The Judgment on Kadeth - Dr. Ruminahui's Slaaneshi CSM

[Volgon]

I'm with @RolandTHTG, I think the second set look better. Not sure I have a preference on A or B, either would look good I think. Here's something I thought of: what if you did a design on the plasticard sides and then mounted the metal plates over it? For example something like a plasticard Chaos star. Then you go with 2b, and some of the star is showing between the plates and below the plates as well (where you said you would have to extend them). Might be a neat little detail?

[Tallarn Commander]

Your plasticard-fu is strong! I too prefer Option 2b.

[Dr_Ruminahui]

Thanks, @RolandTHTG, @Volgon and @Tallarn Commander for your suggestions and input.

 

Ultimately, it was being shown a the picture of the 30K vindicator made up my mind on this - I'm going with 2(b), as that looks most like the original 2nd edition vindicator.  That way if I ever want to field 3, I can field one 30K version, one 40K version + the "updated 2nd ed" version I'm building here.  So, while I've had my quibbles with the edges being raised over the hull of the tank (like what purpose that could possibly serve), I'm going to keep that look as it makes the tank look more distinctive and more like the 2nd version. 

 

Interesting idea, Volgon, regarding the chaos detailing underneath.  Ultimately, I don't think that's something I could pull off in a way that makes sense, but you always make me think in new ways that I appreciate.  Instead, I'll be adding more regular type chaos trim -  I've decided to do is rather than glue the plates apart and fill in the middle, I'm going to glue them together and expand on the outside to have the same overall width, as that will better allow me to put trim along the outside edges.  That's work for future me, though - I'll need to check if what plasticard I have fits that purpose, or if I need to try to pick some up.

Edited March 18 by Dr_Ruminahui

[Dr_Ruminahui]

Finished the work on the hull.

 

 

So, I finished the trim - I ended up putting the metal plates together unlike my previous intent, as I didn't glue them on evenly on one side which didn't allow me to easily bulk out the edges (plus, that's how my wife told me to do it when asked).  This meant I had to rethink how I would do the trim (I had planned to have it go accross the top behind the smoke stacks then down the sides of the plates).  Pretty happy with how I ended up running the trim, though I think I put too many bolts on it (which are just pin heads).  I'm particularly happy how the half chaos stars on the bottoms turned out - though I noticed I need to put some inner triangles on the right and left in the photo above.

 

You can also see the beginning of the front shield - the "arms" are trimmed down parts from the Astra militatum bulldozer.

 

And here is a more frontal view, showing the other side.

 

[Prot]

Wow I love that. I completely forgot about the original Vindicator kit having those thick slab (real metal!) walls. The additional work is really nice. I wish I could take that kind of enjoyment out of the building process. :) 

[Dr_Ruminahui]

Thanks, @Prot.  I wish I could get your kind of results out of the painting process, so I guess it evens out.  Maybe you should have me give all your guys capes in return for you painting mine? 

[Volgon]

What an awesome Vindicator, I really like all the modifications! Trim came out great. 

[Dr_Ruminahui]

Thanks, @Volgon!

 

I've now built the front shield, which means that the build is done.  Not sure where to fit it on my painting queue, but that's the next step.

 

This definitely doesn't warrant this number of pictures, but I'm going to share anyway, as I found its evolution interesting.

 

 

First was building the base structure of what I wanted.  I drew the basic curved shape I wanted on a piece of cardboard, cut it out, then used it as a template to produce the 4 curved "spars" you can see in the photo above.  This allowed me to have them, more or less, the same size or shape.

 

After cutting out the spars, I then figured out where the various horizontal "beams" would go, and cut out notches there.  All spars got one at the top, one at the bottom, and one in the middle - the middle one is for the bar on the front of the hull, which is the mounting point for the entire structure.  I deliberately didn't glue any of the piece to the front bar as that would make the rest of the build (and painting) more difficult.

 

 

Here is the basic frame on the front of the chasis.

 

 

I then covered the outside of the frame with thinner plasticard, starting with the back.  Here it is half done.

 

 

Front was a bit more challenging, due to its curve.  Here I used elastics to make sure it stayed against the spars while the solvent dried.

 

 

This photo and the next one are pretty unnecessary, but are here because I find them interesting.  Here is the basic form done, but with no detailing.

 

 

And here it is with the "trim" done.  I pondered for a while whether to leave it like this, or whether to put rivets.  Oh, and you can see the "bolter" half of the pintle combi-bolter sitting beside it - it and the combi-weapon portion (the flamer) are magnetized and swappable.  The guy in the cupola has one of the new bare heads from the Emperor's Children Infractors/Tormentors box.

 

 

And here is it finished, with rivets.  I decided to go fewer rivets than the trim, and quite like the look.   The back has trim, but no rivets.

 

 

And from straight on.  Despite my efforts, the gun port in the shield is not even with the gun, though that's really only visible from straight on.  Not exactly sure what happened, as I measured carefully, but I suspect its the downside of not affixing it to the front of the tank as I built it.

 

Anyway, pretty happy with it (and the build as a whole), but I must say I don't enjoy doing the internal structural bit very much - way too much thinking, planning and measuring for my tastes.

 

 

[Bonehead]

Looking very slick indeed, Doctor. More of your modelling mojo is in evidence

[Dr_Ruminahui]

Thanks, @Bonehead!  Someday, I hope to have 3 vindicators (this one, a regular one, and a 30K one) and look forward to seeing them all side by side and painted.