Sometimes my stream of consciousness is quite self-referential…
Anyway here are my musings and sketches of nautical familiars and bound daemons that have helped motivate some of my recent builds.
This fantastic crab from the Steampunk Museum in NZ was a very early source of inspiration for my theme. I’ve been holding onto this picture and others from the museum for quite some time.
Excited to see the hammerhead conversion!
Looking at ur machines makes me think of dr robotnick from sonic. Maybe you need to make him 
He certainly has Zharr appropriate paunch and a mustache to boot!
Damn it! Now I can’t stop picturing him as a rogue deamonsmith!
Sketched up another character page for my lore book. Maybe this guy will make an appearance in a short story when inspiration strikes.
Crazy Crazy stuff…love this thread!
Instead of painting the Tau on my desk or priming the 3D printed dragons I’ve been accumulating, inspiration struck to create more nautical steam creatures. What started as a fun project to make a few small bits of troop filler ended up snowballing into a Pokemon mission to catch 'em all.
I was fishing through my bits box on an entirely different quest when I saw an eel jaw with an enjoyable amount of underbite. One thing lead to another and now I have a crab and a manta as well… Not sure what I’ll end up using these for now. Seems like they’ll need their own unit…
I am always delighted with your conversions! I wish I had just a touch of your creativity! 
The hermit crab is ingenious!
That crab or something similar would make a nice themed gun or bolt thrower platform for your army. Accompanied by a couple of gobbos in divers helmets maybe.Lovely creations as usual 
Thank you all! … and that’s an excellent idea. I will spoil that I do have a giant crab in the dry dock. Early stage WIPs hopefully soon. I am certainly eyeing the new Russian Alt models for hobgobbos riding steam creations but a bolt thrower platform is something I hadn’t considered!
Such a great idea for the army! 
Lovely and imaginative creations!
I’m always fascinated to see the variety of bits that people are able to cobble together to make models as these.
And I have to admit that I’m delighted to see you using some of the metal bits I sculpted, really cool to see them being used in so many ways.
Excellent work!
Absolutely glorious creations! And that must be the coolest use for the vase I’ve ever seen anyone come up with! And I didn’t expect @Fuggit_Khan’s crook hat to show up on a mechanical hermit crab. Wonderful stuff! Love the eel and Manta as well. Such great vision and designs.
There is a pattern emerging, since the shapes of Tau vessels and vehicles tend to be inspired by nautical life. 
Thanks @Admiral and @Fuggit_Khan I’ve really been enjoying using those metal bits, even steam creatures need hats 
. I might only have one hat left! I’m glad to finally have a use for the crook hat which I was having trouble placing on my characters. And you might be right about the Tau considering I’m working on those concurrently…
Somehow, I have only just seen this! Unfortunately, I was only popping on quickly, so have skimmed through (150 posts…). Your work and army is looking amazing and it’s a great and interesting concept!
You’ve reminded me of why I fell in love with Chaos Dwarf forums so very many years ago - the sheer creativity, boldness and conversion work for such a cool race; people can make them whatever they want too be.
Gotta say, your lorebook and art style in it are truly phenomenal and such a beautiful (er, I mean cruel) example of how much love (er, I mean hatred) there is in this hobby. It’s great you essentially have an in-world journal and the aesthetic is so reminiscent of the scratchings of liber chaotica too.
Also, gotta quickly say I love how often you use my name - both in said journal and this blog
As for your tinker (tailor) soldier (spy?) crustacean creations, you could maybe use them as hobgoblins or orcs or something? Animosity being their daemonbinding or differing motions colliding etc?
Thank you @HashutsBlessing for bestowing upon me, well, uh, Hashut’s Blessing. I’ll happily accept a comparison to the liber any day. Still enjoy leafing through those books especially since I dabble in Tzeentch too. Mine sort of has turned into an historian’s journal and I’m definitely okay with that.
I think what you stated about Chaos Dwarfs is very accurate and a large part of what lured me in as well. Such a great aesthetic that can be spun in many ways and a variety of different units (machines, artillery, monsters, rank & file, cav, flying, etc) to play with. Also definitely liking your ideas for the steamcritters, especially the animosity due to their binding.
No new painted Reavers but I have made some long needed progress on DIY movement trays. After receiving all of the Russian Alt. infantry I decided it was about time and could make a decent estimate at all of the materials needed. Quick CAD model only needs two dimensions altered before exporting each tray for FDM printing. Magnets and adhesive sheet are from Green Stuff World. Once I get a few more of these made I’ll texture and paint the top face but for now they’re still a great quality of life improvement. Put magnets in the bottom of the tray as well for future adhesion to metal shelving or carrying case.
Been dawdling around with some other minis and getting over hobby blocks for some of my other armies. Alongside the recent Golden Hat I did finish assembling and basing this unit of Infernal Guard with Fireglaives but unfortunately they didn’t make it past this point in the assembly line. Pretty happy with the small bits of green stuff work to add Reavers logos.
Had a lot of fun making this troop filler and the comically large black powder dispenser.
Sorted around heads from a few different Russian Alternative kits to get masks on all of these except the unit captain. Accidentally created a cool mini anchor cutting up a space marine banner pole.
