I wish I could throw this much cash into the hobby and time and space and ideas and motivaion and and and...........

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Commission Service Available

mallysminiatures.blogspot.co.uk

They don't seem to have a smiley for someone's jaw hitting the floor. Cracking work on Helm's Deep! And that exploding section of wall! Just brilliant in concept and execution. I love looking through your WIP thread, it's inspiring stuff.

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Painting again...

I find no words to describe this quality. Just keep it up!

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Conversation/Ideas over painting etc, can check here:
http://www.one-ring.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=50&t=29455

Wow, this really is insane. Absolutely astonishing, keep up the good work

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Backlog:
21/01/2015: still 319 Models to paint or 27,01%
30/12/2016: Somehow the backlog has risen up to 900+ models :/

Oh my lord,not enough words so this will have to do...

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My Miniatures Blog (covering LOTR/Terminator/Doctor Who/Warpath and more!):
http://cruciumgiger.blogspot.co.uk/

Stunning work, as usual.

If you ever decide that you would like to put this stuff together, as Sithious suggested, I would be happy to help with the editing/layout/digital publishing aspects.

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Respectfully,
Jonathan

Do what is right, love mercy, and walk humbly

Battle Companies

Thanks for the comments, and for Jonathan, for the kind offer, too. I think I will do pdfs of the making of the key terrain pieces in the future. Probably nothing much expanded from what I've already posted, but at least they'd be conveniently in a single file per subject matter.

Meanwhile, more stuff for the upcoming pdf about making of Helm's Deep!The work with the causeway ramp continues – I didn’t want to start scribing the tile pattern directly on the Depron, so I made a paper template first, trying to be as accurate as possible for those areas which are clearly seen in the movie (or in the disc supplements).



The sides were cut from 3mm Depron, and glued on cardboard.





The top was cut from 6mm Depron (apart from the horizontal bit, which was 3mm Depron); the tiling pattern is quite interesting and seemingly complex, but there is a fairly simple pattern repeating every four centimeters. As with the sides, the embossing of the tile pattern is done with a black ballpoint pen.





After gluing in the top, I cut out several tiles from the sides, similarly to the Deeping Wall I did earlier. These tiles will be glued back on either raised a little, or depressed, to create some variation.





Finally, I started distressing the surface with a steel wire Dremel bit and the blunt end of the GW sculpting tool. It will take a while to go through the entire ramp – that’s a nice job to pass time during tomorrow’s boring business meeting in my day job!

Outstanding attention to detail!

I always look forward to your post.

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"the same as a duck you must be made of wood"

The detail is just outstanding. This is truly a work of art, and I look forward to seeing the finished product!

I've never used depron. How much surface strength is there ? Could I bend the edges by rubbing a finger across, like you would with a softer grade ?

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Commission Service Available

mallysminiatures.blogspot.co.uk

I don't know if I can describe Depron correctly... the 3mm is quite soft, at least compared to styrofoam. It bends rather easily, and is good for covering curved walls. The engraving stays on quite well, as do the indents and pockmarks I do with the Dremel wire brush bit. I'm not 100% sure what you mean by bending edges with fingers, but you can mar any sharp edges with fingers, much like with pink / blue styrofoam. The 3mm Depron is a bit springy, so any markings tend to soften out as the material pops a little bit back towards its original state - more so than with the 6mm Depron.

The 6mm thick variant is more brittle, and doesn't bend that easily. It is easier to engrave details on the 6mm. It is not as dense as the foam inside foamboard, though, but seems less springy than the 3mm thick. The surface of both 3mm and 6mm Depron has enough texture so that it works as a rock for me - no need to cover it with Polyfilla or similar anymore. I just engrave the tiling pattern with ballpoint pen, create some cracks and pockmarks with sculpting tool, sharp knife and wire brush, and that's it. I don't know any other material or method I could use to equally quickly replicate specific tile patterns of various structures. It would take ages to cover the Helm's Deep surfaces with Polyfilla and scribe the seams, I think.

In the US.
http://www.rcfoam.com/depron-and-epp-fo ... 2d370164e4

I have not used it. I looked it up when I saw it in use. It seems to be the most practical way to make large projects.
I enjoy making Hirst Arts projects. It is going to take me 10 times as long.

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"the same as a duck you must be made of wood"

Hirst Arts has its place for me, too - I think it is the best way to make really good-looking ruins. Hence my long-term casting project to prepare for the making of Osgiliath. Of course, Hirst is not the way to go if one wants irregularly sized blocks for castles, as is the case with my Helm's Deep. I did plan using some HA blocks in the Hornburg interiors, but have been getting doubts lately. I may end up using mostly Depron for the walls and staircases.

I agree. The Depron looks like it is very practical.

I enjoy the process of casting. I am rapidly running out of storage space. The major hold up for my present projects is assembly space.

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"the same as a duck you must be made of wood"

bridge looks good

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Causeway looks great. I can't believe you are so rock steady on following Jackson's vision of it, but it is a good version as any I suppose.

I would love to do a HIrst block project someday, but I already know full well how long those take. doing anything brick by brick is a long task (and that is after casting). I found pink foam, Balsa, Card, Plasticard and foam core make great light large projects on a low budget. They may lack some realism here and there, but I am not filming a movie in HD on it. But I think what you are doing here is masterful and very clever use of all the materials. Do you score bricks with a dremel tool also? I have a dremel (or a riobi but same mechanics) and many bits but have not really got into use of it yet.

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http://www.sithious.webs.com

This is the greatest thread in the history of the internet.

Coming on really well ! I loved the little detail touch of the horn down the side of the tower

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www.scottswargaming.blogspot.com

Thanks for the update on depron. I intend to make Helms Deep at some point and I'm still considering what materials to use.
All have heir place like depron, hirst, polyfilla etc but it is deciding on what to use.
I would want more rigidity and no chance of marring the edges so depron won't be for the main structures for me.

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Commission Service Available

mallysminiatures.blogspot.co.uk

That is why Celevue's name is purple.



Depron seems to be very popular with people who build flying models. It may be the top of the list.
Lotrscenerybuilder seems to have a lot of luck with MDF and hand tools.

succeshttp://lotrscenerybuilder.org/bla ... 1_def.phps

Some combination of materials may turn out to be best.


I have a dremel but I usually texture master bricks in clay then create a mold. I have hand tools for modifying bricks that have been cast. I use the dremel to drill glass or stone. Sometimes as a mini drum sander or router.

This is also my favorite thread on the One Ring

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"the same as a duck you must be made of wood"