my limited experience and skill. (So, no, I won't be posting any airbrushed photos just yet! ) However, the set up I'm using is starting to become irksome. I use a small cup attachment for paint- there's no point in filling jars for the amounts I get through. The cup limits the downward angle I can spray at as well as constantly worrying me that an inadvertent knock will send the vessel flying. The brush needs stripping to clear blockages. Paint flow adjustment is a two handed affair, rotating the needle chuck at the back of the brush while testing- not difficult to do, but awkward enough to irritate. Attaching the air line is done with a small, fiddly screw thread. Time consuming, doesn't do the hose any favours and again, it's starting to irritate me. The compressor, though fairly quiet, has to be on to supply air. Another minor annoyance. I bought the set up as proof of concept, to see if I'd actually use the brush enough to justify owning one. The results astonished me. Immaculately smooth aircraft paint, precise weathering, rust and smoke damage to an AFV, custom T-shirts for my youngest son. It was worth the considerable expense. But while the end product is great, it's becoming a chore to use it. So much so that I catch myself attempting brush techniques to mimic the airbrush! So I've decided to upgrade. A quieter compressor is a must. I'm assuming that an oil free, piston and reservoir device like the AB-AS 186 I see advertised all over the place should fit the bill? Any experience of this or a similar device would be welcomed. The biggie is which airbrush to buy. I want a double action, gravity fed beastie, preferably with a quick release coupling. As well as the generic advantages of the type, I'd like to be able to get at the needle in use, to clear minor blockages. Being able to retract the needle while I do it would be a bonus. Numerous reviews and youtube videos later I've narrowed my search to two. The Badger Renegade Velocity looks good. It has all the features I want, at a very reasonable price. The one blot on it's sheet is it's a detail brush. I like to spray slightly larger projects on occasion, so I'd need to keep my 200. Kind of defeating the whole point of the exercise... The other option is the Harder and Steenbeck family. I'm particularly drawn to the Infinity 2-in-1. Almost twice the price, but it has enough bits in the box to effectively give you two airbrushes. It comes with a quick release coupling as standard, so no need for adaptors. It looks slightly easier to clean. So, has anyone got any experience of either brush? Good or bad, all comments are welcome. So is any other advice you might have on the subject. Thanks for reading this far, double thanks if you can spare the time for a reply.

Rich, that is simply superb! (Almost) brings a tear to my eye! I left the service last month, largely on account of HMG binning the most capable carrier force in the world. I was a war faerie. Galloping around Libyan waters without fighter cover, having to send requests for fast air through umpteen layers of NATO C2, eventually witnessing the Andrew forced to risk a capital ship (Ocean) to the dangers of the littoral just to allow the pongos to get Apaches ashore, convinced me that the game was up. Until we get regular access to Allied Harriers, or the QEs and whatever overpriced white elephant the clowns in power decide to allocate to them finally come on line, our littoral presence is tenuous at best. Thanks for a reminder of happier times!