Queen Bee Knight -- Thank you! Please read the new post

[Rune_Priest_Rhapsody]

Are the hip joints moulds for the 'back up' you refereed to in an earlier post??

 

End of Line

[JeffTibbetts]

Well, no, but same principle. I was talking about having to possibly adjust where the pistons on the side of the lower leg connect, as the angle might be wrong with the new foot position. If that's the case, I was saying I think I'll take a quick mold so I can rebuild them with green stuff or resin if I need to. I like to do things like that before I start cutting things up that might not survive, if you know what I mean. The hip joints are simply because I'll be messing with the angle on the hips, so those bolts will need to be cut off and added somewhere else so it looks correct. 

[JeffTibbetts]

Some progress. Would have been more were it not for a little setback. More on that in a bit. First off, I've got a bone to pick with everyone who's already put their knight together… See this piece in the front?

Yeah. It can go on upside down and kinda almost fits… The size is the same at the top and bottom and it's got the same little nubs, which you can see facing forward. I actually had it upside down at first, and it was getting caught on the bit that looks like the front of a dread there with the three lines. I started trimming a bit and testing, and then I picked it up upside down and it popped right on. I was a bit irritated that the directions didn't make a note of it, or that they didn't give them a reference clue in some way. Here it is from the back, so you can see the correct position.

The cables are wider at the bottom, so that's how you can tell. And it, you know… Fits… Right, moving on then.

I was frustrated with the legs, so I started working on the body. I'm glad I did because I love this kit and I love how it's coming together.

I've been picking and choosing bits to add damage and wear to. I have been adding nicks and scratches, removing the odd rivet here and there, and putting a few bullet impacts on where it seems to make sense. Here, I saw an opportunity on the back of the engine to make a metal plate that's warped and popping up a little. I took the rivet off and drilled out a small hole, then I used a chisel hobby blade to push under the corner and slowly work back and forth, then up. When I paint it, I plan to add a little bit of leaking fluid here. I guess I didm't take a pic, but I've got all four sides on the chest done and scratched/damaged. I'm still trying to decide if I want to add the little eagle-head finials to the squared edges of the cage. I think I might save them to use with my Eagle Eyes. They're a great bit, don't get me wrong… I just think that Aurelia would find they clash with her chosen decor. ;)

Read this if you like tragic comedy:

Okay. So the legs… I was/am concerned that they might not be strong enough at the ankles and knees, so I decided I was going to pour resin into the hollow part of the lower leg to give the pins something to dig into. Well… Long story short, the resin got spilled a little, despite taking precautions, and I got it on my hands, and then EVERYTHING went to pot. I was running to the sink with the bits, and I could see it spilling on the legs. On top of that, while I was trying to wash them out under the tap, the pipe below my sink decided that would be a great time to slip out, and my whole kitchen started flooding. I keep all kinds of cleaners and wipes and napkins in those cupboards, so those were all drenched as well. Luckily my girlfriend stopped playing Portal 2, and she started cleaning it while I took a toothbrush to the legs. And then a toothpick. And then my hobby knife. You see, the plastic on the legs was coated with another, new layer of plastic now. It took AGES to get most of it off, but as you'll see there's still some on it. This morning, my hands and fingernails still little bits on. I'll be picking it out for a week. Now, had this happened to any other part I would have been even more upset, but the truth is this portion of the legs and feet was scheduled to get heavy treatments of Typhus Corrosion and various other weathering and wear effects. So, honestly? It will probably make it look BETTER when painted. There's no better way to represent congealed oil, caked on mud, rusted bolts, etc. And it actually did fill the core of the legs with the resin anyway. Water and resin don't mix, and the bits in the leg had already started to set when I was cleaning off the outside. It was a disaster in the sense that it took probably an hour to clean, but really the outcome wasn't so bad.

Without further ado, I'll post up the roughly final pose for the two legs.

Her right leg, which was previously locked-knee and behind. It will now be in front, and stepping on a chainsawed Necron construct of some kind. This leg also got it way worse. I may clean it more but like I said I'm actually okay with this. You can see all the resin on my fingers, too. Looks gross but it's just plastic.

Her left leg, which will be behind and possibly on one or two toes. Haven't been able to mock up enough to know if I'll need to do that.

These are NOT joined at the knee yet. They have pins and I jammed a fat ball of sticky epoxy putty in the ball of the upper leg, but they're not glued. I need to trim the seams of the top leg and clean them up before I go gluing them together. Once I do, I'll be able to greenstuff the actual joint and they'll start to look normal again.

So there you have it. Cautionary tales all around. I learn the hard lessons so you don't have to. ;)

[Samitte]

*takes some notes for the DO NOT DO THIS folder*

 

But all in all this post makes it really hard for me to justify not getting one. (Only one reason left, there is no Castellan/Crusader kit!) I really, really like the amount of helpful material these 3 pages already contain so far so thanks for that.

 

In case of the Necron construct. Maybe a Spyder (Not related to 8ees or Antz, they are not insects after all) with plenty of fluids splattered about?  An enlarged version of the common day to day butchering of Arachnids. Another idea would be to have her splat a pack of Nurglings.. Though I think I'll use that for my own Knight as well.

[KBA]

Have you considered using strong magnets at the ankles and knees, burrowing in the joints for a flush finish? It's something I'm going to look into when I grab a knight.

[JeffTibbetts]

@Sammite, thanks for the suggestions! I like the idea. However, I'm at the liberty of my buddy's spare bits box. I have no idea what he's going to give me. If I wasn't so set on doing Necrons, the nurgling idea is brilliant and I'd do it in a heartbeat. 

 

@KBA, while I do love magnets, the only way I would trust them with that kind of load is if they were mounted on the end of a half inch of sprue and sunk deep into the joint. I think that's totally doable, but I'm afraid I don't really see the point. It would help for transport, maybe, but other than that I don't think that's a great place to put the magic of magnets to use. The problem with magnets in that case is that they don't allow a freedom of movement. If they're strong enough to hold, they're strong enough to really want to snap into place, you know? Now, if you were ambitious enough to mount them sideways, inside the knees, so that they can actually bend at the knees… Hmm… I don't see what would keep it from really falling over at that point. 

 

The way the knee is set up, it would be easier to mount a rod and create a simple axel there if you wanted to retain movement. That's not a bad idea, if you're going for an action figure level of poseability. 

 

PS EDIT: Having followed your Raven Guard for a while, I'm pretty excited to see what you could do with a knight. 

[Disruptor_fe404]

It's too bad your Knight is the Queen Bee and not the Spider Wasp.

 

Although cursory reference shows that Spider Wasps lay eggs in spiders and then drag them away... Which is still sort of a 'natural predator' vibe between wasp and spider...

 

Basically, Necron tomb spyder would be awesome to crush. If only your friend was willing to spare an arcanthrite though...

[JeffTibbetts]

I think he mentioned bits of a command barge and a ghost ark that he had laying around. You know, the whole Queen Bee thing just evolved pretty naturally. I don't think it would ever have occurred to me if not for looking up the Tibbetts crest stuff.

 

Side note: those spider wasps sound pretty boss. I also left my fluff open to others down the road… ;) 

[JeffTibbetts]

More slow and steady progress last night. Spent a couple hours working on the body some more and glueing the knees in place in prep for the final pose and ankle work.

Here's her left shoulder. The arm roll-cage isn't glued on yet. I added a full crack, repaired with a welded plate stint on front and back (the white piece). When I get the greenstuff out, I'll be adding a bead of welding around all four sides. I smoothed the edges after the I took the picture. You can see in these shots how much overall damage I'm adding to the chassis as well. Like I said before, I really want this to look like it's gone through hell and been repaired a ton.

And her right shoulder. Here you can see a Howling Banshee exarch's blade that she's added as a personal trophy. Aurelia was actually really impressed with these warrior women, and this blade was left broken off in her shin-guard a few years back. She kept it, and tied it (that's regular sewing thread, with a coat of nail polish over it to keep it in place and harden it up) to the queen as a sign of respect. I tried to use some liquid greenstuff on that monster joint down there because I already had it out, but obviously it wasn't enough. I'll probably add more wear and damage on this side, as it's a bit lighter than the other. Although, there is a big shield on that side, so maybe I should leave it.

I know these look like they did yesterday, but you can see I've started the pistons here. These are not glued in. In fact, they 'work' right now as I drilled out the motor part. I will be GSing the join to the ball to it has a natural curve like the real ones. The legs are also pinned and glued in place. I'm letting them set before I mess with the GS in the gap. Can't really see it, but I cleaned up the seams with a scraper, file and liquid GS.

Man, that resin on the legs looks like hell right now. I can't wait to get some paint on it so I can quit thinking about it. They really aren't that bad in person.

EDIT: Have I mentioned how MUCH I love the way these things look? I really enjoy taking my time on a kit like this and reading it like a story as I work. You can literally see how they're put together if you really look and have one in hand. The entire cockpit is a small shell in the center, with a layer of cables and wires built on the outside, the engine sits in back obviously, and then around the whole thing, they built a super-sturdy roll-cage. It looks amazingly strong. Those metal beams are insanely thick and they really, honestly look realistic, the way they're bolted together. There are tiny motors all over the place (which they mentioned in WD) next to basically anything that moves. Most moving parts have pistons attached in places that seem to make sense. This is one of the only 40K kits that I've ever seen that truly looks like it could work. I'm not saying there's nothing impractical about it (it's very top-heavy, for one) but it just speaks to a different design ethos than the mad, boroque tech of the Adeptus Mechanicus. I like that aesthetic, too, and there are obviously overlaps, but this is something that feels distinct and very different from other 40K factions. I really want to get in there and paint all these little wires and cables, and I plan to have a bit of fun with them. As with everything else, some will be damaged and patched with wraps or tape (you think duct tape is less useful 40,000 years in the future?) and leaking some fluids, etc. I know for a fact that most people will never see any of it, but it's important to me to make this thing as realistic as I can make it. The kit begs for it and deserves it.

[Rune_Priest_Rhapsody]

Sorry to hear about you little 'debacle' with the legs. Sounds like a pain in the arse indeed!!

 

I love all of the biffs and bangs you're adding to the model as you go, that is just one more layer to the awesome cake!! Really liking this project so far!!

 

End of Line

[JeffTibbetts]

Thanks! It's SO new for me, and really tough to do to by FAR the most expensive model I've ever purchased. But, you know, I'm having fun with it. It really does add personality to it. 

[Ace Debonair]

By the Emperor, this is going to be glorious.

Can't wait to see some paint on this beast!

[JeffTibbetts]

Broke out the GS last night. I built up the knees, but I didn't take a pic yet for some reason. I did build up some more details, though.

Here's one of the exhausts with a panel that get warped. Sorry for the blurriness. I really need to get a macro lens. :D There's also a crack in the top of the pipe that's tough to see. I'll get better pics later.

And here's the other exhaust. This one has a crack in the heat shielding as well, that's peeled up a bit.

Added the bead of welding around the plates. It may not look great right now, but once I get some paint on it, I think it'll look pretty convincing.

And for the bonus round, here's a little extra. This will be pretty much impossible to see on the finished model. I even made two cute little greenstuff eggs that I'll add once they cure. Hey, her hanger's in the jungle. I'm sure this happens. I'm trying to decide if one of the eggs should be cracked open. I mean, this machine is going to be in a war and all…

[Excessus]

Haha, I recognize that. Working my arse off on details you can't even see if you don't angle the model in a certain way...

 

 

Good job! :D

[JeffTibbetts]

Got a little nuts with the details tonight, but it was fun.

Added a couple more hooks on the back, and also a servo skull to, you know… watch her back. Thinking about adding a bit of chain on the hooks but I probably won't. There's already enough dangly bits on this model as it is.

Here's her left side. Notice the small toolkit over where the gun will be mounted, and also a bedroll above the arm. Girl's gotta sleep, and I figure she likes to prepare for emergencies and extended stays in the field. She's a really independent girl. Also, eggs. That engine wash from the vents probably keeps them nice and warm.

And here's the other side, with her weapons cashe above the arm. She's got some grenades, a sidearm and some more tools. I figure she's got to go outside to do repairs, and she probably wants to be prepared when she has to do it. I sure would. These areas are a great spot to add some storage, as they are protected, but accessible to someone who's accustomed to climbing around on the beams like she would be. I just hope the vents don't get so hot that her grenades go off… Also note the small box next to the shield generator with the skulls on. It contains some personal effects and mementos.

And then this took a little while. It was worth it, though. I love the added realism that real vents add. I broke one of my small drill bits, but it's still plenty long enough to get through this thin plastic. Totally worth it. One interesting thing I noticed was that the little blister vents on the sides don't actually go to any pipes. They are positioned above the vents on the side of the chest piece, so I suppose it gives that heat somewhere to go. I never really noticed it till I did a quick dry fit.

[PassionFruit Power]

wow nice i like that everything has a story behind it and i love the birds nest but wouldn't it fall off when the knight moves, and the banshee sword to me looks out of place

[JeffTibbetts]

Thanks! Yeah, it probably would fall off IRL. Good thing this is Science Fantasy. ;) But I dunno. They're pretty sturdy and in that particular spot, it's got a slope on either side. Now, when battle begins and this thing is rocking all over, yes it would def fall. You can't make an omelette without breaking a few eggs, and this is grimdark after all.

 

As for the sword, quite right it's out of place. Should be, since this isn't an Eldar vehicle. It's a war trophy, tied to the frame with rope. It's going to look out of place. :D

[Forté]

Loving the extra work you're putting in. Will be well worth it once you've finished that's for sure.

[WingsOfTheFalcon]

Loving all the additional detail you're adding. I'm planning on doing a lot of wear, tear and battle damage to mine when I get it. Some of your adaptations will be getting pilfered! :D

[PassionFruit Power]

well never looked at it that way amazing work can't wait to see it finished

[Kronus Stormbringer]

Lots of detail but from what I can see its going to make all the difference to the finished model, i'm sure she appreciates it :P

[JeffTibbetts]

Thanks for the support, folks!

 

And pilfer away. If I wanted to hoard secrets I wouldn't post it here.

[KBA]

I'm loving all the details you're throwing into this, Jeff! The birds nest is such a charming touch. The repairs and added detail are awesome. You're really going all out on this knight, and it's a pleasure to watch your progress. Thanks for doing WIP pictures all the way :)

[JeffTibbetts]

Thanks, man. It's my pleasure, in fact. I'm having a blast with the Queen Bee. If I'm going to spend this kind of money I want to do it up right.

[KBA]

It shows, and I couldn't have said it better. Trust me, if I hadn't exhausted my 'Like' quota for the day, a few would have been spent in here. --Note to self: spend likes on creative WIPs and finished projects instead of being suckered into blowing them on clever quips of quick witted members --