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I will PM you shortly.

But in the mean time, I like the tank idea, but instead of it running over a pile of rubble, why not have rthe barrel so silly long or big that the thing has gone over backwards with the recoil??!

 Camkierhi wrote:
But in the mean time, I like the tank idea, but instead of it running over a pile of rubble, why not have rthe barrel so silly long or big that the thing has gone over backwards with the recoil??!

that is an interesting idea...the only problem is the barrel. if it was SO long, the tank would be front-heavy. if it was SO big, it would look illogical, which to me = orks, and my idea was more for an imperial vehicle. but you do bring up an interesting point--the reason for the 'accident' in your idea is clear as crystal; the reason in mine is more mysterious. although a tank flipped over on it's 'back' with a long barrel makes the reason obvious, i'm not sure that i could make that scenic piece all that interesting. a tank doing an endo grabs you with it's innate wrongness.

i appreciate the feedback...and i'm not dismissing it out of hand. will try to come up with a way/ways to visualize and execute it.

just had an idea for a tank, with the turret and its ridiculously oversized barrel flying off.

by the by, if you like WWII movies in general and/or are interested in tanks, i highly recommend the movie "Fury".

comments and feedback always welcome.

had a new idea for the tank accident. not as dramatic as the endo idea, but interesting in its own right:



your input is greatly appreciated.

Well, the endo-tank could still work as terrain if the tank was fixed in placed rather than removable.

Nice score with the plasticard from work too.

well, i didn't want to *waste* money to buy a new (or even used) Leman Russ, so i am going to scratch-build one..Cam had some plans he sent me...so an 'experiment' in scratch building a tank. i haven't asked onemannoodles yet about my original idea--making the tank removable, as, in a way, my piece would be *something* like a diorama. to be honest, i might make a full-blown diorama--my first since grade school--just to be able to a) keep within the contest rules and b) if the tank works out well, to be able to use it (if i ever play IG). i should probably ask him for pointers on tank building, as well, as he seems to have a pretty good grasp on that, as well...

also had another idea re: tank, especially as i am scratch building it...will probably put up a sketch tomorrow, as i don't want to dig out my scanner and hook it up (i.e., install software/drivers on this new computer). i am going to start on the tank body first, as that won't change regardless of what i do, really. we'll see about the turret when the time comes.

edit: re-reading Cam's post, i realized something: it isn't the rubble that caused the tank to endo. the rubble is there so i am not gluing the front of a leman russ (scratch built or not) directly to a base. in the 'original' google picture, you can make out on the left that the tank driver went over an embankment or small roadside cliff, causing the tank to endo. that it didn't fall is the funny part. i just thought "a tank standing on end for no reason" was a) an accident, as the rules state, b) funny as all hell, and 3) relatively easy. i don't want to make a cliff. i don't want to make a mine explosion's aftermath under the back end of the tank (although that's what i keep coming up with for why the tank has endo'd, and may end up modelling the piece to show that). but i also don't need to explain the "why" of the accident, really. it might be better if i did, but it isn't necessary. it's more entertaining if people supply their own reason as to why a tank is sitting ass end up for no apparent reason, IMHO.

started scratch building a leman russ.



might restart and try again, as i was working on this with a pair of scissors while watching american horror story (season 4), and i think it shows. but then, it's a good start at scratch building, so i might just keep going and use everything i did wrong on this one as education for the next one (which would be for an army, and not for a terrain piece.

thanks for taking a look. comments and criticism are, as always, welcome.

Looking like a good start to me. Dont worry at the details so much. There are dozens of varients on a theme for these tanks, if you really need it to be carbon copy, then cut the corners off with a saw.

Looks great to me though. Good work on the scale by the look of it.

A promising start, given that the piece is part of an accident theme, maybe you can work in that the 'shoddy' construction in some way has exacerbated the 'accident'??

more progress...



one of the first things i have learned in scratch building is that my eye for estimating lengths and angles isn't as sharp as it once used to be...and that it usually doesn't end up being right the first (or third) time.




Automatically Appended Next Post:
more pics.

thanks for stopping by.

holy ! i was more than a bit surprised to see my humble thread on the front page of dakka today...probably ought to do something to the scratch built Leman today and put up some pics to celebrate the occasion.

Grats on the front page dude.

Looking great BTW. Pretty good on size. Now is where you add the little details. Great work keep at it.

@Cam--thanks, man! wouldn't be this far without help from dakkanauts like you.

progress made tonight:



i rushed this, and i think it shows. wondering if it's worth starting over and doing it slow and steady, or if i should just keep what i have, as it is going to end up as a terrain piece.
still wondering what to do with it once the tank is done....running out of time to procrastinate. will have to come up with an answer soon.

comments/ criticism welcome, as always. thanks for stopping by.

Not sure my opinion is worth much, but I think you've got what you need here. Starting over just runs the risk of delaying or not completing the project, so I'd keep on trucking with what you've got!

Maybe some cheesecloth over the main exhaust tubes to give some texture? Or some wire mesh?

Looking forward to seeing this finished!

@wildcard--your input is as good as anyone's. after having worked on the sides tonight, i am pretty sure i am not going to scrap my progress and start again...



the template i have is pretty badly off in a lot of places...been having to fudge it a bit. it's not bad, per se...but it is pretty rough. would be fantastic if it was an ork vehicle.

thanks for stopping by.

i could really use some inspiration or feedback re: what to do with the Leman for the contest...

Are you re-considering the endo idea, or looking for something to spice up that idea?

Other options could involve it:

having run into a set of tank traps
run over and crushed a senior officer's staff car
collided with another vehicle
barrel exploding after a mis-fire
a 'workshop' scene with damae being repaired
on it's side, having rolled off an embankment (slight variation on your original idea)
barrel caught up on a building corner
crew member falling off the tank
maintenance tech trapped in a hatchway
tracks come loose


Hopefully that might get some sparks going....

@monkeytroll--thanks for the ideas! i've been thinking about how to incorporate a barrel "accident" since Cam mentioned it...coupled with the endo idea...now have some other things to throw in the mix (definitely like the idea of a maintenance tech stuck--or grotesquely injured)...i will have to spend some time this weekend sketching up ideas, so i can finish the design and build portion and move on to the painting, which will take me a while.

i will need to have the project done before the contest, because nothing sucks more than starting something for one of these and not finishing on time....

nothing new to report on the contest piece.

a kicktarter i am backing:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1084608523/x-terra-space-force-vs-daemonic-kingdom-tabletop-a

if you like chaos, imperial guard, or space marines, it's worth a look. it will be funded--already reached it's goal--but you still have until Friday, Feb. 20th, 2015 to join in on the fun.

no progress on the contest piece...have been considering using really thick abaltive armor on the front to help explain why it endo'ed.

have been doing research on the Mentor Legion. base painted the squiggoth and howdah. started the Mk I Land raider. printed a template to make a scratch built CRASSUS ARMORED ASSAULT TRANSPORT.

also got a new sotar 20/20 airbrush to replace the one my girlfriend gave me for christmas which i "broke"...will break that in maybe this weekend, if the temperature isn't in the low teens as predicted...

Oh man Sum, I am getting in on that kickstarter for a Claymore as a counts as predator and maybe some terran marines. This will be my first kickstarter so thanks dude. Do you think they could count as a inquisitor retinue? (fluff wise, TT I would play them as Sternguard.)]

Edit: I backed it, god help me.

Sum, I will say as one scratcher to another, great job on that Russ so far! is a little "shorter" in length, but overall a great execution! (Afterall, it can be a different pattern of the Leman Russ that the GW models.

Back may need a tow hook and tool box between the mufflers, or a fuel barrel drop tank.




Oh yeah, engine vents too!

@stormwall - i'm pretty psyched about the models, as well. not enough to change my avatar, though...

i was a little disappointed the flyer changed into what it seems to be now, as in version 1.2, it strongly resembled a storm talon, which i would have liked as a stand-in for a real one, which i haven't acquired yet.

as for inquisitor retinue, i would think the commander figure would work better (although it looks more like a commissar), along with some of the armored guards...that's just my take. i think the marines look better than the guard, armored or not....i have been in the early stages of working out a Mentor Legion SM force, and i thought the KS models' armor could work as a prototype the ML is testing out...

@shaso - the scratch built Leman is off so much, i think that's the reason i have stalled on the contest...as my second ever attempt at scratch building from a template (tried a dreadnought 15 years ago), i can't complain too much. i jumped right into the project, and rushed pretty much the whole thing...it just really shows. maybe not in the pictures, but sitting right in front of me, i can see what i did wrong and what i should do different. i think i'm probably going to make v1 of the SBLR (acronym for scratch built leman russ, as that's what i'm going to call it from now on as i'm tired of writing it out all the time) an Ork looted vehicle, which will forgive a lot of the mistakes i made, and start a new one for the project. have a new template that i want to start on shortly.

PS: it actually has the start of a toolbox between the mufflers...it's just so big that it touches the mufflers on both sides. and i was going to use an actual engine vent hatch instead of scratch building one. will probably orkify something up, if i turn it into a looted SBLR.

Eh, it won't be that way for long. It's mostly kickstarter hype. Once I get my tank I am working on painted I will use that as the avatar I suppose. I guess I've always wanted to back a KS but, never had the cash until I got to where I am now in life. I made a 50$ pledge so I can get the claymore tank, Terran Marines, and a KS statue to hold some books up. However, with the way they've handled their kickstarters in the past (a quick dakka search provided all I needed to see,) I am now debating on dumping all that money into Zinge and Anvil industries and just fyi, I agree with you. The original dropship looked like a Stormbird which I loved. Now it is the chibiraven 2.0 all over again.

Also, the mentor legion marine creation would have been great to see. I hope you do it anyways, they need the love.

Edit: Kept digging, it got fishier the more I looked. Decided to buy Zinge stuff and donate. Oh and I should thank you by the way. I had half the parts for a Leman Russ, and your work saved me a lot of trouble in replicating one of the sides. It also made a handy spot to shove the battery and switch for LEDs.

Sorry been a while, and it seems I threw you a ringer with the template. Really sorry about that. Not used it my self, but knew it was sat there.

Looks a good effort from here, but I know what you mean about in the flesh, Dakka is brilliant, but none of mine loks the same as in person.

I really hope you can make another one and do it justice. The one you have will be a great looted vehicle for orks, I still say it would be ok for the comp. It is meant to be crashed after all and no-one will be standing there LR against it and saying well your half a mil out on that edge?? Honestly.

Keep calm and get scratching dude. We need you.

@stormwall - yeah, i dropped my pledge from $250 to $50, and am pretty close to cancelling outright...the fishiness seems to get worse with each passing day.

there is some stuff about the Mentor Legion logo i reworked (the old one looked like a bug, IMO) on my other P&M thread...http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/30/565819.page

not sure how i helped with the leman russ side, but you're welcome? i have quite a few templates now, if you ever need something...Cam gave me a bunch of stuff, and i found some other stuff, as well...

speaking of Cam: good to see you again, man!

i can't say that you threw me a ringer...it was meant to be on a4 paper, and i tried to do the best i could with what i had...just didn't turn out right. rushing didn't help, i'm sure, but after trying the template for the top of the hull and modifying it over and over to get it to fit, i ended up doing everything for that by eye...i asked for help, and you helped. can't thank you enough for that. especially as you were the only one...

i also managed to find some templates about 4 days after i stared working with the one you gave me...it's a BIG bunch, too, if you ever want to scratch build imperial (for the most part) vehicles...although there are a few for the old and new style ork battlewagons, and a tau devilfish...

i was thinking about your original suggestions for what to do with the tank for the contest...i think a huge barrel fits better with an ork-looted version, so that is the direction i have been working towards.

we are supposed to have nice-ish weather today, so i plan on painting as much as possible, as it is supposed to be miserable for a week after that...i can scratch-bulid in cold/wet conditions, but painting can be a bear.

I didn't think of layering to get the depth, I was just going to plop rivets. The layer process is slow but, I would have missed it as I am just going by scratch using other pieces to compare to, I'm not using a template atm.

@ Stormwall - i will tell you this from my minute bit of experience--it would be better to do the layers in sections. the sides of the SBLR is 4 layers (not including details like the door hinges or trim, rivets, etc.) the first is plaid card. the second is plain card cut to look like panels, but i had originally done it as a full plate like layer one, because i was just going to score it for the grooves between plates--only cut it into individual plates when scoring didn't work. the third layer is one piece, and it was a PITA....would have been much easier to do it as several smaller pieces and then use liquid green stuff or similar to fill any gaps, which is what i'll do on SBLR Mk. 2...

if you want the template, PM me your email.

@ Cam - i might change my other P&M thread title to Keep Calm And Scratch Build On...

A piece of constructive criticism.

Taking pictures of a red-and-white model using a red-and-white background is not helping us actually see your otherwise excellent work.
Please, take the criticism in the spirit it was presented. Just looking out.

@steelmage - i realized it was a bad idea, so i got a green towel instead...then spilled tea all over it. was too lazy to get another, different towel, as i have the red/white one at hand. i was working at my computer desk, at it was warmer than my worktable...have been back to the worktable recently, so if i ever do get working on it again, pics will probably be taken out there.

i was a bit proud i remembered to keep taking WIP pictures, even if they were with my cell phone. i didn't take your comment as negative...but i did move the red towel out and get a different one in it's place, ready for next time.

thanks for stopping by!