'Sport' from TomB: Nuada Silver Hand Finally Hunts

Nuada Silver Hand Finally Hunts

The Saga of Nuada of the Silver Hand, the Sword of Light, and Bubo.

And some of what I learned upon this Journey  .  .  . (This is a Saga!)

I finally finished this classic Citadel figure in time for the 'Sport' Bonus Round. (I'd appreciate it if someone could point me to the original figure and sculptor. Jess Goodwin?) I fought and taught rapier for about thirty years so I am very particular about just where my sword's tip is pointing. (From this angle Nuada's elbow and wrist are really quite wide. Is he really leaving his leading leg and torso this open? Or, is he creating an opening to invite an attack to parry and repost? Well, he is Nuada . . .)

It's been a long journey for him. I began this conversion ten or fifteen or more years ago. There are four drilled and pinned connections. (And way too many recent do overs.) When I bought this figure I thought, hmm, Nuada. What if his Silver Hand was . . ? So I cut his right hand off at the wrist to correct the sword's angle, and replaced it with a GW plastic Eldar hand holding a Power Sword to create his Sword of Light.

I sawed and carved the raptor off. Added a GW plastic Eldar Power Fist and pinned them together. Nuada has a Silver Hand! And, erm, a bird. I wasn't able to change the angles of his shoulder or elbow so he could launch his 'hawk' more realistically. I screwed up painting his face and just put him aside.

When our Benevolent Snow Lord of the Cutting Scythe graciously allowed me to join in the fun of APHC IX I immediately thought of Nuada for the 'Sport' Bonus Round. (It was hard to ignore him, sitting on a shelf beside my computer desk for well over a decade.) He went into Simple Green for an overnight soak and a couple of hours in the ultrasonic cleaner. Here he is all freshly primed when I began inking and that's when the Saga of Nuada really begins.

Lessons I've learned:

1. AP Primer really does NOT like being sprayed outdoors at 50F with high humidity. As you can see, um, ugh. Carry on anyway ~ that was the high temp for at least the next week.

2. Even if it doesn't wiggle, pull every connection apart so you can wash and rinse the figure and the sockets before you re-glue and prime! Trust me on this one . . . I won't go into the gruesome details but, between them, both hands/arms came off five freaking times. 

After the third time I just clipped the right wrist's pin as flush as I could. I just could not get Nuada's right wrist back together the same way, and ended up covering the small gap with W & N Matt Varnish before I (again) repainted his glove. The pommel was another challenge. I used a 3 mm half-drilled fresh water pearl because it just looked right. I couldn't find our pearl vise, so I couldn't use a flex shaft to drill it out. Then I couldn't find my pin vise! So, yeah, I finger twisted a 0.74 mm drill bit until the half-drilled pearl would fit onto the pommel's pin. (I'm pretty sure that a bit of ale was involved at this point. And I still can't found my pin vise!)

I think the pearl pommel suits the Sword of Light. (I have no desire, or need, to do NMM. I just thought the Sword of light kind of needed to be these colors.)

After all of the manhandling of a painted figure, with fresh uncured varnish,  there were, um, a few touch ups to do. And then I found this one. Sigh. Tomorrow.

Literally a fortnight ago I awoke with the answer! Nuada's raptor was actually Bubo, from Clash of the Titans!!! Of course! He's a mechanical Eagle Owl. Perfect fit for me. Perfect paint scheme for Bubo!

Now I'm happy with Bubo ~ even if that darned parting line shows at this one particular angle that no one else will ever see. (I learned my Lesson # 3!)

3. Just stop when you're ahead.

4. Don't get distracted. You've got "A Plan"? >Que hysterical diabolical laughter<  Stick to your plan.

Welcome to MacGregor's World where I freely mix Mythos as needed and as Inspiration takes me. Anyone for a repeating bolt throwing Neapolitan Pi? Or a mechanical owl?

5. Be a Bubo. Just keep going even when the limb breaks!

Ral Partha AElf Pikes working through the que . . .

 ~ Tom T