Latest posts for the thread "Looking for How to Make Mortars from PVC or other Materials"

Looking for How to Make Mortars from PVC or other Materials

The Prince of Excess — GMT

Like the title says, I'm trying to find out how I can make custom Mortars for my Guardsmen using stuff I can get at a hardware store/online for fairly cheap. I don't really want to buy the necessary bits online and because my army is heavily converted/using stand-ins having a more custom feel would mesh better.

I've tried to poke around online but haven't really found what I'm looking for. Maybe someone can point me in the right direction?

Looking for How to Make Mortars from PVC or other Materials

Flinty — GMT

A hardware store might not be quite right for the diameter of tube for a simple mortar. Pens might be a better bet as they are narrower?

Alternatively pick up a single pack of plastic tube of the right diameter, maybe 5 to 8mm, and make more mortars than you could ever conceivably use.

Looking for How to Make Mortars from PVC or other Materials

The Prince of Excess — GMT

Flinty wrote:
A hardware store might not be quite right for the diameter of tube for a simple mortar. Pens might be a better bet as they are narrower?

Alternatively pick up a single pack of plastic tube of the right diameter, maybe 5 to 8mm, and make more mortars than you could ever conceivably use.

I'd be happy to have the tubes but I don't know where to get them. I suppose that's what I'm looking for information on. Googling small tubes and such hasn't turned up much. ><

Looking for How to Make Mortars from PVC or other Materials

Flinty — GMT

Evergreen styrene tubes are what I've used in the past.

https://evergreenscalemodels.com

Don't necessarily buythem direct though. Check.out eBay or Amazon for similar things.

Looking for How to Make Mortars from PVC or other Materials

The Prince of Excess — GMT

Flinty wrote:
Evergreen styrene tubes are what I've used in the past.

https://evergreenscalemodels.com

Don't necessarily buythem direct though. Check.out eBay or Amazon for similar things.

What size would you recommend? That's been one of the difficulties online, I have nothing to use as a reference.

Re:Looking for How to Make Mortars from PVC or other Materials

PourSpelur — GMT

https://evergreenscalemodels.com/
My go-to source for plastic sheets, tubes and darn near everything else. "I" beams are particularly useful and often overlooked. Lots of model train shops have a good selection too, recommend trying them or Amazon before going direct though.

Poop, looks like the exact same response has already been given while I typed mine!
As for size, try some stand ins. Put a plastic pen next to a Guardsman, look too big or small? Try something else. I roll paper to about the right size, measured the diameter and buy that in plastic.
Cool tip, even numbered tubes will slide in each other. Example, a size 2 will fit perfectly inside a 4. A 5 goes inside a 7 etc

Looking for How to Make Mortars from PVC or other Materials

JohnnyHell — GMT

Buy an eBay special bundle of styrene rods from China. You’ll get various tubes, beams and rods, half a metre long x 45-60 in a bundle. Then happily use said bundle for the next few years of making stuff, at a fraction of the cost of buying Plastruct or Evergreen. Takes a month or so to arrive but well worth the wait. I’m only just buying my second bundle some 2-3 years after the last one, and I still have lots of the square section tubes left... need more rods and cylinders though!