Cockroach Coloured Tyranids, a Blackadder Work in Progress

[Fizzybubela]

You could possibly use these ones:
[url]http://www.games-workshop.com/en-GB/Vampire-Counts-Skeleton-Warriors[/url]
Or these:
[url]http://www.games-workshop.com/en-GB/Tomb-Kings-Skeleton-Warriors[/url]

[Blackadder]

Thanks for the links, the problem with these are the rib cage is solid and the vertebrae and appendages are too thick. Also the skulls are not on a realistic par with the bitz that come with the IM and Chaos tank kits.

But I appreciate the input.

Watch for my tutorial on how I make these from scratch; except for the skulls of course..........

[Darren Richardson]

or there are these

[URL="http://www.secretweaponminiatures.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=47_55&produ cts_id=231"]http://www.secretweaponminiatures.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=47_55&produ cts_id=231[/URL]

or these

[URL="http://www.secretweaponminiatures.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=47_55&produ cts_id=576"]http://www.secretweaponminiatures.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=47_55&produ cts_id=576[/URL]

or skulls

[url]http://www.secretweaponminiatures.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=47_55&produ cts_id=230[/url]

[Blackadder]

Thanks but I prefer open to solid ribcages; I'll muddle through in my own way.

Lost in the Shuffle:

I took these images a week ago but forgot to post them:

[url]http://i.imgur.com/XJMSB7y.jpg[/url]


A closeup of the base with assorted remains and a few Gargoyles:

[url]http://i.imgur.com/VfrTOFQ.jpg[/url]


A few tufts of vegetation would not be amiss:

[url]http://i.imgur.com/OUar94H.jpg[/url]



I greatly prefer this pose to the standard submissive one advocated by FW:

[url]http://i.imgur.com/EVaYgAJ.jpg[/url]


Of course this type of lunging pose could not be maintained statically any more than a runner can sustain a full trot stance at any split second of his step cycle. It is an instant frozen in time:

[url]http://i.imgur.com/y8nr30j.jpg[/url]

[Darren Richardson]

wow that beastie looks amazing BA, if you wanted to hide that wire, perhaps model a dying marine with a missle launcher at the bottom of the wire, use cotton wool dyed and painted to look like smoke wrapped around the wire, and have an explosion at the top of the wire, it would then make it look like it's rearing up in pain from the missle hit....

Just an idea

[Blackadder]

I've neglected this thread for over half a year; a belated thanks for the reply........

Helpful Harridan Hints:

So you bought yourself a Harridan, probably one of the easiest FW models to build but also one of the most easily broken.

Why, because of its size and the delicate nature of it's parts. The thinly constructed head and sinuous tail stuck out front and back. The talons hanging down ready to snag on a shirt sleeve and that ridiculous stand is an accident waiting to happen coupled with the thick humongous wings; it's totally top heavy.

Well today we are going to address these issues to save you a lot of grief later on when you use it in a game.

First the head:

[url]http://i.imgur.com/03eV8Ws.jpg[/url]


I'm going to magnetize the head fastenings with two rare earth magnets one 2 MM thick for the head and one 3 MM thick for the neck. I used my Dremel and a drum cutter to cut a shallow well on the head about 2 MM deep. The head material is very thin so I dare not cut deeper than 2 MM. i cut a well 3 MM deep in the neck because the neck material is very thick. This will give a strong attachment but also allow the head to be removed for easy transport of this fragile Tyranid titan.

I put a spot of cyanoacrylate glue to temporarily affix the magnet to the head and neck because I want to see how the head is positioned and that the magnets meet flush before I permanently attach the magnets with epoxy.

[url]http://i.imgur.com/9fr3ljk.jpg[/url]


[url]http://i.imgur.com/MmHAORR.jpg[/url]


[url]http://i.imgur.com/FQVP1xi.jpg[/url]


Well that's just about perfect;

next the tail.

[Darren Richardson]

I welcome this thread back to unlife, it's always nice to see how things have progressed at a later date.

[Blackadder]

I'll try to be more responsive and not leave you hanging for six months. We got the supposed snowstorm of the century today Ha! bearly 4 inches then news over blew it as usual. So I dredged up some of my old threads and did some work on the Harridan which I was aching to put together but for some reason never have the time?????????

Lemme See Ya Shake Your Tail Feather:

The tail is much too long to attach with a magnet but fortunately there's a nice deep socket that it plugs into. It's supposed to be glued into that socket but I have a better way to mount it.

I drilled holes into the tail and the base and with a piece of ordinary coat hanger wire fashioned an internal clamp. Glue the wire into the base and plug in the tail. so it lines up but it's still loose in the socket.

[url]http://i.imgur.com/QgQrmgz.jpg[/url]


Bend the wire slightly up so the tail plug is pressing on the top of the socket and there it is, a tight connection.

[url]http://i.imgur.com/XyOVtIO.jpg[/url]


That can be easily removed for transport.

Next the wings.

[Blackadder]

The Harridan Née Thunderhawk:

I call it that because as with the Thunderhawk the aerodynamics are suspect. In short it would be impossible for the Harridan to fly as it has neither shoulders nor sternum keel to anchor the flight muscles and the wings are kind of just stuck on through holes in the chitin.

But it's still a cool model.

So here's the completed model sans the brood gargoyles (I've yet to paint them) in natural light..........

[url]http://i.imgur.com/Va4zAxp.jpg[/url]


and flash........

[url]http://i.imgur.com/Gjhjq3t.jpg[/url]


I still have a lot of painting to do but I assembled it mainly with rods and plug ins to show the construction is stable without gluing together the pieces.

Now I can disassemble the components for the final painting.

[Darren Richardson]

yeah a lot of GW and FW so called "flyers" wouldn't be able to fly in real life, but yeah they do still look cool