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Made in us
Oozing Spawning Vat




Gloucester, Gloucestershire

Good evening to all,

TLDR = I am seeking the community to help me choose a model or series of models to make a floating centerpiece using electromagnets

There is a company out there called Crealev. For the last 10 years I've had a dream of buying one of their levitating discs and fitting it into/under a Games Workshop model in order to have a legitimate floating vehicle or model. If it was a vehicle, I could also wire in some lights and minor motors (where possible) to move parts around. The lazy choice for this project is the classic Monolith (before the Necron re-work).

I have attempted to contact Games Workshop for them to provide me with the specifications of a model (such as the Tau Tigershark, or Land Raider), but I have received a genuine response along the lines of "We aren't working in the office and we don't know this information, perhaps you should ask the community?".

Objective

- Identify a decent model (or series of models) to use as a levitating experiment with the possibility of further electrical enhancements.
- Find out the specifics of this model(s), such as weight, length, height, depth and so on. Ideally the levitation module should be hidden inside the model to make it feel more like it is floating on its own accord.
- Begin a discussion with others who are interested in seeing a levitating model onto the practical and best methods for bringing it to plan


Flux45

The first module I wish to experiment with is called the Flux45. I've already purchased one and I have tested it out with various objects to gauge an idea of the effectiveness of the levitation effect.
The limitations or issues surrounding the project is that the levitation disc (the part that floats) is a little chunkier than I expected.
- 124mm diameter
- 13mm depth (at edges)
- Supposedly can carry 1kg, but on experimentation this is impractical and would probably be unable to realistically hold 750g
- You can see it in the picture below floating with a 500g bag of sugar on it.

I was wondering if the people of this community could lend me their thoughts on the model to use?
Whether it is best to simply place it on the levitation disc or perhaps build a model around the disc?
If we find the correct model, what would you love to see on it?
There is also the question of model balance. Eldar vehicles for example are more length and shard, leaving a potential for lop-sided vehicle balancing which makes the levitation harder.

Casual thought is that a model similar to the Tau Tigershark is easy to model on/around this disc, however it is large and pretty dull at the end of the day as far as making a floating model goes. Problem is, most skimmers in 40k are smaller at their base than the disc. I can add lights and minor motors as needed without interference from the electromagnets.

I thank you for your time

-
Snafu



*I apologize if this post can be seen as in the incorrect section of the forum. Of all the places to post, putting it in modelling feels like the best option as I will be modelling.
[Thumb - 20211123_175821.jpg]
Flux45 in action

This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 2021/11/23 23:14:09


 
   
Made in us
The Marine Standing Behind Marneus Calgar





Upstate, New York

124mm is huge on the GW mini scale. My first thought was a repulsor, as a brick-like SM hover tank would look awesome floating, but it’s narrower that that. So is a LR, and it’s a big box.

You might have luck with a necron monolith. I don’t have any, but it’s big, and box-like so might be easy to stash something inside. The tesseract vault might be another option. Again, just guessing here as I don’t play necrons.

Some of the Forge World things might work, but resin is going to be heavier, and they are going to be more expensive.

Welcome to Dakka, and Good Luck

   
Made in us
Humming Great Unclean One of Nurgle





In My Lab

Maybe a Great Unclean One? They're big and have a wide base.

Also, this sounds dope as all hell. Good luck with the project!

Clocks for the clockmaker! Cogs for the cog throne! 
   
Made in gb
Calculating Commissar






Reading, Berks

One that would be really interesting to see is Lord Kroak as you could incorporate the floating disk into the model as extra stonework underneath his throne easily enough, with all sorts of vegetation hanging off the sides and underneath

   
Made in no
Liche Priest Hierophant





Bergen

How about a terrain piece?

Something eldar, Necron or demonic would look great floating. Also, having it on the table while playing is a great display.

   
Made in gb
Executing Exarch





London, UK

Something you'll no doubt find useful if you haven't seen this already:



   
Made in gb
Angry Chaos Agitator





Very interestiong project looking forward to see where this goes!

In terms of what model to use, my intinct is to steer clear of things like the tigershark or anything else with a wide wingspan. The bigger the wingspan, the less obvious the levitation effect will be; if you could levitate a tau manta, for example, you wouldn't even be able to tell if it was floating or mounted on something if it was only a few inches off the base.

The Silent King comes to mind as a good candidate. I'm not sure on the exact dimensions but it's a very veritcal model that I think would look really striking levitating. I think it would definitely be better to built around the magnetic plate rather that just sit something on top.
   
Made in us
Oozing Spawning Vat




Gloucester, Gloucestershire

Thank you to all for your suggestions and thoughts so far.

I haven't seen that levitating Eldar piece before, it looks like it would use one of the smaller discs that you can buy from this specific company, although it appears this man made his own version. Very nice.
It is something I was thinking of, but I think as my disc is too big it wouldn't work like that. That being said, hiding it under some terrain is a point I haven't put a heavy thought into. More focused on the model first, before the base/terrain.

On the subject of terrain, perhaps I am thinking of models and not terrain as Niiai mentions. Some sort of floating crystal as a centerpiece could be interesting, maybe a floating Daemon arm grasping out of a seemingly impossible hovering gateway or portal from the ground. These would be great, I'll start looking around at companies that already have scenery that might be large enough to try something similar (would work great as a middle piece of a gaming board). Keeping in line with terrain, it is worth pointing out (and you can see in that video link of the Eldar speeder) that due to the levitation disc floating, it has nothing stopping it from continuing to move from pressure/direction. You can spin it and it will just keep spinning, you can even push it down and it will bob up and down repeatedly. I wonder if a permanently spinning eldritch flame would be a good idea? Might start chalking up some visuals this weekend.

There is a little issue with the magnetism on the electro-magnets. Whilst it doesn't interfere with circuitry very much, they are magnets. I might have to be careful where I put it once it is placed and what materials are hovering above it.

Larger fantasy models such as the Unclean one would probably work, but when you think Nurgle you don't think 'floaty'... More probably 'bloaty' instead. Even with a terrain piece covering the base, the levitation module itself will stand out unless I build something around it I suppose. If a model is to float, unless it has a disc itself (or hoverboard) to stand on, feels odd having the model floating whilst attached to a disc/base unless I find a way to incorporate the levitation disc into the model itself, which is why I went down the thought process of vehicle rather than individual.

On the subject of the Monolith, I would be interested in doing it if it didn't feel lazy, you know? I can make it look good, lights.. bells... whistles and lasers, but at the end of the day it's a trapezoid of doom. Doesn't grab the eyeline. I'll probably buy an older one anyway, see how it works.

Perhaps an Eldar gun battery platform? Ooh, floating Nurgle cauldren?

I'm going to start looking around for items to purchase on the weekend with the ideas you have put forward, perhaps whilst physically messing around with it I will come up with a solution.

Please, keep going if you have any thoughts or ideas.




Automatically Appended Next Post:
Can anyone out there provide me with the measurements of some of the following models or scenery:

Warhammer 40,000
- Primaris Repulsor
- Land Raider
- Incursor

Age of Sigmar
- Realmshaper Engine
- Sigmarite Dais.

I don't mind buying them, from GeeDubs proper or as throwaways second hand, but if someone is out there with one of these laying about I would love to know the specs. Especially as Games Workshop don't know their own specifications... ...

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2021/11/24 20:52:20


 
   
 
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