Making a Venator Head for an Asslessman

[theottovonbismark]

Some very useful tips here, especially about filing GS ratios.

For (putty) lubrication, I haven't found anyting better than spittle because it evaporates AND sticks to the tool as opposed to water.I know some people like to use PEBEO retarder to do this but I'm reluctant to using expensive stuff like this. n another hand GS is epoxy and therefore toxic so licking your rubber brush may not be the smartest move around...

I'm going to put all these very good advice on the venato gang and on the grav-attack I'm working on atm..

It's better to use many gentle strokes than it is to plough the shit out of it, very much like making love to a beautiful woman

You killed me with this one, does it mean you do it the blunt way with an ugly one ?

Jaysus don't go near the ugly ones, it's supposed to be fun! Throw them back for the Fimir!


Well I definately have lead in my veins however green stuff is not toxic:

http://www.bananaking.net/cento/workshop/conv_green.htm

So no sculpting related cancer for me after all .

 

[Fimm McCool]

Well I definately have lead in my veins however green stuff is not toxic:

http://www.bananaking.net/cento/workshop/conv_green.htm

So no sculpting related cancer for me after all .

Good news all round! I must have devoured literally milligrams of the stuff licking my tools! Of course, non-toxic isn't exactly the same as non-carcinogenic!

 

[theottovonbismark]

Just to be crystal clear on the issue, it's both non toxic and non carcinogenic.

Best competitor evil rumor I have heard in years (since my brother told me that candy was made from worms and that I should give it to all to him ).

Little more work done last night. Got a bit carried away working on the eyes and ended up doing some damage to the models left cheek like a moron. Had to reconstruct it and be content with some smoothing on the left side of the face. The eyes are proving to be the tricky thing on this model so far. To get progress on this I have had to work every day on it consistently.
It's important to work very slowly and as a result this clip is usually playing in my subconscious: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFIrCFN8FEA

 

[theottovonbismark]

This is a representation of the god Loki which I saw while watching the light entertainment show Aincient Aliens. This will be perfect as a "comedy" mask to complement the WIP head.

 

[theottovonbismark]

Made a mould of the WIP sculpt. This is quick to do and useful as it allows me to get a better idea of what needs improvement on the master, in this case the cheeks and nostril areas primarily. Stuck it on a hapless guardsman who never made it past the black undercoat stage and slapped a bit of paint on it so we can get an idea of where I am going with this project.

 

[Chico]

That is amazing.... simply amazing.

 

[Asslessman]

That is amazing.... simply amazing.

No Chico, the actual word for this is AMA-F-ING-ZING. The scale works just fine and just glued to a poor plastic IG, you already have the venator vibe.

I'm looking at the 6 heads with envy... I just received the plastic parts and began preparation work.

UPDATED

I also did some work for this project yesterday night to get some heads myslef before trying to sculpt some...

I've cast a firts batch but my resin is quite old so I'll se etonight if it's worth something... (or oif I'm making my own failcast range)

 

[Count Von Bruno]

Asscast-it has a ring to it!

 

[Asslessman]

Asscast-it has a ring to it!

We'll see what comes out of the molds but the name may be a good one

@ottovonbismarck : I just realised what a load of siligum you used in the process ! On another hand, thi sone whall be able to withstand multiple castings unlike my cheap/thin/one shot prints

 

[theottovonbismark]

That is amazing.... simply amazing.

No Chico, the actual word for this is AMA-F-ING-ZING. The scale works just fine and just glued to a poor plastic IG, you already have the venator vibe.

I'm looking at the 6 heads with envy... I just received the plastic parts and began preparation work.

UPDATED

I also did some work for this project yesterday night to get some heads myslef before trying to sculpt some...


I've cast a firts batch but my resin is quite old so I'll se etonight if it's worth something... (or oif I'm making my own failcast range)

Thanks guys! This project is certainly getting there now. I need to fix the things on the master I am not happy with but I am happy with the general vibe/mood of the sculpt. I was quite pleased to see that it reminded me of the Blanche illustration (with a bit of white/grey paint on the mask).

The plastics you have picked out look pretty sweet, those empire bodies are perfect for this. I was delighted to see some raging codpieces that could break ice in the mix. My GF had the idea to make high heels for them as separate pieces so that you can chop off the existing feet and replace with some classy heels (for crushing the scum of the underhive underfoot with a stiletto point). Perhaps we can erm...be influenced by Mr. Blanche again, he has some great footwear in his work.

Interested to see how your resin casts work out. The way you are doing it, balling the siligum onto their heads ,seems like it may lead to some accidental gaps in the mould as it is difficult to maintain even pressure on the model surface - I am using a plastic box that once housed the small screws from a glasses repair kit. You can actually patch a siligum mould when it is fresh (before you start putting stuff in it) with some more siligum to fill in any gaps you notice, visual inspection is important. To patch a gap, estimate how big the hole is and take some fresh siligum and push it into the gap, then put the model back into the mould and leave it for 10 minutes again. Remember it will be delicate but it should hold well enough to mould with.

I will get more work done on the master this week and repeat the moulding process on this head to get an updated version. I will send you on a batch of these prototypes so you can start working on some test models - PM me your address at some stage!

 

[Asslessman]

Thanks guys! This project is certainly getting there now. I need to fix the things on the master I am not happy with but I am happy with the general vibe/mood of the sculpt. I was quite pleased to see that it reminded me of the Blanche illustration (with a bit of white/grey paint on the mask).

The plastics you have picked out look pretty sweet, those empire bodies are perfect for this. I was delighted to see some raging codpieces that could break ice in the mix. My GF had the idea to make high heels for them as separate pieces so that you can chop off the existing feet and replace with some classy heels (for crushing the scum of the underhive underfoot with a stiletto point). Perhaps we can erm...be influenced by Mr. Blanche again, he has some great footwear in his work.

Excellent idea, I actually cast a copy of Lucrezia belladona's chest in the process to have a girl in the band as well. Fo rteh rest I was going to try rangers on them but anything else rocks my boat !

Interested to see how your resin casts work out. The way you are doing it, balling the siligum onto their heads ,seems like it may lead to some accidental gaps in the mould as it is difficult to maintain even pressure on the model surface - I am using a plastic box that once housed the small screws from a glasses repair kit. You can actually patch a siligum mould when it is fresh (before you start putting stuff in it) with some more siligum to fill in any gaps you notice, visual inspection is important. To patch a gap, estimate how big the hole is and take some fresh siligum and push it into the gap, then put the model back into the mould and leave it for 10 minutes again. Remember it will be delicate but it should hold well enough to mould with.

You're right, I had to fill the gaps with blu-tack to be able to cast the faces correctly except for the 2 plastic models for which the siligum mould tkaes the whole head. We'll see how it turns out

I will get more work done on the master this week and repeat the moulding process on this head to get an updated version. I will send you on a batch of these prototypes so you can start working on some test models - PM me your address at some stage!

Groovy !

 

[theottovonbismark]

Asscast-it has a ring to it!

We'll see what comes out of the molds but the name may be a good one

@ottovonbismarck : I just realised what a load of siligum you used in the process ! On another hand, thi sone whall be able to withstand multiple castings unlike my cheap/thin/one shot prints

Asscast hehehe!

The siligum use should be explained...

Firstly I buy it online and in the 300g packs so to make it as inexpensive as I can.

When casting in lead the mould will heat up to the region of 300 degrees centigrade. The more siligum in the mould construction the better its heat bearing ability and the easier it is to work with casting it. If I were to use a small amount the mould would take longer to cool down and could be dangerously hot resulting in a visit to the burns unit of accident and emergency. Generally I try to have a couple of centimeters of spacing around the mould as in the photo. There should not be any part of the metal too close to the edge of the mould. It is ok to have a mould be thin in width so long as the metal is not coming close to the sides of the mould. The key thing is to have enough siligum to mitigate the heat build up.

The gate where the lead is poured is very important. It looks like it is wasting space but it is not. It's job is to hold enough metal so that sufficient pressure is maintained for the lead to be pushed through to all the details. It helps the casting to stay hot for longer giving more time for the detail to fill with hot metal. It needs plenty of siligum around it for heat dispersal. Once there are air channels cut in the hard to reach details then the mould should work due to this pressure - I don't have the luxury of a spin casting setup.

Anyone can do this type of moulding if they have the care and patience to learn from their (often expensive) mistakes.

 

[Asslessman]

Very good information here. i'll try tu pout it to good use.

The gate where the lead is poured is very important. It looks like it is wasting space but it is not. It's job is to hold enough metal so that sufficient pressure is maintained for the lead to be pushed through to all the details.

The pressure doesn't depend on the volume of lead but just the height (sorry about that, just my evil engineer twin being picky) I did'nt think about this issue though so I'll make sure to leave a good space for the entry hole.

 

[theottovonbismark]

Very good information here. i'll try tu pout it to good use.

The gate where the lead is poured is very important. It looks like it is wasting space but it is not. It's job is to hold enough metal so that sufficient pressure is maintained for the lead to be pushed through to all the details.

The pressure doesn't depend on the volume of lead but just the height (sorry about that, just my evil engineer twin being picky) I did'nt think about this issue though so I'll make sure to leave a good space for the entry hole.

Yoo sure dat evil twin iz not a spikey stunty? Yes quite true that the height is an important thing to have, and to have it inline with the figure to maximise the gravity effect, rather than going in from the side. I used the metal top unscrewed from a gel ink pen to make my gate as it's pretty optimal in shape.

 

[Asslessman]

Just one thing too, you've cast 6 of them but how much time did it take? Siligum cures in an instant but how about lead cooling down? And do you prefer to pour lead in a hot mold or do you wait for it to cool down?
My main issue with casting in lead is that I would have i sthat my lady would beat the crap out of me for exposing my health and everyone's to the the toxic fumes from another product... it's why I stay low profile with resin...

 

[cheetor]

Cool stuff!

I need to fix the things on the master I am not happy with but I am happy with the general vibe/mood of the sculpt. I was quite pleased to see that it reminded me of the Blanche illustration (with a bit of white/grey paint on the mask).

It appears that "Occupy Hive Primus" movement is a little more militant than its 21st century roots

The white mask is a little too "V for Vendetta" for my tastes. I always imagined the Venators to have a leather coloured mask for some reason. The sculpt looks the part for sure though.

I was delighted to see some raging codpieces that could break ice in the mix.

As my ex-wife used to say etc, etc. Im here all week, tip the waitresses.

My GF had the idea to make high heels for them as separate pieces so that you can chop off the existing feet and replace with some classy heels (for crushing the scum of the underhive underfoot with a stiletto point). Perhaps we can erm...be influenced by Mr. Blanche again, he has some great footwear in his work.

Clear acrylic heels. That'll learn those villainous scumbags.

Didnt the Venators continue the BDSM look with nooses around their necks too? It never struck me as the most sensible thing to wear when going into hand to hand, like Hooded Justice in Watchmen. The risk with the mask, noose, thigh high boots, codpieces and other paraphenalia is that the Venators might look a bit too much like Mordheim figures rather than sci-fi guys. I know that the line between 40K and Fantasy is a very fine one that GW doesnt mind crossing regularly, but I like those sorts of characters to have a few distinctly sci-fi trappings.

Great work. Im looking forward to seeing a few of these guys assembled and painted.

 

[theottovonbismark]

Just one thing too, you've cast 6 of them but how much time did it take? Siligum cures in an instant but how about lead cooling down? And do you prefer to pour lead in a hot mold or do you wait for it to cool down?
My main issue with casting in lead is that I would have i sthat my lady would beat the crap out of me for exposing my health and everyone's to the the toxic fumes from another product... it's why I stay low profile with resin...

Obviously a large piece takes longer to cool down but a piece this size is cool in less than 20 seconds...mostly. I let it cool down a little and then carefully using a pliers remove it from the silicon and quench it in water. Quenching is recommended I remember reading somewhere and it has the added bonus of preventing you from burning yourself. Basically it cools off really quick. 6 Castings (well 8 but I never use the first 2) took me all of 15 minutes to do. I did all the moulding casting and painting in one session last night and still had time for a couple of games of Battlefield 4!

Hygiene is an issue here and I would not recommend doing this on the kitchen cooker (although I am). If you have to do it, make sure you clear away everything in the vicinity and give every surface a good wipe down after a session. I am going to buy a special casting hot plate for this in future rather than continue to risk ill health. From Wikipedia "No safe threshold for lead exposure has been discovered—that is, there is no known amount of lead that is too small to cause the body harm".
I also recommend using gloves and goggles for this kind of stuff.

There is no risk from fumes from lead as it is liquid, you would need to get the temp up to 1700 centigrade to have any vapor, and your eyes would melt first!

Having said all that the act of cleaning off flash lines with a knife and files is MORE dangerous than any of my casting shenanigans!

I am going to get some resin in the new year to experiment with in my quest to find the most optimal way to do accurate garage casting.

 

[Asslessman]

The white mask is a little too "V for Vendetta" for my tastes. I always imagined the Venators to have a leather coloured mask for some reason. The sculpt looks the part for sure though.

Funny thing, I would picture bratts this way... I'm going to paint my venators in leather and creamy white colours with black boots/weapons and some red here and there to add some contrast but the mask is definitely ending white. The leader will have a more glamourous vibe (like in the kirk Hammett picture)

Didnt the Venators continue the BDSM look with nooses around their necks too? It never struck me as the most sensible thing to wear when going into hand to hand, like Hooded Justice in Watchmen. The risk with the mask, noose, thigh high boots, codpieces and other paraphenalia is that the Venators might look a bit too much like Mordheim figures rather than sci-fi guys. I know that the line between 40K and Fantasy is a very fine one that GW doesnt mind crossing regularly, but I like those sorts of characters to have a few distinctly sci-fi trappings.

I agree hanging around with a slipknot around the neck may not be the best of things but it shows the confidence of the lads! (and this way it's always there ready when you need to hang someone rapidly.
For my venators, I'm going for a strong venitian theme but I'll make sure to make the weapons come out so that they're undoubtfully sci-fi (maybe some cybernitics here and there to enhance this.

@otto : Thanks for the intel

 

[Chico]

Not sucking up but this one of the enjoyable threads on here atm, always found the idea of lead casting scary as feck. Also if you decide to sell these heads at a later date I'd love a set of 10 for Brood Brother use.

 

[cheetor]

Funny thing, I would picture bratts this way...

Adam Ant or some sort of New Romantic is how I have always imagined Brats. Not that there is a right or wrong way to do these things obviously, but thats how I see them.

I'm going to paint my venators in leather and creamy white colours with black boots/weapons and some red here and there to add some contrast but the mask is definitely ending white. The leader will have a more glamourous vibe (like in the kirk Hammett picture)

Fair enough. A Venetian sort of thing.

Didnt the Venators continue the BDSM look with nooses around their necks too? It never struck me as the most sensible thing to wear when going into hand to hand, like Hooded Justice in Watchmen. The risk with the mask, noose, thigh high boots, codpieces and other paraphenalia is that the Venators might look a bit too much like Mordheim figures rather than sci-fi guys. I know that the line between 40K and Fantasy is a very fine one that GW doesnt mind crossing regularly, but I like those sorts of characters to have a few distinctly sci-fi trappings.

I agree hanging around with a slipknot around the neck may not be the best of things but it shows the confidence of the lads! (and this way it's always there ready when you need to hang someone rapidly.

It best to avoid dissecting 41st millenium wardrobe decisions. Many of them are... questionable to say the least

For my venators, I'm going for a strong venitian theme but I'll make sure to make the weapons come out so that they're undoubtfully sci-fi (maybe some cybernitics here and there to enhance this.

Cyborg parts are the go-to way to make sure that the viewer knows that something is sci-fi despite the Elizabethan ruff or whatever. I am looking forward to seeing a painted group of Venators soon.