Space Hulk Plus - Part 2

[original draft - 2018-04-23]

[ed: Worth noting that article Space Hulk Plus - Part 1.5 was released before this one, so expect chronological discrepancies in that regard.]


Space Hulk Connectors (sub-project)
To say that i'm impressed with the openLock concept and results is an understatement. Easily achieved goal definitely help with the motivation (as opposed to struggling to get even simple things moving forward).

So at the start of the weekend this was my goal... everything pictured to have openLock connectors for a relatively small homebrew map.

 While the printer didn't switch off until 11pm sunday i did manage to achieve the results.

Ta da...

The clip systems holds everything in place solidly... not solid enough for carrying around the map unsupported... but it doesn't slide around on the table either, even without some kind of grip material underneath.
The system feels substantially bulkier than the cardboard jigsaw pieces. I didn't do a side by side comparison... however i found an old pic from a game i played last year.

On the assumption that the left-most room is against the left edge of the table (no pics) then the right-most side of the map has maybe 10-15cm of clearance. So while the 3d blocks make the board a bit more 'bloaty' it doesn't make it too large for use.


The weekend results are now in a (probably) temporary box.

 With the remaining pieces here.

I'll probably try to produce a lowly 3 sets per day for the foreseeable future... no rush.
Probably the next goal will be to churn out the pieces for the 'official' map 1 from the missions book.

Unless motivation REALLY drops off, if i manage to get everything process i actually have a very real chance of getting things painted finally... which would be a fan-frackin-tastic!


Maintenance
As the batches were churning out i did a few tweaks on the machine:
i) attached a 2nd mdf sheet under the first, glue and small nails (more mass for the printer bed).
ii) attached printer frame to mdf with brackets, front and back.
iii) the linear bearings under the print bed had some loose nuts/bolts. detached the print bed, tightened everything under there, superglue to prevent slips, reassemble.

Seems to have removed a lot of the groans and chirps coming from the machine as it runs. yhay!


Production Update [2018-04-26]
We had a public holiday yesterday so combined with the previous couple of nights' prints i managed to get all the remaining 'large' plates done (rooms) and all the remaining 'T' and 'L' pieces.
So now i just have the 'X' pieces and straight sections to go.
am very much looking forward to gap filling some of the uglier sections, then adding some control panels, pipe sections and widgets. 

i've also started contemplating redesigning the door pieces. i do like the current design - however...
i think that the friction of clipping the doors in place is going to rapidly screw up the paintwork (that will eventually happen).  i have a few ideas and i'll try my best to retain the actual slot-in door piece, so it will hopefully just be the frame that gets a rework.
in generally i think i'll try to widen the buttresses that sit along the top of the corridor piece to create the stability. so they'll effectively just sit in place, rather than clipping in but will be bigger so they'll be less fragile.   we'll see.

[2018-04-27]
plodding through print-retrofits. have approximately 16 pieces to go. 7 'X' and 9 'straights'. might have them done by end of weekend.
have sliced the new design i did (i did a new door design last night). says it's going to take 2+ hours to print... by x20 doors... eeeep!



[2018-04-30]
Finished!!

A big box of raw bits. Now awaiting gap filling and widget adding.

Printed off one of the new door models and it's actually pretty good. however, i'm going to hold off printing all of them until i've got paint on at least one corridor segment in order to see how much paint the door segments rub off. At the moment it's a snug fit in places so i may need to widen some bits to cater for paint.

It's a mighty fine thing to get something finished.

I noticed towards the last few batches that there were some more (lesser) chirps developing somewhere, but rather than jeopardize completion i just ran with it. will have a maintenance overhaul sometime in the not too distant.

And i also finished off my first roll of PLA.

until next time...

Space Hulk Plus - Part 1.5

After getting some progress on the openLock connectors i had a celebratory/experimental game using the new setup. 

This is a homebrew/test map i built a while back and one i commonly use for testing/a quick game. It is relatively small which has the advantages of i) fewer corridor pieces, ii) gets the action happening quickly.

I was also experimenting with a new AI rule set which was... partially successful/useful.


Some Highlights...
Overwatch was the order of the day; overwatch frequently, overwatch well...

Many Genestealers rushed down into this overwatch zone and finally one manages to close the door to allow them to regroup...

Last minute overwatch (after failing a few times, phew!!)...

 Heavy flamer guy cutting off Genestealer access...

Assault cannon guy mowing down incoming critters...

But is exposed to attack from the rear.  Sergeant got your back in overwatch fire (again at the last moment). And praise the Emperor for sustained fire bonus...

I also had a Termi beat a Genestealer at close combat... buuuuut i mistakenly used 3:2 dice instead of 3:1 dice... whoops. I'll assume the Termi rolled his 6 vs the Genestealers 5.
This was actually the only close combat encounter in the entire game. In part due to the AI constraints.

This one's an 'after' picture. The room on the right had two more GS about to pounce on the Termi on overwatch; plus he would have only got off one shot before being assaulted. The sergeant used his actions to thin down the number with some excellent shooting down the board (yes there was LOS so they would have been on the same 'row', unlucky)...

The Terminators were outstandingly successful; in part to favourable dice, in part due to overwatch.

My observations from the game are mainly about the importance of overwatch and more importantly setting up for overwatch.
- make sure you have enough cells between you and the GS to get off multiple shots. 
- make sure you have at least 2 command points available to clear your weapon jams.
- is harder if you have tight time constraints for the mission.


Man of the match went to the Sergeant who pulled off some quality shooting and solid overwatch. Highly commended is for 'trooper in the right side room' who managed to hold the right side of the board for half a dozen turns before the Genestealers managed to get the door closed.

Fun stuff.

Until next time...

Space Hulk Plus - Part 1

[originally drafted 2018-01-18, new content at the end]

Not all projects make it across the line; some end up binned, retconned into other projects, or put into a limbo of indefinite hiatus (aka, "i'll get back to that when i've done the latest thing to pique my interest").

Back in August 2015 (i know because foruhe pics have dates :) ) i started on a now long-running project that sat idle for a long time but which i've dusted off recently.

I'm a big fan of the GW box game Space Hulk. The quantised nature of the mechanics appeals to me far more than the 'ruler measured' mechanics of i.e. regular 40k. Until the appearance of Betrayal at Calth, Space Hulk was my favourite ruleset.

Space Hulk Plus (3D)

Having recently purchased my first 3D printer (2015), it occured to me to make a 3D corridor setting rather than the original flat map jigsaw. There were already some projects on the net at that stage for inspiration; mainly (resin) cast structure pieces though rather than 3d prints.

So I whipped up some models in sketchup and started printing.

In all there were perhaps a dozen different sketchup models, the combinations thereof make up the various Corridor Segments. The straight Corridor Segments (in 1-, 2-, 3-, 4- and 5-block flavours) are made up one or more of the above pieces.

This pic (above) shows three different piece types that comprise a single 'L' segment.

once i had enough segments 'dry' assembled it was time to start gluing them to 3mm mdf as a base. this serves a number of purposes;

i) holds the pieces together, i did consider just gluing the pieces end-to-end but the result was too flimsy. i also considered connector pieces but these were unnecessary using a solid, underlying base.

ii) adds a little weight to make the segments hard to knock around on the table. Without a 'jigsaw' element to the segments they rely on their own mass to keep them in position.

iii) the softer material of the mdf helps protect the table surface a bit (as opposed to plastic)

[ed: if only i knew - re new content]

p.s. pegs are a very handy accessory to have in your hobby space, whether it be for holding glued bits together, as spacers to keep things apart or to prop your paint brush off the table. they're brilliant.

the above pics show the general concept, size and scale of the project.

at the current time i have just finished assembling all the segments, including gluing, edge sanding. before the break i had run out of plastic and then other projects took precedence, but during the recent (christmas) holiday period (2017-2018) i broke out the storage box and started smoothing the unfinished pieces.
I think mid last year i printed off the last of the required pieces (mainly straight segments from memory) and late last year i reworked the door pieces.

anyway, as well as segment finishing, i also worked on connection mechanics, using the (new) door pieces as well as new connector pieces to create a more solid connection between the segments. they're not perfect but they're also not entirely required. the segments are generally solid enough to handle all but the clumsiest, fattest of fingers so not jigsaws are required for every single segment.

i do need to finish off about a dozen connections before moving to the next stage which is probably first stage painting.

[new content 2018-04-20]
so not a lot happened since i drafted this post... until now.

why now?
firstly, a step back; i have just finished churning out a bunch of BFG chaos ships before deciding i generally wasn't happy with the fleet. specifically i have a bunch of cruisers that look so similar aside from weapon loadout that they're... somewhat boring.
even the battleship is barely bigger than the cruisers, whereas the imperial fleet has loads of contrast.
i was considering up-ing the scale of the battleship and perhaps down-ing the scale of the cruisers. I probably also need to consider the scale of the imperial ships as well.
anyway, i'm in a bit of a funk with the BFG project (again).
so i stopped thinking about it.

why not?
for no real reason in particular i was thinking about Space Hulk project instead, and about the connector i designed, which i was never truly happy with.
so i had a look on thingiverse for the openlock tiles/connectors. i'd seen them before but never delved too deeply into it.
anyway i downloaded some stls; modified them to a slightly smaller thickness (connector clip @ 3mm), and made the 'connector block' as wide as my corridor segments... pics help...

bee-uew-dee-full !

a set of 2 connector blocks and the connector clip takes 50 minutes to print on draft setting (perfectly suitable). i'm also cutting out a section of the mdf base and supergluing the block in. it is not flush.

this will put plastic back in contact with the table top - i couldn't be bothered 'back filling' with mdf into the gap between connector blocks - but too bad. it's a brilliant connection.
In hindsight i wish i'd explored incorporating them into the corridor pieces a bit more.

it's going to take a while to print/modified all the corridor segments but so be it; won't be the first time i've had to chip away at a boring task.
pegs getting another workout.

In very brief printer news. the printer is kinda chugging and grinding and making more chirpy noises than i'd like.
bit disconcerting, especially in light of starting a new project where i'll be churning out lots of  items that need to be the same and hopefully get enough of them to finish the project [sigh].
the first 'openlock' print had a 'sliding' issue (pic below). turns out one of the grub screws had come loose from the y-axis pulley gear. easy enough to put back in of course.

however all of the above is why i'm hesitant to really lock down the machine too much (as in locktite the screws and glue the printer frame to the base etc. 
if the future of this printer project is to be one of continuous adjustment then i have a feeling i'm going to be snapping off glued bits etc.
i notice it more because the up!mini just ran with nary a turn of a hex key.

and that's that.

until next time...

A Mixed Bag

The last couple of weeks have been rather random and scattered. I've collected a small selection of mini-projects and experiences; otherwise known as reviewing my recent pics.

Cookie Cutter
Given my official reason for getting a new printer involved making cookie cutters i figured i should give cookie cutters another belt. A fews week back i tried one and the result was rubbish (in part due to print bed adhesion, and in also being in the 'tuning' phase).

So i picked a smaller model and set things running. 2 1/2 hours later in draft mode (0.2mm) I had a result, though IMO a barely presentable result.

There were lots of random suspended strings between seemingly random points, massive striation, and basically a tilt up the vertical walls...   = not useable.

Side Tangent: I have been experimenting with plate adhesion and it turns out glue stick is a clear winner here.  In my research I read that it's better to (paraphrase) "adjust software settings so you're not relying on external means," but as far as i could see things were level; or at least as level as i could make them, and it was frankly getting on my nerves. 
i'm not a gizmo hobbyist; i want to be getting results, and would rather be running a project or making models than screwing around with vernier calipers and a hex key.
Glue stick it is.

So i re-sliced the model using fine print mode (0.1mm), dialled down the print speed to 80% and made sure i didn't bump the table or even look at it too hard.   Which turned out a much better result.

It now took just over 6 hours (acceptable for 1 of jobs i guess)...

 ...and got a usable result.

Turns out i totally misread (due to lack of interest or concentration or both) what you can acetone vapour bath; and PLA doesn't work. damnit!
So it is what it is; relatively smooth and not terrible for a first vaguely serious attempt.


Box Cradles
Something about not barking when you have a dog.

After finishing off my absolutely very last Black Templar models (i have no more box space, so they MUST be the last) i went though shuffling things round to find everything's final positions.

I'd been contemplating magnetising the stormbird landing craft but - like the thunderhawks before them - the small landing assembly/feet were unsuitable.

Briefly considered building an mdf frame but then decided to model up a simple cradle so i could print it instead (woof woof).

This is a v2 cradle which extends to the rear of the model (v1 was just a 'U' under the mid-section); as well as holding it better it means i can get a larger slice of magnet under there.

seems to work ok.

Printer Setup
As well as discovering the joys of glue stick i made an observation about the printer as it was running.
My setup is a temporary one, with the intention of afixing the printer frame solidly to that panel of mdf below it (re pic)... at some stage.

i've been fairly nervous about running anything large on the printer due to the striation issues, and i have a feeling i might have found an issue that is exacerbating the problem. The printer support 'base' (9mm mdf) is heavy enough (which was the point) but it's then sitting on a flat sheet of ply and on the corner i have a fan.   I noticed that as the printer runs, the wiggle of the components was making the fan oscillate up and down, possibly adding further movement to the job. 
solution: move the fan off the board.
better solution: finish off the printer setup.

option A was easier; i'm yet to run another job but i have a feeling i should get at least marginally better results.
[Later: i think it helps a bit. doesn't entirely solve the issue (let's assume there are many contributing factors), but makes me feel the result is better. Not subjective at all...]

i'm looking to start work on the Battlefleet Gothic models so will find out soon.
[Later: I did]



Vraksians
And finally... the Vraksians got some table time on the weekend.   Just a 1500pts game where they THOROUGHLY failed to impress.   i don't feel i've emphasised 'thoroughly' enough there (but there are no more effects to apply to the font), but it was a shocker, due in large to TERRIBLE dice rolling and consistent failure to activate. Which is part of the army of course.

The list i chose was... fragile and a bit niche, as i was interested in exploring artillery and deathstrikes, but yeah, massive loads of fail.

Another downside is that my game buddy may get the impression that ground-pounder marines in rhino's aren't as uncompetitive as i've made them out to be.
I wouldn't mind giving the Vraks another run, but they just feel... incomplete;  with the massive blob formations, low activations, and support by flimsy fluff units.... though i concede that i'm probably missing something in my Vraks-noob ignorance.

I've been asked to review some of the nid models i've put on Thingiverse so i may end up looking at developing that army sooner rather than later.
[Later: I've also noticed that nids are making a come-back, at least in certain regional tournaments,  which is inspiring and should allow me to steal some useful lists.] 

until next time...