Blackadder's FW Chaos Warhound Build

[Blackadder]

Thanks for the vote of confidence...........

A Running Pose:

So I begin the assembly of the legs. I have and idea for a dynamic pose where the two feet are pretty much in line as if the Titan was stalking in a running pose.


http://i.imgur.com/PJrQwSO.jpg

I started by drilling tight holes for the toe bases so the bases can twist in their sockets as the foot was designed to do. I fact I was not aware of where I built the toes for Lucie many years ago.


http://i.imgur.com/CMIfrwp.jpg

The trailing foot will be flexed with heel spur in the air and the front toes bent to their extreme flexed position.


http://i.imgur.com/pqqyIFc.jpg

I will be drilling and pinning the toe joins next.

 

[Blackadder]

The Dynamics of Stride:


In preparation for this 'on the fly' pose I am instituting a procedure heretofore unknown at least to me of allowing the feet and toes to be posed prior to assembly and gluing.


I drilled and pinned the toe joins so they can remain flexible until I have stabilized the quick striding stance; then this model will have when glued frozen in one pose.


http://i.imgur.com/U9JCbhC.jpg

I have in mind the T' Rex pursuit in 'Jurassic Park' where it is bearing down on the fleeing jeep feet and toes in tandem rather than the typical sprawled pose seen in most Warhound displays.


http://i.imgur.com/Jhg69ay.jpg

Naturally this pose will require some very fine tuning for balance considering the relative center of masses of a T' Rex vis–à–vis a Warhound the Warhound's center of gravity being so much higher than that of the Rex.


I'm not even sure such a pose is possible without resorting to a permanent pad affixed to the feet which will seriously detract from the visual effect of the model.


In studying the spore of Mesozoic Theropods the striding gait appears to be pigeon-toed at least in some instances see below. I probably won't be representing this unless necessary for balance which is probably why the dinosaur predator is intermittently adopting that foot placement. Almost every step a bipedal organism takes (including we humans) involves literally falling forward and using the step forward to catch and balance to keep us from falling on our face.


The second problem is the lack of the counterbalancing tail that the T' Rex enjoyed but not so with the Warhound. Some lead or gold in the rear void generators may be in order to compensate for the front heaviness of the pose.


I have an idea for placement of these that may add to balancing the overall model side to side as well.


In all the procedure should prove an interesting tour de force.

Note the cigarette butt in the footprint immediately above this sentence; proof that mentally challenged humanoids and dinosaurs co-existed?

 

[Meph]

Aye, Lizardmen smoked too, before they got booted out by those vegans from Atlantis...

I'm really intrigued about the pose you're planning, that will be very awesome in the true sense of the word. it'll be like Grandfather Nurgle's puppy sees the back door open with a whole yard to play in.
That, and the paint job is already doing it justice. I'm eager to see the rest of it.

 

[Blackadder]

Thanks for the reply.........

Meanwhile:

Unhappy Household Hints from The Blackadder


To keep harmony in the household I suggest you purchase this item instead of stealing it from your spouse's utensil drawer.

If a cheap nonstainless melon baller is in the drawer I suggest you dazzle your wife with an upscale stainless baller. Makes a nice b'day gift.


http://i.imgur.com/cC0M9Cd.jpg

Here we see an inexpensive chrome plated baller about a buck fifty mind you the cheaper the better as we want mild steel.


Note the 1 inch cup fits the neck gimbal perfectly and is plenty strong enough to support the head.


http://i.imgur.com/xL9P2rk.jpg

A couple of seconds with a hack saw and a file and the deed is done.


http://i.imgur.com/Et0zWGA.jpg

Install the cup between the two magnets used for the head attachment


http://i.imgur.com/20UesYU.jpg

You may have to sand paper the cup to rough up the surface but you can readily see the range of motion afforded by this mechanism.


(Note the conduit collar was left off for clarity in these images.)

I wanted the ability for the head to look down as it is pertinent to the pose I have in mind.

 

[wargamesculptor]

Clever use of a household item BA, and added movement to a static model fantastic

 

[Meph]

Brilliant, very McGuyverish.

 

[Blackadder]

More thoughts on.......


Ambulatory Dynamics:


Okay I've pretty much decided on the stance which will be similar to the image below except the trailing foot (The right foot Blue arrow ) will have the toes in contact with the ground.


http://i.imgur.com/GEqVh14.jpg

The hips will be canted in towards the centerline ( Red arrows) and the ankles will be slightly twisted in ( Green arrow ) so the width of the gait will be quite narrow instead of the way most Warhounds are displayed.


Most of the weight of the model will be centered above the left foot which will be fully in contact with the ground ( Left Blue arrow )


The overall motion representation will be similar to the image below:

although the feet will be positioned in this manner:

From the side the stance will resemble this:

Excepting it will be a Chaos Warhound of course.

 

[wargamesculptor]

Should look very dynamic BA, almost like an ED209 in full sprint

 

[Blackadder]

You will note the Ed 209 must rock side to side to walk; not a very efficient gun platform when in motion.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9IscZMYYw0

Were a Warhound to walk as an 209 the crew would probably get seasick.

The ball sockets in the Warhound hips are well designed to allow for a proper walking gait (Kudos FW) not so much with the Reaver which would have to waddle. Not the most awe inspiring sight moving across the battle field.....

I don't even want to imagine how a Warlord would appear in motion......

 

[Blackadder]

The Puppet Master:

Or The Chicken Dance:


I can't decide what to title this entry. To get the proper pose and hopefully balance I temporarily articulated the entire model. It came out so well I may just display it with the waist support rod and call it done but naturally not in the "Legs fully extended" as it is right now.


http://i.imgur.com/dt1Dqm9.jpg

It needs to hunker down for a more menacing appearance but I thought it would be amusing to see it in the initial pose stage.


It's Déjà vu all over again articulating one of these constructs as 'Lucie' went through the same evolutions when she was built. Of course Lucie took me two years instead of a couple days to reach this point There's a lot to be said for not scratchbuilding.


My big concern is the hip joints as they are opposite the normal Warhound stance and I wanted to see if they appeared comical flexed down as they are.


http://i.imgur.com/Ba5e1tD.jpg

 

[Blackadder]

A Problem of Commitment:

Part of the reason I go to such lengths to mechanize my model is I do have a problem with commitment.


There for the Rare Earth magnets are right up my alley.


The accompanying photos show how I have circumvented my phobia to the extreme by actually attaching the heavy void generators to the hull using four really strong magnets which give the added benefit on complete interior access should the need arise.




http://i.imgur.com/73zeVVZ.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/A5B8ueW.jpg

Once the resin dries I'll be able to assemble the model and disassemble it at my whim.


And that's a good thing right?

 

[wargamesculptor]

Great think BA with all the work you've put into the interior, really need to be able to get to it

 

[Blackadder]

A Monopoly?

"We don't care; we don't have to We're a Monopoly." The GW/FW motto?


My son informed me of a problem he is having with his Chaos Warhound. The material is too shiny to hold paint.

Now don't say it has to be cleaned and the mold release medium has to be cleaned off. No there is not a trace of oil or residue on any of the parts but paint, prime acrylic or toluene based does not adhere. I've tried all the tricks I know including applying a dull spray on finish prior to applying primer and nothing ''NOTHING!'' sticks. I even washed a few pieces in the dishwasher, NOT RECOMMENDED!!!!!


Well if anyone has had this problem with Forge World Resin I have a solution but first I would like to hear from anyone else who has this problem and how they resolved it.

 

[wargamesculptor]

We recommend our customers to soak our resin for 24hours in a bucket of soapy water, depending on the type of mould there using no release agent is necessary but it's actually the pigment that causes all the problems

 

[Blackadder]

Then soaking it for a week should be more than sufficient?

Not!

 

[Meph]

Soaking for a week? Won't the resin absorb some soapiness, resulting in other issues?
Hmmm scrubbing with alcohol, might that also work?

 

[wargamesculptor]

There is a sealer spray available but is a costly solution

 

[Blackadder]

Resin Resilience:

Thanks to all those who have offered suggestions regarding paint adherence but I have tried every one suggested and a few not suggested e.g. muriatic acid, nothing worked. For those that suggested sending back to FW after two years I doubt I could even find the receipt. Getting replacement parts from FW is like pulling teeth what it would be like replacing 90% of a model I couldn't hazard a guess but I suspect it would be nigh impossible.


Fortunately I do have a large compressor and a 60 dollar sandblasting kit from Sears' 'Craftsman' and a bag of 'play' sand were all that were needed to resolve the dilemma. I hope.


Sandblasting lightly imparts a dull finish to the large flat surfaces and the small particles get into the fine crevasses sufficiently to give a passable adhesion surface.


Once I get a few pieces done I'll supply an update on the progress and the efficacy of the fix.


Again thanks for all the responses.

 

[Blackadder]

Shiny FW Crap:

Well the cold weather is finally here so I can apply myself to correcting odious casting mistakes from ForgeWorld. It was much too warm for someone of my metabolism to attempt to sandblast over the Summer working up a sweat whilst covered with sandblasting gear is not my idea of a good time. So this week I set up my sandblasting equipment in the spare bath, opened the windows donned mask and breather, long sleeve turtleneck, gloves and skullcap and hunkered down for the duration. Virtually every large piece of my son's FW Chaos Warhound was so shiny with resin that the paint would not adhere.

I hit upon the idea of sandblasting the surface shine to a dull matte finish in hopes of making the surface conducive to holding pigment.

Allow me to caution purchasers of FW resin products. Inspect the pieces you receive and if they are slickly shiny return and or apply to FW for replacements (Good Luck With That!) because unless you have 300 bucks worth of sandblasting equipment and the patience of Job you have been duly screwed by Forge World.

How any company that charges exorbitant prices for resin models can have such poor quality control beggars credulity. I purchased this model a couple of years ago as a Xmas present for my son, this summer he decided to start painting and found no primer or spray paint would adhere to the castings no matter how much washing with detergent, spirits, soaps, acids whatever would leave a surface amenable to paint. Finally sandblasting was the only option left.

Do yourself a favor and inspect your items as soon a received and notify FW of the Cr-p immediately.

 

[moetle]

Sorry for the late reply for your FW paint sticking problem.

I've had the same issue before with FW stuff in the past, my solution was 1000 grit sandpaper lightly over said area. I've had this issue with some garage kits also so I don't think its just a FW issue, but I no longer trust anything by GW and affiliates anymore.

I do not think sandblasting would be a good idea.

I love all your threads btw