USHI Shuttle 15/28mm

Great Scott! - Lets look at those dates again - no update since the October before last?

Some may feel this is a sign of a shifting timeline or an alternate reality half remembered, and that may well be correct, but for now here are more vaguely original thoughts, offered up -NOW- to the techno-spheroid to be stored for all time - until the mighty star disk-drive head crashes into infinity and beyond.

Continuing our exploration of semi-plausible miniature realities; this utilitarian Transport Pod / Space Shuttle represents a well defined Sci-Fi vehicle archetype, and will soon be available in both 15 and 28mm figure scale forms from Clear Horizon Miniatures.

The 28mm version features extra internal capacity up to the cockpit bulkheads

Although a civilian design, for our military customers the shuttle features plenty of room for 'customization'. 

Virtual colorscheme: Anomalous Oxide #2, Clear Blue Beam #2 & Pure Toxic Fog #3 - available from the past. 

That's about all for now folks, stay safe out there and hopefully we will engage the collective with another update very soon! 

Halloween Hot Armor Standoff...

Hot off the compositor.... Big scary Mecha for Halloween.

Coolhand Customs is on Facebook!

Thats right, set your chronometers to 2007 folks, we're finally on....

https://www.facebook.com/CoolhandCustoms

Please drop by and say hi! and don't forget to like, follow etc, all that facebook goodness.

Thanks!

Desert Apocalypse!

The apocalypse is coming, May 1st...

Working on my midnight in the desert scene, with the Apocalypse tank, developed for ClearHorizon Miniatures.

Merry Christmas!

3 ships from the 25th Quiet Storm Squadron, dumping a multi-morphic programmable flare show in form of this traditional seasonal greeting (Its great for shaking off the Evil Robot Santa too!).

This year has been just crazy, for so many reasons, work and personal, sadly, I have had no time to blog recently, with just over a week left of it, where did 2014 go, hmm?

I wanted to cover so much more, but it has not happened, much to catch up with in the coming months. I promise more frequent updates and hope you all enjoy this christmassy image, made using one of this years (and so far undocumented) Aurora VTOL special-ops aircraft, a miniature prototype constructed for our good friends, Clearhorizon miniatures. 

I wish you all the very best, have a great holiday!

-Steve.

Introducing "El Diablo" - 15mm Scale APC

Hello all, soon I hope to have the long awaited 15mm version of El Diablo available on Shapeways!

 This miniature has been in development for a whopping THREE YEARS, a 6mm version is presently available on Shapeways.  Speaking of which, Shapeways have introduced a great tool for confirming the models printability which is going to save a lot of time checking the complicated geometry. It comprises a system which breaks the model down to print layers and reconstructs the model for analysis purposes - if you look closely it adds a roughness that wont exist on the model which is sent to the printer.

Print failures are the bane of a shapeways creators life, costing sales and wasting time, once everything on a model is green, we should be good to go.:)

note the rougher texture, this is an analytical model, the system reconstructs the uploaded model in a way that it can digest and check for thickness issues.

 A unique feature of this model is the working, poseable suspension and steering, each wheelset has fully independent, double wishbone suspension and ackermann steering, hit the play button for a demo of the movement range. 

This system allows for off road with great ground clearance, or a low riding, ground hugging high speed highway setup - this setup is best with the additonal aero armor (as pictured at the top of the post), which gives it a mean and exotic look. 

The (hopefully) working suspension system, just a few issues - this is working out pretty great so far!

be sure to check out my store on shapeways, all sales help fund this and other projects!

Direct links to the 6mm versions presently available (Thanks Gavin):

https://www.shapeways.com/model/728890/el-diablo-6mm-scale-pack-of-three.html
https://www.shapeways.com/model/728130/diablo-apc-6mm-scale-with-aero-mods.html

Order in Ultra Detail or Frosted Ultra Detail for best results!

Columbiad MAG Droid

Another recent one, the lead model of an entirely new line designed and modelled by yours truly.

This fully automatic armored drone unit has been designed for a specifically fearsome appearance and I think packs a ton of attitude which should give its diminutive size (for a tank) a great deal of presence on any gaming board.

Front wheel drive: the propulsion systems provide thrust from the forward pods, exhausting through those slatted ports in the armor, 'dragging' the machine behind them.

I wanted the weapons to look like something other than the usual barrelled guns, some kind of emitter with integrated cooling systems.

I designed a custom base peice to elevate it over the playing the surface, just pretend its not there... future miniatures will have a superconducting system to elevate them for real... (just kidding - plus they'd go everywhere if someone sneezed.)

As well as solving some potential production pitfalls, the separated front hull/propulsion modules represent the real construction of this fictional vehicle... I figured they would be allowed some play, to enable the machine to tub up hills and soak up any forward impacts.

The unpainted production mini - Image courtesy Dwartist

 Pick up a pack or three from Khurasan, today!