Painting and Mounting the Model on a Base I decided to build the base for the model before starting the paint job on the mech. I started by purchasing a PVC plumbing bushing, as the main part of the base. This would act to elevate the model a few inches, and the bushing would be mounted on a marble vase base. The first step was to create a dam and seal the hole that is part of the bushing. I did this by cutting a circle in .04 plastic. This was set down against the lip that is on the inside of the bushing. I then glued it in with a liberal amount of 5 min epoxy. This acted as a seal to prevent any plaster from leaking when it was poured. What I had in mind for the base was to have a city type rubble scene. I gathered some rubble that I created by buying a Woodland Scenics retaining wall and cutting it up. I placed some of the rubble that would be the bottom layer in the well created by the dam. I then poured fairly thin plaster of paris in the well and let it set up. Before the plaster was completely hard, I took one of the feet and pressed it slightly into the surface. This would aid in making the foot look as though it was in the scene as apposed to just off the surface. I let the plaster dry thoroughly, and then added additional rubble. I also scribed some expansion joints into the flat area. The next step was to put mounting pins in the foot that will touch the ground, and drilled corresponding holes in the base. To add additional strength, I added a piano wire main pin that went down the middle if the foot and up into the leg. This allowed me to make the mech removable from the foot for transporting it to shows. Once this work was done, it was time to paint the plaster base and rubble. I used Floquil concrete as a base coat, and thinned it 20% to make it more of a stain. This allowed the paint to penetrate further down into the plaster. When that was dry, I gave the entire rubble area an oil wash of Payne's gray oil mixed with a little black and burnt umber. The next day, I dry brushed progressively lighter shades of the concrete until I was happy with the shading and contrast. At this point, I masked off the rubble area, and spray-painted the rest of the base with Krylon flat black. I was then ready to finish the mech.



^ This is the bushing with the plaster having been poured and the first layer of rubble showing. Image: The pins in the foot Image: The final location of one of the legs relative to the base

^ The oil wash just after being applied Image: The mech in its final pose on the base