The Blood Angels Baal Predators I am working on at the moment.
Let me know what you all think.

thouse look great! what did you make them out of

Thanks :-) The white plastic parts are from thin plastic placemats I got at a local store. The green plastic is 3mm plastic card.
Both are easy to cut, and a light score with a knife on the white plastic and it folds easily.
Trying to work out how to do the wheels, got a 32 gauge shotgun and the brass cartridge is about the right diameter, so I might use it as a punch ;-)

Got the twin linked assault cannons for the turrets done.
Tell me what you think so far.

Amazing! Once they have paint they'll be almost indistinguishable from the real thing!

Those are off to a great start! Do you have blueprints that you used or did you just wing it?

Thanks guys, will post some more pics tomorrow.

I have blueprints based on Patorochs paper models, which I have adjusted to suit the materials I am using.

I had to completely do the turrets from scratch though as his fold lines did not work at all.

The assault cannon barrels are made from tooth-picks ;-)


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I can post the turret plans as PDF or AutoCAD dwg file if anyone wants them.

Yeah I would love to see them! These are awesome!

Here are some pics showing the progress on the turret hatches so far.

I think they are turning out OK

Really good effort. You are really taking this to the next level which is adding layers of Plasticard and rivets. Those are details which really will class up your scratch build and show that they are completed models.

They are going to turn out really well at this rate!

OK, main turret hatch done, drivers hatches and periscopes on, and vent covers to the exhaust stacks.

Tell me what you think.

Been wondering if I should use filler on the turret joints to go for a cast/welded turret look, or go for the plate look leaving the joint lines and detailing with rivets?

How long have you spent so far on them?

Probably about 24 hours actual work total. Working 2 jobs at the moment so time to actually work on them is limited.

Wouldn't buying the originals be a better time investment?

Good work either way!

Not really, I enjoy making them :-) , and my daughter (8 years) loves to help.

I also started playing 40K at the time you were required to make anything other than the Rhino yourself, guess its a bit of a habit :-D

So, next update, exhaust stacks done, made by wrapping a strip of plastic around the injection points off the sprues and then drilling holes for the vents, and front end lights are done, I am considering putting a shield strip on the fronts of those.

Any comments?

They look awesome.

Can't wait to see these with paint.

Working on the heavy bolters has commenced.

I think I will do large box magazines, I have a (real world military) dislike of exposed ammunition link feeds on the exterior of armored vehicles.......

OMG i wish i could hire you to make me vheicals youre work never cesses to amaze me. KUDO's sir KUDO's

Thanks Slipknotzim, actually I am sure we could work out something.

I'll try and post some pics of the heavy bolters as they are now. Been a busy week so not much time to work on them. Got the box magazines almost done.

great looking tanks. I'm mostly finished with a patoroch Whirlwind, but I really like the look of the 3mm plasticard you used on the sides. I had trouble getting the parts that were suppose to be exactly the same to turn out that way (plates that make up the side track housings for example). Do you use anything special to get it to work out right or just cut and adjust till it's right?

Excellent work dude!

Great build wish I had your skills

;o It's so crazy it just might work! These are looking really good, but I think the turrets look a bit small in comparison to the real ones? And, I like your Heavy Bolter adaptions, they looks great!

That's superb work so far! Nice job mate.

Hi guys, thanks for the comments, in answer to the questions

I use a paper Template that I stick down with clear sticky tape, I use it as a standard template and cut using a craft knife and metal ruler, once the piece is cut out I file all the pieces to match in pairs like with the track housing, and number them so I don't mix them up.

The turrets are actually the same size as the drawings in imperial armor in length and breadth and on the real model, if you look at the relationship between the gun mantlet and the drivers hatches, I think they might possibly be a couple of millimeters lower in height, but I think the main reason why they might look smaller is because of the lack of a commander figure.

Have you thought of making a tutorial on youtube?

Yes I have actually Dax, I am going to make some BA Vindicators next, I will do a tutorial for those, showing how to make the bodies etc, and add a bit about the turrets for the Baal & standard predators etc.

OK, got one done with the heavy bolters.

Comments, as always, are appreciated.

thinking you might make/magnetize the flamer weapons aswell?

Yes, but I will do them in swapable turrets, and the posts holding the heavy bolters are removable. Nice thing about scratch building is no magnets required

OK, so all three BaaL Predators have the heavy bolters on now.
Today I begin the wheels and tracks.

subscribed! the quality of work here is excellent can't wait to see paint on these babies...

Thanks Varl

The wheels are being made using 12mm (roughly 1/2") washers, putting a plastic back on them, hopefully it will work out.

Just showing off an earlier scratch build of my Stormraven gunship going head to head with a helldrake.....

OK, first set of wheels done on the left hand side.

Holy heel, good job! I think you would have a very hard time distingushing between them and a GW Baal predator once they are painted!

Thanks FunJohn :-)

Great job dude can't wait to see them done.

Oh nice! Proper wheels! No more 'track right on hull' effect! that'll look sexy when done!

 Endriu Death Coy wrote:
Thanks Varl

The wheels are being made using 12mm (roughly 1/2") washers, putting a plastic back on them, hopefully it will work out.

I see how you are doing the wheels on pics. How are you doing the plastic back on the washers? Looks great!

I have been doing some cardstock versions and yet to work plastic card yet. I never liked the plan's wheels so i might copy this method and add tracks to the vindicators n such i have built .

Also on the turret... did you have a link or something you could PM me on that? I cant seem to find that exact one but i been wanting to try a Baal preditor builds myself and have everything but the upper turret. .

I am enjoying this build and nicely done!

Thanks for the comments guys, glad you like them so far.

Hi SWOB, the plastic backs on the washers are surprisingly easy, I got some 0.5mm plastic table place-mats from a local store, easy to cut and cheap as well, then simply super-glue the washers to the mat, cut around, and file smooth around the edge.

I am going to do Vindicators next, BIG GUNS!!!!! I have a turret plan I can send you that I used for my Baal Predators if you send me your email by private message.



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Oh yeah, forgot to say, the axles are made from model aircraft plastic sprue

Space Wolf, I actually have a PDF file for the turret, if you want me to email it to you PM me your email.

Work on the tracks has commenced. Will post pictures soon.

Spacewolfoddballz if you want to PM me I'll send you the turret plans

Tracks started, if you look close you can see the links. I will be adding drive guides to one side, and tread patterns to the other.

Ok, so started cutting out the tread details ready to stick them to the tracks

OK, so the track link treads are done, here is the pic. Need to see about the guide teeth on the other side, then can start attaching them.

Main base tracks on, note the guide teeth on the inside. What do you think?

OK, here is the first fully tracked model.

Please let me know what you think guys, all feedback is welcome.

I'm still amazed this is scratch built. the quality is excellent! can't wait to see some paint on this tank

I am thinking of doing one as a DC support vehicle (black with red St.Andrew's crosses) and the other 2 as stock red, what do you guys reckon?

Thanks Varl, I hope all 3 will turn out well on the painting.

I am now thinking about the BA symbol details, I am tempted by the forgeworld details, but after all the scratch-building that would feel like cheating, I think I will try and do the details from scratch as well.

Some more pics, where you can see the wheels and tracks better.

Now I just have to work out how to do some details on them.

Note the start of the hinges for the drivers view port cover.

Got the tracks done on Baal Pred number 2, one more to go.

OK, here are the gunners periscopes. I have gone for a more tubular look.
Let me know what you think.

You have some serious skills sir - are you an engineer? Can't wait to seem them painted!

Amazed by the work so far, have more in the works?

Thanks guys, I will be doing 3 Vindicators next, then some Land Raiders



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I work as a QA (Quality Assurance) Engineer, but I was originally a draftsman.

OK, time for an update on the detailing, been using the wings from the DC box sets and some spare shoulder details for the Baal's tell me what you think.


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Going to use some skulls etc I have in the bits box too.

Wow! his is such high quality work, I wish I could make something to that level!
Also just the fact that you saved about $250 AUS dollars through making those is incredibly impressive (Baal Pred's are $83 over here )
I think once undercoated they'll look just as good, if not better than the GW ones! Great job!

Thanks Gutsnagga!

Yeah where I live now (Republic of Georgia) I would have to buy them and have them shipped in by international mail, it's prohibitively expensive for vehicles. US$58, plus postage to USA2Georgia, + USA2Georgia fee to Tbilisi......

And it's more fun to make them anyway.....

I remember scratch building the (at the time) new "boxy" dreads for epic back in the 1990's in Auckland in NZ. Now that was fiddly work!!!





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By the way, your winged Squiggoth looks awesome!!!

Haha, sorry, that's actually not mine, it's a forge world best of show award, I just love the picture
I have it in my gallery that it was created by someone else, I'm not quite at that level of skill yet

It's certainly something to aspire to making!!!

your baals look great so far. (giggle) baals. look. great..... no? ok.

Where did you get our plastic card/stuff from?

Those are amazing!

I'd also like to know if you have specific brands for the materials that you've used. And could you go a little bit more in depth on how you made the tracks so well? I have 4 second hand rhinos in absolutely terrible condition that I need to re do the tracks on, and some advice on making those would be much appreciated.

The plastic card is 0.5mm plastic table mats, you need to use super glue with it.

The plastic sheet is 2.5mm thick, its used for advertising boards etc.

I currently live in the former USSR republic of Georgia thanks to my wife being from there..... its a bit hard to get branded items here.

Spud, send me a private message, the tracks are not to hard. I can send you plans showing how I made them. Basically they are 2 layers of 0.5mm plastic sheet with light cuts to make the detail, then I cut out the tread details from one sheet and glue, then I glue the guide teeth on the back.

OK, here is the first one base coated.

I used them yesterday in a game, they sure lay down hurt on enemy infantry.

Amazing work, mate. I've just come across this thread now, and I'm incredibly impressed by your work!

Thanks Azazelx

Hi all,

Been a while since I had much time to work on them.

Here is a pic of all 3 base-coated with an assault squad for scale, plus pics of the first one with the first coat of red.
The red used is a brick red which will be over brushed with a blood red to provide subtle shading.

Oops, forgot to attach this one

Any comments guys and girls??

hey deathcoy, good to see your still working on these things, even with just a basecoat they already starting to look brilliant!

Wow, looking good!
Can't wait to see one fully painted!

Thanks guys, doing 2 jobs at the moment plus evening teaching English to the locals so time has not been on my side :-D
I'll hopefully do some more painting this week

Here is a pic of the DC Baal Pred with the first of the red stripes.

OK, here are some more pics.

All comments and (constructive) criticism are welcome

Stunning work. I am very impressed by this, particularly the treads. Treads are one of the most difficult parts of scratch building vehicles, could you share how you did them?

I've got one suggestion for you. I don't know if it's too late for this, but try putting rivets on them-it'll give them that extra level of detail and rivets look nice on tanks

Coments:
awesome work.
The black (highlights and whatnot) is amazing!
I WANTS!

suggestions: The only thing I can think of is to keep at it!
Why? You ask? Because MOAR

Thanks Far Seer and Shrouded lord.
I was thinking of adding rivets, around the drivers view slits and on the turret in particular, the problem is I can't get thin plastic rod here.

With the tracks I cut relative section lengths from from plastic card, and cut the track detail into one side. Then added tread details, and the track guide teeth to the other side.

Where the tracks bend around the wheels the track links are individual pieces. When I do the next 3 which will be vinidcators I will post pics of how I make them.

Do you have Brita water jugs in Georgia? They look like this: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/green-reader-tip-recycle-brita-123302

If you've used one up, you can open up the filter in which there will be millions of these white balls and small chunks of charcoal. Drill some small holes into your models where you want the rivets to go, and use a needle and glue to stick the white balls into the holes.

Cool idea! Thanks Far Seer, I'll see if I can find any of those. It can be hard to find stuff like that in former soviet republics, but there will be something similar I'm sure.

Awesome work!
I love the death company scheme, looks great! Nice stripes!

Wow! Those are amazing!

Thanks guys,

Here are all three together.

The blood red has been added, but need to do highlights on the red ones.

For Far seer,

Here are pics I took from when I was doing the tracks.

Hope this helps show what I was doing.

Very crafty, I really like what you've been able to do there.

Thanks Zak!

Very nicely done on the whole build. I've still got to even out, fill, and detail my whirlwind.

JWM, Id be keen to see your whirlwind. Do you have pics on here?

Here is the DC Baal with the gun control optics added.
These are blu-tacked on so I can remove them and swap out for flamers.
They do turn with the guns

Sure, it's page 3 of my P&M Blog http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/60/468523.page

Still needs a lot of cleanup.

Cool! I can't get cardstock here in Georgia so I have to go with the plastic.

It will look great when it's painted I think.

Next for me is 3 Vindicators and then a whole of of Land Raider spam ;-) I loooove having LR as dedicated transports ;-)

OK all three with gun control cameras added.

Amazing work. I've scratch built in the past but my stuff looks like kids toys compared to this.

Can I ask how you made your circular sections eg turret hatches?

hi troy, glad you like them.
Actually the main hatch on the turret is made from 20 and 10 tetri coins the 20 tetri coin is super glued to plastic card before being cut out. The doors of the hatch were cut out using a paper template taped to the plastic card.

The drivers hatches were made using a Singapore 5 cent piece taped to the plastic card. The detail was cut out using paper templates taped to plastic card.