Blackadder's Scratchbuilt Lucius Pattern Warhound

[Blackadder]

The Rehabilitation Of Lucie:

Lucie has had numerous minor injuries over the years and since I was asked for a few reference pictures compared to the new Reaver I decided it would serve to show it along side of Lucie.

Well the poor dear couldn't even stand when I took her down from the shelf.

[url]http://i.imgur.com/WjGW3By.jpg[/url]


[url]http://i.imgur.com/pjE5zjQ.jpg[/url]


[url]http://i.imgur.com/jUMi6EZ.jpg[/url]



After a few hasty photos I set about disassembling the legs and waist.

[url]http://i.imgur.com/7jm5bnT.jpg[/url]

[Blackadder]

While I am repairing the waist it would be a good time to remove the velcro fasteners and install rare earth magnets in their stead.

[url]http://i.imgur.com/M1VMrcSl.jpg[/url]


I enclose the magnet discs in capped styrene tubes to make them easily glued in place. I find the 0,25 MM thick cover does not interfere with the magnetic attraction very much at all and the magnets have less tendency to come loose than if just glued on with Super-glue.

[url]http://i.imgur.com/Q6ekSdsl.jpg[/url]

[Blackadder]

Magnet Capsule:

I find these new rare earth magnets invaluable for making detachable components so that weapons, appendages, heads, what-have-you make your pieces more versatile on the battleboard.

A few simple steps to make a magnet capsule

Below are the four components indicated by the red arrows needed to make a glue on magnetic capsule

Cut two squares from some scrap sheet styrene and cut a ring from an appropriate sized tubing.

[url]http://i.imgur.com/OVPcW82.jpg[/url]


I use 0,25 MM styrene for the cover where the magnet will face the metal or other magnet and whatever thickness is needed for the back cover so that the two magnetic surfaces are just in contact.

Stack the four components and glue.

[url]http://i.imgur.com/LHmJZ4k.jpg[/url]


Trim or file away the excess if necessary.

In the image below note the magnet capsules installed the red arrows indicating the large magnets just made and the green arrows much smaller magnet capsules used for very small fastenings and as in this case to maintain proper alignment of a larger object.

[url]http://i.imgur.com/SUTtQP7.jpg[/url]

[Blackadder]

Reworking the toe and ankle joints:

I haven't had the toes and ankles apart since I finished up this model about four years ago but I did accomplish an emergency repair a few years back so the ankle ball and socket were frozen locked in the full back position.

This gave Lucie a settled back on her haunches look.

While I have the ankle apart I'd better check the security of the piston rod ends that flex when the ankle shifts front to back and allows the foot to twist in its socket.

[url]http://i.imgur.com/v12gpc3.jpg[/url]


That feature has not be available for quite some time due to the inoperability of the socket joint and gave Lucie a pigeon toed appearance in her recent photos.

The leg assembly at the rear left of the photo below has the center toe unable to flex up and if memory serves that is the toe that broke off a few years ago. That toe will have to be reworked as well.

[url]http://i.imgur.com/FTT1HtN.jpg[/url]


Everything is functional on the right foot now so it is ready to be reassembled with my little guy looking on for scale.

[url]http://i.imgur.com/68cNULL.jpg[/url]


You lose perspective on how big these feet are until you see them off the leg and along side a scale human figure.

[Blackadder]

Left Foot Repair:

Reviving this thread serves two purposes other than demonstrating the rehabilitation of Lucie.

Theres a lot of new forums I post on now that have not seen how Lucie was assembled originally and while I constantly refer to the model there are no visible representations of how she works.

There are also I'm sorry to say picture empty posts where the image storage website has gone belly up and all the images are gone.

Anyway here's how Lucie's toes are attached and now that I have the toe off I cannot see why it won't flex.......?

Everything seems okay.

[url]http://i.imgur.com/CvrFk6z.jpg[/url]


While I have the leg disassembled its a good time to show the flexibility of the ankle I mentioned in the above post.

Lucie has fully functional spherical ankle joints just as in the real Warhound the FW model is taken from. Later I'll explain in depth how the cylinder and piston rod ends are produced if anyone is interested.

The red arrow points to the ankle flexed......

[url]http://i.imgur.com/V5dOzqn.jpg[/url]


and extended...........
[url]http://i.imgur.com/L1G9RCZ.jpg[/url]

[Blackadder]

Toe Pistons and Cylinders and Blackadder's Shame:

Each toe has three actuators; two at the base that extends and flexes the intermediate phalanges (Red arrows) and one actuator (Yellow arrows)that extends and flexes the distal phalanges (Blue arrows).

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


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


Now for the part I am ashamed of, after I completed the feet I found the side toes did not touch the ground when the foot was flexed and I excoriated FW for a flaw in their design.

Well it turned out I was the one in error because the very savvy FW engineers did make allowances for the toes to swivel at their base; (Green Arrows) It was I who did not pick up on it.

I went back to correct the error but I would have had to make each toe less wide to accomplish the modification and it was there that I drew the line. But a note to anyone attempting to replicate these assemblies; be aware of my error and plan accordingly.

[Blackadder]

Big Butted Woman:

While I feel ambitious I should add a bit more junk to Lucie's trunk. Right now Lucie's hull weighs about one and a half pounds (3/4 kilo) including about 8 ounces
of scrap lead. If I hollow out the rest of the generator housings I will have room for an additional 10 ounces of lead weight which would make Lucie more stable on her feet.

[url]http://i.imgur.com/D53ZahA.jpg[/url]


I shouldn't need that much but there is room for it.

I was going to link Rob Bartlett's hilarious song parody rendering of the 'Big Butted Woman' but it may be too risqué for a SFW forum.

[Blackadder]

A Poltergeist Named Dave:

Well here's the family portrait taken after a bit of an incident where Luteus toppled over on top of Lucie.

[url]http://i.imgur.com/UT7Sm6z.jpg[/url]


I set up the Warlord and the Reaver last night on the battle board with the Cadian planning to take a group portrait this morning after I installed the counterweights in Lucie which worked very well incidentally. I added a quarter pound to the generator housings and for the first time in a couple of years Lucie can pose bending forward.

[url]http://i.imgur.com/j997PgH.jpg[/url]


So why was the Warhound facing the wall in the first picture you may well ask?

I was setting up the camera when I heard a crash behind me; twelve pounds of Warlord styrene for no apparent reason crashed down upon Lucie flattening her down under it's mass. First thing I did was look for the cat but it was nowhere around. Then I surveyed the damage.

Lucie had all her breakaway armour displaced and the battle banner broke off for the twentieth time.

Some of the magnet attached armour fell off the Warlord and the prime was a wee bit scuffed but no significant damage to him as well that I could readily see

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


I set everything back up and snapped a few quick pictures before I realized Lucie was still facing the wall.

I turned her around and finish photographing it was then I noticed the Laser cannons on the left shoulder of Luteus were knocked askew.so there we have it.

[url]http://i.imgur.com/jkX5ykM.jpg[/url]


A poltergeist named Dave knocked the Warlord over after it had been standing for almost twelve hours. Here is a picture of Dave..............

[phil035]

DAM you dave also how the hell did i miss you finishing the big guy?

[Blackadder]

Ya snooze ya lose............

A FW Warhound Titan:

This is Going to be Some Fun;

I've done this so often I believe I could assemble this blindfolded.

When I was in the service I made a bet that I could assemble the trigger mechanism and the rest of a M14 rifle blindfolded. Halfway through the assembly I thought someone was playing a trick and pocketed the trigger return spring so I said where's the spring? Turns out it had fallen off the footlocker and no one noticed.

Now that the Warhound is primed I can't wait to start assembly but I have to resist the temptation to plunge right in I want to magnetize all removable components and screw assemble the feet and legs so the stance can be re-positioned.

[url]http://i.imgur.com/3rpBZy9.jpg[/url]


and I have to do it three times; once for the Wolf and twice for the Chaos 'hounds.