WIP: Linkless belt-feeds for imperial knight

If I ever suggest that a linkless belt-feed looks cool on a model and that I need to build one, stop me! However, for the "Gattling" carrying knight I already decided that it would be nice to have some linkless belt-feeds from the gun to ammo crates on the back. FW has this for the Castigator so I thought it would be ok. But how do you make these from scratch? One could just try to make something out of GS or use some thicker board that you could bend into shape. However, these things will be a large part of the model and has to look like they belong and have enough detail to not look out of place. So after some initial trial and error I came up with the idea of using a bi-layered plasti-card template to define the form and then cover these in segmented plates and fill the interior some how. So far I have only managed to do the template and the outer segments, since this step takes a ridiculous amount of time. The segments are first draw on a piece of plasticard, then each one is cut out and filed to smooth the edges. Each band is about 25 cm and the segments are 0.5 cm so there are about a 80 segments in total on the two belts.
When I did the templates I needed something to hold them while they set into shape. I used a piece of wood and measure approximately where to put them in relation to the legs, the gun and ammo crates as they would be on the knight. They are still a bit flexible so I should be able to makes some small adjustments one they are to be fitted to the real knight.
Now I just need to figure out what to do on the insides to make them thicker. I also would like to show two rows of cartridges to match the ammo boxes on the gun.
Well it is not much to show, but they take time to make.

Pre Heresy / Fallen Dark Angels

Me as so many others bought the Betrayal at Calth game for the Mk IV armours and a starter for a 30k force. I have always liked the Dark Angels since the first Angels of Death codex and since I already have a substantial Pre Heresy / fallen Dark Angels force I decided to do a quick paint test on one of the Mk IV armours to see what it would look like. I added some blue white checkers to the paint scheme but otherwise I kept it in-line with what I already have. I put it in a line up with the other armour types already in the force (it is in the middle). I think it can work, just need to sit down with the bases.

WIP, mechanicum stuff and knights

So, I am home for Christmas and my plan is to get something done. First off I just show the mechanicum stuff I painted during my last stay away from home. This consist of two fairly standard sicarians with dual wielding swords. I also tried a new skitarii conversion using necron parts and some of the mechanicum parts leftover from the sicarians and the ranger squad. I like the mechanicum models, but I do not think they cut it for the main stay of the skitarii troops, in this sense I am more into the necron feel of legions of cybernetic warriors/robots doing their human masters bidding. Rangers and Vanguard are to me special troops working on the fringes of the skitarii legion.
I also finshed and assembled the battle robot and as I took the pictures I realised I forgot to heat stain the flamers so I need to go back and do that.

Apart from this I have worked a bit on the Knights and mainly on the Gatling totting guy, the War Monger. I added a top handle to the gun so that it can be carried in one hand when not used. Also added the receiver ports for the ammo feeds. The I started building the ammo containers that will be hanging off the back. Since it is quite a massive gun I did not want the ammo containers to be to small. I am pretty ok with how they look at the moment, I am however not to sure about the vents on the ammo exit ports. I might need to adjust them so that the coolers are not so far in. There is space for ammo to pass but the eye makes it look like there is a collision. I am not user how much of this will actually be visible but if I should do it I suppose I should do it right. Next up is the ammo feeds, there will be two of them. I have actually started with this process but that will be another post, especially on the topic of making curved plasticard things.

A long way from home

This month I have been at home 4 days so hobby time has been short. luckily I have a set of paints away from home and have been able to get some brush time in. One of the things I have been chipping away is the mechanicum robot. I am not sure I will use the shoulder armor I prepped, I quite like the way it looks now. I will paint them up and we will see what will happens but so far I am happy.