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

[Blackadder]

A Crash Test Dummy:


Is building this Titan.


I wish I could blame this on the cat or something but instead I am making inroads into stupidity.


I was going to show the interior with the positioning plugs I have been working on for the past few days but instead here we see a pile of rubble which was the inner levels of the interior.


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

Fortunately its not all as bad as it seems in spite of falling the same 5 feet again in much the same trajectory as the previous fall a couple of days ago although the computer chair did not intervene to soften the mishap this time so a few items actually did break this time.


As I type the glue is drying and most of the damage is repaired (I'm getting good at it by now)


Anyway, with hope, I'll be able to photograph the aligning plugs later today.

 

[StephanW0lf]

Fascinating project you have going. Sorry to hear about the mishaps. Really impressive to tackle such a project. Keep up the great work!

 

[Jayaballard]

I just wanted to say, I appreciate you sharing this project with us. I have followed your work closely over the years, and I hope that one day I am able to make something as incredible as this.

 

[Blackadder]

Quarter Galleries:


For lack of a better term; this is the area I'll be working on


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

The images are pretty much self explanatory; I'll be framing out the "Quarter Galleries" with cut Florescent light panel waffle diffusers purchased at Home Depot.
https://i.imgur.com/rr4ohCP.jpg

The panels are made of very hard and brittle styrene plastic but are plenty durable for framing and is cheap compared to hobby shop styrene. About 4 feet long and about 2 feet wide metric users can do the math....


https://i.imgur.com/FrpJg0s.jpg

 

[gorb]

Always awesome to see your unique construction methods. Nice work!

 

[Blackadder]

The Ground Floor:


Actually about one hundred fifty feet above the ground but what the hey. The superstructure of this Titan is what makes it unique and I've been putting it off long enough trying to come up with something earthshaking. Try as I might I just cannot top Joazzz2's incredible architecture so I'll just copy that so first the gatehouse battlements sometimes called the barbican.


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

 

[w4yw4rd]

Ive lost track of your works for a couple of years good sir.
Got a lotta reading to do...

 

[Blackadder]

Never Be Afraid:


To take the plunge. If the wine is sour, don't throw it out; make vinegar.


Something just didn't look right about these two barbicans but until they were sheathed I couldn't quite figure it out.


https://i.imgur.com/f9QGDXh.jpg

Ultimately I realized they were too tall.


https://i.imgur.com/267X9Ne.jpg

A couple of minutes with a razor saw and utility knife demonstrated I was right and through careful surgery I managed to save the upper section for the second stage of the construct.

 

[gorb]

Never Be Afraid:

To take the plunge. If the wine is sour, don't throw it out; make vinegar.

Wise words, very applicable to our hobby...

This build is looking beastier by the day!

 

[Blackadder]

Exercise In Tedium:


The problem with building so large a model is the tedious repetitious building of identical parts.


https://i.imgur.com/OF077uL.jpg

Even an assembly line approach does not sufficiently relieve the boredom.


https://i.imgur.com/s9hNX7D.jpg

 

[SaintToad]

I’s OK, once it’s finally constructed it will be a breeze to paint. :doh!:

 

[Blackadder]

Barbican Phase Two:


Show your work is my motto regardless how sloppy. Never fear this is only the underlayment I build for strength and durability.


https://i.imgur.com/5D4RNcq.jpg

This first image shows what a godsend this defuser lens material is. Had I to make all the interior framing for a model of this size it would probably cost twice as much or be very flimsy. One thing you don't want is a limp Titan.


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

The second image shows the corner outcropping structures which are probably too narrow to serve any purpose other than decorative. Were this a stone Barbican it would serve as a buttress for the corner.

 

[Blackadder]

I cheated:


I wanted to see what the Citadel would look like so I put the lower leg structures on the deck behind the Barbicans.


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

I think this might amount to something after all


https://i.imgur.com/zj7gJb6.jpg

From the top view it seems I made the superstructure deck lust big enough.


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

And the Barbicans appear to be the right size as well.


Martini Time!


Skoal.

 

[Fattyguyriley]

Wow lots of progress! looking awesome!

 

[Lone Lemming]

OMFG, extremely awesome!

Does it have a whole room of its own?

 

[Blackadder]

OMFG, extremely awesome!

Does it have a whole room of its own?

No, but I do.

Barbican Spires


The Barbican corner reinforcements have been enclosed and This evening I began creating the ornamental spires to cap the corners.


https://i.imgur.com/srGi6nW.jpg

These are purely decorative being too narrow for occupation.....


https://i.imgur.com/BxOB5tH.jpg

But no doubt they serve some 40K esoteric purpose


https://i.imgur.com/67Rbhhi.jpg

Anyway there are 16 of them and I have managed to complete one and made inroads on seven others before saying ENOUGH!

 

[Blackadder]

An Error In Perspective:


One of the major drawbacks of OCD is good enough is never good enough. All the while I was building these Barbicans something just did not seem right about the positioning of the spires until last week when I finally deduced what should have been readily apparent from the get go. The corner buttresses were wrong in shape which would have lead to a mistake in the position of the spires and affected the whole upper structure were it not corrected. After relentlessly studying the 3D images I finally discovered my mistake. The buttresses were rectangular not square.


https://i.imgur.com/s2lXuEW.jpg

Short of rebuilding the whole structure I opted to modify the buttresses which in itself was an arduous task compounded in the further mistake of trying to economize on material. That never works and almost always guarantees more wasted time than than savings in material. Ultimately I went for materiel extravagance and in one day managed to outpace the proceedings week's work.


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

I hope the images convey were the problem laid and how if not extending the buttresses 9,5 MM the spires would be to cramped together to replicate the 3D art projection. Now I have to readjust the height of the Barbicans pretty much back to my original perception.

 

[gorb]

Nice work Blackadder. You are after all not working from any kind of schematic or even an original model, instead you are building this from various (sometimes inconsistent) references. Just amazing.

From my own attempts at scratchbuilding I know it sometimes seems easier for to force that round peg into that square hole, than to redesign the peg. But every now and then you just have to take the Drill to it and make the hole bigger

 

[Blackadder]

Leaps and Bounds:


Vis-à-vis ennui. Virtually 99% of this construction is utter boredom. Yesterday I was so jazzed about completing a major milestone with the fabrication of the first tier of the Barbicans I began construction of the second tier.


https://i.imgur.com/3VIX6P7.jpg

Two hours into it and I had the basic structures in hand.


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

Things don't usually happen this way but I have become adept at making these structures. So now the tedium sets in. The best thing I can do is share my basic building techniques while waiting for the glue to dry...........

 

[Blackadder]

First Inkling:


Today I got my first inkling of this model in it's entirety. Up to now I've manufactured separate components but the overall magnitude escaped me. Now I see the full scope of it's height which will be about 5 feet tall so scale-wise at the 25/28 MM the model will stand 336 to 360 feet tall or (102 to 110 meters tall.)


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

I'm assuming the uppermost spires to add an additional eight to 12 inches to the overall height.


https://i.imgur.com/xha4k2k.jpg

Although some might call that cheating


https://i.imgur.com/g5wNzMc.jpg

Tomorrow I plan to have the other Barbican completed


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

and with luck reassembled with the legs again.