Warmachine Two Player Battle Box Review

[tabletop]

http://www.playunplugged.com/2011/09/pressed-into-service-review-warmachine-two-player-battle-box/

I think you expressed some interest in this Aaron?

[Dustan]

I'm well impressed with their models as well. My Cryx ones didnt have much flash and and where there was was in a very well thought out location... not right across the face (Gamesworkshop I'm looking at you).

It was also more than simple to re pose the little foot claws to make the models look more dynamic. Now just to wait for them to send me the parts that were missing and a new special rules card... i got time though. Pual's order for the 2p box was lost and he's had to re-order it.

[tabletop]

Stuart bases and dips the rest of his Cryx. Shit you know I better actually DO that before my last can of Moana runs dry

[Dustan]

I air brush primed mine white last night ready for more airbushing =] I thing I might give the whole thing a rusty splotchy airbrush of browns and oranges then seal it with some varnish before using the salt weathering technique on the armour panels. I am going for a simple military green look with either glowing green or blue vents. which will just be a faint airbrush over the OSL locations I dare say =D

Pistons and moving metal parts will be picked out in gun metal and heavily washed with tamia smoke to moke them look nice and oily whilst bone will be repainted white and treated to a hand applied brown dip. The smoke will be after the final Moana Matt to preserve the oily look. To contrast the bases will be grey stone and rubble with sparse grass which MAY get painted it look dry and dying

[tabletop]

Dammit Dustan! Airbrushing is cheating . I dug out my airbrush to do those pipes though and man it IS a FAST paint job.

Also my 4 year old discovered the joys of compressed air. First he was blowing shit around the garage, then feeling the airflow on various body parts, including sticking it down his pants and running around the garage shouting about being a balloon. Then I showed him what happens if you stick a marble or round stone in the airflow and it was game on from then. Spent about 3 hours over the weekend trying different marbles, stones etc. etc.

Had to periodically turn off the compressor just to let the head block cool down a bit.

[Dustan]

LOL Airbrushing isn't cheating. its harder than normal painting caus you have to control the paint flow with the force, that is there is no contact between tool and subject so one has to exhibt reckless abandon or jedi reflexes to do anything other than bulk priming.

Delvan Mud and Badab black washes are cheating though. Ther are however GW products so they dont get labeled as cheating DESPITE the obvious fact that Devan mud is the same colour and application method as brushed on dip and Badab black is just the same concept as tamia smoke.

So if anyone ever accuses you of cheating cause you Dip or airbrush ask if the use those cheating washes =D

[tabletop]

Your brush control is better than mine I think. Are you running thinned GW paints through your airbrush? I am and have all sorts of problem with paintflow and clogging. Mind you probably doesn't help that most of my GW paint pots are ancient and include paint flecks in the bottom ...

[Dustan]

Hell know, I couldn't justify feeding gold through my airbrush.

I used Liquitex Basic Matt paints in my airbrush. They are $3.80 ish from bunnings come in a huge variety of colours (36) and from memory are 75 - 100ml per tube. The tubes last ages and when cut with ater (roughly 50-50) they are a good consistency.

They are quite high pigment. they brush on well and indeed I have started using them as replacements for my slowly deminishing GW paints which I intend to replace with Coat d'arms paints. it often takes two coats to get a good even coat especially with black. They mix ok but the trick is to add very little ammounts and mix throughly as a little bit of white tends to be two much =D

On the model the paints are quite resiliant to light handling associated with painting but the benefit a lot from a couple coats of white liquitex first (dust and prime) They are dead matt out of the tube (as matt as moana makes things) and Moana works fine over them. I havent tried dipping them yet. I have been in the habit of giving them a light coat of moana when I want to use harsher products like tamia clear paints over the top as they are pretty rough going unless the paint is a day or so dry.

I would highly recomend them for any and all modeling jobs as they realy are a great cheap product.

As for your clogging issues i did a little googling and then started adding a drop or two extra water into the mix and  Ikeep a box of cotton bud (the ones on hollow plastic sticks) handy as on my prush I can push it into the nozel and give it a few twists to clean the needle tip and apeture. I get the occasional blockage now but nothing to bad... I only give my brush a propper clean before sitting down for a big airbrush session or as required. I always rince out the brush with 5 -10ml water sprayed through at high pressure after finishing but I always blow it dry as impurities in the water can etch pits into the needle and ruin the flow.

I use tap water for thinning and sometimes add a retardant to it (couple drops in 200ml ) to make it wetter but future floor polish would do the trick if I could find it (Stupid Gisborne) but often I just dont care.

My brush control is pretty shocking but and at the end of the day if you are fighting your brush with clogs and paint issues you might as well give up and clean the whole thing out properly. There is nothing worse than spending an hour fringing round and 5 minutes of it is usable paint flow.

another thing is is your brush gravity fed or suction (crucible above or below respectively) Mine is below and as such is pretty paint hungry which is another reason I like the cheaper paints. If its suction fed than your likely not putting enough in as mine gets pretty rubish when the intake is just covered.

[tabletop]

I don't mix my paints with water, I'm mixing them with car window cleaning solution, mostly works.

Yeah Liquidtex. Dammit I was in Bunnings on the weekend too.

For cleaning I'm running pure glass cleaner (the blue stuff) through the airbrush. Seems to do the trick as well, just breathe shallowly or do it outdoors!

[Dustan]

Hmmm, maybe try cutting it with water and see if you get better flow. I dunno maybe its just me and my cheap/lazyness but it seems to work alright. As for cleaning yeah i should be more onto it but what i am doing now works and with lack of descent supplies ( I would use airbrush medium if I could find it) I probably wont change unless i have to buy a new (expensive brush) I mean hell I need to replace the gauges on it cause one of them has a bit of a leak and my tank preasure constanly saps off.

Maybe I have a bit of the Ork Psyche in me and it it looks like it should work then id does... despite have more than 3 parts missing, nothing greased up and using mud and my brown paint

BTW I hit my crix with a Burnt Umbre (slightly darker than GW Dark Flesh) base coat at lunch. They are already starting to look rusty =D I havent fugyred out how I am going to mask things off yet but meh, thats for later =D

[tabletop]

Vegemite for masking!

Beware - makes you hungry for warm toast though.

[Dustan]

I supuse that would work on the trims as well as the parts I want patchy. green. I was going to do all non armour plates as rusted and depending on my mood maybe add some blue green verdgris (sp?) to it but yeah I could at least marmite up the overspray areas as well as the patchy bits. I was going to use salt for the patchy bits but something about airbrushed acrylics and water soluable salt didn't sit right with me =D

Can you warm the marmite a bit to make it easier to apply ?

Sounds like a breakfast job realy, might have to set up in the kitchen so i can make toast and coffee as required

[tabletop]

I just get a coarse brush and dab it on to be honest. Really you want to airbrush over that then when you're sure the paint is all dry, immerse wash in warm soapy water. That will dissolve the Vegemite right off. With those pipes, I had to scrub the Vegemite off with a toothbrush because you know, immersing painted, based, PVA'd plaster pieces in warm water probably not such a good idea. Took a bit of paint off as well, but c'est la vie.