A good 40K army needs to be able to adapt to any challenges. To that end, I attempt to covert and magnetize wherever possible. Since my model count is high (around 90 space marines models), I try to get creative from time to time when converting, rather than buying and having to store MORE space marines.

These days I mostly buy terrain and weapons and this WIP is an example of what happens when I go shopping on eBay. In order to keep costs down, I chose to cut off hands, rather than arms. I made most cuts with a hot, thin x-acto blade (flame heated). Magnets are 1mm x 2mm and 1/8″ x 1/16″, length by width, and were installed by drilling using same sized drill bits using a hand drill.

You can see, in the photo below, how each size magnet was used. There are two 1x2mm magnets in the base to store the not in use bits when the model is on display. The original power sword has a 1x2mm magnet as well, due to the small size of the bit. All other weapons and arm joints use 1/8×1/16″ magnets.

And here are some photos showing the gaps and fit of all of the different weapons. I may or may not fill the gaps with liquid green stuff on the next model, but this model will retain his gaps through the painting process.

The gap on the sword is fairly large, as I had to make two separate cuts at 120 degrees.

This last photo is the opposite of the first, with lightning claws attached to the base instead.

Update: the next day. I added some black gesso to everything and posed this little guy up. I’ll be giving him a genesis chapter paint job, not the more traditional deathwing paint job. This is a fluff decision on my part as who knows how many editions it will take before mixed armies won’t be allowed.

And this guy on the left is the other painting goal for the day. Librarian Tumriel from Dark Vengenace shown next to my Tactical Squad #1 Sergeant. The sarge is being used as reference for both units being painted (detail level and color scheme choices).

Update 2! Looks like progress, got enough red on him to match the shade I like. I use a dry burshing technique wth a shader brush with a very small amount of Liquitex glossies red. When completely dry, there is no gloss, just a nice layered, enamel-like finish.I didn’t notice it when I took the picture, but you can clearly see where the magnets are in  this picture because they are ever so slightly raised, they attract a lot of paint when dry brushing.

And if you look carefully in the background of the terminator pic, you can see Librarian Tumriel, completed.

Here are some glamour shots of him before being sealed with Testors Clear Coat (I’ll clear coat him tomorrow, want to make sure all the paint has ample time to dry.  The sarge to the right is sealed with a cheap clear coat and I  have another unsealed model testing out the Testors Clear Coat, drying behind me.

Want the recipe card? Click here!

     It’s Thanksgiving morning and I don’t know how to make green bean casserole.  The one item I promised to deliver and I don’t know how to make it.  I mean sure, I’ve made it before, but it is not yet ingrained into my internal cook book and that will just not do!

     Happy Thanksgiving by the way!

     Thankfully, I’ve managed to locate the first key ingredient, Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom soup. Cream of Mushroom soup is a funny being because it has 3 purposes and only 3 purposes:

1. Tuna Noodle Casserole
2. Mushroom Soup
3. GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE! which I still do not know how to make!

     Certainly a quick google will result in the default recipe? PERFECT!

     Today I am thankful for Google.

     And French’s, kinda.

     On that note, I would like to introduce you to the second recipe in the ex-cel-lent recipe series, French’s Official Green Bean Casserole.

     Okay so  lied, I’m modifying their recipe because I can. Today, out with the cream of mushroom and in with Cream of Chicken! I know, I’m ruining a tradition, but it’s worth a shot, right? Poor cream of mushroom, right? I’m taking away one of its 3 uses and relegating it back to the cupboard for another years time.

A long time ago, a wizard created simple and easy-to-read cooking instructions. Along came some mischievous whipper-snappers and they began to improve upon his idea. Locked away high in his tower for years on end, many began to worry the wizard was dead. To preserve his legacy, group of commoners have attempted to carry on his life’s work.

     Cooking for engineers was a once active website that has faded with time. I’m assuming that much like many of the projects I began in college, they too ended up separating and developing other interests.

     In the hopes of bringing back to fame what was once a mainstay for many of my friends, I am going to recreate several of my favorite (and future) cooking creations into my catalog and present them in a quite compact format.

     Today I want to introduce you to three very different recipes that were once served together for a family gathering of 8. In bringing you these recipes, I hope you can appreciate the simplicity of the format, yet cook and create masterpieces of your own.

     Improving upon the format is one of goals of this project and for the first improve I would like to retitle this form of cooking as “Ex-cel-lent Recipes”! As an added bonus, you’ve now learned an easy way to spell excellent!

Need a quick review? Scroll to the bottom for my final score!

Hell’s Kitchen, Manhattan. Ninth Avenue. Let me tell you a little bit about 9th Ave. First, in NYC, avenues go north to south and streets go east to west. Not what you were expecting? Sad emoticon… anyway…

Just north of the Lincoln Tunnel is where you can find the Hell’s Kitchen Flea Market, notable for it’s large allotment of furniture and clothing. After a quick stint of browsing and shopping, I ended up at the corner of 39th and 9th, in front of HK Restaurant and Lounge. Bags still full from Comic Con, the sweetie and I decided to wander in and try some of what Hell’s Kitchen had to offer.

Upon arrival and figuring out how to actually enter the restaurant (thick black curtains cover the main entrance), I wandered over to the hostess and we began negotiations. Maybe not so much negotiations as much as I told her I wanted a table of two, she was confused by that, pointed to an open reservation, asked me if I was here for brunch. It didn’t take me more than a millisecond to figure out what she was offering and I pounced, insisted on that slot, and was told I could wait at the bar while the table was made ready.

Atmosphere. This place is just like any other small restaurant, it’s clean edges with mirrored and padded walls, but not for unfriendly people and definitely not a good place to learn “how” too dine in cramped quarters. That is not to say that I was cramped or that anyone at all appeared unhappy, in fact everyone was incredibly happy and upbeat and drunk off mimosas. You see, brunch at HK has one important feature, $16 unlimited drinks. The bonus is that brunch is 6 hours long. Fabulous? I think so.

The sweetie and I were given a lovely waitress named Katie and a table in the front window no more than 15 minutes after I stole that reservation. Being placed front and center for all our comic con compatriots to gawk at as they walked by was probably the best part of the day.

I ordered a gin and tonic and sadly they did not have Bombay Sapphire. Their bloody marys burned with pepper and their famous mimosas were a refreshing and smooth.

We jumped right into the brunch menu and started picking out the most delicious items. I spotted stuffed chicken breast. The chicken breasts came stuffed with cream cheese, smoked ham, roasted red peppers, capers and plated with a side of cheddar mashed potatoes to soak up all of the butter that drizzled the dish. The stuffing contents were fatty and seemed to be dressed with oil, allowing for easy separation and dipping.

The sweetie went with a more lunch appropriate dish and picked out the horse radish turkey with brie sandwich. The horse radish flavors were soft and came in the form of a delicious homemade mayo (homemade mayo is always hit or miss). The dish came with a side salad of garden greens and a delicious balsamic vinaigrette. The salad was delectable and that forced me to try their caesar salad. Unfortunately, I’ll have to add HK to my list of places that doesn’t have anchovies, very disappointing.

Prior to grabbing dessert, I opted to try one of the cheapest items on the menu, the butter croissant with nutella. The croissant was oven baked and then placed in a hot pan with butter before being sliced laterally and smeared with nutella. There were hints of cinnamon in the lower portion of the croissant which leads me to believe the cook seasoned the frying butter prior to placing the pastry into the pan. This attention to detail was found throughout the meal and it definitely brought out the best in every dish.

For dessert, this boring couple from New Jersey went with Creme Brule and an Irish Coffee. The coffee came first and was a solid 2 cups of coffee and whiskey, Bushmills Irish Honey if I remember correctly. The creme brule was great, nice and crisp yet chilled, and a good portion size to boot!

The final bill came to $78.28 plus the $16 for unlimited mimosas and $10 for a gin and tonic at the bar. Katie was a great server and was definitely on top of everything I needed. The place was well staffed, I didn’t see anyone with any problems the 90 minutes we were there and I left with a smile on my face and a bajillion calories in my stomach. Exercise time!

Atmosphere: 4/5 – It doesn’t do much to stand out, but the crowd it attracts makes that restaurant what it is.
Service: 5/5 – No complaints, the lovely hostess gave me a great reservation slot (someone else’s).
Price: $$$$/5 – Gluttony cannot begin to describe the feast I indulged in. All-in-all, the bill came to just over $100 for two people for brunch.