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As it says on the tin this is going to be my attempt at converting a basic Imperial Guard Chimera into a Griffon mortar carrier.

Why? Griffons only seem to get mentioned rarely on these boards, plenty of people will post at length about the pros and cons of the latest fashionable tech or combo; but for me the Poor Bloody Infantry will always trust tried and tested technology, So ability to drop a heavy mortar shell on a Greenskins head at medium to long range appeals greatly to me. Game-wise I think a Griffon is a really good way of getting another ordinance template or two into a small force [75 points each!], it is also pretty accurate. Win-double!

Let’s face it the mortar is pretty much ubiquitous to most Infantry formations and has been in the real world for more than a hundred years, so if it is good enough for them then it is good enough for me! GW has been kind enough to provide us with decent rules but curiously no model? [Why do you do this to us GW? why? Why WHY?].

Now to be fair to GW they used to make one probably available on eBay, but it was pants. Why make an armoured vehicle just to place the weapon exposed on the top? There is also the Forgeworld model which corrects some of GW’s poor design, but still doesn't quite do it for me. I mean why fork out £40 and not really like it?

So last option [and most appealing] was to do what was done in the real world and covert an APC into a mortar carrier. The Mrs was kind enough to by me the old Chimera box set for Easter and we are off!

Inspiration as I say has come from the real world, so the US M4A1 & M106 and the British FV432(M). So below is what I am aiming for, but I suspect that I will not be able to match the interior detail. We will see!



The plan is to build the basic Chimera chassis, form an open topped armoured structure, install mortar & crew and add any detail. Simples!

So stage one - Chassis. Couldn't be easier, I followed the basis instructions in the box until I got here.



Stage two - Cab/cupola. I decided that the cab section of the top cover would still be needed on the vehicle to give the occupants cover when using the mortar and to fix the height of thenew structure that will be going into the passenger compartment. I played around with a couple of positions to cut but decided on making the cut at the bulkhead of the cab.




I then removed the cupola detail and the rivets and fixed it in place with a blob of green stuff to support the cab roof.



I did a bit of damage to the roof surface removing the detail but this will be covered later on. You will note that I have also removed the detail from the inside of the passenger compartment, this is to allow me to fix the new sides flush against the hull.



Stage Three - Passenger compartment. I cut rectangular peices of plasticard to form a box around the area where the mortar will be sited, ensuring that they were the same height as the cab bulkhead. and stuck them in place with poly cement.

[Yes I am the one that buys GW PVA!]


You will note that I glued the forward bulkhead first, then the sides and then finally the rear bulkhead. A little more time spent doing this in stages helps with accuracy I think. I also use a few peices of metal and elastic bands to ensure flush edges and a tight bond.


I didn't take a specific picture but if you look through the rear door you will see that I have glued a sheet of 1/87 scale chequer plate decking I got from a model train store. This went in before the sides so that there were no edging problems. The rear bulkhead is sitting proud of the rest of the structure for two reasons 1) the rear door sits higher than the passenger compartment I have built [Grrr!] 2) I intend to put some sort of fold back roof on. Not sure what yet but I can fall off that bridge when I come to it.

That's all the progress and photographs I have at the moment but have the following planned for the following days.

1) Finish vehicle structure (plan how to do a colapsing/folding roof)
2) Fix the rear door so that it can open/shut - optional
3) Make the mortar, I have a few old metal IG mortars [the really fat ones] which I intend to extend
4) Plan out the interior and spacial fit. In my head I can see a 3 crew working the weapon, but the space may not allow it especially when I install ammunition stowage
5) Make the crew. I have a few cadian metal mortar crew but not enough for a whole crew.
6) Painting - so far off, its not a worry!

The one thing that I am definitely missing is a mortar shell [I started a thread in swap shop if anyone has one laying about?] and am not keen on making one myself.

Any suggestions will be greatfully accepted as although I try to plan ahead on projects I winging this one a little!

Cool! been thinking of the exact same thing! Good job so far man, keep it up!

I Think this is looking cool.

Your right this probably the best choice for light weapons that the imps have right now for a lot of the time but most people have the out look with guard units that if it cant kill a marine on a 2 without them getting a save then its gak :(

need moar updates!

I like where this is going. Custom vehicle builds have always interested me. Strange considering I am doing an almost all footslogger army!

I am also a fan of the mortar tho and hope to include a few. I will be taking notes!

Carry on...

This is an inspired idea! My imperial vehicles are loosely based on British AFVs anyway, with my Hydra being a 40k imagining of the T-55 Marksman, and my chimeras being FV430-inspired too. I think I'll steal this idea as almost all of my ideas are stolen from somewhere!

Awesome work dude, looking forward to updates.

physcosamatic wrote:need moar updates!

Thanks for the posts fellas, it gives me a warm fuzzy feeling in my bitz box and not a little motivation too!

Unfortunately no progress last night as the Mrs has invited her friends round and Muggins here had to clear up a bit, but I will be back to the grindstone tonight.

I'm pleased that you like the idea, I am a little surprised that this idea hasn't cropped up before [I did search the intawebz and Dakka but to no avail?]; so here’s hoping that I can do the idea some justice.

@Tek - Steal away my friend, I have seen your Imperial Army gallery previously, love the O.G.R.Y.N.s btw.

Plan for tonight: I should be finishing the passenger structure and starting the mortar itself.

Cunning plan: I found some plasicard with corrugations on the surface while clearing up last night. I'm thinking that it may work as a roller shutter of sorts for the roof, but this may be a little flimsy/out of place on a AFV?

I had tried to do a conversion with a rhino before, because it looked very similar to the M4A1 Mortar Carrier if you leave the top hatch open... it looked pretty good I thought! A chimera could look well to, it just will take a lot more work but this is promising so far!

Oh and so you know - my old buddy infilTRAITOR actually did build a griffon into a Rhino chassis and it looks pretty sweet:



If you search the Dakka gallery for "griffon" or "mortar", you'll find plenty.

This is looking sweet! I'm one with the Griffon love. I found an old mortar for mine, but for my Medusa I used dry-wipe marker caps - they interlock well and are nicely rigged.

Really nifty idea. I approve

MOAR MOAR MOAR

Once again, thanks for the posts and the interest it really helps.

Slow progress has been made since my last update.

I released the chassis from the elastic bands and removed the rear door to find that I had miscalculated the length of the vertical pieces by some 2mm; so my next job was to piece-in a little extra section to complete the rear bulkhead.


Not sure what happened to the next picture but I think I have matched the missing piece in quite well, thus completing the substructure of the vehicle.


Stage Four - The Mortar - Now without this fella completed I think I will have difficulty planning the passenger compartment. I am basing this on the GW Mortar from about 1995. Compared to the model included in the current IG Heavy weapon box I think that this will calibrate well to a heavy mortar, if a little dumpy!



Next I am going to extend the barrel and make it [hopefully] a bit more convincing. I got a length of 6mm diameter [4mm internal] plastic tube. The GW mortar I have is slightly elliptical for some reason but this shouldn't matter when the extension piece is added. I haven't used any science in choosing the length of the barrel extension, instead placing the mortar in the vehicle and guessing by eye a good length. I choose to cut two options to get a feel for it approximately 7mm and 12mm extensions.



[I believe that it is customary to point out that those are unfinished guardsmen put in for scale purposes!]
I'm not really sure which length best suits the weapon yet. I'm thinking that the longer one is more visible and might be better for battlefield recognition?

I have stuffed the bottom half of each extension piece with GS so that I can glue and pin the extension to get a stronger bond [important if the barrel protrudes above the substructure. A simple thing that will really help with tabletop durability.

Slow progress as I say but I intend to accelerate tonight.

I will be looking to possibly alter the mortar stand [for the one in the heavy weapon sprue?] and adding some GS detail to the weapon and add a base plate.

As ever any thoughts will be greatly appreciated.

Anyhoo got to go the baby is waking up!

Laters.

I dont think its the length its just not wide enough *thats what she said*

Nice darts sir!

Thanks

I prefer the shorter one... it looks more like the 105mm we used to use in my days as an 11-C (indirect fire infantryman) in the service.

If you can get a hold of some spares, a demolisher cannon would make a very convincing mortar, especially since you won't be able to see the bottom of it inside that Chimera.

I'm fairly sure I have a spare metal demolisher cannon, if you decide to go down that route...

Cool idea, keep going

Beautiful work, I think I like the stubbier barrel too.

Does the griffon count as open topped?

It does, unless you take the option to enclose the crew compartment.

@FoxPhoenix135 - Thanks for picking that up. Open topped unless upgraded. One of the reasons for the modelled retractable roof is the possibility of covering both options. [I’m still to decide how/what to do here]

Mortar - I have chosen to proceed with the shorter barrel extension and have pinned it in place, removed the lip from the barrel and used some GS to add a new strip to cover the joint between the two pieces to mask any differences in section or diameter. No photo I’m afraid as I did very little work over the weekend what with the glorious weather and all.

More work on the project tonight and photos tomorrow.

Update!

As per my previous post I have chosen the shorter barrel extension and have pinned in place.

I have covered the joint with a strip of GS, and after much trimming and filing I am hoping that you will agree will look like a strengthening band around the barrel. I may yet add another at the rim of the barrel but I am going to wait until I have finished the base plate.

I have formed the base plate by using a circle template that I have from my school days. This was quite simple as all I have had to do is choose the hole size I wanted and stuffed GS into it. I then sunk the mortar into the GS at the mid point and smoothed the GS to the edges of the metal base.



I have also started on the interior of the passenger compartment. I have been playing around with the size of ammo bins and think that I have found a good compromise that should allow me to get a few crew members in there plus some of their personal effects.



The box I have formed is intended to be an ammo bin ala the M4A1 picture I listed at the start of this thread. By my estimate I should be able to fit 35 ammo tubes there [5 x 7 @ 4mm]. This is actually one of the reasons why I have been a bit slow with my progress; how to make the caps for the bin? I have been looking in all sorts of areas for 4mm caps, rivet heads, bolts etc. but have drawn a blank with the exception of the FW heavy mortar crew which comes with something similar [£16 though?]. So I am now waiting for a GS cylinder that I have rolled out to set so that I can experiment with cutting to a consistent size or may make a mould of a good one and cast in metal? More on this later.



Automatically Appended Next Post:
Update nunber 2 for the day!

I have returned from work to find that the mortar base plate has set and after a little persausion it popped out of the template. A bit of carving and filing and here is the result.



A bit more finishing to do but I will leave that to the painting stage.

Next I have finished building ot the ammo bin, just awaiting some inspiration to make the tubes?





So I have pretty much taken the the passenger compartment as far as I can take it until some more supplies arrive. Once I have this I can add some detail to this rather sparse area. This being the case I'm doing some work to the exterior of the model. First up the tracks or in this case the track guards.

I am not a great fan of any Imperial vehicles without track guards and while I can understand the aesthetic reason why GW have done this I don't understand why when when rectifying it with additional track guards in the accessory sprue there is only enough to cover half the tracks [or no track guards if you buy the new kit!].

So I have decided to make my own track guards that will hopefully update the look of the vehicle a little [say from 1916 to 1917!]. I doing this with some 1mm thick plasticard [0.60 guage to you colonial types I think?]. I have cut a strip of it to 10mm wide and about 140mm approx. long. This should [with a little filing/scraping] fit snugly into the space where the track should go.




Next I scored across the strip at about 30mm from one end and scored again 1mm from that. I then gently bent the strip to break the rigidity of it.



This allows me to bend the strip witht he contours of the tracks.



Once this first point is fixed then quickly made more scores for the remaining contours.



Once I did the first one it was easy to copy another one for the other side. They are slighly longer than they need to be at the moment but this is because the tracks need to be fixed in place first.



With the 1mm plasicard these guards sit flush with the hull [or at least will do when glued] and with a little bit of filing and filling around the contours will look like they were meant to be like that!

Simples.

Still waiting on some pieces to make the crew but I thought that I would show the completed track guards.

I worked out where I wanted the tracks to go and where I wanted them to disappear into the body so that they would look like they were running under the guards.

In my head I was trying to imitate the track assembly of the later WW2 Sherman varients but actually ended up with something more akin to a Rhino track? [please excuse the first picture, I really should use a better camera than my phone!]





So there we have it, chassis complete next on to the detailing and roof [I have had an idea, always dangerous!].

The majority of the detail will be as per the kit; but I am quite liking the thinner look of the vehicle without the engine [?] structures that are suppose to be glued on the sides and make the Chimera look rather boxey and square? Of course I may just cop out and stick em on and be done with it?

I will make a decision and post it later.

You could try trimming them down a few millimeters to match the new chimera but it'd be hard to make it even.

Clearly great minds think alike MasterSlowPoke. I was toying with cutting them down last night but thought that I would sleep on it. Quite a bit of cutting on an awkward shape which was putting me off.

I hadn't actually realised that the new kit had already done this so I may well copy the new kit here to ensure forward compatability.

Cheers MSP.

Its looking great you going to keep the back open for easy access?

GW PVA FTW!!!111


Anyways... flamebait aside, I like where this is going. Though do you have a mock up of the roof design? I think it is going to make or break this model, and I am interested in what you will do with it.