Of endless forms most beautiful: Volkite Armaments

[STC Logisengine]

All aboard the Choom-train! Choom-Choom!

 

So, this is a thread where I will be posting some scratchbuilds intended for my XIX Legion force, specificly, this will see me heap the bounty of the Age of Technology upon the less fortunate warframes of the early 30th millenium, as previously unknown machine-canon is discovered on ancient battlefields of long extinguished colonies of man among the stars of the north-eastern fringe, and with due delight, incorporated into the armouries of the Pale Nomads chapter's nomad-predation fleet.

 

Vehicles both regular and super-heavy will pass through these pages as many old, long discarded projects and unfinished models will find new life as heralds of the Throne of Ash.

 

Let us begin.

 

http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2016/6/9/806288_md-Choom-Choom%21.png

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First, we myst learn how to build these most wonderous weapons young adepts, and thus we must study existing patterns.

The two avalible (for now) is the Mars Omega pattern, distinct by the straight lines of the nozzle and the disc-coils mounted along the weapons' thinnest edge, insofar, no official pattern larger than the Culverin has emerged from this strand of machine-lore.

 

The other is the far older, and more darkly reputed, Telerac patterns. Distinct with their more compact barrels and crescent outer nozzle panels, these weapons range from the Culverin to the mighty Carronade and cut a distinct profile.

 

Relevant to our interests they feature thicker coils than the Mars-Omega and will be a lot easier to build without access to presicion machine tools, also, they look better.

 

 

A test-build it is!

 

Now, after looking at every picture relevant and storing them in a folder for ease of reference, let's get cutting.

We will make something of a proof-of-concept, iron out where the pitfalls might be, how to create stability as easy as possible and map out how dimentions correspond to each other, but above all, to have fun.

Here are som pictures of current progression, primary inspiration here is the Volkite Demiculverin currently only avalible to the Russ Incinerator (where is the predator variant turrent!?)

 

Enjoy!

 

 

 

http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2016/6/9/806281_md-Choom01.JPG
 

http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2016/6/9/806282_md-Choom02.JPG

 

http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2016/6/9/806283_md-Choom03.JPG

 

http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2016/6/9/806284_md-Choom04.JPG

 

http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2016/6/9/806285_md-Choom05.JPG

 

http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2016/6/9/806286_md-Choom06.JPG

 

 

[geordie]

Very interesting indeed! Great work so far. Hopefully we will see a few more Volkite weapons on official models soon but always great to see conversions and scratch builds.

 

Some of the larger existing weapons such as the demi-culverin could be put onto a rhino chassis without too much trouble I reckon. Been toying with a vindicator with a large choom cannon rather than the conventional main weapon. Could work on a Predator turret with a little trimming too. 

 

Titan scale volkites have been whispered of at recent events....

 

Looking forward to more progress!

[Olis]

You do the Emperor's work, brother. :tu:

[Ovidius Incertus]

Choom for the Choom god!

[STC Logisengine]

Slowly, painstakingly, progress is made.

 

An offering of images for you!

 

 

 

http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2016/6/13/807100_md-Choom%2008.JPG

 

 

 

It goes quite well, the shape and angles of the nozzle gave me some problems and I had to redo a few pieces a couple of times to make things fit and look proper.

But easy does it, as for size, it's about the same as the Plasma Blastgun mounted on the Stormblade SHT...
 

Now what does this mean...

 

 

 

http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2016/6/13/807099_md-Choom%2007.JPG

 

[Soldier of Dorn]

Endless forms most beautiful, indeed. The great volkite looks amazing, brother. Can't wait to see it finished. :tu:

 

I really need to learn how to build with plasticard properly so I can do stuff like this someday. As it stands, I can space things, but no more than that. Got any tips or particular tools you favor?

[STC Logisengine]

Well, as basics go I would reccomend:

 

• Cutting mat,
• Small exactoknife with an ample supply of blades (sharpness is key)
• Steel rulers - one 10cm and one 30 cm, the big one gets a tad unwieldly for finer work.
• Modelfiles - one flat, one round.
• Drills, as many sizes as you can get because you Always seems to need that odd one.
• Protractor to get your angles right.
• Liquid greenstuff for filling or a similar material - pro tip, get a small spatula-tool or make one, applying it with a brush is the stupidest idea I have ever seen.
• Plastic glue! Use superglue only for brass or resin details.

 

As for tips - Plan ahead!

Measure, check your measurements and then measure again Before you cut.

 

If you are unsure, cur it out in paper first to see if you are on the right track, it's Quick and no way near as expensive as plasticard.

 

As for the materials - invest in tubes, angles, I and H-beams, they are invaluable for supporting the things you build and very useful for fine detail.

[STC Logisengine]

Slowly it comes together, mounting the lamellear structure on the small ellipse that goes inside the barrel is going to be a hassle..

 

 

 

 

 

http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2016/6/21/808560_md-Choom%2009.JPG

 

 

 

http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2016/6/21/808559_md-Choom%2010.JPG

[Charlo]

[BlueBelly1863]

That's wicked cool. Great sculpting work! What tank is this going on? (If it is destined for a tank turret) 

[Venator]

Wow.  I wish I had half your skills!

[m0nolith]

Mighty fine *choom* you've got there!

[STC Logisengine]

Thank you all!

I made a lot of progress tonight, it is almost finished, just some minor touch-ups and of course: RIVETS!

 

Once done it will rumble off to my p&m-thread over at the works-in-progress forum and a new project will begin here.

 

I have outlined some fluff for the gun since I will be using it as a Legion Stormblade, packs a punch but the PBG is a blast weapon (as a few other weapons I imagine I will want to replace in the future) and, being plasma, suffers from a deplorable lack of the Deflagrate rule.

The solution here is to invent a whole new subset of Volkite Armaments of the Teleac-pattern: weapons that, rather than projecting a focussed beam of themodynamic energy induction (the deflagrate rule is, looking at the Glaives' ruleset is obviously a way to mimic the beam-effect on a smaller and more managable scale), creates an area-saturation effect by using partitioned beam-emitters within the weapon that crosses the multiple individual beams at the target location where the intersecting forces blows out in a spherical blastwave of thermodynamic annihilation. As this mode does not create a focussed beam active for perhaps a second or two there isn't much need to shoe-horn in the volkite rule.

 

Help me out here, what do we call this thing? Is it nessecary to follow the C? Ie Charger, Caliver, Culverin, Carronade etc or should we go on a different tangent? Help appriciated!  

 

 

Now! Images!

 

 

http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2016/7/4/811375_md-Volkite%20Superheavy%2005.JPG

http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2016/7/4/811373_md-Volkite%20Superheavy%2003.JPG

http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2016/7/4/811374_md-Volkite%20Superheavy%2004.JPG

[Olis]

Help me out here, what do we call this thing? Is it nessecary to follow the C? Ie Charger, Caliver, Culverin, Carronade etc or should we go on a different tangent? Help appriciated!  

 

Well... the MDRC has it's own ideas on this but... How about 'Columbiad'? We can't claim sole ownership on the use of that name... ^_^

[STC Logisengine]

Hmmm. "Teleac-Pattern Volkite Columbiad" it does have a certain ring to it doesn't it?

 

I might just nab that.

 

As for the tank I was thinking about going down the road towards either "Storm Spear" or "Ash Blade" seeing as the vehicle is a progression from the Ryza/Lucius Storm Blade superheavy tank (itself a variant of the Lucius-pattern Shadowsword) and fills a similar battlefield role as a armored vanguard / assault tank.

 

Thoughts / suggestions welcome.  

[Charlo]

Well, you could always take inspiration from the other premier big volkite weapons in the Heresy:

 

Leman Russ Incinerator

Legion Gliave

 

How about:

 

The Halberd

 

Or you could go with the fire theme and go with:

 

Flambard

[Nomus Sardauk]

Flamberge?

[Olis]

Flamberge?

 

Quirky. I kinda like it.

[STC Logisengine]

I have built more choom! This one is intended as a stand-in for the Malcador's Battlecannon so it's quite hefty.

 

First you need coils! the more the better. I made a mold and made some press-copies from the green.

 

 

Now, this one will go on my malcador so lets get rid of those silly lascannons and build up the basic shape.

 

 

now trim off those coils!

 

 

Coils go on the gun body, wich goes to the mounting.

 

 

Now the muzzle, quite simple.

 

 

There will be some gaps, don't worry we'll fix that in a few moments. ;)

 

 

Now for the inner barrel. cut a mountingplate that fit inside the muzzleshroud, take a tube and measure & cut to the appropriate length. Then cut it in two halves.

 

 

Now cut two plaes to bridge the distance between the two halves of the tube and mount them on the back plate.

 

 

Add two strips of card to the outer sides of the shroud to bring it level in thickness with the top and bottom plates and plug the gaps.
Then use thin strips to fix the detail around the shroud.

 

 

Now cut a tube in thin slices, glue them in place and sand them thinner and level, i useed a 2mm tube so I can slot the 1mm rod inside, make sure the rods are straight and let dry.

 

 

 

Clip down the rods to near the finished height, I made them about 5mm when I mounted them to make assembly easier; then sand them down so tthat they are almost flush with the tube.

Then add Rivets and little details and we are done!

 

 

 

 

 

Enjoy!

[Pearson73]

The new choom looks cracking, nice combination of press-moulding and plasticard work.

 

Thanks for putting up such a detailed step-by-step, as a fellow fan of scratch-building, this will surely be useful.

[Gorgoff]

You did well.

Like it a lot.

[Markus_]

Fantastic work so far.

[Ficinus]

This is all superb work.

[Brother Pheidias]

This is so good!

[STC Logisengine]

Thanks everyone, i am very happy you liked it.

 

What should I build next I wonder? I am starting to run out of vehicles to stich these on, but I do have an old plastic land raider that perhaps can be useful in the Heresy..