Blackadder's Lucius Pattern Warhound "Lucie"

[Blackadder]

Its come to my attention That I have never posted a WIP thread for my Lucius Pattern Warhound. Since the Model was completed years ago This is technically not a WIP but more of a building log of a finished work.

 

Since I am totally incapacitated regarding cutting and fabricating plasticard components for the next four weeks I feel this will serve to occupy my time to keep me from going stir-crazy.

 

The following scratch-built model was my first attempt at a relatively accurate Lucius Warhound that midway in the construction I dubbed "Lucie". The posts I shall be making were from the real-time construction log I did on another forum.

 

Just so you know that the model is more or less completed and you won't be following an overly ambitious "Dead End Thread" here is an image of the completed model as she is today more or less as even this image was taken three years ago and Lucie has seen a few modifications since then:

 

 

http://www.dakkadakka.com/s/i/at/at2/2010/12/19/eb0f706de39f9e32daae820cccd766b0_6825.jpg

 

In Flash 

 

http://www.dakkadakka.com/s/i/at/at2/2010/12/19/92ca6e6484630b4b2a03738f33977560_6825.jpg

 

and natural indoor lighting.

[Devolver]

...i want.. so so bad...

Looks good mate! Completely scratch built?! that! If only i had the patience!

[Olis]

Well blow me down with a feather. That is a scratch-build? I am simultaneously envious, covetous and jealous of you and your model. Impressive work, I must say, brother. ;)

[deathspectersgt7]

Lucie looks Great adder but my ? where's Desi?

[Olis]

Okay, I know what I said earlier but I'm looking really hard at those pictures and I'm struggling to believe that that model is not an official one. No offence Blackadder. ^_^

[Blackadder]

Well thank you Olisredan for the compliment but I assure you that Lucie is a total scratch built except for the few odd bitz and the rubber neck neck conduits generously donated by a friend on another forum.

 

I tried to find another photo that will not give the entire WIP thread away but demonstrate where I intentionally deviated from the FW original to make my Lucie more aesthetically pleasing to my eye and found this one.

 

http://www.dakkadakka.com/s/i/at/at2/2010/10/26/39cc2f640f3128e8cc51d65d83b3c7bd_6825.jpg

 

Note where the top center vent compartment intersects with the void generator housing that there is no space and the vent compartment melds with the generator housing.....

 

Note also that the rear of the carapace skirt is longer and wider than the FW original. 

[Olis]

So noted, brother. I shall be watching your thread with interest (as always). :)

[Blackadder]

Whew, having re-established my bona-fides I shall proceed to demonstrate how to not construct a Titan.

 

To wit:

 

I'm trying a different approach this time as I think the titan will be too top heavy if I make it all from plastic and resin. I'll begin with a basic hull shape as thats what I'm most sure of as far as scale. I've put about a week of evenings into this so far and I'm about to start on the head. 

I'm using foam filled poster board 5mm and 13mm thick which works very well and will give me the upper body lightness I'll be needing for stability. The body will be covered with sheet styrene after I get all the proportions right. 

I'm thinking 3/4" pine square stock for the leg segments and dowels for the round joints but that may be to massive when covered with styrene. 

 

http://www.dakkadakka.com/s/i/at/at2/2009/1/5/580f90685343d3d7ab23596512855a1b_6825.jpg

 

I started with a foam board hull.

 

Experience has taught me that what I have saved in cost I have sacrificed in interior design and true to life (FW) verisimilitude in  carapace thickness and ease of adhering incompatible materials.

 

http://www.dakkadakka.com/s/i/at/at2/2009/1/5/2cbc268e75048a0afa223a87505918c3_6825.jpg

 

I have at least a half dozen of these mediocre examples but the bottom line is this:

 

​Spend a few bucks and use exclusively sheet styrene and eliminate most of your headaches.

 

[Blackadder]

Never the less the foam core block above is what resides in my "Lucie" which caused a few problems further in the construction. To compound the error the entire head is also foam posterboard:

 

http://www.dakkadakka.com/s/i/at/at2/2009/1/10/44ceb5097db8cd07ec266f3410ba4b5f_6825.jpg

 

My first attempt to get the proportions right was woefully off the mark.

 

http://www.dakkadakka.com/s/i/at/at2/2009/1/10/461ba6667ab1f964822d741773a1d621_6825.jpg

[Blackadder]

Never the less all the components visible in these preliminary attempts are at the core of the finished Warhound as she exists today which at the very least made for a very solid construction.

 

(With the exception of the black plastic components)

 

http://www.dakkadakka.com/s/i/at/at2/2009/1/10/40a3cee08b91144c7b8058c7d4834a52_6825.jpg

[Blackadder]

The Rehabilitation Of Lucie:

 

Lucie has had numerous minor injuries over the years and since I was asked for a few reference pictures compared to the new Reaver I decided it would serve to show it along side of Lucie.

 

Well the poor dear couldn't even stand when I took her down from the shelf.

 

http://i.imgur.com/WjGW3By.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/WjGW3Byl.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/pjE5zjQ.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/pjE5zjQl.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/jUMi6EZ.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/jUMi6EZl.jpg

 

 

After a few hasty photos I set about disassembling the legs and waist.

 

http://i.imgur.com/7jm5bnT.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/7jm5bnTl.jpg

[Blackadder]

While I am repairing the waist it would be a good time to remove the velcro fasteners and install rare earth magnets in their stead.

 

http://i.imgur.com/M1VMrcSl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/M1VMrcSl.jpg

 

I enclose the magnet discs in capped styrene tubes to make them easily glued in place. I find the 0,25 MM thick cover does not interfere with the magnetic attraction very much at all and the magnets have less tendency to come loose than if just glued on with Super-glue.

 

http://i.imgur.com/Q6ekSdsl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/Q6ekSdsl.jpg

[thamier]

Okay, I know what I said earlier but I'm looking really hard at those pictures and I'm struggling to believe that that model is not an official one. No offence Blackadder. ^_^

if you knew blackadder and his orojects, youbwould know that he goes the extra mile for the details, and then some, almost to the side of madness, interior details powerxore doors walkways, maybe even a watercooler where the crw can gossipnaround inbetween blowing things up.

 

he inspired me to take a crack at a titan(when i get time that is)

 

so keep up the great work blackadder, and dont forget your flyer, and dont be afraid of doing a movable joints tit for is here ;)

[Blackadder]

Thanks for the endorsement and I haven't forgotten the T'hawk but I really have to get Lucie back into a decent shape or she will just become totally junked.

 

BTW anyone who still doubts that Lucie is not scratch built will note the her legs and carapace are much more robust that the FW original. The generator housings meld into the center cooling vent superstructure............... and of course all the joints including the toes are/were flexibly mounted. Further down this rehab thread I will be showing the repairs needed to get those joints operable again.

 

Magnet Capsule:

 

I find these new rare earth magnets invaluable for making detachable components so that weapons, appendages, heads, what-have-you make your pieces more versatile on the battleboard.

 

A few simple steps to make a magnet capsule

 

Below are the four components indicated by the red arrows needed to make a glue on magnetic capsule

 

Cut two squares from some scrap sheet styrene and cut a ring from an appropriate sized tubing.

 

http://i.imgur.com/OVPcW82.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/OVPcW82l.jpg

 

I use 0,25 MM styrene for the cover where the magnet will face the metal or other magnet and whatever thickness is needed for the back cover so that the two magnetic surfaces are just in contact.

 

Stack the four components and glue.

 

http://i.imgur.com/LHmJZ4k.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/LHmJZ4kl.jpg

 

Trim or file away the excess if necessary.

 

In the image below note the magnet capsules installed the red arrows indicating the large magnets just made and the green arrows much smaller magnet capsules used for very small fastenings and as in this case to maintain proper alignment of a larger object.

 

http://i.imgur.com/SUTtQP7.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/SUTtQP7l.jpg

[Blackadder]

Reworking the toe and ankle joints:

 

I haven't had the toes and ankles apart since I finished up this model about four years ago but I did accomplish an emergency repair a few years back so the ankle ball and socket were frozen locked in the full back position.

 

This gave Lucie a settled back on her haunches look.

 

While I have the ankle apart I'd better check the security of the piston rod ends that flex when the ankle shifts front to back and allows the foot to twist in its socket.

 

http://i.imgur.com/v12gpc3.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/v12gpc3l.jpg

 

That feature has not be available for quite some time due to the inoperability of the socket joint and gave Lucie a pigeon toed appearance in her recent photos.

 

The leg assembly at the rear left of the photo below has the center toe unable to flex up and if memory serves that is the toe that broke off a few years ago. That toe will have to be reworked as well.

 

http://i.imgur.com/FTT1HtN.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/FTT1HtNl.jpg

 

Everything is functional on the right foot now so it is ready to be reassembled with my little guy looking on for scale.

 

http://i.imgur.com/68cNULL.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/68cNULLl.jpg

 

You lose perspective on how big these feet are until you see them off the leg and along side a scale human figure.

[Blackadder]

Left Foot Repair:

 

Reviving this thread serves two purposes other than demonstrating the rehabilitation of Lucie.

 

Theres a lot of new forums I post on now that have not seen how Lucie was assembled originally and while I constantly refer to the model there are no visible representations of how she works.

 

There are also I'm sorry to say picture empty posts where the image storage website has gone belly up and all the images are gone.

 

Anyway here's how Lucie's toes are attached and now that I have the toe off I cannot see why it won't flex.......?

 

Everything seems okay.

 

http://i.imgur.com/CvrFk6z.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/CvrFk6zl.jpg

 

While I have the leg disassembled its a good time to show the flexibility of the ankle I mentioned in the above post.

 

Lucie has fully functional spherical ankle joints just as in the real Warhound the FW model is taken from. Later I'll explain in depth how the cylinder and piston rod ends are produced if anyone is interested.

 

The red arrow points to the ankle flexed......

 

http://i.imgur.com/V5dOzqn.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/V5dOzqnl.jpg

 

and extended...........

http://i.imgur.com/L1G9RCZ.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/L1G9RCZl.jpg

[Blackadder]

Toe Pistons and Cylinders and Blackadder's Shame:

 

Each toe has three actuators; two at the base that extends and flexes the intermediate phalanges (Red arrows) and one actuator (Yellow arrows)that extends and flexes the distal phalanges (Blue arrows).

 

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

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

 

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

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

 

Now for the part I am ashamed of, after I completed the feet I found the side toes did not touch the ground when the foot was flexed and I excoriated FW for a flaw in their design.

 

Well it turned out I was the one in error because the very savvy FW engineers did make allowances for the toes to swivel at their base; (Green Arrows) It was I who did not pick up on it.

 

I went back to correct the error but I would have had to make each toe less wide to accomplish the modification and it was there that I drew the line. But a note to anyone attempting to replicate these assemblies; be aware of my error and plan accordingly.

[Blackadder]

Big Butted Woman:

 

While I feel ambitious I should add a bit more junk to Lucie's trunk. Right now Lucie's hull weighs about one and a half pounds (3/4 kilo) including about 8 ounces

of scrap lead. If I hollow out the rest of the generator housings I will have room for an additional 10 ounces of lead weight which would make Lucie more stable on her feet.

 

http://i.imgur.com/D53ZahA.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/D53ZahAl.jpg

 

I shouldn't need that much but there is room for it.

 

I was going to link Rob Bartlett's hilarious song parody rendering of the 'Big Butted Woman' but it may be too risqué for a SFW forum.

[Blackadder]

A Poltergeist Named Dave:

 

Well here's the family portrait taken after a bit of an incident where Luteus toppled over on top of Lucie.

 

http://i.imgur.com/UT7Sm6z.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/UT7Sm6zl.jpg

 

I set up the Warlord and the Reaver last night on the battle board with the Cadian planning to take a group portrait this morning after I installed the counterweights in Lucie which worked very well incidentally. I added a quarter pound to the generator housings and for the first time in a couple of years Lucie can pose bending forward.

 

http://i.imgur.com/j997PgH.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/j997PgHl.jpg

 

So why was the Warhound facing the wall in the first picture you may well ask?

 

I was setting up the camera when I heard a crash behind me; twelve pounds of Warlord styrene for no apparent reason crashed down upon Lucie flattening her down under it's mass. First thing I did was look for the cat but it was nowhere around. Then I surveyed the damage.

 

Lucie had all her breakaway armour displaced and the battle banner broke off for the twentieth time.

 

Some of the magnet attached armour fell off the Warlord and the prime was a wee bit scuffed but no significant damage to him as well that I could readily see

 

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

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

 

I set everything back up and snapped a few quick pictures before I realized Lucie was still facing the wall.

 

I turned her around and finish photographing it was then I noticed the Laser cannons on the left shoulder of Luteus were knocked askew.so there we have it.

 

http://i.imgur.com/jkX5ykM.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/jkX5ykMl.jpg

 

A poltergeist named Dave knocked the Warlord over after it had been standing for almost twelve hours. Here is a picture of Dave..............

[Blackadder]

A FW Warhound Titan:

 

This is Going to be Some Fun;

 

I've done this so often I believe I could assemble this blindfolded.

 

When I was in the service I made a bet that I could assemble the trigger mechanism and the rest of a M14 rifle blindfolded.  Halfway through the assembly I thought someone was playing a trick and pocketed the trigger return spring so I said where's the spring? Turns out it had fallen off the footlocker and no one noticed.

 

Now that the Warhound is primed I can't wait to start assembly but I have to resist the temptation to plunge right in I want to magnetize all removable components and screw assemble the feet and legs so the stance can be re-positioned.

 

http://i.imgur.com/3rpBZy9.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/3rpBZy9l.jpg

 

and I have to do it three times; once for the Wolf and twice for the Chaos 'hounds.

[Blackadder]

Conduit Collars:

 

You always have to be on the look out for interesting bits of scrap such as the subject of this post; conduit collars.

 

It would be pretty tedious to make collars to ring the penetration points where the large electrical conduits enter the housings; in this case the Reaver head jowls. Leaving these plain give an unfinished look to the area besides the more detail the better.

 

http://i.imgur.com/HyMYDR5.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/HyMYDR5l.jpg

 

Fortunately I have had this idea for quite a few years and have mentioned it before but it doesn't hurt to re-introduce it.

 

http://i.imgur.com/EYrG2lv.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/EYrG2lvl.jpg

 

When you cut large holes in styrene using wood hole augers you get these nicely shaped rings that are roundly beveled inside and out but usually get swept away with the refuse. These make dandy collars with a minimum of cleaning and sanding.

 

http://i.imgur.com/VayG0C3.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/VayG0C3l.jpg

 

The image above shows the collars glued in place before the final cleaning and I believe they add a nice touch to an ordinarily bland area.

 

I have used these extensively on most of my models even as just tchotchke decorations.

[Blackadder]

Not Much of a Poser:

 

After all these years I'm finally getting around to putting Lucie on a pedestal ahem! er; well a display base and taking advantage of her flexibility I want as dynamic a pose as she is capable of so adjusting the legs to the extreme positions I tried out a photo.

 

http://i.imgur.com/p6Hmknb.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/p6Hmknbl.jpg

 

I must say I'm not exactly overawed.

 

Even the advent of a Trygon seems little to recommend the position. 

 

http://i.imgur.com/f3r66vy.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/f3r66vyl.jpg

 

I'll try again tomorrow when I have more time.

[Blackadder]

Ruins Base # One:

 

First layer of cork and some ruins bitz that need to be trimmed to fit the base and allow a passage for the Warhound.

 

 http://i.imgur.com/ylZb4Ph.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/ylZb4Phl.jpg

 

Front view needs terracing and the foundation of the ruin needs raising.

 

 

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

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

 

Side view show the difficulty of multilevel terrain.

 

http://i.imgur.com/Sostu8A.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/Sostu8Al.jpg

 

Rear view of ruin shows the Gothic arches need to be trimmed to allow the foot to pass

 

http://i.imgur.com/Ulx2qZT.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/Ulx2qZTl.jpg

 

Ditto.

 

http://i.imgur.com/dpN0ltb.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/dpN0ltbl.jpg

 

All the tread work is virtually unseen.... but at least I know it's there.

 

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

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

 

Anyone know the kit name and or number of these ruins; I can't find the item on the GW website.

[Squeaky]

They look like the building bits you get from the 3rd edition starter set (Dark Eldar and Templars) But I haven't been able to find out the part numbers... hope that little bit of info helps.. ?

[Blackadder]

Thanks, I actually have two sets of these ruins but I was just curious about the source.

A Learning Experience:

The following images are more FYI than instructions on how to make a base/diorama because I have little idea where I am going with these bases.


http://i.imgur.com/d7oez3V.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/d7oez3Vl.jpg



I'm sure people more savvy with base construction can find errors I am committing with my preliminary work but I have madness to my methods.


http://i.imgur.com/u2HNYUZ.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/u2HNYUZl.jpg



One thing I note on some of the ruins I see planted on bases is they usually do not have foundations. Even my mentor Jaro didn't allow that the building does not just sit on the ground but has a basement dug into the earth/bedrock whathaveyou so the building is anchored.


http://i.imgur.com/5j7CfOZ.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/5j7CfOZl.jpg



So to allow for this I made fine cork angled strips that will be coated with fine sand to simulate a concrete footing.


http://i.imgur.com/3ZnO9Fl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/3ZnO9Fll.jpg



In this final photo I show the foot print recesses for the Warhound that probably will be partially filled with debris so the Warhound will also be situated in the display rather than just floating scale inches above the terrain.


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

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



None of this is to be taken as gospel but is just as I perceive it should be.