Blackadder Attempts to build an Imperial Warmonger Titan

65948 Views 520 Replies 18 Participants Last post by Old Man78, 6 d ago

Blackadder

Discussion Starter · Feb 12, 2017

Lucius Patten Imperator Titan 'Invictus'

So with the blurb ten months ago about my proposal to begin an Imperator Titan I kinda fell flat on my face.

First, finishing up the Thunderhawk monopolized a good deal of my time and learning how to best incorporate lighting in said Thunderhawk and my Warlord engaged yet more time. Then the Presidential election captured my attention almost to the exclusion of all things else. Finally I have returned to normalcy with what I consider a fabulous idea to make a hip and lower torso mount commensurate with an automaton of this magnitude.

So we shall begin with the 'pelvis' which I found ready made on my local Lowes Building center where I purchased about six bucks worth of PVC pipe fittings A compression fitting Tee, a threaded coupling for the connection to the upper torso and two more for the hips connections.

http://i.imgur.com/u2Jmn7x.jpg

Naturally all this is quite utilitarian and looks exactly what it is, some pipe fittings and there are many titans that follow this procedure and leave the fittings as is. I intend to flesh out the assembly in styrene so as to hide all the piping that will only serve as an armature or skeleton for the model.

In the image below you will get an idea of how much more robust this construct will be compared to the pelvis and hips of my Warlord.

http://i.imgur.com/ZnV8V8v.jpg

Where as Luteus Vexant has hips trunnions about an inch in diameter 'Invictus' shall have 1.5 inch axles.

The beauty of this ready made construction technique is I shall be able pivot the waist and separate the model easily and hopefully allow the legs to be posed in a walking position as well as the spraddle-legged pose.

http://i.imgur.com/4KsMObK.jpg

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Blackadder

Discussion Starter · #21 · Mar 24, 2017

Ready To Begin Shaping:

The layering is complete and all needs be done is the shaping

http://i.imgur.com/aK44D0O.jpg

I made the helmet about an eighth inch over sized per inch to allow for carving and sanding

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

Tomorrow I should be well along on the paring down to the rough dimensions.

http://i.imgur.com/l0WOVlJ.jpg

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Blackadder

Discussion Starter · #22 · Mar 25, 2017

First and Second Contour Cuts:

Most of which are done on a stationary belt sander.

http://i.imgur.com/7RO8KiC.jpg

One more preliminary contour cut to make.....

http://i.imgur.com/SVQpT3F.jpg

The sides have to be rough sanded at about 45° before the finishing contour sanding.

http://i.imgur.com/VYPbiO9.jpg

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Blackadder

Discussion Starter · #23 · Mar 26, 2017

Rough Shaping:

Final rough shaping involves truing up the block to 90° then cutting a 45° bevel each side and finally two 22.5° bevels each side on top and sides.

http://i.imgur.com/9DUyTiT.jpg

Next (and this is the tricky part because it takes a bit of an eye for roundness) sanding off the excess in a controlled arc movement on the sanding belt.

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

http://i.imgur.com/8vAqAXM.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/W0ZiUMI.jpg

so the helmet has a slightly flattened ovoid shape in cross section.

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Blackadder

Discussion Starter · #24 · Mar 28, 2017

Basic Helmet and Head

Well it took far more time than I thought but I do finally have the basic helmet cut to size.

http://i.imgur.com/P1eCper.jpg

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

http://i.imgur.com/J6b7rWg.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/5egDBeZ.jpg

The rear view shows how much I cut out of the interior so I can add the under helmet detail when the cockpit is complete. I may still remove a lot of the inside material but for now it's sufficient as the helmet is as fragile as an eggshell with out it's interior framing.

http://i.imgur.com/n4znz4T.png

BTW you may have noticed the background image. This is what I am hoping the finished Titan will look like but leaner and longer legs.

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Loran

· #25 · Mar 29, 2017

Ooh, amazing inspiration figure in that background pic! Slightly longer legs will work, I think, as the model in the picture seems a bit too top-heavy. The helmet size seems good, gives a nice idea of the size of the final model :grin2:

Keep at it!

Blackadder

Discussion Starter · #26 · Mar 30, 2017 (Edited)

Suffice it to say I am not happy how this helmet is turning out so I am revamping it. Update coming soon.

Meanwhile:

I naturally assumed my Warlord crew would fit into an Imperator head but never really checked so while I'm waiting to complete the face shield I just tried them for size.....

There's plenty of room; even for a Princep and a few attendees And a cadre of Tech Priests as well.

http://i.imgur.com/Hgx7B75.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/ApSGtc4.jpg

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Blackadder

Discussion Starter · #27 · Apr 3, 2017

Now It Can Be Told:

Now that I have resolved the issue I can reveal why I had to revamp the helmet. It all boiled down to an assumption on my part that the artist drawing the two elevations of the head was a draughtsman. In a proper draught you project lines from one plane to another and ideally there should be a top elevation as well but I accepted the two elevations as sufficient for my 3D rendering. I built my model slightly oversized than the plan as I wanted the 'head' to be larger than my Warlord's head as the finished model will be 10 to 12 inches taller than my Warlord. I blissfully used the side elevation for all my calculations and after laminating all the layers proceeded to sand the contours of the helmet but after the rough sanding was completed I found the helmet dome was significantly flattened.

http://i.imgur.com/8vAqAXM.jpg

It did not have the look of the front elevation at all. Needless to say I was extremely disappointed as I had based my interior design and mechanism on the front projection......

http://i.imgur.com/56WnEFl.jpg

Rather than scrap the helmet and start afresh I opted to build on the original to increase the height of the dome which is seen in these to images. It was last night that I managed to glue in the compound curved pieces requisite to obtain a smooth contour; the final pieces to be installed later this morning.

http://i.imgur.com/2QebzHA.jpg

So with this setback resolved I can continue with the building of the head; my obsessive compulsive integrity intact.

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Blackadder

Discussion Starter · #28 · Apr 4, 2017

A Cure for a Rainy Day:

After a rough rounding sanding I scored the armour panel lines. First with my utility knife. Then with razor saw and finally with xacto keyhole saw blade
https://www.widgetsupply.com/mm5/gr...5-5pc-no-15-keyhole-saw-2016-main_519x340.jpg

to widen the gaps between the armour

http://i.imgur.com/rer2DpT.jpg

Now the helmet is ready for wet sanding which will hopefully remove the striation lines.

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

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

Now we're back to making the visor.

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Blackadder

Discussion Starter · #29 · Apr 5, 2017

Crest:

The crest seemed a daunting task but after the helmet it was child's play. I began by laminating six layers of 0.030 thousandths styrene last night because 1/4 inch styrene is too expensive and to hard to work with plus 0.030 is what I had on hand.

I then scribed two lines and equa-spaced the drill points with my vernier calipers.

I used my #11 Xacto blade to deepen the drill points and hand drilled 1/16" pilot holes for the scallops.

http://i.imgur.com/I6LWbhV.jpg

Then I drilled 1/8 inch holes to center the 1/4 inch final holes for the scallops.

http://i.imgur.com/shluvZ1.jpg

After drilling the 1/4 inch holes I cut off the excess material and sanded to the appropriate half hole depth.

http://i.imgur.com/5ugL5iz.jpg

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Loran

· #30 · Apr 6, 2017

Progress is looking gooooooooood! Keep at it mate! :grin2:

Blackadder

Discussion Starter · #31 · Apr 8, 2017

Spear Heads:

Spear Head ornaments are tedious but worth the effort. There are probably easier ways to make them but I want mine to have a 3D bas-relief so I made mine out of 0.040 thousandths styrene. Below we see one in place on the helmet and the rest in various states of manufacture. When doing something like this I allows make a few extra so I don't have to start from scratch. You never know when you might need a spare.
Start by making an undersized template (marked 'T'), trace the points on a piece of scrap styrene, cut them out with scissors (yeah it's that simple,) Drill your pilot holes, Cut the corner holes with your; surgical diagonal cutters, Fingernail cutters, Dikes, what-have-you, use your rat tail needle files to make the spade base compare you work to the finished and make the proper adjustments with you, curved nail file and you're done.

http://i.imgur.com/fFxZ4If.jpg

Now do it twelve more times or more........

http://i.imgur.com/84L1tlJ.jpg

See you tomorrow.

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Old Man78

· #32 · Apr 8, 2017

I should buy shares Evergreen you'll make me rich! Great thread, loving the work

Blackadder

Discussion Starter · #33 · Apr 8, 2017 (Edited)

Old Man78 said:
I should buy shares Evergreen you'll make me rich! Great thread, loving the work

Thanks for the reply,

My cost for these scratchbuilds is surprisingly low. I haven't had to buy industrial sheet styrene for years but I think I paid around thirty dollars for the supply I have now and I still have more than half left. This past month I replenished the few strips I was running low on the cost including the glue was about twelve bucks.

When I first started this hobby in 2009. I looked at that Evergreen stand of special cut styrene strips (at that time was about $3.50 a package) and the initial cost was prohibitive but I bought a few packets a week and in less than a year I had amassed my present inventory and even bought a few exotic shapes.

The real cost of this hobby is the kit bashing. Warhammer bitz on ebay is the best way to go in this department. I just picked up a Land Speeder cockpit and crew for this model for six buck including shipping which is probably all I'll need for the basic model. I still have hundreds of sprues of bitz from when my son was into Warhammer Imperial Guard and Space Marines. He has since branched into other races' armies; Tau, Chaos, Necron & etc.

Anyone else think it strange that FW has pretty much ignored these other races when it comes to large Titans and large vehicles?

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Old Man78

· #34 · Apr 8, 2017

When it comes to titans the imperials get most love, but the Tau get some awesome miniatures, check out their giant flying beast, called a Manta or some such.

Blackadder

Discussion Starter · #35 · Apr 8, 2017

Bada ba ba baaaa I'm Lovin' It:

Funny how these ungainly projects grow on ya. At first I was mildly interested in this project. A lot of people requested I give it a go so for the past few years I accumulated various plastic bitz that looked like they might go on a quicky Imperial Titan that anyone sufficiently motivated could build. I still have baskets of the junk; bottlecaps recyclable containers and the like and I finally solved the pelvis dilemma but until I saw the head for lack of a better term I had little enthusiasm feeling that I had reached the pinnacle of Titan manufacture in my Warlord.

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

Now I am in a quandary because this Titan will eclipse my previous effort but Damn I am getting really fond of this beastie.

http://i.imgur.com/izMrl2e.jpg

The front view shows up on the image more so than in person that the spearhead gusset on the right side is longer than that corresponding one on the left. that will have to be fixed but overall I am pleased with the outcome. I made my darts a tad larger than that in the computer image as I couldn't translate the drawing into an actual model. But it seems close enough and even as I write this I get the depression of compromise.

http://i.imgur.com/jRCmP0p.jpg

But no; that way madness lies.

and it's still two hours to Martini Time... Dang!

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Old Man78

· #36 · Apr 8, 2017

The martini will be well earned! I'm personally drinking tea, only because I've been out with my best mate since lunch drinking cider in the sunshine and having a well overdue catch up and need to relax myself before bed time!

Blackadder

Discussion Starter · #37 · Apr 9, 2017

Thanks for the reply, I enjoy a Long Island Ice Tea but only during the Summer months.

The Perfection of Asymmetry:

When you look at the Darth mask you are thrilled with the evilness of the visage but split the image and reverse it mirror image wise and you will see the resulting perfect symmetry of either the left or right is not nearly as disturbing. We are all different people when we see ourselves in a photograph. With the magic of the computer we can splice together the left and right images of our face and see two entirely different people neither recognizable as ourselves.

http://i.imgur.com/N07NveX.jpg

That is where I am with this visor. That and the printout I made is too small. The 0.030" plastic cutout I made directly below the helmet assembly seems to be of the correct size.

Also the visor wraps around the helmet so the front view is foreshortened therefor I must allow for that by adding what i estimate a quarter inch (6,3 MM) to each side........

Fun and games, Right?

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Blackadder

Discussion Starter · #38 · Apr 10, 2017

Facial Planes:

We're going to experiment with this visor as I don't have an overhead projection so I made the angle gussets flexible until I see how the 'face shapes up.

http://i.imgur.com/9ysjqn4.jpg

That way I can make the minimal adjustments required for an approximation of the artist's intent.

http://i.imgur.com/Qc99a8q.jpg

Note the strips in the foreground. The one with the heavy pencil line glues to the inner surface of the visor. It is slightly scored so it acts as a hinged gusset. It can sustain a minimum of flexing before fatiguing the same as the visor plate. Once I am satisfied with the position of the visor planes I'll reinforce the the back side of the visor to hold the shape.

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Loran

· #39 · Apr 10, 2017

Keeps on looking better and better! Gotta love the detailed explanations of the working steps

Have some rep for this! :grin2:

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Blackadder

Discussion Starter · #40 · Apr 10, 2017

Raising the Ears:

When I was a kid going to the barber was called, "having your ears lowered." Well in this case the operative word is raised. and bring the ears forward and shorten the helmet.

BTW after having been to the barber, you had "White walls."

http://i.imgur.com/AeNn6yB.jpg

Anyway this side view projection shows I need to cut the helmet a minimum of 6 MM (one quarter inch) on each side and shorten the length almost half an inch (13,0 MM) which necessitates re-positioning the spear points.

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

Or I may just go with three after the one in the forehead.

http://i.imgur.com/8stjVq5.jpg

The close up also doesn't do it for me; Fah!

http://i.imgur.com/xa0CkQU.jpg

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