"Those Who Seek Death......."

 Latest models out of the paint shop - a set of "proof of principle" bases representing Korean and Japanese ships for my Asian fleet action rules, "Those Who Seek Death" which are coming soon. I did all my playtesting with cardboard counters so its nice to have some 3d models now to use instead. The models are 3D prints scaled at around 1/2400 (but they may well be commercially available soon as part of MT Miniatures' 1/1200 range)

Anyway, I'm happy with these so I'll print up enough models to do another couple of dozen bases the next time I'm able. 

Mad Wet Max - Jet Skis

 Its been a while since I did anything new for "Mad Wet Max", but last weekend some kind soul posted a set of 3d files for boats and jetskis in the Facebook "Gaslands" group. Jetskis are something I've been wanting to add for a while so the files were downloaded and a set printed off over the weekend. Painting is just done. Now all I need is to work up some rules for them :)

More Galleys

 I had a rush of blood to the head last week and knocked up some Phoenician galleys in 1/2400 for use with my "Mare Nostrum" fleet action rules. The models were based on the extensive series I created for Salamis. I made three variants of bases so as to give myself some variation. 

Apologies for the shonky photo quality :)

I've also managed to get the settings on my Elegoo printer just about right for these. Printing on my old Photon flat on the build plate used to result in vertically compressed models, but these have come out just right. I've also added a few tricks to make the models more resilient which I hope will sand them in good stead.

I also made up some files for pentekonters, but alas ran out of printing time so they'll have to wait

Kia Ora, Muddyfunsters!

 I've said it before, I'll say it again, but one of the joys for me of having a 3D printer is that I can make up cool weird stuff . This latest collection in 15mm was kicked off because I liked the look of Mike Bergman's New Zealand pattern carrier on Thingiverse, and grew at a rapid pace to create a New Zealand force for a hypothetical "Invasion of New Zealand" campaign. The back story I've thrown together justifies a variety of unusual vehicles on the basis of "I like that and I want to have the opportunity to stick it on a wargames table" so we have things like the Schofield Tank (I have a Bob Semple as well somewhere), Australian SP mortars and 2pdrs on carrier chassis, a variety of Marmon Herrington armoured cars, 2pdr ATGs and Austin Tilly cars and pickups which will take the place of jeeps. Not to mention NZ pattern carriers both tracked and wheeled.

Their Japanese opponents are all done, at least the vehicles are. All I need to do now is paint up all the XIV Army / ANZAC and Japanese figures that I bought at Salute about 15 years ago :) 

NKL-16s finished

 My latest aerosan models are finished. The NKL-16 came out well I think and a couple have been finished in Soviet livery. I'm thinking I'll be printing some more of these and some of the smaller NKL-26s next time I'm able so that I can build a small Finnish force as well. 

For those that might want to print their own I've put these and other models up on Wargaming3D:

NKL-16 Aerosan 15mm / 1:100 - Wargaming3D

Kabunza Shipyard Archives - Wargaming3D

Now that I've got these done I've been challenged to make a model of the 02SS aerosan "tank", which should be an interesting project:

And also the smaller GAZ-98 (which looks like a LOT of fun!)

Alas today I also demonstrated to myself the fragility of these resin models as one of the NKL-26s took a tumble and literally exploded into pieces. I've managed to salvage two skis but the rest of the model was trashed. So I think I'll also be mounting them on some bases to give them added protection.

Oh no, its the AK47 Rozzers

 Whilst working on a project that needed some background info on Marmon Herrington armoured cars I came across a piece describing how a few were adapted for use by the Rhodesian and South African police after WW2. Of course this got me thinking about AK47 games and 3D modelling proved to be the answer again as I had some of Mike Bergman's excellent 1/100 models on file. 

After a bit of playing around in MS 3D Builder I had this:

And a couple of hours later the printer had thrown out these:

The only thing I was unsure about was whether the top of the cupola was closed or open. I went for closed but on reflection that probably wasn't correct. But if so its not a big job to amend the 3D model and print some more.

Something a bit different for our next AK47 games at Berkeley Vale, assuming we ever get to play again!

More Aerosans

 Having been chastised by friends for only doing a single type of aerosan I had a go at modelling one of the larger types, the NKL-16. Its a bit more rounded than the smaller NKL-26, and I had more fun adding recessed windows, side rails and other details. The model is in the printer now, waiting to see how it comes out.....

Aerosans Done

 I printed out the aerosans a few days ago but then other stuff got in the way. I've just finished them now. For wargames quality vehicles I think they have come out just fine. I need to find some crew figures and probably some clear plastic disks to represent spinning propellers, but for not I'm happy with them.

Aerosans

 So, a chance comment on one of the FB groups this morning had me thinking about Aerosans for my 15mm Winter Skirmish collection. As a result a carefully planned morning was completely diverted into some impromptu 3D modelling. Here's the result - hoping these come off the printer OK in a few hours :)

Not brilliantly detailed (I can paint on what I need), hopefully good enough for the wargames table.

ACW Side Wheelers

 Having worked up a set of 3D models for stern wheel ACW transports I then decided to do the same for side wheelers. This part of the plan was initiated by a chat I had online with a friend in the US who is working on a Mississippi paddle steamer racing game, hence the first ships I made were inspired by steamers such as the Robert E Lee and Natchez, although greatly simplified - all being well they will be making an appearance in his game in due course. The last one I created was a side wheel tinclad gunboat, using the superstructure and casemate of the stern wheeler as a basis. 

Having sorted those I was asked whether they'd work in 1/600. An obvious question and one I should have asked myself since I'm as short of transports in that scale as I am in 1/1200. Step one of finding out was to simply print the 1/1200 stern wheel gunboat in the larger scale - looked good, but the lack of planking detail in the deck was beginning to show. A few hours later I'd figured out how to create a decent planked deck surface and so I applied it to one of the stern wheel transports and the sidewheel gunboat and printed them out last night. They've been in the paint shop and I'm very pleased with the results. 

So now, at very little expense other than a number of hours working 3D packages, printing time and a bottle of resin I have - to be honest - more ACW transports than I know what to do with :) Not that it will stop me tinkering with the models and creating more variants :D

If anyone wants models for themselves I've put them up in a couple of sets on Wargame Vault.