SKINTHAMMER CHALLENGE.... Old Knopper the catapult

Yes, 2 posts in a day!! It's simply too hot in the attic to do anything, so most of us have been lounging in the sitting room which is the coolest room in the house. An upside of this is the family actually sit down together and talk to each other.... not something that tends to happen much. Oldest boy passed his 9 GCSE's with flying colours so is bound for my Alma Mater to study Countryside Conservation and Management for a year and then forestry. Middle son also passed his Grade 4 Folk Violin with distiction, so there is a certain sense of jubilation (and relief) reigning here at the moment.

Old Knopper started off as a battered ELC toy catapult picked up in a charity shop for 10p, that looked like this.....

I cut the side shields off and covered up the damage with garden string. More garden string was added to the firing arm and round an added dowel roller. A firing lever was added to the dowel as well. 

I added a cross brace at the front, and then a Green Man pendant I picked up in Glastonbury a while back. Some green stuff knots and burrs were added and them copious amounts of Vallejo plastic putty to make the whole model look more organic. Then I covered the whole thing with 2 coats of the brilliant Citadel Typhus Corrosion which softened the plastic edges even more and gave the smooth plastic a bark like natural texture.

The missiles are acorns believe it or not , from a garden I work in. They have been been infected by the splendidly named Knopper Gall Wasp which lays it's eggs in the acorn causing the gall. The acorns warp into a wonderfully Froudian shape. I just gave the dried acorns a wash with Seraphim Sepia. The plan is that each missile houses a nasty little Gubbins which will hatch out and start attacking the nearest enemy.

The crew below were finds from the comic book convention. From left to right a citadel Orc, the middle porcine chap is an unknown make (I am calling him Roly) and the whipmaster is Uncle Frank we have met already.

Total cost of Old Knopper and 2 of the crew was £3.10 bring the total to £25.01p. £4.99 to spend on something rather fun.