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Hello lads and lasses!

It's not that long I got an idea for a cool Imperial Knight conversion. A de/construction unit, or deforestation unit to be more precise. I plan to use Knight Errant as it has one big chainsaw and a Melta cannon to clear out rock formations.
Painting it with yellow/black stripes, placing warning labels, floodlights, warning beacons, gantries, catwalks, maybe even a crane and overall making it look heavy-duty and rigid machine, is a sure thing.

But I struggle with the head. I don't want it there. I 'd like to replace it with a cabin with a pilot inside, but I can't get an idea how it should look like, to make it fit. My only idea is a tower crane-like cabin.

Any ideas, please? Or pics/references to cool looking machines that might fit?

Industrial machine cabins tend to be simple, square and have lots of viewing windows.

Your best bet is probably to make a box of clear plastic with struts for the frame, I'd think.

I just finished a knight. Replacing the head will be a tough conversion because of the small area you have to work with. You will have to attach whatever cockpit you devise to a vertical surface and make it fit in between that giant shell carapace. I doubt the space, as is, is big enough to fit a wide shouldered marine.

As the poster above said, a simple, open square will look most industrial. Think like the cab to a Bobcat loader.

It could also look pretty dope if you made the cockpit more of an exosuit type of mechanism (like a really big Alien suit) with a marine with lots of pistons and such.

Thank you for your feedback. I've done few conversions already. Reworking the front carapace shouldn't be much of an issue. Also, for a humorous reason, I'm not planning to put a Marine inside. Instead, plan to make a fat construction worker inside, as it is an civilian machine commissioned for military use.

Fat construction worker like this.

I also tried to search the google images and found this, that gave me an inspiration.

I love the construction worker idea. I'm a big fan of adding some fun into the grim dark.

Kromlich makes fat Ork torsos that would probably save you some green stuff sculpting. https://bitsofwar.com/home/57-orc-fatties-torsos.html

The first thing I thought of was this toy from an old cartoon called Exosquad. It was a giant construction robot with a guy inside in the same general setup as a knight. If there isn’t room for an entire cabin, try just a rollbar setup like that.
https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/exo-squad/images/8/83/Po-024.gif/revision/latest?cb=20100321205205

the sentinel cockpit might work for what you're trying to do.

Sentinel cockpit is too enclosed for this, unfortunately.

You could do it with only certain parts of it, though. The seatback rear cockpit part, pilot and arms. The rest can be done from plasticard and rod.

That said, if you are willing to do the work yourself, it can all be scratchbuilt from sheet and rod (pilot/operator cage).

Don't forget the flashing lights.

Yes, working floodlights and flashing beacons are really tempting!

Whilst not quite what you are asking for, I recomend you check out the following Dakka member's galleries which may help with inspiration:

Hk1x1 : who has converted a multi limbed mechanicus knight.
in the following galleries:
https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/images-54500-49867_Kitbash%20%26%20Conversion%3A%20%20Mechanicus%20Knight%20Conversion.html
https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/images-54500-50442_Kitbash%20%26%20Conversion%3A%20%20Mechanicus%20Knight%20Update.html



scrunty, Who has built some "heavy demolition servitors", with a cage like pilot seat:
[click here to go to gallery]


And also a Demolition knight [click here to go to gallery]


Hope they are of some use to you!
OMN