Heldrake Conversion project

[Kaika87]

So what originally started out as a defiance against a model I initially didn't like combined with an unwillingness to shell out for its knifing price caused this conversion idea to be born. Necessity is the mother of invention after all, for varying definitions of "necessity." Since seeing the model in person, I have to attest it looks much better on a table than it does in GW's pictures, but I still wanted to go through with the conversion. I gathered up my parts and encountered some initial problems that led to me procrastinating on the project, but no more! I won't let a plastic dragon model beat me, and thus I make this thread to force me to stop procrastinating. And here is my jumping-off point:

http://img580.imageshack.us/img580/553/heldrakeconversionparts.jpg

So the breakdown of parts goes as such:

Main body: Heldrake
Head/Tail: Vampire Counts Zombie Dragon/Terrorgheist
Arms/Extra Tentacles: Maulerfiend
Wings: Tyranid Hive Tyrant
Baleflamer: Baal Predator Flamestorm Cannon

It seems straightforward enough, however the positioning of the wings is what was giving me headaches before. Just sliding them into place on the body behind the arms made for an awkward pose that didn't look at all convincing. I'd like to avoid cutting into the plates on the back of the drake, since I'm not sure how that would turn out, and it's a fairly irreversible step. Any tips anyone would have are welcome, including the consideration of different wings. Lately I've been looking at the WFB High/Dark Elf Dragon wings and wondering if they wouldn't work better, but I have no idea of the dimensions of those bits, particularly their length.

[Fizzybubela]

Nice! Warband?Legion?Khorne?Nurgle?Slaanesh?Tzeentch?

[Kaika87]

Nice! Warband?Legion?Khorne?Nurgle?Slaanesh?Tzeentch?

Gonna be for a Word Bearers force, so I'm trying to keep it nice and Undivided. Thinking about adding some armor plates along the neck and tail to counteract the undead look.

[Fizzybubela]

Sounds cool. You could addd some purity seals here and there.

[Kaika87]

Probably instead going to go for unholy text scrawled on the armor plates, actually.

[Fizzybubela]

That's an even better idea! What's going to go on the base?

[Kaika87]

Nothing special for the base really. The whole army will be based to an urban theme, probably using resin-cast bases. Basing is one of those aspects I lack talent in or patience for.

[Fizzybubela]

If you're looking for urban bases I know Anvil Industry does some really good ones.

[Kaika87]

Assembly day 1 update, with a snafu.

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Assembly was going well overall, until I found a bit of a complication with the wings. I found a place for them and a way to position them that look cool, but they aren't able to support their weight.

See figure A), held up by an off-camera tool: 3408
And Figure B), held up by greenstuff and a piece of sprue I was able to wedge in there: 3409

I would greatly appreciate any suggestions on how to get these wings to support themselves properly.

[DWest]

You'll need some kind of heavy-duty pin to support those wings, it looks like. To do that, you'll need some approximation of the following:
-#18 wire nails
-Pin vice or handheld drill with a similar diameter drill bit to your pins.
-thin Sharpie-type marker
-Plenty of patience

I recommend the wire nails because they are hard steel, a wire or brass tube is liable to bend under the weight. Hold the wing in the desired position and draw a line across where the parts will join so that you have an alignment mark on both the wing and body. Drill out the wing-side first, then snip the head off the nail, glue the nail in place in the wing. When the glue is workably dry, line up the wing and body using your alignment mark, and press the nail into the spot where the wing will attach to give a guide hole. Drill the body hole, then slot the pin through the hole and glue in place, making sure to support both pieces as they cure so as not to overstress the joint.

[Sly]

What he said. You can put any two plastic pieces together with a sturdy enough pin. If you have to, you can take a thicker nail and use a hacksaw to cut the head off it for an ultra-heavy-duty pin. Then use a greenstuff ring to make it look as if it's coming out of a thicker shoulder, and you're set.

[Kaika87]

Thanks for the tips, I think I'll give it a try with a rod connecting arm to wing, and then disguise it as an exposed tendon or something with greenstuff.

[Kaika87]

Still planning to pin the wings up via tendons to the arm, but these wings have actually stayed up under their own power for a good 48+ hours at least. Having second thoughts about the maulerfiend tentacles that I was going to add to the underside, but for now here are some pictures of the assembled model. I plan to start now putting some paint on this bad boy and see where that takes me.

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Picture 6 (http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i285/kaika87/HeldrakeAssembled06_zps1dea0e25.jpg)
Picture 7 (http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i285/kaika87/HeldrakeAssembled07_zpsffee7433.jpg)

[DWest]

Very nice! Although I also have to say "damnit!" because now I wish I had given my Heldrake the once-over before assembling it stock.

[Fizzybubela]

I think this is how one of my Heldrakes will be made.

[Dyslexic Dragon]

Looking good. Have you throught of doing a two head version for you next project :)

[White Tiger88]

...What did you do with the rest of the heldrake parts....*kinda wants them for a fun vampire counts conversion*

But looking good.

[Kaika87]

Looking good. Have you throught of doing a two head version for you next project :)

Ooh, now there's a fun idea for if I end up making a second heldrake. I'll put that one in my back pocket.


...What did you do with the rest of the heldrake parts....*kinda wants them for a fun vampire counts conversion*

But looking good.

I'm sorry to say but most of the bits for this conversion were acquired third-party, and thus all the heldrake parts I own are already in this conversion. I confess, this model was at least halfway born of a desire to try and make a budget Heldrake, and if I discount the cost of the Maulerfiend bits (as I had already purchased and assembled a forgefiend), this conversion ended up costing me half the price of a kit off the shelf. I can't say it's a viable strategy for mass-production, however, as heldrake parts aren't easy to come by, particularly the main torso.

Now, without further ado, a post-holiday update: Basecoating! You know, I had this idea in my head when figuring out base colors, that the fleshy parts would be a pale, sickly color and the wings would be a sort of icy blue. Granted, the blue here is far more deep than my final intent, but it stands that I'm no longer sure this is the way to go. Still want to do pale flesh for anything that could be considered fleshy, and the armor is Word Bearers, following along with the fact that it is a Word Bearers army this monstrosity goes to. Thinking now for the wings, however, that perhaps a light purple or pink tone would work better. Not sure on that, however, and open to suggestions.

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[Fizzybubela]

Looking good.

[Kaika87]

Looking good.

So should I take that to mean the blue on the wings does work and I should pursue that shade? I'm honestly stuck here.

[Denzark]

No, respectfully the blue jars with the red and silver which is looking good. Try for either fiery, ie into orange, or bloody, into red. No need to look like an organic version of the red on the metal - blood red varnished gloss would look good and not jar like blue. Or any shade thereof.

[Fizzybubela]

So should I take that to mean the blue on the wings does work and I should pursue that shade? I'm honestly stuck here.

Yes, the blue does work.

[Kaika87]

An update for the new year, with a new wing color scheme. Thinking I'll try to get a bit more Mephiston red towards the edges of the wings, near each bone segment, the way I did on the one wing segment in the focus of the 2nd picture.

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[Fizzybubela]

Looking good!