So her guns store their cartridges the same way that pump-action shotguns do, with a tubular magazine. Nice. Looks sleek.
What’s with the glow of her eyes in the last panel? Dramatic effect or something more literal and integral to the story? Makes me wonder if she’s some sort of altered creature the way that horse was transformed into a firemare. After all, when that sheriff shot her, she didn’t bleed.
Actually acid has nothing to do with this particular reaction — caustic potash (potassium hydroxide) is a strong base and a stellar neutralizer of acids but the boom here is just its exothermic dissolution in water, which it has in common with its cousins lithium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide, caesium hydroxide, etc.. … none of which I could finagle a plausibly low tech way for Vane to manufacture out in the 1880 analog boonies, so KOH it was. Everyone knew how to make lye.
Oh, and I’ll save someone the trouble of inevitably pointing this out: yes, I have exaggerated its properties.
Ha, I used to cart around a huge lithium battery inside the old 77 sets (radio) a few years back in cadets. They have been phased out because they were bulky, heavy, and explosive because of the lithium battery packs. Did get some long range on them though.
We were told that if there was a lightening storm to never have them on, and that if water did get inside, we were to drop the battery and run. Just run. Each battery was about 5 kg. >.<
I suppose there’s nothing saying its just KOH in the shells. The KOH might just act as an igniter for something rather more energetic which I don’t know enough historic field-chemistry to speculate on. (Assuming a solution to a couple of engineering problems: you don’t want the explosive shell cooking off at the breech from the heat of firing!)
I really enjoyed the gun cleaning and bullet fabrication sequence, since you managed to show just enough of the mechanism to make the guns believable without actually having to go into details about how they actually work. It’s obvious you spent a long time ironing out all the kinks from the designs and you managed to create a very entertaining mash-up of several revered real world guns like the Volcanic, Henry and Winchester that’s a treat to see for gun nuts such as myself… Having her two “irons” color-coded is also a nice touch.
Other than that, your whole comic is beautifully researched, stylishly designed and exquisitely rendered. Thank you for sharing it with us.
Also, sorry, but I snickered unintentionally when I saw she’s threading a wood screw into the gun in panel one. I know it’s unimportant and I’m a big jerk for pointing that out, but it’s a sort of unstoppable impulse for me- whenever I find something that’s absolutely great, I just have to find and point out a tiny little flaw to remind myself that whomever created it is ultimately still human and thus capable of error. Just ignore this last bit and focus on the well deserved praise…
Except wood screws usually have a stretch of unthreaded shank at the top, Professor. You can use a flat/countersunk head anywhere you want a flush surface, and besides — Vane uses what there is.
I wasn’t referring to the countersunk head since that’s pretty normal, but to the actual thread of the screw that is typical of a woodworking or sheet metal screw.
Also, while most US standard wood screws have that stretch of unthreaded shank you mentioned, I’ve seen plenty that have the thread running all the way to the top. Sure, I live in Europe and standards might be different here, but I don’t think that’s the case. Besides, I’ve yet to see that thread pattern in use on a firearm, and I’ve taken quite lot of them apart in my day, both modern and historic.
“Vane uses what there is”, however, is a clever justification and it certainly works for me. She’s certainly shown an uncanny ability to jury-rig pretty much anything mechanical with only the simplest tools.
Well, turns out my statement that “I’ve yet to see this thread pattern on a firearm before” was completely erroneous. I had to disassemble the buttplate of an M1 Garand today, and guess what the screws look like? Like this: http://www.northridgeinc.com/productImages/resizedItemImages/_DSC0078.JPG
XD
Yeah, forgot about these guys, but they ARE wood screws after all, so I’m still right… And just out of curiosity, I then tried to pull out the buttplate screws on my Mauser and SKS to see how those look like in comparison, and they are the “classic” wood-screw pattern, including the stretch of unthreaded shank. It was logical, since, after all, the buttplate is pretty much the only thing that attaches directly into the wood (that and sling swivels on some weapons, like the Czech vz24), but somehow I failed to remember this little tidbit when I wrote my last reply.
Turns out I’m just as prone to error as everybody else, and the universe was kind enough to provide a reminder.
And that’s enough about this subject, I promise. I’ll be good from now on…
(And FWIW I recognize the threads I drew are too far apart for machine screws and, obviously, wood screws in a wood stock make significantly more sense than in a brass receiver 😉 )
Glad to see that Mr. Flint, who so far has been entirely to serene being involved with an undead mad-scientist who built a steampunk horse to kill a Pyromancer riding a demonsteed with clockwork weaponry can be shocked. I was starting to doubt his understanding of the situation.
Yaaaay 😀
So…ambush Hunter when he’s taking a swim? 😉
If he weren’t so busy bleeding out I’d say he had too much fire in his veins for this to work.
Aaaaand considering the human body is composed of up to 60% water…
You’re onto it. 🙂
So her guns store their cartridges the same way that pump-action shotguns do, with a tubular magazine. Nice. Looks sleek.
What’s with the glow of her eyes in the last panel? Dramatic effect or something more literal and integral to the story? Makes me wonder if she’s some sort of altered creature the way that horse was transformed into a firemare. After all, when that sheriff shot her, she didn’t bleed.
Well *something* human-shaped did rise out of that coffin that exploded…and he did carve his initials into someone’s backside…
When she first kitted out Diamonds after he exploded, you could see the reflection of the glow from her eyes in her goggles, too.
sooo… how do you make caustic potash?
Elementary chemistry really..based elements + acid = BOOM! In this case a very big BOOM!
Actually acid has nothing to do with this particular reaction — caustic potash (potassium hydroxide) is a strong base and a stellar neutralizer of acids but the boom here is just its exothermic dissolution in water, which it has in common with its cousins lithium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide, caesium hydroxide, etc.. … none of which I could finagle a plausibly low tech way for Vane to manufacture out in the 1880 analog boonies, so KOH it was. Everyone knew how to make lye.
Oh, and I’ll save someone the trouble of inevitably pointing this out: yes, I have exaggerated its properties.
^ That 🙂
Hey, its cool. Remember…SUSPENSION OF DISBELIEF. Love your comic.
Very much obliged. 🙂
Ha, I used to cart around a huge lithium battery inside the old 77 sets (radio) a few years back in cadets. They have been phased out because they were bulky, heavy, and explosive because of the lithium battery packs. Did get some long range on them though.
We were told that if there was a lightening storm to never have them on, and that if water did get inside, we were to drop the battery and run. Just run. Each battery was about 5 kg. >.<
I suppose there’s nothing saying its just KOH in the shells. The KOH might just act as an igniter for something rather more energetic which I don’t know enough historic field-chemistry to speculate on. (Assuming a solution to a couple of engineering problems: you don’t want the explosive shell cooking off at the breech from the heat of firing!)
I just realized how amazingly sexy Miss Black is. A redhead with a nice gun. Oh, yeah.
I like how you say that, using the gravatar where the cowpoke about browns his pants in fear/revulsion
I really enjoyed the gun cleaning and bullet fabrication sequence, since you managed to show just enough of the mechanism to make the guns believable without actually having to go into details about how they actually work.
It’s obvious you spent a long time ironing out all the kinks from the designs and you managed to create a very entertaining mash-up of several revered real world guns like the Volcanic, Henry and Winchester that’s a treat to see for gun nuts such as myself…
Having her two “irons” color-coded is also a nice touch.
Other than that, your whole comic is beautifully researched, stylishly designed and exquisitely rendered. Thank you for sharing it with us.
Also, sorry, but I snickered unintentionally when I saw she’s threading a wood screw into the gun in panel one. I know it’s unimportant and I’m a big jerk for pointing that out, but it’s a sort of unstoppable impulse for me- whenever I find something that’s absolutely great, I just have to find and point out a tiny little flaw to remind myself that whomever created it is ultimately still human and thus capable of error. Just ignore this last bit and focus on the well deserved praise…
Except wood screws usually have a stretch of unthreaded shank at the top, Professor. You can use a flat/countersunk head anywhere you want a flush surface, and besides — Vane uses what there is.
I wasn’t referring to the countersunk head since that’s pretty normal, but to the actual thread of the screw that is typical of a woodworking or sheet metal screw.
Also, while most US standard wood screws have that stretch of unthreaded shank you mentioned, I’ve seen plenty that have the thread running all the way to the top. Sure, I live in Europe and standards might be different here, but I don’t think that’s the case.
Besides, I’ve yet to see that thread pattern in use on a firearm, and I’ve taken quite lot of them apart in my day, both modern and historic.
“Vane uses what there is”, however, is a clever justification and it certainly works for me. She’s certainly shown an uncanny ability to jury-rig pretty much anything mechanical with only the simplest tools.
Well, turns out my statement that “I’ve yet to see this thread pattern on a firearm before” was completely erroneous. I had to disassemble the buttplate of an M1 Garand today, and guess what the screws look like? Like this: http://www.northridgeinc.com/productImages/resizedItemImages/_DSC0078.JPG
XD
Yeah, forgot about these guys, but they ARE wood screws after all, so I’m still right…
And just out of curiosity, I then tried to pull out the buttplate screws on my Mauser and SKS to see how those look like in comparison, and they are the “classic” wood-screw pattern, including the stretch of unthreaded shank. It was logical, since, after all, the buttplate is pretty much the only thing that attaches directly into the wood (that and sling swivels on some weapons, like the Czech vz24), but somehow I failed to remember this little tidbit when I wrote my last reply.
Turns out I’m just as prone to error as everybody else, and the universe was kind enough to provide a reminder.
And that’s enough about this subject, I promise. I’ll be good from now on…
Ha. It’s all good.
(And FWIW I recognize the threads I drew are too far apart for machine screws and, obviously, wood screws in a wood stock make significantly more sense than in a brass receiver 😉 )
Blood is also wet.. as it has water in it… so shoot hunter with this bullets and watch him go pop…
HA! I so love her in a new way today. Sexy, cruel and ingenious!
Erin, I love all about your comic, you know, but for sure the 1st panel, the detail panel, I love it
Glad to see that Mr. Flint, who so far has been entirely to serene being involved with an undead mad-scientist who built a steampunk horse to kill a Pyromancer riding a demonsteed with clockwork weaponry can be shocked. I was starting to doubt his understanding of the situation.
explosion with water !lol
SO MUCH HELL YES IN THIS PAGE