Help converting an old, dilapidated Razorback into a Pred

[Marshal van Trapp]

I have sitting in a box of old broken models a mostly intact Razorback, it's missing it's turret and needs a bit of cleaning work (I think I tried making it a vindicator) but now I have use for it to make a Predator for my deathguard.

 

Since the body is still mostly fine I just need some help figuring out how to make a new turret and side sponson turrets, I was thinking of scratch-building some older side sponsons but I am completely stuck on the turret... any ideas?

Edited January 7, 2018 by Marshal van Trapp

[Arkhanist]

The simplest option would be just to get a predator turret (and optionally sponsons) sprue from ebay or a bits seller - that will also get you official weapons.

 

If you're OK with 3rd party parts, Blood and Skulls have some very nice alternative parts, including turrets and guns, that fit 40k vehicles - I believe the light turret is the predator one, though I'm rather a fan of the old deimos style Taurus conversion kit personally.

 

Hexyshop (from bitspudlo) also do a handful of predator-suitable turrets. If you need a top-plate, you can get one from kromlech or hexyshop for sure.

Edited January 7, 2018 by Arkhanist

[Marshal van Trapp]

The simplest option would be just to get a predator turret (and optionally sponsons) sprue from ebay or a bits seller - that will also get you official weapons.

 

If you're OK with 3rd party parts, Blood and Skulls have some very nice alternative parts, including turrets and guns, that fit 40k vehicles - I believe the light turret is the predator one, though I'm rather a fan of the old deimos style Taurus conversion kit personally.

 

Hexyshop (from bitspudlo) also do a handful of predator-suitable turrets. If you need a top-plate, you can get one from kromlech or hexyshop for sure.

Oof those are nice but quite pricy, at that point it's almost cheaper to buy a new predator, I was more looking for solutions for helping scratch-build a suitable predator turret

[Subtle Discord]

Not to be cheeky, but the solution to how to scratch build something is to scratch build it. Even if you can find some instructions that give you some good guidance it's unlikely that you'll find some kind of step-by-step guide of the exact thing you want to build complete with templates to use. Do some research into general scratch building technique with styrene, looking at military modelers, scale train modelers, tabletop gamers, Gundam modelers, etc., and then give it a go. Building with styrene is something that's 20% research, input, and advice, and 80% just giving it a try for yourself, learning as you go. Expect to do a lot of reading, followed by making many mistakes as you try to build things.

 

Key things you'll need are some sharp blades (I prefer #11 blades), a metal ruler, a cutting matt, some thin solvent glue (Tamiya Extra Thin is excellent), and a selection of styrene sheet, rod, and tube; just what styrene you'll need also depends on the project, how much detail you want to add, and how much work you want to do. Depending on how you build you'll likely need some graph paper or a bit of knowledge about some CAD software to create a template to work with; another good resource for templates is to find ones used for building paper vehicles/models and simply use them with styrene. There are also all sorts of things like sandpaper, files, drill bits, and other odds-and-ends that may not be essential but certainly are useful.

 

It should be noted that scratch building isn't necessarily a low-cost or easy alternative to just purchasing a model. It will require an upfront investment for tools and materials and a willingness to invest the time and effort to make an idea real. That said, materials generally last quite a while if you're not wasteful, and once you get some practice and confidence you have the ability create virtually anything you put your mind to, so it's a very powerful skill to have. The Predator turret is a very challenging shape to create for a first-time scratch builder, just so you know, but that doesn't stop you from creating a new shape of the right dimensions to make it more manageable. I don't want to be discouraging, just realistic.

[Marshal van Trapp]

Fair enough, I was actually looking around in my bits box and found something I might try using for the turret, it's an old-school razorback turret (the one that looks more like a turret than just guns shoved into the top of a rhino)

 

With that it would just be the matter of making some sponsons and scratch building lascannons to put onto both, now I just have to figure out how to make some enclosed sponsons (like the old predator/leman russ) as I'm not a big fan of the fragile mk4+ predator sponsons

 

Actually I wonder, if I built a suitable mounting point could I just stick the leman Russ sponsons on a rhino chassis?

[Subtle Discord]

Creating a mounting point on the side of the Rhino/Predator chassis that can accommodate the Leman Russ sponson should be very straightforward. Cover over the door making sure the plate is the right dimensions to give the sponson a smooth surface to sit on that provides enough room. You can add a few simple tabs to give some guide points for the sponson, or just carefully glue the sponsons right to the added plate. If it's made from styrene it'll bond with the parts as easily as it would directly to the model if you're using plastic glue.

[Major_Gilbear]

It should be pretty easy to rob a turret and sponsons from a Leman Russ if you can get one cheap (although many Guard players will undoubtedly have some spare sponsons they could let you have/buy/trade for).

 

Failing that, and assuming that you have suitable weapons already, you could try looking at ww2/modern tank kits? Something like a Sherman or Tiger tank would do nicely if you fancied an old-school Predator look, and I'll bet you can get one for very cheap. Similarly, a look through your local Dollar/Euro/Pound store for any toys that you might be able to cannibalise for parts.

 

Years ago, Ian Pickstock kitbashed all sorts of Leman Russ and Rhino variants from these two kits, and it was because of his efforts that we got the plastic/metal hybrid Predator kits back at the end of 2E, and new Razorback variants at the start of 3E. You can see some of his efforts here, but there was also an article in a WD issue around that time in which he explained how he made them.