Blackadders Warlord WIP

[Blackadder]

Okay so here's the deal, I photo-shopped the image and made a static front view that prints out a model exactly 24 inches tall (On my printer using my editor's print graph I hasten to add). I'm satisfied that this is viable height for a Warlord towering almost 2.5 times the height of a Warhound.

Now that I have the overall height I'll remove the armour and draw in the structural detail.

BTW that's 24 inches to the lower margin of the image because we mustn't forget the foot pads.

http://i.imgur.com/xiYya.jpg

I calculate the center disk of the foot to be about 3.625 inches in diameter.

[faolan]

Blackadder, you brilliant, black hearted, mind addled genius, you.

[pathwinder14]

http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Titan
States they are approx. 60 meters tall.

I was building one back in the day and wikipedia stated they were 43 meters tall. Good luck on the size.

[Blackadder]

Here comes the weekend and I'll be playing to an empty room. I did manage to cut out most of the basic components of both feet and hope to have them glued together this weekend. I used 2.0 mm for the tread base and the rest is 1.0 mm styrene. This beastie is going to consume a lot of plastic but the fabrication will be a lot easier as all the material will be the same so no problem with glue compatibility which is a big plus.

I'll just add this on:

The octagons are the center of the foot pads and are 2.0 mm thick and about 5.0 x 4.5 inches the larger boxes to the right are the front and back toes and the smaller boxes at the extreme left are the side toes. Both sets of these toes will be movable with hinges. The truncated toe pieces to the far right may or mayn't be movable as I haven't planned that far as yet but the disc will tilt side to side and the top surface will house a semicircular gear shape which will allow the entire foot to tilt forward and aft. This should afford a full range of motion to the feet. The semicircle will have a countersunk screw for the axis and a pal nut on the other side to provide the tension to maintain the various poses.

http://i.imgur.com/IPWTEl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/IPWTE.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/F538Fl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/F538F.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/EcG2ql.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/EcG2q.jpg

Ambitious? yes;

Possible? most probably,

Crazy? almost certainly.

Ah but if it works Priceless!

[SotonShades]

Great work as always. This really is going to be a beast (as well it should!)

Quite a bit better than the door stops I used to make the toes on my Warlord

[Blackadder]

Forgot to post these scans:

http://i.imgur.com/UtEjfl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/HiW8ul.jpg

[Blackadder]

I finished all the basic toes and suspended my printout above the feet and Damn me it looks right. The Greaves still have the side frames armour to be added and once the body is bulked up I think you would want a good solid base to stand on.

http://i.imgur.com/xEGVbl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/xEGVb.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/V3VcUl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/V3VcU.jpg

[bloodangel 83]

Looking great. Keep up the great work. I will watch this one like I watched the Warhound. BA83

[mirbeau]

Already boggling. Keep up the good work!

[Blackadder]

I know I'm gonna reap a lot of flack for ignoring the T'hawk but I'm on a roll with this project and will ride it for all it's worth.

This new enthusiasm is refreshing as working on the T'hawk was becoming tedious but already I'm looking at it with fresh ideas

The toes of Chrysagon coming along nicely an if I have to make the body a few inches taller so be it.

http://i.imgur.com/6o0pkl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/6o0pk.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/qVyZGl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/qVyZG.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/0mXpPl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/0mXpP.jpg

[Blackadder]

I haven't a clue how much this thing will weigh or even how tall it will be. The feet when they are finished will determine the actual height of the model. I'm already 1/2 inch bigger than my original drawing which increases the height to about 26 inche from 24 inches. I intend to use steel hardware for the joints and reinforced box beam legs. The joints will lock in position with torx screws to disguise the screw head so it won't be flexible like Lucie

Todays effort:

http://i.imgur.com/fElqWl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/fElqW.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/QmXZll.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/QmXZl.jpg

:D

[Blackadder]

Plodding along as is my wont I successfully attached the step pyramid style ends of the toes this morning which for the life of me serve no earthly purpose other than aesthetic appeal. (If you like toes.... Jabba )

Mine differ from DS's in that they are slightly wider but the overall design is the same.

Accompanying the feet are some figures to convey scale donated by my son.

http://i.imgur.com/fJVPu.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/fJVPul.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/r5yJw.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/r5yJwl.jpg

[turiya64]

everything you do is so exacting. it is wonderful to see these come along. just stunning work.

[SotonShades]

absolutely cracking mate :) Those stepped pyramid toes really do add something that I didn't even realise was missing until I saw it there.

[Javin]

I never had the patience let alone the plasticard skills to try a project like this. I am envious of your skills and look forward to seeing where this will take you.

[Kataklysm]

Just a question off the top of my head, how much money do you drop on plasticard in an average month? haha. But seriously you bring a level of professionalism to scratchbuilds that is unmatched. cant wait to see the next update.

regards,

-kataklysm

[bloodangel 83]

Blackadder, your warlord feet look good, i will conitune watching this tread. And by the way, nice looking Legion of the Damned models on the feet. BA83

[docbungle]

INSANE!!

I love it :D

[Blackadder]

I really appreciate all the replies and I'll address the only question:

This week I dumped about forty bucks on plastic and glue but that's an unusual amount because I had to replenish my stash as it was sorely depleted.

I bought some specialty sheets i.e. clapboard siding and HO boxcar siding and O gauge boxcar siding for vents and grills. Square tubing, and round tubing for mega HYDRAULIC cylinders.

The Black Adder loves questions.

[Blackadder]

A bit further along on the disc mount mechanism placed but not glued are the rough cylinder trunnion mount blocks which are in essence pairs of pillow block bearings. Not glued because I don't know how much distance I need for the cylinder travel and still allow the disc plate a full range of tilt. mebbe I should do a drawing.

http://i.imgur.com/DZPp9.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/DZPp9l.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/YJ5Zb.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/YJ5Zbl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/IeSOI.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/IeSOIl.jpg

[Blackadder]

I've been working on the disc tilting cylinders. These will allow the disc to tilt side to side while secured to a longitudinal pivot axle yet to be fabricated.

http://i.imgur.com/NopdI.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/NopdIl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/orHOg.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/orHOgl.jpg

[Igen]

Keep up the good work, I want to see that beast on the battlefield. =)

[Meowcenary]

After seeing them in a pic with a marine I take back what I said, they actually look pretty good so far.

[allenacity]

Wow, I don't know how you think this stuff up, absolutely amazing.

[Blackadder]

I appreciate the responses and the subscriptions but just so you know 'The Blackadder' is very prone to mistakes. I spent half a day building the pistons receiving the cylinders on the discs and after forming them and starting to install them, I found that they were totally unnecessary!

Since they are totally hidden inside the ankle discs whats the point of even installing them? added work, more parts to fail, who needs that; so eliminated. But all is not lost, they may be useful in another area and if nothing else they keep me humble.

http://i.imgur.com/awVs5.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/awVs5l.jpg
They are shown in the left foreground.


http://i.imgur.com/G6u3t.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/G6u3tl.jpg
So who would know they are even missing :*)

[Grrmpf]

Looks great. Im looking forward to the next update.

[I_R_Chaos]

Looking good so far. I can't wait to see more.

[Blackadder]

It's extremely gratifying to envision something in your mind's eye and then to duplicate it in some medium. In this case extremely malleable styrene but I can see how real engineers get their rocks off. Granted the days of Isambard Kingdom Brunel and John Scott Russell are pretty much over where an engineer designs and executes an entire construct but I'm sure even today such gratification must still exist.

Case in point, this highly speculative tilting table mechanism for the foot attachment.

I believe I have come up with a viable solution to allow the foot to tilt side to side, be light and strong and also look complex enough to grace a 40K denizen.
http://i.imgur.com/k07P5.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/k07P5l.jpg

Were I to build this for a real vehicle I would enclose the axle within the disc housing so the table doesn't shift side to side as much but then the mechanism would be totally hidden. so this way I have an excuse for the diagonal toes linear actuator system that give enhanced stability during the stepping process and decreases the upper body swaying which is the cause of so much seasickness in some Warhound crew members.
http://i.imgur.com/adYW2.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/adYW2l.jpg

That's my story and I stick with it :P
http://i.imgur.com/X81v7.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/X81v7l.jpg

When I see how much of this system will actually be visible I may fancy it up a bit using some of mxwllmdr's lightened girder and buttress techniques.

The beauty of this construct is it can be disassembled for maintenance, painting and repair.
http://i.imgur.com/jScLR.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/jScLRl.jpg

[TheAmbit]

At the end of a scratch build people always ask me 'how much time did you invest' and I never really know. As this thing looks amazing and puts most other scratch build projects to shame in terms of shere size, I'd be curious at the end of the day how many hours it will have taken.

You should log it :)

[Blackadder]

At the end of a scratch build people always ask me 'how much time did you invest' and I never really know. As this thing looks amazing and puts most other scratch build projects to shame in terms of shere size, I'd be curious at the end of the day how many hours it will have taken.

You should log it :)

Right all I need is to waste more time logging how much time it takes me to make a Warlord; and then I need a log that delineates how much time it takes to log how much time it takes etc. until I have no time to do anything except make logs.

Well there's your answer, it takes an eternity to make a Warlord or somewhat less if you don't make a log.

obligatory smilie :D

[TheAmbit]

Well instead of writing a long winded dick comment - I didn't think jotting down 6 hours a week for x weeks would take you more than 5 seconds. Appologies.

[Blackadder]

duplicate

[Blackadder]

This mornings run adding a bit of detail and checking the relative sizes.

http://i.imgur.com/IRxU3.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/IRxU3l.jpg

[Slurpeemourne]

Great job so far on a truly daunting task. What keeps you plugging away at such a complex behemoth without losing interest?

[Blackadder]

A deep imbibing love of Martinis

;)

[SotonShades]

I must get a big bottle of whiskey to motivate me for a few of my projects then!

[Pendragon38]

If thats the case than I need some Rum :D

[Blackadder]

Back to business:

Before I close up the workings of the feet perhaps a demo of the hinges I came up with to allow the side toes to flex.

At this point they can flex up and down but once the box like hydraulic compartments at the base of the toes are installed upward movement will be restricted.

http://i.imgur.com/HyfxP.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/HyfxPl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/vSWL8.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/vSWL8l.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/aLFwT.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/aLFwTl.jpg

[Meph]

Damn, dude, even at this early stage it's pretty clear how mind-blowing this will be when it's finished...

[isotope99]

Your attention to detail is crazy. Anything that takes me longer than a week to build usually gets shelved for 'later'.

I'd be a little concerned about the weight of the structure to come tearing the joints in the ankle, but I'm sure you know what you're doing.

Looking forward to seeing this evolve.

[Blackadder]

Thanks for the replies although I am not receiving email notification even though I have selected it.

The pads and toes will have tread which will also serve to reinforce the pad and hopefully prevent warping.

I may be living in a fool's paradise but I can't see this construction exceeding ten pounds; less than half the weight I have already subjected each foot pad to with no distortion or breakage. with reinforcement this structure should support double my estimated weigh for the finished titan.

I am tackling this from an engineering point of view in other words with realism in mind. The feet must at least appear functional so therefore I am incorporating all the mechanisms necessary to augment that realism.

I will probably make a base although I haven't yet even for Lucy which is a shame as she is just laying in the cabinet at the moment and really should be displayed. But to get back to the question the toes and legs will be pose-able if they can stand the weight.

I have an image of the Reaver Titan tread which will probably approximate the Warlord tread I am considering.

http://i.imgur.com/x363a.jpg

[Blackadder]

Anyway it's the weekend baby and I'm hot modeling-wise I hope to have the front and rear toes mounted today.

http://i.imgur.com/yixnd.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/yixndl.jpg

[Blackadder]

Well the weekend is over and in a flurry of productiveness I managed to attach one front toe With hinge as planned and it works and seems relatively strong

Now the diagonal stabilizers need a bit of work but nothing extraordinary and they do allow the foot to flex so there's no cause for concern. I can't mount the back toes yet as I have to find 3/8 dia light springs to stabilize the disc; much better than my piston cylinder design, a suggestion from Zathros, a Moderator on another forum and to whom I say thanks.

http://i.imgur.com/ykY34.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/ykY34l.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/2oPzF.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/2oPzFl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/mbET8.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/mbET8l.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/6Lguf.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/6Lgufl.jpg

[Blackadder]

I found some 1/2 inch springs 1 inch tall and set about modifying the disc stabilizing system to accept them. I have to admit it works rather well.

http://i.imgur.com/5948k.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/5948kl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/jXNRj.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/jXNRjl.jpg

[Meph]

Those seem to sit quite nicely.

[Blackadder]

Not too much to show for this mornings work; the reinforcements for the diagonal stabilizers are installed and the second front toe mount hinge is drying. The stabilizers do not appear to interfere with the toe movement and they appear a close fit to the mounted disc, about a millimeter clearance. I should be starting on the shank of the leg this weekend if the holiday doesn't interfere too much.

http://i.imgur.com/7O5mp.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/7O5mpl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/brFeG.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/brFeGl.jpg

[Blackadder]

With the paranoia of machine shop precision I managed to drill and tap two perfect (with apologies to Werner Heisenberg) holes with a 10-32 tap for my axle shafts. Tack glue them in place and set aside to dry and for photos.

http://i.imgur.com/kGPog.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/kGPogl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/eqVE9.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/eqVE9l.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/v42fz.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/v42fzl.jpg

[bloodangel 83]

Nice work on the feet. Keep up the great work. BA83

[Blackadder]

I pulled a virtual all nighter and managed to apply a bit of colour (gray is a colour) to the mechanical interior of the foot before final assembly. once the rear toe compartment is glued on it will require micro surgery to access the stabilizer components. I did a lot of reinforcing before I sealed it up. Its a good thing I took pictures because painted gray not much of the mechanics is visible.

http://i.imgur.com/7ez94.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/7ez94l.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/7W8iG.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/7W8iGl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/jYBJE.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/jYBJEl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/NzKR9.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/NzKR9l.jpg

[Blackadder]

I cut the lower leg panels today, four rectangular pieces 8 inches by 3.5 inches nothing to show really but for dessert I installed some of the detail on the feet which has to be in place to check the clearance the when I bolt the lower knuckle to the foot.

I also got an idea for making the diagonal more flexible, note the right foot the diagonal toes may rotate in place to work with the front toes refer to the third image.

http://i.imgur.com/nu1GC.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/nu1GCl.jpg


http://i.imgur.com/UqVgS.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/UqVgSl.jpg


http://i.imgur.com/dAtnN.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/dAtnNl.jpg

[Blackadder]

She's got legs, Er lower legs, Er well plastic rectangles and she knows how to move them, Er well you gotta move them for her.

Hmm sounds like my ex-wife.

Anyhow the pivots seem adequate and should easily support ten lbs each.
http://i.imgur.com/9BEx0.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/9BEx0l.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/sDgm1.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/sDgm1l.jpg

[Blackadder]

Assembling these lower legs, as basic a structure as they are, teaches us how to build in strength with a minimum of material. I have assembled a box beam structure out of thin plastic and glue that can easily sustain for years if needs be a weight of 50 lbs or more. The ankle to leg joint likewise. There will be no need for buttresses as in the DS model (A problem he acknowledged in his sparse construction text.) except for decorative purposes plus the leg is moveable.

To quote the old carpenter's maxim, "Measure twice cut once." or the old Italian carpenter's lament, "Sunnva *****a I cutta thisa two times and it'sa still too short!"

http://i.imgur.com/jZu28.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/jZu28l.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/jpEPm.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/jpEPml.jpg

[Blackadder]

Macro setting didn't work too well but these are just interim images There will be others later. To reinforce the ankle joint I applied arc segments for the spacer slides to ride on. This model will be of considerable mass, I figure about 7 kilo, so these shanks must be protected from torsion effects.


http://i.imgur.com/zXZ4e.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/zXZ4el.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/GwNRo.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/GwNRol.jpg

[Blackadder]

You know after I installed those slides I had an epiphany, What if I cut cogs in the slides and used a toothed gear to actuate the semicircle, how would that be? I'll have to redesign the slides a bit but it would make perfect sense to have that as the mechanism.

Meanwhile todays run not as much as I had hoped for but I had to repair the porch.
http://i.imgur.com/iWhNql.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/iWhNql.jpg

Stepping out

http://i.imgur.com/NfcAfl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/NfcAfl.jpg

You'll have to imagine the rest but the picture height isn't as high as the shoulder mounted lascannons

[Blackadder]

I wasn't going to post this until I rectified the problem but then I thought, "Hey this is a good thing to demonstrate that even the Blackadder isn't infallible :) and has to go back to the drawing board now and again."

Seems I made the shanks too long by about an inch. measuring for the upper leg somehow the proportions just didn't look right so I remeasured and sure enough I managed to add an extra inch to the overall height.

So what's an inch you may say but to me it will change the look of the finished model from a hulking looming menace to a spindle shanked travesty ergo I shall be cutting the lower legs in half and removing the offending inch but not yet as I may have to do other things as well so might as well do all at once.


http://i.imgur.com/ZuPeb.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/ZuPebl.jpg

[Blackadder]

Okay Ladies and Germs, this is what separates the Blackadder from relatively sane individuals. To borrow a phrase from another Charlton Heston movie, "The Agony and the Ecstasy"; The wine is sour, so throw it out!

I'm not happy with the look. The legs are too thin. So I'm bringing out my second biggest Xacto blade and rending judgment on inferior work.

http://i.imgur.com/JzlII.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/JzlIIl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/BbjB1.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/BbjB1l.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/NOnMO.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/NOnMOl.jpg

[Meph]

Haiii-yah! :D

[Blackadder]

I spent the entire weekend revamping the lower legs making them wider and a half inch shorter. I cut down the radius of the hip and decreased the front to back measurement of the upper legs and and sheathed the whole all the while remodeling the bath which somehow takes precedence?

http://i.imgur.com/ZgFwu.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/ZgFwul.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/m78Af.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/m78Afl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/lhla6.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/lhla6l.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/0xoyh.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/0xoyhl.jpg

[Blackadder]

Well I did have to cut the upper legs down again another 4MM all around. I installed the skin (AGAIN) and am working on the detail.

I made a couple of jigs to facilitate the assembly first a cutting jig so the zipper-like trim is homogeneous and equally spaced.

And a small aligning jig so the truncated pieces are aligned with their opposite number.

DS has 9 sets up the back of the leg but I got ten with approximately the same spacing so either his are larger or his legs are shorter or he isn't as anal about the spacing. :D



http://i.imgur.com/TxC3n.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/TxC3nl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/VS9QD.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/VS9QDl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/OXFmS.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/OXFmSl.jpg
Cutting jig

[Blackadder]

http://i.imgur.com/F0DbE.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/F0DbEl.jpg
Aligning jig

[Blackadder]

I use Ambroid ProWeld when I can get it. I keep it in a Tamiya bottle because it's less prone to tipping and the fine tipped brush wastes a lot less solvent (Its really not a glue so much as a plastic melter.)

For really large surfaces I use Testors red or blue tubed styrene cement. I see little difference between the two other than the toxicity of the red but I've never ben afacked bi iet myslef.


Hmmm.......... I seem to have experienced a flurry of activity this weekend completing the basic upper leg structure and adding a bit of detail.

Time to take stock and see where I've gone wrong.

One step forward and two steps back seems to be my mantra.....................


http://i.imgur.com/QrumW.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/QrumWl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/Ldi0k.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Ldi0kl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/wCBgI.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/wCBgIl.jpg

[Blackadder]

The Blackadder is in his glory. I relish doing the fine detail. Well this project is fraught with minute detail some of which is smaller than the pixel resolution in the images I have.

You're going to have to look close (If you're so inclined I won't presume my work is worth more than a causal glance.) to see where the changes are in the detail. I'm particularly pleased with the piping on the edge of the hip plate reinforcement which is literally a thread of styrene 0.4 MM by 0.75 MM. Strips so fine as to be ephemeral when full strength ProWeld is applied. I used de-volatilized Proweld to keep it from disappearing. The cog components on the ankle quadrant (sic) are a gimmee.
Note that the strips on either side of the Bow-tie like trim which I presume serve some utilitarian function.

The Knee plate reinforcements are in progress at the moment............

http://i.imgur.com/Y61a8.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Y61a8l.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/YDhLP.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/YDhLPl.jpg

[bloodangel 83]

Nice work and keep it up. BA83

[SotonShades]

Just a quick question that's been bugging me;

Are the legs going to get thicker? I was assuming that the bits you've done so far are simply the structural element and you were going to build up a boxier body work around this chassis. The detail you are working on now has me questioning these thoughts.

Not that I can talk. I often get bogged down in the detail of a couple of models and leave the majority of the unit barely done with rough base/foundation coats lol.

Still loving the work though. As always, the level of detail you are going into is astonishing :)

[Blackadder]

The thickness of the legs are a concern of mine as well. but I learned from Lucie that my perception is in error regarding my penchant for well formed sturdy limbs. I think once the plating and hydraulics are added plus the armour the legs will be appear more robust nay even too thick as was the case with my Lucie compared to the anorexic FW version.

[Blackadder]

A poor showing this week I'm afraid, my real job workload was staggering but I did manage to rebuild the front of the knee joint (Why does it look like a marshmallow Easter peep?) and add a lot of basic detail.

God this will be detail heavy I'm up over a pound for each leg and half the detail isn't installed.

I'm taking a crash course on fiber optics and will be incorporating it in this and the Thunderhawk


http://i.imgur.com/GLg6l.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/GLg6ll.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/EcUce.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/EcUcel.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/lFLrX.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/lFLrXl.jpg

[Blackadder]

It's time to address the most baffling component of this project, namely what the outrageously long hydraulic cylinder is for running down the calf of the leg?

It appears in the epic model as well as the DS construct but I can fathom no applicable purpose. The quadrant gear in the ankle provides the step motion and that is supplemented by the small cylinders attached to the heel which mimic the function of the Achilles tendon. Were the cylinder attached upper leg behind the knee it would serve as the calf muscle but it doesn't attach there anyway it looks very interesting so I am including it in my construct complete with superfluous safety guard rails so people twenty feet off the ground don't lose an arm in the massive hydraulic piston.

As it is right now each of these legs are as complex as anything I have built with the exception of Lucie's pedal appendages and they are about only half detailed. Surprisingly my enthusiasm has not flagged.

http://i.imgur.com/ySHyN.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/ySHyNl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/opJp9.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/opJp9l.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/OBj8D.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/OBj8Dl.jpg

[Blackadder]

Just another bit before I put this aside for the weekend. The detail is progressing nicely although what these devices actually do is a mystery. but they do look intricate and that is the look I am going for.

http://i.imgur.com/TSHHq.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/TSHHql.jpg

Tomorrow the main lower leg cylinders; that should be fun.

[SotonShades]

In fairness, the mechanicum might not know what they do either? Perhaps part of the STC design that was redundant from a former iteration. Kinda like the human appendix. Seems like a very 40k-ey explanation to me :P

[Brymm]

:eek:

This is epic. Looks amazing so far. Where abouts do you order/get your Plasticard from? Any other materials I should really look for if I wanted to start making my own vehicles (not super-heavy, but regular ol' Leman Russ/Chimera/Land Raider size)?

What got you into making your own models? Is the learning curve pretty steep?

[Blackadder]

:eek:

This is epic. Looks amazing so far. Where abouts do you order/get your Plasticard from? Any other materials I should really look for if I wanted to start making my own vehicles (not super-heavy, but regular ol' Leman Russ/Chimera/Land Raider size)?

What got you into making your own models? Is the learning curve pretty steep?

I appreciate your question as that is the primary reason for my posting. Let me first state my philosophy,

"Never build anything small!"

I never scratch build anything I can afford. A Leman Russ or Chimera while highly overpriced is well within my affordablity in spite of Mrs BA's protestations . What you pay in time and material is more than the cost of a Russ kit.

On the other hand there is no 28 mm scale Warlord so building one is worth your effort (If you are so inclined).

At the moment I am purchasing my plasticard from local hobby shops but I am considering ordering wholesale 3 foot by 6 foot sheets from a industrial supplier:

http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=22883

I've been modeling all my life but never so deeply into scratch building in styrene as in the passed few years. Hell until a few years ago I didn't even know styrene building material existed. The learning curve is primarily naturally based on your skills and your devotion to exactitude. Many 'scratchers' are satisfied with crude approximations and fielding entities that resemble the intended vehicles to play the game and there is nothing wrong with that. It's an extremely healthy attitude.

On the other hand there are those who are psychotically possessed with unassailable accuracy. (I fall into the latter catagory) The model is the thing and the playability is a far second (I've never played a 40K wargame.) Those deluded individuals painstakingly devote an hour to a few CM sized piece that virtually no one will take more than a cursory glance at. They are indeed 'certifiable' in the eyes of proponents of mental health.

But as far as personal gratification I wouldn't trade the feeling of accomplishment in finally producing my intended objective for anything.

From a devoted scratchbuilder.

The Blackadder

[Blackadder]

First let me apologize for such a tawdry post but I figured there are those that might benefit from an image from the beginning of the construction. The waist block is probably the most important structure in the whole model. Not only must it bear the weight of the structure above but it must transfer that weight to the movable legs and sustain that transfer for the conceivable future (At least until The Blackadder has shuffled off this mortal coil.)

You will note that the structure is grossly undersized as it is about 5 cm square. This is intentional. You can always add girth, subtracting is more difficult. tomorrow I shall apply my solution to the articulation problem; i.e. a workable material that will sustain the pressure of the upper works and still be small enough to remain within scale.

In addition the thigh detail is coming along nicely (IMHO)

http://i.imgur.com/ndbbS.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/ndbbSl.jpg

[Blackadder]

I found these marvelous 'Tee' fittings that are just perfect to supply the fore to aft swing of the hip joint. They take a nice 1/4 -20 thread and are strong enough to support the weight of the model without being too cumbersome. I was going to go with copper tube 'Tee' fittings filled with epoxy and drilled and tapped but these are better as they are machined perfect and the tap self centers when cutting the thread.

Now some readers of this may baulk at the employment of these tools but they are easy to use and readily available at the local 'Home Depot' or 'Lowes' and a cheap 'T' handle and tap set is adequate for modeling purposes. I happen to have a fairly good machinist set but that quality is not necessary.

http://i.imgur.com/X28BG.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/X28BGl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/823ZR.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/823ZRl.jpg

[Blackadder]

Today I worked on the pelvic mechanism which needs a bit of revising. Even though it works just as I wanted the sphere halves need to be undercut to fit the 'Tee' fittings thereby retreating further into the pelvic block. Therefore I need to mount the 'Tees' further outboard so they will be visible and allow for a great range of motion.

http://i.imgur.com/kiq1U.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/kiq1Ul.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/LjIlP.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/LjIlPl.jpg

[Blackadder]

It strikes me that this model is insufficiently complex.

Just kidding but over the weekend I received a query on another forum as to whether I was going to include an interior to the cockpit. I had alway intended to make the cockpit interior but it got me to thinking about my regrets when building the Lucie Warhound; namely no interior whatsoever. So...........

I threw together a front view of the compartments this weekend just so I could get a feel for how the various areas might be arranged.

Surprisingly it all fits and each compartment has about an 11 ft ceiling.

My dementia is serving me well.

Naturally the cockpit will be forward of the bridge and is not represented in this diagram.

http://i.imgur.com/eJxy0.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/eJxy0l.jpg

[Blackadder]

I'm toying with the idea of stacking the decks like a child's stacking toy about the center pivot post:

http://images.landofnod.com/is/image/LandOfNod/Stacker_FAM?$FP$

This should afford ease in viewing the internal detail.

There are so many interlocking armour plates that alignment should be relatively easy to maintain plus there is the added bonus of modular construction which should facilitate modification and repair not to mention adding lighting at a later date as opposed to wiring it as I build.

[DrLove42]

You'r doing the internals as well? :O

I dno't have words for how impressed i will be

[SotonShades]

This project really has just jumped to the next level of awesome! The stacking idea with interlocking decks sound brilliant. Really really looking forward to seeing the compartments coming together. My brain is beginning to boil over with ideas of how they could look with your modelling skills, Blackadder. And based on seeing your other stuff I know you are going to blow away what's happenning in my head at the moment.

Very good look to you sir.

[Blackadder]

Thanks for the replies:

I just finished reinforcing the top and bottom of the block with 3mm scrap plastic which will give plenty of strength to this all important area as small as it is it must take all the weight and movement from the above structure and also the legs.

Theres a 10 inch 3/8 ths diameter inch bolt threaded through 'Tee' nuts top and bottom and the for to aft hip gimbals are mounted with 10-32 screws through 'Tee' nuts as well. There is a 7/16 dia. inch tube inside of a 1/2 dia. inch tube as a compression spacer that the pivot rod runs through and the whole is strong enough to stand on if you don't weigh 18 stone.

Now that I've taken the pictures I can seal the gimbals in under their cap plates and the pelvis will be completed.

http://i.imgur.com/EloLM.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/EloLMl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/Gl1GE.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Gl1GEl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/JZ9tO.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/JZ9tOl.jpg

[Blackadder]

Okay let's recap for the week to establish where we stand. The pelvic block is basically done and the legs are basically done except for the detail.

Now the cross 'Tees' are temporarily in place to establish the width of the hips and allow for the splaying of the legs ala the 'classic Reaver pose'.

http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/Images/Product/DefaultFW/xlarge/Reaver.jpg

I figure I should get this in before the weekend as I will be working on the 'hip articulation' whilst everyone is off having a life for the next few days.

I can see already that my greatest fear has been allayed and the pelvic block is not too big and that I actually have to increase the width of the hip joints once the hip gimbals are installed.

For that I shall have to employ a couple of PVC fittings to house the spheres and fill them with resin so they will take a thread much in the manner of the Lucie hip joints but this much larger model gives me the luxury of two articulation points instead of one that the limited space in Lucie provided.

http://i.imgur.com/QrSyc.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/QrSycl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/GXt6s.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/GXt6sl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/kj875.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/kj875l.jpg

[Blackadder]

Now we will further address the manufacture of the pelvis/hip attachment.

I found some ideal PVC 1 inch pipe nipple to PVC tubing adapters that fill the bill for the hip joint ideally. There is even an internal shoulder ridge after the threaded portion is cut off to act as the race flange for the gimbal sphere to be retained by.

The remaining sleeve is drilled, tapped, and countersunk to receive the 1/4 inch axle screws............ (I apologize for the American Standard measures but there isn't the diversity in metric hardware available on this side of the pond for me to render this in metric components.

There may very well be metric items that equal or exceed the materials used but they are not available to me .).............

As I was saying, using only 1/2 the hip sphere it leaves ample room for the epoxy plug in the end of the sleeve to be threaded and hold the leg attachment screw.

I hope to achieve this later today.

http://i.imgur.com/noiY9.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/noiY9l.jpg


http://i.imgur.com/pFMWZ.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/pFMWZl.jpg

Note the degree of flexibility that can be achieved with this setup. Stops will have to be added to cut down on this amount.

[Brymm]

To scale, those would be some big-*** bolts and screws. Good work!

[Blackadder]

The screws will be hidden in the final assembly.

Time for the weekly recap along with a pic in pic comparison with the DS model.

I have to admit waiting for the resin to dry consumed a lot of the production time but I worked my butt off to get to this stage and it's a testament to the durability of this thing that nothing snapped as I slapped the components together.

Now I know the legs look a bit thin but if you look at the comparison shot and mentally remove the armour and spurious hydraulics there is a reasonable case for verisimilitude.

The images are self-explanatory when taken in conjunction with the recent WIP posts but I can explain any area that anyone might be unclear about.

http://i.imgur.com/CQ1BA.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/CQ1BAl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/uQF8B.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/uQF8Bl.jpg
This is a very bad pose but it does demonstrate the flexibility of the design.

http://i.imgur.com/NVgrW.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/NVgrWl.jpg
A pose reminiscent of the classic Reaver stance.

[Blackadder]

And the rest,

http://i.imgur.com/I8lZN.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/I8lZNl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/Mkwk0.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Mkwk0l.jpg
A pic-in-pic comparison with the DS model.

http://i.imgur.com/pUzzc.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/pUzzcl.jpg

[Blackadder]

As you may know I post on a lot of fora and the question/criticism I get most often is that the legs look too thin. When I was building Lucie that was the most frequent observation and I appreciated the kind intent to warn me of impending mistakes. It turns out that I kept increasing the cross section of Lucie's legs until I realized a reference namely the banners on the knee segment.

It turns out that Lucie's appendages are much more robust than the FW model and the latter looks anorexic vis-à-vis Lucie.

Now the same concern is being voiced regarding this model and I do appreciate the critique; I'm also a bit anxious about it so I 'shopped the DS leg from the back removing all the front armour and if anything the legs actually look thinner than my titan's. I couldn't remove the hydraulics.

http://i.imgur.com/Kgq0Z.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Kgq0Zl.jpg

There are a few inconsistencies as my ankle discs is thicker than his but I needed that to make the ankle flex. and I have one more dart in the zipper-like design running over the front and back of the upper leg but thats just a matter of artistic interpretation as there are only five or six on the epic model.

So to paraphrase the line of 'The Black Adder' in the Infanta's Beard episode, "So Percy, what you are telling me is something you've never seen is slightly less thick than something else you've never seen."

I appreciate the candor,

The incorrigible Blackadder

[Blackadder]

Started on the greaves yesterday, it's interesting that such a simple looking panel is so difficult to get right. There are so many compound angles on these that I had to invent new ways to make them. I settled on a twelve mm thickness for the basic structure, most of the Warlords I see have armour way too thick to be practical. 12 mm translates to 2.57142857 feet which I believe is quite thick enough considering that the Iowa class battleships (the heaviest armoured ships ever built) have a belt thickness of only 19 inches. Given that in the far off bellicose future there is ceramic and/or depleted uranium armour; 30 inches seems to me to be more than sufficient.

http://i.imgur.com/0wuVH.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/0wuVHl.jpg

Unless it don't look right!

[Blackadder]

Back to more basic structures I should learn to accept Monsieur DS's plan and not make a fool of myself (at least not in print). I had to thicken the greaves armour another 3 millimeters as mine looked too thin. But I did manage to clean up the slope of the 'flying' greave segment so all the facets have a clean line. I should have the basic greaves done this evening. Then all that needs be accomplished is the detail which will make this rather plain structure more impressive.

http://i.imgur.com/mEx0q.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/mEx0ql.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/hLEpn.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/hLEpnl.jpg

[Blackadder]

Each greave has two large search lights on the flying portion both on the DS model and the Invictus rendering. I thought it would be nice to have them light up. I plan to do a lot of wiring on this model because I feel it will be worth it.

http://i.imgur.com/wuHfF.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/wuHfFl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/zuKHc.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/zuKHcl.jpg

[Blackadder]

Hmmm, have not posted for a week this will never do.

I got caught up in building the greaves and rather than post a half a--ed response I waited until I actually had something to show.

First the diagonal toes, I was wondering how I would mount them that they could be movable. They needed to twist when the front and back toes were flexed so they could maintain contact with the ground as the foot lifts during the step.

I woke up Wednesday with an epiphany* the solution was simplicity in itself; no wonder I couldn't think of it (I never do anything the easy way.) Anyway drilling 7/16 holes in the diagonal toe mounts and drilling 3/8 holes in the toes themselves, gluing in the respective tubes and letting the dry overnight I trimmed and sanded them today and walla the toes are mounted. Now for the kick in the a-- from the great equalizer in the sky, they can only twist a couple of degrees! HA!

Oh well it's the exercise that counts.

*Is that what they're calling it nowadays?

http://i.imgur.com/1XR3O.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/1XR3Ol.jpg


On to the greaves:

As they were when last presented they were too boxy looking IMHO and I thought the DS model looked a bit overly large and clumsy with those wide straight sided panels. I still will make the panels but slightly smaller and the flying portion is at a tighter angle to the leg.

http://i.imgur.com/knCRu.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/knCRul.jpg


The greave base section is what is pictured today and I built battery boxes into them for 9 volt batteries. I'm not sure a switch will be necessary as the whole greave is easily removable and uncapping the battery requires but a few seconds. I can still install a switch if I find one small enough.

http://i.imgur.com/CJKTy.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/CJKTyl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/ylmzp.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/ylmzpl.jpg

The greave on the left is clamped because the battery compartment is glued in place and drying. Once assembled the box will slide on rails into the compartment and help center the leg to the greave along with rare earth magnets to hold the greave in place.

[LittleMen]

You know, you could almost get away with just building the legs. That is all you would see in battlefield photos!

[Blackadder]

You joined just so you could post on my thread, Thanks,

Ah summer when young men's thoughts turn to something other than tiny anthropomorphic figurines...................

meanwhile the Blackadder blunders on. This has been a very productive weekend having come close to completing the detail on the inner surface of the greaves replicating as closely as I could (because I changed the shape of the greaves a bit to suit my aesthetic sensibilities) the DS model.

First the DS model for reference:

http://i.imgur.com/lZOma.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/lZOmal.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/ARboG.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/ARboGl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/6Rawd.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/6Rawdl.jpg

I have a feeling I won't be seeing any more critiques on the legs being too thin; quite the reverse in fact considering that the hydraulics haven't been installed yet.

I don't have any idea why so much electric conduit is needed for such basic structures; there must be a lot more than just armour plating going on in these greaves. Considering that these titans are millennia old I guess a lot of additional retrofitting has taken place as technology changes. Finding space for wiring and the like inside the structure isn't always practicable so running it outside may be the expedient way to go.

Anyway the detail on the toes is next because if I don't do it now I may not after the superstructure is completed.

[UrielVentris]

Simply amazing work sir, Simply amazing....

[Blackadder]

The bloom is off the Tudor rose it would appear. The Blackadder has lost a lot of momentum judging by a cursory glance at the last few days effort but a closer examination will reveal a plethora of tiny detail on the toes all of which is time consuming.

On the basic structure front I began the upper leg armour and was very surprised how small the actual size was. Granted they represent armour on the order of more than a meter thick and twelve th fifteen feet long but they do look small even to me. I was use to looking at the top image on my screen which made the part look huge. I was actually concerned I had enough plastic to construct them. As it turned out I constructed them out of the scrap box.

http://i.imgur.com/ejWUT.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/ejWUTl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/fo1TS.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/fo1TSl.jpg

[orkward2.0]

Not been into 40k long and just thought i'd browse this to see if i could get any tips on painting orks,saw this thread and read 10 pages about building a titan warlord.My only problem now is i will have to wait to get to see how it ends up ! I take my hat off to you sir that truly looks like a piece of art,i look forward to seeing more.P.S.is it weird that you remind me of terry pratchett?

[Blackadder]

Once again the devil is in the details. I spent this weekend producing what amounts to about twelve square inches of armour for a model that will have I figure about 500 to 600 square inches of highly detailed surface. And thats not counting the framework or interior detail plus the lighting and the fiber optics.

It is highly satisfying to work on a model in this manner though. Were I to complete the basic structure and then attempt the intricate work I might be tempted to skimp on the finishing up; this way if I get lazy toward the end the huge blank surfaces will be readily apparent and that will never do so I shall be committed to keeping up the intensity of the intricacies.

Perhaps "committed" applies in more ways than one.

Anyway the thigh armour is more or less complete except for the bitz and the moss-like fuzzy that abounds on the DS model. I cannot figure out what that material is.

http://i.imgur.com/kF0R7.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/kF0R7l.jpg

I it has a nurgle like quality to it that conveys great age and decay; could it be dryer lint? I must remember to save the lint the next time I do my underwear.

http://i.imgur.com/GocUY.jp
http://i.imgur.com/GocUYl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/fryYx.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/fryYxl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/PVNmV.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/PVNmVl.jpg

[Blackadder]

http://i.imgur.com/NPpvn.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/NPpvnl.jpg

This is my favorite picture so far, It really conveys the scale of this thing.


"Aye lads there's majesty for you." Ahab to his boat crew in pursuit of the white whale.

[darknation]

dear god that is awesome.

[Blackadder]

Time to assemble the whole and see where we stand:

The upper thigh armour needs to be lengthened about a quarter of an inch but the hinge and plate should take care of that.

The trailing legs don't have a large enough range of movement.

The leg joint lock systems works well but the bolts still need to be concealed.

The hip axles are way too thin in diameter but the length looks right.

http://i.imgur.com/ikTXV.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/ikTXVl.jpg

The step dynamics look right in both the static and the step out pose
http://i.imgur.com/51WPc.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/51WPcl.jpg

The front elevation while bland will convey the power of this brute.

I may have to mount the greaves higher.

http://i.imgur.com/4QfE2.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/4QfE2l.jpg

And I just love these low angle shots
http://i.imgur.com/I0Er1.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/I0Er1l.jpg

[Blackadder]

I'm looking on this thread as more of a public service. While I can't hope to equal Mr Smith in originality I do hope to shed some light on how he accomplished his Magnum Opus with a few little Blackadderisms thrown in to keep my self respect.

Today I worked on the massive block that supports the weight of the upper torso and transfers it to the legs.

The pelvis is the de facto heart of this beast and many of the models I have examined it is usually much too small. We must assume this Titan masses on the order of a thousand metric tonnes at least half of which is above the waist block. There must be something substantial to support this mass and still provide the flexibility to achieve bipedal locomotion.

Below is my interpretation which masses a third of a kilo already (about 11 ounces).

I built it in two interlocking parts so I have access to the adjustment screws to change the pose.

I figure when complete it will mass about half a kilo or thirteen ounces.

That's a lot of plasticard.

http://i.imgur.com/wzcVr.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/wzcVrl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/28sm5.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/28sm5l.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/GQp3H.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/GQp3Hl.jpg

[Blackadder]

Someone get the canvas jacket; ya know the one with the extra long sleeves. I was piddlin' around detailing the pelvis and I couldn't find a satisfactory Adeptus Mechanicus emblem so I decided to make one of my own, after all I mean how hard could it be.

Well I have to tell you the cogged sprocket was tedious. If I do another one I'll make it in pieces.

The plugs and wiring wasn't too bad I shaved down my smallest diameter rods to half round for the plugs and and used shavings for some of the smallest cables.

http://i.imgur.com/8GNYJ.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/8GNYJl.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/GeFnF.jpg

The skull wasn't that difficult at all. I first tried to make it of a single scrap of 2.0 MM sheet styrene but found the relief wasn't deep enough so I glued on another layer and carved away everything that didn't look like a skull.

http://i.imgur.com/lzFAN.jpg


Periodically I doused the sculpture down with thinset cement to soften the cuts and blend the seams. Right now I am waiting for the glue to dry so I can put on the final detailing.

http://i.imgur.com/6wrIf.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/6wrIfl.jpg

Now I copied this off of "The city of the dead" emblem which I like better than the standard Adeptus Mechanicus emblem BTW it appears that the emblems can be mirror imaged, is that right?

Anyway it took less time to make the tiny thing (It's only a centimeter wide the skull that is.) than it has to write this reply.

I gotta learn to type someday.

[Blackadder]

Hmmm this doesn't bear a close inspection. I brushed the piece with a shoe brush to see if I could accentuate the relief and the skull looks a bit flawed at close range highlighted. The lens rim also has to be thinned down a tad. This is the best close up I've managed with this camera and wouldn't you know it's of dubious work. Faa!

http://i.imgur.com/fOi2g.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/fOi2gl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/xAcTi.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/xAcTil.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/4DiaV.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/4DiaVl.jpg

[bloodangel 83]

Nice work so far and i think the lens rim is good to go. Keep up the great work. BA83

[Blackadder]

Why didn't you use the Adeptus Symbol off the GW Manufactorum (http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/catalog/productDetail.jsp?catId=cat440312a&prodId=prod1095507)?


That's the one I copied albeit 1/2 the size.

http://i.imgur.com/prU6y.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/prU6yl.jpg
The whole emblem is as small as my thumbnail

[SotonShades]

That looks amazing mate. Obviously we can't the detail in the pic that you can with your eyes, but I wouldn't make any changes to it at all, other than to paint it!

[Blackadder]

Time to break out the foam board mock up I made so many months ago and see where I went wrong. At that time I was going for a foam Warlord with a styrene veneer and after I totally miscalculated the legs I put the whole project on hold until I had some decent measurements.

I'm surprised how close I came to duplicating my target size as both of these models were built with absolutely no reference to the other. On the negative side the overall height with the knees locked in the following images will yield a 29 inch Warlord which is an inch taller than the DS model and 3 inches taller than my amended target height and 5 inches taller than my original estimation! Egad!

http://i.imgur.com/K5tnv.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/K5tnvl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/b5816.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/b5816l.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/lxvqG.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/lxvqGl.jpg

Granted the legs as they are pictured look a bit stilted (groan) and with knees flexed and stepping out in a dynamic pose the mean height should approximate DS's model but it will make any subsequent Emperor titans that much larger and impractical for the average battleboard.

[Blackadder]

Nows your chance to participate in this build. Your input will be greatly appreciated..........

The torso pictured is just a foam board mockup; once I have established a size I'll duplicate the foam board version in styrene. And don't forget I intend to install a complete compartmented interior so getting the size of the torso right is paramount at the moment.

Photoimpacted in carapace and superstructure at 100, 90, and 85 percent the 80% being ridiculously too small

http://i.imgur.com/g1IVN.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/g1IVNl.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/lmBdQl.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/u1UpQl.jpg
100%.............................................. ..90%............................................. ....85%

In the cold light of day I am leaning towards 90%

[Blackadder]

The much anticipated torso build finally; I shall start with the Engineering level with the floor being the top of the planetary mechanism body rotation plate. I have reduced the overall size 10% witness the excess outside the gear plate uprights. The center console/axle support is one of the drums left over from a failed sleeve originally earmarked for the hip axles. That will support the center control monitor consoles in the center well.

http://i.imgur.com/vDp8R.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/vDp8Rl.jpg

[Blackadder]

The majority consensus is 90% is the way to go:

The Giant Washer TGW (AKA "The planetary mechanism body rotation plate") is the part I am working on at present. It will supply the Engineering/Logistics compartment ELC with a floor and have a hatch for access to the planetary gears and pelvic block/rear gunner platform. The central shaft housing will contain the fiber optic cables for the Integrated Logistics Systems ILS and the forward deck of the compartment will have the Terrain Mapping Computer TMC and Monitor to ensure proper Stable Footing SFM for the vehicle. On either side will be view ports to maintain a first hand view of the legs as a back up in case the monitors are scrambled WTF*. Thanks to Bibbles suggestion I now have ample room to install all these components.

http://i.imgur.com/ElVmi.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/ElVmil.jpg

There is no I in engineering.......er.... well there is but you know what I mean :D

*Watch The Footing

[Blackadder]

I have been debating how to shorten the upper legs without disturbing too much of the detail. I've known for quite some time that the thigh components were a bit too long. Your reply among others prompted me to take action so yesterday and today I removed the knee discs and a bit of the detail above the axle and cut and re-drilled the axle holes 1 centimeter higher. This necessitated shortening the disc side guides and flex limit stops and shortening the zipper-like trim one set of darts front and back 1 centimeter as well.

I wouldn't put too much faith in the Epic model as the leg components are far too bulky if translated into 28 MM scale. The epic model is fine for overall dimensions i.e. ratio of head to torso (even that is a bit small IHO) and leg length to torso but thigh 10 MM thick would appear ungainly.

The overall effect is positive and I am in the process of reassembling the structure.

Thanks for your support.

Pictures later....................

http://i.imgur.com/TPh2f.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/TPh2fl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/OtZvu.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/OtZvul.jpg

Alrighty then back together again and I may be imagining it but removing that centimeter gives this a more powerful look now although a might shorter the aura of menace is more apparent.

http://i.imgur.com/452b7.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/452b7l.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/A7s9m.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/A7s9ml.jpg

[Daveisdvd]

He's ready for dancing hehe. This is a great build. Man I love the size and scope of these babies. This is going to look so awesome when it's done.

[Blackadder]

Getting the face of the torso at the right angle took some doing. I started at what I thought was the proper angle of 10° but it was way too much. After much trial and error I arrive at this which seems correct I shouldn't think it was completely vertical as in some Warlords I've seen but too much angle would over balance it front heavy besides not aesthetically pleasing.

http://i.imgur.com/Na6G3.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Na6G3l.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/SIftB.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/SIftBl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/SHf2m.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/SHf2ml.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/9y3T7.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/9y3T7l.jpg

I wonder how much macho aesthetics is incorporated in real military hardware I mean you don't see any assault rubber duckies do you?

[SotonShades]

I really wanna see assault Rubber Duckies!

Then again, maybe some sexy female aesthetics would distract the enemy, giving a slight advantage?

Newho, I'm getting proper excited now, seeing the torso starting to come together! It is always what people comment on (along with the weapons) when they look at mine. Once they get over the ridiculout squatting pose. still, they never look at the detail of the legs. Something tells me that the detail you have thus far gone into may mean you get a different response. Still, Torso detail along with the superb interior is going to be very very interesting.

[Blackadder]

Here we see the "oberzee booten nicht gefliegen gummi ducken" at the submarine pens at St-Nazaire France being readied for it's next patrol.

http://k24.kn3.net/4FF4F64E7.jpg

BTW this is a real picture the rubber duckie measures 28 meters tall.

Another tidbit:

During a Pacific storm on January 10, 1992, three 40-foot containers holding 29,000 Friendly Floatees plastic bath toys from a Chinese factory were washed off a ship.[13] Two-thirds of the ducks floated south and landed three months later on the shores of Indonesia, Australia, and South America. The remaining 10,000 ducks headed north to Alaska and then completed a full circle back near Japan, caught up in the North Pacific Gyre current as the so called Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Many of the ducks then entered the Bering Strait between Alaska and Russia and were trapped in the Arctic ice. They moved through the ice at a rate of one mile per day, and in 2000 they were sighted in the North Atlantic. The movement of the ducks had been monitored by American oceanographer Curtis Ebbesmeyer. Bleached by sun and seawater, the ducks and beavers had faded to white, but the turtles and frogs had kept their original colors.

Between July and December 2003, The First Years Inc. offered a $100 US savings bond reward to anybody who recovered a Floatee in New England, Canada or Iceland. More of the toys were recovered in 2004 than in any of the preceding three years. However, still more of these toys were predicted to have headed eastward past Greenland and make landfall on the southwestern shores of the United Kingdom in 2007.

These ducks were the subject of Donovan Hohn's 2011 book Moby-Duck: The True Story of 28,800 Bath Toys Lost at Sea.

[Blackadder]

How not to build a titan

First don't have any plan.

Second don't have any diagrams.

Third don't have any conception of what you are attempting.

Fourth don't bother to draw any of the above.

Finally build the whole damned thing inside out so when you find you did make a mistake all the interior work is wasted.

Anyway I'm about to cut the slot for the command center so I figure it's a good time for some catchup pictures.

http://i.imgur.com/imkmz.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/imkmzl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/GIyOw.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/GIyOwl.jpg

[bloodangel 83]

Nice work and keep up the great job and cannot wait to see this finished. BA83

[Blackadder]

The previous posts were not a complaint or a lament but a public service note to anyone attempting to build a Titan. The intelligent modeler doesn't do things the way I do.

Witness, I haven't the vaguest idea were anything goes in the interior and just a hint of intuition on the relative size of the interior compartments. I feel the engineering department would be low and centrally located consuming two levels.

The magazine storage for non-energy weapons would be above the armament on each side and a belt feed to the firing chamber. There would probably be a fire/targeting control room for each weapon.

The Bridge/Command deck behind the cockpit is a gimme likewise the void generator placement above the carapace shoulders.

So with that in mind the basic internal structure will be as imaged below.

http://i.imgur.com/Pug9f.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Pug9fl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/aZBMh.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/aZBMhl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/HfjgM.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/HfjgMl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/nZH84.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/nZH84l.jpg

[Blackadder]

Yes the head has rotational abilities, and from what i remember from the old Titanicus comics they did its about a 90 degree rotational arc as well. tbh any more than 90 degrees would be foolish imo, as iirc the warhound and reaver both have the same degree of rotation.

hope that helps!

Man I am going to pretend I didn't see this........................... Whom I kidding subconsciously I'm already figuring how to make a short segmented neck similar to the Chinese bamboo dragons we got as kids

http://www.partythings2go.co.uk/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/s/n/sneaky_snake.jpg

well they're plastic now but the idea is the same.

I'll sleep on it.

Thanks for the info #@$%^$!

Whoops, forgot the reason for this post installed the hinged side panels for the Engineering department. The ceiling will have indirect lighting and the rear panel will be removable for viewing........

http://i.imgur.com/7BdH3.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/7BdH3l.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/QdaRg.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/QdaRgl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/9biqd.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/9biqdl.jpg

[SotonShades]

This thing keeps getting cooler everytime I see it! Cooler, more insane. I'm not sure. Proabably both. Eitherway keep it. As far as I can tell this is without a doubt the most extensive, creative and wonderful scratch build uploaded to the internet. And it's not even finished!



Just don't take away my warlord's tital by building a bigger TCCW...

[SotonShades]

Also, couldn't you attach some form of roatation plate either fore or aft of the bambo snake neck? Allowing for rotation and flex?

[Blackadder]

Ouch , a rotating plate no less! It would be easier to teach a Warhound to sit up and bark.

[Blackadder]

Today was kind of a dress up and trim the various panels prior to building the head and neck and compartment directly behind the head whatever that area might be.

http://i.imgur.com/k2ZHa.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/k2ZHal.jpg

I also installed the torso on the legs for a scale reference which appears satisfactory. The cutouts in the hinged side panels will be observation ports to view the working of the legs and arms and will have clear styrene glazing so the interior lights will illuminate the underside of the carapace and the detail.

http://i.imgur.com/S1pW7.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/S1pW7l.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/hN7XM.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/hN7XMl.jpg

[YourSwordisMine]

complete awesome

wish I had the artistic skill to do something like this.

Cant wait to see it finished!

[Blackadder]

Due to a casual suggestion from one of my readers I have been side tracked making the damned head movable. Until that time I was blissfully unaware the the head had the capacity for movement.

Given that the compartments are essentially rectangular I saw little cause to make the neck tubular as was my first inclination. It was so much easier to adapt the double axle premise I used on the hip joints. The images below demonstrate the mobility of the neck in the up and down movement while the truncated triangle will mount the axle for the side to side movement.

http://i.imgur.com/WChOr.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/WChOrl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/qUZZb.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/qUZZbl.jpg

The whole Head/Neck module will be removable on the finished product and is mounted on three slides per side to insert it into the torso with a very close tolerance fit in point of fact I may have to sand it down before it is painted.

http://i.imgur.com/P51lX.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/P51lXl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/82SpI.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/82SpIl.jpg

This little side project was very time consuming but the psychological effect is overwhelming. Imagine the last thing the target sees before being blasted into oblivion as that great head slews around servo motors humming malevolently to transfix the hapless victim with a steely heartless crimson stare even as the plasma weapons begin to glow in prelude to firing.

[Blackadder]

I notice from your text that a number of you are having a bit of problem with sanding. Forgive me from stating what you may already know but the information may be useful to those who follow these threads. I use two methods to sand: first on a flat and true surface such as a Formica counter top I lay a full sheet of coarse sandpaper; good stuff such as 3M aluminum oxide paper 60 grit. Next I sand only in one direction. If you sand back and forth you can't help but start rocking and end up with a convex cut. anytime you sand or file, only cut in one direction.

My second method of sanding is a square and true sanding block. I cut half a dozen of these 5/4 by 3 inch by 6 inch blocks many years ago and affixed the sandpaper (3M aluminum oxide) with 2 inch double back tape. when the paper wears out I peel it of and apply new. Again only sand in one direction and it is helpful to rest the piece to be sanded on the table so your cut is clean and true. I also use a steel emery board for tight places although I lost my best one in the move..........Drat!

Once the piece approaches the scribed or penciled line I switch to a medium grit paper for the final dressing. As the edge will probably have glue solvent applied it isn't necessary to use any finer than medium grit. Once glued and the edge is square but must be beveled I use medium or fine paper on block to true the edge.

I also use a really good and clean single cut file with a medium and fine tooth again only file in one direction not back and forth.

Although I have stated this tutorial before it bears repetition.

[Blackadder]

Not much point in my assembling the whole thing for such a minuscule amount of work but I must say I am gratified at the speed the carapace is coming together. Although I have procrastinated a bit since Monday I still managed to affix the neck shield and arm shield face plates.

http://i.imgur.com/xzWZH.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/xzWZHl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/3Cwyd.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/3Cwydl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/cRtc7.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/cRtc7l.jpg

[Blackadder]

Purists might question the employment of windows to view the weapons and leg components but being old school theres nothing viewing things first hand instead of on a monitor. Therefore I have included viewing ports on the sides of the engineering and command deck under the carapace. There will also be a maintenance catwalk to service the weapons when in use and will be stowable when not in use. Access to the catwalk will be from the Command deck which will also include fire control.


http://i.imgur.com/7H3rq.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/7H3rql.jpg

The Command deck will be modular for removal and the gaping hole in the floor will be plugged wit the Engineering recessed ceiling lights access to change the batteries.

http://i.imgur.com/DhSng.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/DhSngl.jpg

The Command deck slides into the forward armour face plate as seen in the next image.

http://i.imgur.com/foCe9.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/foCe9l.jpg

Please don't ask for plans as I am winging this as I proceed. I tried the Blender program but I would have a long white beard before I could utilize it's benefits. I prefer to holistically design my projects keeping the design in my head until it can reproduced in fine styrene.

[Blackadder]

This construct is falling together like a house of cards. Had I not important engagements this day I believe I would have finished the carapace this evening; the basic structure at the very least.

When things go this easily it can mean one of two things; there is either a grievous mistake I am not aware of or I have hit the sweet note of the construct and am in tune with the author.

I beg the latter but will not rue the former as any mistake can be remedied with facile at this point.

I gotta stop reading Sherlock Holmes, the lingo wears off on me.

Quick Watson the needle!

http://i.imgur.com/svvV6.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/svvV6l.jpg


http://i.imgur.com/NE084.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/NE084l.jpg

[bloodangel 83]

Nice work its coming together nicely. BA83

[Blackadder]

A little Item before the daily toil, I have always wanted to include a curved girder in one of my constructs but finding a logical place in a Lucius pattern war machine is difficult. I finally hit on the idea of including it in the ceiling/void generator flooring where strength is needed to support the void generators but lightness is also necessary due to the height above ground of the vehicle at this point. I incorporated stress/lightening cutouts to cut down on the weight of the structure of the real life biped.

http://i.imgur.com/ATwDa.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/ATwDal.jpg

It's an interesting point at least I am given to understand that cutting holes in a girder actually increase its load bearing strength per mass. Are there any structural engineers in the audience that can confirm or refute this? I am also in the understanding that a hollow cylinder is stronger that a solid shaft of the same diameter. again clarification would be appreciated.

Just a point of conversation to clear up some of my ignorance on the subject.

[SotonShades]

It's all to do with shear loading and shear flow. But essentially what you are saying is correct. Second timein one day my Masters of Engineering has come in handy lol

[Blackadder]

I know I am wasting a lot of time on the interior but there is an interesting aspect of making a workable environment for the crew. If you don't allow for the crew there is no concept of scale. Yes you can plunk a 2/3 meters tall entity on a battle board and all the tiny 28 mm tall denizens look minuscule but the titan just looks like a scaled up human in armour. But give the titan an interior with decks and work stations seats and monitors and suddenly the scale of the thing grips you. FW models are well designed giant vehicles (at least the ones I'm interested in) but when in a setting other than a battle board there has to be something to convey the size it is supposed to represent.

http://i.imgur.com/SVZqP.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/SVZqPl.jpg

In keeping with scale this construct needs heavy internal bracing to be believable. I may have to rework the girders in the Eng. compartment.

http://i.imgur.com/TeFZ3.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/TeFZ3l.jpg

[Blackadder]

Yes I definitely have to rework the Engineering interior.

http://i.imgur.com/YAJgk.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/YAJgkl.jpg

The Command deck knees and hanging knees installed I don't know what the modern term for them is but in 18th century shipbuilding they were called knees. Surveyors would go out into forests looking for Oak trees with the desired angled branches called 'compass timber' and mark them for the cutters fell the trees and they were brought to the shipyard sometimes years before the ship was built. There they were seasoned and cut down to the proper size and installed in the hull to support the deck. Trees selected for the Navy were marked with the Admiralty broad arrow mark

http://www.fishermensvoice.com/images/1207kingsbroadarrow2.jpg

signifying the tree was the property of the Navy and no one else could fell it.

http://i.imgur.com/NwtJQ.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/NwtJQl.jpg

[Blackadder]

Someone asked that I include a figure with the model to get a prospective as to the scale. I found a tank figure sans base in my scrap box which should be a fair representative of an average sized human and glued a thin piece of plasticard to his feet. The result is astounding to me, at 26 inches the amended design height of this model the figure is minuscule.

http://i.imgur.com/A4l3z.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/A4l3zl.jpg

BTW the carapace side and back plates are drying in these images and stiffen the structure immensely.

http://i.imgur.com/A4l3z.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/A4l3zl.jpg

I was concerned at the flexibility of the carapace which had a tendency to droop under the influence of gravity so I assembled it upside down to negate that effect.

http://i.imgur.com/056pz.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/056pzl.jpg

[Blackadder]

One more shot before I amble off to the daily toil:

http://i.imgur.com/n2Zja.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/n2Zjal.jpg

Note the figure on the right foot.

[Blackadder]

I've come to the realization that although the legs are movable I only show one pose so here's some with the left foot forward.

Note if you will that the carapace skirt is too long and I'll be shortening it 15 MM also that the cabinets in my work area are too low to be taking pictures under from now on.

The scale height has gone from 120 feet/36.576 meters scale height to 159 feet/48.4632 meters. I'm still an inch and a half shorter than the DS Titan and I plan to shorten the engineering section half an inch which should round out the height to about 160 feet when finished and all the detail is added.

I happened to be crossing a bridge the other day over a sea level freighter port, Port Newark if you must know and I had my GPS set to give me the elevation above mean sea level. As I crested the bridge the readout was 130 feet and I thought to myself, "If I were in a Warlord cockpit this is how high I would be." I was looking down at everything even the cargo container gantries; believe me, that's high! A lot higher than 130 feet looks when you pace it out on the ground. I like to make references like that; Some times when flying the captain will say, We're cruising at 35,000 feet " and I think, that's the depth on the Mindanao trench." or 29,000 feet, "That's the height of Mount Everest." It kind of brings home the scale of what you're looking at when flying.

http://i.imgur.com/yFDUd.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/yFDUdl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/775fm.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/775fml.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/KdIhk.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/KdIhkl.jpg

[Blackadder]

Point of interest, someone on another forum asked me how I arrived at the height of my model; pure conjecture I assure you.

I had no precise figures so I rationalized from the FW models. Starting with the Warhound they made their model 10.5 inches tall thereabout. 10.5 divided by 1.125 (the scale constant for a six foot tall man) is 9.333 which means that a warhound is 9.3 times taller than a six foot tall figure therefore a warhound is 9.3 X 6 = 56 feet for the height of a warhound depending on the pose or 17.07 meters tall. going further the reaver titan model is approximately 16.5 inches tall according to the FW spec's so a 'real' Reaver by my calculations would be 16.5/1.25 X 6 = 79..2 feet or 24.146 meters tall. There is no model for a Warlord so I divided 16.5/10.5 X 16.5 = 25.905 inches X 6 ft = 155.4 feet or 47.387 meters which is what my model approximates. Going further using 1.57 as the new constant (16.5/10.5) gives you 40.6 inches tall for an Imperator Titan and 63.8 inches for an Emperor Titan the last two of which would be totally impracticable for the average game board. I much prefer making 9.5 inches the new bench mark making the Imperator Titan about 35 inches tall and the Emperor Titan 45 inches tall which is still too tall for practical gaming and actual scale height of 270 feet or 82.3 meters tall for the Emperor Titan.

Incidentally using 1.57 as the constant would give you 382.8 feet or 116.7 meters for the Emperor Titan.

[alshrive]

i absolutely love watching the progression of this! it looks amazing! it looks like a completely daunting task and i don't envy you the work. The results however, i do envy!

ALShrive

[Blackadder]

Hell if it was work I wouldn't be doing it.

The carapace is going together quickly, there is a discrepancy in the DS model that I didn't incorporate in mine in that the carapace isn't as deep front to back as the Epic model. Why Mr Smith chose to make it narrower front to back isn't known but for me the balance is important as I want it to stand without a base and with the legs in any position so I need the balance point to be directly over the waist pivot.

Right now the weight of the torso is 1.6 lbs about 0.725 kilo.


http://i.imgur.com/LvcQr.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/LvcQrl.jpg


http://i.imgur.com/3kROw.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/3kROwl.jpg

[Blackadder]

I took a shot front and back for reference.

http://i.imgur.com/bBATf.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/bBATfl.jpg


http://i.imgur.com/YOQZ9.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/YOQZ9l.jpg

[Dlatrex]

Can't say enough good things about the over all design, the attention to detail, and the emphasis on structural accuracy. Really *mammoth* effort!

[doogansquest]

Can't believe I just found this thread now. Truly amazing work!!!

[Blackadder]

These are the carapace weapon stanchions but now that I see them in the photos may be too small.

http://i.imgur.com/gQToJ.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/gQToJl.jpg

[Blackadder]

Yes these are the upper arm stanchions that connect the elbow to the shoulder under the carapace. Right now they look like very complex salt and pepper shakers to me but when inverted and affixed under the carapace they should do nicely. The length is right but they may need bulking up.

Meanwhile I need gun barrels. PVC is out of the question and I won't use cardboard. A couple of years ago I found an old beach umbrella on the beach (where else) it had broke as cheap stuff usually does and got left behind when the bathers had left the littoral boundary. The pole was made of plastic and it has been kicking around my garage for years. Damn me if the shaft isn't a 31 mm styrene tube. Now two feet of styrene tubing if you could buy it would cost $10 to $20 bucks; probably more than the whole umbrella did. Here's the lesson, watch the recycling bins they're full of gold.

[Blackadder]

Part of the problem of a construction of this type and magnitude is keeping the upper works light enough that it won't be top heavy. In particular the ruddy great guns stuck out a foot/0.3 meters from the CG imparting a tipping arm that can be measured in a substantial fraction of a pound/kilo. I have stated previously that PVC tubing will be too much mass for stability but to make a sturdy enough tube is difficult.

I have now what I believe to be the solution.

Starting with a full sheet of 'Evergreen 0.5 mm styrene I divided it into 6 equal parts of 50 mm width. The reason for this is that while bending a 50 mm wide strip tightly around a PVC tube is well within my capacity bending evenly a 150 mm sheet is not; you may prove better than I at that endeavor.

http://i.imgur.com/QWafC.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/QWafCl.jpg

Once I have a proper overlap wound and cemented I opted to glue the remaining tail of the strip on as well for seam reinforcement.

I now had 6, 50 mm long tubes of the required diameter.

http://i.imgur.com/xzn0f.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/xzn0fl.jpg

Sliding the relatively near perfect tubes back onto the PVC tube and mating the seams I applied a liberal amount of cement on the periphery of the seam I pushed the segments together until tiny beads of plastic oozed from the seam and allowed to dry the result being an extremely light near perfectly round 150 mm styrene tube to build my gun barrels around.

[Blackadder]

The gun barrels are basically done except for the detail. There was a lot of wrapping of layers of styrene.

The biggest problem was duplicating the bottle caps used in the original.

http://i.imgur.com/Iu2B4.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Iu2B4l.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/5dJIG.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/5dJIGl.jpg

But the finished result is very gratifying especially since they weigh only 29 grams/one ounce each.

[Dlatrex]

Great solution to the problem! Keep up the good work.

[Blackadder]

I get a lot of questions on how much it costs to build these models. I never actually figure the cost but let's give it a try.

The Warlord is a pretty big model so I am saying that the surface area is on the order of fifteen to twenty square feet. It's probably a lot less than that but let's be generous and error on the high side.

Now your average hobby store charges $3 to $4 bucks a square foot for styrene of varying thicknesses 0.10 to 0.80 inches with the primary sheets used being 0.40 inches. [(Conversion is easy as 0.40 inches is 1.0 mm) so right off the bat you're in the hole for $80 bucks. There are outlets on the 'net that you can buy sheet styrene for maybe 20% less including shipping. I pay $3.20 per square foot at my local shop and I buy there to keep them in business. I guarantee if you don't waste your material you will not use the whole twenty square feet on one model.

Now where the cost really mounts up is on the 'strips' so you have to learn to cut most of your own. Strips can run about $3 dollars a package I guess because there is a lot of waste cutting them in the factory.

There is also what is called boxcar siding for model train scratch builders. These are standard 0.30 and 0.40 inch thick 1/2 foot square sheets scribed to look like boxcar siding and the scribed lines vary with the sheet from about 0.5 mm to about 2.5 or 3.0 mm depending on the gauge of the boxcar. With you utility knife you can cut these scribed lines usually with out a guide and get ready made strips for a fraction of the cost of a pack of strips. These sheets run about $5 bucks and are well worth using.

Tubing and rods are costly and a big model like a Warlord will probably need $20 to $30 bucks worth of varying sizes and there is no getting around buying them.

Figure about $20 bucks for glue, about $10 bucks for hardware and $5 bucks for replacement blades.

About $150 to $200 over the course of six months to a year building which averages a half to about a buck a day to build a Warlord out of Styrene.

Where else are you going to get a years worth of satisfaction for $150 bucks?

And why would you build it out of foam, foam board or wood products because chances are you will be covering the thing with styrene anyway and spend a lot on epoxy to make the damned stuff stick to the oddball material.

[Blackadder]

Not much going on today. I made the mount plate for the cannons and installed the keel reinforcements as these guns can't be solid or even wound barrels as would be for say battleships. They would have to be some kind of containment devices such as would be found in linear accelerators. Powerful yet light weight magnets would contain the plasma and focus it out the barrel to the target. Recoil would be out of the question for anything but the lightest projectiles and even these may probably have their own fuel supply such as with a solid fuel rocket.

http://i.imgur.com/LYLlV.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/LYLlVl.jpg

An interesting note and something I was not aware of is that some battleship built before 1920 the main guns the 14 16 and 18 inchers are actually made of wound wire over a solid tube; Over 200 miles (325 km) of 0.25 x 0.06 in (0.635 x 1.52 cm) of high-tensile steel wire was used in the 18.0 inch Mark 1 . I did not know that. I had always assumed they were cast or at least solid steel.

Anyway note the thin strip of plastic collar at the gun base. The one on the left is affixed but the one on the right is just being started. Note that the starting end overlaps the centerline. This is because it's harder to make the end lie flat to the contour when gluing but if you leave a sacrifice tailing in the beginning you will have a smoother seam when you complete the collar. It's not really necessary on such a thin strip but on heavier strips it will save you a lot of grief getting your rings to stay put.

[Blackadder]

You would think that by now I would be inured to the tedious aspect of scratch building but no. I am basically a lazy fellow and repetition takes a great toll on my abilities which is why I never took up knitting. So many times when I was building Lucie I thought F-----t why am I wasting time on these damned toes when I could be out sha-----g. Anyway the barrels are supposed to be mounted in box like housings and attached to the box like housings are more tinier boxes all the same size. Well it was a job to make all these tiny boxes and the two big ones weren't any picnic either as they all have to be as light as possible but while the rest of you slept I managed to get them made and now I am going to take a nap.

http://i.imgur.com/GwpEh.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/GwpEhl.jpg

[lomaxxdurang]

Hey do you need any pictures from space marine I just got my copy of the game back and I have a 50" 1080p screen we can use to get the angles. Let me know.

[Blackadder]

Thank you for the offer, in point of fact I would like to see a large image of this with out the clutter of the labels. I have a 300 X 500 pixel image but no larger. I need to see what the titan back view of the 3D rendering looks like.

http://images.wikia.com/spacemarine/images/c/cd/Warlord_Class_Battle_Titan.png

Thanks,

[Blackadder]

The arm mounted weapons are basically done and I have to make the stanchions to mount them. My previously failed attempt at stantions was a waste of time and material as they didn't look right but I did find in my electrical goodybox a couple of variable degree connectors that look like they belong on a titan. I don't usually use prefab components but these have been kicking around for years since I refurbished a very intricate electronic control panel on would you believe a bakery production line.

http://i.imgur.com/NiJxm.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/NiJxml.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/y4G68.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/y4G68l.jpg

[Blackadder]

First test drive of the new Volcano Cannons seems to be satisfactory. The apparent size is acceptable and while they aren't bulked out yet they appear to be massive enough as well. The balance is spot on even without securing the hardware I dare say that when the rear components are installed this model will have no trouble maintaining balance even when bending forward. The items of criticism are: the carapace skirt needs to be trimmed upward, the stanchion mounts are extremely pose-able/aim-able but need to be shortened, the stanchion mounts need to be cluttered up with a lot of high tech paraphernalia likewise the guns themselves but overall it's an acceptable start.

http://i.imgur.com/kgycd.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/kgycdl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/cvEIW.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/cvEIWl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/hslOR.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/hslORl.jpg

[Blackadder]

This is the rest of today's images:

http://i.imgur.com/FoQup.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/FoQupl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/pWj79.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/pWj79l.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/rr1Vf.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/rr1Vfl.jpg

[Blackadder]

To keep the thread up to date a picture of the guns before I install the outer sleeve forearm shields. Sorry for the mis-nomenclature according to the information on the 'net these shields are called 'vambraces'

http://vindictusdb.com/screens/items/northern_pike_vambrace/northern_pike_vambrace_78610039.jpg

Apparently something Lara Croft might wear as well?

http://i.imgur.com/l4BG6.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/l4BG6l.jpg

[Blackadder]

HA! got ya smartass! It not too often the Blackadder has to admit mistakes but theres a bigg'un in this post. I applied the 'vambraces' to the guns and lo' they are not long enough front to back as they should be. I could take the easy way out and say they were foreshortened in the image or the wide angle lens distorted the image but the flat out truth is I miscalculated and the photos revealed the discrepancy. Now I hope I have a viable solution with out having to rebuild this labor intense component "Spaced armour" might save me from a marathon overnight rebuild...............

Note, Had I not lengthened the barrels they would have been okay..................Just sayin'.

http://i.imgur.com/Fdfgv.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Fdfgvl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/lAnrk.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/lAnrkl.jpg

[Blackadder]

There's an incredible amount of superfluous detail on the main guns/cannon/weapons to apply calling for a moratorium on the overall build but I have to see how much space will be required before I can continue so................... here is where it stands as of today.

http://i.imgur.com/CtJE3.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/CtJE3l.jpg

Note both these guns are the same size within a tenth of a millimeter, I don't know why they look so different in size in the photo!

[Blackadder]

So there are a few (read very few) new images of the DS titan on the 'net. Considering that it costs virtually nothing to take hundreds of pictures anymore why only three of this monumental artistic effort but I appreciate all that I can find.

Geez can't someone take a decent picture of the back of this thing and try not to get a reflection in the image in the glass! Cripes how hard is that? Do I have to purchase a ticket to LA and take 'em myself??????????????

Anyway these are revealing pictures and expose new aspects of the work heretofore unseen and I am grateful for them in spite of my childish tantrum..................

http://i.imgur.com/EGfZ7.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/EGfZ7l.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/7PPrH.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/7PPrHl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/nBzGi.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/nBzGil.jpg

[Blackadder]

Due to yet another stint in the hospital I needed to take a sabbatical in building this my attempted recreation but back again with new ideas and a firmer grasp on what is required I managed to reproduce that which is not actually documented in the spurious images posted of this beautiful titan. My main concern in not posting is I was afraid that the back panel of the engineering department looked too much like a "Police Call Box" from a 'Dr. Who' episode. Therefor I opted not to post until I had most of the complete back panel components in place. Bear in mind that these exterior components will be removable so that the interior components can be revealed and lock into place by friction and interlocking panels.

http://i.imgur.com/xHAsW.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/xHAsWl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/DVijC.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/DVijCl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/sPs3w.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/sPs3wl.jpg

[Blackadder]

Its amazing what the camera reveals as opposed to visual perception. The following image is not up to my usual standards and shall have to be reworked before the final painting. Not having seen this until I took the picture today I was not aware of the lopsided work I believe once I get back into my groove again I can offer better work..............

http://i.imgur.com/xHAsW.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/xHAsWl.jpg

[Blackadder]

I tried a different stance for these images to see how the joints would bear the weight. The upper torso weighs in at 880 grams/31 ounces/1.94 pounds without the guns now and the legs are bearing the weight with no problem. I may not need the friction devices I had planned for holding the position. OF course the upper torso may be closer to eight pounds before I am finished.

http://i.imgur.com/oda1V.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/oda1Vl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/fqDf3.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/fqDf3l.jpg

Applied secondary armour plating to the back removable panel today. I made some subtle changes in the back pack area to make it more aesthetically appealing bumping out the side panel layers about 2.5 mm.

The whole back panel including the 'Dr Who police call box panel' interlock together and are as yet held in place by only friction but when completed will have rare earth magnets to keep them tight to the frame.

[Blackadder]

Here's a lesson boys and girls; don't be afraid to rebuild that which is unsatisfactory. without a guide other than rather spurious images and incomplete documentation I have decided that the current iteration is less than satisfactory and am employing efforts to rectify said anomalies. Therefore I have amended slight indiscretions for the great good of the overall project.........

Case in point; the discrepancy in the overall back panels of the current work with that of the original. Due to a failure on my part to discern perspective errors I made definite and grievous mistakes.

Fortunately the errors can be corrected without redefining the internal structure of the said project but at the expense of a few square centimeters of styrene I can ameliorate the current structure into a more reasonable facsimile.

http://i.imgur.com/tuzaW.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/tuzaWl.jpg
Note in the upper right the replacement seam on the center back as opposed to the mirror site on the left. A quarter inch seems to make all the diference.

http://i.imgur.com/kdQ8U.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/kdQ8Ul.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/oY4lD.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/oY4lDl.jpg

[Blackadder]

After taking a week off to refresh myself I woke yesterday morning with a solution to a problem that has vexed me since I started this project. Namely the door and the ladder to nowhere. I have always thought the door was a personnel portal when the titan was docked in the hangar for maintenance and maybe it served a secondary function as an escape hatch in battle but the ladder always looked ridiculous and wasn't needed. Scratch one ladder.

The other big problem was the placement of the door on the epic and DS model which seems too high for convenient exit. I felt that the logical place to have it was for the command deck people. The waist block has a hatch at the bottom and engineering exits through the catwalks under the carapace. That leaves the command deck and the reactor/void generator decks to vacate. Naturally descending on a ladder is too slow so in the vestibular immediate proximity of the door will be descent bungees for rapid evacuation.

One can assume when the titan is docked the door provides egress for the crew much as the gantry catwalk for the lamented Space Shuttle missions.

I did an major revamping of the command deck to accommodate this door and passage and there was sufficient room under the carapace for the vestibule.

http://i.imgur.com/qu5bn.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/qu5bnl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/Aytdi.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Aytdil.jpg

Problem solved and in a logical (TMM) manner; Whew!

http://i.imgur.com/ShkeR.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/ShkeRl.jpg
Regarding the cooling modules on the stern panel they are just tacked in place so I can get a feel for how they will look. They're not permanently mounted.

Naturally there will be a lot of piping and mysterious components galore to 'tech up' the exterior.

[Dlatrex]

Thanks for allows us to come along for the ride. There are always these little complications that spring up, and I think you've handled them quite well!

[Blackadder]

My thanks to all those who follow my threads for without them I would surely flag...........

Temporarily indisposed for the past week or so but managed to pull an all-nighter yesterday and brought this baby into a new level of detail. I had some trouble reconciling the trim strips on the edge of the seam between the upper and lower panels of the carapace but the solution appears satisfactory at least in the images.

Its strange that what is seen with the naked (Ha, he said naked.) eye is different than what is displayed in a camera image. I have a tendency to elongate images top to bottom when viewing a picture and when I see them in an photograph the perspective/proportion changes. I don't have that problem with TV images and broadcasts on plasma screens bother me greatly when presented in the wrong aspect ratio. Go figure!

Anywho here is the latest run of images complete with inroads into the shoulder carapace magazines starting to be encased. I figure since the Warlord employs both energy and projectile weapons that the area directly above the arms (sic) is devoted to storing the projectile rounds. No point in displaying that as yet but it does logically indicate future reworking.

http://i.imgur.com/chteh.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/chtehl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/9Yhtb.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/9Yhtbl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/UxRAa.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/UxRAal.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/o9kIR.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/o9kIRl.jpg

Purists may note that I changed a lot in the detail of the rear projection to suit my aesthetic sensibilities but since these vehicles are subjective to the FW, 'many worlds/many interpretations' I feel that Lucius Warlord Titans in a class have variations in that class depending on the 'Forge World' planet of origin. Plus I'm not going to buy a bunch of bitz just to copy the DS original.

[Snyderson]

Awe inspiring work! Thank you for sharing this!
Sny

[Blackadder]

There is almost assuredly an easier way to manufacture these components but my natural propensity for doing things the hardest way imaginable forced me to utilize the following method.

The goal is to have trunnion mounted capable of elevation rather than traverse turrets to mount the turbo lasers.

First I made the barrel shaped mounts using the method described below. I started with 1/2 inch PVC tubing which for some reason actually has a bore of about 3/4 inch. Now I need a veneer of styrene so I can glue detail to the surface and I need an axle made of styrene to permanently glue the end caps and detail to the axles and I need styrene trunnion receptacles to permanently glue to the upper carapace housing.

All these items must be the same size within a minor fraction of a millimeter i.e. about a hundredths of an inch or the discrepancy will be noticeable.

First I wrapped thins strips of styrene 0.250 inch wide around the center axles wrapping and gluing until the layers made a snug fit in the PVC gun mounts. Making sure the axles were 0.250 inches longer than the mount.

Then I wrapped 0.125 inch strips around the protruding ends of the axles installed in the PVC mounts so when completed there was two styrene discs on either end or the PVC tubes with a 0.5 inch tube running thru the center.

Next I wrapped 0.10 sheet styrene around the PVC to obtain a styrene cover to glue on subsequent detail.


http://i.imgur.com/Pmjal.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Pmjall.jpg

This image left to right demonstrate the steps to make the trunnion mounts for attaching the elevation turrets to the carapace and they are build up in much the same manner as the above discription

http://i.imgur.com/tOX52.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/tOX52l.jpg

Here are the trunnion mounts afixed to the carapace and the inboard reinforcement is glued in place to provide strength when the laser mounts are moved.

http://i.imgur.com/ExJuS.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/ExJuSl.jpg

This side show the rough laser mount in the carapace recess ready to be reinforced.

[Blackadder]

Turbo laser update and now its Moskva time.

http://i.imgur.com/8Zlgh.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/8Zlghl.jpg

Note, drilling the holes for the laser barrel mounts is critical if you want both lasers to point in the same direction. Especially if you don't have a drill press.


http://i.imgur.com/hHbAn.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/hHbAnl.jpg

These seem pretty straight.

[Blackadder]

Wow its really hard to attach an image; unfortunately my image loader is malfunctioning.

I have new images of the current work and I'll try to link with images on another forum

http://www.dakkadakka.com/s/i/at/at2/2012/10/11/1f9d8dc60e052587b17d259d6dfd9b0b_6825.jpg

http://www.dakkadakka.com/s/i/at/at2/2012/10/11/8e8d4e76840570498848688d641f0e1d_6825.jpg

http://www.dakkadakka.com/s/i/at/at2/2012/10/11/39752618b6384cac00790926b3c3e196_6825.jpg

I hope these images are visible and once my image host is back in business I'll replace these links. Let me know if the images are visible.

Thx EB

[isotope99]

Very impressive (the images are visible).

You've inspired me to take a crack at the big brother imperator titan, though my patience and plasticard skills are much less than yours (no interior detailing for me).

How did you separate the manufactorum detail from the wall panels so cleanly?

[Blackadder]

.................................................. ....How did you separate the manufactorum detail from the wall panels so cleanly?

First I split the wall panels front and back with a razor saw as I wanted the detail from both sides; it takes about 5-10 minutes depending on the newness of the saw blade. That wasn't as hard as it may seem as the panels are quite thick about 3-4 millimeters.

I then sanded the base wall remaining to the relief (the detail) by rubbing it on a sheet of coarse grit sandpaper. I use 3M 332U 60 aluminum oxide grit paper which is much sharper than regular sand paper.

After the base wall is close to paper thin (It takes about 5-10 minutes to do this but I do it while watching the the news or such other mindless activity as concentration on neither is required) I separate the relief from the residual backing wall with the Xacto #11 blade.

[Blackadder]

In a headlong career of activity ( For me that is. ) I added significantly to the basic structure and the finer detail this week and I thought before I got too far I should post an update. I'm very glad to relate that the void generator housing have a goodly start and the carapace magazine covers (BTW they are removable to access to main weapon armatures) are fitted with Leman Russ hatches and a bit of detail as well.

http://i.imgur.com/1cJ6N.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/1cJ6Nl.jpg

The center cover and inner walls of the generator housings are removable to view the interior detail of the reactor compartment.

http://i.imgur.com/64duE.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/64duEl.jpg

The back view reveals the complete detailing of the left and right upper carapace.

http://i.imgur.com/YhT69.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/YhT69l.jpg

[Evz]

This looks like it's going to be amazing when finished. :eek:

[Meph]

My hat off to you sir!

[Blackadder]

Welcome back

First a question.

In the first attached image can anyone identified the outlined bitz?

http://i.imgur.com/Gh5Q9.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Gh5Q9l.jpg

I have had a chance to work on this model more than usual being laid up with a virus for the past three days.

As the poet said, It's an ill wind..........................

http://i.imgur.com/Xk2bU.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Xk2bUl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/z3XNn.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/z3XNnl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/X9ioC.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/X9ioCl.jpg

[Blackadder]

Right you are the left are EMD diesel top vents, the center is also HO vent engine vents Thanks for all the replies on this question.

Okay here's the deal sure I could scratch the entire Warlord (witness the first attached image) but even the legendary Dave Smith employed shortcuts; I mean if I have the bitz why not use them. Granted I'm not going to plunk down $50 bucks just to get a fan but since my son already had a CoD kit why not use the segments for something more than architecture.

Below are two of the four void generators (I'm only building two as the rest are hidden...........

http://i.imgur.com/LdAyD.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/LdAyDl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/I1Avz.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/I1Avzl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/6Ugbl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/6Ugbll.jpg

Note all the detail is attached but they did consume a fair portion of my allotted construction time.

I mean the goal is to finish this Titan in your lifetime more important in my lifetime your pardon if I can come across quite egocentric.

[lomaxxdurang]

Is that middle one off of a vindicator?


Welcome back

First a question.

In the first attached image can anyone identified the outlined bitz?

http://i.imgur.com/Gh5Q9.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Gh5Q9l.jpg

I have had a chance to work on this model more than usual being laid up with a virus for the past three days.

As the poet said, It's an ill wind..........................

http://i.imgur.com/Xk2bU.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Xk2bUl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/z3XNn.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/z3XNnl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/X9ioC.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/X9ioCl.jpg

[Blackadder]

Is that middle one off of a vindicator?

No but I believe the upper back pack panel is from a Vindicator.

The vent fans objects in question are almost certainly from HO diesel engines of the EMD style according to popular opinion. My lone concern is the indicated right image which could be from any kit and I will probably end up scratching a reasonable facsimile much as I did for the void generators and accouterments.

Thanks for your reply.

[lomaxxdurang]

Actually looking closer at it I think it is this piece here from the Banedblade kit.
http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/xx7/durangmaxx/m1252789_99120105023_banebladetopviewmain_873x627-1.jpg

[Blackadder]

Actually looking closer at it I think it is this piece here from the Banedblade kit.

I believe you're right but there must be a lot of flum in those intakes. They look easy enough to scratch and can be added anytime before painting. Right now I'm attaching the hood................

Thanks for the replies on this.

[lomaxxdurang]

What is Flum?
here is a link to purchase the bit next time its in stock http://www.bitsandkits.co.uk/baneblade-filter-cover-p-1266.html?sesid=0b87niavor2qtcuc9raqgphu57

Good luck, by the way I haven't had the time to take those pictures for you sorry.

[Blackadder]

Flum is the dust and lint that accumulates on air intake screens.

A personally coined neologism. sorry

Started in on making the hood yesterday with mixed results. I couldn't decide whether the hood should tilt down or project straight out so I compromised and tilted it down about 2° down which seems okay.

I took a few images with all the hull pieces temporarily in place to get an overall perspective on where I stand and all appears okay so I shall continue with the hood armour and glyphs.

http://i.imgur.com/US507.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/US507l.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/fEJGg.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/fEJGgl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/x5Xu1.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/x5Xu1l.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/TqKrb.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/TqKrbl.jpg

[Blackadder]

These little doors were very labor intensive but they do have functioning hinges and complete the front of the Void Generator housings

http://i.imgur.com/cyY0d.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/cyY0dl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/1d6m7.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/1d6m7l.jpg

[SotonShades]

mind blowing as always! and people say I go in to crazy detail. I do wanna see more Thunderhawk though :P

[Blackadder]

mind blowing as always! and people say I go in to crazy detail. I do wanna see more Thunderhawk though :P

Thanks,

I haven't forgotten the T'hawk and had fully intended to divide my time between the T'hawk and the W'lord as their respective builds progressed but I am on such a juggernaut roll on the W'lord that I haven't lost momentum. When and if I lose this verve I'll transfer my effort to the T'hawk posthaste.

[Meph]

Get a sweatshop started, mate! Rivets a go-go!

[Blackadder]

Thank God there a very few rivet (I hate rivets)............................

My thanks to the loyal Meph of whose threads I am woefully remiss in responding to. (Excuse the poor grammar)...............

Yeah I know theres a lot of images of virtually the same thing tedious I know but the thing had to be done. Okay well deserved Martini in hand the final installation of this small and labor intense area is at last relatively complete except for the magnets that close the gaps and a bit of eye candy to dress out the detail.

This project will be judged by what meets the immediate eye and that is by the optimum point of view the top of the model at a 30° to 45° angle ergo the top so a lot of attention has to be paid to this area:

http://i.imgur.com/z2XLr.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/z2XLrl.jpg

So here hopefully is the last dedicated posted to this area.

Next the hood.

The head being the Grand Finale I personally cannot wait.....

[Blackadder]

Thanks for the offer I have downloaded the names of all the British warships from the last 6 centuries and whom among us can doubt the British have the coolest names for their warships and translated them into Latin (Google Translate) and come up with a few that might fill the bill meanwhile a question on the playability of this construct has arisen, namely:



This mechanical beast that is so lovingly being build by Blackadder weighs in at 2500 points and has 9 structure points (Note that these are structure points not hull points). The full rules are in Apocalypse (which was released prior to 6th Ed, hence no reference to hull points, not sure if there is an errata to update the super heavy rules) so it is fully usable in an Apocalypse game of 40k.

I guess I should know this but it's a toss up of studying quantum physics and WH40k and fool that I am I opted for QP. Now that you are appreciably dazzled let me state that I am a mere tyro at QP as well of having none of the math credentials to even basically appreciate the subtleties of the Quantum theory but I have spent an inordinate amount of time trying to comprehend recent developments. Fortunately reading these events doesn't preclude my working contiguously on the detail of my project to duplicate the hood bling imaged below:

http://i.imgur.com/QLuHX.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/QLuHXl.jpg

so here is the days run of labor namely the aquila insignia on the hood, I started with a google search for an apropos image

http://i.imgur.com/pwcW2.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/pwcW2l.jpg

and edited it on my editor to fit the model. Tracing the result onto 0.010" styrene

http://i.imgur.com/uRKTC.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/uRKTCl.jpg

I cut out the extremely tiny components and glued them to a 0.010" substrate which is where I am at the moment

http://i.imgur.com/5OaQz.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/5OaQzl.jpg

taking a Martini break and tracking 'Sandy'.

[Blackadder]

Okay boys and girls I'm about to impart the secret of Blackadder's millions. There's gold in them thar pieces of trash! It's commonly known that Blackadder is heavily into recycling. My old microwave has run its course to the extent that the floor of the chamber has rusted out and when I turn it on the under cabinet fluorescent lights glow so time to replace the old GE with a new one but wait. The door has this fantastic perforated shield panel! I don't know if you have priced this material in the hobby stores but it runs about $6 to 8 bucks for a few square inches and here's about a square foot about to be relegated to the curb......

http://i.imgur.com/MVIyP.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/MVIyPl.jpg

Well I'm not about to toss $30 to 40 bucks down the crapper so I whips off the door and have enough vents to furnish a lifetime of 'scratching'.

Another helpful hint from EB AKA Heloise :D

[jgebi]

you should get this thing cast so your can make up more then one (and you never know people might buy them of you) (and I want mine DIECAST!!!)

[Blackadder]

Diecast! well as long as you're not expecting gold plating...................

A bit of an update on my recycling foray; there are some concerns as to the advisability of employing a microwave door for scratch bitz namely concerns about residual radiation lurking in the door!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I never stand near an operating microwave considering the average microwave oven is manufactured in the same country that is putting lead and mercury in our children's toys and asbestos and formaldehyde in our sheetrock not to mention they cannot seem to manufacture a decent paper clip or a pencil with an eraser that doesn't leave a trail of dirty rubber when rubbing out the graphite line but I digress;

A standard microwave door window has a millimeter thick steel perforated grill heavily enameled with black paint (radiation absorbing, I wonder?) sandwiched between two sheets of clear plastic about 0.25 mm thick each. Microwaves themselves are energetic photons that are non-ionizing.

Non-ionizing radiation is very different than the dangerous ionizing radiation and are in the same family of EM waves as television and radio broadcasting. Because of the lower frequencies and reduced energy, it does not have the same damaging and cumulative properties as ionizing radiation. Microwave radiation (at 2450 MHz) is non-ionizing, and in sufficient intensity simply cause the molecules of water in the food to flip polarity rapidly, thereby causing friction, which produces the heat that cooks the food. you stand in much more danger using your cell phone than any residual radiation from handling that panel.

[Blackadder]

I know there is a lot of anticipation regarding the manufacture of the head but I really need to finish the surrounding detail to get a good handle on relative size. You see I only want to do the helmet/cowl once and I want it perfect so there is no substitute for patience. Meanwhile the top of the hood is progressing nicely. Were it not for Hurricane Sandy I would have been well into the production of the forehead armor.

http://i.imgur.com/Lsdyt.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Lsdytl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/KeBAr.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/KeBArl.jpg

[jgebi]

gold would be over kill but cool I just went normal so steel/iron ect

[Blackadder]

Don't hold your breath 'jgebi' I'm sorry to say but I just can't afford the hassle of dealing with the GW/FW litigation of copyright infringements. I don't think it is contestable to scratch a WL based on their design and share my construction with my peers but to profit by selling copies might rankle them.

Meanwhile:

Pretty pitiful update this week but my excuse is that I had to gut the ground floor kitchen, bath and family room after Sandy saw fit to deluge my wife's abode with 2/3 meter of storm surge seawater.

Fortunately all my precious worldly goods were ensconced safely twenty miles inland including the subject of this thread.

You will note that after I have successful refurbished my ex's domicile I shall have no more excuses to put off building the head/cockpit.

http://i.imgur.com/D0wW4.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/D0wW4l.jpg


http://i.imgur.com/Ur4MJ.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Ur4MJl.jpg


http://i.imgur.com/rDTEF.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/rDTEFl.jpg


http://i.imgur.com/tnqJr.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/tnqJrl.jpg

I'm just hoping that I don't receive a cease and desist order from the venerable Dave Smith's representatives.

[Blackadder]

Have you given any thoughts regarding power plant and the possibility to open up to look at that. Possibly some interior "real" lighting effects. Malignant red lights pouring out from the eyes, combat lights glowing red in the engineering.

I have some plans for the fusion reactor which will be mounted in the chamber above the command deck. The soccer ball style is the one I am leaning towards. And I have already purchased the fiber optic LEDS for the lighting but those go in last as I have to make the consoles first.


http://i.imgur.com/K11wR.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/49CoI.jpgThis one is a kind of a joke but the lighting is interesting

http://i.imgur.com/SJWOG.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/f2CW5.jpg

[RealGenius]

http://i.imgur.com/f2CW5.jpg

"Go for the power regulator on the north tower."

"Already on my way out."

The thought of flying Aeronautica scale planes inside your Warlord makes me smile. :)

[Blackadder]

"Its a trap!"

Whew, I just spent two hours updating all the forums I subscribe to and taking pictures of the recent build below plus now hopefully rendering a bit of interesting rapartee to keep my noble readers stimulated.

There is a lot of concern that I shall be neglecting the Warlord now that the Blackadder has a new bauble to attract his fickle attention but the Warlord is the real apple of my eye and the latest update follows:

Modular construction is the best way to go on a model this big as it affords you a reasonable size to work on rather than taking up the whole of the workspace with extraneous equipage.

Below are the floor and keel of the cockpit and the movable neck plug in module shown in the head down and head up position.

The tab on the floor and the triangular tabs on the neck will be the base for the side to side neck movement and the rectangular plug-in will house the egress corridor to the main command deck hopefully with apropos detail should I live long enough to complete this project. Whew again!


http://i.imgur.com/eXbLx.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/eXbLxl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/sXm2K.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/sXm2Kl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/YRWx7.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/YRWx7l.jpg

[lomaxxdurang]

I suggest a plasma ball as the reactor
http://www.amazon.com/LE-USB-Powered-Plasma-Ball/dp/B004HFKZAY/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1353257256&sr=8-3&keywords=plasma+ball

Not only will it look cool they can be usb powered and they are premade.
I intend one of these years to follow you up and do a couple of these and cast my parts to make it easier to make multiples.

[Blackadder]

I suggest a plasma ball as the reactor
http://www.amazon.com/LE-USB-Powered-Plasma-Ball/dp/B004HFKZAY/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1353257256&sr=8-3&keywords=plasma+ball

Not only will it look cool they can be usb powered and they are premade.
I intend one of these years to follow you up and do a couple of these and cast my parts to make it easier to make multiples.


I never use the C word but that would be so C--- except for the fact that the titan would need an extension cord.

I'm saving up for a 3D printer myself.............. I wish.

[Blackadder]

Ha bet you thought I'd forgotten about this. Truth is I've been repairing plumbing and wiring and installing a new water heater and hadn't much time for building but that's behind me for a couple of days so back to the cockpit design. Actually I had time to reflect how to proceed with this and have come up with a way to build a hollow flight deck.

Seen below compared to Lucie's cockpit the Warlord's is about three times larger which compares well as the Warlord is three times taller than the Warhound.

http://i.imgur.com/NKhhV.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/NKhhVl.jpg

Here you see the footing for the interior floor and the inner edge of the prominent overbite of the head armour.

http://i.imgur.com/CsoU9.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/CsoU9l.jpg

as seen in this image of the original.

[Blackadder]

I haven't a clue what I am doing guessing at angles and sizes this head construct should prove interesting. It's much the same way I built the arms for Lucie so I can only that lightning does strike twice in the same place or in this case three times.

http://i.imgur.com/yDQbE.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/yDQbEl.jpg

[Blackadder]

Ya know when I was a kid there was a show on TV, "Jon Gnagy's 'Learn to Draw'." I used to watch that show religiously. I had the Jon Gnagy book, pencils, eraser, sketchpad, charcoal,.... you name it I had it. That SOB would start drawing some forest scene or Steam engine at the station and I was furiously following along trying to do everything that bast---d did and he'd be put the frame on his work and my jaw was on the floor. You just couldn't keep up with him.

I thought it might be fun for you to see how the Blackadder works so I'm going to be taking pictures step by step of this head assembly so you can see that I haven't the vaguest idea what I am going to do next. I have no mechanical drawings, templates, or sketches to go by except for the G--D----- images DS posted. A lot of people ask for templates and I feel bad that I can't provide them because there aren't any, it's all in my head so we can both see how this cockpit module progresses for better or worse because it could be a total fiasco..............

http://i.imgur.com/fKEn8.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/fKEn8l.jpg

[Blackadder]

I Have to admit the head is coming along swimmingly The relative size seems good and the movement range seems adequate. also most of the damage to Lucie has been repaired; just remounting the guns with magnets to go.

I had Lucie pose with the new titan for a size comparison and she is dwarfed by the Warlord; I may have to make a Reaver just to take up the gap

http://i.imgur.com/219OM.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/219OMl.jpg

Here we have the Warlord looking right,

http://i.imgur.com/ZDnIs.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/ZDnIsl.jpg

Looking left and

http://i.imgur.com/rq3Zh.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/rq3Zhl.jpg

looking down to the right a bit unnerving from this angle thank the Emperor she's not armed.

http://i.imgur.com/qtapV.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/qtapVl.jpg

I have to reposition the chest/neck armour a bit as the head armour won't clear when it's installed.

[SotonShades]

This beasty just keeps getting more and more epic! Love that you are building by the seat of your pants, as it were. Forr saying that, it looks like the cockpit is coming together nicely :)

[lomaxxdurang]

Actually you could battery pack the usb port plug so no you really wouldn't need an extension cord plus with the battery pack you could run leds through to other areas if you wanted as well.

[Blackadder]

I neglected to mention the telescoping feature of the neck module prompting some to comment that the neck was too short. I prefer to rationalize that the neck in full extension is scout mode and retracted is battle mode.

Thats my story take it or leave it ;)
http://i.imgur.com/1neqy.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/1neqyl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/m7M6a.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/m7M6al.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/ECHvU.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/ECHvUl.jpg

That's the ticket Blackadder blind them with footwork..........

[Blackadder]

There is nothing new under the Sun, the more I work on this thing the more it reminds me of the snout of a Diplodocus Carnegii.

http://i.imgur.com/mcQbk.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/mcQbkl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/rNnkR.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/rNnkRl.jpg


http://images.inmagine.com/img/iris/imagebrokerrm-288/ptg01377602.jpg

[Blackadder]

Dude I'm tell'n ya women have a lot of goodies that they keep from us and I'm not talk'n 'bout the obvious but chances are your ol' lady has a spatter shield that she uses when she fries up those 'burgers and that is just scream'n to be replaced. If its like my old lady there are rents in it and its all wrinkled (I'm talk'n 'bout the splatter shield now.....) and its time for a new one (Still talk'n 'bout the splatter shield). Imagine the joy on yer spouse's mug when you give her a new one for Christmas and what better way to help the environment than to recycle the old one in your scratch projects......

http://i.imgur.com/ed8YI.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/ed8YIl.jpg

Here is mine as new grills for the Warlord cockpit intakes or whathaveyou.

http://i.imgur.com/N4eSy.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/N4eSyl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/UapZY.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/UapZYl.jpg

Its gonna be a Merry Christmas at the Blackadder household believe me or I'm an Orc's Grandpa.............

Yeah the BA has a bag on.

But I'm dead serious about the Christmas present......................

[Blackadder]

This morning I cut the lozenge shaped vents that define the screens and before I glue on the right side I'm taking a picture that you might know how it was accomplished.

The radius of the side curve where it wraps around the snout seems almost perfect; about a quarter of a millimeter too big on the bottom but not enough to quibble over if the other side matches.

http://i.imgur.com/SRfRS.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/SRfRSl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/XeKBl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/XeKBll.jpg

Most of these vents will be covered with the face armour but if you peer really hard under that armour you will see that the whole vent opening is there.

Crazy I know but I need the practice.

[Blackadder]

The lozenge shaped vents came out fairly decent but not as well crafted as Mr Smith's. I wonder how he made his? I made mine with a Martini in hand which I wouldn't recommend to would be modelers handling razor sharp knives and the like and there seems to be a slackening of quality.

But they should suffice for this titan.

http://i.imgur.com/GSWKQ.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/GSWKQl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/sIDu8.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/sIDu8l.jpg


The pencil scribed lines are for the face shield which I shall attempt next. This shield gives the head the anthropomorphic quality from which the upper lip and cockpit windshield detracts.

[isotope99]

Can't tell the scale but a hole punch or drill for the rounded edges, joined with 2 straight cuts might have done it?

[Blackadder]

Its about time to start considering the scale of the furniture and crew in the cockpit. I'm getting an idea of the height of the seated figures so they might peer out of the windscreen. The seated Princep should be on a raised dais and a Moderatus standing in attendance. Two seated helmsmen; a Sensorus and a Steersman. The latter two individuals I have in abundance but I need candidates for the Princep and Moderatus?


http://i.imgur.com/ubFwM.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/ubFwMl.jpg


http://i.imgur.com/ioUgF.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/ioUgFl.jpg


http://i.imgur.com/CAbSV.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/CAbSVl.jpg

[alshrive]

for the princep- a modification of Karamazov's throne? he is suitably sat and armoured to look the part i think... replace his head with something a bit more bionic perhaps and you could use the Servitors form the throne in it as well!

[Blackadder]

Slipped one in whilst I was looking eh! No the plastic rod is just temporary it will be replaced with 6-32 screws when permanently mounted. The rod is just for quick disassembly..........

I'm really getting into it now as it seems the proportions are workable.

http://i.imgur.com/BGnt5.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/BGnt5l.jpg


http://i.imgur.com/CiKM6.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/CiKM6l.jpg


http://i.imgur.com/lROP8.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/lROP8l.jpg


http://i.imgur.com/wtIwg.jpg



http://i.imgur.com/wH635.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/wH635l.jpg

I tend to get depressed when things don't work out and drop the modeling for a few days to reflect.

Another glimpse into my psychosis............

[isotope99]

Not saying you must do this but several of the books have the princeps in a tank of liquid instead of a chair, might be a nice change of pace to make it unique? ;)

I'm sure you could find a clear tube to use with a servitor torso + electrical wire for piper/cables or some similar conversion.

As for GW models:

The finecast techmarine set has lots of good bits but needs more arms.

The cadian command squad also has lots of interesting parts but needs a lot of conversion to get to look like titan crew rather than IG

Expensive, but FW does do titan crew that could be converted to fit - The standing guy would make a good moderatus and the other guys converted to steersmen (sentinel legs might be available from bits sites too for seated poses)

http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/Warhammer-40000/Titans/TITAN_CREW_ON_FOOT.html

http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/Images/Product/DefaultFW/xlarge/titancrew.jpg

I'm going to be using their titan tech priest on the balcony of my imperator

http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/Images/Product/AlternativeFW/xlarge/Techp4.jpg

[Blackadder]

The windscreen on this vehicle is much simpler than the one I made for Lucie. That had to be built inside out and caused no end of grief as the glue kept seeping onto the clear styrene and the styrene had to be meticulously masked during painting.

Not so with these windows. the frame and windows can be built separately as a module and not necessarily installed until the model is almost done.

http://i.imgur.com/t51pR.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/i5F4tl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/ghYud.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/ghYudl.jpg


http://i.imgur.com/Fu9vA.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Fu9vAl.jpg


http://i.imgur.com/8bdkp.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/8bdkpl.jpg

I learned a lot from my mistakes with Lucie.

[Blackadder]

The windscreen is done basically except for the paint and glazing with surprisingly little difficulty. Now that I have a real measurement I can start on the helmet.

This will have to be built up of layers of styrene and then carved and sanded down to the final shape.

I started out hollowed in segments but I think just gluing semi-circular ring might be more efficient.

http://i.imgur.com/TiwpI.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/TiwpIl.jpg


http://i.imgur.com/isWgY.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/isWgYl.jpg


http://i.imgur.com/Ipksa.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Ipksal.jpg


http://i.imgur.com/iCYjA.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/iCYjAl.jpg

[Blackadder]

I know the helmet brow looks pretty much like a sh*t sandwich but there is a surprising amount of symmetry in it in spite of the crudeness. A couple of minutes with the belt sander brought me to this point where I have to take stock as to where I am and what needs to be further trimmed.

Right now this seems to be the way to go........

More later today.

http://i.imgur.com/7LQkf.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/7LQkfl.jpg


http://i.imgur.com/Yw8L4.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Yw8L4l.jpg


http://i.imgur.com/IdpZE.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/IdpZEl.jpg

[Blackadder]

As I sand off the excess I continue to re scribe coordinate lines to gauge where I am on the contours. I can see by the vertical lines on the left front that I need to sand a little deeper in the front left. The block started off at around four ounces but now it's 2.5 ounces 72 grams. Once I have the outer contours right I'll hollow out the interior to reduce the weight further.

http://i.imgur.com/EQZXb.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/EQZXbl.jpg


http://i.imgur.com/zagIb.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/zagIbl.jpg


http://i.imgur.com/dW2W8
http://i.imgur.com/dW2W8l.jpg

[Blackadder]

A final sanding before retiring last night.

This morning I re scribed the line which reveal that I am off by as much as half a millimeter in some areas. That will have to be corrected before I meld the contours to form the requisite compound curves that are so striking on the original model.


http://i.imgur.com/zPzKm.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/zPzKml.jpg


http://i.imgur.com/bbJWx.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/bbJWxl.jpg


http://i.imgur.com/Otcqi.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Otcqil.jpg

[Blackadder]

I don't know if I posted this particular image before but it is the one that I am getting a good portion of my information from.

http://i.imgur.com/sBVA7.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/sBVA7l.jpg

You can see by the compound curves that it is complex item to replicate. Mr. Smith himself carved the plug out of wood and cast a mould and then cast the final cowl which I understand had flaws in it anyway. Since I am only making one I saw no need for all those extra steps and just when to cutting the finished product. Once it is the proper size I'll show it in place.

[Blackadder]

Well the forehead is proceeding nicely and it wasn't as tough a job as I had imagined but it still is too massive and heavy looking but once I remove about another 3 mm all around it should be of a proper scale. The pictures indicate that it could be more rounded.

In all not too shoddy for a first attempt.............

Also I may have to raise the head higher on the neck to bring it closer to the hood overhang.
http://i.imgur.com/F2HJ7.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/F2HJ7l.jpg


http://i.imgur.com/C0CMb.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/C0CMbl.jpg


http://i.imgur.com/hAvDM.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/hAvDMl.jpg


http://i.imgur.com/J2Wkq.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/J2Wkql.jpg

[RGilbert26]

It's the infamous forehead titan!

[Wolfy]

Yes, I agree that the head needs filing down. It will look awesome when done though

[SotonShades]

I'm not so sure. If the rest of the head goes upwards from that level I don't think the forehead will look too bulbous. The fact that the huge chunk of plastic is currently floating with nothing behind it also seems to exaggerate it's mass.

Building the head up, instead of moving it up, would also help close up the negative space between it and the neck cowl. I certainly wouldn't want it looking too tight after it had been finished if it were my model.

[Blackadder]

Duly noted and you are correct; without the surrounding armour the head (sallat) does look too massive. Thx.

Well it's taken two days of sanding and scraping and the piece has gone from about 4.0 ounces to 0.85 ounces and is about 0.250 inches/6 mm thick now that the interior has been hollowed. At 28 mm scale, 28 mm being equal to six feet/1.83 meters thats close to 16 inches 0.039 meters of what-have-you armour. In battleship steel armour the equivalent of the belt armour on the Iowa Class Battleship.

I dare not pare down the sallat any more until I see how it relates to the rest of the helmet armour and I do need to raise the head on the neck a minimum of 0.5 inches/12 mm.

http://i.imgur.com/a4CJW.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/a4CJWl.jpg


http://i.imgur.com/UMgTk.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/UMgTkl.jpg


http://i.imgur.com/ko5BV.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/ko5BVl.jpg

[Blackadder]

I was accused of building this some time ago as opposed to it being a current build so just to set the record straight I set the display date on my camera.......... :D

http://i.imgur.com/Jm1A1.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Jm1A1l.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/X2BCZ.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/X2BCZl.jpg

Can we say 40th millennium? ;)

[BigGrim]

Hah! I like the cut of your jib, Sir!

[Tynskel]

That picture is from the future!

[Blackadder]

Naah it's just that the DC290 Kodak Camera is built to last...........

[Blackadder]

There for want of a better name a lot of work going into the armour 'bra' to get the proportions and the angles correct. I initially attached a piece of foolscap to the nose cowl but found the paper creased differently than the plastic so I had to resort to another method.

Ultimately I cut and measured the piece by trial and error and have it down I believe. Only when it is attached will I know but the surface armour will be easier to attach with the 'bra' not attached so I hope all this work will not be for naught.

http://i.imgur.com/kYCrP.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/kYCrPl.jpg


http://i.imgur.com/e2xrO.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/e2xrOl.jpg


http://i.imgur.com/tzVks.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/tzVksl.jpg

[SotonShades]

I'd have called it a chin strap or chin belt armour (simiar to belt armour on a battleship), but yeh bra works quite well lol. It's looking good though.

[Blackadder]

Temporarily mounted Size appears okay...............


http://i.imgur.com/Ks30L.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Ks30Ll.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/bMsMz.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/bMsMzl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/0ln6c.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/0ln6cl.jpg

Sorry previews don't appear to be working

[Just_Me]

Just wanted to comment and say how thoroughly impressed I am with this project. The concept is ambitious and the execution and attention to detail are truly fantastic! I have a lot of admiration for what you've done here, especially since I find the Forge World Reaver I've had for a year so daunting I haven't even started it. This project is an order of magnitude greater in several ways...

[Blackadder]

Tsk, tsk; that will never do check out my Warhound thread for an update late on this evening:

http://www.lounge.belloflostsouls.net/showthread.php?26371-Blackadder-s-FW-Chaos-Warhound-Build&p=263147#post263147

Meanwhile..............

I know everyone is tired of me adjusting the head but it's not quite right you know.............. I mean the titan head. First at the instigation of by favorite critic M. Jabba I shaved about 3 MM off the helmet dome and it looks better. Then I cut about 3MM off the bra armour (Well wadda you call it?) all around and that is falling into line as well.
--
http://i.imgur.com/DABbq.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/DABbql.jpg


http://i.imgur.com/FQ4fY.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/FQ4fYl.jpg

Its still not quite right but I'm closing in on it............

More to follow.........

[Blackadder]

Okay got the house back together after the 'Sandy' disaster; spent the past week repairing wiring, installing a new waterheater, tearing out the downstairs bath/WC, wallboard, spackling. plumbing, replacing electrical wiring, and oh yes replacing the upholstery on the dining table set of chairs.......... Yeah the Blackadder has dozens of valuable skills that keep him in a lower income group but I still managed to find time to make some headway(groan) on the head. Taking M. Hutts critique to heart I shaved yet another 3-6 MM off the head in various places all to the betterment of the look of the dome (IMHO) but I have run out of material in some spots so I daren't remove any more. The next time you see this I'll have made some inroads into the rear of the cowl and all that good looking cryptic plumbing on the side of the head.

http://i.imgur.com/0Jo70.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/0Jo70l.jpg


http://i.imgur.com/1d93h.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/1d93hl.jpg


http://i.imgur.com/l629W.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/l629Wl.jpg


http://i.imgur.com/HZVXR.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/HZVXRl.jpg

[Blackadder]

I call this image, "Alas poor Yorick."

http://i.imgur.com/I4E2l.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/I4E2ll.jpg

I started on the head interior today just for a change of pace.

http://i.imgur.com/bm4dZ.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/bm4dZl.jpg


http://i.imgur.com/3EKkK.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/3EKkKl.jpg


http://i.imgur.com/U0Olu.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/U0Olul.jpg

Everything is pretty much falling into place just as I imagined it so to quote Mozart in "Amadeus" , "It's all up here in my noodle the rest is scribbling."........er well scribing and cutting and gluing; well you know what I mean.......

[Blackadder]

I don't know whats going on under that dome but there sure is a lot of large diameter conduit running to it. Meanwhile I need to make a s--tpot load of LCD screens for the cockpit, command deck and engineering

http://i.imgur.com/aKXcY.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/aKXcYl.jpg

[Blackadder]

Okay found my little dudes so we can get a comparison for scale. The guy in the officers cap seems a bit on the dwarfish size what with the extra long arm

http://i.imgur.com/DB4ib.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/DB4ibl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/shrU9.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/shrU9l.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/icYeX.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/icYeXl.jpg

but the pilot seats as of now only in their crude state are coming along pretty good.

http://i.imgur.com/qVamq.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/qVamql.jpg

I have some bilateral amputees that I am auditioning for the role of Princep and I need some sort of a vessel to ensconce him in but there seems plenty of room in the cockpit for half a dozen crewmen if I want.

I need to find another sentinel pilot.

[Blackadder]

More pipes and conduits to nowhere where will it end????????? I'm getting kind of a Giger-esque feeling about this helmet detail. That is one twisted dude..........

http://i.imgur.com/Doi42.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Doi42l.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/3Soqy.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/3Soqyl.jpg

I don't know where I'm going from this point so I just left the raw ends of the piping

I case you're wondering............

[Blackadder]

Whoa it's Friday already and anyone with a life is getting ready for the weekend but I thought I'd take a chance that someone would be interested in the current progress. I roughed in the rear of the helmet yesterday extending it far beyond what will actually be needed but it's easier to shorten it than lengthen it. I have in mind the escape pod concept of the cockpit anyway so there might be jato exhausts in the offing. Better than just unceremoniously dumping the head on the ground in the middle of a pitched battle.

http://i.imgur.com/3AxGm.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/3AxGml.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/gBMtD.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/gBMtDl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/Q6IPz.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Q6IPzl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/tSUbE.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/tSUbEl.jpg

[Hydra]

This is really impressive!

[Blackadder]

Okay no excuses left tomorrow I'm gonna have to mount the head on the neck and the neck in the hull and I hope I can come up with a solution to how to allow the head to turn on the neck with that verdammen fürs luggen' cowl extension.

http://i.imgur.com/sA3Ix.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/sA3Ixl.jpg


http://i.imgur.com/hy8af.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/hy8afl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/FK7Q4.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/FK7Q4l.jpg

Glad theres no one around on the weekend to witness these problems...............

[Blackadder]

While I am revamping the neck mount its time to address an issue I have found unsatisfactory in my rendering of the lip area. In the DS model and here is where he gets kudos in artistic ability.

http://i.imgur.com/sBVA7.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/sBVA7l.jpg

The lip area beneath the vent cowl is slightly drooping which give it a badass appearance.

http://i.imgur.com/F2HJ7.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/F2HJ7l.jpg

On my model that is not apparent being rather flat in line with the base line of the keel piece.

http://i.imgur.com/B2DK1.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/B2DK1l.jpg

So I am modifying it to give it a more Hapsburgian visage.

[Blackadder]

I spite of my best efforts to pose everything as it should be the helmet slipped forward 6.0mm whilst I was taking the picture.

Be that as it may the head is looking pretty good in this the final position of course I shall have to keep looking at the pictures to confirm I am not being delusional.

http://i.imgur.com/Sq4KB.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Sq4KBl.jpg

The legs being able to support the upper body weight that most everyone was concerned with appears not to be an issue but the axle screws do need tightening as the knees are squatted back on their stops.

http://i.imgur.com/lHm3R.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/lHm3Rl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/CeQyw.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/CeQywl.jpg

Once everything is completely built I'll replace the temporary screws with locking screws and washers.

And now its Miller time....... er correction; Martini time.

[Blackadder]

It will have the horns or downwards extensions in the "cheeks mantel" but there are fit problems with the spaced armour at this time where it interferes with the helmet dome and has to be modified:

http://i.imgur.com/FQ4fY.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/FQ4fYl.jpg

Its still not quite right but I'm closing in on it............

[Blackadder]

Everything is coming together as if it were planned which it wasn't (at least consciously). There is sufficient room on either side of the plug in neck for fillets to cover the neck movements in these the two following images it demonstrates the 20°+ of neck lateral travel.



http://i.imgur.com/NctoX.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/NctoXl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/fuJ4a.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/fuJ4al.jpg

In the two following images the fillets allow for sliding blast doors in the neck vestibule and still allow for the head to tilt down.......... Egad!

http://i.imgur.com/fuJ4a.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/fuJ4al.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/p5Uf4.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/p5Uf4l.jpg

The fillets will also allow for the various geegaws and cryptic detail associated with the complexity of the flight station/cockpit.

[Blackadder]

The Blackadder is not certifiably insane (my mother had me tested) but I do know a work of art when I see one (I may not know art but I know what I like).

Mr Smith's Warlord is worth emulating in it's entirety and in spite of the pitiful documentation I felt I wanted with some degree of latitude a facsimile so I decided to attempt a reprise.

I do not want anything other than that what is represented in the few tantalizing images gleaned from literally hours of searching the 'net.

So that said here is the cockpit as it is this date albeit sans the incredible amount of detail still to come.

http://i.imgur.com/XpE1a.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/XpE1al.jpg

And of course it is fully pose-able; my small contribution to what I consider an already perfect work of art.

[Blackadder]

Don't you hate it when good things happen to bad people?............I mean in the real world things are not supposed to go this well. The Heisenberg uncertainty principle states that Schroedinger's cat should be dead at least 50% of the time; Right?

It's gonna be that the Mayas were correct and 12/ 21/12 is gonna be the end of the world (Hell I knew that on November 6th 12 midnight...........)

So what is the Blackadder on about you say......... How do I know the world will implode???????????????

Well I just finished today's run on my little project and stupidity has taken a holiday everything is coming up roses. I can't seem to make a mistake.

Witness the following images:

The head from the bottom looking left:

http://i.imgur.com/Hmy1Z.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Hmy1Zl.jpg

The head from the bottom looking right:

http://i.imgur.com/Jkuan.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Jkuanl.jpg

The head from the side looking forward:

http://i.imgur.com/OBMiO.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/OBMiOl.jpg

The head from the side looking down:

http://i.imgur.com/IL4UB.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/IL4UBl.jpg

[Blackadder]

continued>>>>>>>>

The interior of the head mechanism:

http://i.imgur.com/bbehx.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/bbehxl.jpg

So that's how I know the day of the LORD is upon us....

Thanks for all the fish..............