Asra & Atreides: IPMS Stream of Consciousness #2

 Let's begin with the "exciting" stuff. Normally I will engage in binge building for an IPMS NatCon, which is now (checking) exactly 85 days, 11 hours and 18 minutes away. Sticky (my AMS demon) is always quite conflicted about this, but always councils me to give in and try and finish up some projects on this timeline, namely to enter into the competition and hopefully score some awards. Sticky's little black heart is in the right place, but demons are like children, they want what they want when they want it. I told myself I would never ever do this again....

I had thought, right up to the moment I started typing this that I was not binge building. So, as I explain what I am doing here, repeat to yourself, over and over, "Ro is not binge building, Ro is not binge building..." 

Ok, uh, Here is a kit that I am planning to ("I am not binge building...") finish up for the NatCon. Lately I have been on a Kotobukiya and Bandai model building kick. This is one of my "girlfriends" as Martha refers to them which is now on the front burner. I looked at a bunch of my military kits, but honestly with the war in Europe, I just can't get excited about them. I am considering giving up military kits completely, which is a really crazy thought. How can I be a card holding IPMS member and not build military kits? Martha would have some very strong words for me, indeed.

Here is Asra's head, which is snapped together OTB. The face is pre-painted (shhhhh...don't tell the judges). This is a Megami Device, which is a wonderful Kotobukiya kit of mecha anime girls. They are 1:1 scale, there is a pretty thin backstory in which the builder (me) brings the figures to an arena and face off against other builders kits. It's weird and I totally don't care.

I have already built a few of these and learned that before I start in on the painting and detailing that the pose and configuration needs to be figured out beforehand. Megami Device kits are a modular ecosystem in which everything is designed to be infinitely reconfigurable. Sort of like ordinance loadouts on a phantom. Once I settle on the pose, I'll start in on finishing up the parts, painting and the display base.

This is my brother-in-laws radio, rescued from a yard sale when I first met Martha. Presumably he listened to WGN back in the day, these days I listen to NPR. It's finicky, sometimes you have to wiggle the OFF/VOLUME knob to find the crisp audio and depending on the weather and where you are in the room affects the reception. It's horrible and I love it. Because it's radio, I end up listening to things that I would have never chosen to listen to, which I think is lost artform.

Here is another ongoing project. I have been a bit fanatical about reorganizing my work space to be 110% optimal. I have decided that I want all my tools to be sticking up in special holders. On the left are the "old" holders, on the right the new ones. The new ones are now modular with a strict 2 x 6 inch footprint and handles which are all the same height. All the tools were spread out in all the ones on the left, but now have been consolidated to the ones on the right.

Sticky found this over the weekend squirreled away in my stash. It's a "Hunk of Junk" productions of an Atreides frigate. It's at least a decade old and a very early 3D printed model (it's a casting from a 3D model).

I, uh, recast the landing pseudopod and added the brass for structure. ("I am not binge building...I am not binge building...")

 Here it is thrown together. What an ugly ass machine! How marvelous! Note the 1/600 scale figures and the Dune Frome in the background. "Where's my stillsuit"? 

My plan is to recreate this scene from the 1984 movie when the Duke, his son, consort and dog land at Arrakeen. Time to get out the silver and gold paint, baby!

So that's it this time.

Go back to IPMS Stream of Consciousness #1