Snowpocaclypsemageddon 2015!

Omaha, NE is currently in the grip of dealing with back to back snowstorms, in it’s ever so privately-contracted and barely-capable way. That’s another rant for another blog however… Because I’m using this time to catch up on projects and get some of them done.

This flaming column I’ve been working on is totally spontaneous. From my previous 2 posts showing it’s progress, to the paint job on the metal column, I totally let intuition guide me. I had no plan to make it, it just fell together. But first, I’ll quickly share an updated…

Nerdtastic Shopping Trip

The Boris book is mint with the archival quality (library-like) jacket cover. I am so glad it was still there. I basically went back to the used book store straight after work and bought everything I didn’t pick up last time we were there. Scourge of the Slavelords was still there, and yes, it’s complete with the map book!

 Back to the game terrain!

I am excited to have my first bottle of Woodland Scenic’s Realistic Water. Seeing what my YouTube mentors can do with the stuff, I can’t wait to take my own try at some water effects. Also purchased at my local Train Store was a large bag of dark green foliage clusters, a small bag of forest blend bushes, and a small bag of medium green foliage. Those last three are all Woodland Scenic’s products as well. Lastly, I bought a large bag of JTT  Scenery Products fine green turf in “Martian Green”. This is just a nice light kelly green color that I think will mix well with other products I can dress it with, like the darker green and yellow static grass and flocking products that I already have.

Flaming Column Piece, with LED Light, Completion!

Here are the final shots of the LED lit, flaming column piece. The next time I make one, if I can get the LED parts to do another one (I have to find Lemax replacement battery packs and lights for sale), I would definitely make a larger base and build the battery pack into the terrain piece. Using the wires and having a remote switch means I was able to make a smaller overall piece out of it, but I now have the trade-off of having distracting wires on the table.

These two shots, above and below, really show how different the Reaper Miniatures flaming sphere (or fireball) mini looks depending on if the light is on or not. The yellow/orange LED inside the red/orange translucent rubber really glows a nice pleasing shade of fiery orange, in my opinion.

Something to do differently next time: Instead of gessoing over the spikes, I should spray them in a spray primer and keep the gesso on the foam. It’s a little lumpy, especially when you put the steel colored paint over top. I knew this would tone back and look better once it was washed/aged/weathered so I didn’t sweat the smaller bits, and just removed some larger lumps by hand.

And here it is completed. After painting and washing the steel column and spikes to get them just the way I liked, I painted and dry-brushed the block base and I was done.

I have to say, I’m really pleased and proud of how this came out. From just a spontaneous idea, a spark of inspiration, and following my nose, I came up with this awesome LED lit, burning torchiere column. Enjoy!

This photo really shows why the remote switch needs to be built-in somewhere. I hate that wire in the shot, bit this shows the “back” of the piece where it goes in.