Help - Alternate weapon mounting for Forgeworld Reaver titan

[regf]

Hi All

I'm about 95% finished a Reaver titan.

This is my 2nd one, the ist was a warhound which I built with weapons permantly glued in place

This time i have orderd all the available weapons and have used neodymnium magnets in the arms to allow swapping.

I have used 0.5 dia x0.125 inch discs in both sides.

Trouble is that while these magnets are really strong when pulled straight, the weapons are so long that the torque from touching the end of a barrel is enough to shear the magnetic forces and the weapon tumbles off.

I have broken the laser and repaired it 4 times and it's driving me nuts

I had thought to try taking the shoulder armour off and using a long allen head screw, but did too good a job gluing the armour in place

Anybody out there got any suggetions?

 

[cassar]

try two magnets next to each other or as close as the model will allow or try a counter weight disguised as a power pack or fill it with green stuff/milliput to act as a counter

 

[regf]

Hi Cassar,

Thanks for the reply, but the current method, which I mustn't have made clear, IS two magnets in direct contact. The weapons are all Forgeworld originals, so are solid cast resin with no hollow sections.

Besides it isn't a question of balance - they are well balanced as standard. The problem is resisting ANY force applied at the barrel end of the guns.

Since posting the original I have also tried inserting a horizontal brass pin in the arm and a corresponding hole in the weapon. That prevented the correct fitting of the weapon and so didn't work either.

 

[Chrome]

I might have an idea for you, but I'll need a picture of the joint with the weapon mounted to see if it is manageable, I've been doing quite a few locks and joints on models before...

any pic will do that shows the actual joint

 

[regf]

Hi Thanks for responding!

Here are ome progress pics from a couple of weeks ago. The only change since then is the missing arm conduits finally turned up and two of them have been attached to the weapons. Doesn't make them any less prone to dropping off, (nor am I any closer to that Volcano cannon we talked about)



View attachment 4328View attachment 4327View attachment 4326View attachment 4324View attachment 4325

 

[Chrome]

I take it the first pic is the upper arm seen from below, the second is the three-barrelled weapon and the last is the "gatling" weapon? I can't identify the third pic though bur from what I can tell this is a flat joint made to look like a ball joint? that would make things nice and easy.

 

[Chrome]

From the info you've provided here I've done a small mock-up of one solution. This is just a general one and it only shows my line of thinking.

The upper part is the arm and weapon in their original state, the lower part is with the modification added. Part B is a thick piece of plastic, preferably covered in bits and bobs to make it look like something that fits the weapon. it is preferably pinned to the body of the weapon and placed so that it fits snugly to the upper arm when the arm is attached to the weapon.
Piece A is a sturdy pin, preferably a steel pin of 0.8mm or thicker. What is important is that the drilled hole that the pin is going to be inserted into is no larger than the pin. It should be almost difficult to slide the pin all the way inside.

 

[regf]

Hi Chrome

yes you are correct that is the underside of the arm then the 3 weapons and the 3rd weapon is the melta cannon. The joints were originally flat, not a ball at the weapon end, but had a raised cylindrical stud in the weapon and a corresponding hole in the underside of the arm. I carved these out and inserted the magnets, but left the flat surfaces. The ball end went up in the shoulder.

Thanks for the sketch. This looks promising. There arecertainly enough left-over resin bits to make something that looks like it is meant to be there. When you say it should be pinned to the weapon, are you sugesting that piece B in your sketch be permenantly attached to the weapon and shaped to allow enough space for the arm to be inserted? Or should it be removable so as to fit snuggly against the arm when in place?

What is not clear from my previous photos, and is not illustrated in your sketch is that the profile of the bottom of the arm has a step in it. That is to say the bottom surface that has the magnet in it is a smaller diameter than the surface that mates to the outer edge of the weapon. I'm not sure if that will make any difference or not.
View attachment 4334

Part A is no problem. I have steel or brass rod that could do this or even a small allen head screw and captive nut in the arm.

Making it all look pretty will be my challenge. Here's how it's turned out so far with some rough assembly holding things together. There's a few blunders, but once it is assembled, I'm the only one who notices they are there...

Over all it's come together pretty well and If you can help me keep his arms on, then I'll be a very happy camper!

View attachment 4330

 

[Hendarion]

Trouble is that while these magnets are really strong when pulled straight, the weapons are so long that the torque from touching the end of a barrel is enough to shear the magnetic forces and the weapon tumbles off.

I prevent sheering with one or two drills and sticks. That even allows my Scorpion Tank to float over its flying base without any magnets or glue.
The longer, the better. If you use one on each side of the magnet, it can't sheer, but has to be pulled in a straight line which makes a really strong connection.

@regf: thx for the template

 

[regf]

Chrome - Thanks for the suggestion. I started to make four little resin blocks and shaped and smoothed them off. Then sat staring at them trying to decide how to stop them looking like little blocks...

Then Hendarion's reply came through & I thought, I'd try it first. If it didn't work them you wouldn't see the holes.

Hendarion - Thanks mate. This worked brilliantly!!!. I inserted two brass rods 1.2mm diameter with about 12mm poking down from each arm and a slightly shorter length glued up into the arm. I marked and drilled two holes in each weapon and now hey presto! No more pivot so the strength of the magnets is more than adequate to hold the weapons up. I can even push down on the barrel ends quite firmly and it stays put.

Problem solved.

Thanks to all who responded

 

[Chrome]

Awesome! Glad it worked out.

 

[Hendarion]

Good to hear, enjoy.