Morning Coffee, or is it?

I drink a fair bit of coffee.  Much of it is from coffee shops.  I throw a lot of cups away.  I have seen a few ideas using the "java jacket" sleeve as corrugated steel for shanty's etc.  but I wanted more.

I have had this idea rolling around in my head for a post for a couple of days before I finally got around to building it.

Goal: Create a sci-fi building (15mm) using only a coffee cup from a coffee house, plus glue and paint.

Materials:
Coffee cup
White glue
Hot glue
Texture paint(optional)
Knife and/or scissors
Ruler

Step 1: Get a coffee cup.  Drink coffee.  Clean cup.

Step 1 cont: These are the basic parts we have to work with.

Step 2:  Measure an equal distance down and cut out a segment.  NOTE:  If you make it a single floor and measure with a miniatire the top roof of the building is NOT the bottom of the cup.  I had a small issue with this.

Step 3: Cut out plastic from cup.  I had intended on using this cut out plastic for something, but I never did.

Step 4: Use the plastic ring as a base and test fit the cardboard.  This will probably only work well if your building is as about as tall as mine.

Step 5: Using exta cardboard add details and a door

Step 6: Because of the height of the building, I need an insert ring to attach it to the plastic building base so the door is not covered.

The building with the cardboard detail and riser ring for insert into base.

Step 7: Assemble building and add last bits of detailing: A ladded to allow men to get to the door and a hatch giving access to the roof.

Step 8: Use hot glue to glue the two pieces together.  I glued inside and out.  The outside will look aproximately like a VERY heavy weld line.  Gluing from the inside is probably good enough though.

Step 9: Using texture paint add further detail and fill in small spaces.  This can be used to simulate weld lines.  At this scale these will technically be huge unless you are way better at this than I am.

 

Building painted with it's base colors

Base colors plus some weathering.

Slightly different angle.

Pond

I started work on this pond last year sometime,  I sadly did not take photos of the piece prior to the base paint and sand, even though it sat on my bench like that for about a year.  Pretty simple process, watched a few videos here and there on ponds etc.

Basic piece based on a CD.  Formed with silicone and paper.  Middle covered in paper to hide hole and the hot glued in place.  Basic rocks glued in place and everything given a base color as well as some white glue to add on some sand for texture.

Same piece but has now had diluted white glue spread across the initial sand to seal everything in place.

Extra flocking added (tea) to a few areas to represent a few grassy areas around the pond.

Grassy areas have color added as well as a white dry brush across the rocks.

Added some tall marsh grass as well as a bit of flocking around the edge of the pond.

Envirotex water.  Added a drop of blue and green paint and poured it into place.  Spread it around with a crappy brush to fill the corners.

Updates

Things have been pretty quiet on the miniature front.  Painted up 5 standard troopers for the desert troopers.  I also did some more work on a piece of terrain I am working on; a pond based on a CD. 

Ruleset wise I haven't done very much.  Poked and prodded a few things.  Decided to change from order wheels to order chits, but I am still not 100% happy with the game mechanics, so I am mulling them over still.

In other news I ordered a few new battlesuits for the desert guys and nearly have a concept for a flyer in my brain.  Might be time to sketch that out a little.

AAANNNDDD

Even more unpainted metal is heading my way as my first miniature kickstarter I supported is headed my way from Loud Ninja.  https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/485545784/the-yandrassi-invasion-new-15mm-scifi-alien-force

We shall see how I like them as I am not typically an alien guy, but it might make a cool auxillary force.

MAN & MACHINE: RULES & SAND

As I worked on the rules and made a few changes, I started messing around with Roll20 and building a few units.

I came to the conclusion that it needs re-working, that for what I see in my brain the number of stats I have is too many.

This means some mechanics simplification and changes in ideas.  So for now my brain is chewing away on that and I am trying new ideas, some I love the idea of, but don't seem to work on paper.

In other news I have completed my first two command groups for my Dessert army.  Loosely inspired by the Fremen of Dune and largely populated with Sahadeen miniatures from Rebel Minis.


Based miniatures.



Primed and washed.



Base colors added.  Dark brown and flesh tones



Lighter brown jackets, washed with a dark umber and then dry brushed.

 

Command group with dessert bases.

RESD and a new Force and a little Man & Machine as well.

Spent a little time last night finishing up the bases on my RESD power armor, as well as adding a few highlights. Still need a protective coat, but they are essentially done.

 

 

In the background of the above image are a new force I picked up sometime ago from Rebel Miniatures: http://www.rebelminis.com/sahadeenarmy.html

I am planning on a Dune inspired Fremen desert army.  Color schemes will be along the lines of dark brown and lighter brown,  ala this image search for Fremen.

 

 

The first six of the new force all based up and ready for a final cleaning and prime.

On the Man machine front I have started running some quick tests of the combat rules via the roll20 engine.  There are a few issues to work out I think, but I will need to use more than just a few random stats.  I will need to sit down and make a couple of actual soldiers with points value to see if what i am seeing is something realistic to the game or not.