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Hi, I am new to the whole 40k model building and all. And if anyone has seen my posts know damned well I dislike the IoM tank design. So yesterday I ended up with this Tamiya 1/32 scale panzer II. I have ordered some decals and some bits and was trying to decide just what to make it. The Model itself has a pretty good look. I know it will be a bit long for standard 40k design however. It is right at 17.5 Cm long and 8.5 Cm wide. I am trying to decide however if I should make it my base Hellhound stand in or if it should be my base Russ. I am leaning toward it being a hellhound, but am new to conversion.


So any thoughts?


Edit: Forgot to add the Image

Hellhound seems a better idea. If you're new to converting, the sponsons on a LR might be a bit much, and anyway, a light tank like that one doesn't have the size for a heavy battle tank. The hellhound seems easier, just add some more fuel tanks and an igniter for the gun and you're pretty much done.

Thank ya sir, I was thinking the main cannon might be the largest challenge. Full tanks I can do, I thought I might go that way and got a few very cheap.

1/32 is waaay to big for 40k, you would be better off with 1/48.

Ashton

I was going off of something posted here. http://www.dakkadakka.com/wiki/en/Scale_Model_Kits_for_40K, which shows by and large most 1/32 to be ok, if longer then most 40k models. Also the Panzer two was a small tank(15 feet long, 7 feet wide 6.5 feet tall). The figures that came with it will be a bit large, the tank itself looks about right in scale.

I'd say try a hellhound first and see how that turns out.

If you're going for a more realistic look then check out Old Crow for turrets and main weapon barrels. They do awesome work that looks nicely sci-fi.

If you wanted to do it as a Russ then you could easily add in some plasticard skirts and use Predator sponsons as they connect in only at the top. I used them for my chimera based russes.

Just to back up what everyone in this post is saying, the best thing to convert your tank too is most definetly a Hellhound, though would you ever use a hellhound tank? Think of it in how much you are going to use it, unless you collect just to build and model

Flinty wrote:If you're going for a more realistic look then check out Old Crow for turrets and main weapon barrels. They do awesome work that looks nicely sci-fi.

Yep that is what I am aiming at, I have seen the old crow stuff, its very nice stuff indeed.

Sevenups wrote:Just to back up what everyone in this post is saying, the best thing to convert your tank too is most definetly a Hellhound, though would you ever use a hellhound tank? Think of it in how much you are going to use it, unless you collect just to build and model

I am not sure I ever will get to use a hellhound, but I most likely will go that route anyhow If nothing else it'll give me something to cut my teeth on and the model was cheap so not a huge loss if I screw it up royally.

I am gonna post some updates. I did go with the hellhound and I am not done, but am a good ways though . I am new to this so take it for what it is This is very much a work in progress. I still have a rather large barrel to add to the rear and am gonna add some armor skirting in the very lest.


Body


Turret


All together
]

here are some 1/48 kit bashes I did I never green-stuffed them and they are mostly painted, 1/48 is the best scale, unless you are not planning on showing any or very little of the original vehicle (like if you just use the tracks, or hull, or turret only?)

http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/260558.page

I like the 1/35th scale for the smaller tanks. I find the panzer about right. This is my first conversion so I did not go gonzo on it, however I will never use 40k tracks as those are one of the major issues I have with 40k vees

If it's a Hellhound, it needs big fuel tanks, IMHO.

alarmingrick wrote:If it's a Hellhound, it needs big fuel tanks, IMHO.

I am working on that, rear mounted tanks. Had to do some bracing work so it will stay. Its a 4x2 cm drum. Takes up most of the space between the rear tracks. I may mount two, but I do not really want to obstruct the main guns field of fire. You shouldn't shoot fire over top your own fuel tanks...but it is 40k.


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Dry fitted drum. Yep its crooked, i will fit that before gluing, I may add the second tank anyhow

Keep up the work. My suggestion to you is to magnetize your weapons on your turrent for flexibility.

I had not thought of that. The turret does turn, the weapon however does not move up and down as it had to be glued for support. I am also new to using the plastic, so it is not as smooth or as uniform as it could be. Hopefully that will improve as it is very useful.

magnets would have given me lear way in the in the turret weapon area, i'll have to look into those in the future. Thank ya.

Pretty neat idea. Like to see it finished and painted now !

Fantatic stuff! BTW I'm using two Tamiya King Tigers for my new Imperial Guard army ... Both in 1/48 scale. Don't Listen to people when they tell you something is too big / too small. I've been over this issue quite a bit about 3rd party tank scale. A king tiger is a 70 ton tank ... the Largest tank produced in WWII so a 1/48 scale tank looks the perfect size compared to 28mm models just because it was so big in real life. On the other hand nearly anything 1/32 scale is way too big ... but in your case a little panzer like you're using will look perfect compared to 28mm. It just depends on the scale of the kit and how big the tank was in real life. Just saying one scale fits and one doesn't isn't thinking about the problem suffeciently. Long winded answer, sorry, but fantastic work BTW.

Sorry about the crappy quality, I don't have a setup to take photos of my models yet. Anyway you can see the 1/48 scale for the largest real world tanks translates roughly to Leman Russ size. If you used a 1/48 light tank it would be way too small. A 1/32 or 1/35 Heavy tank would be way too big, but light tanks look fine.

Those are great pics man, Nice conversion, thanks for shareing I simply love seeing what other people come up with. Mine will unlikely be painted that nice as I am really, really rusty and never painted anything like mini's. I find it a bit funny you have greatcoats there as that is what I am using. I like them alot really. I like what you have done and may look into a 1/48th larger tank, right now I am digging the 1/35 scale and do not feel it is to bad off. well no worse then the no scale GW uses for tanks anyhow.

Here are some update pics. The Tank has been completed and I have primed it( not all that well, sigh , learn by mistakes we do) and have some unpainted greatcoats in there for scale I primed it in black, kinda wish I had used a lighter color, might do one for the troops and the next hellhound.

sorry the images are large and the tanks a pit dusty had to do some sanding and did not clean it off before the pics...sigh









As you can see it needs a good amount of work before it is ready for paint. It needs some sanding, some touch up and a good amount of cleaning. and you will notice I have yet to put the tracks on yet.

Nice work.

Thank ya kindly.