[unofficial Weekender] Was it worth it?

[sundancer 43336xp 1]

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First time visitor to OTT? Then please introduce yourself in the New Member Thread and look around in the Project System. Then come back and read on…

https://www.beastsofwar.com/forums/topic/introduce-yourselves-new-member-thread/

https://www.beastsofwar.com/project/

Read all of this before you start as it will save you any trouble later.

First thing you must do is make your “pledge”. It can be anything gaming related, big or small, and you don’t even have to finish it. No, in here, happiness is the road. Have fun doing whatever it is, but it is not a race. Accompany your work with pictures or we might think you are do something sinister and just using us for cover.

You are also presented with a few questions. It is to get the conversation started. Try and keep your answers ‘conversational’, no text speak, and certainly no “basically”. This is how we all get to know each other better. While you are here feel free to tell us a story, show a picture, joke, tales of love or woe, or just add your own little bit. This is the whole point…in here it is just us.

If you have never taken part before we may bark and bite, but we also like a cuddle! It is all done in the best possible taste and it is character building. feel free to give as good as you get.

A few other things to note: NO RELIGION & NO POLITICS! Glasgow pub rules are in effect. If you need to make a better point then it is fine, but don’t take the piss. And always keep it civil. This includes no philosophy, no home computer culture wars.

Play plenty of music to go with your work. Loud and through proper speakers. Write us a playlist of things we might not have heard before.

Now, after all of that there is only one ‘real’ rule in here and it cannot be broken: NO DICKS! (Exceptions may be made for little fighting men with little plastic/resin/metal wieners)

And don’t forget the highlights of the weekend: The Weekender on Friday and XLBS on Sunday. And the little show that is the unofficial Hobby Hangout over at twitch.tv

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Question of the week:

• What hobby expense got you the least value? What was not really worth it after all or plain way to expensive?

And now back to the show.

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[sundancer 43336xp 1]

Plegde: wörk wörk. Diorama progressing slowly.

Answer (that might spark discussion): My airbrush setup.

Before you know start shouting at me that an airbrush is one of the best tools: Yes, technically it is. But for me (personally) it’s not. For reasons.

1. The airbrush lives in the garage and the garage is a mess and there is zero space to work
2. Even when there was space and I did use it a few times the setup to get working really was a PITA
3. I am to dumb/lazy to really make it work. A proper (heated!!!) hobby space would (probably) help.

So yeah, that is a big chunk of change just sitting there. Other than that I think I got at least some value out of most things. The occasional box of minis/models that is still sitting, waiting to be build and painted is something different I feel. Even all my other tools have been used to some extend.

Music:

And now some coffee and news.

[pagan8thParticipant 12559xp 2]

Pledge is the ongoing German army for Bolt Action. Although I bought Afrika Korps my opponent is (probably) going for americans and to avoid the obvious clash in colour palette I’m going paint the Korps in something close to ‘field grey’. I know the uniform is slightly different, but it’s only for a ‘friendly game’.

I think my biggest waste of money was X-Wing miniatures. Played it when it came out and we enjoyed it so I bought a lot of the models (including the big transport and corvette) during the first few years. Almost everything I think.

The reason it was a waste of money is it never got played again. Too many games got cancelled due to scheduling difficulties and now the ships just sit in KR Multicases next to the Warmachine and Hordes armies.

Thinking about it…maybe it’s the fault of KR Multicase as my complete set of painted Imperial Assault is stored in those too and that’s never been played since we did the first campaign.

I also bought an airbrush and lots of paints, but seldom use it. Never got the knack of using it well, but I will persevere once the weather improves so I can use it in a well ventilated and warm environment.

[sundancer 43336xp 0]

With X-Wing is potentially would be in the same boat as you *but* from the very start I’ve seen those ships as nice, collectible display pieces. So even with every mini made by FFG/AMG in my cabinet I still love to look at them.

[pagan8thParticipant 12559xp 0]

I have considered trying that coop campaign as a solo that someone did to blow the ‘cosmic dust’ off them.

[grantinvanman 2469xp 0]

Pledge: finish 12mm Airborne by Sunday, then continue with Necrons.

Worth it: I do have some hobby things that I think “those were expensive” and I question the expense, but in the end, money shows up every month whether I want it to, or not. So next month, I can make a different decision.

[danlee 22475xp 2]

This weeks pledge, yet again, is to continue with the Roknauts. Seems like my kids are getting to the age where they need lifts a lot, and that seems to always eat into my regular evening hobby time slot.

 

• What hobby expense got you the least value? What was not really worth it after all or plain way to expensive? – I guess it would have to be my bolt action terrain. I bought enough resin ruins to represent an entire ruined castle on a 6×4 setup and I don’t think I used it once.

[pagan8thParticipant 12559xp 0]

Talking of Bolt Action… I found this on etsy and it’s only £10.99 with free postage. It’s fdm so won’t look as good as the render, but I’ll see when it arrives. If nothing else it can be a terrain piece.

 

[sundancer 43336xp 1]

Oh yes. I forgot. There is that large 6×4 mega-hex terrain build that is… well gathering dust.

But I made cake!

Hope everybody is alright? I feel a wee bit tired but that’s just the getting up early on a Saturday to bake cake.

[limburger 21906xp 1]

This thread really needs this song :

I’d say my Army Painter mega paint set … but that’s only because the one time I wanted to paint I picked the one colour that just did not work. In hindsight they should have been more clearly labelled as ‘layer’ or ‘base’ paints.

However it’s not the money, but the damage it did to my desire to paint that hurt the most.

I got an airbrush set as well. And like @sundancer I haven’t used it much because I didn’t have any practical space to use it.

However now that I got my own space … all I really need to do is finish my damn hobby space. 🙂
At least that’s what I keep telling myself.

I could argue that kickstarters have been a waste of money, but as I tend to think of them as bringing ideas to retail for (other) people to enjoy I don’t mind it as much. Besides … it’s either that or let mr tax man have all of the moneys, because the IRS doesn’t like it when you put your money into a savings account and it starts to add up to a pretty decent amount due to not having any real expensive habits.

Anyways …

This week’s pledge has fullfilled itself already.

I’ve been to the local boardgame convention. It was a bit of a waste of time, but as it is one of two conventions of this type in the entire year I would have missed not going. I missed it last year, because I was in the same month as I got my now current home. That had shifted focus for me.

I did see one trader who had battletech bits, which made me sad as I am still waiting on my Battletech Mercenaries bits from the kickstarter.

Another trader had Xwing sets at 50% discount. They did have the Ghost (= the ship from the Rebels cartoon), but at 30 Euro it’s still a bit too expensive for what will only ever be a display piece. Besides … it had the v2.0 rules and I’ve only ever had the v1 starter set.

I probably will kick myself when I discover that the ship won’t ever be available again, but hey … that’s life. There’s too many games I can play already. So one less isn’t going to be an issue.

 

[thebelon 7276xp 2]

Hello, think my pledge is to tidy up my hobby space whilst deciding what to paint next. It’s a toss up between some old world empire or some old space crusade miniatures. But also have an itch to paint some epic imperial guard…

I also think my most unused hobby tool is the airbrush.

Luckily I only got a cheap battery powered brush.

The plan was to use it for undercoats and scenery, space is an issue and it usually involves me having to tidy the shed before I can use it. On the other hand when it is in use it’s very useful and speeds up painting no end.

Think whilst tidying will listen to some therapy (not the best with computers so hope the link works bam 💥)

 

[grantinvanman 2469xp 0]

I hear so many people say “airbrush” as their least utilized tool.

I have four … and have actually worn out (literally used them to death!), two.

I use mine for:

 

– Priming (Vallejo primers are flawless with the airbrush)

– basecoats, obviously. Nothing like laying down an even layer of paint

– camouflage – nothing makes camo realistic like the soft edges of the airbrush. Sure, some people can do the blurred edge technique, but it usually just looks … off

– weathering! Dusting and mud effects; chipping effects, with masks – so many things

– and varnishing. This is one where I don’t use my brush as often as I should, but for something like a goalie mask, nothing beats the even layering of mixed lacquers.

Like all tools, you have to put the time in and learn it. I used a 1:35 M113 that was my spray hulk. I probably painted it 100x while I was learning. How to do lines. How to do camo. Masks. That apc was thick with paint when done.

Also, you need a real, tanked compressor to do airbrush right. Otherwise, the air gets cold, and paint will clog faster. No tank? Your paint will “spit” from the action of the compressor. Tank! Tank! Tank! And use a filter for moisture.

Anyway, that’s my airbrush sell.

[sundancer 43336xp 0]

Like all tools, you have to put the time in and learn it.

No argument there but most people (like me) do not have the time or the space to do so. Just going by what was answered here. Hence why it’s a “waste of money” or a “useless tool”.

What good is a hammer if you don’t have any nails? 😉

Sunday! XLBS! I still stand with my ordering of skellibobs!

[pagan8thParticipant 12559xp 1]

Primed all my Afrika Korps. I may have accidentally ordered a command group and armoured car which should be delivered tomorrow… according to the tracking information.

Now begins the slow process of painting the army. Might take the airbrush out and try it for some camouflage on the half-track and panzer.

[limburger 21906xp 1]

@grantinvanman not having a dedicated hobby spot that has limited my use of the airbrush (and practically 99% of my hobby gear as well).

I think I sort of got it dialed in to make it work, but as I never got around to using it again it has sat there taunting me.
The few times I’ve used it it felt fairly easy to use for priming. Not sure if I will ever use it for painting, but that’s going to be a matter of practice.

Heck, I had been planning on finding it again amongst my boxes of items I’ve put in the attic when moving to my current spot.

As such it’s only a ‘waste of money’ because it didn’t get used as much as I had wanted it to. Things can only go up from zero 🙂

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