Blackadder's FW Chaos Warhound Build

[Blackadder]

A Running Pose:

 

So I begin the assembly of the legs. I have and idea for a dynamic pose where the two feet are pretty much in line as if the Titan was stalking in a running pose.

 

http://i.imgur.com/PJrQwSO.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/PJrQwSOl.jpg

 

I started by drilling tight holes for the toe bases so the bases can twist in their sockets as the foot was designed to do. I fact I was not aware of where I built the toes for Lucie many years ago. 

 

http://i.imgur.com/CMIfrwp.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/CMIfrwpl.jpg

 

The trailing foot will be flexed with heel spur in the air and the front toes bent to their extreme flexed position.

 

http://i.imgur.com/pqqyIFc.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/pqqyIFcl.jpg

 

I will be drilling and pinning the toe joins next.

[Blackadder]

The Dynamics of Stride:

 

In preparation for this 'on the fly' pose I am instituting a procedure heretofore unknown at least to me of allowing the feet and toes to be posed prior to assembly and gluing.

 

I drilled and pinned the toe joins so they can remain flexible until I have stabilized the quick striding stance; then this model will have when glued frozen in one pose.

 

http://i.imgur.com/U9JCbhC.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/U9JCbhCl.jpg

 

I have in mind the T' Rex pursuit in 'Jurassic Park' where it is bearing down on the fleeing jeep feet and toes in tandem rather than the typical sprawled pose seen in most Warhound displays.

 

http://i.imgur.com/Jhg69ay.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/Jhg69ayl.jpg

 

Naturally this pose will require some very fine tuning for balance considering the relative center of masses of a T' Rex vis–à–vis a Warhound the Warhound's center of gravity being so much higher than that of the Rex.

 

I'm not even sure such a pose is possible without resorting to a permanent pad affixed to the feet which will seriously detract from the visual effect of the model.

 

In studying the spore of Mesozoic Theropods the striding gait appears to be pigeon-toed at least in some instances see below. I probably won't be representing this unless necessary for balance which is probably why the dinosaur predator is intermittently adopting that  foot placement. Almost every step a bipedal organism takes (including we humans) involves literally falling forward and using the step forward to catch and balance to keep us from falling on our face.

 

The second problem is the lack of the counterbalancing tail that the T' Rex enjoyed but not so with the Warhound. Some lead or gold in the rear void generators may be in order to compensate for the front heaviness of the pose. 

 

I have an idea for placement of these that may add to balancing the overall model side to side as well. 

 

In all the procedure should prove an interesting tour de force.

 

http://0.tqn.com/d/dinosaurs/1/S/_/P/-/-/dinofootprintWC10.jpg

 

Note the cigarette butt in the footprint immediately above this sentence; proof that mentally challenged humanoids and dinosaurs co-existed?

[Jolemai]

I honestly didn't think you knew how to paint. Just 450/450 in scratchbuilding and you hadn't gotten around to levelling up anything else...

 

Btw, what were the correct answers for the six or so errors with your reference picture?

[Blackadder]

Ha, I'll have to go back and check I forgot completely about that post:

 

Hint: five of the discrepancies involve the legs. 

Three involve parts installed upside down.

 

I started painting this past January prior to that Lucie was my only large painted project. At that time I only had a siphon type plastic Badger so the finesse was pretty primitive.

[Blackadder]

Unhappy Household Hints from The Blackadder

 

To keep harmony in the household I suggest you purchase this item instead of stealing it from your spouse's utensil drawer.

 

If a cheap nonstainless melon baller is in the drawer I suggest you dazzle your wife with an upscale stainless baller. Makes a nice b'day gift.

 

http://i.imgur.com/cC0M9Cd.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/cC0M9Cdl.jpg

 

Here we see an inexpensive chrome plated baller about a buck fifty mind you the cheaper the better as we want mild steel.

 

Note the 1 inch cup fits the neck gimbal perfectly and is plenty strong enough to support the head.

 

http://i.imgur.com/xL9P2rk.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/xL9P2rkl.jpg

 

 

A couple of seconds with a hack saw and a file and the deed is done.

 

http://i.imgur.com/Et0zWGA.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/Et0zWGAl.jpg

 

Install the cup between the two magnets used for the head attachment 

 

http://i.imgur.com/20UesYU.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/20UesYUl.jpg

 

 

You may have to sand paper the cup to rough up the surface but you can readily see the range of motion afforded by this mechanism.

 

(Note the conduit collar was left off for clarity in these images.)

 

 

http://i.imgur.com/Obi7p0Zl.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/CqCgKC5l.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/VSny3nvl.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/Jk2DCxzl.jpg

 

I wanted the ability for the head to look down as it is pertinent to the pose I have in mind.

[Blackadder]

More thoughts on.......

 

Ambulatory Dynamics:

 

Okay I've pretty much decided on the stance which will be similar to the image below except the trailing foot (The right foot Blue arrow ) will have the toes in contact with the ground.

 

http://i.imgur.com/GEqVh14.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/GEqVh14l.jpg

 

The hips will be canted in towards the centerline ( Red arrows) and the ankles will be slightly twisted in ( Green arrow ) so the width of the gait will be quite narrow instead of the way most Warhounds are displayed. 

 

Most of the weight of the model will be centered above the left foot which will be fully in contact with the ground ( Left Blue arrow )

 

The overall motion representation will be similar to the image below:

 

http://i.imgur.com/adxZppV.jpg

 

although the feet will be positioned in this manner:

 

http://i.imgur.com/p0eGm59.jpg

 

From the side the stance will resemble this:

 

http://i.imgur.com/91RtAN2.jpg

 

Excepting it will be a Chaos Warhound of course.

[Res Ipsa Loquitur]

 

Almost every step a bipedal organism takes (including we humans) involves literally falling forward and using the step forward to catch and balance to keep us from falling on our face.

 

http://www.legalproductivity.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/whoa-300x223.jpg

[Blackadder]

The Puppet Master:

 

Or The Chicken Dance: 

 

I can't decide what to title this entry. To get the proper pose and hopefully balance I temporarily articulated the entire model. It came out so well I may just display it with the waist support rod and call it done but naturally not in the "Legs fully extended" as it is right now.

 

http://i.imgur.com/dt1Dqm9.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/dt1Dqm9l.jpg

 

It needs to hunker down for a more menacing appearance but I thought it would be amusing to see it in the initial pose stage. 

 

It's Déjà vu all over again articulating one of these constructs as 'Lucie' went through the same evolutions when she was built. Of course Lucie took me two years instead of a couple days to reach this point There's a lot to be said for not scratchbuilding. 

 

My big concern is the hip joints as they are opposite the normal Warhound stance and I wanted to see if they appeared comical flexed down as they are.

 

http://i.imgur.com/Ba5e1tD.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/Ba5e1tDl.jpg

[Blackadder]

A Problem of Commitment:

 

Part of the reason I go to such lengths to mechanize my model is I do have a problem with commitment.

 

There for the Rare Earth magnets are right up my alley. 

 

The accompanying photos show how I have circumvented my phobia to the extreme by actually attaching the heavy void generators to the hull using four really strong magnets which give the added benefit on complete interior access should the need arise. 

 

 

http://i.imgur.com/73zeVVZ.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/73zeVVZl.jpg

 

 

http://i.imgur.com/A5B8ueW.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/A5B8ueWl.jpg

 

Once the resin dries I'll be able to assemble the model and disassemble it at my whim.

 

And that's a good thing right?

[Blackadder]

A Monopoly?

 

"We don't care; we don't have to; We're a Monopoly." The GW/FW motto? 

 

My son informed me of a problem he is having with his Chaos Warhound. The material is too shiny to hold paint.

 

Now don't say it has to be cleaned and the mold release medium has to be cleaned off. No there is not a trace of oil or residue on any of the parts but paint, prime acrylic or toluene based does not adhere. I've tried all the tricks I know including applying a dull spray on finish prior to applying primer and nothing ''NOTHING!'' sticks. I even washed a few pieces in the dishwasher, NOT RECOMMENDED!!!!!

 

Well if anyone has had this problem with Forge World Resin I have a solution but first I would like to hear from anyone else who has this problem and how they resolved it.

[Cpt. Bannockburn]

Well if anyone has had this problem with Forge World Resin I have a solution but first I would like to hear from anyone else who has this problem and how they resolved it.

Just rough the surface up gently with fine grit sandpaper. A few licks should suffice.

[Blackadder]

Shiny FW Crap:

Well the cold weather is finally here so I can apply myself to correcting odious casting mistakes from ForgeWorld. It was much too warm for someone of my metabolism to attempt to sandblast over the Summer working up a sweat whilst covered with sandblasting gear is not my idea of a good time. So this week I set up my sandblasting equipment in the spare bath, opened the windows donned mask and breather, long sleeve turtleneck, gloves and skullcap and hunkered down for the duration. Virtually every large piece of my son's FW Chaos Warhound was so shiny with resin that the paint would not adhere. 

I hit upon the idea of sandblasting the surface shine to a dull matte finish in hopes of making the surface conducive to holding pigment.

Allow me to caution purchasers of FW resin products. Inspect the pieces you receive and if they are slickly shiny return and or apply to FW for replacements (Good Luck With That!) because unless you have 300 bucks worth of sandblasting equipment and the patience of Job you have been duly screwed by Forge World.

How any company that charges exorbitant prices for resin models can have such poor quality control beggars credulity. I purchased this model a couple of years ago as a Xmas present for my son, this summer he decided to start painting and found no primer or spray paint would adhere to the castings no matter how much washing with detergent, spirits, soaps, acids whatever would leave a surface amenable to paint. Finally sandblasting was the only option left.

Do yourself a favor and inspect your items as soon a received and notify FW of the Cr-p immediately.

[Thrillhouse]

I was told a spray of ardcoat before priming will solve the problem with shiny forgeworld pieces. Could be worth a try?

[Blackadder]

Thanks for the suggestion and while I did not try "Ardcoat" I did try various coating materials on a test basis to see if any would solve the problem including MiniWax instant sandpaper fixative which I assume has similar properties. all these were futile as the paint could sloughed off when dry just by rubbing the surface with your thumb.

 

Prognosis Positive:

 

Well sandblasting did the trick but it is indeed disappointing that such extreme measures have to be exercised on a model costing close to $600 BUCKS! Were I not in the possession of a basic sandblaster and compressor I would have been thoroughly shagged and I know of many who having purchased expensive FW models who have put off rushing into building them for years after purchase until building skills improve. 

 

Now to be fair I did not contact FW for replacement parts, I don't know what the time limit on their responsibility would be but I am sure it doesn't extend to over two years. I have a feeling that they would not be amenable to replacing over half the components anyway so 'caveat emptor' prevailed and I relied on impromptu modeling abilities to remedy this situation.

 

Thanks to all who made suggestions on remedying this and now as I apply the first coat of primer (make that REapply the first coat of primer) I make a mental note of how not to be put in this situation in the future. 

[Cpt. Bannockburn]

While I agree with you that FW products often vary wildly in their quality, just this as an interjection:

Friends of mine and myself have ordered a few miniatures (maxiatures?) there over the years now, and each and every time we contacted their customer support about quality issues, we had an answer in very short time, as well as replacement parts in normal postage time. One time, they even sent with express shipping, because the original order had it. Additionally, they didn't even require us sending in proof or the original parts.

So, cheers for their customer service, boo at the fluctuation in their quality.

[Chaeron]

That's really surprising as I've never had an issue of that magnitude- but then, equally, I've not yet got a Titan!

 

Great that you could resolve it - frustrating however!

[Lord Tharand]

I've always had positive interactions with FW's customer service.  Last year I bought a Tau Tiger Shark that was not in good shape when it arrived in the mail.  After a quick call with FW and a few pictures of the broken parts they shipped me out replacements without hassle.  However, I've never experienced the shiny resin issue that you've got with your son's warhound.  I was highly debating buying a warhound yesterday and then I read your thread and now I'm slightly afraid to do so!  But based on my experiences I suspect FW would have replaced the parts without question if you had contacted them immediately.  Thankfully you had a sandblaster!

[Blackadder]

I don't want to put off anyone from purchasing a Warhound, they are fantastic models; intricate, well engineered, plausible, and beautiful when completed. I would just advise when you receive it; cleaning thoroughly and applying a primer coat before putting it on the shelf for that rainy day project when you have nothing else to do. If you wait two years before finding a problem you have no one but yourself to blame.

 

I personally have only bought two large models directly from Forgeworld ( I buy all my FW stuff secondhand on ebay) both had manufacturing flaws that would have tried novice modelers; the above mentioned Warhound with the skin condition and a 'Vulture' the twin tail boomed gunship that came with two tail booms of different lengths one being almost a centimeter longer than the other. After reading the rigmarole of contacting FW by phone and shipping back the offending part I said F... it and just cut the boom into half a dozen pieces and pinned and glue it back together to match the shorter one.

 

A friend of mine bought a Lucius Warhound with flawed parts and three middle toes; after six months of negotiations with FW he finally got them to send a replacement part. It was the correct toe but for a Mars Warhound, Ha! He just stuck it on and rationalized it was a case of military expediency. You can read his PDF on construction which is the best construction manual for a FW Warhound I've seen.

 

 https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwsQeAbgZW7sODBOR1ZqSFFzWHc/view

 

His recount of dealing with FW is a lesson in pathos..........starting on page 48

 

BTW I offered to rebuild the offending digit (phalange) but he stoically decline. 

[Blackadder]

 

More thoughts on.......

 

Ambulatory Dynamics:

 

Okay I've pretty much decided on the stance which will be similar to the image below except the trailing foot (The right foot Blue arrow ) will have the toes in contact with the ground.

 

http://i.imgur.com/GEqVh14.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/GEqVh14l.jpg

 

The hips will be canted in towards the centerline ( Red arrows) and the ankles will be slightly twisted in ( Green arrow ) so the width of the gait will be quite narrow instead of the way most Warhounds are displayed. 

 

Most of the weight of the model will be centered above the left foot which will be fully in contact with the ground ( Left Blue arrow )

 

The overall motion representation will be similar to the image below:

 

http://i.imgur.com/adxZppVl.jpg

 

although the feet will be positioned in this manner:

 

http://i.imgur.com/p0eGm59l.jpg

 

From the side the stance will resemble this:

 

http://i.imgur.com/91RtAN2l.jpg

 

Excepting it will be a Chaos Warhound of course.

 

Ha!

 

Who said "Life imitates art" or rather more to the point in this case science imitates your's truly; The Blackadder. I found this video related to the dynamics of bipedal dinosaurs walking that has completely usurped my ideas.

 

X-Rays of Birds Making Footprints Reveal Dinosaurs’ Walk | Video

 

Well you saw it here first is my self salving consolation.

[Blackadder]

Fabrica Redux:

 

Now that that little item of paint adherence has been allayed we can resume the fabrication of the model's joining surfaces.

 

http://i.imgur.com/oEdab3c.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/oEdab3cl.jpg

 

I'm going to use magnets again to attach the various major components since it worked so well with the other Chaos Warhound built previously on this thread.

 

 

I try to document the steps better this time because I know now that the process will work whereas before I was trodding unknown territory. 

[Blackadder]

Magnets Instead of Pins:

 

As you may well know the Blackadder is never satisfied with his work so he has to make allowances for his mania by assembling his models so they can be made better at some future date. 

 

And so discovered Rare Earth Magnets which are tailor made to accommodate his compulsive disorder. 

 

The below image shows the pencil marks and scale used to precisely position the magnets on the after hull component to the Void Generator housings. 

 

I used the rear hull angles to demarcate where I would position the center of the magnet and for convenience the width of the scale for the second center coordinate. 

 

After drilling and gluing in the hull magnets I positioned the rear hull on the Generator housing and traced the rear hull angles onto the housing(s). 

 

Then using my scale again (See image foreground housing) and allowing for pencil point width I marked the housing magnet center position. 

 

http://i.imgur.com/cVnnWzf.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/cVnnWzfl.jpg

 

I then center cut a tiny pin hole with my #11 xacto tip (foreground housing) and drilled a pilot hole as in the housing upper left in the image below.

 

http://i.imgur.com/xy3uqao.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/xy3uqaol.jpg

 

It's important to be extremely precise in the placement of the magnets because the magnets are self centering with each other and if they are off the fit of the components will be loose when the model is assembled.

 

It's also important to make sure the magnets are flush with the surrounding surfaces and not tilted in their sockets I'll show how I do that in the next installment..........

 

http://i.imgur.com/hKXwO63.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/hKXwO63l.jpg

 

Note if you will that in spite of the manhandling of the components the paint is firmly staying in place; Whew! at least that problem was solved....

[Blackadder]

Insidious ForgeWorld:

 

These models are not for the beginner. I noticed this on the first model as well; there is a small aligning block moulded into the lower corner of the Generator housing (indicated by the arrow I scratched in the paint on the left housing. 

 

This small block is supposed to help align the housing with the aft hull component. Well it's in the wrong place or it's just too big and has to be trimmed down or the housings will not seat squarely on the hull floor or the back wall depending how you glue the parts together so conceivably you can have one generator angled up and one down and not notice it until you try to install the carapace and whoops it won't fit!

 

or it rocks! 

 

http://i.imgur.com/C4PLSqg.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/C4PLSqgl.jpg

 

So either cut the block off or trim it down so the generators fit evenly and at the same angle.

 

I'll show you what I mean once my epoxy dries.............

[Blackadder]

Insidious ForgeWorld Part Two:

 

Now that the glue is dry I can demonstrate what I meant in the above post:

 

For the point of illustration let's pretend the Generator housing is not held on with magnets but instead you are trying to affix it to the hull with glue. In the image below I have purposely put the housing as it would appear were the corner block NOT trimmed down. Note the gap under the side wall utility box that should be resting on the hull floor. If you rock the housing forward so the box rests on the floor then the box in the upper corner separates from the back wall. You can have one or the other but not both because that moulded in block is positioned wrong. 

 

http://i.imgur.com/mzvLCrJ.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/mzvLCrJl.jpg

 

So after you trim or remove the block both utility boxes contact the hull floor and back wall as they were intended and the housing is installed correctly i.e. as the FW designer had intended.

 

The proof of this is shown below where the completed housing assembly seen from beneath shows the bases of the hull and both housings are flush with each other behind the waist pivot well. 

http://i.imgur.com/05lxjRi.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/05lxjRil.jpg

 

A minor discrepancy but I'll bet there are Warhounds assembled with those gaps apparent all because of a lack of FW quality control; I mean cleaning flash and vents and flattening mating surfaces I can understand but redesigning castings should not be required on a $600 dollar model for crissake!

[Blackadder]

The Best of All Possible Worlds:

 

So in my above rants I pointed out quality control issues in FW castings but in truth these are beautifully designed and executed models, a bit pricey but then; It's only money and what else would you do with it; 

 

Give it to the Government?

 

The "best of all Worlds" title of this piece refers to the employment of magnets rather than glue to hold your Wahound together. The beauty of this is it allows you to view the wealth of internal detail in this model and also allows detailed interior painting after the model is assembled or in the case described above repair/alterations of mistakes made in the callowness of youthful exuberance i.e. "I gotta get this built for the big tournament this weekend."

 

Anyway below is the full hull/housing/carapace assembly in one piece; stable yet held together only with magnets.

 

http://i.imgur.com/tD7cFfN.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/tD7cFfN.jpg

 

First removing the carapace, almost everyone today employs magnets to affix the carapace to the hull so that's no biggy............

 

http://i.imgur.com/yDMe4bR.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/yDMe4bRl.jpg

 

Note; the center bulkhead has not been installed properly as I want that removable for painting and subsequent interior view when the model is completed (Blackadder, do you ever complete a model?)

 

In the image below, shows the twin Generator housings held on only with magnets granting easy access to the aft bulkhead and hull.

 

http://i.imgur.com/fcppojM.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/fcppojMl.jpg

 

(Yeah I know the gap is under the right utility box in this image because I was using this photo for the demo 'reply'.) 

 

Finally the hull completely disassembled and can be reassembled with equal facility thanks to the super strong properties of the rare earth magnets.

 

http://i.imgur.com/JxS1UkE.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/JxS1UkE.jpg

 

Next; Pinning the front to rear hull sections..............

 

[Blackadder]

A Bee Without a Sting

 

Of course it's all well and good to advocate using magnets but unless the procedure is defined it's just so much verbal flatus. Not being a politician I'll attempt to back up my proposal with a procedural method. 

 

First of all you're going to need some sort of drill. Now here in the USA you can get a decent 1/2 inch variable speed drill for about $20 bucks. If you can afford a $600 dollar model surely you can afford an electric drill. I believe a man without tools is like a bee without a sting (Hence the Title :D). Next you're going to need a set of drill bits. These are also pretty cheap because we're not drilling sheet metal here we're drilling plastic so now you're out maybe $30 bucks but the tools are reusable and with care will probably last a lifetime.

 

Next you will need rare earth magnets. I buy mine on ebay or locally at Home Depot or Lowes, Where they can be obtained in Europe & Etc I cannot say but I'm sure they can be sourced on the Internet.

 

For glue I use 5 or 7 minute epoxy also available at Home Depot &Etc.

 

To mount the Generator housings I used 12 MM X 3 MM disc shaped magnets one in each housing and one in each side of the aft hull component. Now it's important to observe the polarity of the magnets because if you get it wrong the part will shoot across the workbench instead of locking in place; I mark my polarity with a felt marker so I can tell at a glance which side is which. Call me a nitpicker but I keep the north/south polarity consistent across the two generators and the hull so the magnets are not repelling each other over the millenia.

 

Okay so now we're ready to drill the hole to receive the magnet; drill the hole with a bit just slightly larger than the size of the magnet. Now here in the US that's 31/64ths inch but a 1/2 inch will do. In the rest of the World that's about 12,5 MM or 13 MM if you have a cheap drill set. You can get away with drill the hole 3 MM deep ideally but not less as you don't want the magnet to protrude above the surface of the resin. So mix enough resin to coat the sides of the hole and fill the bottem of the cup and install the magnet making sure to observe the polarity remember. Now we want the magnet to be even with the surface of the surrounding surface and also to be dead on level i.e.not tilted so wipe off the excess epoxy and take a thin piece of steel or a fender washer and cover the magnet; don't worry about the washer getting glued to the piece, we'll address that later after the epoxy dries.