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Back in the bygone days of yore I being new to the Warhammer genera attempted to build from scratch a Forgeworld style Baneblade. Naturally I used printer cartridges and scrap plastic for the basic hull and turret.

Then Dame Fortune smiled onto me and I managed to win a bid on Ebay. A real Lucius Pattern Baneblade seen pictured here; my pride and joy 'Arethusa' and I put aside my scratch work for another day. Recently while cleaning out my garage I happened upon the decrepit forgotten relic and resurrected it for a soon to be attempted project; namely an out sized Stormhammer. As you can see by the images I was quite a bit off in my scale having not even a Armorcast template guide to go on but figuring at the time that the FW b'blade was larger than the armorcast I made it bigger. Too big as it is a 1/4 times greater in size than even the monsterous Baneblade but it should make for a formidable looking Stormhammer.

Without further adieu I present the Blackadder's interpretation of the Stormhammer.

The Black Library of Caltroon:

The Black Library of Caltroon mentions the 'Armories' carved out of the living rock in the mountains of Cardiff boarding the Tyne estuary. What little is known of the 'Armories' is there are numerous galleries that go on for miles on each level and and it has never been established how many levels there are.

All that is know is all the exploratory parties no matter how well armed and provisioned never return from the depths and sometimes eerie howls reverberate from below............

So they are described in the Novel, 'The Lords of the Starship'

The Blackadder has exhumed from the safer levels a forgotten behemoth he calls the Landkreuzer P500; Der Wühlmaus.

http://i.imgur.com/gCCG15S.jpg


More than half again the size of the 300 tonne Baneblade the P500 weighs in at 500 metric tons and was the creation of the Blackadder when he tried to scratch build a Baneblade from images he found on the internet more than six years ago.

Not being as practice as he is now about all he got right was the width of the hull and tracks from the front, 8.4 meters. I guess that excludes the sponsons.

Seen here compared in size to his favorite tank Arethusa

http://i.imgur.com/MF75gyP.jpg


Once again Blackadder has taken up the cudgel and will attempt to complete this monster as a noble companion to his titan squad.

http://i.imgur.com/8keowq4.jpg


Of course this will be in the Lucius pattern and I may revamp the asymmetrical superstructure and center the turret.

It will have dual Main cannons, outsized sponsons dual Lasers surmounting the sponsons that will house 90° arc rotating bolters.

http://i.imgur.com/5JS6Q1o.jpg


So aside from everything else I intend to do this shall also be on my plate.

After all I have 38,000 years before these have to be ready.........

Automatically Appended Next Post:

F'n auto append! this is unconscionable. I have something important to say and everyone who has read my last post thinks there is no update!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Why do I bother with such an archaic forum????????

Damned Auto Append... I missed this earlier.

[quote name='Dono1979' post='2730032' date='Jan 9 2015, 07:12 AM']
This could be the perfect candidate for the new Super Heavy available to the Solar Auxilia in the latest Horus Heresy rulebook (Book IV); the Stormhammer.

AAA

Thank you,

Unilateral Development;

One thing that has alway bothered me about this tank was the unilateral asymmetry of the superstructure of the Armorcast model. Since I am redesigning this tank I decided to make the casement symmetrical (and center the turret) which regretfully eliminates the character of the original, superfluous as that may have been. Other than causing angle incident headaches it served no discernible purpose; nevertheless I am sorry to see it go.

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


So after producing a paper template I transferred the coordinates to styrene and rough cut the piece with scissors. (Yes I know the lines are not symmetrical but I know what they mean.........)

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


Once the top is glued in place I can sand the bevel and add the sloping casement.

Keep on posting...

Turret Toolboxes:

One thing I do know, the toolboxes on the back of the turret have to be executed with a fine degree of tolerance. It is very easy to make them lopsided and then they just look like hell; it would be better just to leave them off.

When I refurbished my Armourcast Baneblade I just cast them out of resin and sanded them into shape easy peasy

http://i.imgur.com/p0GJbDu.jpg


but today I am going to build them from scratch as I don't want to play with all that messy resin.

http://i.imgur.com/6MAWrez.jpg


So we start with the false bottom plate and I don't know how big/deep I want the boxes so I made the plate a tad extra long. When it's finished the end plate should be relatively square i.e.equal on all four sides but I won't know the dimensions until I get the angled side on.

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

I'm here for you Mr B. Looking good BTW.

Thanks,

The Sounds Of Sanding:

One of the questions I most get is how do I manage to get my edges and corners so crisp and smooth and without using fillers. Well I've attempted to answer this on many occasions recommending the tools shown here but it was only this morning that it came to me that I sand by sound...........

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


The big problem with sanding anything especially soft material is maintaining a level stroke with the sanding block or file. Most people when they sand have a tendency to rock the tool especially at the end of the stroke where they reverse the sanding direction. This causes two problems; one, by necessity the edges become more sanded as the pressure at the point of contact increases at the fine edge causing more material to be abraided and two, the double stroke of the reverse of the direction.

There are two ways to eliminate this. The first is easy just sand in one direction but the problem there is you still have the extra pressure at the end of the stroke. The second is to sand in a circular or figure '8' motion which I learned when honing chisels on a stone and carried over into sanding just about anything.

So check your sanding progress often and if possible reverse the piece so the edge surfaces gets equal work and try to decrease the pressure when you get to the end of the stroke so the edges don't get over-sanded.

So where does the 'sound' come in?

This morning I was absently sanding the small turrets seen above and I noticed that the sound of the sanding dropped in pitch as I made flush contact with the entire surface of the work. I probably do this subliminally so I know precisely when the surface is flush and smooth. You'll have to practice with this technique but it's better than filling with greenstuff which you have to sand again anyway.

HTH

Oh, and the scissors.......... On thin styrene up to a millimeter I use a good pair of scissors to rough cut the excess close to the edge of the work. they are much easier to control than the knife and you are less likely to cut too close and damage the corners.

Great advice - I found this exact issue of rounding edges that should be sharp and straight on the Thunderbolt wing flaps... I must try your method.

Cool , go on...

Black Styrene:

So why hasn't someone asked, "Where did you get the Black Styrene?"

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


Well people who have been following my threads for years know but to newcomers and new forums that I am posting on will be surprised to learn that the black plastic comes from IBM printer cartridges. My company use to throw them out by the hundreds each year.

I've got enough to last me a few decades............



They're thick plastic over 2,00 MM so you need a saw to cut them, a hacksaw will do and the plastic is compatible with with standard styrene plastic cement.

And they're free........

Plus you're recycling.

So, question I've been meaning to ask, where do you get the black styrene?

Oh, wait...

The Fearful Symmetry:

Even with her plasticard only half installed and none of the detail accomplished The 'Kreuzer' is an exercise in brute force.

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


Almost a third again larger than the standard Baneblade she already weighs over half a kilo, one and an eighth pounds. That's a lot of styrene.

http://i.imgur.com/8j5K4wz.jpg


The faceted superstructure is a marked departure from the Classic Baneblade and will mount a centerline main turret.

http://i.imgur.com/YBuh9Lz.jpg


The top view alongside the Baneblade shows that for aesthetic value I shall have to widen the track covers I'm guessing 5 MM each and build out the sponsons correspondingly. This is one of the reasons I scrapped the project years ago because the complexity of the modification was beyond my then abilities.

Hopefully I'll be up to the challenge now................



Automatically Appended Next Post:
Can I please get an auto append interruption?

Aaa

Thanks I appreciate this. It's most annoying when you are trying to update and you're hampered by a silly rule like one post a day....

You're Not Going to Believe This But:

Just an FYI before enclosing the bottom of this model. The problem is I rarely take the time to document the internal structure of these smaller models so the infrastructure is lost until someone takes a hacksaw to see what's inside.

This way no one will be tempted.........

http://i.imgur.com/heuyf6S.jpg


From the bottom view to the superstructure before the final sanding of the facet work which I am rather pleased with.

http://i.imgur.com/XBP3x6Q.jpg


Faceting rarely comes out this well as the angles especially towards the end usually tend to go awry with a lot of fudging to make the last pieces fit.

These came out pretty much perfect. Whew!

A behemoth indeed...

I asked about the Auto-Append on the 'Nuts & Bolts' board, but it looks like a change is not on the horizon... However, there is a workaround which involves uploading your pictures to the post and is explained here: http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/205120.page#206763

Apparently, using this feature would allow you to post to your hearts content all day long and never see an Auto-Append. I haven't trialled it yet on one of my threads, but may well be worth considering?

Dakka is one of three Forums (That I personally know of) that still runs 'Auto Appends', the other being 'The Ammo Bunker' which I still post on but am rapidly getting annoyed with because of lack of scratch building interest in general.

and other forum I believe was Tau online which carried auto-append to extreme for three days between consecutive posts. I no longer post on that forum.

Back in the days of dial up modems and slow access times I can see the necessity of such a feature but practically everyone has some sort of High speed internet so a normal exchange of information is de rigueur. As for using the Dakka attachments, it would necessitate making a special reply for the Dakka forum exclusively which I usually don't have the time to do. I like to comment on each of my images and have them included between the text so dumping them at the end of the post bollixes up the reply.

It's easier to ask someone to run interference which is always greatly appreciated.

I'm in agreement with you, Auto-Append needs to go the way of the Dodo & Betamax..

If the Wine is Sour, Throw It Out:

If the wine is sour, throw it out has ever been my maxim. One of my favorite movies is 'The Agony and the Ecstasy' where Michelangelo dissatisfied with his work scraped it off and started over. The lesson I learned from that was never be satisfied with 'Good enough' so when I saw five years ago that this tank was not going to come out the way I envisioned it I put it aside for better days.

http://i.imgur.com/IyflQu4.jpg


Well better days are here and still I am dissatisfied. First my behemoth has too small a track width as was my initial thoughts half a decade ago so I set out to remedy this.

Note in the image above the Baneblade on the left tracks equal about a third of the overall width of the tank excluding sponsons where as the tank on the right about a quarter including the new added on centimeter of width. So now not only do I need to widen the track housings but I also have to widen the tracks as well which will necessitate making new tracks. This is a daunting project as I do want to make tracks with precisely the same design as the gorgeous original Baneblade skull track segments. So the first order of business will be to make two track links; one with the skull and one with the standard track design but a quarter again larger overall. Then I have to explore the possibility of casting them them.

The second problem with the tank in the image above is the front deck is sloped side to side which was not apparent in the then original black plastic model but is painfully obvious in the white styrene sheathed present. That shall have to be rebuilt.

http://i.imgur.com/o9Ifcus.jpg


In the above image we see the added on strips I will use as a basis for the widened track housing. The lower stringer will define the upper edge of the bogie access panels. The sponsons will be positioned maybe a quarter inch more forward.

http://i.imgur.com/l5ZrKOE.jpg


This rear image shows where I am dissatisfied with the engine housing, the angled panels on either side were not large enough top to bottom so I am redoing them as well the left side panel already chopped away.

http://i.imgur.com/scJGi2N.jpg


This top view demonstrating perhaps more clearly the object of my discontent.

As I said, the wine was sour............

AAA

You're a perfectionist and I've seen from your work in other threads that you have the skills to rectify any of the models problems. However speaking from a personal perspective, that would make one awesome Skullhamma!

There's a thought, I could have made it for the Boyz, they don't care if it's lopsided.

In fact it may be a prerequisite!

No, Not Spaced Armour:

But rather my strategy for making the tread well wider without rebuilding the whole model. Although it might have been easier to rebuild the whole model.

http://i.imgur.com/3rzCeFn.jpg


Once I get the exterior sides on and remove the inner track race things should move a lot quicker.

I doubled the thickness of the track housing and fenders because 2,6 MM armour might look sufficient for a Baneblade but on this model it looks too thin. This armour will be 5,0 MM thick.

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


The new engine compartment looks much better with the diagonal side panels rebuilt.

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


The inner track well wall shows with the black and white sandwich running fore to aft the 5,0 MM thickness of the armour. Once completed the exterior plating of the well will be just as thick.

Finally, the front bottom view. with all the work clean and tidy for a change this finally looks like it will come together.



Automatically Appended Next Post:
Can we get a AAA? Please...........

AAAA

Thanks,

Come On Blackadder, It's a Toy Tank:

I have to regain my perspective. I sometimes get the impression I am too carried away by what is ostensibly a toy plastic tank but it is what it supposedly represents.

We have the Baneblade , a 300 tonne monster tank as big as a two story house literally (scale-wise) and now we have something half again larger. A 500 tonne construction that makes the Baneblade appear as insignificant.

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


I purposely took this photo with both tanks positioned with the rear bulkheads even so the front ends represent the overall length of each vehicle. The Baneblade is clearly outclassed.

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


Note the Landkreuzer has no treads as yet.

Blackadder you clearly need to get some professional help

I wish I had the patience to execute a project like this....maybe someday. Dakka is great at providing motivation.

Blackadder Flogs a Dead Horse:

Sarah McLacklan not withstanding I have to hump my new Baneblade evolution because it just fills my lust for bigger and more destructive (must be my Aryan ancestry)vehicles of mayhem.

http://i.imgur.com/jAKNuE0.jpg


The Baneblade rests on the undercarriage of my Landkreuzer with room to spare

http://i.imgur.com/sKvtu8W.jpg


and yet the 'Kreuzer is only half completed.

Oooooooogh!ooooooogh!ooooooogh!!!

And in with a Treble A