Friday, August 6, 2021

Small Ships in the Future

 My thoughts of future space travels is that one would have to conserve space on the main ship. So the idea of smaller ships, hangered in the bays would also have to double as living quarters. If your going to have fighter bays and shuttle bays, you'll have to make the most use of them.

Fighters would have room for a bunk, space for personal stuff and bathroom facility. While have access to the main dining facility on the main ship. Rations could be stored as well in the fighter for longer missions. Fighters would also have their own long term life support system.

Shuttles would have room for more bunks and personal items with a kitchenet plus bathroom facility, to include it's long term life support system. Of course these crew would also have full access to facilities on the main ship as well.

Along with Bombers, Ship's Boat and Tugs. The list of small ships can go on. 

So I thought I would scratch build just one ship idea of such as a fighter. It can be used on the table as a Line Of Sight obstacle or as play through terrain.

It took me the better part of the day to build it and few more hours of another day to paint it as well. I still want to add something to lift it up some and give it the effect of landing gear under it but for now I am very happy with it. There is space for four emergency jump sets if need to evacuate the ship, if some of the escape pods are damaged or room for emergency supplies. Of course either way it will be very tight quarters. However again it's main roll is a Fighter.



I haven't added flight numbers or nose art as of yet. I want to get some fine tip paint pens for that. Then when all is finished I will give this project a matte finish sealer.

As you can see it is still not much larger than present day crafts. Only if we can come up with better propulsion systems. and being in a hanger bay would not make much differences as for a hanger bay size.



Here is more of a look at the interior and concept.







Here is a look with a GZG figure in and about the Fighter.







You can see there is some room for ducking back into in case of hostile Boarders so a small firefight can happen with in the Fighter as well.

I have plans to make about four more. Two for each ship's hangers I want to build as a terrain item. I thought four would look good also in/on a spaceport, or even being on planet side of some new world  or checking on the happenings of a colony. With the ability being able to carry four additional personnel down four could easily cover a larger area.


Friday, July 30, 2021

The Effects of the Wildfires out West

   We of those in Minnesota are feeling some of the effects of the Forest Fires their having out West and in Canada. We are hundreds of miles from these disasters going on. There is an Air Quality Alert for the state. being out side for any length of time will make feel like you have a small choking effect and coughing. 

For the weekend they are predicting the smoke problem will only be come greater as the wind change and will be blowing in more smoke. Currently we can smell like a combination between the flavor of burning wood from a campfire and that Yuk of a heap of garbage being burned. 

I can only imagine how bad the air is for those much closer to these events.

Here is a few pictures of around here right now.




I truly hope the West gets the rain they need to help quench the fires. 

 

Wednesday, July 14, 2021

Some New Terrain Painted

 I made some Polymer Clay terrain pieces some time back and finally got around to painting some. These are just some random terrain items. However I do want to make some as points of interest later on. These are going to look really good on the Gaming Table and can be use in other genres of gaming. 

I have some other items I wish to make copies of I am waiting for some reusable molding to come in the mail in the meantime.

Here is the first one.



Using purple and white side by side to make streaks then a black wash followed by white highlights.

 
This was it before.

Next up is..



Here I did blue and purple to form streaks.

Here's the before


I have to have some pointy crystals too.



and before..


I also have to have some vegetation too..



the before...


These were all with Scuply Clay on fender washers then baked as directed, and then painted. I placed a drop of each color mentioned side by side and just let the brush make the streaks. I then painted everything else around the base, the base and rocks. Ones dry I gave everything a black wash and let dry then finished with a white highlight on the crystals and other lighter tones on everything else. I sealed everything with a brush on acrylic sealer and then coated all the crystals with Mod Podge to give them a shine to them.

All in all they came out great. They will make for some duck and cover terrain on the table or even points of interest.