Best laid plans

No plan survives enemy contact.....

...is sort of what I feel now. I've been sitting at my desk since the kids went to bed, wading through a pile of Skaven and bits I picked up cheap, and I'm wondering how it managed to get this far. Granted, this lot has turned out to be another superdeal, a box of Skaven plus bits that turned out to be very low on bits, lots of plastic Skaven and a small bag of miniatures containing Bloodbowl Chaos models, old 1993 Skaven Plaguemonks and a Mordheim Possessed Leader, as well as some other metal bits and bobs, easily double in worth what I paid for it.

But this wasn't supposed to happen.

2015 would be my 20mm British year, until Piers dropped a Mordheim warband in my lap. For years, I've been saying no to GW, I couldn't or wouldn't afford it, I disliked painting 28mm figs, no one played the Specialist games I liked so much back then. For the last 10 years I've been repeating those things to myself over and over. And then the dam burst.

Everything I fought so hard against to prevent from happening is back. Impulse and lot buying seem to be my bane right now. For the past 3 weeks I've done more impulse buying then I did over entire 2014. My wargaming budget for 2015 is already blown, the profits from the 2014 sale vaporised. At least I have managed to buy the lots relatively selectively in that, with some careful planning, I should be able to break even and even make a nice profit, and get all of the models I wanted at the same time. That does mean I need to start selling stuff soon, not just to please Kim but also for my own sanity as my life feels turned upside down now. I feel my love for the older games of GW has been reignited into a roaring, all consuming flame. I've also noticed my salesman heart is beating hard again. I just love to wheel and deal, trade stuff, chasing my wants and needs.

Basically I have full blow tunnel vision. Again. At least, after 2 weeks, I've realised that and I'm now taking steps to stop it. I have another week to buy what I need, after that it is back to selling and trading to get what I want, and with the amount of stuff I have collected now, my needs have become few indeed.

Still, I got carried away with embracing GW back into my life. Mind you, the GW of old. Besides a few newer bits and bobs, nothing repulses me more then the current GW company. I've noticed lots more people have a hanckering to the old days of GW, so I'm not alone in that one.

So, on the negative side:

• I got carried away, it's a bit out of hand now
• Spent 750 euros in 1 month time...that is nearly my budget for a year!
• I'm back in the grasping arms of GW again.
• My Autism got the better of me.

And on the plus side:

• It feels like old love rekindled
• I should be able to break even and even make a profit when I sell the stuff I don't need
•  I'll be playing games that made me happy 10 years ago, plus I have opponents all over the place, and more games = good :)
• I've recognised what the problem is and taking am active steps to remidy the situation

So, should I feel bad about this? Well, I do feel a tad guilty for spending so much money in such a short time on things I had never thought I would buy again, ever. It stings a little. But like I said, it is like embracing an old love back into my life. Getting the stuff from happier times is making me happy again. And I'm a trader again.

That is what I am really, a rogue trader.....

One that is going to be back in business in one weeks time (y)

Zinge Industries

Coming back into the rich chaos that is the background of 40K I just knew I had to have a go at converting again. I like to scratchbuild or rebuild stuff, and I enjoyed doing that in my GW days of old. Just not very often back then cause even then the models were expensive. In my previous Blogpost I mentioned several companies that make resin addon parts for 40K miniatures. I bought parts from 2 of them. And since these were the first to arrive, I will discuss Zinge Industries.

Zinge Industries

My order was made on the 16th of January, having spent the lunchbreak a day earlier browsing for bits useful for a Adeptus Mechanicus conversions sans servo arm. I ordered the following bits:

• 2 sets of couplings
• 2 sets of bullets and casings
• 1 set of large propane tanks
• 1 set of computer equipment
• 1 set of Mad scientist sprue
• 1 set of handwheels

For a combined total of 20 Pounds 50 plus 4 Pounds shipping to Europe (costing me 32 euros in total). Their pricing of the various sprues is interesting. Naturally, more resin used is a higher price per set, the propane tanks coming in at 5 Pounds for a set of 5, but these are chesthigh compared to a 28mm model so pretty big tanks! In hindsight the smaller version would have been good enough for my goals, so I will order that in the future. Also, some items have discounts if you order more then 1. For instance, the couplings set costs 2 Pounds if you order just 1, 1.75 Pounds if you order 2 or more, and 1.50 pounds each if you order 4 or more. This does not apply to all sets though!

When I got home from work on the 20th I was pleasantly surprised by a small white box from the UK with Zinge Industries stamped in red on the back. They mailed it on the 17th, so in this case kudos Royal Mail and Post.NL for being team players and delivering in just 4 days, that is pretty darn fast.

Upon opening I see that each set I ordered is packed in a zip lock bag, so if things would break off during shipping, they would be nicely contained. Also, I find I'm not hit by the strong smell of resin, as happens sometimes with companies that cast to order. Giving everything a once over, I'm almost unable to find any mouldlines on the items, which come cast onto blocks of resin. Only the propane tanks have some mould lines, and these are very faint.

FLTR: Large propane tank, Couplings, Mad Scientist sprue, Bullets and casings (normal size)

The blocks I'm quite used to, I've ordered (after market) resin details and kits for historicals before and they all come with casting blocks to be removed. Makes it very easy to give them a good rinse with some dishwasher soap and still keep a grip on smaller parts. And these are nice and small.

Resin quality looks to be the very good kind, strong and crisp details. Reminded me of Old Crow quality. And that is saying something. Also, I like how they market their bullets and casings set. There are 45 items in it, and the empty shells are made in such a way that can double as shotgun shells too. The larger complete shells work as solid slugs shells, boltgun or heavy bolter shells or even 40mm grenades, depending on which scale you want to use these for. The least impressed I am with the handwheels, quality wise they look like a recast Airfix kit handle, I had expected something more metallic. Though to be honest, the pics are pretty clear, and this was more of a case of wishful thinking on my part.

The computer parts (not pictured) will come in handy for making a Machine God shrine or stationary device, as well as the Mad scientist sprue.There are lots of little dials, vents and knobs on that one, really useful for a scratchbuilder like me.

Zinge aimes at 28mm, but I feel quite a few of their sprues are usefull in smaller or larger ranges, due to their scale neutrality.

Things to try out next time are their flexible resin bits like chain and cables, and their poseable wrapped wire (though I'm currently making my own using brass wire and solder wire). They also sell a large collcetion of hexnuts and bolts, but I have a former to make those myself from plasticcard so I can save myself the expense. Having said that they are damn nifty.

So, looking for some parts to spruce up your 28mm scenery or miniatures bases? This is a good place to stop by.

Zinge Industries

Days of plenty

What's a quick way to make sure you get "that look" from the missus?

Have 7 envelopes and parcels arrive the same day!

All the previous weeks dealings landed on the mat on the same day alright, mostly bits from the UK and Holland, trades and buys. All the items received were intact and just as advertised/promised, so all ok there. I'm way past 10/10/10 now though, though I have stopped buting on Ebay and am now purely focussing on local fora to keep the costs down. A lot more hit miss, but to be honest, do I really need to have a ton of figs overnighted so they can spend month in the painting que? I don't think so either :)

My Inquisitor box is getting rather full now, the only thing missing are some bits to make Alien/Imperial objectives from and those should arrive next week. I made a bid on a local forum on a lot that included, so it sems, quite a few 40K Witchhunters, and I already agreed on the purchase, only to get outbid  a few minutes ago because the acution hasn't been set to reserved yet....<sigh>. I've sent the seller an email but I don't think I'll get it, Marktplaats is quite notorious (for me anyway) with people backing out of agreements if they can get more money for their stuff. I don't blame them, it is just that after a verbal agreement has been made, it feels a bit naff to have the seller back out of it. And in this case I'm not bidding more money, I bid my max and that was it. Yesterday saw the arrival of a old and new Inquisitor model, so I have several options now. For a future expansion, and I REALLY shouldn't have done this, I picked up 3 second hand Cadian Armoured Sentinels to support my Inquisition troops. What troops? Well, I picked up a lot of made and unmade Cadians just to get the offciers and Inquisitorial retinue, and every game needs cannonfodder, so.... yeah. Even sorted out what helmets I want to give them. Pig Iron HD19 Faceless masses...think Stormtroopers. Yes, I'm getting ahead of myself again, so typical and it is taking my utmost to put the genie back into the bottle.

My Mordheim box will gain another half set of Mordheim Beastmen next week, and got some flaggelants and a Halfing (the very expensive halfling!) plus almost a full Possessed warband. I don't think we will see more additions soon, locally there appears to be no Mordheim for sale by anyone except a few at Ebay buy-it-now prices. Like the guy I got a mail from today, who has a Halfling hot-pot for sale. My bid went as high as 19 euros for it with no counterbids, be he said he wants 35 on it, what they sell for on Ebay. I told him Wrong, that is the listed price on Ebay that they DON'T sell for. Fool. His loss, and he said he was going to give it to a friend after keeping it on Marktplaats for a while to draw bids. Wake up buddy, you had 3 bids, both early december and mine today, sane people call that a sign. Anyway, I've got one halfling, maybe I'll find one to pass as a cook later, no rush.

My Necromunda box gained nothing, as what I am expecting is enroute to me, so more gangers from various groups plus the Scavvies box.

So what else is new?

Well, the scenery bug has bittem me again. But I think I'm pretty well innoculated atm cause the only bits I'm looking at are small objectives for Inquisitors and small machines for Necromunda....nothing major. Space is a factor here, and I will only have less of it in the future. Still, a few small pieces using stuff from my bits box will be considerd in the future.
Thomas, from the guys over in Ireland, was kind enough to add 2 more robots to my collection, from the Pig Iron Command packs....mighty chuffed with those even if they look a bit naff, it saves me the trouble of buying the command packs myself and then having to resell most of it.
In one of the lots I bought were 7 metal Grey Knights and they are actually rather nice, not only fluffwise but miniature wise too. I think I will keep them and strip them in the future.
I also picked up some bits from Kromlech, for future servitors and Techpriests, and picked up their iconic Ork pilot model for one of my Inquisitorial retinues as well. Haven't painted an Ork ever before in my life so that is going to be fun :)

Well, nothing more to do tonight then pack everything in the correct boxes and send out a few more payments.

Can I buy a dowel? Part 2

A week ago, I made a order with the lumberyard that handled my special projects in the past. Basically 2 blocks of wood with sunk holes in em, and 1 broomstick cut into 10cm pieces, and the leftover bit cut into 5 cm pieces. Set me back 20 euros for parts and labour, which was alittle richer then I expected, but still way cheaper then getting my own drillbit and having a go at it myself (with disastrous results and holes skewed all over the place.....)

So, 2 blocks of wood with 10 holes each, wich are the same length as the depth of the small cabinet beside me so they fit in perfectly, plus enough spare dowels to last me sometime, and not having to remove PIP stuff. I will be testing how it goes with 5cm and 10cm blocks, and magnetised and non-magnetised, but first I will need guinea pigs and those should arrive sometime this week as I have bought a lot of stuff off a mate of mine (well, technically anyway, I still need to pay him, but he sent it already....).

Also, work was kind enough to lend me a roll of soldering wire of 0.5mm thickness so I can do thicker cables as ooposed to the 0.2 soldering wire I already have, which will come in handy for my Techpriest. Not bad for something they had planned to bin anyway.

Ebay has been a bit kinder to me this week, letting me win various models from 1.50 to 7 pounds from the same seller so saving on shipping costs, including some 28mm Inquisitor bits, a old Primaris Psyker and a old Arbites Offcier with power maul that should fit in nicely with my retinue, or will become some of the loyal troops a Inquisitor can command. I will have to hunt down a Rogue Trader (Piers), you know.

I have been sorting out more stuff to sell as well, that should go on next week-ish if all goes well.

Laslty, I have to tell you that the kind chaps on the Lead Adventure Forum sofar have not been eble to assist me in finding a GW 40K Priest, but did point me in the direction of shops like Zinge Industries , Bitsofwar.com , Spellcrow and Maxmini . I've seen some very useful bit for Techpriest and Inquisitor alike, a few bits here, a few bits there that I will be sure to order. But for the most, in the beginning anyway, I will stick to using stock figures. IF i can get them, that is. :)

Going off the edge

All of this bidding (and losing) at auctions for models suitable for Inquisitor, Necromunda and Mordheim has brought out the competetive spirit in me that I have not seen for a long time! I've even resorted to making low bids at known resellers just to get some figs in, and tried my luck at the local Marktplaats (A Ebay variant).

So far, with mixed results, I'm rather keen to get stuff in lest I have something to paint! All bits and pieces isn't going to make a functioning warband. Sofar, finding models suitable for Inquisitor has been the easiest. Finding them, not winning them. Inquisitors seem to go for silly money, as are most of the Henchmen, though I picked up a couple of figures and even a box at amounts I would not have thought at the beginning of the auction. By which I mean lower prices. I'm focussing on Priests and Servitors right now and I've almost reached 10 models. For Necrounda I managed to find a Scavies gang, new in the box, which set me back a whopping 45 euros incl shipping, but where are you going to find those nowadays? I managed to trade some more Orlocks as well but still no heavies. Just can't seem to find them anywhere! For Mordheim, well, I've seen prices that feel people are taking the piss or something, 12 euros for a blister of a model is normal. Fortunately, I have been incredibly lucky in finding a mate who has the Possesed Warband and is willing to sell me one for 20 euros complete. I've been even more luckier with another mate who just gave me a bag of stuff to pick out what I could use for the hobby. I picked up some Kislevite horse archers, 2 Vesperso vendettas duellists 3 old dwarfs, 1 incomplete Birdmen of Cattrazza or something and a bunch of pikemen with champion and musician, also one of tte Mercenary troops of yesteryear.. For free! I will have to find a way to repay that generosity somehow someday.

This brings my totals to Necromunda:10  Mordheim:18  Inquisitor: 9 although much of this count is en route to me and won't be here for weeks to come. So the soonest I can get painting on this lot is probably February-March, and I really need to practice on a few models first.

And then it is time for a little rant. Where do people get it into their heads that just cause it has been OOP for a long-ish time single figures dictate a 10 Pounds minimum? Buy-it-now prices on Ebay are insane. Then again so are GW prices for current models.

If anyone is reading this, and has Necro/Mordheim/Inquisitor (the 28mm ones or suitable for) I'd be more then happy to trade 20mm WO2 and up or cash for them.

Broken promise

Owww, 4th of january and I've been buying models for the past 2 days. So much for my moratorium. In my defence, I sold a couple of hundred micro armour models and only bought 17 GW models sofar, but yes, this isn't what I had planned.

So what happend?

Piers has sent me a Mordheim warband to build and paint so we can game when we meet up again, but it is not complete, so I have to add some stuff to it to make it gameable.

Because I want to paint some 28mm figures anyway, I set myself a 10/10/10 quota for Mordheim/Necromunda/Inquisitor. But what I had not realised are the insane prices 2nd hand GW sells for! I also should not bid on auctions when babysitting my own kids, as I managed to forget I had already bid on 2 models, only to big again on 2 of the same models 2 days later. And what do you know, I won all the auctions, bloody typical.

2 weeks of waiting for them to arrive, and then put them back up for sale to get rid of them as fast as possible.

Fortunately, when I asked a question about useful models on various fora, quite a few peeps replied sofar, willing to help out at normal prices or trades, so I'm almost at 10 for Mordheim now, Inq28 is halfway and 1 model for Necromunda.

But with funds running dry I will put up more stuff this week to sell, sell, sell.

Oh, and best laid plans? They never survive contact.....

Can I buy a dowel?

I've been spending quite a bit of December checking out the WS&S Youtube tutorials by Christy Beall in preparation for the 28mm's I will need to paint this year, and one of these videos was about painting equipment. >>

I've been painting for about 10 years now, on and off, and I never really watched others paint, I just learned it on the fly and by reading the occasional tutorial. Having recently discovered Youtube (Hey, better late then never!) I've learned a lot of new things. For instance, I've always used old CD's as my palet. Since I started doing that when I was working in IT I never had a shortage of old CD's to do so. But when I grabbed the box a few months back I found I only had a few left, and since all I do these days is on USB sticks and portable harddiscs this would be a source not easily replenished. A wet palet I tried but all I managed to create after a while was a nice colony of fungus. Maybe I'm doing something wrong, I don't know. It never occured to me that the paper palet my gf used to use for canvas painting would be useful for miniature painting. Must have hit a blind spot, but it is a big piece of paper and I tend to think smaller is better for some reason.

Paintbrushes is another thing. I've been using these dirt cheap crap nylon brushes in size 0 and 00 for as long as I can remember. Well, 1 euro a piece. Before I left Tilburg to live with my gf I bought about a dozen, but in the 3 years since I've only got 2 left, their tips split after a few months and no matter how much I clean them I can't fix that. The pot next to me is stuffed with about 40 brushes, all used and abused. I heard about better brushes online in the occasional post, but the prices always scared me. Christy changed that for me as she explained the benefits of a good brush that keeps a good tip for a long time, if properly cared for, and that you really only need 2, a nr. 1 and a nr. 0 so the expense isn't nearly as high as I thought. Reality hit me as well. I have no qualms buying new paint if I want more colours at 2.25 a pot (Vallejo) or a set of models for 20 Pounds or more, so why would 10 euros scare me? If they last for years, it is a small expense to pay, like tires for your car. And what the heck, a bar of paintbrush soap was 2,50 euro so why not. Maintenance.

So, can I buy a dowel? :)

Christy glues her based 28mm's on pieces of dowel that looked suspiciously like a 10cm piece of broomhandle, Jasper glues them to thicker but smaller pieces. As I've never been happy sticking my 20mm's to bottlecaps (the locally available bluetack is pretty inferior and tended to loose grip at the most unofortunate moment and I tended to cramp up after a while) I thought why not. The broomhandle set me back 3 euros thanks to a discount coupon at the local DIY and they cut it into 10 cm pieces for me for free (after they gave me the odd look or two). Since I will be suing these for my 20mm as well as 28mm, I decided to glue magnets to the first set for the sole reason that glueing them on one by one is a bit of a waste of time as their bases are magnetic so glueing a magnet on makes sense. Well, to me anyway.

As it turned out, a added bonus of using a healthy dose of glue is that the magnet is snugly embedded in the glue, which is still a little bit elastic so it grips the coins a bit so they don't slide around on the magnet.

To make a long story short, Christy Beall cost me money :)