Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Latest Projects

GORKAMORKA - returns with a breath of fresh air.

A project I am working on is resurrecting Space Crusade.  I only have to get a Chaos Dreadnaught, Chaos Space Marines and the Space Marines to finish the job.  Below is the prepainted versions of the Space Marines cobbled together from the original heavy weapons and using the Space Marines that came from the Battle for Macragge box set.

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Spare GW Man o'War Ships

Apart from the 12 plastic human ships in the center all the rest is metal.  The flyers on the right are Bretonnian Pegasus'.  What you see is what is available for trade.

Friday, May 11, 2012

ACW UNION TROOPS

This Union army for ACW is for sale.

GREEKS

NORMANs

REPUBLICAN ROMANS

Romans for sale.

ANCIENT INDIANS

These are some shots of the Ancient Indians I have for sale.

SAXONS Photo's.

The following shots are of a number of armies that I have up for sale.  First is the Saxons.

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

WRG - Wargames Rules 1685-1845

Thanks to Andrew Ross I got a game in, the first in 3 months.  We managed to play two games.  I won the first (yes that's right I won a game), Andrew the second.  The photo's are shots of the second game, which is the one I lost.  Now I may start painting my Prussians.





Sunday, February 19, 2012

Painting and Tips


So here we are, painted at last.  The good news is that I am finding some satisfaction in painting and modelling.  It's been gone a long time and I think what may have killed my passion was the pressure to perform and produce commissions for people.

So for the moment I will only doing things for me, for a while at least.

Painting Tip #1- Black Undercoat
When I prepare to paint a figure I always (but not in some cases) undercoat my figures in black.  After the undercoast has dried I dry brush over the model lightly in white.  This picks out a lot of details that I could have missed if I did not do this.  (Note with advancing age and a reduction in eye sight, every "trick" that helps is a bonus.)

Modelling Tip #1 - Stages of Work
I find that I like to do things in a certain order.  Whenever I glue models together I like to allow a day to pass before I move on to the next stage of preperation.  With undercoats or ink washes, I allow an hour or more depending on the temperature and humidity.  So while I am painting models I will have waiting - models drying, models completing the glue adhesion, and models awaiting bases "flocked".  I also rotate in the building of models and selection of projects to work on.  However, be careful, if you get to carried away with building and undercoating and waiting for a start, you may find that you build up too much "backlog", you feel swamped and you tend to end up with a box of projects that can sit there for ages.  I am at this stage trialling the 3 project system.  One group waiting for prep, one group being painted, and finally one group waiting for the final touches.

Well that's it for today.  Have fun, and may fate smile on you kindly.

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Shock horror, I've started painting....

Yes it is with some concern that I've picked up a paint brush again.  I reckon it has been 4 months since I've done anything so it's been a job to pick something to work with.  I decided since I was showing off my LotR painted figures I'd choose some more LotR to paint.  So there's an Ent and four mounted Riders of the Dead.  Somehow some Dysoptian Wars Prussian robots snuck in under the radar.


Tuesday, February 14, 2012

The Last of the LotR - Rest of the Evil Forces~!

OK here are the last of the painted figures.  There are Harad, Far Harad, Umbar, Easterlings, Half-trolls, Khandish and stacks of odd jobs.  More Nazgul than you can poke a stick at.

Monday, February 13, 2012

LotR Mordor and Isengard

"Build me an army worthy of Mordor...." a line I think most gamers will not forget.

LotR Dwarfs and Elves (with some Hobbits)

Here's the next installment, the rest of the free peoples.  Dwarfs, Elves and Hobbits.  There is even an invisible Frodo Baggins.


LotR Gondor and Rohan

The bug has bitten me and I'm going back and have another look at my LotR SBG figures.  Here's a taste of whats to come.

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Star Wars WotC Style

Ok the painting bug, well any bug has died at present.  So I've decided to think about doing something with my Star Wars figures.  They are the Wizards of the Coast, plastic fantastic (re rough) but still usuable and easy to just throw into a box and not worry too much about the paint job.  I do have to do some heat treatment of the droids from Episodes 1-3 to allow me to use the Republic armies.

Stay tuned.

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

74 days and counting...

Hmm, things are not improving.

Had some minor flooding in one of the rooms downstairs.  Seems that my children are not to take baths/showers at the same time that a major downpore in upon us.  I think that the drains are a problem, and I think they are the councils drains at fault.  So after almost having a heart attack moping up I have decided to let it flow.  I just don't have the strength these days to do to much exertion, lazy of me, but it's all I can do.  All the important stuff is located elsewhere and nearly everything is at least 6" above the ground.  Mind you the carpeted room does smell like a lot of wookies have taken up residence.  Reminds me of that line in Van Helsing "why does it smell like wet dog in here?"

My period of ennui continues.

Why I can't find it in me anymore to do the things I once loved doing I don't know.

January is a period of mourning in my household.  Grandfather (mothers side) on the 12th and Edward John McDonnell on the 20th.  Went and did the cemetry duty.  Tidyed up the graves and pulled out the weeds in my grandfathers plot.  My sister placed lots of white rocks at the surface, and with the council not caring where their gardening waste blows to, makes for a lot of work.  I visited very briefly my parents grave, but there are no happy memories associated with them so it was just to look, curse them and leave.

It's interesting to note that you can sometimes misinterpret things while using the impersonal medium of the internet.  Yet I find it's a way of finding out who your friends are or aren't by the responses you get or don't get.  I have been grateful to the few who have communicated with me over the Christmas and New Year period.  It's nice to know that I'm not totally forgotten.  A visit would have been nicer, but at least one form of communication is better than none.  One person I bumped into actually said I should have said something about wanting games or contact, to which I replied "and you didn't because?"  Which of course stumped them - I've made it quite obvious that I desire contact, having to "beg" for companionship is beneath me.  If you don't think to include me in games or social events, "inviting" myself is not the solution.  In the end I'm just a bitter, lonely old man.

That's where I am - bitter.  I think I spend so much time alone with nothing but myself for company that I'm a little more unbalanced than I normally am.  I think I have lost the skill to interact with people - which I guess makes me a less than desireable acquaintance or friend.  I've done my lot of chasing people and am now working on the "if you respect me as a friend, then you'll include me".  The fact that this is not happening leads me to feel isolated and alone.  I guess it's a problem of my own making.

I really don't know what I'm going to do this year.  I can't find the passion I once had.  Trying to make ends meet is going to prove a challenge this year.  The cost of living is not getting any cheaper.  My wife and daughter both work now which makes my weekends of being able to do as I like becoming untenable.  My "special" needs means it's hard to fit in with a lot of activites I'd love to participate in.  Again, I'm doomed by the nature of the circumstances that define my existence. 

Sunday, January 15, 2012

65 days

Sixty-five days, that says it all.

During that time I have been absolutely miserable - and I've let the world at large know it.

Yet during this time I was blessed with the kindness of one man.  Not some one local in Brisbane, not one of the group of people who game with me, but a friend I have known since Grade 6, a friend who lives hundreds of miles away in Sydney.  I'm talking about Michael Mulhern.  He in his generosity and kindess sent me a tablet a SuperPadIII, no strings attached, no expectations of recompense in kind.  His act of kindness gave me that spark of happiness that has been missing during this period.

So the year marches on.  My children are starting school on the 25th and I have worked out that I will be sacrificing almost 70% of my pension to get them through school.  This hurts, but it's the one thing that I was determined to give my children - a Catholic education.

With my wife and daughter now engaged in employment my capacity to get any time to attend clubs or events this year is looking doubtful.  So I'm spending more and more time with just myself and my internal monologue to keep me company.

My period of ennui continues.

I am extremely bitter and will most likely continue in this frame of mind for some time.  As I have posted elsewhere, existence is pointless without purpose. 

Monday, January 2, 2012

2012

My wife Chelle has secured herself a job and my daughter continues to get work on an adhoc basis.  Both work in the hospitality industry which means weekend work at hours that will clash with any external activities  This will mean that as I am the taxi for the family I can't see me being able to find time to go anywhere on weekends except to and from workplaces.

This is not ideal for me.  It means that I will get even less contact with people.  Nothing I can do about this unless things change where I'm not needed as a source of transport.

So I forsee that people will see even less of me than they already do.  Not that I get visitors much.

If people want me, you know where to find me.  Just remember that I can't do evenings.