templates? Templates?! We don't need no Stinkin Templatez!!!

So somebody recently messaged me about a konversion from a distant time, sometime between late 07 early 08. It was about my Mega Nobz, which were originally created due to a 'friendly' challenge that I play against him without Trukks, Tanks, or Bikes utilizing Mega Nobz, which at that time I had never really used.

To be honest part of this challenge was because he had given me a Mega for xmas or my birthday or somefin. Not wanting to put out a ton of money I thought I'd konvert em up myself. My prototype was... well interesting.
The head from what then was the current Black Ork set (it was soon replaced by the better plastic), sprue legs, and plasticcard (+ a liberal amount of bits). At the time I thought this was really nice, but looking back at this picture before painting makes me realize that I could do better.
Anyways after a couple of konversions of the same thing you start to get the hang of it and they start getting better, and in no time a good konversion starts building itself and the designs only improve. This is evidenced by these lads, as well as the threesome underneath.

I even had some fun and built up a Mega Armored Grot (not for play purposes of course. This little 'boy' is named Furt. Fluff-wise he was just a regular Grot until the town's Bad Dok grafted on some Boy arms to him, givin old Furt the strength to knock him out, steal his gold teef, and get an ignorant Mekboy to give him Mega Armor (that Mek in particular thought the Nob was a little short, but who can argue with a chest full of gold teef!)


Not after long in need of Warbosses (yeah right like I'm gonna buy Ghaz) I ended up constructing this monster, which I have some in progress pics of.


He was named 'Boss Solorg' after the man with the plan, Solorg, one of the best posters on a web forum ever (who somehow got banned and I never found out why, but oh well.) Not being content with just the one I mocked up another which I also named after an online forum friend, 'Boss Gutstikk'

Now, with almost every Konversion things look better painted. When I take these guys out of the boxes (when I find them, I move around too much) I'll post up some pics. Here's one of Solorg mid paint.
Light-years cooler huh. Some people say that they're too big, others think they shouldn't be allowed to be put on a GW table, others just think its a cool konversion.

Which brings me to the point of this post, and therefore back to the beginning about the message I received. Namely the individual wanted to know about I used them, where he could find a template and a how to.

Now, no self respecting Ork modeler, or for that matter any self respecting modeler would use a template. To do so would be cheating yourself, and I don't do how-to's (at least not yet). I didn't use no stinkin template for dis, and frankly I don't think I'd ever stoop to that. The best way to convert is to scratch your Ead and build something out of nothing.

Nuff Said.

Peace
~OD

The Hand of Gork welcomez you!

Hmm... that might actually be a real good logo for this Project Log. Anyway, its from my shelfed, unshelved, postponed, resumed, back to drawing board, reconfigure, rebuild, loose parts, build replacements, find lost parts, shelve, unshelve, and [expletive delete] it GW's bringing out one STOMPA.

Its a project that's I don't even know how many years in the making. I figured I needed to give myself a hand for finally putting this thing together, this website will be a good reason for me to have to keep more on the ball with conversions, even the tough ones.

Speaking of a tough one... well it wasn't exactly tough, just hard to start, and in a similar vein to the Stompa ended up being shelved due to GW's release of an official mini and a need to resize the model. But here it is, my original prototype Ork Jetbike (count as Kopta)


So it was an interesting build, I ended up having 3 of them, this is just pics of the first one. And unlike many of my other builds, this one happens to have some Work in Progress Pics.

And to be completely honest, I started out trying to figure out a way to scratchbuild Bikes, I thought this early work though was too clunky for a conventional warbike, and too small (being the scale of the GorkaMorka era Warbike) for a Nob or Boss bike.

As you can see from this picture (which I can't seem to get straight!) is what I started out with as a frame. Yes, I didn't know really anything about Bikes at the time, thats why you gotta research!
Next you can see the original siding I had in mind. Yeah, things change when your building.

Lastly here is a 75% complete pic. At this time I had pulled the 'engine block' or whatever that bit is out and straightened the front end a bit. Oh yeah, repulser grid was horrible trying to work out.

Peace
~OD

Well approximately 75% complete. Not bad for a couple hours of figuring things out.


Its not exactly 'worky' but it'll pass as the rider's legs will cover much of the (lack of) detail.

Still need to figure out the front end, but much like the rear wheel cowling can't really work on that without an extra couple of wheels.

Detail work still to do...

• Greenstuff leather detailing for the seat
• Pedals
• front axle+handlebars
• Gunmounting either in the front or back
• Driver...duh

Peace
~OD

Well today's been a bit boring being confined to my room. But the upside is that its given me a chance to further work on the prototype...


The back is a cheat out which I fully admit to. but by hiding elements that would be present in a real motorcycle I not only make it easier to build (and eventually reproduce), but create an area on the model which I could easily add gubbinz that would make the model look better.

One problemo I've noticed however is that I may have been working just a little too big
Well its Orky, so its just a little oversized.

project outset

So thinking about what my first project was going to be, so using a brand new pack of plastic rod (Evergreen #223, 3/32" Tube - .093 Diameter/2.4mm) to construct this,



which admittedly doesn't look like too much at the moment... to the untrained eye.

One of the big things people often do for a project is research research research. And I've been doing that on bikes and motorcycle clubs for quite a long time, mainly because of my interest in the Ork Kult of Speed. I always figured that the more info I know, the more realistic my models can look.

And it was from part of this research (that I only discovered yesterday) that this little pos was formed from.

The TV show, American Chopper, which ironically I did not watch on television. And from that show I learned something that I'm sure I knew, just didn't acknowledge. Bikes start as mere frames and the rest of the bike is built around it.



Here you can see just the simple frame, well incomplete frame with the tank built in. Unlike real motorcycles I don't have to worry about the tank leaking or anything like that so I just built it up real quick like. I didn't make the frame 100% realistic, you'll note that it doesn't have much of a rear suspension (or a swing arm, or an engine or all sorts of stuff), but it is coming along.

Even more so when you consider this picture with a quick mock engine-y thing.
(hey just causeI've been doin research, doesn't mean I know everything, like the names of the worky bitz.)
Actually I want to say its an engine block, but I don't think that's quite right.
And as a side caption to this pic I think I need to say "eecchh, you can totally see the disgustingness of half melted plastic in this pic!" Which is alright seeing how this is just my prototype. And with some good paint effects will just look like weathering.

I'll leave this entry with one last pic of dis...

1st Posting

OD from TV here... well I'm not exactly where you are reading this, but I started this flippin blog that for reasons beyond me you've decided to read.

What exactly is this Blog?

Well a few peeps I know have been telling me about how I need to be putting my stuff online. And after loosing a bet I don't really have much else choice.

What stuff?

Well to some its boring, and to others it is life, I speak of course of the game Warhammer 40,000, specifically building, modifying, converting, scratch-building, and painting Orks.

And here's my very first (almost) shameless plug, visit http://www.40konline.com/
do it!
do it now!
some crazy nutter who wrote this at 1 am is telling you what to do, you must obey!

Well I hope that is seen as a joke, and not just mild insanity.

All else aside, what I plan to do is a minimum of a single post a week detailing past, present, and future custom work on the hobby. I have a ton of Orkz (way WAY too many), but I just can't seem to stop myself. And why the hell should I. I am no Picasso of Plastacard, which I fully admit, but a number of people who see my work in person are impressed, I've won a number of modeling competitions, and I do believe that with every piece I work on I get better.

Outline of Future planned projects...

• 10-19 Cybergrots and a quazi Mek Herda controlling them
  
• 10 more Lootas (Custom jobs, I don't build out of the box)
• Full unit of "Secret" Kommandos
• Scratchbuilt Stompa
• 6 new Trukks (hey I might want to play Apoc)
• Retrofit 3rd Edition Battlewagons (its been on my to do list for a while)
• Build 5-6 (or more) from the 'new' Ork Killakan box (personal challenge to see how far I can stretch the kit)
• 15 "Luftwaffle" Ork Fleet of count as Deff Koptas
• Retrofit, remake, or create an entire new Kult of Speed army
• Create new Gunwagons (o.o.p. Ork vehicle) based off the size of the new Trukk + write up Datafax + gametest it (or get others to)
• New scenic Objective Markers
• 1-3 new Shokk Attack Gunz + herd of 20 Snotlings (want to try the Shokk Attack Battery)
• at least a dozen Ammo tokens (I keep loosing em)
• Retrofit/Rebuild/Redesign the M.O.S.H.A. mark 1
• Retrofit the Looted Leman Russ into a propa Battlewagon
• Retrofit and Bulk up the old Armored Krumpany KoS army into an Apoc army
• More Kustom Force Field Mekz, lets face it in Apoc since you can take anything, why not?
• Russbot, no in game purpose, just cause I think it could be fun.

So yeah, thats at least 3 years worth of work. Some projects I know I could finish real quick like a bunny, and others... well some of them I'm likely to put off for 3+ years.

Peace
~OD