Hobby Thread - April 12, 2025 [TRex]

Welcome hobbyists! Pull up a chair and sit a spell with the Horde in this little corner of the interweb. This is the mighty, mighty officially sanctioned Ace of Spades Hobby Thread. We gave the Ace of Spades Wheel of Hobbies(TM) a spin and it landed on miniatures.

[Photo Title:The Absence of Functional Thumbs]

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TRex has a small dinosaur brain and short arms, so detail painting anything is out of reach. (See what I did there?) Going to need the Gray Box friends to jump in and help out on this one.

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Horde Hobbying from lurker Esperman:

This is an original 1/6 scale of Lorne Green as Commander Adama from Battlestar Galactica. It was an original design done in 3D space and then printed in resin. It was primers and painted using acrylics.

20240723-Head painting.jpg

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Another from Esperman: This is a custom 1/6 scale Apollo action 3D figure printed in PLA. The action figure was actually originally sold as a resin 3.75 inch figure, but the designer printed in a 12 inch version for Esperman.

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Another from Esperman: a custom 1/6 scale 3D printed Seraph "Being of Light" from Battlestar Galactica.

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Three ways to paint blue armor (speed paint, traditional method and airbrushing):

Well done video but I had never the term "speedpaint" before.

If you liked that video, you'll love this one with three ways to paint green:

And this one with three ways to paint red:

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Three cost-effective DIY solutions for miniature storage and transport (alternate title - repurposing egg crates):

Found this lighthouse build from the same channel - looks like a great little discrete project:

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Need advice on painting Ork skin? Doesn't everyone? This video has you covered:

The first several minutes are an excellent tutorial on how to drybrush. It explains what and why, so you hear the reason and rationale for the technique.

I know what you're thinking. I have an Ork army and they need painted. What is the quickest and best way to paint 100 Orks?

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Adam Savage and Norm Chan building a chicken walker (AT ST) from Star Wars:

So many deep details. Fascinating to hear play by play commentary from professional model builders and also hearing about how movies are made by animating models.

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TRex sculpting!

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Horde Hobbying - polynikes keeps painting:

This one is called Somewhere in Time. 30x40 in size. It is painted from a screenshot of the TV while watching the movie.

Thank you!

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What are you hobbying these days? Does spring weather open up new options for your hobbying? As per usual Hobby Thread etiquette, keep this thread limited to hobbying. Your participation does not need to limited to the theme. All hobbying is welcome. However, politics, current events and religious debates can live in threads elsewhere. Play nice. Do not be a troll and do not feed the trolls. Pants, as always, are optional.

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The Hobby Thread theme next week will be Easter, so be prepared. We'll talk decorating eggs, Easter baskets, Peeps, and any Easter crafting you can imagine. If you have Easter Hobbying projects and would like to contribute them to the cause, send them my way. Happy to include in the content.

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Did you miss the Hobby Thread last week? We talked drawing and sketching. The comments may be closed, but you can re-live the content.

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Notable comments from last week:

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Words of wisdom:

"Because despite all our troubles, when things are grim out in that wide round world of ours, that's when it's really important to have a good hobby." Posted by: tankascribe at June 22, 2024 07:41 PM (HWxAD).

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If you have trouble finding something in the content or comments that resonates with you, hijack the thread for your hobbying as you see fit. We will feature a different theme next time. What are you hobbying? We love showing off Horde hobbying. Send thoughts, suggestions and photos of your hobbying to moronhobbies at protonmail dot com. Do mighty things.

Posted by: Open Blogger at 05:30 PM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 Welcome Hobbiests

Posted by: Skip at April 12, 2025 05:32 PM (ypFCm)

2 Miniatures are my line, well don't make them just try and paint them.
The examples are fantastically done.

Posted by: Skip at April 12, 2025 05:34 PM (ypFCm)

3 Check out the work of Bobby Fingers on youtube

Posted by: Sam at April 12, 2025 05:42 PM (KJWJY)

4 I used to paint Warhammer 40k models! I had a space marine and an ork army. But after college I moved into a tiny little loft apartment that was 100 miles from any store that carried 40k kits, and probably just as far from anyone else who played the game. So I fell out of the habit.

I had fun painting the minis, but I was never especially good at it. Not enough to show off the minis in a video...And, to be honest, I had just as much fun posing and modifying the minis, which seems to be something the manufacturer frowns upon these days. Apparently quite a few of the special minifigs are mono-pose...

Posted by: Castle Guy at April 12, 2025 05:43 PM (Lhaco)

5 Nice work Esperman. Do you create on a computer and then 3D resin print it?

Posted by: Sebastian Melmoth at April 12, 2025 05:44 PM (VofaG)

6 This is one of those hobbies I admire watching other people do. My son took a crack at it and I learned by watching him that it is hard.

Posted by: HappyFun at April 12, 2025 05:44 PM (rELun)

7 I will leave the discussion of miniatures to Skip, who does gorgeous work, and others. The closest I come to miniature anything is tying flies. A wooly worm or caddis on a size 16 hook is about my limit.

Posted by: JTB at April 12, 2025 05:46 PM (yTvNw)

8 There is a space rocket company that 3 D prints most all the rocket and engine parts.

Posted by: Sebastian Melmoth at April 12, 2025 05:47 PM (VofaG)

9 I run across speed painting at The Minature Page, but my days of needing a unit this week for a game on the weekend is so long ago.

Posted by: Skip at April 12, 2025 05:49 PM (ypFCm)

10 At war game conventions often there are people teaching how to paint

Posted by: Skip at April 12, 2025 05:50 PM (ypFCm)

11 Ya Hoo. Passed my test for the Technicians Ham license today, very happy to be part of that community. I guess this is a hobby or hobby adjacent.

Posted by: Rufus T. Firefly at April 12, 2025 05:52 PM (sIONs)

12 I've occasionally fallen down a rabbit hole of watching people airbrushing and painting 3d-printed statues on youtube....But somehow the statues that they are painting always tend to be Witchblade, or Red Sonja, or one of the female X-Men. So I suspect I am less interested in the art of painting than in what is actually being painted..

Posted by: Castle Guy at April 12, 2025 05:52 PM (Lhaco)

13 I don't paint miniatures but I note there are several movies where someone is painting miniatures.

Ronin and Three Days of the Condor come to mind. Oh and 40 year old Virgin. ( not a dig😀

Posted by: Sebastian Melmoth at April 12, 2025 05:56 PM (VofaG)

14 Afternoon, hobby folken,

As a young Wolfus I was very much into plastic model kits and painting them, and later, customizing the model cars. I started with the snap-together Bachmann Birds and Animals of the World, which came with their own paints, brushes, and even thinner. Later came the Aurora Universal Monster kits, then AMT and Revell cars, then Revell's sailing ships and US Navy submarines and the famous PT-109, and of course a couple of German subs. My last kits were Tamiya tanks, which amazed me even then with their proportions and level of detail.

In the early '80s I bought two metal (pewter?) figurines, which I still have: a Red Sonja figure with chain-mail bikini and sword, and a Roman centurion. The latter somehow wound up looking like John Wayne in his quick cameo in The Greatest Story Ever Told ("Truly this man was the Son of God"). Perhaps I'll dig them out, dust them off, and send in a couple of pics.

I know there are great numbers of resin kits out there now which would make fascinating paint-and-build projects. But with two cats, I can hardly get into model work without a separate room I can close the furry thugs out of.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at April 12, 2025 05:58 PM (omVj0)

15 Ham radio would be another great topic here

Posted by: Skip at April 12, 2025 05:58 PM (ypFCm)

16 I don't paint miniatures but I note there are several movies where someone is painting miniatures.

Ronin and Three Days of the Condor come to mind. Oh and 40 year old Virgin. ( not a dig😀
Posted by: Sebastian Melmoth at April 12, 2025

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I believe Edward Woodward played a shabby English intelligence agent (more LeCarre than Fleming) in a BBC TV series in the '60s called Callan, and that his character painted, or maybe just collected, miniatures.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at April 12, 2025 06:00 PM (omVj0)

17 I wish somebody would do resin kits of Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin -- or maybe figures who could be customized into them. Though I don't know how you go about changing things on a resin kit.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at April 12, 2025 06:01 PM (omVj0)

18 Yay!

A comment repost!

It's true, though, I love to draw, but I really hate having to pin some kind of meaning on what I draw. It's a dumb affectation art students use to justify their relevance.

Posted by: Pug Mahon at April 12, 2025 06:02 PM (0aYVJ)

19 Polynikes' painting is a bit different. His buildings usually have a softer look; not unrealistic but not hard. The building in the dead center of the image with its hard angles and stark colors is such a contrast with the rounded contours of the shore line, clouds and even the two people in their loose clothing. The building is rather intrusive and out of place to the feeling in the rest of the scene. It's a bit surreal and a little disturbing.

I may be reading way too much into this painting but that is my first impression.

Posted by: JTB at April 12, 2025 06:02 PM (yTvNw)

20 Ham radio would be another great topic here

We've done it a time or two. There are several active hams among the Horde and no doubt some inactive ones like me. Only problem is that we can't exchange call signs on an open forum without effectively doxing ourselves.

Posted by: Oddbob at April 12, 2025 06:03 PM (/y8xj)

21 Here is a miniature that was posted by someone couple days ago. Queen of Spades
https://tinyurl.com/27sv4thp

Posted by: Skip at April 12, 2025 06:03 PM (ypFCm)

22 Which reminds me, I need to log into the FCC database and update my physical address and also see when I have to re-register to keep my sign.

Posted by: Oddbob at April 12, 2025 06:05 PM (/y8xj)

23 It's true, though, I love to draw, but I really hate having to pin some kind of meaning on what I draw. It's a dumb affectation art students use to justify their relevance.
Posted by: Pug Mahon at April 12, 2025

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I'm the same way with writing. I'm usually just telling a story that fascinates me, and trying to make it something that an editor will buy and a reader will enjoy the way I did. If there is subtext, I'll leave it to someone else to pick that out. And I don't really want to know the analysis. Otherwise I'll be the centipede asked "Which leg comes after which?", who "lay distracted in a ditch, considering how to run."

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at April 12, 2025 06:05 PM (omVj0)

24 I never did anything with miniatures. I made tiny little sculptures but they were just themselves, and not small versions of something else.

Polynikes continues to impress with painting.

Posted by: BeckoningChasm at April 12, 2025 06:06 PM (CHHv1)

25 Here is a miniature that was posted by someone couple days ago. Queen of Spades
https://tinyurl.com/27sv4thp
Posted by: Skip at April 12, 2025

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Skip, it says "Photo blocked by adult filter." But I followed the link. Somewhat adult, I guess, but the painting is amazing.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at April 12, 2025 06:07 PM (omVj0)

26 Unless signed up you can't post at Miniature Page but you can H o and search for information

Posted by: Skip at April 12, 2025 06:07 PM (ypFCm)

27 16 I don't paint miniatures but I note there are several movies where someone is painting miniatures.

In the movie "Hereditary" from a few years ago the mom makes little miniatures of the family house. I kind of hated the movie though.

Posted by: BeckoningChasm at April 12, 2025 06:08 PM (CHHv1)

28 It's safe for even work.
It's a well endowed woman but not naked

Posted by: Skip at April 12, 2025 06:09 PM (ypFCm)

29 The paint work is about as good as it could be

Posted by: Skip at April 12, 2025 06:10 PM (ypFCm)

30 17 ... "I wish somebody would do resin kits of Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin "

Wolfus,
I have a vague memory that there were dolls (sorry, action figures) of both when the show was on. I suspect they were, at best, suggestive of the actors. I was more interested in the guns they used on the show and the radios. "Open channel D".

Posted by: JTB at April 12, 2025 06:11 PM (yTvNw)

31 I looked up miniatures in movies to see what other movies had it in a scene and came across this:

The Phantom Menace (1999), the audience in the Grand Arena consisted of 450,000 hand-painted cotton Q-Tips – more individual miniatures than have been used in any other film sequence.

Posted by: Sebastian Melmoth at April 12, 2025 06:12 PM (VofaG)

32 Rufus - congratulations on passing your Tech license, and welcome to the wonderful world of burning all your spare cash on electronic gadgets, antennas, etc.

Posted by: PabloD at April 12, 2025 06:14 PM (57fkQ)

33 21 Here is a miniature that was posted by someone couple days ago. Queen of Spades
https://tinyurl.com/27sv4thp
Posted by: Skip at April 12, 2025 06:03 PM (ypFCm)

Wow!

Posted by: m at April 12, 2025 06:17 PM (CQE5S)

34 I guess this is more of an assemblage rather than a sculpture:

https://tinyurl.com/2u8hsvsn

Posted by: BeckoningChasm at April 12, 2025 06:17 PM (CHHv1)

35 Wolfus,
I have a vague memory that there were dolls (sorry, action figures) of both when the show was on. I suspect they were, at best, suggestive of the actors. I was more interested in the guns they used on the show and the radios. "Open channel D".
Posted by: JTB at April 12, 2025

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They did! I didn't have either of them, and I've forgotten the company name -- it wasn't Mattel or Ideal or one of the big household toy names. Maybe Gilbert. They didn't really resemble the actors that much.

Marx did some 3-4 inch plastic figures, molded all in one color, that I've seen on eBay and been tempted to buy. They *did* look like Vaughn and McCallum, amazingly so.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at April 12, 2025 06:19 PM (omVj0)

36 I'm surprised play-doh doesn't have star war molds and other popular characters . Or do they?

Posted by: Sebastian Melmoth at April 12, 2025 06:22 PM (VofaG)

37 >>32 Rufus - congratulations on passing your Tech license, and welcome to the wonderful world of burning all your spare cash on electronic gadgets, antennas, etc.
Posted by: PabloD

Any particular date you'll be POTAing? I'll see if I spot you and make contact. I'm good on most bands other than 160M. 73

Posted by: Maj. Healey at April 12, 2025 06:22 PM (/U5Yz)

38 Oh, and JTB,

A member of the Brown Leaf forum on Badger and Blade offered to send me a sample of Ken Byron's Burley Morning Pipe tobacco, and I'm waiting for that. Today I stopped at the local pipe/cigar place and picked up an ounce of what they call "Balkan II." Very much an English, it smells much like Peterson's Early Morning Pipe. I'll try it tomorrow.

The shop also had a lot of 1.75-2.0 ounce tins of well-known blends, but they ranged in price from 18.00 to 30.00. That's a big splurge for me when I can't even sniff the stuff to see if I like it.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at April 12, 2025 06:23 PM (omVj0)

39 Just rebuilt 2 antique side tables, one oak and the other walnut with a white marble top. The oak table was a pain because the most common way to try to stabilize an antique piece is pound nails into it. At least these weren't railroad spikes which are commonly used by idiots to repair furniture, they were 1 1/2" brads. Also working on baking corned beef and cabbage, yes I just crossed the streams between a Saturday thread and one from Sunday.

Posted by: neverenoughcaffeine at April 12, 2025 06:25 PM (2NHgQ)

40 Speaking of miniatures, I caught this story on tv in the past couple of weeks: https://tinyurl.com/27bzesvj

The whole story is pretty fascinating, but the part about her work with miniatures starts at 5:20 into the clip.

Posted by: Matthew Kant Cipher at April 12, 2025 06:26 PM (kOluj)

41 If you're going to ask what am I doing with all this jellied chicken broth all over myself, don't.

Posted by: San Franpsycho at April 12, 2025 06:26 PM (RIvkX)

42 I was more interested in the guns they used on the show and the radios. "Open channel D".
Posted by: JTB at April 12, 2025

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Me too. The radios in Season One of U.N.C.L.E. were hidden within cigarette cases; the famous pen communicators everyone remembers did not debut until the second year. Reportedly Norman Felton, the executive producer, did not want to encourage cigarette use among the young members of the audience. Even in the early days, Solo was only shown lighting a cigarette about twice and taking maybe one puff, and Illya never.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at April 12, 2025 06:27 PM (omVj0)

43 I strained my right hand, especially the index finger, pushing off a chair. It will take a couple of weeks to settle down. (I've done this before and know the routine.) But I can't hold a pencil or pen to draw at the moment. An inconvenient bummer. I got a set of Charvin chalk pastels. They should let me try some figurative sketches even if there won't be much fine detail. The result might just be some colorful swatches but nothing to lose by trying.

Posted by: JTB at April 12, 2025 06:28 PM (yTvNw)

44 Maj. Healey - the Yakima MoMee is Saturday, May 10. I'm not sure exactly when I'll be operating that day, but I'll post something on POTA.app as well as here on the blog when I have more details. I probably won't be on the air much, if any, until then since I'm mostly a portable operator and I'm on very light duty while recovering from surgery.

Posted by: PabloD at April 12, 2025 06:30 PM (57fkQ)

45 The Commander Adama bust reminded me, before the paint, of a character actor of the Sixties named Mark Richman. You've seen him in a thousand TV shows, usually as a villain. I never thought of him resembling Lorne Greene before.

Polynikes, this particular painting of yours has an Edward Hopper vibe. I don't know why, it just does. I guess maybe the clarity of the sky around the towering house?

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at April 12, 2025 06:31 PM (omVj0)

46 32 Rufus - congratulations on passing your Tech license, and welcome to the wonderful world of burning all your spare cash on electronic gadgets, antennas, etc.
Posted by: PabloD

Excellent. I'll mark my calendar and keep an eye on Ham2k PoLo on that day. GL

Posted by: Maj. Healey at April 12, 2025 06:33 PM (/U5Yz)

47 >>44 Maj. Healey - the Yakima MoMee is Saturday, May >>10. I'm not sure exactly when I'll be operating that day, but I'll post something on POTA.app as well as here on the blog when I have more details. I probably won't be on the air much, if any, until then since I'm mostly a portable operator and I'm on very light duty while recovering from surgery.
Posted by: PabloD

Excellent. I'll mark my calendar and keep an eye on Ham2k PoLo on that day. GL

Posted by: Maj. Healey at April 12, 2025 06:34 PM (/U5Yz)

48 Wow that Esperman is a genius!

Posted by: Esperman at April 12, 2025 06:40 PM (UZ7aH)

49 I'll be doing a Lloyd Bridges BSG Commander Cain soon - just cuz.

Posted by: Esperman at April 12, 2025 06:43 PM (UZ7aH)

50 38 ... "A member of the Brown Leaf forum on Badger and Blade offered to send me a sample of Ken Byron's Burley Morning Pipe tobacco, and I'm waiting for that. Today I stopped at the local pipe/cigar place and picked up an ounce of what they call "Balkan II." Very much an English, it smells much like Peterson's Early Morning Pipe. I'll try it tomorrow."

I haven't tried the Burley Morning blend but have heard great things about it. I've been tending toward burley lately so I should order some. The Boswell Premium Burley has been a hit, very tasty and similar to the HH Burley Flake, now discontinued by STG. (Spits) BTW, the three J M Boswell blends I've tried: Northwoods (English), Premium Burley and Roasted Honey have all been excellent.

Haven't tried a Balkan style in a long time, probably 30 years or more. Didn't care for them then but my tastes may have changed.

Completely understand about the cost of tinned tobaccos when you can't sample or sniff them. A good tobacconist should have an open tin for people to at least get an idea of the aroma. Too much of a pig in a poke.

Posted by: JTB at April 12, 2025 06:45 PM (yTvNw)

51 5 Nice work Esperman. Do you create on a computer and then 3D resin print it?
Posted by: Sebastian Melmoth at April 12, 2025 05:44 PM (VofaG)

Adama was done in 3D space with a designer I know. (my past life was a media producer and I did a lot of 3D). I only printed 1 head.

Apollo was designed by a shop Multiverse Customs on Etsy. He does a lot of cool 3.75" figures from BSG, V & Mash etc etc.

Posted by: Esperman at April 12, 2025 06:48 PM (UZ7aH)

52 I have the original cope and drag for this mold.

https://tinyurl.com/4mpbk63t

It's old. I'm rebuilding it right now and plan on trying to get a couple off. Lots of work to do on the things you can't see in the final product. Gating and vents and I have to Bondo over lots of damage from neglect.
Need to get the hobby foundry finished.

I haven't painted miniatures since the 80's.
Lost the whole collection, close to 300 figures in a friends house fire. Made a pretty awesome 10 pound blob on the garage floor.

Posted by: Reforger at April 12, 2025 06:48 PM (xcIvR)

53 We were recently watching old NCIS episodes, and someone asked what was going on with Ducky. Gibbs said "Ilyah Kuryakin."

I chuckled.

Posted by: Pug Mahon at April 12, 2025 06:48 PM (0aYVJ)

54 Didn't mention another very nice painting from Polynikes

Posted by: Skip at April 12, 2025 06:49 PM (ypFCm)

55 Speaking of Somewhere in Time - it was the first movie we saw after we got married. This October, we are going to the SIT weekend at the GrandvHotel on Mackinac Island - so excited! I am buying a very special dress for our 45th anniversary party 8n August, and it is the perfect style to wear for that weekend as well 😊❤️

Posted by: Teresa in Fort Worth, Texas - Ace of Spades Ladies Brigade, plucky comic relief at April 12, 2025 06:50 PM (Wlnxc)

56 >>If you're going to ask what am I doing with all this jellied chicken broth all over myself, don't.

Why are you covered with jellied chicken broth?

Posted by: JackStraw at April 12, 2025 06:50 PM (LkLld)

57 I've played plenty of Games Workshop games and I have never painted a figurine. Just seems orthogonal to playing the games.

Posted by: 18-1 at April 12, 2025 06:54 PM (t0Rmr)

58
Why are you covered with jellied chicken broth?
Posted by: JackStraw at April 12, 2025 06:50 PM (LkLld)

Do you really have to ask?

Posted by: The Chicken at April 12, 2025 06:55 PM (Migr7)

59 If your on X stop by, follow and say hi.

https://x.com/BCollectic41664

Posted by: Esperman at April 12, 2025 06:55 PM (UZ7aH)

60 LOL... my 15 mm Napoleonics all lived in Pizza Boxes

Stacked well, traveled well, and were the right height. Just taped in partitions made of cardboard to seperate the different Divisions...

Posted by: Romeo13 at April 12, 2025 06:57 PM (QAkQ3)

61 working for you!

Posted by: lobbyists for hobbyists at April 12, 2025 06:57 PM (VofaG)

62 Many play war games but don't paint, at least much. Others paint and hardly play.

Posted by: Skip at April 12, 2025 06:58 PM (ypFCm)

63 >>This October, we are going to the SIT weekend at the GrandvHotel on Mackinac Island - so excited! I am buying a very special dress for our 45th anniversary party 8n August, and it is the perfect style to wear for that weekend as well

Mackinac Island is a place I've always wanted to visit. Have friends who've been and loved it. I hope you guys have a great time.

Posted by: JackStraw at April 12, 2025 06:58 PM (LkLld)

64 Esperman -very nice work!

Posted by: Teresa in Fort Worth, Texas - Ace of Spades Ladies Brigade, plucky comic relief at April 12, 2025 06:58 PM (Wlnxc)

65 64 Esperman -very nice work!
Posted by: Teresa in Fort Worth, Texas - Ace of Spades Ladies Brigade, plucky comic relief at April 12, 2025 06:58 PM (Wlnxc)

Thank you. I'm not really a great figure painter, but I did my best. Skin tones are shading is really hard for me to get where I was happy. The eyes still need some work.

Posted by: Esperman at April 12, 2025 07:00 PM (UZ7aH)

66 tinyurl.com/3dvuazpc
My boxes for my troopers, actually 1 box is missing from picture

Posted by: Skip at April 12, 2025 07:01 PM (ypFCm)

67 Posted by: Skip at April 12, 2025 07:01 PM (ypFCm)

The Container Store must love you.

Posted by: Sebastian Melmoth at April 12, 2025 07:08 PM (VofaG)

68 I guess my current "hobby" activity is doing the paint and trim in the front room here. Today I got a frame made around the tall window in the front wall. Mudded up screw holes and cracks, will sand tomorrow, and paint it again. One window of five done, and the second biggest one.

Stained some 1X6" clear fir boards, they will go onto a ledge at the top of the stud wall, where the gable end shear wall is set back about 1 1/2". So these boards will become a knick-knack shelf, and turn the ledge into a feature. Similar ledges at both ends of the room.

Posted by: Alberta Oil Peon at April 12, 2025 07:09 PM (8zz6B)

69 Posted by: Alberta Oil Peon at April 12, 2025 07:09 PM (8zz6B)

I'm thinking of covering a whole small accent wall with various lengths of boards with different color stains. Thinking of just using pallet wood to do it.

Posted by: Sebastian Melmoth at April 12, 2025 07:14 PM (VofaG)

70 Been working most of afternoon making my order of Battle for my hopefully soon whomever war game Kunersdorf 1759. Need to get some board spray painted so waiting for a decent day

Posted by: Skip at April 12, 2025 07:14 PM (ypFCm)

71 For those into fiber-based 3D printing, rather than resin, I can heartily recommend the Bambu Labs A1 (or A1 mini, if you're on a budget). Compared to my old workhorse printer, this thing is like an F-22 compared to a Wright Brothers Flyer.

It's the closest thing to "plug and play" "it just works", that I've ever seen in the 3D printer world. Not only does it produce fewer failed prints, but the prints are far more dimensionally accurate (important if you're doing mechanical parts, say for cordless hole punchers. Ahem).

My old printer needed constant adjustment and babysitting. This one pretty much continuously calibrates itself.

Right now it's $499 when when buying direct from the manufacturer (a $30 jump, no doubt due to tariffs), but if you buy from a distributor you might still luck out and get the old price.

Two bad things:

1) The built-in camera sucks. You may want to get a cheap webcam if remote viewing of the printing process is important to you.
2) The included SD card is crap. Get a spare to have on hand if the one that comes with it fails. They're cheap.

No financial interest, just a highly satisfied customer.

Posted by: Rodrigo Borgia at April 12, 2025 07:15 PM (W5ArC)

72 TRex,
Thanks for another fun thread. Also, I love the pose of the artist in the top photo as he contemplates his next project.

Posted by: JTB at April 12, 2025 07:20 PM (yTvNw)

73 66 tinyurl.com/3dvuazpc
My boxes for my troopers, actually 1 box is missing from picture
Posted by: Skip at April 12, 2025 07:01 PM (ypFCm)

I use one of those cabinets for sewing machine foot attachments 🤣🤣🤣

Posted by: Teresa in Fort Worth, Texas - Ace of Spades Ladies Brigade, plucky comic relief at April 12, 2025 07:22 PM (Wlnxc)

74 Not sure if this is common. Noticed our county library has a 3-D printer for patrons to use. Had samples of items made by the machine lined up in a display.

Posted by: Mrs JTB at April 12, 2025 07:23 PM (yTvNw)

75 Been working most of afternoon making my order of Battle for my hopefully soon whomever war game Kunersdorf 1759. Need to get some board spray painted so waiting for a decent day
Posted by: Skip at April 12, 2025 07:14 PM (ypFCm)

I used to belong to the Seven Years War Gaming Association but haven't played for years. I still have a bunch of 25mm Prussians, Russians, Austrians and Swedes.

Posted by: Retired Buckeye Cop is now an engineer at April 12, 2025 07:25 PM (pJWtt)

76 I had the third round of the Masters tournament in the background. I don't follow golf that much and can't swing a club anymore but enjoy watching the majors. Beautiful grounds and every shot has the chance to be extraordinary. It's a pleasant tension.

Posted by: JTB at April 12, 2025 07:27 PM (yTvNw)

77 Stalled on a Montgomery Wards 719. AM modulation circuit is putting out 0 Volts. Looking at the schematic, it shouldn't be able to do that.

I'm going to have to cannibalize some parts from another radio just to test out if the circuit itself is bad, or if something else is dragging it down.

Posted by: Blanco Basura - Z28.310 at April 12, 2025 07:29 PM (lUFok)

78 Taking me some time is I don't have 7YW troops only Napoleonic, so making my Napoleonic era troops fit the 7YW order of Battle

Posted by: Skip at April 12, 2025 07:30 PM (ypFCm)

79 > 74 Not sure if this is common. Noticed our county library has a 3-D printer for patrons to use.

Sounds like an excellent way to find out if the hobby is for you.

I don't think I'd want a librarian to stub her eyes on some of the things I make. :-)

Posted by: Rodrigo Borgia at April 12, 2025 07:32 PM (W5ArC)

80 Would be neat to have a 3D printer, lots of programs out there

Posted by: Skip at April 12, 2025 07:38 PM (ypFCm)

81 The museum here has a "tool library" of things you can check out. Besides your standard hand and power tools, they've got things like Bundt cake pans and pressure cookers. Saves buying something you only need once in a while.

Posted by: Rodrigo Borgia at April 12, 2025 07:38 PM (W5ArC)

82 Pablo D and Maj Healy. Thank you and I have been warned about the cost of upgrading. I have a lot to learn and that will be part of it. The people I’ve met in the Ham radio community are very supportive and I am looking forward to being part of that.

Posted by: Rufus T. Firefly at April 12, 2025 07:40 PM (lZohv)

83 8 There is a space rocket company that 3 D prints most all the rocket and engine parts.

Posted by: Sebastian Melmoth at April 12, 2025 05:47 PM (VofaG)
----
Blue Origin? Relativity Space? - I can't remember.

Posted by: Ciampino - That's a lot of wire at April 12, 2025 07:42 PM (sPQoU)

84 I've been 3D printing for a couple of years now. I don't know that I've "broken even", but if you count aggravation I definitely have. I've replaced lots of broken or lost household bits and bobs with parts I've made.

One thing I have has a bunch of plastic caps on it. These are super easy to lose, and the manufacturer wants $20 each for replacements. Plus shipping.

I made a replacement plus several spares for about fifteen cents worth of plastic. Saved money? Depends. It took maybe an hour to CAD up the design, so probably not in the strictest sense. On the other hand, it was more like fun than work, and I got to enjoy the righteous feeling of not being screwed over, which is worth a lot.

Posted by: Rodrigo Borgia at April 12, 2025 07:49 PM (W5ArC)

85 Speaking of Somewhere in Time - it was the first movie we saw after we got married. This October, we are going to the SIT weekend at the GrandvHotel on Mackinac Island - so excited! I am buying a very special dress for our 45th anniversary party 8n August, and it is the perfect style to wear for that weekend as well 😊❤️
Posted by: Teresa in Fort Worth, Texas - Ace of Spades Ladies Brigade, plucky comic relief

Make sure you hit all the fudge shops for free samples before making any final selections.

Posted by: Itinerant Alley Butcher at April 12, 2025 08:03 PM (/lPRQ)

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