Blackadder's Attempt To Build a Lucius Patten Imperator Titan 'Invictus'

[Dexter0015]

Nothing is boring about any of your updates.
I personnaly enjoy seeing even little updates, the failures, ... Once this fantastic project reach the end, all this updates will tell the story of that adventure, and what an adventure!

 

[nels0nmac]

I totally agree with Dexter. I love this thread and ALL of the updates. The whole things is one big journey and to me it's just as important to see the little things, and the things that fail because that is what happens in life. For anyone tying to follow in your footsteps on a similar project (god help them), seeing what doesn't work can be just as important as what does.

Keep giving us these updates - be they great or small.

 

[Meph]

I second my compatriots above here. Your projects are all about the journey, with a spectacular finish to boot.

 

[Blackadder]

Hellstorm Energy Weapon


Today it started coming together but the post office delayed leaving the barrel inserts so I can't finish the barrel ends.

They leave hundreds of bucks worth of online orders on the front poach in all kinds of foul weather but 12 bucks worth of toilet paper spools is too precious to leave off unattended; ludicrous!


https://i.imgur.com/MpSq7ci.jpg

Yeah I said Toilet Paper Spools; Styrene plastic and spring loaded; I need five of them plus eight for the leg to foot pad stabilizers.


https://i.imgur.com/H8ag4aS.jpg

What else would you use them for goodness sake????

 

[ekipage]

Ha, I know what you mean about delivery companies and the post office doing that stuff.

 

[Blackadder]

Ha, I know what you mean about delivery companies and the post office doing that stuff.

What really pisses me off is I had a more expensive item left on the doorstep that very same day by the very same post office.

 

[gorb]

In another thread (the big Thunderhawk, I think) you mentioned you don't really like prefabbed things like bottle caps and such.
But... toilet paper spools. That is definitely taking it up to a next level

 

[Blackadder]

In another thread (the big Thunderhawk, I think) you mentioned you don't really like prefabbed things like bottle caps and such.
But... toilet paper spools. That is definitely taking it up to a next level

The rational is the diameter of the roller is precisely the inner diameter of the PVC tubing which will make very snug fit. The fact that it(they) are styrene has the added bonus that they are compatible with the rest of the model. Finding precision fitting tubing is the bane of these large scale projects and sometimes you have to compromise your self imposed restrictions. PS bottlecaps always look like bottlecaps but TP spools are just tubes of a convenient diameter.

 

[Blackadder]

Time To Take Stock.....


After a week hiatus I revived with new inspirations on how to proceed. The Lower sixth of the cannon assembly vexed me until I realized where my problem lay. It is pretty much what is found wrong with a majority of scratchbuilds; they are too square and straight sided. The lower rail needed some slight curvature to the sides and base.


https://i.imgur.com/q3M6lG9.jpg

Fortunately the material I am using has a taper for ease of extraction from the mould.


https://i.imgur.com/biPfc7S.jpg

Playing on that feature I came up with the correct angles to duplicate the artist's rendering.


https://i.imgur.com/10kf0vn.jpg

This will be more apparent in subsequent images.

 

[Blackadder]

I think I'll Have To Add Another Barrel:


Not much going on with the model these days. I've got 3/4 of a year working on these two guns and am nowhere near finished. For example today I spent reducing the bore of the five o'clock position barrel which gratifyingly finally looks right (to me).


https://i.imgur.com/FdGlpjo.jpg

I did a quick setup of the hull to take these pictures and have something posted before Christmas.


https://i.imgur.com/xGathUi.jpg

I made the barrels extra long so I could adjust the length with a minimum of refabricating


https://i.imgur.com/kko672F.jpg

it seems I must adjust them by a ninth


https://i.imgur.com/oHB0eGA.jpg

To match the picture and the Sunfury Annihilator Turbo Laser.


Have a Happy Holiday.

 

[Blackadder]

A Cog Disc


The more I build this thing the more I think these are actually revolving barrels. But they are energy weapons so what is the point???


Anyway my production schedule has been compromised by the Holiday Festivities I made time today to make the Cogged backing chamber for the barrels


https://i.imgur.com/10kf0vn.jpg

You can see by the image below that it looks like the backing plate and the barrels rotate as a single piece


https://i.imgur.com/C5XZ2u6.jpg

Anyway the component is straight forward and simple to replicate thanks to the Waffle material; the Fluorescent Light Diffuser Panel.


https://i.imgur.com/fpkT8hb.jpg

 

[gorb]

Creative use of materials, as always.
FWIW I also have no idea why a multi-barrel energy weapon has to rotate. Maybe it puts a smile on the emperor's face?

Happy new year, I look forward to your work on this next year!

 

[Blackadder]

Eight into Five just don't go evenly;


Cogs that is. Yeah I know but that's what the image calls for. It was either eight or nine and there wasn't space for nine cogs. I could have done six but the spacing would have been too great. No matter how you slice it the revolving chamber just doesn't work. But you know I just don't care anymore. I'm tired of playing with these guns


https://i.imgur.com/M7Jc32J.jpg

Last night was the first time in three weeks I actually had time to work on this thing since New Years.


https://i.imgur.com/xMwHSlu.jpg

I've decided that the 5 barrels remain stationary and the cylinder revolves. Don't ask me how or why but dimmit that's the way it's gotta be.


https://i.imgur.com/qYlONTk.jpg

Now I've gotta adjust the barrel length and the support carriage.


https://i.imgur.com/mCUqsMZ.jpg

And get this show back on the road.


https://i.imgur.com/dOnd5s2.jpg

 

[Blackadder]

Egad! I've forgotten how this thing goes together!


It's been six or so months since this Emperor Titan took a header (fortunately without sustaining much damage) and it was, at the time, inexpedient to reassemble the completed components. So this past week I've been trying to figure out HOW I BUILT THE D@MNED THING! All the body components interlock together without glue to facilitate assembly and disassembly (So I can add the interior detail when I get to it) but there are 20 to 30 major components and the sequence of how they are assembled has been trial and error. HA!


https://i.imgur.com/ErYsfTT.jpg

Anyway here is what it looked like before it toppled and we can go from there.

 

[Dexter0015]

What a beast!

 

[Lone Lemming]

OMFG, next week this project will be 2 years old!

I do not know what is more spectacular, your persistence or the Titan! (Almost wrote "mini", hehh )

 

[Iateyourbananas]

So, I'm assuming that, in between games, this beast will serve as your nightstand?

 

[offline]

Maybe it have been asked before. But im gonna ask any way . Do you ever feel discouraged, like you've got some project this far and get really bored with it, look at what's left to be done and feel like giving up. Then look at all you've done already and feel you cant quit cause all that you've worked on will go to waste. Then come the claustrophobic despair of being stuck in a plastic nightmare that you cant quit and if you continue your soul is gonna start bleeding warp energy till your penis decay and fall off...?

 

[Blackadder]

Maybe it have been asked before. But im gonna ask any way . Do you ever feel discouraged, like you've got some project this far and get really bored with it, look at what's left to be done and feel like giving up. Then look at all you've done already and feel you cant quit cause all that you've worked on will go to waste.

I never look at how much work there is to be done but how to solve the various problems in construction that arise. The finished project is secondary to the fun of the fabrication. In all likelihood the model when finished will sit on a shelf gathering dust when completed the same as my other modeling projects. Besides the model is too large and complex to become bored with any one section or component, plus I have the added benefit of sharing the work on the forums I frequent and answering questions about the construction. I look on this a more of a group project with an international committee to respond to.

My only problem is finding time to work on the construction because of the additional work load I have taken on lately.

 

[Graishak]

Very impressive. Echo to Dexter "What a beast"