Ender 3 Max Zero Quality Control

        I am running out of space. Step one was to clear off enough table space for the beast to occupy.

I got the biggest print bed they make. It is easily 2 times bigger than the Flashforge. I will be able to print all the pirate/28mm house I want now!

        It comes well packed in a giant box. With no filament in the box, it is still heavy. 6 bolts to screw in and it prints. 2 each side for the X vertical rails. 2 to attach the User interface.

        Well well well......Who ever assembles these is an asshole. Not one single bolt or nut was tight. The X and Z was a single assembly. No one ever leveled out the X. The guide the X travels through was assembled wrong and it was not tight with lock washers in random places. 

        The Flashforge printed straight out of the box!

        The guides the X travels on were not tight or aligned. All the wheels had to be reset. I took the X apart and fought it for two days until it was within 1mm left and right. Oh...the vertical rails are not the same length either.

        Creality is a top, better of the line filament printers. Everyone recommended an Ender. The one I got had no quality control. There is no way it was ever tested. Any one who assembled it for test could not have noticed how jacked the X was. I didn't send the bitch back because if I broke it fixing it. I would get a new one anyways. Learning experience! What the shit! 48hrs later it prints.

        

Blood and Plunder "Spanish Milicianos"

        I don't know if this is exactly what they are? I looked up a picture of the product. I don't have the exact dudes advertised. Anyways this is what I am calling them. I don't think it matters either.

        I was painting these dudes a long side the 1695 Chicas, (a lighter palette). I chose a darker palette this round. All Foundry paints. I went back to off white to bring up the highlight color. No more yellow! Again I had my readers on. I cannot see shit for detail anymore.

        I got out one of the girls from 1666. She is a supporting character for the Spanish fraction. I don't know her name in the game. She will join the crew of the 1695 chicas. In that respect, I went for tone from the art work and kept the skin more Middle Eastern. 

Mountain

2022

Bought = 368 + a collection + 3 Armies

Sold = 76, 14 Buildings, 22 detachments + 3 Armies + a game

Painted = 693

28mm = 72

20mm = 45

15mm = 342

10mm = 0

Epic = 0

Terrain bought = 82
Terrain painted = 234

Games

Games played = 25

Games hosted = 9

2021

Bought = 366 + an army

Sold = 0

Painted = 841

Books

Bought = 14
Read = 6

Regimental Fire & Fury "Buying up minis to finish up" part V

 

        After being me, failing to order bases for days. Of course Litko's website does not like the apple. I had to then dig out my work laptop. Bases were finally ordered.

        These are the last of the rescued Union Cavalry.

            I have more CSA Cavalry to paint. They are 60% done. I have no interest right now in finishing them. They are on the table and could become victims of a table clearing action. Not thrown out, just getting done to free up space. 

Union

    201 Inf stands

    32 Cmd stands

    63 Cav Stands

    10 Horse holders

    10 DisMounted Cav

    5 Brave Col

    8 Brigade Commanders

    2 Division Commanders

    16 Artillery

CSA

    213 Inf stands

    25 Cmd stands

    30 Cav Stands

    9 Horse holders

    9 DisMounted Cav

    5 Brave Col

    10 Brigade Commanders

    6 Division Commanders

    12 Artillery

A ton of game markers

2 Supply Wagons

14 Limbers

Mountain

2022

Bought = 368 + a collection + 3 Armies

Sold = 64, 14 Buildings, 22 detachments + 3 Armies + a game

Painted = 689

28mm = 68

20mm = 45

15mm = 342

10mm = 0

Epic = 0

Terrain bought = 82
Terrain painted = 234

Games

Games played = 25

Games hosted = 9

2021

Bought = 366 + an army

Sold = 0

Painted = 841

Books

Bought = 14
Read = 6

Blood and Plunder 1695 Part III

                                

        I had a hard time with the second girl. One I need glasses. Anything a foot and a half in front of my face is......well my eyes cannot focus. The 1st attempt at highlighting was not working at all. The purple would not layer up. The truth is the tip of my brush was never touching. I could not see that. Purple brush tip on a purple area was all one purple spot.

        Then I took my mother inlaw for readers. Maj Tim told me to get readers. I didn't want to agree a my sorry ass was so old I needed them. I do and I got a 1.5 set. They work great. I could see the brush tip when the colors matched. But when I look away my head start to hurt. I am still struggling between glasses and technique. Its practice or unlearning the work arounds for not being able to see properly.

        Sisters, same 3d artist dude, made these girls. One about to snap you. The other is past that point. Now you gona get cut. The second girl is the cutter.

        On to the next chica. This one is a 3d print. This one looks like the girl from the disney hunch back movie. The pykie one. I also went with a dark skinned Indian/Arabic look. It turned out more African skin tone. 

        She is meant to stand on this little tiny rudy pooty cannon. Nope. I needed something properly pirate like for her to stand on. Or rest her foot upon. Not some cartoonish BS. That put me in a place where she would not fit on a 25mm base. I had to boost it to 40mm. She would be a commander now? 

        The dock works are also 3d printed. I glued them down and then chopped and sanded until the dock planks fit the 40mm circle. This is also the only base with the lip painted.

        After that I used Woodland Scenics water effects for dirty port water. Not the Caribbean! That water effect is crap. Do not buy it. The stuff shrinks. I had to fill the spot 4 times and it is still not at the level I wanted.

        The monkey is a Black Scorpion mini. I went with the cartoon monkey. Afterwards looking up monkeys from Madagascar. I saw the striped Makifelek monkey lives there. That would have been cooler to paint. Well sucks, to suck!

And the final sealed and done.

Mountain

2022

Bought = 368 + a collection + 3 Armies

Sold = 64, 14 Buildings, 22 detachments + 3 Armies + a game

Painted = 637

28mm = 68

20mm = 45

15mm = 290

10mm = 0

Epic = 0

Terrain bought = 82
Terrain painted = 234

Games

Games played = 25

Games hosted = 9

2021

Bought = 366 + an army

Sold = 0

Painted = 841

Books

Bought = 14
Read = 6

Blood and Plunder "1695" Old Man's Creations

        Continuing on with the 4 girls. These girl if they lived would have operated in the Red Sea, Indian ocean, and must likely have been on Madagascar, at Sainte Marie. They would then be exposed to more of an Arabic group and Indian group. As those westerns at Sainte Marie and operating in the area would and did not last too long. These girls were 12-14 in 1695. 1719 was the last pirate action and in 1750 the French took over. If they lived to see it they would have been 64-65?

        In these regards, I would like to introduce an India/Arabic general crew. 

 

Old Man's Creations

        He don't have a lot of minis. Yet they are very time specific. 1821 Greek rebellion. The Turks make good pirate looking dudes for the Salley Rouge. The weapon would be advanced for the time. They should carry matchlocks and bows. But the average gent don't know the difference between matchlock, wheellock, tempo, or mausket. In 1821 they would still be carrying muskets and swords.

        Any way I ordered a 28, 28mm minis.

Mountain

2022

Bought = 396 + a collection + 3 Armies

Sold = 64, 14 Buildings, 22 detachments + 3 Armies + a game

Painted = 634

28mm = 65

20mm = 45

15mm = 290

10mm = 0

Epic = 0

Terrain bought = 82
Terrain painted = 234

Games

Games played = 25

Games hosted = 9

2021

Bought = 366 + an army

Sold = 0

Painted = 841

Books

Bought = 14
Read = 6

Terrain Boards, Cons, and the Future part XIII

 

        Onward to the river sections. The tiles were primed in Otter Brown. Then the river stones airbrushed in Desolated Beach.

        Next the river area/stones were washed in GW Aggaros Dunes and Basilicanum Grey. More grey than Dunes and a heavy dirty paint water was added.

        The same steps with tile grout.

        Then the same step with the flock and 2mm grass. Only change was a 4mm Autumn green was used along the river banks. Then this was double layered.

        The other river section getting bulk done.

        During all this business this 20mm building was in the way. It got finished.

Mountain

2022

Bought = 368 + a collection + 3 Armies

Sold = 64, 14 Buildings, 22 detachments + 3 Armies + a game

Painted = 634

28mm = 65

20mm = 45

15mm = 290

10mm = 0

Epic = 0

Terrain bought = 82
Terrain painted = 234

Games

Games played = 25

Games hosted = 9

2021

Bought = 366 + an army

Sold = 0

Painted = 841

Books

Bought = 14
Read = 6

Warmaster Terrain "Babylon"

 

        The stones and structures from Ancient times are larger then you think. They are huge. The first row of the pyramid topped off at my shoulder. It is the same for all these cultures. 

        These dudes are actually to scale for 10mm. They are "Dust" terrain. I saw them at AdeptiCon many years ago and lost my mind. They were already out of print by then. I was in contact with "Dust" until I got a set. Of course I wanted more. There was none. Then they got shelved as I was not sure how to paint them. I didn't have the skill or the tool set then.

        They were cleaned and primed with Otter Brown. Then airbrushed at a 65 degree angle with Badger's Desolated Beach. 

            The bricks in real life were glazed a bright blue. If you go to Berlin, the gate is there! You can see the blue bricks. The Germans stole the entire gate. I used Badger's Spellslinger Blue for my bricks.

        These thing sit in Iraq and a few in Iran. Good luck ever going there. Well unless we go to war again. Then you will have to trust me when I say no one cares there. All this stuff is crumbling. Most of it stolen to build something else or half buried or coated in dust and sand.

        To get that old lost empire look. Before the no one cares phase. I hit the top of them with Army Painter's Harden Leather. Then applied loaded brush after brush with dirty paint brush water until it ran down the sides.

        I don't remember the ones in the British museum being painted. So mine are not. I also cannot find my pictures. Whatever.

Mountain

2022

Bought = 368 + a collection + 3 Armies

Sold = 64, 14 Buildings, 22 detachments + 3 Armies + a game

Painted = 630

28mm = 65

20mm = 45

15mm = 290

10mm = 0

Epic = 0

Terrain bought = 82
Terrain painted = 230

Games

Games played = 25

Games hosted = 9

2021

Bought = 366 + an army

Sold = 0

Painted = 841

Books

Bought = 14
Read = 6