Legion Rising

[Subtle Discord]

I have considered a 'True-scale' kit, and I won't dismiss the idea. It would definitely be an advanced modeller kit, that's for sure.

 

One thing holding it back is that the Rhino wouldn't just need length (The easiest and most practical approach, says my brain) to scale it up, it needs height and general bulk as well, in my opinion. Length is easy enough to add. Height and bulk is trickier.

 

After seeing a thread of araekyus scratch building a 'Clouseau' pattern Rhino here on B&C, I've had this idea stuck in the back of my brain...

 

When time permits, (key factor) I'm going to try to do my take of the Clouseau idea of blending the current Rhino and Land Raider kits. The Clouseau concept did this several years ago, and there's been quite an evolution of models since that time. Was the Mk 2 Rhino even released when the design was made?

 

I hope to make the build informative, by doing step-by-step information, and detailing more of the build process. It would be a great reason to do some of the styrene-building articles I really want to write. maybe even sort out the designs first, provide them in the beginning, and people can follow along and build? :( It's still a ways off, but I keep liking the idea more-and-more.

 

And my take on the Rhino would be; It must be able to have all of the utility of a current Rhino, 2 Fire Points, room for Combi/Storm Bolter, Side Doors & Rear hatch, and a switchable top plate for Razorback/Predator upgrade. (Which entails sponsons too - what am I getting myself into?) But first would just be base Rhino hull, all with a Land Raider silhouette and extra bulk. It will be Clouseau in spirit, but totally my own design blending the GW kits as completely as I can manage.

 

Am I mad? Maybe. But the voices in the back of my mind keep telling me I can make it real, and keep giving me such wonderful ideas on how to do it. It's getting harder to ignore them...

 

Edited February 9 by Subtle Discord

[space wolf]

Here's another way to do it...just to get the ideas simmering...

 

True Scale Rhinos, Predators, Vindacators and Land Raiders, by Machinator

[DibbZi]

Your work is amazing, sent you a PM.

[Chaptermaster Graymantle]

All of your work here is just jaw-droppingly awesome!

Amazing, truly, truly amazing! - Wow! :D

[Machinepriest]

I don't know how I missed this thread :D

Your work is astounding!

I'm an amateur when it comes to resin casting, and after browsing your thread I feel that you're the guy to turn to for advice :tu:

I'm having huge problems with inner bubbles in my cast due to my mould being very complicated (It's a mould for tiny Necron Scarab legs...).

I dust the mould with baby powder to get rid of surface bubbles, but I still get hollow parts, even though I vibrate, shake and tap the mould.

As I said, the mould is quite complex with lots of tiny channels, so I couldn't find a good way to make air release vents.

I know a pressure pot/chamber would solve these problems, but I'm not sure how to make one.

Would you mind posting some photos of your setup and perhaps telling me how you made yours?

 

Cheers ;)

[DibbZi]

Can't wait to see that bad boy painted up! You make me wanna start a Chaos Army!

[NemFX]

by chance, could you do some loyalist, or at least not directly chaos versions of some of your things? i'd love to get the havoc launchers, for example. i dunno what id specifically use them for, but you know, cool things dont always have to make sense.

 

and have you considered making parts for marines? i think that you'd make some interesting stuff :)

[JAFisher44]

Yeah, Ill bet you could make some badass extra armor for loyalist marines.

[Midnightmare]

Your stuff makes me want to start a CSM warband so I canbuy your stuff! That 'Raider is excellent, you are a talented guy ;)

[Lachdannan]

As always love your kits. Wish you could do some loyalist ones (or just siege type ones :lol: ).

[The_Chaplain]

I'll add in to the recent sentiment expressed in this thread and say that I too would buy some loyalist gubbins if you were to produce them.

[Irabrai]

Your stuff is AWESOME! Where can we buy the kits from?

[Kizzdougs]

Awesome work!

 

Don't listen to all those silly loyalists, surely they don't deserve to have such amazing upgrades :(

 

Ps. If you are planning to produce these kits for sale I'd be more than interested in purchasing several! I've got several IW vehicle upgrade packs lying around which would look awesome with some extra embellishment.

 

Love your work.

[Studio Silvernale]

Awesome work!

 

Don't listen to all those silly loyalists, surely they don't deserve to have such amazing upgrades :rolleyes:

 

Ps. If you are planning to produce these kits for sale I'd be more than interested in purchasing several! I've got several IW vehicle upgrade packs lying around which would look awesome with some extra embellishment.

 

Love your work.

 

I play Executioners and while loyalist, we get our hands dirty for the Emperor! But yeah, I'd love some "badass" style armor for my boys.

[Brother Ambroz]

I like this pattern, although it would definitely be easier to tell on a built rhino but I understand that'd be hard seeing as how you'd likely need a new rhino for each kit. Really wish I had one of these for the rhinos I'm building now though. :)

[Circus Nurgling]

I'm also interested in hearing about the pressure-chamber, or at least point me in the direction of the tutorial(s) you used?

 

That Land Raider kit looks amazing. I'm sure you'll make some cash off it, especially once the new 'dex hits the shelves! Makes me tempted to start up a non-Nurgle force!

[Montuhotep]

I think as far as the Loyalist trim kits, or designs thereof, are concerned, probably just a de-star'ing of your current ones will be sufficient.

 

I'd go easy on the rivets, personally - if you look at Marine vehicles of either calling most are very clean in comparison to an IG Leman Russ for example, or even a Chimera. I think the Land Raider has the most and even then it's only a minority when you consider the sides. If you want a contemporary example, it's like a WW2 tank turret compared to the cast/welded ones of today.

[Kizzdougs]

The new Rhino trim is looking great. Good to hear your still working on the predator kit, its a personal favourite.

 

I agree with Paladin7221 in regards to the loyalist kits. A more hightech/modern design seems appropriate. Apart from that I cant really think of anything to make the loyalist vehicles really stand out (obviously they aren't as cool as Chaos vehicles). Maybe some chapter specific armour would work (although GW TM could be an issue). Some custom weapons for Razorbacks would be awesome, especially Heavy Flamers and the Las/plas combo. Upgrades would be great as well, such as search lights, hunter killer missiles and dozer blades.

 

Looking forward to seeing the dread and landraider painted up :cuss

[Subtle Discord]

That, is the other creative problem with Loyalist kits for me - Removing arrows, stars, and points is simple enough, but what to do to give it character, that Space Marine look and feel? Without Chapter symbols, I'm worried that they'll be a bit bland. I want to steer well clear of iconography that was specifically created by Games Workshop, but there are a few things that come to mind; Ultramarines - Can GW really claim a Greek symbol as theirs? Black Templar - The Iron Cross seems safe enough to mimic. Blood Angles - Avoid the Wings + Blood-drop icon, but the Drop shape by itself seems like something I could work with. Dark Angles - As with Blood Angels, if I just add Blade shapes, but avoid the Wings + Blade, it seems ok. Space Wolves - Add some generic weaving and/or Celtic inspired knots and they would have the right feel. Hummm... there might just be something to this. B)

 

To start with, what I really want to figure out is something more generic, yet striking, that can cross chapters. With Chaos I have Rivets, Arrows, Points, and Stars - lots to choose from. For Loyalists, round rivets only at corners, and/or very sparse seems like a good place to start. Open spaces where I would place a star or arrows, for placing a Chapter symbol/decal/bit. Then I start to hum-and-haw about where to go with it. I want a bit... more.

 

And, once I get more armour and trim done I do have plans to start working on other generic gubbins like pintol mounts that can accept my own builds of Smoke Launchers, Searchlights, Bolters and Combi-weapons, Dirge Casters, etc.. I keep running out of the ones provided by GW (Really GW, you couldn't add one or two extra to the sprew?) and contemplated making a mould of certain bits for personal use. Then I figured, "screw that, I'll make one myself"... sometime.

 

The Predator Armour is also something that I am really looking forward to making. it's going to be an involved build, but it's going to be worth it. I'm almost done re-designing the trim pattern to feel cohesive with the Land Raider kit. The underlying armour shape/coverage will stay the same, however. I think they're going to look really nice side-by-side. My only hang-up at this point is the turret, and how the armour plates are going to mount and look. But, I've got some good ideas and input, so it's finally coming together.

 

Ok, rather than combine this small wall-o-text with my update artical, I'm going to post this, and my next post in a short while will be about building and using my Pressure Chamber. Stay tuned!

 

Edited February 9 by Subtle Discord

[Quixus]

To start with, what I really want to figure out is something more generic, yet striking, that can cross chapters. With Chaos I have Rivets, Arrows, Points, and Stars - lots to choose from. For Loyalists, round rivets only at corners, and/or very sparse seems like a good place to start. Open spaces where I would place a star or arrows, for placing a Chapter symbol/decal/bit. Then I start to hum-and-haw about where to go with it. I want a bit... more.

You could make the unit type designators for transports (B) for Troops, :mellow: for Fast Attack and :D for command units). Gothic arches may be another idea. And don't forget the weapon choices missing in the boxes.

[The_Chaplain]

Yeah I'd imagine iconography on loyalist kit would be rather difficult. You could always do generic stuff like winged skulls ala the old land raider crusader sponsons, or eagle heads, etc. That said, I'd love to see what you come up with!

[Subtle Discord]

Since my next post is going to be a loooong one, worthy of the top of a page, I'm going to add this to take up slot 299.

 

Generic will be the way to go. The more I think about it, the more I come up with ideas. Not sure what I'll settle on, but I'm sure I'll come up with something. The FOC designations is an idea, but they are a GW creation, really, so that might be sticky. I do like the Gothic arches idea though. I've seen other scratch builds done by people that used arches and liked the look it gave.

 

*Ponders some more* This will take a bit of thinking, but I like the images I'm getting in my mind. That's always a good start. :sweat:

[Subtle Discord]

A fitting topic for post number 300 - The Pressure Chamber.

 

WARNING: Working with pressures and/or vacuums comes with a certain level of calculated risk. Assembling and using this type of equipment carefully and correctly will reduce this risk to virtually nothing.

 

However, accidents and manufacturing flaws can happen, and with the pressures involved, things can go wrong in an instant. There are no slow-motion 'Hollywood moments' where you can 'dive for cover'.

 

There are very real (Read: Dangerous) reasons why safety valves must be in place and operational. Do NOT take shortcuts, and do NOT improvise, beyond the common sense changes to build something like this.

 

Now with that scary-sounding warning said, many people use Pressure and/or Vacuums day-in-and-out with complete safety. There is the rare horror story about how things can/did go wrong, but life itself is a risk really. Driving in a car is a calculated risk that most people take every day. This is no different - use and maintain the potentially dangerous equipment properly, and the odds are vastly in your favor.

 

I'll start by blathering bit about Pressure vs. Vacuum when resin casting, for people who might want to know. Both processes are trying to achieve similar results in different ways - removing trapped air bubbles and helping the resin get into the finest details of a mould. Nothing will 100% guarantee no bubbles on every single cast, but these processes try. Since I don't have a Vacuum Chamber (Yet :lol:) I'll get it out of the way first...

 

Vacuum ~ When you apply an almost complete vacuum to poured resin in a mould, it will cause any trapped/dissolved air to literally try and 'boil-out' of the liquid resin. This can be very messy, so large resin pour gates, vents, and sprew sections are added to a mould to contain the bubbling resin. A Vacuum on its own is very good at removing bubbles virtually 100%, and combined with pressure, is about as close as you can get to flawless casts. One trick that you need to keep in mind with Vacuum is that the escaping bubbles need a clear path to a vent or sprew, or they remain trapped. Vents, pour-gates, and channels are always a careful consideration for all moulds, but more so with Vacuum-only degassing. Top-down split moulds work very well with Vacuum-only degassing.

 

The major drawback of a Vacuum Chamber is the cost. A good quality* Vacuum Pump is not all that cheap, and then you still need a proper Vacuum Chamber, which again, is not so cheap. A few people use a single chamber for double-duty, both Pressure and Vacuum, but I'm not fond of the idea personally. I have however found a Vacuum Chamber that actually has a built-in pump that works on compressed air. So, you can use a much cheaper compressor to do double duty. I'm saving my nickels and dimes.

 

Pressure ~ As I'm sure you can imagine, Pressure works completely differently than a Vacuum. When you apply pressure you are attempting to literally crush bubbles into nothing. Small bubbles (~1mm or less) will literally dissolve into the liquid resin, and once it's hardened the air can't escape. Larger bubbles will be crushed down considerably and if they are in the right places (sprews, vents, back-sides of flat pieces) they will be small enough to not matter or be easily filled with Greenstuff.

 

Pressure is not quite as effective at removing bubbles as a Vacuum, but again, with proper venting it does great things and will get rid of, say, 98% of them. The other great thing about Pressure is that it will force resin into even the tiniest and finest details. That is why when it is combined with a Vacuum you'll get the best results of both processes. But, Pressure does very well on its own.

 

You can get pre-made Pressure Chambers from all sorts of Sculpture and Casting Supply shops. I have a local one in my city, but there are many online. With a pre-made Chamber you will get a higher quality piece of equipment, hands down. It will also cost about 3-4x the price of a homemade Pressure Chamber. That is also why a Pressure Chamber is more attractive in general - the cost of setup is much more reasonable. A good quality* Compressor is not nearly as expensive as a Vacuum Pump, and a Paint Pressure Tank is also within reach of someone who wants to give this a go.

 

*Good Quality - When working with resin you usually have small windows of time before it begins to set. You want to apply the Vacuum and/or Pressure as quickly as you can, so bubbles can be removed before the resin thickens. A quality Compressor or Vacuum Pump will fill/empty a Chamber in 15-to-30 seconds. Speed is key to good bubble removal.

 

Also worth noting is that most Compressors will use 1/4in or 3/8in fittings, and you will want to use NPT (National Pipe Thread Tapered Thread) fittings. Usually, MNTP = Male Fitting, and FNTP = Female Fitting, but sometimes the acronym can be slightly different. NPT fittings are tapered (unlike normal nuts and bolts) so that they get tighter-and-tighter as they are screwed in place - this ensures a proper seal. And speaking of seals...

 

Left: Loctite 242 Blue Right: Teflon Tape

 

At the very least you'll need Teflon Tape to make any joins 100% airtight. I prefer Loctite 242 however. Add some of this liquid to the threads before screwing parts together and after a 24-hour cure, they are sealed and lightly locked in place, so they won't lose that seal later on.

 

∙ The Dynamic Duo - A converted 10 Liter 'PowerFist' (Gotta' love that band name) brand Paint Pressure Tank, and a 2HP 5 Gallon (~20L) medium-duty Compressor.

 

The key things you want to take note of in a Compressor are; The Horse Power (2+HP - more is better, but my 2HP does just fine), the size of the reservoir (3+ Gallons - again, more is better if you have the room), and a built-in Regulator. My compressor also has space for two hose connections. While not needed, it's nice to have, since I can keep the Chamber hose connected and still use the Compressor for other things. Good Horsepower and a large reservoir will be key to filling the Chamber quickly.

 

The Pressure chamber is created from the previously mentioned, Paint Pressure Tank. Tank Example #1, and Tank Example #2. There are other brands and sizes, but the key thing to remember is the Working Pressure Range and Maximum Pressure Rating. When applying pressure to resin, the sweet spot seems to be about 40-50PSI, so the Working Pressure Range should be in that range. Some people will use as much as 80-90+PSI, but after 50PSI it seems the improvement is minimal.

 

You want to stay well away from the Maximum Pressure Rating and should look for a Paint Pressure Tank with a Max Rating of 80+PSI if you will be working at 40-50PSI. My Pressure Chamber (built from Tank Example #2) has a Working Range of 30-50PSI and a Max Rating of 80PSI.

 

∙ Now let's have a closer look at the lid of the Pressure Chamber.

 

1) This is the Regulator that came with the Paint Tank. I have a Regulator on my Compressor, but with a second on the Pressure Chamber, I can crank the Compressor up to 120PSI and set the tank to top out at about 60PSI. No matter how fast I fill the Chamber, it slows nicely once it reaches about 50PSI, and I have plenty of time to turn off the pressure. It is attached to the tank with the original hardware, but I rotated it a bit so the bulk of the valve hardware is over the lid, and not hanging off the side. Note: This regulator has 1/4in NPT fittings.

 

2) This is a very important Emergency Pressure Release Valve. Beyond adjusting it to release at a suitable pressure, do NOT attempt to alter or block this little valve. Test it regularly to make sure it's working smoothly. I have mine set to slow-leak at about 60PSI, and I think it would completely blow out at about 65-70PSI, but I've never taken the Chamber that high.

 

3) This is where the hose for a Paint Spay Gun would have attached. You can either cap the fitting or remove the fitting and cap the hole like I did. There is also a pipe for drawing paint that leads down from the inside of the lid that needs to be removed, but you'll see that later. Note: This hole requires a 3/8in NPT plug.

 

4) This is the Quick Release Valve and the Compressor Hose connection. When I built this for some reason It seemed to make sense to put the Quick Release on the Chamber itself. In hindsight, I think I will switch the Quick Release to the Hose at some point in the future. Note: These are 1/4in NPT parts.

 

5) The Pressure Inlet Ball Valve. It is very important that you use valves that can handle the pressures involved. Many toggle valves won't be able to hold up and will have slow leaks. A proper High-Pressure Ball Valve (1/4in NTP Brass Ball Valve Example #1 and Example #2) is rated up to 600PSI and will guarantee a good seal.

 

I was only able to get my hands on 3/8in Ball Valves when I was assembling my Chamber, so I had to add a few 1/4-to-1/8in connectors with my assembly. With 1/4in Ball Valves, all you need is a few straight 1/4in NTP connectors to attach the Ball Valves, Quick Release, and Regulator hardware together.

 

6) The Pressure Release Ball Valve. Another 3/8in NTP Ball Valve is used to let the pressure off before opening the Chamber to take out the newly created object. The Regulator is clearly marked with arrows that show which end is the inlet and which is the exit. Note: It is not a good idea to ignore this valve and use the Emergency Release Valve to vent the Chamber. You should test the Emergency Valve regularly, but beyond that, you don't want to put any extra wear on that vital safety component. 'Nuff said?

 

I've wrapped a piece of clean rag to the end of this valve and secured it with a rubber band for noise reasons. The valve tends to whistle when the pressure is released, and this cloth makes the valve hiss instead of squeal like a banshee.

 

And that's about it; 2x Ball Valves + a few 1/4in NTP fittings + a couple of Quick Release parts = One Pressure Chamber. But, there are a few small changes that need to be made to the inside of the Chamber...

 

∙ A few small changes to the inside of the lid.

 

1) This is the stump of the old Paint Pipe. I used a rotary tool with a cut-off disc to chop it off and smooth the burrs. It will do nothing but get in the way if you don't remove it.

 

2) This is the air inlet with a small modification. By adding a 'T' split to the end you prevent high-pressure air from blasting straight down into the Chamber. Just in case there some exposed liquid resin in an open-topped mould is right under the inlet, this will stop potential splattering.

 

3) One downside of using a Paint Pressure Tank is that the bottom of the tank will usually be curved. A simple solution is a cake pan placed in the bottom of the Chamber. Use a small Level to make sure it's sitting flat. And, they come with a non-stick coating, so hard resin peels right off.

 

4) And on a side note, be sure to clamp the lid in the same general spot each time, and it will develop a nice divet/ridge that the camps can better lock onto. Also, always remember to tighten the clamps 2-by-2, across from each other. Read: Tighten the 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock clamps at the same time, then tighten the 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock camps to match. You want to get the camps firmly tightened, but don't be crazy and try to tighten them down really tight. Too tight can cause much bigger problems than not tight enough.

 

As a few final things worth mentioning, be sure to test the seals before you need to cure a mould in the chamber for 6+ hours. Test seams with soapy water to see if there are any leaks, and then do an overnight pressure test. Pressurize to ~50PSI and come back 12 hours later. See just how many PSI were lost over that time. If you're losing more than a few PSI it might be a slow leak on a join, or you might need to tighten the lid just a bit more. As an added precaution I did this test in a secluded corner of my basement, out of direct line-of-sight. If this contraption did happen to 'pop', It seemed best that it be well away from everyone.

 

I hope anyone who was interested has found this informative, and it's answered most of the major questions involved with making a chamber. Feel free to follow up with questions if there's anything that could use more clarification. Thanks for reading.

 

Edited February 9 by Subtle Discord
+++ Image Data-link ∙ Repair +++

[SickSix]

I know you are all about chaos but I am adding my voice to the masses of loyalists that would pay for a kit from you! I have a Landraider project planned that needs extra armor and I just don't have the skills to do it as well as you could!

[Circus Nurgling]

Awesome post, thanks!