Display Base, Figures, and Final Touches

06.25.2007 » River Rock

I finally, after much searching and testing found the perfect cheap and nicely scaled river rock for my creek/river bed. I had first tried dyed cat litter and it looked okay, but not perfect. Talus and ballast was too uniform. But then my neighbor had his driveway paved. The pavers had poured construction sand all over the asphault which at first I paid no mind to. However, after a good rain, all the littlest sand particles had washed away and what was left was what you see below. I went to Home Depot and for under $3.00 got a 50 pound bag of the stuff. After some sifting through fine mesh to remove the sand, all that was loeft was the rocks. About 5 cups of sand yeilded 1 cup of rocks. Below is a pic of some in a Crystal Light cup which I save tons of and use for mixing washes/resins.

07.02.2007 » Figs, Ducks, and More Rocks

First up is the base progress. I applied the dirt using my dirt tutorial to the base. I sorted the riverocks via a strainer into a small and large sized rock piles. Then I started adhering the river rocks by first pouring on the larger rocks and then over them the smaller ones filling in the gaps and such. I wanted larger ricks near the shore and the smaller ones out in the actual water so that under the water they look smaller and deeper. I didn't go all the way up the slope with them since that'll be grass and such. The Zaku bullet casings were also added on the shore as if they were washed up by waves/floods. The weathered Zaku head was attached to the base using 5-min epoxy then more rocks were applied around it to make it look more sunken in. The rocks were then given drops of "prepared matte medium" from ScenicExpress.com. I applied it using an eyedropper and applied it liberally. Now the rocks are set and are not going anywhere without some effort.

I've also been painting the figures using oil paints over an acrylic base coat. They're just about done. They need a little of the fading/discoloration technique, a little bit of a wash here and there just to pop certain things, and a flat coat. The eyes also need done. Also, a few days ago I was thinking about the guy squatting at the shore and why he's right on the waters edge looking in. I decided that he needs to be looking at some ducks swimming in the water. Maybe he's wearing the gloves to try and catch one for dinner. Who knows? So I started sculpting some small ducks today. Here's the progress so far.

07.03.2007 » Duck, Duck, Duck, Duck...

No geese. Ducks are about finished. Just need to clean up the males beak a bit.

07.04.2007 » Water Tests

Here's my tests of the resin over the past few months. Basically any time I knew I'd be pouring clear resin I had a test ready for the leftovers. The first tests were to see how different glues would work to hold down the rocks which in the beginning were going to be colored cat litter. Later I tested colors mixed in the resin to check for reactions. And finally I checked my final glue and water color mix. Lastle is the ducks sitting on my final test. The ducks will be sat into the resin a bit in the end. THe resin I'm using is called Castin' Craft.

07.06.2007 » Tests can't account for everything.

Well, just when I thought that I knew just about everything that could go wrong with the water pour, took measures against such disasters, and believed all went well... of course there was a problem this morning. Let's start from the beginning on the pour process...

First I followed the advice in the Mig FAQ and used clear tape to make a wall to hold in the resin. This worked well when pouring the first layer of resin as seen below:

The tape wasn't tall enough so I added more and poured the second layer. This also went well, but the tape started to warp a little. No biggie as It wasn't a look I was against as it looked liquidy.

I poured the final layer and waited for it to firm up some so I could to the ripples. I had practiced the ripples on the previous 2 layers so I knew that part would go fine which it did. After the resin began to firm up I added the ducks. Again, all was good at this point. A few hours later the resin felt hard enough to remove the tape which I did. I had noticed a small fissure between the resin and the base in the front and didn't think too much of it. I covered the water/base with a box to keep out dust untim it was no longer the slightest bit tacky which can take a few days sometimes. This was all yesterday. This afteroon I checked on it and noticed the fissure had spread and that the side of the water opposite the head had come up. I can only assume this is due to shrinking of the resin during curing. At the front corner it's raised about 1/8" or so. Grrrr. The side of the head didn't raise up and I can only assume that the head which was anchored to the base VERY securely held the resin in place. Next time I'll add a few small d-rings/staples under the water to keep it down all over. Lesson learned and passed on. Enjoy! Also if I ever have the need for water like this again (which I certainly will) I'll try the Andreas Miniatures water instead of the Castin' Craft as I hear it's supurb.

Now, I could sit around and be pissed off about it, but I have an easy fix. I was contemplating adding another wood boarder around the base as a decorative feature, but decided not to. Well... now I have to. I bought some thin basswood and just finished staining it. When that's finished I'll glue the strips around the outside edge. This will add some nice edging to the base and cover up the gaps. Whew. Glad it's not a round base! Here's the pics. Next I'll add some ripples on the sure and around the head using gloss gel medium and FFA.

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