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

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**dreadwing**

Love your stuff, makes my legion basilisk i made rubbish, i must learn everything i can from your builds

**JohnnyHell**

dreadwing wrote:
Love your stuff, makes my legion basilisk i made rubbish, i must learn everything i can from your builds

Thank you! Fire away if you need any tips. I learnt by reading Blackadder's threads and just went from there. If I can inspire you in turn that's awesome. I may film a build soon, as someone on Imgur was asking. Let me see if I can get my space tidy enough and a camera set up!

**Kyor_Degremon**

Again, I'm very impressed with the work, and this time it's a whole tank! Good job:!

**JohnnyHell**

Thank you!

As I can't help myself, and as my Ravenwing need more punch (because GW want you to buy new kits not the ones you have grumble grumble) I present the start of "A better Talonmaster".

Basing it off a modified Land Speeder Tempest design. Losing the cockpit (to allow sword-swinging) and swapping out the stubby flight stabilisers for Dark Angel Chapter badge inspired wings...

Lots to do if I want it ready to field on Sunday, aiiieee...

Automatically Appended Next Post:
Update:

Starting to take shape and fit the vision I had for a one-seater dogfighting Hero Speeder, not the standard Speeder with extra badly-balanced guns on. No idea how I'll fudge the cockpit area yet, and I've run out of the styrene square tubing I used to edge the Tempest's vents last time. Much improvising to come!!!

**Meer_Cat**

Absolutely love this build!

Even for you this is straight, neat, clean, detailed- terrific job!

**JohnnyHell**

Thank you! The cockpit is gonna be Marmite to some, I can tell...

https://i.imgur.com/F962Hmq.gifv

Can't get the GIF to load on Dakka so here's a link to a spin of the model so far. Bought a SNUDDA 'lazy Susan' at IKEA to do 360s easily. Wobbles on his flight stand so it looks silly haha.

**Kyor_Degremon**

The speeder feels VERY big.... At least it does in the gif..... Still great work mind you.... Actually I should put up my speeder before the preheresy forgeworld model is put on sale....

**Ketara**

Your stuff really never ceases to amaze.

**JohnnyHell**

Ketara wrote:
Your stuff really never ceases to amaze.

Thank you! This one is turning out just how I hoped. Lots of winging it for the guns, cockpit and chair!

Automatically Appended Next Post:

Kyor_Degremon wrote:
The speeder feels VERY big.... At least it does in the gif..... Still great work mind you.... Actually I should put up my speeder before the preheresy forgeworld model is put on sale....

Maybe... I don't have a legit Land Speeder to compare it to. I think the size is largely correct, though the larger wings and gun arrangement certainly make it chunkier. Maybe the Tempest itself is overall bigger too? Could also be plasticard's thickness "inflating" the build by adding extra width here and there. Who knows! I'll have to put by a real one sometime. I'm not unhappy with the size, it looks cool alongside my Tempest and Ravenwing Bikers!

**Kyor_Degremon**

It may just be the picture, things sometimes end up looking odd when photographed when they're fine in real life. It looks stunning either way!

**JohnnyHell**

Probably is a bit large but meh, I like it! Looks big in this battle pic from the weekend (yes, I need to get on with painting!!!).

90% of the Eldar deployed right behind the fortress or in the Webway, which was a pain!

**JohnnyHell**

Guildenstern wrote:
Such sweet plasticard work! Lovely to see it come together.

I'd love to see you build a Stormraven, I actually do like the looks of those but no idea in terms of army use this edition or anything.

Looking forward to whatever you choose!

So, I just checked and I have you to blame...

First steps, printing, making the basic box section and strengthening with tube styrene in the corners:

Realising I hate the look and size, and extending it so it can actually carry enough dudes:

Making engines from found materials and impact glue. We have here hoarded Berocca tubes, tomato purée lids, Pepsi caps, cashew milk tops and sawn-down superglue caps:

Wings attached to engines ready for detailing, and a FIDDLY B*****D that I hated making:

Here’s how she currently looks...

**EmberlordofFire8**

The second I saw this, an audible "What the heck has he done now?!" was heard in eastern china.

Great job. I wish I could do that.

**JohnnyHell**

EmberlordofFire8 wrote:
The second I saw this, an audible "What the heck has he done now?!" was heard in eastern china.

Great job. I wish I could do that.

:-D

The detailing is looking AWESOME. Here’s a few shots after today’s detailing spree:

And here’s me having to make bolters as I have NONE spare. WHo has NO spare bolters??? I’ve run out! So there was much barrel-drilling going on this afternoon.

**Meer_Cat**

So much awesome in one place!

1) Absolutely _love_ the heavy bolter banks- so simple, but it takes a mad genius to see it. I'm making some up NOW just to do- I'll figure out a project for them later.

2) Agree that the original blueprint was too short for a troop carrier and like the extension you built. With the way the airfoils and engines are mounted, the piece has very good balance.

3) Related to #2, you could- IMO- go with the shorter blueprint version as a ground support fighter, VIP transport or medical dust-off vehicle, perhaps even a ground attack gunship (a' la the AH-64 Apache- not that your build puts one I mind of an Apache, but that their roles would be similar).

4) RE: the engines- how in the world did you come up with that (highly effective) combination of bottle caps, tablet contaienrs and other assoerted bits? Sheer madness, I tell you- and awfully realistic as the details are added.

Very much enjoying watching this build!

**JohnnyHell**

Thanks so much, super kind words Meer_cat!

The engines - if you flash back a bunch of pages I used a similar combo for my Thunderbolt engines. I hoard caps for building things, but make sure to use several next to each other to hide the fact they’re caps - one on its own sticks out like a sore thumb!

The sawn-off Superglue Caps were leftover from that build, and fitted *exactly* in the centre of the Berocca cap. On the Thunderbolt I used the Berocca cap (inverted) as the front intake, but here I swapped it to the back. The cashew milk caps have great detail. Nesting the various caps on the Berocca tube was something I just played around with until the combination felt right! Trial and error, but done before sticking anything, both so I didn’t make errors but also so I could ensure I had two of each piece needed. I made sure to use impact adhesive as superglue can often just snap apart on these plastics.

I like the idea of a companion aircraft, maybe a fighter flying escort? Though I may just use my Thunderbolt for this... the Imperial Navy punching a hole for the Dark Angels to make their Assault is super fluffy. What do you think?

**Briancj**

This is absolutely wonderful.

**Meer_Cat**

Absolutely there should/would be an escort for a troop carrier insertion vehicle- someone has to keep the vultures off the grunts until they can deploy and get their own manpad SAM's unlimbered- it's one of the few things Marines need from the swabbies (along with off-planet bombardment- it's the only way to be sure).

The Thunderbolt can do it if its stall speed is low enough to let it close orbit whilst the troops are piling out off the jalopy, otherwise you'll need something with slower over-ground speed (and an excuse for another build).

Historically, the World War II American close support fighter named the Thunderbolt filled the ground support role amongst others (the P-47). It also could be configured for tank hunting and bunker busting. It was heavily armed and armored, could carry bombs and rockets in addition to its four 50 caliber machineguns and was so tough its pilots nicknamed it the Juggernaut- the Jug for short.

Have one of _those_ fly escort on your drop ship!

**JohnnyHell**

That does sound ace - may nickname my Thunderbolt “The Jug” too!

Ah, now, I do have one vehicle that could happily be a close escort - my Land Speeder Tempest! They’re void-sealed, their thrusters enable it to keep up with a drop ship but it can also switch to hover mode. Less impressive but it works!

**Meer_Cat**

What a cool diorama that would make- Marines deploying out of the transport, Tempest laying down suppressive fire, Michael Bay orchestrating the explosions and flame....

**dreadwing**

ok i need to know how you are building these so fast and so cleanly. A couple questions if you dont mind;
1. all your using to cut out the shapes is the snap off knife?
2. in an earlier post you say you stick down the template on the card, how are you doing this and isnt it stuck perminatley?
3. whose your go to for the tubes, pipes of plasticard ?
4. for the detail in the armour, what are you doing? scoring it or grooving it?

and again,

**JohnnyHell**

dreadwing wrote:

ok i need to know how you are building these so fast and so cleanly. A couple questions if you dont mind;
1. all your using to cut out the shapes is the snap off knife?
2. in an earlier post you say you stick down the template on the card, how are you doing this and isnt it stuck perminatley?
3. whose your go to for the tubes, pipes of plasticard ?
4. for the detail in the armour, what are you doing? scoring it or grooving it?

and again,

Thank you.

1. Snapoff blade knife, emery board to file or dress edges/remove ridges quickly. The Hurricane Bolters were many roughly cut tubes quickly emery filed to the correct size. Saves worrying about perfect cuts.
2. I use either temporary spray mount, or double sided tape. Tape is cleaner and less vapour, but for fiddly templates spray mount can work better. This build was all tape as I made it in the living room not my hobby room.
3. Tubes were a cheap eBay special bundle from China I bought *years* ago and am only just running out of, bar one expensive pack of Plastruct I bought to finish my Spartan. Plasticard is whoever is cheapest on eBay, usually Hurlbat. I need more of everything just now! I just reordered some 1mm half round nail art beads to re-up my rivet supplies.
4. The panel grooves are just hobby knife scored so far. I intend to go over them with a sculpting tool that I have to deepen and neaten them, but if I don’t this will do. The deeper recesses are created by layering plasticard.

It may look fast but this was two days of solid building whilst my girlfriend was playing Far Cry 5! And there’s a way to go yet. I’ve adapted a lot of the template on the fly, changing detail, adding more, recessing some for accuracy. I used some cannon barrel bits from my Russian cheapo tanks for the exhaust pod nozzles, as they looked the part and saved making things. I’ll fill the gap with extra detail.

When I’ve finished the main bulk of a build I detail kinda at whim, following the plan and online pictures loosely but also adding detail anywhere I feel it’s needed or can hide sins. For example I’ve added some clamps around the cockpit, and cut notches in the nose weapon armour that the Patoroch file omitted. I’ll also add piping to the canopy over the front jets to avoid having to fill the glaring gap between that and the body. Ultimately, it’s my build so I can make it look how I want! I’m trying to decide on whether to do a small turret on the top or something different for the Assault cannons. A turret might throw the balance of the model off now. Maybe wing or chin guns? If I don’t use the top turret you’ll be seeing the first use I know of of a salvaged bit of a Prosecco bottle stopper haha.

One tip I can offer is using the lines on the cutting mat. Where I’ve freestyled pieces I use the mat to ensure they’re square, and use the diagonals to get consistent corner cuts and angles. When I get around to videoing I’ll demonstrate some of this.

**Ruglud**

What can i say, asides from AMAZING...

A masterpiece of scratchbuilding - especially love the engines, what a great combination of hoarded goodies that would usually just end up in a landfill !

Extended Stormraven is the way to go - size matters...

**Kyor_Degremon**

Again, a ludicrously well build ant detailed model.... I'm jealous! Keep up the good work!

**JohnnyHell**

Thanks folks!

Brief detour as my gaming buddies are shaming me into painting. Got a friend back into Warhammer a fortnight ago and he already has painted dudes. THE SHAME!

So here’s a WIP shot of the Deimos Rhino and some of its pals...

(Don’t judge my microwave pizzas... I normally cook real food every day but it was a late finish at work and I was hangry!)

**Meer_Cat**

"WIP", the man says- sheesh! Already definitely game-able, and verging on glass case level, for me- great work!

**JohnnyHell**

Thanks! It’s a couple of tiny touches and some neatening of the Tactical (or Battleline if we’re being all Codex Astartes 2.0) arrow on the hatch, that’s all!

The Marines are fiddly even when trying to be quick. I much prefer textured areas to flat panels. These have responded fairly well to gently built up drybrushing, so my odds of painting an army have risen from No Chance (via edge highlighting) to Fighting Chance (via drybrushing).

The red bolters are partly because I like a nice retro, 2nd ed throwback touch now and then, and also because it cuts down on the number of colours to paint. Adding in black and a different highlight for that increases the work needed per model.

**Briancj**

I am ABSOLUTELY going to pick on your MEATY MCMEATMEAT 2-for-2-quid deep dish 'pizzas'.

**JohnnyHell**

Briancj wrote:
I am ABSOLUTELY going to pick on your MEATY MCMEATMEAT 2-for-2-quid deep dish 'pizzas'.

DAMMIT rumbled.

So bad. So tasty.

Small update from last night - BIG ICON:

Pre-rivets (you can see the “tail” behind it needs some bodging/fixing):

After riveting. Rest of hull will be getting detailed up so it won’t stick out so much once complete.

I did consider leaving it un-riveted, but they paint up so nicely and add so much visual interest to the finished mode I decided to.

**Briancj**

How do you make those nice rounded rivets?