Marathon LOTR/TH WIP Custom Builds..Reaper/Rider Wraith Redone & Finished.

Rogerbee wrote:
Who doesn't love a good army build!?

Nice!

CHEERS!

You should see my LOTR collection in that scale upstairs, got every figure made bar one or two like the Jackson one, it's a right mess at the moment, half the room's floor is covered in these and the other half in GI Joe Sigma6!

Stryker2011 wrote:Man. I could get lost in your place. Sooo much to look at it. How much more are you going to do to that shield with the Bull crest? Will it still look like a bull? Or more "Demon"-like?

Not even sure if I'll use it but modifying the bull's head into a demon is a great idea!

GubernatorFan wrote:Great army, Shovelchop! Given the number of sixth-scale figures you've been doing based on this franchise, I wouldn't be surprised if you turn it into a sixth-scale version soon.

LOL, Think I'll be burnt out on LOTR related stuff for a while after the 15(?) builds I have still lined up!!

Only had a quid in the account so these are all the souvlaki sticks I could order, shame two out of the 6 are factory rejects...not impressed! Will still make the wraith's arrows though.
Gondorian wraith's basic armour is now on, still need to fix the shoulder and ankle issues but fits the body perfectly otherwise which very lucky!!

Be prepared for a few additions. I'l be sorting out my inventory soon. I'm hoping there's stuff you want as there's too much to take with me!

CHEERS!

Rogerbee wrote:Be prepared for a few additions. I'l be sorting out my inventory soon. I'm hoping there's stuff you want as there's too much to take with me!

CHEERS!

Good! I need those oversized hobbit bodies for my dwarves!

Fixed the ankle articulation issue and removed the pauldrons that will be connected to the sword catchers and mounted to the torso armour using pleather so they are articulated. To fill in the exposed gap (as the arms are now free to move in and out separate from the pauldrons) I put in random pieces of armour that seem to work. Also sorted out the gauntlets using the ones I'd initially made for the Easterling wraith but opted not to use as the wrists looked too skinny but now combined with modded Marx gauntlets they look the part. Added pointed knee guards to match the gauntlets and start the pointy theme of the armour mods to come like the modded elbow guards etc..
I have some metal scale like mail from a purse that I'll divide in two and paint to be the armoured skirts (starting to sound like this guy is cross dressing but he's not! ) and they stylised wings for the helmet, skull face may go on a shield not sure if I'm even giving him one yet.

Got me drooling already with this one.

Another Chopped masterpiece in the making.

shovelchop81 wrote:

Rogerbee wrote:Be prepared for a few additions. I'l be sorting out my inventory soon. I'm hoping there's stuff you want as there's too much to take with me!

CHEERS!

Good! I need those oversized hobbit bodies for my dwarves!

Worry not, they will be included!

CHEERS!

I've been thinking about this for a long time. If only companies designing and producing these figures were actually based and building in Britain (or Europe and the States), you would have been able to become one of their chief designers (even if telecommuting from the safety of your home).

Looking good. That armor looks pretty impressive. (By the way did you happen to catch that YouTube video of the guys in full armor showing the speed and range of motion that they had -- debunking the idea that it was all too cumbersome for serious movement?)

GubernatorFan wrote:I've been thinking about this for a long time. If only companies designing and producing these figures were actually based and building in Britain (or Europe and the States), you would have been able to become one of their chief designers (even if telecommuting from the safety of your home).

I'm honoured you think that, thank you! Sadly in my experience once a hobby you love becomes a job you quickly lose your passion for it and certainly don't want to do it on your time off! But then again I hate being told how to do things or what to do so that would explain some of it as well .

Stryker2011 wrote:Looking good. That armor looks pretty impressive. (By the way did you happen to catch that YouTube video of the guys in full armor showing the speed and range of motion that they had -- debunking the idea that it was all too cumbersome for serious movement?)

Cheers! Seen quite a few videos on that subject with general consensus being a knight's armour weighs about the same as a modern soldier's field gear but is more evenly distributed so the knight actually feels the weight less and so on.. I've worn a full steel mail sleeved tunic, plated gauntlets and sallet helm with a gorget and that was plenty heavy!!
Only done bits and bobs for both figures as I've spent all weekend swearing and going ouch due to nerves in my jaw playing up...not fun and impossible to concentrate, eat or sleep. Basically some armour mods, helmet design in progress and arrows for the Ronin Wraith too.

What is it with working class Brits that they have no idea how to BBQ and just stink you out with cheap charcoal and lighter fluid smoke?! The "food" they use is so crap you can't even smell them cooking....guess they get too drunk and forget...yes I'm old and grumpy!

Very cool looking. Like the helmet wings.

Hope you feel better soon.

Rogerbee wrote:

shovelchop81 wrote:

Rogerbee wrote:Be prepared for a few additions. I'l be sorting out my inventory soon. I'm hoping there's stuff you want as there's too much to take with me!

CHEERS!

Good! I need those oversized hobbit bodies for my dwarves!

Worry not, they will be included!

CHEERS!

Thanks Roger!

Stryker2011 wrote:Very cool looking. Like the helmet wings.

Hope you feel better soon.

Thank you Mark! So do I, never had a problem with my teeth until last year...sucks!

Helmet's starting to take shape now, I'll still be using those wings and perhaps even more for a look like Elendil's helm, we'll see.

More great work there,

I've been thinking of setting up as a painter myself, once I've had a bit of practice, but, the one thing putting me off would be generation impatient where they want it all done yesterday. I used to deal with this guy in Essex who'd dump half a dozen heads on me and want me to do them. He didn't get impatient on the whole, but, it became a chore after a while and I lost a lot of my enthusiasm. That was when my techniques were pretty basic, were I to incorporate what Darren does, hmm, that would take more time and lead to more impatience.

I'm not saying never, but, I'm not going to dive in unless I'm sure I could make it work either

CHEERS!

Rogerbee wrote:
More great work there,

I've been thinking of setting up as a painter myself, once I've had a bit of practice, but, the one thing putting me off would be generation impatient where they want it all done yesterday. I used to deal with this guy in Essex who'd dump half a dozen heads on me and want me to do them. He didn't get impatient on the whole, but, it became a chore after a while and I lost a lot of my enthusiasm. That was when my techniques were pretty basic, were I to incorporate what Darren does, hmm, that would take more time and lead to more impatience.

I'm not saying never, but, I'm not going to dive in unless I'm sure I could make it work either

CHEERS!

Have you even finished your KO Hulk yet? Just saying.....

No,

I'm not saying I never will. I want to move, get settled and see what happens. It depends how stuck for cash I get as to what I do, I may not need to and will continue with it as a hobby, just have to see....

It's easier when you can do what you want when you want and don't have to fit round someone else's routine,

CHEERS!

That helmet's coming along nicely. Looking wicked.

Good luck, Roger, if you decide to do the HS painting thing again.

I think I have a fetish for helmets, and shovelchop has just made my day.

Stryker2011 wrote:That helmet's coming along nicely. Looking wicked.

Good luck, Roger, if you decide to do the HS painting thing again.

Hmm, you never know.......

I'll see how my kits turn out.

CHEERS!

Rogerbee wrote:No,

I'm not saying I never will. I want to move, get settled and see what happens. It depends how stuck for cash I get as to what I do, I may not need to and will continue with it as a hobby, just have to see....

It's easier when you can do what you want when you want and don't have to fit round someone else's routine,

CHEERS!

Very good point, I've lived on my own for most of my life (with the exception of living with girlfriends for usually 6 months max at a time before I literally go nuts ) so I take it for granted but REALLY enjoy it as well! .

Stryker2011 wrote:That helmet's coming along nicely. Looking wicked.

Good luck, Roger, if you decide to do the HS painting thing again.

GubernatorFan wrote:I think I have a fetish for helmets, and shovelchop has just made my day.

Thanks guys! Glued the wings on, tried them the other way up but it looked like Mr. Spock!!

"Very good point, I've lived on my own for most of my life (with the exception of living with girlfriends for usually 6 months max at a time before I literally go nuts bounce ) so I take it for granted but REALLY enjoy it as well! pirat ."

I will too, but only if it's a detached property. I want to kick back and enjoy some tunes without anyone kicking my door in.

CHEERS!

Man, when I saw the photo above...



...I immediately thought of my favorite Space Ghost villain.

I present Metallus:



Not bad for 1966...


Excellent work, Sir chop.

Rogerbee wrote:"Very good point, I've lived on my own for most of my life (with the exception of living with girlfriends for usually 6 months max at a time before I literally go nuts bounce ) so I take it for granted but REALLY enjoy it as well! pirat ."

I will too, but only if it's a detached property. I want to kick back and enjoy some tunes without anyone kicking my door in.

CHEERS!

Sadly I hardly ever listen to music any more since I don't drink, the two go hand in hand like coffee and a smoke for me. If I start drinking and listening to music I end up going right down memory lane which thanks to depression turns into a distorted nightmare mess. I'd love a detached property too though so I would never have to be concerned about shooting my airguns or living/working antisocial hours since making parts can be pretty noisy! Halfway there, I'm semi detached!

dadrab wrote:Man, when I saw the photo above...



...I immediately thought of my favorite Space Ghost villain.

I present Metallus:



Not bad for 1966...


Excellent work, Sir chop.

Brilliant! That really is spot on and a cool design too especially for the time! I would have thought 80's at the earliest. My inspiration of a similar vein is from a villain toy I had as a kid, I think they were called micronaughts for absolutely no reason as they weren't tiny like the US or Japanese ones and they were held together with magnets so they could make cool centaurs etc..

Oh, man! Micronauts! I had one when I was a kid. Can't remember which one. I just remember he was white, and had similar torso armor to this one, but that's all I can remember about him. (My "Memory Lane" is getting fuzzier when it comes to my childhood.)

Stryker2011 wrote:Oh, man! Micronauts! I had one when I was a kid. Can't remember which one. I just remember he was white, and had similar torso armor to this one, but that's all I can remember about him. (My "Memory Lane" is getting fuzzier when it comes to my childhood.)

I had all the 6.5" magnetic ones and their horses but typically as a young teenager left them all and many other classic impossible to find now toys in a basement when we moved house as I'd "out grown them"....idiot...they're like gold dust now!!

Micronauts, god, that's taking me back, I had some. Couldn't say exactly what I had, but I definitely had some.

CHEERS!

Done a little building but mostly glueing and painting to match parts, cover any damage etc..getting there, incorporating more of the Gondorian wings motif with plenty more parts in the pipeline to be included yet.

Cracking stuff!

I would never have thought of using a hairbrush for helmet parts. Most inventive. You have such a unique eye for things. Wish I had it, I can't scratchbuild to save my life.

CHEERS!

Rogerbee wrote:Cracking stuff!

I would never have thought of using a hairbrush for helmet parts. Most inventive. You have such a unique eye for things. Wish I had it, I can't scratchbuild to save my life.

CHEERS!

This + 10. I never would have thought of that. Ingenious.

Man, that helmet is coming out fearsome. I love the design. And that hairbrush idea is straight up brilliant! I may have to steal that trick some day.

Rogerbee wrote:Cracking stuff!

I would never have thought of using a hairbrush for helmet parts. Most inventive. You have such a unique eye for things. Wish I had it, I can't scratchbuild to save my life.

CHEERS!

Stryker2011 wrote:

Rogerbee wrote:Cracking stuff!

I would never have thought of using a hairbrush for helmet parts. Most inventive. You have such a unique eye for things. Wish I had it, I can't scratchbuild to save my life.

CHEERS!

This + 10. I never would have thought of that. Ingenious.

ReverendSpooky wrote:Man, that helmet is coming out fearsome.  I love the design.  And that hairbrush idea is straight up brilliant! I may have to steal that trick some day.

Thanks guys! I normally use metal hairbrush pins for studs but the fibreboard was a little to fragile wiggle them in so I opted for plastic this time. I've used hairbrush bristles/pins for all kinds of things over the years, aerials, studs, buttons etc..