My Reaper addiction started with a dragon and a couple of jesters

[Otyugh]

My Reaper habit started with a Friday night gaming session...

 

"Tom felt a breeze wafting up from the chamber beyond. For some reason the air was hot and heavy, even though he was walking along a passage deep in an abandoned mine."

 

"Ummmm. Sorry, but we have to stop here today." I did not have a dragon mini to use to harrass Tom. A salt shaker just does not have the same drama as slapping the correct monster mini down on the table. I also could not handle everyone laughing at my poor (ugly mishapen) solder dragon.

 

Time to take a trip to the old Lone Star Comics and see if they had a Dragon that I could afford.

 

As usual, walking into Lone Star was like entering Alladin's cave of treasures. Real Partha, Grenadier, Rafm, and more distinctively sparkled, beckoning, despite the cost. A Dragon was too far out of reach.

 

Back along the wall, there was something new. There were affordable minis on the back wall!

 

I was able to score a package of villagers, some weapons sprues, and a real Dragon mini.

 

Tom was promptly roasted to a medium rare, and eaten by the freshly painted red Dragon the next friday.

Don't laugh too hard, but this is the solder dragon in question. It is amazing what can be made with a soldering iron, a little flux, a bit of solder and a ton of patience. It did in a pinch, but was retired after the Reaper dragon made its appearance.

Edited July 28, 2020 by Otyugh
Spell check is a plot by the forces of evil.

[Glitterwolf]

Cool!

Love this!

[Iridil]

Wonderful story - what dragon is that?

[Mad Jack]

 

 Actually, that solder dragon is pretty damn cool, and you could probably turn making solder monsters and sculptures into a hobby all it's own, maybe even make a few bucks on Etsy with it... 

 

 

[supervike]

I love that solder dragon!  Such a clever idea.

[Otyugh]

15 hours ago, Iridil said:

Wonderful story - what dragon is that?

A poor but desperate attempt to create a mini from the materials on hand. I had tons of solder, so that was my first Dragon mini. It is lead, and has a ton of clear coat on it so it is sealed and safe to handle.

13 hours ago, Mad Jack said:

 

 Actually, that solder dragon is pretty damn cool, and you could probably turn making solder monsters and sculptures into a hobby all it's own, maybe even make a few bucks on Etsy with it... 

 

 

uhh, I am guilty of making solder slimes  too... A case of not enough money at the time, but an ample supply of solder.

Edited July 29, 2020 by Otyugh
Got attacked by the slime.

[DragonWyrm]

I love the solder dragon, it has so much character. It just calling out to be painted in a cartoon fashion.
I remember watching an old tv segment on youtube, it was about minifigs (I think). The sculptor used solder and cutting to modify one of their existing figures into a completely new one (napoleonic infantry with the funny bishop hat). 

The reaper dragon is good too... I guess. Its a little sad that all the jesters are laughing at him/her/it .

[Mad Jack]

 

 I made a pretty decent wizard once out of solder - not modern-mini-level detail, of course, but I have seen stuff from back in the early '70's that looked worse, lol.

 

 

[Otyugh]

1 hour ago, Mad Jack said:

 

 I made a pretty decent wizard once out of solder - not modern-mini-level detail, of course, but I have seen stuff from back in the early '70's that looked worse, lol.

 

 

8 hours ago, DragonWyrm said:

I love the solder dragon, it has so much character. It just calling out to be painted in a cartoon fashion.
I remember watching an old tv segment on youtube, it was about minifigs (I think). The sculptor used solder and cutting to modify one of their existing figures into a completely new one (napoleonic infantry with the funny bishop hat). 

The reaper dragon is good too... I guess. Its a little sad that all the jesters are laughing at him/her/it .

When I started playing RPGs, people gave me their used minis so that I would have enough figures to play in multiple groups/campaigns. Free minis are great, but my dorm room became a mini hospital where various amputations and lead cosmetic surgery occurred.

 

It is truly amazing what can be done with a solder iron, pins, files and snips!

 

Oh, those jesters... The joke was on them, and they are otyugh food now.

÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷

 

I happen to own a lot of those old lead minis... They have a certain charm, but today's minis have such amazing detail, and the current technology has given the sculptors more freedom in their designs! I will always have a nostalgic soft spot for the early minis, but I always look forward to the newly released designs.

Do you still have that solder wizard around? It would be totally cool to see it posted.

[Cygnwulf]

Love seeing the old minis and the story to go with it.  And that solder dragon is actually quite nice, especially considering the material it's made from 

 

 

 

Edited July 31, 2020 by Cygnwulf

[Otyugh]

I found the beginnings of the "new and improved" solder dragon. I think, had I finished it, it would have been cooler than the first dragon. I stopped working on it because someone traded me a Games Workshop Forest Dragon for a mounted Brit army figure that I had painted.

 

I will take of the WIP solder dragon carcass and post it if anyone is interested.

 

Solder is difficult to work with. It takes a light touch and sometimes the part being worked on dissolves into a puddle. I may finish the solder dragon someday, if I get past my backlog of WIPs.