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Legion Rising - Projects from The Dark Works

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#1 ·


An Introduction ~ Part 1

It came from the frozen northern Chaos wastes… Canada, that is. Welcome to this first in a long line of Text-&-Picture-Walls. (I tend to ramble sometimes, in a good way, with lots of nice photos.) Welcome to my muse, my passion, my obsession… my insanity. The Dark Gods whisper to me from the Warp, and I am compelled to obey. They let me see so many things I want to make real, but I only have one mind, two hands, and so many hours. Oh well, no rest for the wicked, no sleep for the weary… the whispers, the voices in my head, they won’t let me…

I’ve been gaming and playing Warhammer 40,000 on-and-off for over 20 years; the bulk of it, I attempted to collect and paint a Chaos army – Black Legion, more specifically. I always collected a modest force, but it was never as complete or elaborate as I wanted. And so, as it happens to many of us, life distracts us from our addictive little plastic soldiers, and they get tucked away. But for most, that really enjoy the hobby, we always come back. In early 2011 I dusted off my bits boxes, cases of miniatures, supplies, and took stock. I had some solid units that could use some polish to get started with, and a few simple scratch-build projects that never got done. As good a start as any.



I chose to do a cold-centric theme throughout the army; Most accent colours are in neutral or cool colours, and I extended the concept to the blue-grey highlights I use for the Black.



Not all bad guys wear black, but the Legion make a point of it; here's a small block of the army with highlights done, ready for some weathering.

This
time I wanted it to be different; I wanted to really create the unique, personal, and elaborate army that I could see in my mind when I was fifteen, and flipping the Realms of Chaos books. Only in recent kits has GW started to release what I would consider ‘proper’ Chaos Vechile kits; Love or hate the new Daemon Engines, they definitely have a good Chaos style/feel to them. Before this round of kits, Chaos got an extra sprew or two thrown into the box, and that was a major defining look for the faction. Just adding spikes does not a Chaos army make! I do some modest kit-bashing and converting on Troops and HQ to keep the army feeling unique; I like the rank-and-file models to each have a bit of flavor, but nothing too elaborate, yet. Now the vehicles, they offer such a wonderful large canvas to work with. One that has been neglected for far too long.

The idea was simple enough, just take the feel and look of Chaos used on the 'proper' Chaos Troops miniatures and illustrated in the books, and run with it. Read: Lots of banding/trimming, rivets, arrows, points, and layering... lots of layering. I had a general idea of where I wanted the look of the army to go, but now I needed more of a theme. I found direction in the movie Apocalypse Now from the The 1st of the 9th Air Cavalry. In the movie, they are a… ‘self-motivated’ unit that bombs around Vietnam in helicopters looking for good places to surf between (and during) the fighting. During aggressive unexpected assaults, they terrorizing the enemy by playing Wagner (Ride of the Valkyries) over loud speakers attached to the helicopters. Switch helicopters for some VTL vehicles and loud speakers for Dirge Casters and the start of my theme was forming; The 1st of the 9th Black Crusade – Heavy Armoured Cavalry. ('Heavy' so I had added excuse to really armour the vehicles) At the time, fliers were still off in the distance; I knew I wanted some for show at least, for the theme, but formal rules didn’t even exist. So, I choose to focus on a mechanized army to build a core, and then consider some kind of flying transport in the future. In Warhammer 40,000 it’s the feet on the ground that gets things done, after all.



So, I went about making my army look Chaos, without adding any spikes. I should also mention I really like working with Rare Earth (Neodymium) Magnets. Sooo useful!


This Rhino and Predator were the first serious Chaos creations I put together with an eye for the look I was going for. When they were done, I knew I was on to something.

One of my favorite materials is styrene plastic. If you’re trying to build something mechanical and angular, just put your mind to it and you can build it in plastic. Take it far enough and you can build actual working mechanics in nothing but styrene, if you wanted to. As a general tip about learning how to build in styrene, I suggest looking up general scratch building techniques. There are many tabletop gamers who are doing amazing things, but there is much more experience out there if you broaden your search. Military modellers have been scratch building models of exceptional detail for many decades; I just ignore the subject and absorb the technique.



My preferred painting method: Paint the harder stuff messy and quick to get it done looking the way I want. Then go in to carefully clean up the mess. Rinse-and-repeat until finished.




I put a lot of effort into the scratch-build, but these are playing miniatures, I choose to keep the paint job more straight forward and attainable. I let the building do the real talking.

Base colours + Lots of washing and glazing + Simple (but clean) 4-step layered highlighting + A bit of strategically placed blending + Some straightforward sponged chipping + A dusting with weathering powder = Now that's Black Legion without loosing my mind painting it.

By late 2011 I had some good progress on the core I was bringing together, and I figured I’d start showing off some of my work. I started a modest thread showing a few of my builds, and blathering about what I do and how I do it. Little did I know I was already too far down the Dark Path to ever find my way back… wanting to reproduce things, I started to work with RTV rubber making moulds for resin casting. Two things quickly happened: 1) I learned that I am quite good at making complex resin casting moulds. 2) I'm totally hooked to the process and really enjoy doing it! Now, as soon as I could actually replicate my work, that opened another door altogether...

Most of what you see here was just the start, stay tuned for Part 2: I'll show where this has all has lead, and talk about where it's going. For now, thanks for looking, thanks for reading, much more to come...
 
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#231 ·
What a glorious day, and completely fitting since it happens to be May 1st; not only a day to celebrate the onset of spring but also a day to recognize workers’ rights. After a late April cold snap that had it snowing in my area when it’s usually raining, today is finally warm enough to let me open up the windows to the studio and let some fresh spring air in. Conversely, as someone who believes that the world is shifting into a new era that will see major changes in how many will perceive and engage in work, I can identify only too well with the idea of workers having control over their circumstances and fate, as I attempt to get my modest studio up-and-running. This actually touches on a topic I want to elaborate on more as I consider the future of the studio and just how I want it to be structured internally and within the marketplace; I see what I think is an opportunity to create something new and unique to/for the tabletop gaming community, but I digress for now, as I need to get my own start-up issues sorted out before I seriously start considering my next step/s. So, to that end, I woke up today to a new set of components completed by Servitor Solus as I slept…


“That’ll do pig… That’ll do.” - Babe (Yes, I’m an oddly eclectic mix of cultural references) I’ll need to do a few more prints to ensure that these results will be consistent, but this is looking really good!

As recommended by the manufacturer I was initially printing at 25µ XY resolution to get everything setup and running. It’s amazingly precise but it only provides a build area of 48x27mm to work with. While many things can actually fit in this area and larger objects can be cut down (and assembled after printing but before mould making), it’s still a very cramped space to work with despite the excellent resolution. The resolution was so fine that I was hoping that printing at 42µ XY wouldn’t impact the quality too much, but I wouldn’t know until I gave it a try.

So since I needed to adjust the setup anyhow I chose to switch to the 42µ XY resolution which will provide a much more useful 80x45mm build area. For this print, I also experimented with a 15µ Z (layer) resolution, where I’ve been using 25µ Z (layer) resolution up to this point. While there is a slight drop in print quality it really is so subtle that I don’t think it will be an issue at all; a layer of primer and a few layers of paint should deal the vast majority of any issues since most are as small as flaws you find in a styrene injection moulded GW kit. A tiny bit of sanding should deal with any of the ‘bad’ spots and I use the word loosely since even the ‘bad’ spots are still really very good. Once I’m more confident in the calibration I’ll do some painting tests to see what the threshold is to aim for to avoid issues.


I’m still working out the finer points of support placement, so I had a few small issues with some surfaces deforming just a little bit with this print.

The software used to generate the supports can do it automatically, but it tends to be very heavy-handed and lacks accuracy so lots of time is spent cleaning up what was created in an effort to save time. I’ve since started placing my own supports and have gotten good results, but there are a few situations that I need more practice dealing with. I’ve had very few absolute failures but I have had a few issues with deformation due to poor support placement. Not only do supports provide material to an overhang point making it possible to form correctly, they also hold the component steady during the print process to ensure accuracy. Getting the support right has a considerable impact on the final results on several levels.

Even when everything is setup correctly some quirk can occasionally happen with the print and cause a deformation or failure, especially if the object particularly is small or involves unique angles. I’ve come to the conclusion that I may need to print multiples of some objects and select the successful ones out of the batch for final use. Not a major hurdle, but it’s good to note that it’s not an absolute guarantee something will work, even if it did in a previous print. It’s still very reliable, just not absolutely guaranteed.



“Alright Mr. DeMille, I’m ready for my close-up.” - Sunset Blvd. (See, I told you) I hope you like the colour red because it’s likely to feature prominently over the coming months and years.

However, it’s a colour that’s a bit frustrating to photograph since it really doesn’t show contrast all that well. Even trying to tweak the images in Photoshop doesn’t really help that much. There’s just something about this hue of bright red that resists providing the kind of depth in the images that I’m after. I’ll experiment a bit with how I light things going forward and hopefully I can improve on the contrast in the images. It’s not horrible here but it’s also not nearly as strong as I’d prefer it to be.

Like any good experimentation process, taking care to pay attention the different variables as you work through the problem is key. Try not to adjust too many variables at once or it might be hard to determine which one produced a given result or something else unexpected my result. As I was zeroing in on the calibration of Solus the fit of several parts was far too tight; with items I had 3D printed in the past the tolerances I used were good, but they seemed a bit too tight for Solus. So I tweaked the 3D models a bit for this last print and while they worked and fit together some of the parts are actually a bit too loose for my liking now. Again, not a huge problem, but now I need to sit down and really sort out the best practices I’ll need to follow as I do 3D modeling going forward. Since there is a tiny bit of shrinkage during the casting process I need to be sure to get the fit right.

Ok, now it’s just down to the fine-tuning and then I’ll get to work trying to produce some actual casting masters. I’ll be focusing on the Rhino (+ Predator) chassis to start and work my way up in the size of the kits I’ll be doing for it. Once I’ve got a good selection for the Rhino I’ll move to the Land Raider and give it similar treatment. Naturally, there’ll be a bit of overlap with a few kits that’ll work on both. From there I’ll consider my options, and it’s quite likely that there will be some random creations added to the mix along the way.

Thanks as always for reading and following along, there are some interesting times on the horizon and it’s going to be lots of fun exploring the possibilities. Comments, questions, musing, and general ramblings are always welcome. Ideas and food for thought are particularly welcome now as my mind begins to really wrap around the potential that Task Servitor Solus provides to my studio. I will take some time to comment directly to people who have and/or will provide input in the near future, once I’ve got some things sorted out and more time to reflect and reply properly.
 
#232 ·
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+++ Interitus Pattern Missile Launcher + Prototype Fit Tolerance Testing ∙ Ongoing… +++ Initial Components Produced ∙ Assembly Complete +++

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+++ Interitus Pattern Missile Launcher + Test Assembly ∙ Successful +++ Final Tolerance Adjustments ∙ Ongoing… +++ Further Updates to Follow ∙ Standby… +++

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#233 ·
Yeah, straight from the vat the parts look like a complete mess but a quick alcohol wash takes care fo that. They're also still slightly soft and rather sticky at that point but a round in the UV oven sorts that out. For just how little I've actually used Solus I think I'm getting the hang of it. Ultimately it's a combination of user skill and knowledge tempered with some luck; you can set everything up correctly and have parts print incorrectly simply due to bad luck. If everything is setup correctly the odds are vastly in your favor but that's not a 100% guarantee it will print correctly or that some other minor issue won't cause some flaws in the print. But simply, all of the amazingly positive results I've been getting more than outweighs any minor issues I may have.

Ok, so I've been a good little Fabricator General up to this point, keeping my focus on studio 3D models intended for production by the Forge World as I calibrate Servitor Solus. But since I've got some Dragoons to build I figured I'd permit myself a small distraction to create a few test bits that can also serve another purpose...


Inspired by the flat angular elements found in Lucius vehicle designs, I created some armour plates that have a more subtle curve and distinct crease lines. Oh, and droopy toes, I also made a few droopy toes.

This is partly a quick personal project, but also a small test to see if I can do something like this on a whim. The parts have some subtle curves that I want to try and challenge Solus with. I've also just had the idea to create some combat weapon arms to replace the clamps that come with kit; ooo... I like that idea. Or maybe I should integrate the Phosphor Serpenta into one of the arms? Hummm, there might be one or two more bits to come for this idea. Stay tuned.

I've tried hard to keep the critical measurement similar to the parts these bits will replace to ensure the fit, but I won't know until I can test them on the model. Fingers crossed that they'll fit, but there's a good chance I'll need to make some adjustments before they sit on the model correctly. Once they're dialed in, however, they could easily become a low-cost kit for the shop (minus the Atrum Laboris elements); in this case, given the price of the model they attach to, I'd want to keep the kit reasonably simple and as low-cost as possible.

These will be getting transmitted to Servitor Solus shortly, so I should have parts-in-hand by tomorrow at the latest. I'll be sure to take a few images of the components fresh from the vat and some of how they fit/look on the model.
 
#234 ·
Useful distraction time!! One part personal project, one part equipment testing, and one part product development. So, while I was 3d printing some other items that will be used during mould making (more on that in a future article) I added the new Dragoon/Ironstrider parts. With these components, I have since concluded that Servitor Solus is a small piece of the Omnissiah made real and gifted to my Forge World so that I might make my ideas real.


Here’s an image to give an idea of how subtly curved the surfaces is that I’m trying to print; concave or convex, Servitor Solus delivers top quality surfaces.

This is the first attempt at 3D printing the components and they look really good but the fit isn’t quite there; the plate is sitting too far away from the leg, the radius that could be matching the round detail of the hip is off, and I didn’t leave nearly enough clearance for the hoses that attach to the inside of the leg. That said, the parts look good otherwise and the overall forms are blending with the model nicely, if I do say so myself.


On the left is the first attempt, printed straight vertically. On the right is the second attempt that was tilted 10° to try and improve the surface quality, but it made the result worse.

I’m still unsure if there’s a better sweet spot for the printing angle of this component, but even the first attempt is actually quite good. You can see layering when the light reflects off of the surface, but it’s so subtle it can hardly be felt if you drag your fingernail across the surface. Its surfaces like this that have me wondering if a layer of primer and paint will hide the marks or will it be better to refine the surface a bit before mould making. I’ll be sure to do some painting tests at some point to attempt to find out where the tipping point is for this. I want to avoid labour if it’s not needed, but surface problems are so rare with parts created by Solus even if I do need to sand a few surfaces before mould making, that’s a small price to pay for all the other things Solus does right.


To the left I sanded the first print with a 600 grit sanding stick just a little bit to get this smooth result. To the right is the part straight from Servitor Solus.

See, the effort to clean up this component is very minor and it’s quite easy to get really nice results so it’s not that much of an issue to deal with it. Solus does a great job of avoiding these issues on most surfaces but when they do show up they’re easy to deal with compared to any other 3D prints I’ve worked with in the past. The more I work with Servitor Solus the more I’ve come to conclude that it is some small part of the Omnissiah made real and gifted to my Forge World so that I might make my ideas a reality. It’s far from foolproof but there’s no denying the results, and every test I throw at it has me come away convinced that Solus is more than up to the tasks I will be requiring it to complete in the future.

I show large images to illustrate how seriously I’m taking the issue of quality, I really want to produce some of the best kits on the market and I want people to be able to see for themselves the standards I’m after. It’s taken a little longer than I wanted to get everything up-and-running, but now that I’m in the final testing of Solus I know the last pieces of this first puzzle are falling into place. For now, the first round of mould making is underway so further updates will be coming soon.


Praise be to the power of iteration! The fit of this second attempt is better but it’s going to take at least one more round of tweaking to perfect it.

That said, even with a few alignment and clearance issues (there’s still not enough room for the hoses to attach to the inside of the leg – D’oh!) I think the parts are turning out quite well. They give the model a unique look without it being too dramatic of a change. I’m particularly happy with how the combat arm attachment turned out…


I actually tried to print six of them in a few different poses but five of them failed to print correctly. I already know what went wrong, so this shouldn’t happen again in the future.

With all sorts of details just fractions of a millimeter in size I was worried Servitor Solus might not be able to reproduce everything, but right down to the tiny gear teeth around the inside circle of the serrated blade, Solus was up to the task. Heck, each of the teeth on the blade is only 0.8mm tall by 1.0mm wide and they’re all perfect. There’s literally no reason why I might want to create details smaller than this, so this really shows that Solus has opened the portal to virtually any idea in my mind becoming a reality, if I can model it in 3D. Interesting times ahead…

As always, comments, questions, input, ideas, and general hobby musings are always welcome. Thanks for looking and following along.

*Subtle wanders off to do more 3D modeling*
 
#235 ·

+++ Neural Congress ∙ Initialized +++ External Vox Vocalizer ∙ Activated + "Third iteration, blessed by the Omnissiah!" + Broadcast Diabolical Laughter ∙ 03 +++ Data Downlink ∙ Ongoing... +++
 
#236 ·
Here’s a bit of a mixed bag with this update. First up I wanted to show some images from the studio’s workbench to illustrate what I’m doing to improve and streamline my mould making process. I’m sure there’s a few of you who’ve been reading my recent articles outlining my progress working with Servitor Solus and wondering ‘what the heck is taking so long to get casting?!’ and I wanted to take a moment to show what I’ve been doing that’s delated me a bit. This is an effort to reduce the labour of producing casting moulds to improve their production in the future, while also aiming for a top quality outcome that will ensure the best possible casts for the customer.

I’ve mentioned it a few times over the years, but I’ll reiterate, I hate ‘split moulds’ which are very common in casting resin models; with a split mould you place the object in the mould box and pour one complete block of rubber to completely encase the object, and then cut into the rubber down to the master object to free it from the mould rubber. While this is a method that saves labour during the mold making process it comes with problems that I simply despise. Not only can you damage the casting master as you cut it free, if the object is small and/or thin it can be very difficult if not impossible to cut the item free in a clean manner; even if you can cut the item free it generally creates an uneven mould line that you have very little control over. As such, they tend to ‘slip’ rather easily producing really obvious mould lines at best and horrible detail ruining mould slips at worse. Ever see a really nice resin cast model with a big ugly mould line/slip in a rather odd/obvious location? You can thank quickly made split moulds used/run as quickly as possible for that.

My studio will Never use split moulds. By producing a two-part mould extra time and labour is needed but you can have complete control over where the mould line goes and you can produce a mould that literally resists mould slipping and therefore creates almost invisible mould lines almost every time. Done right, this can also help the mould open and close making it easier to extract the components without damaging the mould and/or badly warping the part. Given the cost of RTV rubber, putting some extra labour into making a mould that can be in use for years to produce dozens of copies of an object seems like a shrewd investment; since it also means that it noticeably improves the quality of the components produced, this is simply a no-brainer choice for the studio to standby.

A quick first point, the RTV rubber is not binding to the surface of the 3D prints made by Solus as I make the moulds. This small detail is a huge positive for the studio. Past 3D prints made with the PolyJet process (what Shapeways uses) creates components that have a porous surface that needs to be properly sealed before making moulds, or the rubber binds with the object causing all sorts of problems. Servitor Solus makes parts with such a refined and smooth surfaces this issue simply doesn’t happen; to say this is a good outcome would be a huge understatement. It’s not something most people might even concern themselves with, but know that I’m the kind of perfectionist that does it on your behalf. :)


Encouraged by the accuracy that Solus has been achieving I’ve been working out the tolerances to produce ‘inserts’ that fit into the negative space of parts during the mould making process.

If an object you’re casting has a nice flat back it’s a simple process of laying it on the casting clay, adding the vents/gates, and pouring RTV rubber over the item; once the first half is cured flip the mould, remove the casting clay, and pour the second half. Now, if the object has all-around details with no obvious flat side and/or has obvious overhangs and/or holes that will lock the item in the rubber, you need to find some way to back-fill them to block the rubber in the first half of the mould. Up to this point I did this by hand using the casting clay, sharp blades, and sculpting tools to fill in these kinds of locations. This is where labour in creating a two-part mould can add up, and every time the mould wears out the process needs to be repeated. I’ll do it if I have to, but I wanted to find a better way.

With Servitor Solus completely at my disposal, opposed to outsourcing my 3D printing, I was able to do the trial-and-error necessary to get the tolerances as tight as I could manage to create standardized inserts for the components that will benefit from them. The example above is quite simple, but even with more complex objects creating a seat to occupy the negative area is reasonably straightforward in Solidworks. So, in most cases where it’s needed I should be able to create an insert for a component to simplify the process; place the object on the insert to make one side flat, place them on the clay, add the vents/gates, pour the rubber, cure the first half and flip, remove the clay, pull out the inserts, and pour the second half of the mould. Also, note how doing it this way will have the mould line follow the inside corner/edge perfectly making it really easy to clean up.

The last hurdle I’m trying to figure out with this process is how to better seal the paper-thin gap between the insert and the component so it resists the RTV rubber from seeping in between the two objects. If it’s not sealed the pressure curing process I use on my moulds creates a film of rubber that needs to be cleaned up before pouring the second half of the mould. Not a huge deal but it would be nice to avoid it to further streamline the process. I’m researching if there’s a readymade product that can do the job but it might just be as simple as adding a bit of petroleum gel in the gap and cleaning the edge. So, a few more tests are still ongoing to see if I can solve this, but the overall idea of making precision fit inserts in general seems to be viable thanks to how well Solus works.

All that said, the first moulds for the Pintle Weapon Kit (Certamen Mk.1, 2, 3) will be starting to finish over the next few days and the first casts and test assemblies will follow shortly after; I can’t wait to see the parts in grey resin. With limited equipment right now mould making is a bit of a catch-22, since I need to use my casting chambers to create my moulds the process unfortunately stops me from being able to cast, and vice-versa. Naturally, more chambers are planned, but for now it’s an annoying reality.

Ok, with all of that word salad dished out, let’s have last look (for now) at the final successful iteration of the Dragoon/Ironstrider bits to see how they turned out, shall we?


Since the red color tends to mute the contrast in the parts, here’s a screenshot of the last bits I did for the Dragoon/Ironstrider in Solidworks.

The first print I did of the Phosphor Serpenta arm was good but it didn’t quite ‘feel’ right to me and seemed a bit heavy; after it was commented that it seemed a bit off balance I figured it wouldn’t hurt to tweak the 3D model a bit. In the above image the back end of the weapon has been slimmed down a little to remove a bit of bulk while still keeping the same form, opposed to the Serpenta in the photograph below. It’s a subtle change but I think it suits the arm better now. These bits were a bit of a distraction within a distraction, but I’m so pleased with how all the components turned out I’m glad I took the time to make the extra bits. The components only change, what, 5-10% of the model? But it really does give the model a distinct look while not diverging too much.


After the second iteration that missed the mark it dawned on me what to do to quickly zero in on the fit I was trying to achieve.

The first parts were done ‘blind’ by taking measurements of the existing components and model which will work to get the general shape but will struggle to get a really exact match. Once a printed component can be placed on the model there is something to provide solid reference points to work with. I simply sketched the shapes of the model details I was trying to conform to (the round cap of the hip and the oval area of the pipe connections) how they appeared out of alignment, then lock the sketch so it couldn’t move, and altered the 3D model to conform to the sketch… And I’ll be damned if it didn’t work as well as I could have hoped. Again, it’s a little technique that’s actually a large insight that will be very useful for many future projects where I’ll need to zero in on the fit of a curved and/or complex component. It was good to figure it out on something small like this so it can save me time and materials on larger projects. *Subtle glances over at his half assembled Knight and mutters, “Soon.” Under his breath*

Next up, I need to get the other two Dragoons cleaned up and assembled, so this project will go dark for a bit before returning once I’ve got the group closer to being ready for primer. Naturally, if I do anything else of note for the project along the way I’ll try to remember to document the process. I’m trying hard to force myself to photograph what I’m doing more often, as I keep finishing things and thinking I should have documented the process.

Thanks as always for reading and following along. Ok, now I’m all worded out.

*Subtle shuffles off to find something to jam into his food hole*
 
#237 ·

Oooo... the very first casts are up! Mmmm... polyurethane resin. *Subtle rubs his hands together expectantly*

I'm still making moulds so I can't do a proper casting run yet, but I had to get a few done to see how they're turning out. Everything is looking as good as I could have hoped for. Now let's see how all the parts come together, shall we?
 
#239 ·

Caughtby a fit of distracting inspiration, to accompany the Vehicle Pintle Weapons, I'm taking a quick diversion to crank out a redesign of the Vehicle Accessories I created.

This is the Searchlight that I'll be using as a base (the Searchlight part is removable), and from here I'm going to create a Loud Speaker (Aka: Dirge Caster), and a Radar/Comms dish for this base and a separateSmoke Launcher bit to complete the set; the kit will include a few Smoke Launchers and several bases with a selectionof the modular bits for the builder to choose during assembly. I decided to get briefly distracted by this redesign becauseI think it will pair well with the Vehicle Pintle Weapons kits (moulds are finished, casts are great, more on that kit soon...) and I'll be bundling the two together when they hit the shop.

As mentioned, the Pintle Weapons are done (after being delayed a few days after running out of rubber) and now I just need to get some proper photos taken of them. I'll share some images very soon. The casting masters for the Interitus Missile Launcher (Aka: Havoc Launcher) kits have finished 3D printing and mould making is ongoing. Expect to see much more poly resin over the next few updates followed by more new designs becoming reality.
 
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#242 ·
Thanks! Now that I have all of the pieces of the puzzle together I can make almost anything, within reason. Expect to see all sorts of new things now that I'm getting things sorted out. Fun (if a bit stressful) times! :)
 
#243 ·
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Ok, so maybe four versions of the Interitus Missile Launcher redesign with four missile options was a bit ambitious to start, but I really wanted to make versions suited to Loyalist and Chaos aaand an alternate version with a lower profile, so four was what had to be. With the number of moulds required and the additional cure time the new rubber is adding, it’s taking longer than expected; driving home that I simply need more and/or larger pressure chambers sooner rather than later; all in due time. However, things are progressing and while there still a few moulds to go, the end of these are in sight… sorta’.


I’m happy to find that the components don’t need any special treatment before the mould making process. Past 3D prints I’ve worked with had a porous surface that would bind with the mould rubber if the parts weren’t treated.

So, thankfully this isn’t a problem with the components Solus is producing. I still need to remove and clean up the supports used during the printing process, but that’s not too bad, usually. While the printing resin is very strong and hard it’s also somewhat brittle and it’s prone to chipping if you don’t take care as you file and sand them away. If it happens it’s usually a toss-up between repairing the chip mark or just printing a replacement part. Beyond that, this is how parts turn out straight from the printer right into the RTV rubber. Fewer steps in the production process, It’s a good thing.


Moulds for the Launchers are still in the works, but the yolk is ready and looking great. Naturally, it’s magnetized for posing/swapping and they’ll be included in the kit.

The only catch with the yolk components is hidden within the current moulds. While they’re producing great parts I’m finding that it takes quite a bit of force to remove the parts from the moulds. The new rubber I’m using is very tough but I’m just not sure how many pulls I’ll be able to reliably get from them like this. The mixed outcome is somewhat good since I had done them as simple and straightforward as possible, so I can see now that I’m going to have to do them in a way that’ll take a bit more work, but that’s just what some components need if you’re going to make moulds in what I feel is the right way. The two-part moulds take more time and effort, but I just can’t ignore the superior results.

Besides that minor hiccup, these are looking as good as I could have hoped. The rest of the moulds will be finishing up over the next few days and fully assembled photographs of the kits will be sure to follow. After that, I’m going to be pulled by my ear, figuratively… mostly, but a bit literally, by my family to spend a week out of the city at the cottage. While a large part of me doesn’t want to leave the manufactorum as I’m finally gaining momentum again, I’m quite sure it’s in my best interest to relent and expose myself to some unpolluted atmosphere, some dirt, and a dose of solar radiation in order to maintain some semblance of an immune system. Naturally, I’ll be taking some hobby supplies and such along with me for the evenings, so I’ll keep some progress going of some sort, but I’m still not sure just what quite yet.
 
#244 ·
Well, I’m not going to get all the moulds done before I flee the city for the week (heading out early tomorrow), but I’m in the home stretch. I just need to get the second pair of missile components moulded for this set but that’s no problem now that I’ve done the first two and they’ve worked out perfectly.


Split like this to solve a production problem with rocket/missile ordinance loaded in tubes, it’s worked out nicely. However, the sprew is causingthe part to be a tiny bit out of alignment in this image.

When created something like this as a single part the mould will wear out rather quickly as the delicate rubber creating the missile detail tears away; a mould for a part like this would need to be replaced 4-5 times beside the moulds for the rest of the kit and that just didn’t make sense. This solution was to avoid that problem, and it solves the problem perfectly as the moulds for both of these parts will now wear about the same and in line with the rest of the moulds for the kit. But once I solved the problem it quickly became apparent that it also adds to the design in other ways. First. I made a few different missile types to add options for the builder. It’s also very easy to remove a few missiles and drill out the back plate to make the rack look like it’s launched a volley or two. People who prefer to do subassembly paint jobs might also want to paint the missiles first before inserting them in the front plate. A reasonably small change equals win, win, win, for the kit? Works for me!


From my mind, to the computer, to Servitor Solus, to reality. Since the old counts-as Havoc Launcher was one of the first kits that my studio started producing, it’s fitting that it should be one of the first to get a proper reboot.

A few moulds in the set will need a bit of tweaking the next time I make them, to let the parts pulling free easier, but that’s no problem and all part of the ever ongoing process. Everything assembles perfectly with just a tiny bit of wiggle room to permit glue between seams and gaps and avoid any possible shrinkage causing fit issues. As with the Pintle Weapons, this is one part creating a new’ish kit, but also one part testing the waters to make sure more ambitious future designs should be possible. Not that I expected any problems but these first few kits were small enough to fail without wasting too many resources. Prototyping resin is expensive so naturally, I want to save mistakes and testing for the small stuff. Again, just look at those clean lines, sharp details, accurate fit, smooth surfaces, and know that I am completely giddy with anticipation to see just what I can do with this at my disposal. Oh little Havoc launcher, you signify so much more. *Subtle grins wickedly*

The Mk.4A Loyalist version is also finished and looking great, but I just don’t have time to assemble one right now. I still need to complete the moulds for the lower profile ‘B’ versions and the corresponding missile insert components so the ‘A’ kits will be in production a few days after I return to the studio and the ‘B’ kits a few days after that. Thanks as always to everyone past, present, and future, who are making it possible for me to do this seriously. I hope that I continue to show that I’m very serious about producing some of the best models and miniatures available, and while the start-up is going a bit slow there are great things in The Works as the momentum continues to build over the coming weeks, months, and years.
 
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#245 ·
+++
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Comm-Link ∙ Active
+++++++

+++ NeuralCongress∙ Initialized +++ Transmit∙ 'Dragoon Zero-Six tack Zero-One... Telemetryconfirmed. Hold for Engagement Protocol down-link.' +++ Receiving∙ 'Zero-Six tack Zero-One... Transmitconfirmed. Slowing locomotion to 3%. Awaiting Engagement Protocol down-link.' +++
++
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Comm-Link ∙ Active
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+++++++++
+++
 
#247 ·
++++
+++++++++
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Comm-Link ∙ Active
+++++
+++++++
Information Exchange ∙ Update
++++++

+++ Compiling Data +++ Data Review ∙ Complete +++ Kastelan STC Evaluation ∙ Complete +++ Assessing Data… +++
++++++
+++
Preliminary Assessment ∙ Displaying…
+++++++
++
Optical Input Array ∙ Inferior ∙ Poor field-of-view hinders situational awareness during combat engagements.
+++
Onboard Ammunition Supply ∙ Inadequate ∙ Limited ammunition solution shortens effective ranged combat durations.
++++
Rate of Fire ∙ Average ∙ Improved projectile delivery solutions would significantly improve target saturation.
+
Close Combat Weapons ∙ Uninspired ∙ The Omnissiah demands improved combat weapons worth of this honoured chassis.
++++
+
+++
Iteration Subroutines ∙ Active
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Altering STC ∙ Ongoing…
+++
+++
Improvement recommendations to follow. Standby…
++++++
++
Comm-Link ∙ Active
+++
++++
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++
 
#248 ·
Arg! (Really? You’re going to start this with ‘Arg!’) – (Yes, yes I am.) Heh… ok, so I’m having a bit of a hard time formulating how to write this because I suspect that this update is going to be a bit scattered. So I guess I’ll just start at the beginning and go from there. While on a certain level I should be painting (the Dragoons will be getting a coat of primer soon enough) when I can find the time for personal projects, I just haven’t been feeling the groove for that and I’ve only had the itch to build. So I figured as long as it’s in my list I may as well not fight the flow and I turned my attention to the Kastelan robots I’ve been alluding to.

Up front I want to say just how impressed I am with how the Kastelan kits assemble, using small hidden locking pins and tabs to make it easy for those who want to build them as-is; but if you remove the pins and tabs the model becomes adjustable at the ankles, knees, and hips, providing a more ambitious builder the option to change the pose however they’d like. Even the toe caps on the feet have a simple rocking mechanism to provide a little bit of added flexibility to the pose of the feet. Whoever designed this kit had the right idea, that’s for sure.


When in doubt, mock it up. Sometimes there’s no alternative to just making a few quick tests using some paper and minimal materials.

I never liked the curved magazines on the Phosphor Blasters and always felt that they should be at least larger ammo drums. The way the Kastelan kit assembles, it’s all but begging to have the lower arms totally replaced and I think I’ll be doing that when I get to making alternative Close Combat Weapons. So I considered creating large ammo drums attached to the arms, but then I saw a conversion with a back-mounted ammo pack with a feed leading to the arm and it really seemed appropriate. In order to get the right length and an idea of what kind of curve would be the best starting point, I did some quick-n-dirty mockups with some arcs of paper. I’ve also always been underwhelmed with the barrels, so some bits of styrene tube quickly visualized some obvious barrel swaps that will help complete the updated look.

Not only did the test with paper strips help me with the shape and curve of the ammo feeds, it also illustrated that the ammo feed will really want to swing back-and-forth depending on the position of the arm. Where I would have likely made the ammo belt feed straight out of the ammo box if I didn’t do these tests, this gave me the idea to make the attachment round so it could rotate. Not only will it be functional, I think it adds a good detail that will tie the components into the rest of the model.

Happy with the shapes and forms I was getting after a few tries I figured it would be a good idea to test just how easily I could expect the materials I’ll be working with to bend and twist. No matter how I design these components the ammo feeds are going to need to be bent and shaped to fit the model.


I’m pleased to discover that the resin used by Servitor Solus is thermodynamic (Oooo… a $4 word) so there’s no problem heating it to deform it.

While I’m not sure I’ll be taking advantage of this property all that often in the future, it’s nice to know I have the option to 3D print something flat and heat-form it if that is useful. I also took the time to quickly do a test with the polyurethane resin that I use to cast. Resin has the same properties, letting you heat it, deform it, and when it cools it will hold the new shape, but I’d never actually done this deliberately with this resin so I just wanted to make sure it’ll play nice. I’ll be 3D printing these parts for my own use but when I do them as a kit for the shop in the future I just wanted to make sure there’d be no surprises. To anyone wondering, yes, I will be producing all of the kits I create for my Mechanicus army project to be offered in the shop, but they’ll be happening sometime in the future when I’ve got a few other projects done first.


I wasn’t sure which I preferred, so I did versions for both of the barrel ideas; an over-under ‘two fingers’ pew-pew style, and a tri-barrel rotary spray-n-pray version.

Since neither is too elaborate it wasn’t too hard to do a 3D model for each idea so I can see how each one looks in the end. I’m very tempted to do another version of this idea that completely replaces the lower arms with more elaborate ‘death rays’ with large swags of cables to attach to the power plant, but for now, I think this is a solid upgrade that wasn’t too much work and should blend nicely with the model. I think it’ll go a long way to elevate the badass factor of the Kastelan a notch or two.

I do have plans to do Close Combat Weapons, but they’re going to be more elaborate and I don’t have any melee Kastelan Robots in my list right now, so I’ll return to do those in the future. I think what I want to try to create is three ‘buzz saw’ blades that have a snipping scissor action so they can emulate the original fists a little. A suggestion to incorporate Combustors into the weapons is also something I think I’ll add as well. But, as I said, unfortunately there just isn’t enough time to tackle them right now but expect to see them appear sometime in the future.

Well, that is after I do something about that damn head… “Oh, this won’t do. You’re such an interesting monster. An interesting monster requires an interesting hair doo!” ~ Bugs Bunny


I respect how faithful they’ve tried to be in creating the Kastelan model; I’ve seen the original concept sketches so I understand why it looks how it does and why it stands out in the Mechanicus line.

When the Mechanicus line was first released, to me, the Kastelan Robots seemed a bit out-of-place and they didn’t mesh that well with the rest of the models. While their look has grown on me over time I still think they have several design elements that make them unique within the line. If someone thinks this is a good or bad thing is obviously subjective, but my point is that I didn’t think I could do anything that would dramatically change the look of the models, but I could address a few choices that were made to be faithful to the original concept sketch, but which I think detract from the design. In this case, it’s gotta’ be the egg head with the derpy ‘viewport’ that provides no peripheral vision.

The concept on the right was my original plan when I started this, but the version on the left, that’s truer to the original, happened along the way; once I got the armoured shell done it was just too easy to add the smooth screen/glass to create an alternate version. I think both do a good job to provide the model with a unique look while getting rid of that niggling problem of no peripheral vision. Taking a few design cues from the Omnispex I’m quite pleased with how they both turned out and I can’t wait to see how they look on the Kastelan model. As with the components I made for the Dragoon/Strider kit, I won’t know how well they will fit the model until I have a chance to 3D print them; odds are good that they’ll need a bit of adjustment to perfect the fit.

Unfortunately, I haven’t had the time *Subtle’s eye twitches* to get Servitor Solus working on these yet… *Teeth clenched, Subtle’s face contorts horribly and then relaxes* … so these digital previews will have to do for now. Once I find the time *Eye twitch!*, I should have some prints to show in the near… *Looking as if he’s about sneeze, Subtle’s head suddenly explodes! After a moment, his hands begin to blindly collect the pieces raining down and awkwardly attempting to reassemble them on his neck.*

 
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#249 ·
I’m sorry up front if this turns into a bit of a ramble. I’ve been trying to work several things out and it’s got me thinking about lots of stuff at once, and rather than agonizing over ‘presentation’ I’m just going to try and get it all down. For those seriously interested in seeing The Dark Works grow I ask you to please read (or skip) to the end.

I really wanted to reply sooner, but the delay illustrates the catch-33 (a mutated evolution of a catch-22) that I’m now in and why I was saying in my last post that things might be a bit scattered. I’m trying to do several things on different fronts so it’s hard to talk about them all and keep them distinct. While it is a joke, some days I really do think my head is going to explode as ideas, goals, expectations, and plans keep bouncing around inside my skull. I really enjoy writing these updates aiming to make them closer to small written articles than just a typical W.I.P. post and they’re very intentionally meant to be an extension of the studio. I’ll get to why I think this is important later, but the point I’m making here is that these updates are work that takes away from my studio time and that’s really been pulling at me as I try to reconcile everything right now.

With regards to studio work, I’m progressing, but I keep underestimating the time things will take; I keep thinking that once I’ve got the moulds done I’m finally good-to-go for the new kit/s, and that’s true, buuut only after I take a few kits and assemble them very cleanly, carefully take photos, tweak and edit the photos, set up the shop for the new product, and do a casting run for the kit/s. Yeah, just get the mould done and you’re good-to-go… after all that other stuff. And that’s just the basics to take the prototype and get it into production so while I’m doing that I’m also trying to juggle everything else. I’ve said it before, I’m starting to completely sympathize with a Tech Priest who suddenly realizes that an extra arm might not be such a bad idea. Servitor Solus is truly a gift of the Omnissiah, but a servo-harness sure could come in handy right about now.

So, with only two hands and one brainpan to work with, time and multitasking are naturally my biggest barriers right now. However, I’ve been really pondering as I work and with the success of this first round of kits, I think it may be time to find my can opener and let some worms out. I’m making good progress but it’s not quite enough as I start to really push to gain momentum, and I need to accept the reality that I need some extra breathing room.


When I first devised the solution to split the missiles from the tube they were sitting in I had no idea if it would really work or be practical.


Now that I’ve got the proof-of-concept in my grubby fingers and in front of a camera, I think the results speak for themselves.

First up, a final look at the Interitus Missile Launchers to showcase the various missiles types and how they look in grey resin. These have turned out so well that I’m really looking forward to exploring the concept in future projects, large and small. You can expect to see a selection of ordinance to choose from in all future missile based weapons, but I might need to space them out a bit as making the moulds for the missile components does slow down the overall completion of the kit.

Sharp-eyed viewers might notice a few lines and/or some layering showing up in a few spots thanks to the strong lighting I’m using. Rest assured that while you can see them in the images because of the lighting they are so fine (20µ or less) that I’m all but positive they will disappear under a layer of primer and paint. I’m going to be priming my next round of Mechanicus models for painting soon so I’ll be sure to do a few of the new kits as well so I can get some paint on them and see how they look with some colour. However, as with everything, I’m rather strapped for time and it will happen when it can happen; the Dragoons are all but begging to get some paint so it’s getting very hard to ignore them.


The moulds for the lower profile ‘B’ variant are also complete and they’re looking great but I’ve only just started to cast them.

The success of the fit and assembly is also encouraging. I’ve mentioned in the past that I want to create a Modular Assemble System in my kits providing unique assembly options, modular inserts, and ranges of kits that are designed to be compatible and interchangeable. This small series of kits illustrates the concept perfectly. It’s not just a single missile rack kit intended to primarily be a counts-as Havoc Launcher; choose the style, the loadout, how you assemble it, where you want to mount it, and magnets will always be included to aid in that flexibility further. Better miniatures for better builds.™

So, I’ve been slowly casting in the background, while I try to work on all the other facets of the studio, while also wanting to create some content, while… slowly… going… crazy. Yup, I have to accept that I need to get some crowdfunding support started. I’m happy with my results and I know that the momentum is starting but it’s not going to happen fast enough. I’m starting to bounce on the breaking even line but I need some proper positive flow if this is going to start taking off at any kind of serious pace and that’s what I need right now in order to cover expenses, invest in lots of the less glamorous things that the studio needs in the background, and ultimately expand outside of the basement, hire more staff, and/or find the right partner/s. I’ve hesitated because I know that it’s going to require me to split my attention even further as I figure out how to set it up and in turn since it will also require that I start actually marketing the studio on a larger scale than I am currently; I’m not that keen on the added task/s in the juggling act but reality doesn’t care about my feelings and it’s inevitable so why not now?

Thing is, most reasonably comparable crowdfunding drives I’ve been looking at for inspiration involve a small group of people and they can illustrate with images and/or 3D models what they have planned in order to create a series of funding goals. I’m not really in a position to do that; I have a huge list of future projects, and I like to think my work so far shows that I’m up to the task of making them real, but I don’t have the funds or the time to create the illustrations and/or 3D models to showcase a large body of kits that I want to create. I know I have a good body of work I can present to show I’m capable, but I’m worried about a lack of visual aids to really illustrate my ideas for kits going forward. Additionally, because I’m in complete control of the entire manufacturing process, unlike other studios I don’t really need a large block of money to outsource the manufacturing that is the core of the business; I need some extra capital flowing in to help with general month-to-month costs, strategic investment in equipment over time, and help in building up some reserve in preparation to really expand. Finally, how the heck do I keep the content creation as part of this? I love doing it and really want to expand/evolve/improve it over time, but quite frankly it is work that I’m doing, that does create value (if the feedback is any indication), and right now I’m doing it for free. If I had my way I would gladly keep doing it completely for free but I can’t ignore the reality that it takes away from my very valuable studio time so I need to tie it in if I’m going make it work.

Still with me? Wow, really? I appreciate your putting up with my rambling attempts to describe some of what I’m trying to sort out. If I can write all of this, just imagine what it’s like inside my brain, because this is just a fraction of it all. And then there’s ‘the voices from the warp’ constantly giving me more ideas and plans and laughing/daring/taunting me all the time and well, it gets a bit noisy sometimes… errr… Where was I?

So, what I’m going to do is set up a Patreon account and another conventional crowdfunding source like GoFundMe. The GoFundMe will be for those who want to invest a larger single amount in exchange for future product. To keep things straightforward I think I’ll make it a flat % bonus on every dollar invested; for example, invest $30 and when the selection of kits you’re interested in is available receive $40 in product of your choice; I’m still contemplating just what % is generous without shooting myself in the foot. I’ll provide an itemized list of planned kits and work at them as I see fit providing previews and updates as often as I can manage for transparency sake. However, one of the rewards I will offer people who are interested in funding me at higher levels will be to pick what kit the studio will focus on; it will need to be on a first-come-first-serve basis but if someone is willing to offer a ‘tip’ and enough up front to buy several of an elaborate kit, then yes, The Dark Works would be happy to attend to your wargear needs more promptly.

For those who would like to support the studio through its content creation and might be interested in seeing it improve and evolve to video I’ll offer Patreon for support. For now, if I can get even a modest number of people to donate $1 a month I can better justify taking a day off to write up an article and if it gains enough momentum they can be more frequent, larger, and more involved; more in-depth how-to articles and additional fiction, for example. In the future, I’ll be expanding the studio outside of the basement but I don’t want to move the entire studio, only the casting equipment, mould library, and stock, which take up the most room, make the most noise, and create the most mess. With the extra room and all of the digital design equipment remaining I’ll turn the space into a proper set to shoot video on so I can elevate the content to the next level. I’ll be doing all of these processes anyhow, so I’m sure there are people who would like to get some insight by watching over my shoulder. I’d be happy to make tutorials and document the process for those who might be interested; mould making, casting, scratch building, painting, 3D modeling, and anything else people might like to see and hear me ramble on about.

Please keep in mind that this is a 3-5 year plan, so it’s not like I’m trying or expecting to be doing anything too ambitious for some time, but I need to set the goalposts somewhere as I work to build momentum. It’s like I’m putting together a jig-saw puzzle and I’ve got the outer edge done. I’ve got all the piece here, I just need to put them together and see what the picture looks like.

Ok, I think I’ve mused quite enough for one sitting, but I’d be happy to hear feedback, ideas, and any suggestions that might provide some perspective or any other insight. As I mentioned, with this will also arise a need for more exposure and marketing, so I’m happy to entertain input anyone might think would be helpful. Feel free to reply here, by PM, or by email via The Dark Works depending on how directly you’d like to talk. I’m still considering so much, I’m happy to get some perspective from outside of my self-made bubble.
 
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#252 ·
Thanks! As is typical for me it's a distracting side project that popped into my brain and wouldn't leave until I explored it some. I did manage to 3D print some components but I screwed up and forgot to mix the resin properly so they prints didn't turn out. I'll be showing them at some time in the future after I get it right.

Some people in other corners of the internet said they were considering and/or tired the same thing for Dreadnaughts and suggested that I consider something suited to them in the future. I want to create all manner of weapon systems for all sorts of vehicles, so this is something that's going to get added to the 'great list of ideas I wanna do'.

I wish you good fortune. I keep checking back to your store but the items I really dig are usually out of stock. I'd love to see you succeed; you make beautiful stuff!
Thanks for the feedback and support. Slowly but surely I will be redesigning and restocking everything and adding lots of new stuff along the way. As I alluded to in my looooong post, right now I'm just running out of everything, time, materials, equipment capacity, etc., so I need to juggle and focus on one thing while others wait their turn. It can be frustrating and it's a big part that's forcing me to accept that I need to start to create some additional funding if I'm going to accelerate the process. That said, I'll always aim to keep communicating as I move along the path I'm taking, so stay tuned going forward and I'll do my best to keep everyone in the loop.
 
#251 ·
I wish you good fortune. I keep checking back to your store but the items I really dig are usually out of stock. I'd love to see you succeed; you make beautiful stuff!
 
#253 ·
Sounds good, man. I'll keep checking back.

I'm moving house soon, so I'm hoping to get back to minutes afterwards. Once your go fund me is launched.
 
#256 ·


+++ External Vox ∙ "The fault in your motivation impulses is obvious; you have far too much grey matter for your required duties. Unnecessary compulsions for self-preservation can easily be alleviated with the correct procedure." +++
 
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