Plastic Praetorians + Scratch Building - scratch built BFG ships and an Ork Monowheel

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**Kyor_Degremon**

The Tau suit is bonkers! I love it. Keep up the good work!

**JohnnyHell**

Thanks! I finished it up the other day and it’s now with its new owner. Pics at some point. I played my Tyranids against it and it put up a stonking fight before finally falling. It’s a weeee bit tall so we’re considering whether I should make some other weapon options for it to count as one of the FW suits!

I want to make a Titan soon but may try an update of a classic Epic Imperial Knight first. We’ll see...

**Andykp**

Have I thought of applying for a job with Forgeworld at all? You’ve got crazy skills. I can’t cut a straight bit of plastic card to save my life. Any tips, but it looks like you just use a ruler, which still goes wrong for me.

**Lamby**

Your scratch-building is so neat and clean!

The Umbra-pattern Stormraven is a masterpiece!

**JohnnyHell**

Andykp wrote:Have I thought of applying for a job with Forgeworld at all? You’ve got crazy skills. I can’t cut a straight bit of plastic card to save my life. Any tips, but it looks like you just use a ruler, which still goes wrong for me.

Lamby wrote:Your scratch-building is so neat and clean!

The Umbra-pattern Stormraven is a masterpiece!

Cheers guys.

I wrote up a little kit list and how-to at this post earlier in the thread: https://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/180/513429.page#9584963

I’m still planning on doing some videos but just need to get set up and find the time!

**Kyor_Degremon**

Any advice for working with plasticard would we welcome, be it a video or a simple written post. Most people also don't realise the advantage of a template when it comes to this sort of thing.

**JohnnyHell**

Kyor_Degremon wrote:
Any advice for working with plasticard would we welcome, be it a video or a simple written post. Most people also don't realise the advantage of a template when it comes to this sort of thing.

I’ll be on it in a couple of weeks, got folks visiting for a while.

I have ordered a pile more plasticard from Hurlbat, including some 0.5mm (woo, splashing out) for easier curves, shallower detail, basis of capes, etc.

I was debating what to make, then Patoroch only went and released a Termite template! :O :O :O That might leap to the top of the build queue if I can find a suitable cylinder for the core (screw making a tube when I can reuse a found one and detail it!).

Trouble is I’d wanna make two, and load them with Dark Angels Company Veterans toting storm shields, with plasma and storm Bolters up the wazoo. I’ve had this idea of a drill assault element for ages, and was going to make counts-as drop pods in the style of emerged Termites (we’ve all seen the third-party resin ones and scratch builds right?). But the chance of having them slither around afterwards meltaing Eldar is too tasty a prospect to pass up! Having Iron Armour veterans storming out, boarding party style, oh my.

I’ve been painting-dodging again, making some Black Knights out of my Dark Vengeance bikers (simple plasma pistol clip/glue with scratch made Corvus hammers), and a Sammael to lead them. Sammael is based on Patoroch’s template for Corvex, with a few alterations to suit my mostly less blinged-up take on Dark Angels, and to save a tonne of sculpting work so I can get it completed quicker. I’ve gone with a Chapter icon instead of the Imperial Eagle on the prow, skipped the giant book altogether, and have it mostly assembled. A big old chunk of detailing, finishing and sculpting of cables and purity seals to go. Pics when I get time - I threw him together on Sunday for last night’s game. Top prevaricating.

The Stormraven did pretty well last night in battle, zooming forth ahead of my Ravenwing, attempting to assassinate the enemy warlord, but leaving him on 1W by split firing too much. At least he nuked the Banshees that I was worried about. She then bit the dust, but my opponent forgot she had passengers! She disgorged her cargo of Veterans, Tacs, a Company Champion, a Company Ancient and Company Master, who then had little fire to face as he’d spent all his shuriken fire chipping the Stormraven’s armour away. They then proceeded to shoot, soak up bullets, and charge through ruin walls to avoid Overwatch, and generally made a fine Aeldari paste out of the once-proud poets and painters.

**JohnnyHell**

Terrain!

Needed some variety from ruins all the time, so knocked up some LOS-blockers you can’t stand minis on:

Here they are naked:

I always find tin cans look better sideways on. They look less obvious tin cans then. Ingredients: two food tins, inner card tube from kitchen towel, assorted bottle caps, a sellotape core, MDF sprue from my Necro buildings, toothpicks, impact glue, superglue.

This is based around a light shade we were going to throw out, and a cosmetics gift box. Other ingredients: an iPhone box, tonic cans, copper pipe fittings, vitamin tubes, assorted bottle caps, a washing powder measurer, MDF sprue offcuts and MDF detail pieces, some mesh carpet tape stuff, a sellotape core, some bits of plastic sprue, printer cartridge tops, impact glue, superglue and PVA.

Primed (plus a hill made from an old uPVC door panel):

(The large paint pot is the many litres of textured black emulsion I bought for terrain! Cheaper than a tester pot at a time!)

Still soggy:

Really all comes together!

To finish it up I hit it with a very heavy dark blue drybrush, a mid grey blue drybrush then an ice blue drybrush. All with a 1” house brush! Washi tape then turned an average looking thing into a cool looking thing, as usual.

Oh yeah, I also threw in an old bike light and some cotton wool for a bubbling promethium tank!

Pretty pleased. They’re a good size for LOS-blocking and we’re done in an afternoon.

(I don’t know what I did differently on Imgur when uploading them but they’ve somehow had 115,000 views on there and 1,900 upvotes!)

**Meer_Cat**

Holy freaking cow!

"In an afternoon..." he says. "Just some junk lying about..." he says. This is incredible! I love making things from odds and sods I find lying about- this is terrific! I'm actually getting ready to try to do a piece of Necromunda out of common household items (or a defense piece for the LoTR competition- I've never tried that before) and largely inspired by your blog here.

A truly fun piece, playable and clever. Really well done.

**Cleatus**

Wow, those look great! Thanks for sharing your tips on the paint scheme as well. The addition of the Washi tape really does take them from good to great. Thanks for sharing!

**JohnnyHell**

You’re welcome guys! Yeah, washi tape really is an industrial terrain secret weapon!

I’ve some stuff to post soon, including a scratch built alternate take on Corvex, and some ACTUAL PAINTING PROGRESS on things I’ve made. I know!!!

**The Brave**

Very cool use of the light.

**Snrub**

Wow

Lots of eye candy in this blog to gawk at! Going to enjoy working my way through all 13 pages.
Let me start by saying though that the terrain on this page is insane. Imaginative, very well constructed looking and with a natty paintjob to boot.

Subbed and eagerly following.

**JohnnyHell**

Thank you guys! Comments very much appreciated!

Unhappy with my old one, I decided to make a better Razorback turret...

Nailed it!

I didn’t use a template for this one, I just freestyled it. The Marine and chair were from an Attack Bike that never got fielded, so I turned it back into a regular bike. Waste not, want not... and thus the idea for this turret ‘remake’ came about! No magically disappearing legs on this one. Dude has a proper seat.

**Meer_Cat**

Very nicely done!

**JohnnyHell**

Thanks! I think it’s gonna get ‘new model syndrome’ later tonight; fielding a small 1K force against my friend’s T’au. Small, because I’m taking the Razorback *and* my Land Raider Crusader! That’s half my points gone.

**ghostmaker**

Awesome conversions!

**JohnnyHell**

Thanks Ghostmaker!

I’ve got to take some photos, but I’ve just finished a ‘remake’ of the old Rogue Trader era Inquisitor in Terminator Armour. Yes, beard, ponytail and cyberleg guy! I had a spare Termy suit that was missing a leg from an eBay bundle, so it was just fate...

Also finished a bonkers Techmarine on Bike conversion, complete with Conversion Beamer. Stay tuned...

**JohnnyHell**

Here’s recent project #597... a ‘remake’ of the classic metal Inquisitor in Terminator Armour.

I always loved this model! In an eBay job lot I acquired a plastic Terminator missing its left leg and right toe. I’d previously started making it into a Captain, making a running pose with sprue and intending to sculpt armour. Never happened of course!

So the other day I set about doing a remake of the metal Inquisitor instead. I tried to image how the GW team would update the model is making it today.

Not many WIP shots I’m afraid, but this is a selection of angles of the main assembly and sculpting. I filed things back further and added some small details. The missing kneecap was my fault, I’d removed it and glued on something else, so I had to resculpt the armour’s patella.

I’ve been painting it the last couple of days, partly inspired by the very old Inquisitor novel cover, and partly in homage to the custom chapter I used to paint my Marines as before unceremoniously paint stripping them! That’s where the white pauldrons comes in.

Here’s where I’m at... probably 85% done at this point. Not a Golden Demon winner but better than ‘tabletop stabdard’, and I’m always learning.

I really think he captures the original mini well. The retro pauldrons shape, the needler/bolter combi weapon, the digital lasers and the bionic leg are all present, and I hope you’ll agree he’s recognisable as an update of this classic miniature. I added the Genestealer Hybrid head partly as I’d melted one flat with plastic glue by accident, and also as a nod to his role in the Ordo Xenos. I’ll play him as a Deathwatch Captain, with Storm Bolter with SIA representing the Needler Combi Weapon, and a Powerfist with Meltagun representing his Jokaero Digital Lasers in lethal fashion.

**Meer_Cat**

I'd say you've nailed it; I stopped acquiring Terminators when I stopped playing Space Hulk (so, around 1994) and remember this figure well. You've captured the original and incorporated upgrades subtly- a great figure!

**Snrub**

Fantastic conversion there Johnny. An excellent re-imagining (?) of a classic model.

**JohnnyHell**

Cheers guys, I’m super happy with it. Painting is almost done so I’ll post more pics once I’ve added iconography.

**Kyor_Degremon**

Spectacular work as always! Inspiring me to pick up some plasticard to do more for my Renegades... Do you think a Salamander would be an easy first attempt at scratch building, if i follow Patrioch's template?

**JohnnyHell**

Kyor_Degremon wrote:
Spectacular work as always! Inspiring me to pick up some plasticard to do more for my Renegades... Do you think a Salamander would be an easy first attempt at scratch building, if i follow Patrioch's template?

It’s not a bad place to start! Lots of straight edges, boxy shapes, hidden road wheels, not toooo many fiddly bits. Should be good! You’ll get to learn the joys of tracks hehe. I recommend ignoring the way they’re designed and going an easier easy route... take a peek at my Macharius build pics or nag me for how! You’ve also got a forgiving design for figuring out the first joy of making paper models in plastic... adapting to the thickness of the material. Tanks that are 1mm wider or taller don’t look substantially different, so you can get away with less trimming and bodging.

Super excited you’re going to have a go! Keep me updated with how you get on!

**JohnnyHell**

What is this?

Did I have to wait in whilst we got a new door fitted and spend all afternoon making something new?

Yep. I used a cut-down salt container with a couple of wraps of 0.5mm styrene for the basis. All the wonkiness and joins get hidden under later stages. Mostly 0.5mm today instead of my usual 40thou as I’m doing curved sections, with 1mm for the tracks, structural bit at base of the power plant/weird five pointed butt thing and some details.

What a difference a few rivets makes! Here’s a side by side comparison:

Loads of errors (track base layer on backwards, decided I’m hiding it with links rather than prying off x5) and stuff I’d do differently but that’s every build for ya! On the other hand several bits were easier to do in plasticard not paper, so many corners have been cut.

So far I’m super pleased with it. Lots more to do, including another 63 track links to go on then all 105 to shape a little, all the drill mech bits and more on the butt. Then hundreds of rivets. Then finally to tunnel up into an Aeldari base and drill all their dudes!

Also, inspired by another favourite Epic model from my youth, and by Meet_Cat’s Mortars (check out his thread!) I’m going to follow up the Termite with some Mole Mortars!

More to follow!

**Meer_Cat**

Sweet Mother of Styrene- that's awesome!

**Nodwick**

JohnnyHell wrote:
- Decide where you want rivet. If it’s on styrene/plasticard apply a drop of plastic glue. I use Revell’s precision applicator pots with the needle tip. Regardless, I usually end up with more glue than I need. Don’t worry, it’s pretty thin and dries up just fine 90% of the time.

I prevent using too much glue by putting the glue on a random piece of anything (usually cardboard), picking up the rivet, dipping it in the glue and then putting it on the model. This only adds a miniscule amount of glue to the rivet, but ehough to keep it in place.

**JohnnyHell**

Great tip. I usually use that for superglue precision, but have just practised being more accurate with polystyrene cement... as I use too many rivets for that method to be fun!!!

**Kyor_Degremon**

I am envious of that Termite! As for the salamander, I just need to order some more plasticard and some beads for rivets and then I'll give it a go. Would you recommend starting by assembling the template to see how it all fits and then using a copy on the actual plasticard or just going straight to the plastic?

**JohnnyHell**

Up to you! I just went straight in with plasticard as I didn’t want to do the job twice. You’ll also need to adapt the templates a little to account for the thickness of the styrene

I’d suggest cutting all the parts as-is, and not trimming any down much. For the track units you can just use the two side pieces and track layer to save material. For the hull a mm or so of extra width won’t be noticeable. Tanks are quite forgiving builds.

I can recommend using double sided tape instead of spray mount. Much easier to peel off afterwards, though you do need to be careful you use enough so bits of template you haven’t trimmed/cut yet don’t fall off! I barely ever use spray mount now.