News - The Bolter & Chainsword Updates

Folks, time for some great news from the Bolter and Chainsword. See the below updates from their facebook group.

Brother Argos here

... I have spent most of the day trying to organise a new server and the tech team who will configure it and get our data back. I ended up feeling a bit useless not being able to do the work myself and was getting frustrated.

However as I was just about to go to bed I decided to check the donations@bolterandchainsword Paypal account to see how we were doing and was completely a...mazed / stunned.

We have raised just over $4000 in less than 18 hrs or so.

This will let us get a very good server for our new home and help considerably with our running costs. We can now afford the linux server guru I want to use to do the work I cannot. After a pretty bad weekend with no server and diminishing hope, my faith in the basic good nature of humanity (gamers especially) is restored.

Looking at the results, I think we need to thank you all for your contributions. No matter how big or small you stood up and were counted. We got donations as large as $500 - $1000, all the way down to $1 or $2.

I am going to leave the donations page up, as the more we get will help with further costs. In the morning I will purchase a new server for us, and let the Techmarines who don't require bionic eyes get down to work.

Well done everyone who donated ...

The Emperor Protects!

- Brother Argos

 

Further update from the B&C:

New server purchased, hardware components being assembled by the hosting team now. They should be finished by 10pm GMT at the latest.

Next stage will be operating system install, which will most probably take place tomorrow.

After that they still have to move 260gb of data from the damaged drive onto the new server and start setting up the web side of things.

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So folks, it looks awesome and soon the B&C will be back! Gives me an excuse to interact more and get some more power armoured models worked on.

 

News - The Bolter & Chainsword is currently Offline

Folks this is too important to leave off the page! Please read and support the nets favourite Power Armoured Forum.

The Bolter & Chainsword is currently Offline.

On Friday 12th the Bolter & Chainsword appeared to suffer a hard drive failure, replacement drives were purchased but failed to remirror correctly when added to the server. Eventually after much testing it was discovered the server hardware was causing the problem and it appears we will need to purchase a new server. Given the age of the server (10yrs - it was installed in 2003) this was expected to some degree and we have some funds from previous donation drives saved for this.

However the timing for this event is not good, Brother Argos who pays for the B&C and is also the technical admin has for the last 6-9 months been fighting severe proliferative diabetic retinopathy, had numerous operations on his eyes and unfortunately has lost a significant amount of his sight. We had hoped he would be recovered enough after his last operation to help us move to the planned new server, however given the timing of the current scenario this will not happen.

We have found a technical resource, who can rebuild and move the B&C to a new home, however this will be chargable. As it currently stands the Bolter & Chainsword needs to raise around $800 - $1000 in addition to the funds we currently have put by to make this happen.

Brother Argos has funded the B&C to the tune of $18,000 dollars over the last 10 years, so that we could all enjoy our community, he is not in a position given his illness to rescue us now.

It is your community, if you wish it to survive you need to raise around a $1000, if we raise more it will all help get a better server for our new home.

There is a paypal button below which sends money to donations@bolterandchainsword.com, if you have enjoyed visiting the Bolter & Chainsword click the button below and show us.

As and when we get more information you can find us at Our Facebook page we will also update this holding page.

Remember the words of Roboute Guilliman Primarch of the Ultramarines - "to admit defeat is to blaspheme against the Emperor"

Help Needed - Bits Request!

Hi folks,
I'm in desperate need of imperial guard track guards (the three section buts that fit over the treads) i need complete sets please as I've come up rather short on numbers so need some to complete my armoured company.
I'm also after rhino chassis head lights and the scanners from the top of predator sponsons if anyone has them.
The track guards are most important and i have some cash available for them. these are the most important parts:

please drop me a line if you can help out.
thanks

Field Police - A Rogue Trader Fluff Query

Bit of an ask now folks but who is good with rogue trader era fluff?
I have found an image I remember seeing some time ago and was wondering if anyone can identify the chapter of the marine labelled "field police" in this image below or is it like a remember a specific badge for field police and they have no chapter as such in the old RT fluff:

Field police image

 

I dont remember a chapter in the old RT era with that symbol so I was working on the theory they are like DW ie they are a mix from all chapters and use that symbol as thier badge.
I am looking for an excuse to paint some to accompany my inquisitor. Thinking about how to incorperate them in to a force and the other way I might get round it is do them all like that and then just pick out a chapter symbol on their knee pads. its an old odd bit of fluff but I like the idea that on campaigns a small number of marines get seconded to the police to assist with control etc.
Any info on the badge or thoughts on the idea would be great.
cheers
 

The Great Brush Conundrum - A Result

Thanks for all the feedback guys its actually been really helpful. The consensus across my blog, the FB groups and a few forums seems to be that if you use Kolinsky sable brushes then you can’t go wrong, no matter the make. With that in mind though three brands seem to have jumped out as runaway leaders, they are:

Raphael Brushes

Windsor and Newton Series 7

Rosemary and Co

I have looked in to all of these and actually found a local store that stocks Windsor’s and Rosemary’s, getting to hold them helped and I did prefer the rosemary’s over the Windsor’s, but barely. Unfortunately though I didn’t buy at the store, let’s just say it knows it has an audience of a certain age and they milk them. So I can home last night and did some surfing for various brushes, as nice as the Windsor’s were the fact I could get the Rosemary’s direct from the company for less than £3 per brush as opposed at least double for the Windsor’s was a bit of a game changer. So last night I placed an order for a set ranging from 000 through to 3, I know I’m erring to the cheaper ones but I think some decent brushes (even in sizes ill never use) will make a big difference. So there we have it I’ve spent £25 on some awesome seeming brushes and now to see what they do. Once they are here ill get some use in and hopefully some reviews of them and the company.

Once again thanks for your help and advice, much appreciated.

The Great Brush Conundrum

Well folks it's time for a change! I've decided it is finally time to upgrade from bog standard GW brushes to something a little bit more professional. Dont get me wrong the GW brushes have been brilliant and everything I have painted for the past 20ish (god I feel old now) has used standard GW brushes and the current ones are defaintely the best.

So why am I posting, in short I dont have a clue whats out there!! There seem to be some great companies but none that I have had experience with so this post is to start the debate on what brushes are the best and most cost effective (this is a big one) for the bumbling hobbiest?

I would love to know what brushes you use? what experinces have you had with different brushes? Is there a brand that by far out shines others?

please feel free to send yuor thoughts, comments and links in the comments section below and hopefully this could see me getting some nice new brushes soon.

The Power Armour Character Challenge - The Prize & H4H Donation!

Hi folks,
first up apologies for the delay, had a brief visit to the Emerald Isle that delayed getting this up. As followers of the challenge know there was a £5.00 (gbp) prize for the winner of the challenge. To stop any calls of fix or rigged I stated that should I win I would donate the prize to charity. Surprisingly in the end I did end up winning and earlier this week I donated my £5.00 to charity, in this case to Help for Heroes, to prove it see the screen dump below:

Help for Heroes is a great charity helping wounded service personnel in the UK get a better quality of life, more can be found out about them here - Help for Heroes. Please check them out and if you feel so inclined please donate.
Thanks and all the best.

Imperial Guard Chimera Heavy Bolter - A Modellers Request!

Hi Folks
Apologies for posting this here but I'm not sure where else to try for this part. It's really pretty much as the title says, I'm after a hull heavy bolter from the new chimera sprue, (the one that comes in two parts) as seen here:

I can swap for two heavy flamers for the chimera, one from the new chimera frames and one from the vehicle accessory frame. failing that a have a quid or two I can spare.
I'm also still after chimera/leman russ track guards if anyone can help with those as well.
Please PM me or email me.
Thanks for looking.

Imperial Guard Track Guards - A Modellers Request!

Hi Folks,
apologies for posting this here but I'm not sure where else to try. Recently to help me finish off my tanks I have been in search of the track guards from the old Imperial Guard accessory sprue and the new Leman Russ kit, unfortunately not with much luck, I've only managed to get two sets. So the reason for this post is simple can any one help me out? I'm looking for as many sets as I can get and should worse come to worse if you only have parts I'm looking for the long central part from the set.
For those unfamiliar or just confused by my ramblings here are the bits I mean:

If anyone can help me out please drop me a line at the MMM email address in the contact me link to the side.
Thanks in advance

Modelling News - Guard Weapons Questions & Bases update!

A fellow guardsman struggling with his weapons choices!

Well folks more progress today and a step backwards I'm afraid!

First up the step forward, today I finally took the step to order my bases for the force. I headed over to Secret Weapon Minis earlier and not only picked up a set of the Urban Beveled bases but decided to grab some of the small metal shell casings they sell. So I'm keeping an eye out for those and hope that once they arrive you guys don't mind a little review of all the bits I've ordered.
To check out their products head over here: Secret Weapon Miniatures

Now for the step backwards, I'm just placing an order on the old Forgeworld site for some of the Cadian Special Weapons Teams and it struck me I have no idea what weapons fits work in "todays" Guard Army. So folks I'm turning to you for advice on what works in what situation. To give you a bit more feedback locally I will mainly be facing Space Marines (of all flavours, both Imp and Chaos), Tau, Eldar and Orks, though obviously there are others out there. So my questions are what weapons fits are the best all rounders, both in general and for the following units:

• Command Squad
• Platton Command Squads
• Heavy Weapons Teams
• Guard Squads

In the case of all these I'd also really like to know do heavy weapons work in these squads or is it best just to run them light and just have special weapons?
Any advice on weapons fits would be appreciated as this one really has me stumped.
Thanks in advance!

Questions, Questions, Questions & Some News!!

well folks after sorting out my models, paints, supplies and workspace over the last month I've now come to the stage where I need to sort out rules and project requests and more purchases. So tonight's post is a post of at least two parts, so lets begin!

The first part is nice and simple, as I'm building two forces I need to pick up the codex for each force! Now as I'm planning Guard and Marines it could be expensive but now that the allies I was planning, witch hunters and daemon hunters, now have their codexes available as PDF this makes things a lot cheaper. So come payday this month I will pick up the first codex of the two and a unit from that codex, and then next month I will pick up the other. So the question to you, and one you can vote on on the right hand side, is:

Which Codex should I get on payday?

Nice and simple choice, so please help me out and cast your vote. Then later in the month once the votes are in I will reveal the results and then ask for suggestions on a unit to pick up at the same time!

Second thing is not so simple but is quick to ask, does anyone know any UK or USA based casters that would be able to cast full figures in resin or metal? I'm only looking for 20 or so but no one I have contacted so far as been prepared to work on such a "small" project. Failing that does anyone know any good cheap UK based sellers of rubber mould materials and resin?

Finally keep your eyes out over the next few days for some new regular features such as Blog News, Hobby News, Mondays Mirthful Meanderings, Fridays Five Finds and also the addition of Keywords to posts to allow for quick and easy searching within the blog.

All the best and enjoy your weekends!