How to build a Black Templar's Warhound Titan

[Sinsinatus]

Well, almost 2 weeks ago a client offered me a commission to build and paint a Forge World Warhound Scout Titan for him. Since the Chaos Daemon Army (http://s276.photobucket.com/albums/kk25/Sinsinatus/Painted%20Miniatures/Warhammer%2040k/Chaos%20Demons/Chaos%20Daemon%20Army%20for%20JS%20-%20completed/) was finished and in the hands of that customer, I decided to give it a go.

I've done 2 of these FW titan kits before and they are a lot of fun. This will be a bit of a thematic challenge. The client wants the titan to be part of his crusading Black Templars force. Knowing that Marine chapters don't officially have titan components organic to them, I took a few days to work on the theme and ask around the forums to see what kind of fluff reasoning we could come up with (check out the discussion here (http://www.lounge.belloflostsouls.net/showthread.php?t=20860&highlight=sinsinatus)).

There are already some good videos on YouTube that cover the Forge World titan models. Many of them do a good job of showing off the details and giving you a sense of scale. I am going to cover here my process for assembly as well as the customization. When I say that there a lot of fiddly bits to this kit - I mean it. There are several ways to screw up large investment and leave you with a passable (yet still scary) superheavy when the piece can and should be the centerpiece of your army when on display or at war.

Well, talking aside, let's get started.

Sinsinatus

[Meph]

Cool. I'll be looking forward to lots of pics of that awesome beastie. :D

[Sinsinatus]

First things first... this is a complex kit. No joking here. I have been building and painting GW figs and models since the 80's and I have been working with Forge World resin since the year they came out. Take your time, plan your process, think things through twice, and apply every lesson you've learned. The value of preparation with this kind of model cannot be overstated.

So; here's how it comes... titan in a box.
http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk25/Sinsinatus/Works%20in%20Progress/Warhound%20Titan%20for%20Black%20Templars/DSCN6630.jpg

To steal a quote from Dave Bowman in 2001, "My God! It's full of BITS."
http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk25/Sinsinatus/Works%20in%20Progress/Warhound%20Titan%20for%20Black%20Templars/DSCN6631.jpg

Take a step back and have a few deep breaths. I know you can't resist so... when you take the pieces out to fondle them, do it one bag at a time. You'll thank me later if you can manage to keep the pieces with the relavent subassemblies. If you can get past the "where will I start" panic, touch every piece and inventory as you go. It's better to know that you have a bad or missing piece now instead of right in the middle of construction. Forge World is great about fixing deficiencies so don't be afraid to e-mail them if you have a question or issue.

I'll skip the tedious part about washing the entire model. I'll just mention that every piece gets washed in luke-warm water with mild dish soap and scrubbed with a soft to medium tooth brush. Mould release and slippage are not nearly as big a problem as they were a few years ago. However, skin oils, releasing agent, and accumulated resin dust will play hell on your painting efforts. Save yourself the hassle of trying to degrease a piece in an assembly surrounded by other bits. That always sucks.

Sinsinatus

[Sinsinatus]

For the curious, here are scans of the first three instruction pages from the kit.

page 1
http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk25/Sinsinatus/Works%20in%20Progress/Warhound%20Titan%20for%20Black%20Templars/Scan_Pic0015.jpg

page 2
http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk25/Sinsinatus/Works%20in%20Progress/Warhound%20Titan%20for%20Black%20Templars/Scan_Pic0016.jpg

page 3
http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk25/Sinsinatus/Works%20in%20Progress/Warhound%20Titan%20for%20Black%20Templars/Scan_Pic0017.jpg

More to come...
Sinsinatus

[Sinsinatus]

Here are the remaining three pages...

page 4
http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk25/Sinsinatus/Works%20in%20Progress/Warhound%20Titan%20for%20Black%20Templars/Scan_Pic0018.jpg

page 5
http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk25/Sinsinatus/Works%20in%20Progress/Warhound%20Titan%20for%20Black%20Templars/Scan_Pic0019.jpg

page 6
http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk25/Sinsinatus/Works%20in%20Progress/Warhound%20Titan%20for%20Black%20Templars/Scan_Pic0020.jpg

Despite these being the "official" instructions. I disagree with the order in which they do their assembly. Also, IMHO, they don't really give adequate guidance or direction for a kit with this level of complexity. It is better than the original set though.

Sinsinatus

[Meph]

My, my, that is a frightening amount of parts... :eek:

[Sinsinatus]

Just like any major construction, the titan model will need a good foundation. With the wide range of dynamic poses offered by this kit, and the extremely top-heavy nature of the model itself, a solid base is crucial. Don't even consider having the model go on the tabletop "bare-footed". You'll hate yourself - been there, done that.

Generally I would cut out an oval or "rounded hour glass" shaped piece of 1/4" thick medium density fiberboard (MDF, hardiboard). This way the space between the feet gives you additional opportunities to add weights (as needed) and to add some thematic basing. Unfortunately, this client wants as low profile basing as possible. So, what we are going to do is build snowshoes. These are individual bases that will go under each foot. As the feet alone comprise of over 50 pieces, they need the support.

So, instead of going to my scroll saw, I decided to use an old standby material for basing largish kits - old compact discs. To get the proper thickness, I will laminate 3 of them together using super glue (CA, cyano-acrilate). 3 will give you a thickness not too far off from that of a standard GW base while bing rigid enough to give good support. If the discs have lables on them, be sure that they are removed before gluing them together or the edge of your base will have unsightly gaps.

After the assembles have dried, use coarse sandpaper (I used 100 grit) to rough up both faves of each base. The surfaces are too slick for your basing material to adhere to. Also, the slick underside will make the model more prone to accidental shifting or tipping.

Be sure to wear a mask while sanding. See the pics below and you will see why.

Sinsinatus

Assembling CD bases...
http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk25/Sinsinatus/Works%20in%20Progress/Warhound%20Titan%20for%20Black%20Templars/DSCN6632.jpg

After assembly and pre-sanding...
http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk25/Sinsinatus/Works%20in%20Progress/Warhound%20Titan%20for%20Black%20Templars/DSCN6638.jpg

After sanding - remember to wear a mask.
http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk25/Sinsinatus/Works%20in%20Progress/Warhound%20Titan%20for%20Black%20Templars/DSCN6640.jpg

Sinsinatus

[Sinsinatus]

Herea is a foot laid out on one of the bases for size comparison. The pile of bits on the left in the second photo is for just one foot.

Sinsinatus

Foot laid out on CD to check fit.
http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk25/Sinsinatus/Works%20in%20Progress/Warhound%20Titan%20for%20Black%20Templars/DSCN6634.jpg

Foot layout and one complete set of foot bits.
http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk25/Sinsinatus/Works%20in%20Progress/Warhound%20Titan%20for%20Black%20Templars/DSCN6635.jpg

Sinsinatus

[Brakkart]

Subscribed to this thread because I've always been curious to see how the Forge World mega kits are put together, and to be honest if I was to get one, it would probably be a Warhound.

[fuzzbuket]

looking forward to seeing this finished :D

[bloodangel 83]

Looks like your off to a great start. Keep up the great work.

[stewy37]

I'll be following this. Very cool of you to give us some insight in to how complex these kits are. And Black Templars are fast becoming one of my favorite chapters, so that makes it even cooler.

[Lovecraft]

That does look like a lot of fun to build and paint. One of these days I buy one... one of these days.

[Wildcard]

OP: You said you've build few of these already? If so, i've got a couple of questions if for you to answer if you got the time:

- Are the warhound molds in good condition? (I mean, i am not that great at working with resin, so are there few enough flaws in the build for a mediocre builder to work with?)

- Have you worked with airbrushes? If yes
-> Would you recommend painting the warhound with airbrush or regular brush?

I am so very much hoping to build one as soon as i can afford it, and thus i am trying to gather as much info before hand as possible so i won't blew it when i finally get to work with one..

cheers :)

Wildcard

[Irongut]

Man that kit looks complicated- good luck!

[Aulon]

can't wait till next update :)

[Sinsinatus]

- Are the warhound molds in good condition? (I mean, i am not that great at working with resin, so are there few enough flaws in the build for a mediocre builder to work with?)

The molds are great on detail. Edges are crisp and the mold lines are usually minimal. That said, there are hundreds of pieces here from multiple molds so there will be some variation. During inspection of my current kit I found that 2 pieces had significany "mold shift" - where the edges didn't meet perfectly. There will be some sanding and green stuffing required to get a proper surface. But since the mold makers plan for this kind of event, none of the seams run across detail that I would have to resculpt.

The titan I am currently building is the best I've handled yet. They seem to have changed some of the gates that the resin pours through. Making them larger has allowed fills on tiny pieces to resolve completely and nearly eliminate bubbles.

In the early days, FW models could have a significant issue with air bubbles and slick spots. New techniques and materials have nearly eliminated them. So, if you buy a second-hand titan or one of the rare forgeries around, you will have more problems.

All in all, a moderate level of modelling experience is required. You should be familiar with sanding, scraping, gap filling, green stuff, and handling very small and fragile pieces (some are inly a few mm in size). I reccommend that you use a good brand of CA glue and pur LOTS of pins in the model. There will be a lot of stress on some very small areas so don't be shy. You will need a razor saw or a rotary (dremel) tool with a cutting disc. There are lots of gates and tags to be removed and clippers can crack the thinner pieces.

I'll be posting some tips and tricks as I go along. Feel free to ask as I go.


- Have you worked with airbrushes? If yes
-> Would you recommend painting the warhound with airbrush or regular brush?

I have used the GW airbrush for basing masses of troops in custom colors. It does NOT have the control necessary for finish painting. It is a basecoat tool only.

Large models like these lend themselves well to airbrishing and the FW studio guys frequently use them when painting the display pieces. But, they also have to go back and spend massive amounts of time with a brush. There is just too much detail to think that anyone other than a highly skilled airbrush artist with professional gear could begin to do the model justice.

I have only ever done my titans with brush painting. Even my Goden Demon winning Eldar Titan "Firewalker" (http://s276.photobucket.com/albums/kk25/Sinsinatus/Painted%20Miniatures/Golden%20Demon%20Winners/Eldar%20Revenant%20Titan/) was completely brush painted. Here it is...

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk25/Sinsinatus/Painted%20Miniatures/Golden%20Demon%20Winners/Eldar%20Revenant%20Titan/s3_gold_large2.jpg

If you are confident with a brush, stick with it. ANY technique you can get with an airbrush can be duplicated by hand. There are just some techiques that are easier to accomplish with the airbrush. I wouldn't want to try to learn a new set of skills for just one model... or to try and learn them on this as a first piece. Go with what you know best.

I hope that this helps.

[bloodangel 83]

Nice looking Elder titan. I can see how you won the GD. Thanks for the update and keep them coming please. BA83

[Spectral Dragon]

Thank you very much for showing us the building of one of these massive kits. It makes me want one even more!

[Wildcard]

Thanks for the reply and tips sinsinatus!

The reason i was thinking about the airbrushing, is that my color scheme includes lots of blue and gold, both that i am having a trouble layering smoothly to practically any surface (especially the gold, i don't know how to describe it, but it seems like it would be full of stripes / scratches and the color underneath will just shine through).

[Meph]

Subscribed to this thread because I've always been curious to see how the Forge World mega kits are put together, and to be honest if I was to get one, it would probably be a Warhound.

I hear ya, the Mars pattern Warhound is easily one of the coolest models out there.

Hey, and a great idea with the CD's. Probably the best and easiest way to go if the model is meant to be used on the table. Those huge bases must be quite annoying to move around.
Hmm, or perhaps some metal disks for extra weight, or do you feel that the support the give would be enough for the model?

[Sinsinatus]

Hey, and a great idea with the CD's. Probably the best and easiest way to go if the model is meant to be used on the table. Those huge bases must be quite annoying to move around.
Hmm, or perhaps some metal disks for extra weight, or do you feel that the support the give would be enough for the model?

If you need extra weight for balance, you probobly won't know until 90% of the assembly is done. If I need it, I just add some bar lead weights as I detail the bases and camouflage them. However, unless your pose is very mobile (eg. running) the cd's will probobly give all the support you need.

Making sure that the toes are pinned at every joint and then to the bases themselves is much more critical for ensuring the model can survive the rigors of gaming and travel

[Sinsinatus]

So, I spent several productive hours finishing the foot assemblies for the Warhound. It' will take a couple posts to get all the pictures up so please scroll through...

There is one step you get to take before the planning kicks in. You need to collect all of the toe joints that connect directly to the foot arch. They have a large plug that will need shortened by about half so that the pieces fit flush. Once you trim the length, you need to drill holes for pins in each socket and plug.

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk25/Sinsinatus/Works%20in%20Progress/Warhound%20Titan%20for%20Black%20Templars/DSCN6646.jpg

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk25/Sinsinatus/Works%20in%20Progress/Warhound%20Titan%20for%20Black%20Templars/DSCN6648.jpg

All of these will be glued into the arch piece. I fitted mine squarely in each socket because the pose on this titan will be a straight forward motion pose. If yours will be turning or standing on irregular rubble or a wreck, only the central and rear sockets will seat squarely. The others will need to be rotated slightly to accomodate the positioning of the toe. Hold off on gluing these until your base is ready if you want the most realistic pose. Sorry, I won't be covering that in this how-to.

First toe joints glued in place...
http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk25/Sinsinatus/Works%20in%20Progress/Warhound%20Titan%20for%20Black%20Templars/DSCN6649.jpg

[Sinsinatus]

Your first decision is how to pose each foot. The foot pose will determine whether the model appears to be running, walking, or standing... unless you want it to run with walking feet - think about a duck. To make sure that the pieces line up for your pose, find something the hold the arch in place as you connect the toe sections. I used pieces of scrap MDF and some of the resin "gates" that had come off of the bigger pieces. Some poster adhesive can also be useful for posing.

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk25/Sinsinatus/Works%20in%20Progress/Warhound%20Titan%20for%20Black%20Templars/DSCN6641.jpg

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk25/Sinsinatus/Works%20in%20Progress/Warhound%20Titan%20for%20Black%20Templars/DSCN6654.jpg

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk25/Sinsinatus/Works%20in%20Progress/Warhound%20Titan%20for%20Black%20Templars/DSCN6658.jpg

Once you have decided on your pose. Beging to assemble each foot. Start with the center toe and with the pieces closest to the arc. I completed that front center toe and the rear toe and then let the assembly cure. If you have accelerator for your CA glue, this will speed up your process - just don't get accelerator onto the sockets still to be posed. The stuff has a nasty habit of staying active for a while and gooping up the next step.

When those toes are nice and secure. Go ahead and do the outer ones. Remember to start close to the arch and move outward. Your shims from earlier will help to hold your pose. Here are my feet glued into their final poses.

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk25/Sinsinatus/Works%20in%20Progress/Warhound%20Titan%20for%20Black%20Templars/DSCN6655.jpg

[Sinsinatus]

I know, I didn't put any pins into the toes. That's because each one would have to be individually aligned and getting the pose exactly right is HARD. So, a couple titans ago Ic ame up with a different method for reinforcement.

Once the foot assemblies are cured - but before you start on the toe pistons - I drill up through the bottom of each toe joint. In the photo below I have circled the location of the holes I drilled. The direction of drilling is at a fairly shallow angle from arch towards toe tip - follow the arrows. Using these locations allows you to drill from one piece into the next after the toes are perfectly posed. Each joint gets reinforced with a metal pin that I cut to be flush with the surface and then superglue (CA) into place.

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk25/Sinsinatus/Works%20in%20Progress/Warhound%20Titan%20for%20Black%20Templars/DSCN6696a.jpg

Once the glue is dry, I smooth over the holes with a small plug of greenstuff. I only do this if there is a possibility of the underside of the foot being seen.

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk25/Sinsinatus/Works%20in%20Progress/Warhound%20Titan%20for%20Black%20Templars/DSCN6701.jpg

Make sure you do not install the toe pistons before completing the pinning. If you drill too deep and come out the top, inserting the pins later will cover the hole. Also, the superslue can migrate if it is thin and could glop up the piston detail. That is hard to correct.

[Meph]

Nice progress on the feet.
I'm guessing that in case you want a full running pose with only one foot on the ground, that you'd need to pin the the foot socket to the ankle ball with some thick wire, no?

[Sinsinatus]

Nice progress on the feet.
I'm guessing that in case you want a full running pose with only one foot on the ground, that you'd need to pin the the foot socket to the ankle ball with some thick wire, no?

When I get the pose set on the legs I'll drill for pins. Part of the reason the feet aren't attached to the bases yet is so that I'll have every angle available when it's time to drill. I reccommend pinning the ball joints even when both feet are attached to a base. CA is very strong versus tension and compression. It fails when stressed by shearing or torsional forces... like those you'd find in a ball abd socket joint.

[Sinsinatus]

Quick word of caution. The gate as it comes off of the rear toe is poorly placed. When removing the gate with clippers or even a saw, be sure to leave sopme extra flash. You can easily trim the flash down with a hobby knofe or file. I cut the gap a little close and the resin decided where it wanted to part despite my wishes. This resulted in a flattened toe tip that you will see in the photo below. Greenstuff will fix it. It's just annoying that I have to do it at all.

More to come soon.

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk25/Sinsinatus/Works%20in%20Progress/Warhound%20Titan%20for%20Black%20Templars/DSCN6688a.jpg

[bloodangel 83]

Nice work, keep up the work. BA83

[Sinsinatus]

In addition to the great look of the model and incredible level of detail, one of my favorite things is how poseable it is. When Simon Egan designed the kit, he left each builder the ability to assemble this beast in many, many ways - from standing tall to an all-out run. To accomplish this, the kit does not included multiple copies in different lengths of parts that might be needed for the individual poses. Instead, these pieces were cast so that the builder would cut them to the length actually needed once the pose was established. This method gives the greatest level of detail and realism while unfortunately adding much to the overall complexity. As the kit doesn't come with extras, you want to get these parts right the first time. I reccommend you read all the way through before you start on this portion of the build.

From my earlier posts, you can see that I left the toe pistons off until now. Part of the reason was to avoid damaging them or glue migrating to foul them. Besides, if I'm going to have to repeat a process 18 times, I find it best to be systematic. Because each toe articulates independently, you have to cut each piston for its specific slot in each toe... not just one generic length per foot.

I began by cutting all of the pistons for the feet off ot their sprues leaving them as long as possible. You really want to leave all the length you can. you'll be trimming soon enough. I then removed any mould lines. This isn't super imperative because the seams are on the sides of the piston where they would be almos impossible to see. I'm just too a%$# retentive to leave it to chance though.

Each of the smaller toe pistons - there are 2 per forward toe for 12 total - consists of a head and a rod. To get the proper length, I slotted the head into its socket and then lay the rod over the recieving socket (look for green arrow). This will give you a way to guage the length to cut. In the picture below, I show where I determined to make the cut. The place to make the cut is one-half the depth of the socket (see the red line). As long as the socket cast clean, you will be able to place the piston rod-end first into its socket and then swing the head into its slot. I dry fit each piece, remove it, apply CA glue win the slot and socket using a toothpick or paperclip, and then seat the piston rod-first into place.

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk25/Sinsinatus/Works%20in%20Progress/Warhound%20Titan%20for%20Black%20Templars/DSCN6702a.jpg

The larger 2-part piston closer to the toe is measured in a similar fashion. Only this time, you put the 2 pieces together before seating the head to get the length. Once the assembly is in place, I use a small steel ruler to measure from the toe-end of the piston back to just short of halfway down the socket (green arrow). It is better to be slightly long and have to shave off a touch than to try and reattach what you cut off - or worse - rebuild with plastic rod. Now remove the assembly and take the two pieces apart. Transfer your measurement to the rod-end of the smaller piece and then trim (see red line). Put the assembly back together and dry-fit it into position. If it is still too long, just scrape a little off the end of the rod-end of the short piece and test again. If you try to force the asssembly into place when it is too long, it WILL BREAK. Gluing is just like the smaller toe pistons. But, you also need to smear some CA glue into the socket where the two pieces fit together.

Now sit back, breath a sigh of relief, and enjoy the fact that you only have 5 more toes to go... :)

Here is a picture of one completed toe.

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk25/Sinsinatus/Works%20in%20Progress/Warhound%20Titan%20for%20Black%20Templars/DSCN6703.jpg

Now for the feet with all the pistons in place. That's the first 48 pieces (and 22 pins) of the model set. In my experience, this is the second hardest, most tedious part of the build. Doing it right makes all the difference though.

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk25/Sinsinatus/Works%20in%20Progress/Warhound%20Titan%20for%20Black%20Templars/DSCN6704.jpg

(NOTE: FW has started including 4 extra of the small,single-piece toe pistons in each kit. This helps if you make a mistake and is a nice afterthought. However, if you are cautious and thoughtful, you'll not need them. Measure twice. Cut once. Eh?)

[Meph]

Cool, good thread mate. I'm enjoying the read.

[Tynskel]

Measure Twice, cut once! Bwah!

TLAR is better:
That Looks About Right...


Well... sometimes it is TLARD

That Looks About Right... DOH!

[Sinsinatus]

Well, here is the pic that Forge World doesn't put in the instruction packet. What you see below are the leg and hip pieces all laid out so you can see how they go together. On the left is a leg and hip joint dryfitted together as seen from the back. In the cener is the pelvis piece with the rear toward the viewer... just as it would be positioned when that leg on the left is fitted into the joint. On the right is an exploded layout of all the leg and hip pieces as they would appear from the side.

Hope this reference helps out.

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk25/Sinsinatus/Works%20in%20Progress/Warhound%20Titan%20for%20Black%20Templars/DSCN6708.jpg

[Sinsinatus]

So, it's time to start going vertical with this beast. When looking to position the legs in relation to the feet, it helps to lay the pieces out for a dry fit. Place the feet where you think they will look best and then place the ankle, shin, and thigh pieces accordingly. Check out my previous post on how the legs come together.

Once you have the angle determined for the first (lowest) leg segment, draw or scribe small marks onto the ankle ball so that you can keep the correct alignment during the pinning process. You will want to pin the ball into the socket with at least two pins so that the pieces can't rotate and become loose. Because the bottom is easiest to repair - and hide - I drilled up from below. Once the pins are glued into place, I will fill the holes with greenstuff to repair the finish. Make sure that you get glue on the ball, socket, and into the holes for the pins. I still use CA glue for this joint but I know some people prefer JBWeld or Liquid Nails to be thorough. I find that with good pinning, any of these glues will do the trick.

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk25/Sinsinatus/Works%20in%20Progress/Warhound%20Titan%20for%20Black%20Templars/DSCN6710.jpg

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk25/Sinsinatus/Works%20in%20Progress/Warhound%20Titan%20for%20Black%20Templars/DSCN6711.jpg

There is quite a difference in the final pose on my assemblies as I am going for a wide stride on this Warhound.

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk25/Sinsinatus/Works%20in%20Progress/Warhound%20Titan%20for%20Black%20Templars/DSCN6713.jpg

[Meph]

Phew, that's some heavy-duty pinning wire indeed.

[Fasil]

thats the coolest strider i"ve seen, how dose one pin for tough models?

[Sinsinatus]

thats the coolest strider i"ve seen, how dose one pin for tough models?

For pinning large models that will have serious stress on the joints from the pose or weight or both, I reccommend using large pins placed in offset positions. Using more than one pin prevents rotation that can cause CA glues to fail. The pins themselves should be approximately the thickness of a pencil lead and of a metal that is (just barely) bendable by hand. I use heavy duty paper clips (gem clips) designed for holding large files and stacks of paper. These are just soft enough to be cut with clippers.

I usually dry fit the pieces together before drilling and then drill through one piece and into the adjoining by at least half the thikness of that piece. This will sometimes, depending on pin location, require you to use some greenstuff to patch the pin hole. On a large piece like the titan, many of the pin positions will be in places the will not be visible on the fully assembled piece. Planning before drilling will reduce the amount of patching you will have to do.

As stated previously, I reccommend pinning each major joint at least twice. For the warhound this means ankles, knees, hips, hip sockets, gun shoulders, gun elbows, and bod- shoulder mounts. For smaller joints like the toes, and gun barrels I will use just one pin - though it will be as deep as I can make it. This will be enough reinforcement for pieces that have less stress and plug-style joints.

To get good depth without wearing out my hands, I use a small electric hand drill. Sometimes these are called moto tools. Dremel (http://www.dremel.com/en-us/Tools/Pages/CategoryProducts.aspx?catid=94&utm_source=msn&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=dremel%20multi%20max&utm_campaign=Multi-Max%20Branded) is the brand I prefer to use because they are inexpensive, easy to find, can take a huge variety of bits including ones for cutting, polishing, grinding, sanding, drilling and more. I got mine at a local home improvement center. The model I curently own is 11 years old and going strong. My grandfather's Dremel was bought in the early 80's and still works great. The only maintenance other than cleaning is to replace one $7 part about 2 years ago. I haven't tried one of their cordless models yet.

If you do not have access to one of these small drills, I do NOT reccommend using a power drill. The bits are too big and they are hard to control. Use a pin vise / hobby drill (http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/catalog/armySubUnitCats.jsp?catId=cat470006a&rootCatGameStyle=paints-tools). Your hands will get tired, but the work needs done if you want the model to be durable enough for play.

To get the proper length of pin, insert your uncut pinning wire into the assembled pieces. I tend to cut off the excess wire as it is sticking out of the hole. This keeps the bit you need from flying off to some random location around the room. However, if the hole is one that will need patching to repair the finish, back the pin out of the hole 1/16th to 1/8th of an inch before cutting. This will ensure that after installation the pin will be slightly recessed giving you room for a perfect repair.

When gluing the pin into place, you should apply glue to both pieces being fitted together first while making sure to get some glue into the pin holes. A spare piece of pinning wire is good for smearing glue down into the hole. Spread a little glue onto 3/4ths of your cut pinning wire. In most cases you will insert the glued end of the pin through the outer-most hole and into the next piece. Since your pin is cut to length, you will know that everything is lined up perfectly when the pin goes all the way in. In joints that will receive 2 pins, allow this first joint to cure before drilling the second pin location. This just makes the alignment process MUCH easier. Once seated in your desired position, let the piece set for an hour. Unless you have access to a glue accelerator, just leave it alone. The rest will give the joint time to cure.

Probobly too much information on pinning. I hope that it helps though.

[Sinsinatus]

So, at the end of the week I took a break from cutting sprue and gates off of dozens more pieces to take the next step on the feet. This is pretty straight forward assembly once the feet/ankle/toes are all together. On the model, they look like they reinforce the structure and help it move. However, these pieces are not structural. The carry no weight so no pinning is required.

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk25/Sinsinatus/Works%20in%20Progress/Warhound%20Titan%20for%20Black%20Templars/DSCN6717.jpg

Connecting each foot to ane ankle are 5, 2-part pistons. These have to be positioned, measured, and cut just like the 2-part pistons on the toe joints (http://www.lounge.belloflostsouls.net/showpost.php?p=192400&postcount=30).

Because it is easy to knock one of the piston assemblies loose while the CA glue dries, I alternated putting a piston assembly on one foot/ankle and then went to the next foot. By the time you get done with that one, the first should be safe to work with again.

*** Warning *** I strongly suggest that you only cut one piston assembly to length at a time. If the pieces get mixed up after cutting, you'll have a nightmare getting the propper pairs back together. Beware marauding felines.

Here are the reinforced and completed ankles.

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk25/Sinsinatus/Works%20in%20Progress/Warhound%20Titan%20for%20Black%20Templars/DSCN6719.jpg

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk25/Sinsinatus/Works%20in%20Progress/Warhound%20Titan%20for%20Black%20Templars/DSCN6720.jpg

That's another 20 pieces done.

[Sinsinatus]

As I have been working on the legs, I have worked on bot that the same time to keep a smooth, assembly-line process going. Now is when the dynamism of the warhound's poeability really starts to come into play. The ankles coming off the feet were posed in such a way that I now know which leg will be the forward and which will be the trailing. For this Warhound, I want the model to appear ro be striding or stalking forward at a good pace. This means that the trailing leg will be the longer of the two. Consequently, the trailing leg should be built first. If you were to build the shorter of the legs first, it is possible that you might make it so tall that the longer leg wouldn't be able to be made long enough for the pose you want.

I am drilling 2 pins into each of the next 2 joints while making sutre that they ar not lined up with each other - you get a stronger joint this way. I'll drill from the outside piece into the inside one and then fill the hole with green stuff when the pins are set. After dry fitting the pieces together into the appropriate pose, I put alignment marks on the pieces to make sure I can get the holes lined up when I glue and pin them. Aslo, there are 2 piston assemblies that must be cut to length BEFORE you assemble the leg joins. Trust me, there isn't enough play to allow you to add them after the fact.

Here are the joint pieces with the pistons to be added.
http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk25/Sinsinatus/Works%20in%20Progress/Warhound%20Titan%20for%20Black%20Templars/DSCN6733.jpg

Hole are drilled for pin placement.
http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk25/Sinsinatus/Works%20in%20Progress/Warhound%20Titan%20for%20Black%20Templars/DSCN6729a.jpg

Pieces dryfit together once more with pins in place.
http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk25/Sinsinatus/Works%20in%20Progress/Warhound%20Titan%20for%20Black%20Templars/DSCN6727a.jpg

Leg assembled and glued... it even stays balanced on it's toes like I planned. You can also see the alignment lines I drew on the pieces.
http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk25/Sinsinatus/Works%20in%20Progress/Warhound%20Titan%20for%20Black%20Templars/DSCN6731.jpg

If you have questions on pinning, see this earlier post (http://www.lounge.belloflostsouls.net/showpost.php?p=193370&postcount=37).

[Sinsinatus]

Main structural assebly on both the leading and trailing legs is complete. Also, I took some tome to fill pin holes, an couple small bubbles, and the uneven mould seam along the top of the legs. Easier to get this finish work done now when access is easy.

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk25/Sinsinatus/Works%20in%20Progress/Warhound%20Titan%20for%20Black%20Templars/DSCN6734.jpg

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk25/Sinsinatus/Works%20in%20Progress/Warhound%20Titan%20for%20Black%20Templars/DSCN6738.jpg

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk25/Sinsinatus/Works%20in%20Progress/Warhound%20Titan%20for%20Black%20Templars/DSCN6737.jpg

The only things remaining for the leg assemblies is:
- thigh armor plate (add after adding some BT detail)
- ball section of the hip joint
- armored shin guard (one of the last things to add - wait till after painting for easier access.

The legs will take some preliminary painting before they are mated to the pelvis and the final 6 piston asseblies that motivate the joints. I'll probobly have the hip joints in place for posting tomorrow.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, feel free to post. Thanks.

[Sinsinatus]

Sorry for the dearth of posting lately. My photobucket account maxed out on bandwidth so I decided to just hold off until it reset.

Anyway, adding the hip ball to the legs it easy but you want to take a moment to ensure that the attachment points for the pistons are aligned correctly. You should make sure that these points are at the 2-6-10 o'clock postitions in relation to the tabletop if you want the torso/body of the titan level to the floor. A slight rotation (a half-an-hour or so) will give the model a sense of a little more forward motion without unbalancing the Warhound too much.

Even though the leg-to-ball socket is deep, get a pin in there anyway.
http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk25/Sinsinatus/Works%20in%20Progress/Warhound%20Titan%20for%20Black%20Templars/DSCN6745.jpg

Glue the socket and the plug as well as the pin and hole. Align the pieces and assemble.
http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk25/Sinsinatus/Works%20in%20Progress/Warhound%20Titan%20for%20Black%20Templars/DSCN6746.jpg

Leg assembly is complete for now. You will want to get some preliminary painting done before you look at attaching the legs and pistons to the pelvis. Next we will start work on the torso and head assemblies.

[Sinsinatus]

The next steps are optional depending on how much work you are going to want to do on the interior of the titan. If you won't be painting the inside, you will probobly just skip through the next few posts. If you want the interior finished to show off the detail (and there is TONS of it), don't even think of trying to paint after assembly. Just kick yourself in the n#ts now and be done with it.

Here is a layout of the torso and interior pieces arranged as they will be assembled. This is another area in which the instruction flyer is sorely lacking.
http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk25/Sinsinatus/Works%20in%20Progress/Warhound%20Titan%20for%20Black%20Templars/DSCN6754a.jpg

And here are the pieces that need advance painting with their initial priming complete.
http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk25/Sinsinatus/Works%20in%20Progress/Warhound%20Titan%20for%20Black%20Templars/DSCN6764.jpg

I'll post some progress pics of the painting soon.

[Meph]

Woah, that's some awesome detailing indeed. I'm looking forward to the paint job.

[Sinsinatus]

Once you get the preliminary interior painting done, you'll want to go ahead and mask those parts off. Now you can get around to priming the exterior area. I did this multi-step process because I knew with all of the handling required for completing the interior, my exterior primer would be rubbing off.

Here are tha masked-off parts...
http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk25/Sinsinatus/Works%20in%20Progress/Warhound%20Titan%20for%20Black%20Templars/DSCN6848.jpg

Here are the same parts after priming and tape removal...
http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk25/Sinsinatus/Works%20in%20Progress/Warhound%20Titan%20for%20Black%20Templars/DSCN6869.jpg

Yes, there were a couple small spots where the tape lifted paint. That's why I made sure that no tape touched parts that wouldn't be covered in construction or needed more work after joining. Also, I haven't done the final weathering or washing on the interior. That was so that any repairs would disappear into the final step.

[Sinsinatus]

Yes, I am magnetizing parts of this kit. These parts will include the cockpit, the cables that connect it to the torso, cables from weapons to torso (weapons will be swappable by another method), and finally the void shield projectors. I bought my magnets in bulk from K&J Magnetics. Here are some pics of a couple magnet locations.

Warhound cockpit...
http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk25/Sinsinatus/Works%20in%20Progress/Warhound%20Titan%20for%20Black%20Templars/DSCN6871.jpg

Void Shield Projectors...
http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk25/Sinsinatus/Works%20in%20Progress/Warhound%20Titan%20for%20Black%20Templars/DSCN6873.jpg

You can't see in this pic, but I have added a small reliquary to the top of each projector for a little Black Templar flavor as well as making it easier to remove the projectors as the titan takes damage. When she loses a shield to damage, one of the projectors gets removed. Just a little something to help during play.

[Rev. Tiberius Jackhammer]

I like where this is going, you make painting this massive model look easy :P

One teeeeny nitpick, though - the vision slit on the Dreadnought plate on the thing's head looks kinda weird due to its pointlessness. Maybe fill it in before painting more?

[Sinsinatus]

One teeeeny nitpick, though - the vision slit on the Dreadnought plate on the thing's head looks kinda weird due to its pointlessness. Maybe fill it in before painting more?

Was just going to paint it like an overhead display of some sort. Kind of another greenish CRT display.

[FireHazard]

So glad you started posting again. I was was worried you'd given up!

I've had a Warhound sat around, unbuilt, for quite a while (years) because I've been unsure about how to tackle it properly and do a decent job of it.

Your in depth tips and words of wisdom have been extremely helpful and inspirational in actually making a start on the beast.

Thank you :)

[Kirsten]

looking very impressive. I don't suppose you could give me a few dimensions could you? overall height, height to the top of the hip, shoulder width, depth from nose to rear engine, leg diameter? anything like that.

[Rev. Tiberius Jackhammer]

Was just going to paint it like an overhead display of some sort. Kind of another greenish CRT display.Oh, okay, that'd probably work out. I'm just so used to seeing that bit on dreadnoughts, my first thought was "Why's there a Dreadnought face there?" :P Not really a big deal since it's on the underside, though.

[Meph]

That's coming along nicely mate. Thumbs up!

[Sinsinatus]

Time for some pics of the finished interior sections. The next step after this will be to combine the sections into assemblies for exterior painting.

Pic one of the weapon servitors in their shoulder sponson control pods...
http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk25/Sinsinatus/Works%20in%20Progress/Warhound%20Titan%20for%20Black%20Templars/DSCN6876.jpg

Another pic showing the reverse of the 2 servitors. They are different and you DON'T want to mix them up when assembling the titan.
http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk25/Sinsinatus/Works%20in%20Progress/Warhound%20Titan%20for%20Black%20Templars/DSCN6877.jpg

This is the section containing the crew elevator (hole in the floor ATM) and the door to the head/cockpit. Still some detail to do... purity seals, install the elevator pad, winches, commissioning plate, and mechanicus shrine. I'll show those when they get installed.
http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk25/Sinsinatus/Works%20in%20Progress/Warhound%20Titan%20for%20Black%20Templars/DSCN6878.jpg

These are the three pieces that make up the reactor control room. These are by far the heaviest single pieces in the kit and will need major pinning to secure them. Also, they do not line up well in the back where the external cooling vents are. There will be some greenstuffing required. This is not a problem with my kit alone. Every Warhound that I have assembled has suffered from this flaw. No worries though. It is easily patched and isn't in a very visible spot.
http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk25/Sinsinatus/Works%20in%20Progress/Warhound%20Titan%20for%20Black%20Templars/DSCN6879.jpg

Next post will cover assebly of these pieces into still workable sub-assemblies. Be prepared to mess up some of the pretty paint you have put on when we start drilling holes.

[Tynskel]

sweet!

[Sinsinatus]

This should be one of those feel good” payoff moments where you realize your planning and preparation were all worth it. However, if you skipped on the prep and cleaning and test fitting, there will be much wailing and gnashing of teeth.

As I said Earlier, these are the heaviest pieces in the kit. Without the carapace installed, theses sections will weigh over a pound. This means multiple pins from different directions. You don’t have to use the same locations that I do. I just try to use spots that wont show after final assembly, will be easy to patch, or both. Oh, and this is going to be one of those areas where that Dremel tool will help avoid those bothersome hand cramps.

http://wildboarblog.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/dscn6883.jpg

http://wildboarblog.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/dscn6884.jpg

As you can see from the pictures above, the holes for the pins have been drilled at a downward angle through the gunner’s sponson and into the wall of the elevator control room. For the engine room and reactor pieces, we need a total of 4 pins. One pair are drilled at a similar downward angle through the floor toolbox and into the reactor housing. The other pair will go in perpendicularly through the reactor and into the floor plate of the engine room itself. Be careful not to drill too high or the bit will come through in the middle of all that nice detail you have been painting up. Remember, it is easiest to drill holes that line up with the pieces dryfitted together.

When the holes are drilled, insert a long piece of your pinning wire or rod and then back it out slightly. Cut the wire flush there so that the final piece will end below the surface of the piece. Trying to file the end of a metal pin without damaging the surrounding paint to resin is a task best suited to a fraternity hazing prank.

Glueing the pins in place is the same as earlier. Use a spare piece of wire to smear glue into the holes. Then you apply glue to the actual pin and slide it into place. Make sure to wipe off the extra CA glue with an absorbent tissue or paper towel to prevent it forming a lump that prevent a proper fit in the next stage.

http://wildboarblog.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/dscn6885.jpg

http://wildboarblog.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/dscn6886.jpg

The Dremel will kick out a lot more resin dust than the pin vice so keep a large, soft-bristle brush around to dust the whole thing off when you are done drilling. This picture should also serve as a reminder to WEAR A MASK whenever drilling, filing, or sanding resin parts.

[Sinsinatus]

I started a little of the exterior paint while the other hull section was drying. This isn’t done, but I want the engine exhaust vents to have that super hot look. I find it easier to paint the lightest (hottest) and most recessed colors first and then work my way outward with increasingly darker (cooler) colors.

http://wildboarblog.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/dscn6887.jpg

http://wildboarblog.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/dscn6888.jpg

Coming soon will be weapon assembly, exterior detailing, and a whole lot more painting.

[Sinsinatus]

Because I am a junky for all things Forge World, my wonderful wife decided to get me a custom cake for my birthday. The folks at Cakes by Ron (http://beautifulcakesbyron.com/) in Sarasota, Florida did a fantastic job getting the Adeptus Mechanicus imagery correct. But, besides looking great, it tasted fantastic – lemon cake with a raspberry filling. Birthday dreams do come true. Thanks babe.

http://wildboarblog.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/dscn6907.jpg

More pics at my "still under construction" blog (http://wildboarblog.wordpress.com/).

[Sinsinatus]

In the spirit of evoking the real “feel” of the Templars, the client and I sat down to refine our ideas how to customize the piece. One of the defining ideas was to try to capture the relic worship so ingrained in Space Marine lore. To this end, We have decided that the carapace of the titan should feel like an altar. Here is the piece as I arrange the layout of the candles surrounding the shield that bears the Maltese cross emblem of the chapter. Before they can be installed, I have to get some of the primary painting done on the exterior of the titan.

http://wildboarblog.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/dscn6890.jpg

http://wildboarblog.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/dscn6899.jpg

[Sinsinatus]

With the primary paint now in place (it will be neatened up as we progress), I will actually attach the new detail pieces and integrate them into the model. Te candle clusters are all individually pinned to the carapace. Care is taken that we don’t drill completely through the piece and mess up the finished paint on the interior. Green stuff is used to fill gaps and stabilize the candle clusters as well as to sculpt on puddled and dripping wax. Once the GS is dry, I brushed a brown basecoat onto the candles and the piles of skulls. Painting from there is pretty straight forward.

http://wildboarblog.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/dscn70121.jpg

http://wildboarblog.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/dscn7013.jpg

http://wildboarblog.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/dscn7014.jpg

http://wildboarblog.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/dscn7016.jpg

[Sinsinatus]

This is just a quick update to show some of the progress on the legs. Obviously still a lot of weathering and detail work to go. It's just nice to see how it's all coming together.

http://wildboarblog.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/dscn6900.jpg

http://wildboarblog.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/dscn7019.jpg

http://wildboarblog.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/dscn7020.jpg

[Sinsinatus]

I've been trying how to scale down the pics to make this how-to easier to view. If you hadn't noticed, the pictures have gotten HUGE since I switched picture hosting sites. This is despite the fact that the pics are the same size that they used to be. Any suggestions?

Thanks

[Sinsinatus]

Lots of updates on the titan in that past week. Since I am still haviong dificulties with picture size, you can find the latest at my blog at :

http://wildboarblog.wordpress.com/works-in-progress/warhound-titan-wip-part-3/

And here is a teaser of where the work is at now.

http://wildboarblog.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/dscn7188.jpg

[Sinsinatus]

It has been a long road, but the Black Tempar’s Warhound Titan WIP is complete. The piece has been delivered to its excited owner after a photo session and short video shoot.


Because of the earlier issues with picture sizing, I decided to keep the "how-to" and WIP parts on the Wild Boar Blog (http://wildboarblog.wordpress.com/). The third and final installment of the WIP is here (Warhound Titan WIP – Part 3 (http://wildboarblog.wordpress.com/works-in-progress/warhound-titan-wip-part-3/)).


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Thanks for following along. Please feel free to contact me on the Wild Boar Blog if you have any questions or suggestions.

Thanks.

[Sinsinatus]

http://youtu.be/AJXS27xWyxA I am not a technology guy. I am the guy with paint on his tongue. I finally have a phone with decent video quality so I have shot some footage of the Black Templars Warhound Titan. Sorry for the poor quality. Maybe I'll trade someone at the shop to shoot a better video for me. In the mean time, enjoy...

[webb]

are we not going to comment on the candles the size of a child?

[Sinsinatus]

are we not going to comment on the candles the size of a child? Well, you have all those bodies left over from servitor creation. You can render them down for soap or candles. The 40k universe doesn't seem to value hygiene so...

[Red Angel]

It looks awesome Sinsinatus :D
Nice work :) A true monument to the might of the Emperor!

[Bob821]

are we not going to comment on the candles the size of a child?

We are not... Oh well I guess I am. What’s wrong with giant candles? If it's a realism issue then maybe a sci-fi table top war game based 38000 years in the future which includes gods, daemons and the warp is not for you! 'Oh yeah the warp that’s makes total sense but I'm afraid giant candles just does not sit well with me.' ;)
Good effort Sir. If I ever have loads of spare money you can do one for me too! But I want candles the size of Rhino's ;)

[Wolfshade]

Brilliant, love the paint job to boot.

[Sinsinatus]

Good effort Sir. If I ever have loads of spare money you can do one for me too! But I want candles the size of Rhino's ;)When some guardsman tells me that "size doesn't matter, all I have to say is "volcano cannon".