My Most Ambitious Scratchbuild Ever

[YorkNecromancer]

It's all finished, all completely done - here's the log of what I did.

But what could it be...?

http://th08.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE/f/2014/219/4/0/2014_04_14_21_39_05_by_yorknecromancer-d7u4cmi.jpg
http://fc03.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2014/219/5/b/2014_04_15_03_28_22_by_yorknecromancer-d7u4cl7.jpg
http://th07.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE/i/2014/219/e/e/2014_04_15_18_23_04_by_yorknecromancer-d7u4ckl.jpg
http://fc04.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2014/219/b/d/2014_04_15_22_18_56_by_yorknecromancer-d7u4cjz.jpg
http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2014/219/5/c/2014_04_15_22_25_11_by_yorknecromancer-d7u4cjo.jpg

Based on these first images, can you guess?

[Kirsten]

they look like toes

[YorkNecromancer]

You are correct!

But the toes of what...?

http://th03.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/i/2014/219/5/5/2014_04_14_23_30_03_by_yorknecromancer-d7u4cmc.jpg
http://th01.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/i/2014/219/7/a/2014_04_14_23_49_46_by_yorknecromancer-d7u4clz.jpg
http://th02.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/i/2014/219/6/5/2014_04_15_01_21_22_by_yorknecromancer-d7u4clk.jpg
http://th01.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/i/2014/219/2/8/2014_04_15_16_33_40_by_yorknecromancer-d7u4ckw.jpg
http://th08.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE/i/2014/219/4/7/2014_04_15_18_30_23_by_yorknecromancer-d7u4cka.jpg
http://th05.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE/i/2014/219/8/7/2014_04_15_22_46_20_by_yorknecromancer-d7u4cix.jpg

[Gwhizz84]

Sentinels? :O

[YorkNecromancer]

No, not Sentinels...

http://th05.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE/i/2014/219/b/6/2014_04_15_22_49_27_by_yorknecromancer-d7u4cih.jpg
http://fc03.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2014/219/b/0/2014_04_16_00_00_47_by_yorknecromancer-d7u4chy.jpg
http://th07.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/i/2014/219/a/d/2014_04_16_00_29_25_by_yorknecromancer-d7u4che.jpg
http://th04.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/i/2014/219/3/f/2014_04_16_00_32_30_by_yorknecromancer-d7u4ch5.jpg
http://th00.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE/i/2014/219/0/5/2014_04_16_01_08_48_by_yorknecromancer-d7u4cgr.jpg
http://th00.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE/f/2014/219/9/3/2014_04_16_01_08_58_by_yorknecromancer-d7u4cgb.jpg
http://th07.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/i/2014/219/1/d/2014_04_16_01_09_10_by_yorknecromancer-d7u4cg5.jpg
http://th07.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/i/2014/219/9/9/2014_04_16_01_09_30_by_yorknecromancer-d7u4cfy.jpg

Getting this far took a day, and worked up the most awful blister on my hand!

http://th02.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE/i/2014/219/2/0/2014_04_16_01_10_57_by_yorknecromancer-d7u4cfo.jpg

But here they are so far...
http://fc03.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2014/219/d/d/2014_04_16_02_33_36_by_yorknecromancer-d7u4cfb.jpg

What could they be...?

[Darren Richardson]

argh their Tau arn't they, damned xenos scum, Purge The Alien!

[YorkNecromancer]

No, no they aren't Tau.

http://th06.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/i/2014/219/7/d/2014_04_16_13_33_27_by_yorknecromancer-d7u4cds.jpg
http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2014/219/f/6/2014_04_16_14_13_46_by_yorknecromancer-d7u4cdc.jpg
http://fc09.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2014/219/f/7/2014_04_16_14_44_27_by_yorknecromancer-d7u4cd6.jpg
http://th04.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/i/2014/219/d/a/2014_04_16_15_55_07_by_yorknecromancer-d7u4cd1.jpg
http://th05.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/i/2014/219/e/e/2014_04_16_17_56_55_by_yorknecromancer-d7u4ccm.jpg
http://th09.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE/i/2014/219/d/2/2014_04_16_17_57_08_by_yorknecromancer-d7u4ccc.jpg
http://fc04.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2014/219/a/3/2014_04_16_18_05_35_by_yorknecromancer-d7u4cbw.jpg
http://fc04.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2014/219/d/3/2014_04_16_18_29_45_by_yorknecromancer-d7u4cbm.jpg
http://th02.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE/i/2014/219/1/e/2014_04_16_18_30_01_by_yorknecromancer-d7u4cbe.jpg
http://fc09.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2014/219/b/e/2014_04_16_18_49_53_by_yorknecromancer-d7u4cba.jpg

They're not Tau at all...

[Brakkart]

Hmm they look kinda like the original Space Marine Dreadnought. I forget the name of the pattern, but the ones from the Rogue Trader era that predated the Contemptors.

[YorkNecromancer]

Oooh, you're very close...

http://th04.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE/i/2014/219/1/2/2014_04_16_21_25_22_by_yorknecromancer-d7u4caq.jpg
http://th06.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE/i/2014/219/c/8/2014_04_16_22_32_17_by_yorknecromancer-d7u4cac.jpg
http://fc00.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2014/219/5/a/2014_04_17_00_14_26_by_yorknecromancer-d7u4ca8.jpg
http://th08.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/i/2014/219/1/6/2014_04_17_00_31_44_by_yorknecromancer-d7u4ca1.jpg
http://th03.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/i/2014/219/9/b/2014_04_17_00_52_03_by_yorknecromancer-d7u4c9r.jpg
http://fc08.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2014/219/c/2/2014_04_17_00_58_07_by_yorknecromancer-d7u4c99.jpg
http://fc07.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2014/219/e/5/2014_04_17_14_24_48_by_yorknecromancer-d7u4c80.jpg
http://th06.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/i/2014/219/a/b/2014_04_17_16_57_33_by_yorknecromancer-d7u4c7l.jpg
http://fc03.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2014/219/c/7/2014_04_17_17_19_34_by_yorknecromancer-d7u4c76.jpg
http://th09.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE/i/2014/219/0/d/2014_04_17_18_05_05_by_yorknecromancer-d7u4c6w.jpg

You're very close with 'Heresy-era'.

Bear in mind, I'm no good at reproducing curves. I can do one-offs, but I can't do consistent curves...

[Kirsten]

castellax battle automata?

[miteyheroes]

Or something to be used as castellax, but taking inspiration from the cataphract not the castellan? They're looking gorgeous, anyway!

[YorkNecromancer]

And Kirsten takes the win!

Though yes, Miteyheroes, you are also correct. There was no way I could duplicate the look of the Castellax using plasticard. I could have sculpted it, but not so I got a reliably uniform look, so the only answer was to come up with something original that looked the part. And the inspiration was not the Cataphract, but instead the 'character' of TankJr from 'Quake 3'; if you compare the legs, the similarities are obvious.

http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2014/219/f/8/2014_04_17_20_25_55_by_yorknecromancer-d7u4c5z.jpg
http://fc09.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2014/219/3/b/2014_04_17_20_49_00_by_yorknecromancer-d7u4c57.jpg
http://th03.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/i/2014/219/2/f/2014_04_17_21_47_13_by_yorknecromancer-d7u4c4i.jpg
http://fc02.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2014/219/2/a/2014_04_17_21_55_31_by_yorknecromancer-d7u4c46.jpg
http://fc02.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2014/219/6/c/2014_04_18_00_02_11_by_yorknecromancer-d7u4c3q.jpg
http://fc02.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2014/219/e/9/2014_04_18_00_05_22_by_yorknecromancer-d7u4c3f.jpg
http://th09.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE/i/2014/219/7/0/2014_04_18_18_18_09_by_yorknecromancer-d7u4c2s.jpg
http://fc05.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2014/219/8/9/2014_04_18_20_58_59_by_yorknecromancer-d7u4c2n.jpg

I didn't take any pictures of the greebling process, sadly (totally forgot to!) but here's a finished one!

http://th07.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/i/2014/219/7/2/2014_07_27_23_54_56_by_yorknecromancer-d7u4c1a.jpg
http://th00.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/i/2014/219/1/3/2014_07_27_23_54_31_by_yorknecromancer-d7u4c1x.jpg

I'll need another reply if you want to see what they look like with paint on them...

[Kirsten]

nah, we have seen enough ;)

[YorkNecromancer]

:(

I'll... I'll just leave these here then.

*shuffles off sadly*

http://fc03.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2014/220/0/d/2014_08_08_20_32_40_by_yorknecromancer-d7uaz01.jpg
http://fc07.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2014/220/1/9/2014_08_08_20_33_18_by_yorknecromancer-d7uayyv.jpg
http://th01.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE/i/2014/219/7/4/2014_07_30_17_54_08_by_yorknecromancer-d7u4bzh.jpg
http://th04.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/i/2014/219/5/4/2014_07_30_17_53_30_by_yorknecromancer-d7u4c00.jpg
http://th03.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/i/2014/219/2/c/2014_07_30_17_53_20_by_yorknecromancer-d7u4c08.jpg
http://th02.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE/i/2014/219/f/c/2014_07_30_17_53_07_by_yorknecromancer-d7u4c0k.jpg

[miteyheroes]

They're brilliant! I wish I had the patience to cut out all those identical bits of plasticard...

[YorkNecromancer]

It did take a long time. My mistake was to think to myself 'Well, if I'm going to build one, I might as well build five...'

Yeah, sure. That's going to be exactly the same amount of work...

Anyway, the total initial build time was about twenty hours; greebling time was another ten or so; painting another ten on top of that. Probably a four week project all told. Still, very pleased with the results.

[Perry K]

These are truly excellent, color me impressed. Where did you get that thick plasticard like that? How did you get accurate, replicatable cuts, what is greebling, and how did you do the rivets?

Sorry for the flurry of questions but I do a lot of scratchbuilt stuff and I'm always looking to learn how to do more and do it better.

[Darren Richardson]

oh well, didn't have a clue at what they were, but none the less, that is an amazing set of scratchbuilt models Yorkie.

I would never have the patience to do them....

[YorkNecromancer]

Where did you get that thick plasticard like that?

Bought it off eBay. Just search 'plasticard'. I use the general guide of less than 1mm = thin, useful for greebling, 2mm = thick, useful for building box structures, 3mm+ = thick, useful for solidity/armour plates.


How did you get accurate, replicatable cuts?

I cut out one shape, then lay it on top of the plasticard and scored around it. Once I had the outline scored, I cut, and used the original 'template' piece to accurately get the shapes so they matched. It took a long, long time.


what is greebling?

The act of adding greebles.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greeble


how did you do the rivets?

http://www.lounge.belloflostsouls.net/showthread.php?44720-Scratchbuilding-a-Heavy-Bolter-with-Plasticard-A-Beginner-s-Guide

If you scroll down to the bottom, there's a guide to how I did the rivets there.

Hope this all helps.

[Wolfshade]

great work!

[Perry K]

Thank you for the thread link, and greebling. Who'd have thought? Anyway, FANTASTIC. I may do a Thallax Cohort using the same principles.

[BigGrim]

Whoa! These are glorious! Fantastic work Dude!

[40kGamer]

Having done a fair amount of scratch building myself my hat's off to you! Beautiful work... and I too have fallen victim to the "well I'm doing 1, how bad can 'x' be?" :D

[Chris*ta]

Nice!

And bonus points for the "Why not just do five?" approach.