{"id":1683,"date":"2005-06-21T17:18:48","date_gmt":"2005-06-22T01:18:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/fichtenfoo.net\/blog\/?p=1683"},"modified":"2009-02-11T17:20:03","modified_gmt":"2009-02-12T01:20:03","slug":"in-progress-%c2%bb-full-scratchbuilt-hovertank","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fichtenfoo.net\/blog\/in-progress-%c2%bb-full-scratchbuilt-hovertank\/","title":{"rendered":"In Progress \u00c2\u00bb Full-Scratchbuilt Hovertank"},"content":{"rendered":"

06.03.05 \u00c2\u00bb Source,
\nConcepts & Initial Scratchbuilding<\/p>\n

This is gonna be a hard one to explain to those of
\nyou unfamiliar with the Maschinen Krieger (MaK) universe… First
\noff click
\nhere<\/a><\/strong>. This is the site where I first spied these awesome
\ninsect-like hovering vehicles. The site where I saw them was called
\n“Vehitle
\nContest<\/a>“. I’m not sure if the misspelling was intentional
\nor not. I was told that these were variations or 3D representations
\nof artwork from the MaK designer Kow Yokoyama. Wherever they came
\nfrom, they rock and I wanted to make my own variation.<\/p>\n

Mine will primarily be based on this
\none<\/a>. I’ll be constructing it in 1\/20 scale to keep the scale
\nconsistent with most other MaK kits. I’ll be making mine as a swift
\nassault tank. On the right side of the cockpit there will be a large
\nscratch-built tank cannon. The cockpit will have a hinged opening
\nhatch and full detailed cockpit. I want to have posable landing
\nlegs, some engine details, and lots of little details. Everything
\nwill be made from scratch or scavenged from various option part
\nsets, AFV kits and leftover Gundam kit bits I use for spare parts.<\/p>\n

As far as story and setting goes, I’m not sure yet.
\nI might keep it on Mars or I may make an earth desert-deployed version.
\nWho knows? I’m not even sure what colors I’ll paint it yet aside
\nfrom being in the red-orange-rust range. THis is quite the change
\nfrom my normal builds where I explain everything up front. Since
\nI’m building this from scratch and making it up as I go along, it
\nshould be interesting.<\/p>\n

06.03.05 \u00c2\u00bb The “Plan” and
\nInitial Build-up<\/p>\n

So my plan is to make most of the large components
\nsuch as the cockpit, engine, legs, cannon, etc… and attach them
\nto a large foam egg. After all the bulk is built-up with these parts
\nand plastic eggs (typical of many MaK scratch-builds, just look
\nat the SAFS!) I’ll use Bondo to blend all these parts together into
\none big tanky mass. After that I’ll add the greebles and other bits.<\/p>\n

I started out laying out the shape of the cockpit
\nbox on paper. I cut out the paper and traced the design onto styrene
\nwhich I cut and glued together using Tamiya Extra-thin cement. Using
\npaper allowed me to get all the angles correct before cutting. Later
\nI’ll putty all the edges and sand them smooth.<\/p>\n

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Here’s a shot of the cockpit inside details so far.
\nThere will be many more gauges and greebles added later. I was searching
\nfor 1\/20 scale race car seats, but wasn’t having much luck. All
\nthat I found were either the wrong scale or very expensive. So I
\nmade this one from thick sheet-styrene. I used a candle and various
\nsizes of PVC pipe to shape the seat contours. It still needs some
\nputty and adjustment, but I think it’s a good start. My test figure
\nfits into it nicely.<\/p>\n

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For the hatch I wanted a flat angled front with a
\nrounded slope towards the back. I cut the sides and front from styrene
\nand glued them together. When dry I took 2 layers of .01 thick styrene
\nsheet and one layer of .02 and layered it over the top to form the
\ncurve. It’s easier to bend thin layers than it is to bend one thick
\nlayer. When dry I shaved off the excess.<\/p>\n

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Below is the hatch sitting atop the cockpit. I’ve
\nalready made a hinge and it opens great but I haven’t photographed
\nit yet. The next pic is of the cockpit box attached temporarily
\nto the foam egg. The egg has had it’s bottom cut flat. Various hover
\ngreebles and antigravity pods will be added there.<\/p>\n

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Lastly is the cannon. Look familiar? That’s because
\nit’s the main body of the cannon I was making for the Sazabi<\/a>.
\nI nixed that project temporarily since this one seemed much more
\nfun and rewarding. I replaced the styrene barrel with part of a
\nbroken wind chime that I have. I think it’s aluminum since it’s
\nbeen outside for years without rusting.<\/p>\n

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06.06.05 \u00c2\u00bb Legs<\/p>\n

The legs have posed an interesting challenge so far.
\nI need 6 of them and they need to be identical except for the armor.
\nThat means that if I decide to use parts that are not scratch-built
\nfrom styrene, I need six or 12 of them. I’d cast them, but I don’t
\nknow how and it’s cheaper this way. Plus I find that this gives
\nme more practice and skill development.<\/p>\n

So I have been using parts from an Academy M-10 tank
\nto creat the legs and various shapes and sizes of Evergreen Styrene.
\nThe knee joint is from the wheel portion of the tank. Not sure what
\nthe parts are called, but I was able to cut them in half and remove
\na top part and have interesting knees. The ankle joint is rectangular
\ntube which had a short end removed. The foot is cut from a thick
\npiece of strip. (.250 x .125) The rest of the knee joint is made
\nfrom those two shapes as well. The shin is made from styrene rod
\nand an H-column.<\/p>\n

I still have a lot of detail to add to them. I need
\nto add minus molds to the outsides of the ankle joint after it’s
\npainted and the pins have been inserted. I also need to make the
\nchannels that will hold the “wheel” part of the knee to
\nthe lower leg. Then I’ll make and add the armor to the ankle, shin,
\nand knee. I also need to add some wires, treads and such too and
\nclean up around the ball-joint pole. A Wave B-Joint will connect
\nit to the tank.<\/p>\n

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06.10.05 \u00c2\u00bb It may not look like much…<\/p>\n

Okay… it looks awful right now. However it looks
\nmuch better than it did after my first layer of bondo. You can see
\nsome of that layer in the second image. It’s the darker blue. But
\nbasically I have all the outside shapes and bulk attached to the
\nfoam and am currently applying Bondo light body filler to create
\nthe “shell”. Once cured (20 minutes) I’m gonna go and
\nadd more bondo layers until the while rough shape is completed.
\nWhile it’s curing it reaches a state where it can be easily carved.
\nThis state doesn’t last long however. But that state is allowing
\nme to carve down some of the peaks and ridges so that I won’t have
\nas much sanding to do later.<\/p>\n

Anyway… here’s some pics and remember… “humble
\nbeginnings”. \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n

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06.21.05 \u00c2\u00bb Looking slightly better…<\/p>\n

Since the last post I’ve added a little more bondo
\nto the front and sides. I also used my Dremmel and sander and cleaned
\nup the “cake icing” look. I need to fill holes and such
\non the main body still. I also will be building up and cleaning
\nup the front buldges and armor panels now that my Magic Sculp order
\nhas arrived. Yay! Before that though I needed to gouge out the foam.
\nI used a rounded, sharp, pointy clay tool to do it. Here’s some
\nshots:<\/p>\n

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