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Blackadder's Attempt To Build a Lucius Patten Imperator

Blackadder

By Blackadder
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maverike_prime Venerable Brother

maverike_prime

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Question for ya, BlackAdder. If the Styrene and PVC are not compatible, what do you use to afix the styrene sheet to the pvc pip? Superglue? Or something else?

 

The glue I use won't melt the two materials together but since the styrene sleeve completely encases the PVC fitting there is sufficient surface area to stabilize the the glued connection. There are many times I have employed this method with satisfactory results.

 

So you use the same type of plastic glue you would normally use?

Blackadder Veteran

Blackadder

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Helmet:

 

My initial thought was to use a suitably shaped bottle to form the helmet but after experimentation I found that was unsatisfactory for my obsessive compulsive mindset. I opted instead for building up the helmet out of stratified layers of styrene and cutting the helmet out of the resulting block in much the same manner as I did for my Warlord Titan 

 


http://i.imgur.com/gxEB51Bl.jpg

 

This also relieves me of the necessity of finding a suitable glue for mating the different sources of plastic......

 


http://i.imgur.com/uAIDHK3l.jpg

 

It's bad enough that I had already go through the identical thought processes in making my Warlord but to have not learned for my previous effort defies logic. :(

Blackadder Veteran

Blackadder

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Ready To Begin Shaping:

 

The layering is complete and all needs be done is the shaping

 


http://i.imgur.com/aK44D0Ol.jpg

 

I made the helmet about an eighth inch over sized per inch to allow for  carving and sanding

 


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

 

Tomorrow I should be well along on the paring down to the rough dimensions.

 


http://i.imgur.com/l0WOVlJl.jpg

Blackadder Veteran

Blackadder

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First and Second Contour Cuts:

 

Most of which are done on a stationary belt sander.

 


http://i.imgur.com/7RO8KiCl.jpg

 

One more preliminary contour cut to make.....

 


http://i.imgur.com/SVQpT3Fl.jpg

 

The sides have to be rough sanded at about 45° before the finishing contour sanding.

 


http://i.imgur.com/VYPbiO9l.jpg

Blackadder Veteran

Blackadder

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Rough Shaping:

 

Final rough shaping involves truing up the block to 90° then cutting a 45° bevel each side and finally two 22.5° bevels each side on top and sides.

 


http://i.imgur.com/9DUyTiTl.jpg

 

Next (and this is the tricky part because it takes a bit of an eye for roundness) sanding off the excess in a controlled arc movement on the sanding belt.

 


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

 


http://i.imgur.com/8vAqAXMl.jpg

 


http://i.imgur.com/W0ZiUMIl.jpg

 

so the helmet has a slightly flattened ovoid shape in cross section.

Blackadder Veteran

Blackadder

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Basic Helmet and Head

 

Well it took far more time than I thought but I do finally have the basic helmet cut to size.

 

 


http://i.imgur.com/P1eCperl.jpg

 


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

 


http://i.imgur.com/J6b7rWgl.jpg

 


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

 

The rear view shows how much I cut out of the interior so I can add the under helmet detail when the cockpit is complete. I may still remove a lot of the inside material but for now it's sufficient as the helmet is as fragile as an eggshell with out it's interior framing.

 

 


http://i.imgur.com/n4znz4Tl.png

 

BTW you may have noticed the background image. This is what I am hoping the finished Titan will look like but leaner and longer legs. 

 

Blackadder Veteran

Blackadder

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Posted (edited)

Suffice it to say I am not happy how this helmet is turning out so I am revamping it. Update coming soon.

 

Meanwhile:
 
I naturally assumed my Warlord crew would fit into an Imperator head but never really checked so while I'm waiting to complete the face shield I just tried them for size.....
 
There's plenty of room; even for a Princep and a few attendees And a cadre of Tech Priests as well. 
 
http://i.imgur.com/Hgx7B75l.jpg
 
http://i.imgur.com/ApSGtc4l.jpg
Edited by Blackadder
Blackadder Veteran

Blackadder

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Now It Can Be Told:

 

Now that I have resolved the issue I can reveal why I had to revamp the helmet. It all boiled down to an assumption on my part that the artist drawing the two elevations of the head was a draughtsman. In a proper draught you project lines from one plane to another and ideally there should be a top elevation as well but I accepted the two elevations as sufficient for my 3D rendering. I built my model slightly oversized than the plan as I wanted the 'head' to be larger than my Warlord's head as the finished model will be 10 to 12 inches taller than my Warlord. I blissfully used the side elevation for all my calculations and after laminating all the layers proceeded to sand the contours of the helmet  but after the rough sanding was completed I found the helmet dome was significantly flattened. 

 


http://i.imgur.com/8vAqAXMl.jpg

 

It did not have the look of the front elevation at all. Needless to say I was extremely disappointed as I had based my interior design and mechanism on the front projection......

 

 


http://i.imgur.com/56WnEFll.jpg

 

Rather than scrap the helmet and start afresh I opted to build on the original to increase the height of the dome which is seen in these to images. It was last night that I managed to glue in the compound curved pieces requisite to obtain a smooth contour; the final pieces to be installed later this morning. 

 


http://i.imgur.com/2QebzHAl.jpg

 

So with this setback resolved I can continue with the building of the head; my obsessive compulsive integrity intact.

Blackadder Veteran

Blackadder

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A Cure for a Rainy Day:

 

After a rough rounding sanding I scored the armour panel lines. First with my utility knife. Then with razor saw and finally with xacto keyhole saw blade 


 

to widen the gaps between the armour

 

 


http://i.imgur.com/rer2DpTl.jpg

 

Now the helmet is ready for wet sanding which will hopefully remove the striation lines.

 


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

 


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

 

Now we're back to making the visor.

Blackadder Veteran

Blackadder

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Crest:

 

The crest seemed a daunting task but after the helmet it was child's play. I began by laminating six layers of 0.030 thousandths styrene last night because 1/4 inch styrene is too expensive and to hard to work with plus 0.030 is what I had on hand.

 

I then scribed two lines and equa-spaced the drill points with my vernier calipers.

 

I used my #11 Xacto blade to deepen the drill points and hand drilled 1/16" pilot holes for the scallops. 

 

 


http://i.imgur.com/I6LWbhVl.jpg

 

Then I drilled 1/8 inch holes to center the 1/4 inch final holes for the scallops.

 


http://i.imgur.com/shluvZ1l.jpg

 

After drilling the 1/4 inch holes I cut off the excess material and sanded to the appropriate half hole depth.

 


http://i.imgur.com/5ugL5izl.jpg

 

PeaceCraft Battle-Brother

PeaceCraft

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maaan i love the craftmanship in your super builds! stacking plastic and sanding is quite tough.
Have you tried sculpting in putty to make these large volumes? cheap plumbers putty then cutting excess, dunno what way is faster

 

cant wait to see more!

cheers

Blackadder Veteran

Blackadder

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Posted (edited)

maaan i love the craftmanship in your super builds! stacking plastic and sanding is quite tough.

Have you tried sculpting in putty to make these large volumes? cheap plumbers putty then cutting excess, dunno what way is faster

 

cant wait to see more!

cheers

Every time I try a shortcut I come to regret it. Plumbers putty, resin, foam filled poster board, PVC pipe what-have-you all seem like good ideas but nothing beats using exclusively styrene for compatibility and longevity of glue seams plus repair and modification is so much easier for example; I built the helmet up of sheets of styrene, tedious task at best but found after sanding I had miscalculated int he height of the dome. Were I to have used a sculpting medium I would not have been able to add to the helmet plus you do not have the compatibility of the putty to styrene glue so adding fine detail would be difficult.

 

But thank you for the suggestion. It is much appreciated.

Edited by Blackadder
Blackadder Veteran

Blackadder

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Spear Heads:

 

Spear Head ornaments are tedious but worth the effort. There are probably easier ways to make them but I want mine to have a 3D bas-relief so I made mine out of 0.040 thousandths styrene. Below we see one in place on the helmet and the rest in various states of manufacture. When doing something like this I allows make a few extra so I don't have to start from scratch. You never know when you might need a spare.

 Start by making an undersized template (marked 'T'), trace the points on a piece of scrap styrene, cut them out with scissors (yeah it's that simple,) Drill your pilot holes,  Cut the corner holes with your; surgical diagonal cutters, Fingernail cutters, Dikes, what-have-you, use your rat tail needle files to make the spade base compare you work to the finished and make the proper adjustments with you, curved nail file and you're done.

 


http://i.imgur.com/fFxZ4Ifl.jpg

 

Now do it twelve more times or more........

 


http://i.imgur.com/84L1tlJl.jpg

 

See you tomorrow.

Blackadder Veteran

Blackadder

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Bada ba ba baaaa I'm Lovin' It:

 

Funny how these ungainly projects grow on ya. At first I was mildly interested in this project. A lot of people requested I give it a go so for the past few years I accumulated various plastic bitz that looked like they might go on a quicky Imperial Titan that anyone sufficiently motivated could build. I still have baskets of the junk; bottlecaps recyclable containers and the like and I finally solved the pelvis dilemma but until I saw the head for lack of a better term I had little enthusiasm feeling that I had reached the pinnacle of Titan manufacture in my Warlord.

 


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

 

Now I am in a quandary because this Titan will eclipse my previous effort but Damn I am getting really fond of this beastie.

 


http://i.imgur.com/izMrl2el.jpg

 

The front view shows up on the image more so than in person that the spearhead gusset on the right side is longer than that corresponding one on the left. that will have to be fixed but overall I am pleased with the outcome. I made my darts a tad larger than that in the computer image as I couldn't translate the drawing into an actual model. But it seems close enough and even as I write this I get the depression of compromise.

 


http://i.imgur.com/jRCmP0pl.jpg

 

But no; that way madness lies. 

 

and it's still two hours to Martini Time... Dang!

Blackadder Veteran

Blackadder

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The Perfection of Asymmetry:

 

When you look at the Darth mask you are thrilled with the evilness of the visage but split the image and reverse it mirror image wise and you will see the resulting perfect symmetry of either the left or right is not nearly as disturbing. We are all different people when we see ourselves in a photograph. With the magic of the computer we can splice together the left and right images of our face and see two entirely different people neither recognizable as ourselves.

 


http://i.imgur.com/N07NveXl.jpg

 

That is where I am with this visor. That and the printout I made is too small. The 0.030" plastic cutout I made directly below the helmet assembly seems to be of the correct size.

 

Also the visor wraps around the helmet so the front view is foreshortened therefor I must allow for that by adding what i estimate a quarter inch (6,3 MM) to each side........

 

Fun and games, Right?

Blackadder Veteran

Blackadder

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Facial Planes:

 

We're going to experiment with this visor as I don't have an overhead projection so I made the angle gussets flexible until I see how the 'face shapes up.

 


http://i.imgur.com/9ysjqn4l.jpg

 

That way I can make the minimal adjustments required for an approximation of the artist's intent.

 


http://i.imgur.com/Qc99a8ql.jpg

 

Note the strips in the foreground. The one with the heavy pencil line glues to the inner surface of the visor. It is slightly scored so it acts as a hinged gusset. It can sustain a minimum of flexing before fatiguing the same as the visor plate. Once I am satisfied with the position of the visor planes I'll reinforce the the back side of the visor to hold the shape. 

Blackadder Veteran

Blackadder

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Raising the Ears:

 

When I was a kid going to the barber was called, "having your ears lowered." Well in this case the operative word is raised. and bring the ears forward and shorten the helmet.

 

BTW after having been to the barber, you had "White walls."

 


http://i.imgur.com/AeNn6yBl.jpg

 

Anyway this side view projection shows I need to cut the helmet a minimum of 6 MM (one quarter inch) on each side and shorten the length almost half an inch (13,0 MM) which necessitates re-positioning the spear points.

 


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

 

Or I may just go with three after the one in the forehead.

 


http://i.imgur.com/8stjVq5l.jpg

 

The close up also doesn't do it for me; Fah!

 


http://i.imgur.com/xa0CkQUl.jpg
Blackadder Veteran

Blackadder

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Family Portrait:

 

Who's your Daddy? I accomplished a whirlwind revamp of the Command Deck aka the 'Head' shortening the rear overhang (Wait, he is talking about the head of this beastie not the loo???) but I did leave the cock's comb alone. (he is talking about the loo!)

 

Seen here along side my Warlord to give a proper scale.

 


http://i.imgur.com/NvG8rtIl.jpg

 

And a closeup.

 


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

 

More images to come............
Blackadder Veteran

Blackadder

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Whoops:

 

Seems I may have miscalculated on the size of the Titan. That face is huge compared to the Warlord. Of course I had planned upwards of 36 inches (  0.9144 meters )but I had hoped to keep it under 33 inches (0.8382 meters )  just so it didn't relegate my Warlord to a minor player. This may not be the case now.

 


http://i.imgur.com/928kBV1l.jpg

 

The front view in my estimation is spot on  and I shall proceed with the styrene version and make the cutouts on the basic structure. Once I am satisfied with the overall size relationship of the various parts of the 'face' I'll make the details.

 


http://i.imgur.com/MBwgT4Xl.jpg

 

The side view doesn't look quite right as there is too much forward projection with the cardboard template. When rendered in styrene wot the extra cheek plates added all will line up as it is supposed to......

At least that is my expectation.

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