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Me again,

As some of you may not have already seen, I have started work on turning left-over Chimera bits into some sort of Half-track for my Renegade Guard army. It's probably my most ambitious project yet as I have never worked with plasticard on this sort of scale before and, as such, I have decided a whole WiP thread was required as I will more than likely demand some advice along the way!


Here's some of the bits at an early stage last night


After some praying to various gods I've managed to whittle down the plasticard to this.


The wheel and tracks aren't glued on. They are there so we can form a general idea of what's to come

I'm still figuring out what turret to give it as I've run out of Chimera ones. I may give it a spare Baneblade sponson with multi-laser. Where the top hatch is, I may cut off the roof using a multitool when I can get hold of one.

I love it. Say, you're not planning on mounting the quad-gun on the back of this are you? Like a halftrack Gepard?

Tek wrote:I love it. Say, you're not planning on mounting the quad-gun on the back of this are you? Like a halftrack Gepard?

lol no

I do have plans to make another quad and mount it on the back of a Cargo-8

This is gonna be awesome! I've been drooling over halftracks for my guardsmen for ages, but it just seems such a daunting project.

You aiming for something like this:



I love it.Add a few more rivets(because in the dark future there is no weilding!)and I will love it more.

SgtSixkilla wrote:This is gonna be awesome! I've been drooling over halftracks for my guardsmen for ages, but it just seems such a daunting project.

I hear you on that one! I've been trying to bring myself to do this for about a month now and I've only just plucked up the courage! I think it will be worth it, though.

Deff Dread red Edition wrote:You aiming for something like this:



I love it.Add a few more rivets(because in the dark future there is no weilding!)and I will love it more.

Ha ha, yeah. I'm using the SdKfz 251 as my inspiration but I didn't want it to be a carbon copy. Rivet will come when I've finished the hull as it's very hands on at the moment.

Haha,stealing designs from the nazis are we?
Well anyway keep up the excellent work,on this and your renegade blog.

It looks great, but i would shortern the track section, so that it doesn't look like a tank with some wheels welded on the front.
Also, any progress on the 88 conversion?

Da GeneruL wrote:It looks great, but i would shortern the track section, so that it doesn't look like a tank with some wheels welded on the front.
Also, any progress on the 88 conversion?

Seconded! I've seen similar projects that look a bit weird and large to be what is supposed to be a light armoured vehicle. Good luck with it all though

Deff Dread red Edition wrote:Haha,stealing designs from the nazis are we?
Well anyway keep up the excellent work,on this and your renegade blog.

Didn't everybody steal ideas from them? Thanks for keeping track

Da GeneruL wrote:It looks great, but i would shortern the track section, so that it doesn't look like a tank with some wheels welded on the front.
Also, any progress on the 88 conversion?

I'm putting my foot down and saying that I'm not shortening the tracks. I wanted this to be an actual 40k transport (using only 40k bits and plasticard) that looks like it could actually hold a squad of guardsmen in it's belly

Flinty wrote:

Da GeneruL wrote:It looks great, but i would shortern the track section, so that it doesn't look like a tank with some wheels welded on the front.
Also, any progress on the 88 conversion?

Seconded! I've seen similar projects that look a bit weird and large to be what is supposed to be a light armoured vehicle. Good luck with it all though

Ha ha, many thanks

Looks good man way to go would have never thought of this myself!

Okay mate, you'll be wanting some definition around the front wheel, the wheel arches definately. Those just jump out at me. Have you glued the outer plating of the track sections on? If not, assemble the tracks and then see what it looks like with or without these sections. You could always make a smaller, more defined armour plate to fit in the middle of the tracked wheels.

sA

I have plans on using the track armour to make some sort of wheel arch and I'll be making some kind of recess (only slight) into the cabin. The wheel isn't going to be right where it is there as I just wanted to see for myself what the final outcome might look like. I am planning on giving it some kind of mock suspension. As well as that I will be giving the side of the cabin some vision slits.

I have had a good mull about the turret as well and, inspired by the SdKfz 251, I am thinking about picking up another Chimera turret from TheWarlord.au or whatever he's called now and make it sort of open topped. Keep the multilaser but remove the rear armour and hatch and have a gunner standing there. Still early days but this is what you get when you don't plan ahead

Those wheels are a good size, but are perhaps a bit thin? (I wish GW would make unorkified versions of the battlewagon wheels.)

Yes, you definitely need some kind of wheel arch, if it connects to the track mudguards that will help unify the look of the sides. And that should leave a nice spot for some side vewports above them.

Part of me says you should shorten the track sections (thus making the vehicle more Chimera-sized) - that would look really cool - but having looked at this possibility myself before I know its not nearly as easy as it sounds... :(

For the turret, perhaps a much wider and longer turret with lots of observation ports and comms equipment, as if for a command vehicle?

And something about that wedge-shaped front cries out for a big ram!

The idea of track guard as wheel arches is a good one, keep it up!

Make a combination wheel arch and step-up, it'll make the hatch at the front look more accessable and add the needed arch.
I love it! The guard need more half-track transports, gives them a more down-to-earth feel. Can't wait to see it painted!

This is gonna be interesting...

Im confused about half tracks , does the front wheel make the tank turn?

What happens if the tires are blown out? can it still turn like a normal tank?

if it can turn without the wheel, why have wheel in the first place?

confused!@!

Huh, I don't know why I didn't notice you made this thread earlier! Well my 2 cents: The wheels do look a little stuck on at this current stage. Wheel wells are definitely a high priority. For the suspension... I imagine RC car suspension from a cheap toy would look killer! I am having trouble envisioning a turret on it... it seems like it will ruin the look you are going for. I'm anxious to see what you do to remedy that, as I know you will come up with something interesting!

Deff Dread red Edition wrote:You aiming for something like this:



I love it.Add a few more rivets(because in the dark future there is no weilding!)and I will love it more.

Ha ha, yeah. I'm using the SdKfz 251 as my inspiration but I didn't want it to be a carbon copy. Rivet will come when I've finished the hull as it's very hands on at the moment.

Clang wrote:Those wheels are a good size, but are perhaps a bit thin? (I wish GW would make unorkified versions of the battlewagon wheels.)

Yes, you definitely need some kind of wheel arch, if it connects to the track mudguards that will help unify the look of the sides. And that should leave a nice spot for some side vewports above them.

Part of me says you should shorten the track sections (thus making the vehicle more Chimera-sized) - that would look really cool - but having looked at this possibility myself before I know its not nearly as easy as it sounds... :(

For the turret, perhaps a much wider and longer turret with lots of observation ports and comms equipment, as if for a command vehicle?

And something about that wedge-shaped front cries out for a big ram!

You wash your mouth out with soap! That wheel comes from an SdKfz 231 kit. How dare you speak such blasphemies against something so godly! Good idea with connecting it with the track, may look into that!
I don't really need a command vehicle as I've done that to a Rhino not so long ago. But something for the future when I expand, perhaps.

And no ram! lol!

Da GeneruL wrote:The idea of track guard as wheel arches is a good one, keep it up!

I'm getting cracking on that right now!

Granesh wrote:Make a combination wheel arch and step-up, it'll make the hatch at the front look more accessable and add the needed arch.
I love it! The guard need more half-track transports, gives them a more down-to-earth feel. Can't wait to see it painted!

You want it painted too? I'm not superman!

person person wrote:This is gonna be interesting...

With sexy results!

LunaHound wrote:Im confused about half tracks , does the front wheel make the tank turn?

What happens if the tires are blown out? can it still turn like a normal tank?

if it can turn without the wheel, why have wheel in the first place?

confused!@!

Half-tracks combine some of the off-road capabilities of a tank with the feel of a truck. It was said that if you could drive a truck you could drive a half-track whereas not many people can drive a tank. Plus the front wheels helped improve the steering of the vehicle. And if it blew out you'd just do what you'd do with a car wheel; get out and change it.

FoxPhoenix135 wrote:Huh, I don't know why I didn't notice you made this thread earlier! Well my 2 cents: The wheels do look a little stuck on at this current stage. Wheel wells are definitely a high priority. For the suspension... I imagine RC car suspension from a cheap toy would look killer! I am having trouble envisioning a turret on it... it seems like it will ruin the look you are going for. I'm anxious to see what you do to remedy that, as I know you will come up with something interesting!

Pfft, you think I'm made of money?? I'm going to make the suspension with some plastic tubing and some coiled wire.

The turret I'm still thinking about but I'm leaning more and more to an open topped multi-laser turret. Just got to order one from The Combat Company.

Tek wrote: Oh so nothing like the Gepard then;


:(

I love the sdkfz man, I have a crashed Imperial one in my CoD. Great work, keep posting!

Dude, if I had all the money in the world I would buy pretty much everything the Wehrmacht had and 40k the crap out of it. I really would.

I've managed to free up a little time tonight so I'm going to do a little more to this bad boy.

What are you going to arm it with?
(i think the rengade with heavy stubber fron FW (with the guy holding the barrel trimmed off) would look good firing from a crew compartment in the back)

I'm thinking of picking up those guys shortly but I am planning on just giving it a multilaser with hull mounted heavy bolter. I still want it to be a Chimera just aesthetically different.

Thinking of shoving a searchlight on the back somewhere like they sued to on the 251s

You'd have to either shove a bunch of standard IG searchlights on, or get a super huge one. That would be cool.

sA

I was planning on using the standard IG one. Typical that I've got time to probably finish this off tonight yet I've managed to leave my glue at my girlfriends house :(

Okie dokie peepel!

I have some updates on this little project for you.







The track guard works well. I'm psyking myself up for putting on the actual tracks now. After that I'll do some rivets.

I am in need of a chimera turret. Please PM me if you have one to spare. I has monies or will consider a trade!!!

Edit to add: Just done the tracks. Wasn't going to give it track guard but for some reason one of my super-powers is to balls up putting on GW tracks. So I had to cover up a small gap.

Depending how big the track gap is you can cover it with 'mud' in hte weathering stage.

And a tip= always start tracks on the top and sides first- save the bottom for last- that way if there are gaps they're facing down

If the wheel mudguards can now dip down then go across to meet the front bottom of the track mudguards, that will look cool. (And put observation ports on the side wall over the dip.) Hope that makes sense

As Mistress says, 'mud' will handily cover any awkward joins.

Clang wrote:If the wheel mudguards can now dip down then go across to meet the front bottom of the track mudguards, that will look cool.

That would look cool.

I think a predator turret would look better than a chimera turret though.

I've almost finished it now. Managed to get a chimera turret from a friend who ordered one of the FW turrets.

I've pretty much done it now apart from the turret. Just need to do a little more to the suspension. Lasgun ports are now covered. Search light is on the back. Rivets are on. Will take pics later.

@person person - Tried it already.



Looks gash.