evil_bryan Posted August 31, 2015 Report Share Posted August 31, 2015 The hill is too much of a pain to cast for commercial sale at this point. I slush cast a layer of resin for the detail, and then spackle the inside with resin mixed with plaster. Economical in terms of materials, but takes a good chunk of time for each cast. If the big stuff like hills is going to work, I need to find another way of casting, or farm the casting out. I've got a couple of different manufacturers bookmarked, but don't want to start getting quotes until I have a better collection of pieces to price out. It's on my "sometime in the next year" radar, though! Ultimately, I'd like to have some tall and unwieldy bluffs for true LoS games, and some gentle sloping hills like this for manageable play. The current iteration of the hill is great, but a bit small - designing pieces to fit within the confines of my standard shipping method is a challenge! The maximum area restricts the height of I try and stick with either abrupt or 1:3 slopes. Hey Jim, how about using A/B foam for the fill after the slush cast? I'm guessing that would be much quicker way to fill the hills. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMGraham Posted August 31, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 31, 2015 Yup, I've done that on a larger building before. Works fine, but expandable foam requires having a rigid mother mold and clamping something over the open face (with venting holes). Otherwise the expanding foam deforms the mold. It makes a great light-weight casting, but takes just as much hands-on time as the plaster/resin mixture. It works, but I'm really hoping to either simplify or farm out the process! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMGraham Posted September 29, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 29, 2015 I painted up some Reaper stuff so I'd have options to show off the statue plinth I did last month (or two month ago?) Angelic Creepy Creepy Angel Ahh!!!! 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indytims Posted September 29, 2015 Report Share Posted September 29, 2015 Nice work as always, Jim!!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
generalripphook Posted September 30, 2015 Report Share Posted September 30, 2015 I love it Jim. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indytims Posted September 30, 2015 Report Share Posted September 30, 2015 Jim - could we trouble you to tell us a little bit about your camera/photo set-up? How do you take such awesome close-ups and all? Are you using a pro-level camera, or a cell phone? Etc. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMGraham Posted September 30, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 30, 2015 Thanks, man! I use our "family camera" (an older Canon Elph PowerShot - one of those tiny little digital point-and-clicks) and a light box. I think I got it on sale for like $20 on Amazon, but this looks to be what the same thing: http://www.amazon.com/Apollo-PH-Studio-T1-Photography-Studio-Lighting/dp/B00IDD3HVK/ref=sr_1_46?ie=UTF8&qid=1443628024 The camera was maybe $100 new, but that model is probably pretty cheap now, as Canon is always coming out with new models. For my camera, I always use a tripod, turn off the flash, set it to macro mode, and use a 10 second timer. I start off with it lit fairly dimly, then start the camera timer (which takes the initial light reading). Before the photo goes off, I flood the box with light - one from the side, and one from the top. Because the camera takes its light reading when I first trigger it, adding extra light before the shutter snaps has the effect of over-exposing the photo. That's how I get the really bright, well-lit photos. I'm pretty sure that there is a way to just change my camera settings to do that without that trick, but I'm lazy and haven't figured it out. I've gotten practiced enough at it that I rarely have to do any post-processing (I use Picasa) save for cropping the photos. Occasionally I'll have to tweak the color temperature a bit if it gets too warm, or up the shadows a bit if I used too much light and things were too washed out. For the close-ups and what not (that final weeping angel shot), it's just cropping. The camera pictures are large enough that I can crop it in pretty close and still have the 800 pixel size I need for posting on the web, and with enough light, you're going to have clear enough detail to see things. Hope this helps! It's a pretty simple set-up, but purposefully over-exposing the photos has really made the difference for the quality of my photos. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dalmer Posted October 1, 2015 Report Share Posted October 1, 2015 Mr. Graham, Sorry if this has already been answered in the thread, but I'll ask again: when do these terrain pieces "go live" on the website for ordering and/or whatnot? Eventually I'll be painting the other Worldsmith Industries terrain pieces and it never hurts to add to the pile of "to do" projects. ha ha Stay safe, don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMGraham Posted October 1, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 1, 2015 Realistically? Probably in the summer. One of my goals with doing some of the larger pieces is to figure out the feasibility of being able to farm out the actual casting work to someone with larger production facilities. I want to wait until I have a complete product line before I do that, and then it'll likely take some time to find a company with whom I want to work. It MIGHT happen before then, but I like to be conservative in my time estimates. Believe me, I WANT you to buy more. :) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InfestedKerrigan Posted October 1, 2015 Report Share Posted October 1, 2015 When I've thought about Hill type molds, I always picture a two-part, and having the "inside" of the hill carved out. Perhaps cast and detail the Master Plaster, and prior to doing the top detail work, carve away at that heart? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMGraham Posted October 1, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 1, 2015 Yup, a two-part mold with a hollow interior is the way to do bigger pieces and make them cost effective. Rather than carving plaster for those master, I'm planning on making an open-faced mold, painting on and slush-casting a thin resin layer to pick up the detail, and then thickening building up the thickness with Magic Sculpt or some other inexpensive epoxy. I'd rather go additive than subtractive on those because I wouldn't trust myself not to carve out into the face and ruin the whole thing. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InfestedKerrigan Posted October 1, 2015 Report Share Posted October 1, 2015 So you only need to do that once, right? Add your substance, make your breathing vents, and then spray the Release Agent. Box it back up and pour the second half. I don't see any reason why you should be sloshing every time. Perhaps I'm just not seeing why you feel it is beyond you and needing to be out sourced. Perhaps you could hire a Neighborhood Kid, or similar. Child labor works great in China. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMGraham Posted October 1, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 1, 2015 Oh - I'm right there with you. I'd never plan on slush casting every time! What I was just describing was the process I'd use to make the master, for which I'd then make a 2-part mold. Why outsource? When I did my second Kickstarter, I realized, once I saw the numbers of product ordered, that I'd have to pour something like 3000 of the different flat inserts (that's across types). The number of molds I'd have to make for that was terrifying, as was the time it would take to carefully pour each one. I couldn't pre-mix a lot of resin for those, as the resin would cure before I could pour it all. Also lots of time measuring and mixing resin. So, I contacted Ed at Trollforged (who had done some stuff for Walpurgis before), and had them make some spin molds. Two weeks later, I had all those flat inserts at my door. Let me tell you, it was a fantastic feeling not to have to do an extra week's monotonous work for what someone with the right equipment could do much more efficiently. At that point, I realized that if I could find a way to get ALL of the production done reasonably, I'd rather focus my efforts and endeavors on the creative side of things. Neighborhood Kid, unfortunately, requires a lot of training and oversight. Even then, they're not as invested. Every time I pour a miscast I'm very mindful not to let that mistake happen again. Wasted resin gets expensive. I also pay a lot of attention to mold quality - I know that any torn mold is going to be expensive to replace, and that any aged mold needs to be retired, else it will result in pour casts that either waste resin, or are sold and need returned and replaced because of the problems. Being financially accountable for things creates a mindset that really reduces waste, It's hard to find workers who take things as seriously as I do. Either that, or I'm a control freak. :) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dalmer Posted October 1, 2015 Report Share Posted October 1, 2015 Mr. Graham, When I build AR platforms for folks I tell them the following: "You can have it (1) done right, (2) done quickly, or (3) done cheap. YOU GET TO PICK TWO." Most folks start seeing things from my point of view as the builder after that. heh 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
generalripphook Posted October 7, 2015 Report Share Posted October 7, 2015 Ever thinking of doing defensive positions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMGraham Posted October 7, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 7, 2015 Like Aegis Defense Lines? I did the Nurgle one , but that was just for personal use. I've long considered doing earth and timber embankments / trenches but other companies have since started doing them. As such, I've pushed them to the back burner. Why, what are you thinking? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
generalripphook Posted October 7, 2015 Report Share Posted October 7, 2015 I was thinking things like small bunkers, maybe trenches. Especially defenses using corpses I.e. barricade of bodies Just thinking about getting some in the future and I'd prefer to keep it local if you were gonna do some. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fluger Posted October 8, 2015 Report Share Posted October 8, 2015 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMGraham Posted November 29, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 29, 2015 I’m pretty proud of the 2-story ruin! The floor slots in so it can be easily removed for gaming if need be. It stays up fine without that extra pillar, but it looks physics-defying, so the pillar helps sell it a bit. Dark Eldar for scale. And the scatter terrain to rubble things up a bit. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fix Posted November 30, 2015 Report Share Posted November 30, 2015 Dope! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Romans832 Posted November 30, 2015 Report Share Posted November 30, 2015 Simply sexy man, keep up the great work! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indytims Posted November 30, 2015 Report Share Posted November 30, 2015 I want a couple of those!!!! Awesome work sir! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raindog Posted December 4, 2015 Report Share Posted December 4, 2015 Bravo! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don't Panic Posted December 4, 2015 Report Share Posted December 4, 2015 baller. keep up the good work man! love seeing this! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMGraham Posted March 14, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 14, 2016 I've had a hankering for 30k lately, and have started work on a Zone Mortalis set for a 30k campaign we'll be doing in Bellingham this summer. I'll probably Kickstart it to finance production molds, but here's a 3d model of what I've drafted up so far. I'll drop 1mm beads into the circle depressions to make rivets. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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