Epic Ork horde!

[Mallo]

I have ripped off my own post from the TactComm Forums to post these shots here as well, but was feeling far too lazy to retype the whole post!


Thought I would post some WIP on my orks as I would like to be able to look back over them as I work on them! I had thought about starting to work on them in the TOEP12 but when it first started I didn't have many, but I'm becoming over loaded with them these past two weeks! (thanks for 'subtle' hints leading up to my birthday!)
I don't know any other epic gamers, but enjoy painting this scale the most and so most of my work will be on what looks best (to me anyway!) and not neccesarly what is best for gaming, though I will try to keep my armies 'legal' on the off chance that GW sees sense and brings epic back in some form, and I find a use for them!
I have just started negotiations with the misses about a games room. Its early days, but the plan is simple;

1: Remodel the Kid's vacant room in to a games room/storage room
2: build the most awesome 6mm gaming table know to man kind (Imperial city under control of Ork's, with ww1 trench overtones! Maybe dabble with my first electronics for some LED goodness)
3: Paint an eldar army to gift to the misses and encourage her to play every night!
4: ? ? ? ?
5: profit!

Anyway, enough of my jibber jabber. These are my WIP gunwagon's, based on the old style skull wagons. I'm afraid that they do look better in real life (or so I'm lead to believe!) the camera seems to only focus on the imperfections of the minis, as apposed to the sheer awesomeness...ah, who am I kidding, they are pretty shoddy builds, but these are some of the first scratch built stuff I have finished, I have many years to improve!





The shooter one the left is not at the awful tilt, I have modeled it separately (something I have never really done before) as so I can get in there and paint some details on the to the gunner and his shoulder pad. It is such a good piece of space on that shoulder pad that I did want it going to waste! Not that my free hand is any good, but I have to start practice somewhere!


I was inspired by the commisar motivational poster with this one- The one with the russ, and the commisar is shouting 'drive closer I want to hit them with my sword!' But The ork is more or less thinking 'I got my fat **** stuck in this hatch!'




The tool in the above photo is the best thing I have ever made. It is a homemade paint brush, I use it for adding PVA glue to any bases that get sand/flock AFTER painting (most get don't pre-spray but some times doing it after is a better option. Depends on the mini) but it is essentially whilst prepping epic minis, its angled head fits brilliantly underneath most of the orks tricksey legs! As the ork plastics are mostly in a squatting position I use this brush more then any others! It also a life saver when PVA'ing underneath the old school goblins (of the 80's & 90's) feet, as they work best not glued directly to the plastic of the base (makes them look like the are sinking into the mud otherwise!)
Dead easy to make, a nice long piece of Epic chaos sprue (making sure its the part with the two circles of raised plastic on it-that is so that it never sits flush on the side overnight, meaning that if you forget to clean it off after a late session you can still wrestle it free from the table!) Cut about an inch off the end at a angle (so it is a bit like a flat head screwdriver!) add a nice clean circle of superglue and add the hair- I use a cheap pack of children's paintbrushes, about 99p for 12, and whilst still attached to the child brush, just glue the end of the hair to the new brush and let the glue dry. I give it plenty of time to set, then very carefully beginning trimming it away from the child brush. You want a nice thin layer of hair, more of the flat shape of a decorating brush then the usual round point of a miniatures brush. Then importantly, add a very thin coat of super glue to the the top part of the hairs to hold them all once and for all!
Since making it I have used it to base around 80 goblins, one unit of epic Chaos death guard, all-sorted skaven minis, and around 20 stands of Epic orks and I am yet to loose one hair off it! Not the most interesting part of the hobby, but I thought I would share as It has been a brilliant Piece of kit!

Well, I apolisgise for the jabber!
All C+C welcome, as I have plenty of time to get these done right. I'm in no rush, as I have no deadline, and want to make the most out of what is probably my favorite miniatures from GW.

[Mallo]

Work on the orks has slowed down this week, as I started a new project for them. Pretty pleased with the minimum conversions I was able to do on the gunwagons I thought how well starting something completely from scratch would pan out...



I think he has come out rather well so far. Unfortunately my photo skills seem to once again show to much of the imperfections and not enough of the minis silhouette, which from ½" away is much much nicer to look at (or so I'm convincing my self!) I still have a lot of work to do to him: work out how to attach the power claw with out making it look too stiff, add the power pack/exhaust port to the back and also to add more rivets! Im happy with both the claw and the shooter but the photo has not picked up the small details of either! I' m thinking of keeping him with one eye.

Also made a new gunwagon. This one has a roll cage that will be added after painting as I fear putting it on now will impact my painting of the driver + steering column. I'm thinking of adding some more plating to this one. I'm pleased with how the double shooter came out, the turret fitted together perfectly.



The driver is just blu-tacked right now, as I have not wanted to loose him! I have used one of the much older ork infantry that after shaving down the gun has the perfect pose for a driver! Plus the few of them that I have have all snapped at the leg's so it made perfect sense to slice them up!

Have also received the last of my birthday presents that my misses ordered. Orkeasaurus and squiggoth from GW mail order. The squiggoth is a perfect cast, hardly any flash. The orkeasaurus has a couple of small holes and flash but nothing that isn't easily fixed and all are on the underside of the model anyway! I was impressed with the order as I had been worried with ordering anything from them for epic with the rumors that the molds are getting shoddy and not going to be replaced!
I also received two boxes worth of the old plastic sprues, couple of bits missing-being the bikes and one stomper stomach, luckily I had one stomach I had saved from a lifetime ago. Also had ten more battle wagons in the parcel but not quite enough turrets to go round.

[Mallo]

Just a quick update. Wanted to start undercoating what I have so far, but the rain has not stopped so instead Decided to try making a mega nob. Just waiting for the glue to completely dry then I will clean him up a bit and finish carving the edge's on the claw. Missing a couple of rivets but will add them next time I want to make a load. Have not added any detailing to the back, as I did not think it was worth it as I don't think you will see much once the rest of the minis are on the base as well. Not sure if I will make more to go on one base or just mix them in with the original minis, because he was very time consuming- watched a whole animated batman DVD while making him!

[Mallo]

Been plugging away this weekend getting some more work done. I find myself being very slow right now, but Im finding working with plasti card getting easier and easier!


Just a quick gunwagon that I knocked up while watching a movie. I have worked out that making several minis over a couple of days and leaving the rivets until I have several to do at once will speed up the process. So no detailing on this one yet, but I enjoy the simplicity of this one.


The nob stand (minus the missing rivets!) complete and ready for Green stuff and Priming-If this damn rain ever lets up, that is! Though I couldn't get it to in to view no matter how many shots I had taken, the nob on the Left had a bad moon, umm, moon banner, complete with very very small teeth, and the one of the right has a Jaw plate, again with very very very tiny teeth. I'm hoping that the small work was worth it and they will show up well once painted!




I really really enjoyed making this one, and spent a good bit of time researching each part today. The axe was a great annoyance. I could'nt get it small enough for him to lean on like in the original model (the 28mm counter part rather!) so had to go for this way. Took me a good couple of hours of drilling and shaping plasti card to get a axe head that not only was a decent shape but the right size! I was pleased with the recycling of parts though. The extra shoulder pad was from the the nob I made the other night (from above) and the Grot helper got his original spanner and finished off an otherwise broken grot mini! I'd hate to cut one of the grotz up as I have so few and like them a lot! I really enjoyed making the power pack, and looking forward to adding a huge versions to gargents and some mek dragsters at a later date!

He still needs a little work- Green stuff back pack belt, as right now its just floating on his back! and some fine details.

Just don't ask me how he lugs that thing about! It looks like it would weigh a ton! ;D

[Mallo]

Started working on this guy with the intention of him being my warboss, but after a small mishap (I glued the main body piece on backwards!) and several issues with the over all build I think he will be demoted to a regular nob and I will start again on the warboss! I was trying for more of the blocky look of (the amazing!) 'thekets' Ghazghkull Mag Uruk Thraka. I'm not to displeased with this one but he has more of anime/tau battle suit look to the main parts so I had to add a lot of out of place plating to the expose areas which was'nt too neat. The stomach plate in particular was the only way I was able to hide the fact that the way I model him left his 'stumps' where his feet had been removed, hanging out the bottom of the suit. He had to be set more forward then the original nob as these shoulder pads were made a lot wider to allow the room for more details. Though I did spend a bit of time detailing the back of this one, and designing a slightly more visually interesting chimney system, some of which will need to be sculpted on. Oh well. Hes turned out pretty ork-y just not the look I was going for! Still needs his CC arm to be made. The teeth on the jaw plate and the stomach plate took up way too much time- they are even smaller then the first one I tried to make, I could barley pick them up with the knife- but the photo seems to enlarge them a hell of a lot!