Products Recommended by Fellow Bloggers!
This is a work in progress, but I thought I'd get it up and going already. I came up with this idea when I was gathering info on the light setups that everyone used. I thought to myself..."hey Greg the magnificent, maybe you could gather their recommendations on other things as well and post it up on the blog!" Man that Greg, (chuckled Greg the clever). So I went to work! If you see an article on a tool, airbrush, paint, brush, etc, tell me in the comments, and I'll add it to the list until we have a great repository. If you know of an existing repository, I'll link to that as well. Honestly this is all for my own laziness so I don't have to google anymore.
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Lighting Recommendations

Arbal over at colored dust has actually done two full reviews of lamps.
Tri-Lamp Review.
Magnfying Lamp Review
Tri-Lamp Review.
Magnfying Lamp Review

Todd recommends a combination Alvin Worklight. (And anti-recommends LED lamps)
"Be careful of those LED Work Lights... I got one and hated it. It was just never bright enough and at one point I had three of them 8\ .. I'd recommend going to an art store and testing them out .. I now use this thing that greg just posted to the left of this text and it's awesome .. it has a fluorescent bulb and incandescent bulb.. I'm going to pick another one up down the road for my airbrush booth.."
"Be careful of those LED Work Lights... I got one and hated it. It was just never bright enough and at one point I had three of them 8\ .. I'd recommend going to an art store and testing them out .. I now use this thing that greg just posted to the left of this text and it's awesome .. it has a fluorescent bulb and incandescent bulb.. I'm going to pick another one up down the road for my airbrush booth.."

Mr. Lee recommends the LC8015 Shesto Task Light.
"It is this tri-light lamp that I bought from CPC when I first moved to UK. The link is here and you only need to set up an account with them to get it ordered and shipped out. Quick good service, and a decent lamp. Has survived 2 trips to Germany so far as well! With another one soon to come ;) "
"It is this tri-light lamp that I bought from CPC when I first moved to UK. The link is here and you only need to set up an account with them to get it ordered and shipped out. Quick good service, and a decent lamp. Has survived 2 trips to Germany so far as well! With another one soon to come ;) "

BDS Recommends a OTT Light.
"It is actually called an OTT light. Here is a link. It is the best light I have found to paint to. It gives off very little heat and provides the best non-glaring light to work with."
"It is actually called an OTT light. Here is a link. It is the best light I have found to paint to. It gives off very little heat and provides the best non-glaring light to work with."

James Wappel believes in the power of LED daylight bulbs. He uses a combination of spotlights and led bulbs in his painting.
"However, the results were AMAZING right off the bat. It was just like having miniature suns. The first time I turned them on, the dark dungeon of the basement studio was brilliantly illuminated!"
"However, the results were AMAZING right off the bat. It was just like having miniature suns. The first time I turned them on, the dark dungeon of the basement studio was brilliantly illuminated!"

Nafnaf also uses the triple bright light from Daylight.
"It has transformed the way I paint. I can see a lot more of my mistakes and it really helps in the evenings to dispel shadows that a normal light bulb creates."
"It has transformed the way I paint. I can see a lot more of my mistakes and it really helps in the evenings to dispel shadows that a normal light bulb creates."

Roman over at Massive Voodoo uses a Tri-Tube Pro Lamp.
"Looking at my workbench again with the new lamp you truly see the difference. You get a way better light on a big area of your table as the Tri Tube Pro has a lot of power. This lamp really keeps your eyes focused and your table shining bright. I for my part can only tell you that this lamp changed my working."
"Looking at my workbench again with the new lamp you truly see the difference. You get a way better light on a big area of your table as the Tri Tube Pro has a lot of power. This lamp really keeps your eyes focused and your table shining bright. I for my part can only tell you that this lamp changed my working."

Roemer uses a Tertial lamp from Ikea, with a 400 Lumen daylight bulb. Jeff over at tibbsforge also likes this lamp, but doesn't want to write a review.
"It provides much needed overhead mobility when looking at different angles and directing light. I have a second such setup that I attach to my desk for photography in lightboxes or looking for mistakes on models in general. Have been happy ever since I switched from the overhead lamps on the dining room table and would highly recommend it."
"It provides much needed overhead mobility when looking at different angles and directing light. I have a second such setup that I attach to my desk for photography in lightboxes or looking for mistakes on models in general. Have been happy ever since I switched from the overhead lamps on the dining room table and would highly recommend it."

Thor over at Creative Twilight just got a Normande Daylight Clamp Lamp
"While I may not have had this light for very long, it hasn’t taken long to realize it’s a great light and a huge improvement for my painting. I’m able to see far more easily what I’m working on and colors are far more true. If you are after a good light that won’t break the bank then definitely check out this Normande Daylight Clamp Lamp."
"While I may not have had this light for very long, it hasn’t taken long to realize it’s a great light and a huge improvement for my painting. I’m able to see far more easily what I’m working on and colors are far more true. If you are after a good light that won’t break the bank then definitely check out this Normande Daylight Clamp Lamp."

Greg over at FYN is happy with his Triple Bright Lamp!
After reading all these great reviews, I went out and got a triple bright as well. You can click the link to read my review, or visit the review section of the site!
After reading all these great reviews, I went out and got a triple bright as well. You can click the link to read my review, or visit the review section of the site!
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Brushes and Brush Related Reviews
Joe over at Broken Paintbrush takes a look at Brush Soap...something you should be using because it's AWESOME.
I abuse my brushes. Yes, I admit it, I am a brush abuser. I actually use the detail brush for most of my painting – contributing to my slow progress, but also using it to cram paint into areas a larger brush would have done the job much better. Also with a little one running around the house, it has been on more than one occasion that I have left paint to dry on the brush. Thankfully I found about brush soap a long time ago and has saved me way more than its cost in not having to buy as many new brushes.
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JJ wants you to put down your hyper detail brush!
This is one of those posts that occur to you while painting. I mean this genuinely. It is time for you to stop using those micro-brushes. I've never used the insane detail or 5/0 brush. JJ typing, before I get to the meat and potatoes of this post I want to be clear what I mean by 3/0 brushes or micro-brushes. I consider micro-brushes any brush that is smaller than 0. Why? Because you are better than that. You have potential. If you paint models you're half way there. Yes this is a pep talk. |
Wolfsherz over at cadianshock takes a look at Rosemary & Co's Brushes!
After my old, well-served Da Vinci Harbin Kolinsky died a slow death it was time to look around for some new brushes. By chance I stumbled across these brushes on Twitter by Rosemary & Co. Since the reactions were very positive on Twitter I decided to order my next brush from them. I ordered the following brushes in sizes # 0 and # 1 of the following kinds Shiraz Pointed Rounds and Series 33. Pure Kolinsky Pointed. |
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Tools and Misc!
Jeff takes a look at one of his favorite glues, Tamiya Extra Thin Cement!
"I’ve decided to do some basic product reviews on the site, and the obvious first choice that sprang to mind was Tamiya Extra Thin Cement. I was turned onto the stuff by Subtle Discord of The Dark Works fame. He uses it all the time when he works with styrene scratch-builds. I thought I’d give it a shot and see what all the fuss was about. I’d seen it around at my local scale model shop, but they have so many funky chemicals I never know what’s actually good".
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So I did use my Biostrip20 not too long ago on some epic rhinos to test it out. I used two models and let them sit for two different times. The one on the left sat for 35 minutes before being scrubbed off and the one on the right sat for 60 minutes. The stuff worked great and didn’t really require any special precautions. It had no distinctive smell and even my son who is sensitive to such things had no problems after being in the same room as them and touching them.
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JJ writes about his new favorite tool...the colour shaper!
JJ typing, Mike requested the gaps around the back of the canopy to be filled. First used squadron putty. Please do not use it on painted models. Great way to strip paint. Lesson learned. Followed Mike's suggestion of liquid green stuff. Used it before and it did not live up to its expectations. It wasn't liquid. More like mud. Guess the pot is olde. |
Roemer Takes a look at the Citadel Project Box!
Seeing that the quality of Citadel tools is pretty high compared to local available items, I wanted to try out this box both as a replacement to my former rickety one and to conduct an honest review. Another reason was to replace the workstation I’ve used since the beginning of this blog in favor of something more compact and mobile. Take a look at some detail shots of the box and my comments after the jump. The box I ordered was stripped of its original packaging by the time it arrived in my hands (my uncle from the UK was very kind to make space for it in his luggage!) so I took the liberty to remove the Citadel band that encircled it as well to investigate the contents and fiddle around a bit. What you get underneath is a 40cm x 28cm x 10cm container that looks pretty cool to start with. |
Looking for a New Paint Station? Check out the Review of the Cog O Two station @ Graven Games
Finding space to assemble and paint your models can be tough! Today’s review looks a compact paint/hobby station from Cog ‘O’ Two which keeps all you need for the hobby in one place, and can be moved or stored away when not in use. Cog ‘O’ Two specialise in laser-cut products which include wargaming templates and tokens, plus accessories for steampunk enthusiasts.
We ordered one of their MDF Paint Stations from the gaming section of their site. The Paint Station provides a space for modelling and painting, racks for your paints, holders for your brushes and water pots, and comes with a built-in cutting mat. This comes as a flat pack kit, and is priced at £25 (around $37). Here’s our Paint Station kit after unpacking the parts. |
Graven Games takes a look at the Safe and Sound Maxi Bag!
Here is our MAXI Bag, the picture doesn’t do this thing justice, its huge at approximately 45x30x35 mm. This army transport case is priced at €68,05 (around £57.50, or $93) and our initial impression of the MAXI Bag is all very positive, it looks good quality and is definitely large enough to hold a lot of miniatures. As a rough guide, the MAXI Bag can carry 240 28mm infantry miniatures, although this varies depending on your choice of foam and boxes. |
Looking for a gaming case durable enough to handle an airline luggage handler? Check out the RJ-16 Review!
So you finally decide on the list you're going to bring to the tournament. You've planned it, battle tested it, and got it painted to a standard that you either love or meets the standards of the event. But you've got a problem. How do you transport your army when it won't fit in carry ons, and there is no way to drive it to the event? This is the situation I ran into. I looked around at a variety of solutions, and almost all of them were designed to allow YOU to safely transport your army, not allow a bunch of baggage handlers throw your transport case off an airplane and miss the baggage handler. |
Graven Games takes a look at some Tabletop Tyrant cases. Do they shape up?
If you’re anything like us, you’ve got plenty of armies and miniatures, and could always do with a decent solution for storage and transport. Today we examine two options from Tabletop Tyrant, we’ve already had a look at their smaller Squire Plastic Figure Case, so today we’re trying out the Tyrant and Dreadnought army figure cases.
Here you can see our two Tabletop Tyrant army transport cases, on the left we have the Tyrant, and on the right is the Dreadnought it’s armoured and upgraded cousin. Both cases are built from a water/stain resistant canvas and come with carry handles and shoulder straps. |
Send the Eights Citadel Figure Case Review (2015)
"Greetings all, welcome to our break down of one of the most anticipated Games Workshop accessory releases - The new Citadel Crusade Case. Boasting capacity of 400 figures and new 'innovative' foam design, the accompanying video with this release, created a surge of positive remarks concerning GW's progression in non-miniature products at a some what competitive price point. The question is, is it any good?" |
Graven Games also takes a look at the new Citadel Case!
The Citadel Crusade Figure Case is priced at £75 ($124 US) and Games Workshop tell us that this can hold more miniatures than any other case they have produced in the past. The range also offers a medium sized case called the Citadel Battle Case, and a small one called the Citadel Skirmish Case. |
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Airbrush!
Arbal over at coloreddust has a most excellent airbrush Faq which covers a ton of topics. Check it out if you are looking for answered you were too afraid to ask in front of a thousand people.
This FAQ is a result of the tremendous amount of questions I receive about airbrushing. Every few days someone asks the same questions on almost every discussion board or Facebook group, "I want to buy an airbrush, what would you recommend?". |
Joe takes a look at the ultra useful Vallejo Airbrush Medium!
One of the tips that nearly every Intro to Painting starts with is: thin your paints. It makes sense, the paint pots are fairly thick for one reason or another and painting straight onto your mini can create a thick coat, covering fine details. So what does everyone do? They add a drop or two of water, stir it in and make it work. When GW introduced the Lahmian Medium technical paint it opened a whole new world for me in terms of thinning paints, without making them watery. Adding a bit of medium would dilute the pigment a bit, but wouldn’t turn the paint into a watery, uncontrollable soupy mess. After using up my first pot of the medium I released that $4 for a little little 12ml bottle would quickly kill my painting budget. |
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Weathering and Paints!
Jeff over at Tibbsforge did a great review on Vallejo's Chipping Medium!
"When I started my Knight, I knew I wanted to try a bunch of techniques to show its age. One of them was going to be paint chipping. I had my heart set on it. I watched a lot of videos on the topic, trying to decide between salt, hairspray or a dedicated fluid medium of some kind. I happened to be in my local scale model shop one day and I saw this Vallejo chipping fluid so I picked it up." |
Graven Games takes a look at Secret Weapon Washes
The range consists of 30 different shades, and most of them are not your regular shades of washes. Most wash ranges deal in a select few shades that are the most basic washes that essentially will work for shading any colour lighter than itself. The SWM washes however, offers a wider variety of shades as well as some really interesting ones that I haven’t seen in any other ranges. |
Roemer searches for a better metallic gold with Vallejo Liquid Metals!
For a long time I have searched for a suitable, convincing gold color to apply on models. This is particularly important for my army the Black Legion, where having a strong contrast with the black underneath really makes models pop. Take a look at what I think about the few gold colors I have used after the jump. |
Deet over at Hammer of Wrath reviews Secret Weapon Miniatures Trench Works Basing Kit!
My new Alpha Legion army needed some suitably gritty bases. Enter Secret Weapon's Trench Works kit. I've been really eager to get something new going on these Alphas. Having reduced hobby time makes it tough to keep my posts fresh, but new materials makes for interesting posts! I really wanted my Alphas to look like they were on a true battlefield. So often, figures are based on pretty generic terrain, and while that's cool and all I really wanted to tell a story of a battle hardened force. Secret Weapon Miniatures makes a set of scenic elements they call Trench Works. It's designed to look like the trenches of WWI. It comes with gravel, grass, duckboards, and razor wire, plus some glue and water effects. |
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