Blackadders Warlord WIP

[Blackadder]

Okay so here's the deal, I photo-shopped the image and made a static front view that prints out a model exactly 24 inches tall (On my printer using my editor's print graph I hasten to add). I'm satisfied that this is viable height for a Warlord towering almost 2.5 times the height of a Warhound.

Now that I have the overall height I'll remove the armour and draw in the structural detail.

BTW that's 24 inches to the lower margin of the image because we mustn't forget the foot pads.



I calculate the center disk of the foot to be about 3.625 inches in diameter.

----------

I'm trying a different approach and actually planning my work before hand. That in mind I am not the neatest mechanical drawer but it is as true to scale as I need for gov'ment work.


These images should print out 1:1 on 8.5 X 11 paper


Automatically Appended Next Post:
This is the size I can up with for a 24 inch Warlord titan. The entire foot will cover a Baneblade tank front tread to exhaust stacks and sponson to sponson which I believe is quite awesome enough considering a Baneblade is as large as my entire house i.e. 30 X 40 feet





My mechanical drawing is a mite sloppy.

[Pocktio]

You're insane. Utterly, brilliantly insane. I therefore assume this will be a Chaos Titan?

[40k1Gamern]

Kudos to you who are even gonna bothering to even try to build one of these Warlord Titans which you are highly likely to never ever finishing it.
I rather wait for ForgeWorld to make one, then I buy that instead but which yes, also will probably cost around £900.
Anyway, GL. You need it.

[Shoota Fodder]

Wholee Phuck, I'm really excited to see how this turns out. Looks like a lot of fun!

[Blackadder]

The Thunderhawk is still in play but I need a respite as I found my work becoming careless and rather than make mistakes that I will rue I put it aside until re-motivated.

I did manage to finish Lucie, my scratch-built Warhound pictured below. That project was a lot more demanding than this one appears to be. All those tiny hydraulic cylinders in the movable toes and myriads of myriads of rivets.

Meanwhile I did manage to cut out most of the basic components of both feet and hope to have them glued together this weekend. I used 2.0 mm for the tread base and the rest is 1.0 mm styrene. This beastie is going to consume a lot of plastic but the fabrication will be a lot easier as all the material will be the same so no problem with glue compatibility which is a big plus.

I'll just add this on:

The octagons are the center of the foot pads and are 2.0 mm thick and about 5.0 x 4.5 inches the larger boxes to the right are the front and back toes and the smaller boxes at the extreme left are the side toes. Both sets of these toes will be movable with hinges. The truncated toe pieces to the far right may or mayn't be movable as I haven't planned that far as yet but the disc will tilt side to side and the top surface will house a semicircular gear shape which will allow the entire foot to tilt forward and aft. This should afford a full range of motion to the feet. The semicircle will have a countersunk screw for the axis and a pal nut on the other side to provide the tension to maintain the various poses.


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


http://i.imgur.com/F538F.jpg


http://i.imgur.com/EcG2q.jpg

Ambitious? yes;

Possible? most probably,

Crazy? almost certainly.

Ah but if it works Priceless!

[Blackadder]

I finished all the basic toes and suspended my printout above the feet and Damn me it looks right. The Greaves still have the side frames armour to be added and once the body is bulked up I think you would want a good solid base to stand on.


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


http://i.imgur.com/V3VcU.jpg

[Blackadder]

I know I'm gonna reap a lot of flack for ignoring the T'hawk but I'm on a roll with this project and will ride it for all it's worth.

This new enthusiasm is refreshing as working on the T'hawk was becoming tedious but already I'm looking at it with fresh ideas

The toes of Chrysagon coming along nicely an if I have to make the body a few inches taller so be it.


http://i.imgur.com/6o0pk.jpg


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


http://i.imgur.com/0mXpP.jpg

[40k1Gamern]

Seems like you are well on it already but I must say this is still a crazy project. It will take you a very long time to build this and I would never ever even try to do a Building/Assembly project like this. Wouldn´t it be a slight bit easier to may try to go for a Reaver Titan instead when you absolutely need to take on a project like this?
Anyway, you need all the GL you can get on this. I would much rather buy one from ForgeWorld when it arrives then build one. Cause the price to build such a titan isn´t anywhere near cheap either really when compared to what a Titan like this will cost from ForgeWorld.
Well. One good thing though, you are only crazy to begin building this. If you were insane I imagine you would begin work on an Imperator Titan.

[PetarB]

I think it's a pretty reasonable project to undertake. You will actually find the larger size easier to work with in some cases.

Those feet are going to be taking a lot of pressure and structural torsion. I would perhaps fill them with something. I've done something similar, and put in small balls of Aves Apoxie sculpt, which were then pressed down and once solidified provided an excellent interior structural framework. I've also screwed up tiny balls of aluminium foil, and then poured in a small amount of polyurethane resin to 'glue' the whole mess together. It was as solid as a rock once finished, with the 'skin' of styrene still intact, and ready for scribing or other finishing work.

[Blackadder]

I haven't a clue how much this thing will weigh but I intend to use steel hardware for the joints and reinforced box beam legs. The joints will lock in position with torx screws to disguise the screw head so it won't be flexible like Lucie

Todays effort:


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


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

[Blackadder]

Plodding along as is my wont I successfully attached the step pyramid style ends of the toes this morning which for the life of me serve no earthly purpose other than aesthetic appeal. (If you like toes.... Jabba )

Mine differ from DS's in that they are slightly wider but the overall design is the same.

Accompanying the feet are some figures to convey scale donated by my son.

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


http://i.imgur.com/r5yJw.jpg

[Blackadder]

A bit further along on the disc mount mechanism placed but not glued are the rough cylinder trunnion mount blocks which are in essence pairs of pillow block bearings. Not glued because I don't know how much distance I need for the cylinder travel and still allow the disc plate a full range of tilt. mebbe I should do a drawing.

http://i.imgur.com/DZPp9.jpg


http://i.imgur.com/YJ5Zb.jpg


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

[Blackadder]

I've been working on the disc tilting cylinders. These will allow the disc to tilt side to side while secured to a longitudinal pivot axle yet to be fabricated.

http://i.imgur.com/DZPp9.jpg


http://i.imgur.com/YJ5Zb.jpg


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


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


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

[Blackadder]

I appreciate the responses and the subscriptions but just so you know 'The Blackadder' is very prone to mistakes. I spent half a day building the pistons receiving the cylinders on the discs and after forming them and starting to install them found that they were totally unnecessary!

Since they are totally hidden inside the ankle discs whats the point of even installing them? added work more parts to fail; who needs that so eliminated. But all is not lost, they may be useful in another area and if nothing else they keep me humble.

http://i.imgur.com/awVs5.jpg

They are shown in the left forground.


http://i.imgur.com/G6u3t.jpg

So who would know they are even missing :*)

[Mantaray]

sanity is for the frikkin' weak.
good luck to you sir!

[Blackadder]

It's extremely gratifying to envision something in your mind's eye and then to duplicate it in some medium. In this case extremely malleable styrene but I can see how real engineers get their rocks off. Granted the days of Isambard Kingdom Brunel and John Scott Russell are pretty much over where an engineer designs and executes an entire construct but I'm sure even today such gratification must still exist.

Case in point, this highly speculative tilting table mechanism for the foot attachment.

I believe I have come up with a viable solution to allow the foot to tilt side to side, be light and strong and also look complex enough to grace a 40K denizen.
http://i.imgur.com/k07P5.jpg


Were I to build this for a real vehicle I would enclose the axle within the disc housing so the table doesn't shift side to side as much but then the mechanism would be totally hidden. so this way I have an excuse for the diagonal toes linear actuator system that give enhanced stability during the stepping process and decreases the upper body swaying which is the cause of so much seasickness in some Warhound crew members.
http://i.imgur.com/adYW2.jpg


That's my story and I stick with it :P
http://i.imgur.com/X81v7.jpg


When I see how much of this system will actually be visible I may fancy it up a bit using some of mxwllmdr's lightened girder and buttress techniques.

The beauty of this construct is it can be disassembled for maintenance, painting and repair.
http://i.imgur.com/jScLR.jpg

[Blackadder]

It's extremely gratifying to envision something in your mind's eye and then to duplicate it in some medium. In this case extremely malleable styrene but I can see how real engineers get their rocks off. Granted the days of Isambard Kingdom Brunel and John Scott Russell are pretty much over where an engineer designs and executes an entire construct but I'm sure even today such gratification must still exist.

Case in point, this highly speculative tilting table mechanism for the foot attachment.

I believe I have come up with a viable solution to allow the foot to tilt side to side, be light and strong and also look complex enough to grace a 40K denizen.
http://i.imgur.com/k07P5.jpg


Were I to build this for a real vehicle I would enclose the axle within the disc housing so the table doesn't shift side to side as much but then the mechanism would be totally hidden. so this way I have an excuse for the diagonal toes linear actuator system that give enhanced stability during the stepping process and decreases the upper body swaying which is the cause of so much seasickness in some Warhound crew members.
http://i.imgur.com/adYW2.jpg


That's my story and I stick with it :P
http://i.imgur.com/X81v7.jpg


When I see how much of this system will actually be visible I may fancy it up a bit using some of mxwllmdr's lightened girder and buttress techniques.

The beauty of this construct is it can be disassembled for maintenance, painting and repair.
http://i.imgur.com/jScLR.jpg

[Dimension]

at some point of time I fear we'll have to stop calling you crazy and just call you a talented engineer.

I have full confidence you'll pull this off in a ridiculously awesome fashion.

[Vaaish]

This looks like a good start. If you need any pics of areas on the epic lucius warlord I've got a couple painted up so just ask and I'll get some shots taken.

[Civik]

No, I don't think we'll ever stop calling him crazy. It takes a bit of insanity to be a good engineer. I love seeing these works because it helps to realize that they are possible to do (not that I'm ever going to have time in the near future to try, however my warhound would love to try and nip at it's ankles)!

[Blackadder]

..........If you need any pics of areas on the epic lucius warlord I've got a couple painted up so just ask and I'll get some shots taken.

Thanks, I appreciate the offer. I think I have it pretty much covered but if I run into a snag I'll take you up on your offer.

[Blackadder]

This mornings run adding a bit of detail and checking the relative sizes.

http://i.imgur.com/IRxU3.jpg

[Blackadder]

Back to business:

Before I close up the workings of the feet perhaps a demo of the hinges I came up with to allow the side toes to flex.

At tis point they can flex up and down but once the box like hydraulic compartments at the base of the toes are installed upward movement will be restricted.

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


http://i.imgur.com/vSWL8.jpg


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

[Blackadder]

Anyway it's the weekend baby and I'm hot modeling-wise I hope to have the front and rear toes mounted today.

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

[Blackadder]

Well the weekend is over and in a flurry of productiveness I managed to attach one front toe With hinge as planned and it works and seems relatively strong

Now the diagonal stabilizers need a bit of work but nothing extraordinary and they do allow the foot to flex so there's no cause for concern. I can't mount the back toes yet as I have to find 3/8 dia light springs to stabilize the disc; much better than my piston cylinder design, a suggestion from Zathros, a Moderator on another forum and to whom I say thanks.

http://i.imgur.com/ykY34.jpg


http://i.imgur.com/2oPzF.jpg


http://i.imgur.com/mbET8.jpg


http://i.imgur.com/6Lguf.jpg

[Winterdyne]

Wait - what? You're making this POSABLE? You loon! :-)

[Blackadder]

Ah but a man's reach must ever exceed his grasp.

[Blackadder]

I found some 1/2 inch springs 1 inch tall and set about modifying the disc stabilizing system to accept them. I have to admit it works rather well.

http://i.imgur.com/5948k.jpg


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

[Blackadder]

Not too much to show for this mornings work; the reinforcements for the diagonal stabilizers are installed and the second front toe mount hinge is drying. The stabilizers do not appear to interfere with the toe movement and they appear a close fit to the mounted disc, about a millimeter clearance. I should be starting on the shank of the leg this weekend if the holiday doesn't interfere too much.

http://i.imgur.com/7O5mp.jpg


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

[Blackadder]

With the paranoia of machine shop precision I managed to drill and tap two perfect (with apologies to Werner Heisenberg) holes with a 10-32 tap for my axle shafts. Tack glue them in place and set aside to dry and for photos.

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


http://i.imgur.com/eqVE9.jpg


http://i.imgur.com/v42fz.jpg

[Col Von Barring]

Awesome! And here am I, struggling to cut in a straight line! Looking forward to seeing you progress on this beauty.

[Blackadder]

You should try using a utility knife.

I pulled a virtual all nighter and managed to apply a bit of colour (gray is a colour) to the mechanical interior of the foot before final assembly. once the rear toe compartment is glued on it will require micro surgery to access the stabilizer components. I did a lot of reinforcing before I sealed it up. Its a good thing I took pictures because painted gray not much of the mechanics is visible.

http://i.imgur.com/7ez94.jpg


http://i.imgur.com/7W8iG.jpg


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


http://i.imgur.com/NzKR9.jpg

[Blackadder]

I cut the lower leg panels today, four rectangular pieces 8 inches by 3.5 inches nothing to show really but for dessert I installed some of the detail on the feet which has to be in place to check the clearance the when I bolt the lower knuckle to the foot.

I also got an idea for making the diagonal more flexible, note the right foot the diagonal toes may rotate in place to work with the front toes refer to the third image.

http://i.imgur.com/nu1GC.jpg



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



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

[Blackadder]

Patience, one must learn to savor the moment. Assembling these lower legs, as basic a structure as they are, teaches us how to build in strength with a minimum of material. I have assembled a box beam structure out of thin plastic and glue that can easily sustain for years if needs be a weight of 50 lbs or more. The ankle to leg joint likewise. There will be no need for buttresses as in the DS model (A problem he acknowledged in his sparse construction text.) except for decorative purposes plus the leg is moveable.

To quote the old carpenter's maxim, "Measure twice cut once." or the old Italian carpenter's lament, "Sunnva bitcha I cutta thisa two times and it'sa still too short!"

http://i.imgur.com/jZu28.jpg


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

[Blackadder]

Macro setting didn't work too well but these are just interim images There will be others later. To reinforce the ankle joint I applied arc segments for the spacer slides to ride on. This model will be of considerable mass, I figure about 7 kilo, so these shanks must be protected from torsion effects.


http://i.imgur.com/zXZ4e.jpg


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

[Blackadder]

You know after I installed those slides I had an epiphany, What if I cut cogs in the slides and used a toothed gear to actuate the semicircle, how would that be? I'll have to redesign the slides a bit but it would make perfect sense to have that as the mechanism.

Meanwhile todays run not as much as I had hoped for but I had to repair the porch.
http://i.imgur.com/iWhNql.jpg


Stepping out

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


You'll have to imagine the rest but the picture height isn't as high as the shoulder mounted lascannons

[Blackadder]

I wasn't going to post this until I rectified the problem but then I thought, "Hey this is a good thing to demonstrate that even the Blackadder isn't infallible and has to go back to the drawing board now and then."

Seems I made the shanks too long by about an inch. measuring for the upper leg somehow the proportions just didn't look right so I remeasured and sure enough I managed to add an extra inch to the overall height.

So what's an inch you may say but to me it will change the look of the finished model from a hulking looming menace to a spindle shanked travesty ergo I shall be cutting the lower legs in half and removing the offending inch but not yet as I may have to do other things as well so might as well do all at once.


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

[Blackadder]

Okay Ladies and Germs, this is what separates the Blackadder from relatively sane individuals. To borrow a phrase from another Charlton Heston movie, "The Agony and the Ecstasy"; The wine is sour, so throw it out!

I'm not happy with the look. The legs are too thin. So I'm bringing out my second biggest Xacto blade and rending judgment on inferior work.

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


http://i.imgur.com/BbjB1.jpg


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

[Hammerguard]

That's pretty how much I trim all of my models.

[[MaGiC]]

why didn't you just armorplate the strucures you've made wouldn't that be a solution instead of going back a step

[Blackadder]

At last a question on the why of such a drastic albeit theatrical rending:

Because the entire leg and joint needed to be expanded widthwise starting with the knee disc. I am expanding the disc 2 MM thicker (not in diameter) which then requires the upper leg to be likewise widened a minimum of 2 MM. From there I'll have to see if that is satisfactory when assembled to the shortened and widened lower leg section. I shall have shortened the lower leg 1 inch (25.4 MM) because it appears too long in the preceding images. Before I commit myself to re-gluing the assembly I'll post what I have done for a round robin critique.

The trick will be to overall widen the whole leg and slightly shorten it without making it look too stumpy and ungainly when all the external bitz are added.

[[MaGiC]]

you are indeed mad blackadder

[Blackadder]

At least I don't have shiny green eyes.

'cut and tacked this together this morning and attempted a side by side comparison. An inch removed may be too much mebbe 3/4 inch but definitely the joint and upper leg is greatly improved.

http://i.imgur.com/g2MjD.jpg



http://i.imgur.com/3fs82.jpg

[Pocktio]

What is your machete called?

Mine is called Charlene, well she's a yorkshire billhook technically....

[40k1Gamern]

So, how much money will you spend on materials making this Warlord Titan of yours?

[Blackadder]

So many people are concerned with cost. This is a relatively expensive hobby Warhammer 40K that is not modelbuilding. The cost of tiny figures depending on the expertise they are rendered can be prohibitive. Since there is no Warlords to purchase at any price the cost is subjective but suffice it to say that my cost would be significantly less than a FW or GW equivalent were such to exist.

[Dark]

Building one myself, and I think material wise, a good estimate of price is about $150ish.

[Blackadder]

That sounds about right. Of course there are ways to ameliorate the cost such as buying the sheet styrene in bulk but I'm afraid if I have so much on hand I may lose interest in the hobby and it will sit around for years gathering dust. It's happened before.

[Blackadder]

I spent the entire weekend revamping the lower legs making them wider and a half inch shorter. I cut down the radius of the hip and decreased the front to back measurement of the upper legs and and sheathed the whole all the while remodeling the bath which somehow takes precedence?

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


http://i.imgur.com/m78Af.jpg


http://i.imgur.com/lhla6.jpg


http://i.imgur.com/0xoyh.jpg

[Brother Wolf]

you are indeed mad blackadder

"If he wasn't, this'd probably never work." (PotC quote-a-thon! GO!)

In all seriousness, this is just an obscenely ambitious project, but to see you making progress with every update is a real treat. When I see it bubble up, I cannot wait to peek inside and how what you've accomplished next. KUDOS!

"Am I jumping the gun, Baldrick, or are the words "I have a cunning plan" marching with ill-deserved confidence in the direction of this conversation?" (Black Adder quote-a-thon! GO!!!)