Casspir with Salt Weathering Technique

The Casspir is a mine-protected infantry troop transport used by the South African Defence Force and the South African Police Services. Steve and I have been working on a card model to add to the LaserCutCard web store.

The model still needs a little work so until the next version comes along I thought I would experiment with this one, trying a paint technique I have read about but never used myself. It involves wetting the model and then sprinkling it with salt.

I thought this would also be an opportunity to demonstrate that, even though these models are made up of cardboard, they are very durable and resistant to water.

Here are all the previous test cuts of the Casspir (the name comes from an amalgamation of the two organisations that developed it... the CSIR (Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research) and SAPS (South African Police Services)

The most recent cut had quite a lot of detail added and I thought it a shame that it would go to waste

Here is the most recent cut compared to my previous vehicle, the Buffel

Here is the Casspir compared to some GW figures

To start off, I gave the model an undercoat of matt fixative (sort of like a matt varnish)

I then gave it two coats of Tamiya Hull Red

I then dabbed on some warm water using a paint brush, and sprinkled coarse salt here and there. I then went over with fine table salt.

I let this dry overnight and the gave it a couple of coats of Tamiya flat yellow. This is the paint scheme that the South African police used to use.

Once this had dried I just scrubbed it off with a dry paintbrush.

I am very chuffed with the result and the card passed with flying colours.

Quad Gun

If you can't own the skies you can at least deny them to everyone else.

This is a quad gun made from MDF, plastic rod and card and is available in the store here:

http://www.lasercutcard.co.za/vehicles/quad-gun

Buffel / Moffel Mine Protected Vehicle

This is a project that Steve and I have been keeping under wraps and I am happy to unveil it today. It is our first wheeled vehicle and represents a big step forward for LaserCutCard. This kit, more than anything that has gone before, shows that it is no longer about laser cutting or card, it is about the finished model.

The Buffel is a mine-protected infantry mobility vehicle used by the South African Army during the South African Border War. The Buffel was also used as an armoured fighting vehicle and proved itself in this role. It has been replaced by the Mamba in South Africa, but remains in use elsewhere, notably Sri Lanka.[Wikipedia]

The models are $18.50 each and worldwide shipping is $2.91 for 1 or $4.65 for 2.

http://www.lasercutcard.co.za/vehicles/buffel

http://www.lasercutcard.co.za/vehicles/moffel

If you combine this with the orc glyph pack (which has enough glyphs in it for 2-3 vehicles) then it makes a dandy trukk.

Here is a short clip of the real thing:

Artillery pieces

This is a project that has been on the go for a while now. It is a collaboration between Steve, an Ozzie designer, and myself.

This is a new type of kit for LaserCutCard. It combines MDF, card and plastic tubing to create something that no single material could do on its own.

The basic artillery chassis and barrel is the same for all versions: each type has a details sheet that has a custom shield plus some faction-specific details to add to the rest of the gun. The barrels can also be built in various lengths and configurations.

The kit, if assembled carefully, has working mechanisms for raising and lowering the gun and the gun can freely swivel on its base plate. The gun components can be kept separate for ease of storage.

You do not have to glue the gun to the base plate... it can be used to add firepower to your vehicle models too.

The orc version is available here: http://www.lasercutcard.co.za/orc/artillery-orc

The chaos version is available here: http://www.lasercutcard.co.za/artillery-chaos

**EDIT** The standard version is here http://www.lasercutcard.co.za/artillery-standard

Standard version

Orc Version

Chaos Version

Imperial APC

I've finally got the upgrade kit for the generic APC nailed down. This converts the standard APC to an "imperial" version.

This is available in the web store here: http://www.lasercutcard.co.za/vehicles

The pack of three works out to under $20 a model even after to you add in postage (which is only $5)

The upgrade kit makes these parts

If you look closely you can see that the autocannon can be modeled with the breech open.

This is what the upgrade kit looks like in kit form