Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => The Great War => Topic started by: Zafarelli on March 05, 2007, 12:26:16 PM
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Here are some pictures of my current project:
(http://pardulon.com/img/galerie/preview/preview_1.jpg)
(http://pardulon.com/img/galerie/preview/preview_2.jpg)
(http://pardulon.com/img/galerie/preview/preview_3.jpg)
This was something entirely new for me, the whole thing was designed on the computer, the parts were then CNC milled from polystyrene sheet. For each rivet, a hole was drilled (the CNC mill did this as well, say thankya) in which a length of 1 mm polystyrene rod was inserted, cut off, and sanded round with a Proxxon tool.
The CAD construction of turret and sponsons I am still struggling with, all those angled armor plates, major pain :?
This is no real historical model, of course, but it should be fine to fight the Martians, alternative reality WW1 battles, or even hunt a certain archeologist who tries to free his father :lol:
Thanks for looking, please comment and leave criticism...
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Wow, very impressive. You should consider to get this cast in resin when it is complete.
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Superb !
Sounds like loads of work but the result is very much worth it.
If you dont have enough storage room , I'll be happy to help out ;)
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Beautiful so far. An excellent piece of work. Be sure to keep us informed of how it progresses.
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Wow, very impressive. You should consider to get this cast in resin when it is complete.
Oh, I will do that myself. I usually do buildings (I am acutally the Pardulon guy), but I needed a break from architecture, architecture, architecture... I hope to get this thing ready for release at Salute.
It is designed modular, and I am planning to do different front and back sections. One of the ideas for the front part is a clear acrylic dome with a detailed cockpit and pilot underneath.
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Oh, the name sounded familiar!
I'll have a look for the tank and your other stuff at Salute.
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Ah! Mr Pardulon himself! I was wondering what a CNC mill is and how I can get access to one!
Excellent work!
Are you perhaps thinking of doing a model that looks like the one in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade?
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Oh, the name sounded familiar!
I'll have a look for the tank and your other stuff at Salute.
Great, looking forward to meet you!
Ah! Mr Pardulon himself! I was wondering what a CNC mill is and how I can get access to one!
Excellent work!
Are you perhaps thinking of doing a model that looks like the one in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade?
Ahem... that was one of my inspirations, yes. I shortened it a bit, since the original Mk. VIII International would have been 22 cm long on the tabletop, but otherwise, it should be pretty close. But there will be other options as well.
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Oh, is that the one you told me about at the Tactica? Which reminds me that I promised to do some skteches for an amphibious variant. :oops:
I'll see what I can do with a drawing program.
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the whole thing was designed on the computer, the parts were then CNC milled from polystyrene sheet. For each rivet, a hole was drilled (the CNC mill did this as well, say thankya) in which a length of 1 mm polystyrene rod was inserted, cut off, and sanded round with a Proxxon tool...
And I wondered at first sight why this looks much better than my 10 bucks plastic kit from China! :lol:
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Wow, very impressive. You should consider to get this cast in resin when it is complete.
Oh, I will do that myself. I usually do buildings (I am acutally the Pardulon guy), but I needed a break from architecture, architecture, architecture... I hope to get this thing ready for release at Salute.
It is designed modular, and I am planning to do different front and back sections. One of the ideas for the front part is a clear acrylic dome with a detailed cockpit and pilot underneath.
Wow! (Welcome to the forum btw)
The "clear acrylic dome with a detailed cockpit and pilot underneath" sounds like it could work as a Retro/Pulp Sci-Fi vehicle!
:love: Love it so far!
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Ah! Mr Pardulon himself! I was wondering what a CNC mill is and how I can get access to one!
The machine in question was designed and built by a co-worker of my wife. Here is a picture: (http://www.ki.tng.de/~oellermann/cnc_2/01_aktue/01_g.jpg)
Oh, is that the one you told me about at the Tactica? Which reminds me that I promised to do some skteches for an amphibious variant. :oops:
I'll see what I can do with a drawing program.
Yes, thats the one (must be, it's the only one I'm doing :wink: ) No need to hurry with the drawing, there is plenty of work around here. And you can send me a traditional drawing as well (either as scan, digital photo, or via snail mail).
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That is just incredible... Those machine-assisted scratch builds are simply unbelievable... It puts my hand-made stuff to shame! Keep the pictures coming!
n.
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Great!
Will you cut the track individually or are you doing a master and ffffffffmould the rest in pewter?
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Two more pictures of the first assembled sponson.
http://pardulon.com/img/galerie/preview/preview_4.jpg
http://pardulon.com/img/galerie/preview/preview_5.jpg
Rivets will be inserted as soon as I find something to build the gunshield from.
I have to admit that I have no clue as to how I will make the tracks. I experimented with pressing 0.5 mm polysterene sheet into shape in a bench vise, but am not convinced. But I will probably make only a few masters and cast the rest.
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I have added the second sponson and the turret:
(http://pardulon.com/img/galerie/preview/preview_9.jpg)
A Renegade WW1 Highlander is shown for scale.
(http://pardulon.com/img/galerie/preview/preview_8.jpg)
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May I object? Iīm afraid that the turret gun is a bit too longish. May I suggest that you use a shorter "howitzer" or "mountain-gun" style cannon for the turret, and use the sixpounder OQF for the sponsons?
Or better yet, leave the gun separate and supply a "standard" one, leaving people the choice of adding their favourite gun themselves!
Other than that, excellent work. Those rivets put me in awe.
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The gun shown is two polystyrene pipes, the smaller one (3 mm diameter) inserted into the larger, 4 mm one. I experimented with various gun versions last night, this was the last one I tried. Of course you can take the 4 mm front part off 8)
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This is just awesome! I love watching this whole piece come together. So, from now on, all your projects are going to have to be cataloged with us this way.
God may demand Lead, but he's also pretty keen on the plastics as well. :lol:
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I did some more work on the sponsons, and started to add the armor plates to the hull. There are still a few hundred rivets to add, not to mention the tracks and all the detail work, but I am really happy with the progress so far.
I'll display the thing at Driscoles' party tomorrow, I hope to have the sponsons and sponson guns ready by then. But I am used to long nights by now :lol:
(http://pardulon.com/img/galerie/preview/preview_10.jpg)
And I replaced the turret gun with a smaller piece of pipe, especially for Westfalia Chris :wink:
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The smaller gun barrel looks better. 8)
So! When will Pardulon be selling these? :) Plus I'm very jealous you have your own CNC machine!
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Nice! Can't wait to see the production model!
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Pete, I hope to get it ready in time for Salute, though at the moment I am quite confident.
Unfortunately, it is not my own machine, it belongs to a co-worker of my wife. At their office Christmas Party last year, we came to talk about what can be done with it, and this is our first try.
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Looking forward to see how the tracks will be done.
I would not mind if the gun would be even shorter like a howitzer but that's just me. Either way looks good.
Or, even better, make 2 options for the barrel if that's possible.
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Make a German tank commander like the one in Indiana Jones!
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Please donīt show me these or I will buy it !!!!!!
Wish I have my own CNC :wink:
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Mike, since the barrels of the early tanks were pretty featureless (no fancy muzzle brakes or things), I am thinking about adding various pieces of polystyrene pipe instead of casting the barrel in resin. This gives a bit more variety than one resin cast barrel, which would look the same, anyway.
Dominic, the tanker in the picture is an old GW model. Unfortunately, I can't sculpt miniatures, so the commander will have to wait. If there are any bored sculptors here, though, I am open to suggestions.
Grimm, since you ask so politely, I will gladly show it to you tomorrow. Twice, if you want :mrgreen:
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The basic shape of the track links is done:
(http://pardulon.com/img/galerie/preview/preview_11.jpg)
The pieces of plastic rod on the first four links are not glued down, I just toyed around with different designs for the detail. I am not really convinced, though. Yesterday at DoOrDice, someone suggested two small pieces of T-profiles arranged in V shape on each track link. This sounds quite nice, though it will probably turn out to be my own private purgatory to arrange 240 pieces of plastic in exactly the same angle on 120 individual track links.
So, if anyone has ideas for a good-looking, yet easy to do solution, I am open for suggestions.
Edit: another picture, this time I cut the rods from the above picture in half and arranged them in said V shape.
(http://pardulon.com/img/galerie/preview/preview_12.jpg)
What do you think?
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I like the v shapes best.
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Thatīs rather modernistic, AFAIK... IIRC, the first tank with such tracks was the Sherman in 1941/42. Donīt want to sound mean, but rivets or flat surfaces would be the best choice, if looking a bit dull - then again, adding 400+ rivets to the tracks! And you thought the hull has bad!
Or, as I suggested earlier, make a number of master tracklinks, mould these to the highest quality, and then cast the required number of tracklinks. :)
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Chris, I know the V shape looks a bit modern, but then I am mainly building it for looks, not for historical accuracy :wink: Rivets are out of the question, mainly due to casting issues. The number of the rivets doesn't scare me, there are more than 800 on it by now.
I will look for some L-shape profile tomorrow, and see how two parallel pieces of that look. I found some pictures of Holt Caterpillars from WW1 that should be quite similar. Wrong vehicle, but at least the same period.
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Spent the better part of last night doing the tracks:
(http://pardulon.com/img/galerie/preview/preview_13.jpg)
(http://pardulon.com/img/galerie/preview/preview_14.jpg)
I forewent the "modernistic" V shape and settled for a mixture of rivetted track links and ones similar to those seen on some of the early Holt Caterpillars. Tonight, I will add the rivets, and hopefully find the time to do some detail work.
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WONDERFUL! :o
I want a FLEET of those!
Well... one at least! :lol:
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Excellent thing! I love the rivetted look!
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It's a thing of beauty and something I would definitely want to get.
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Looking at the latest picture, there don't seem to be any viewing ports at the front for the driver(s) to steer through...
Shurely some mistake? :?:
I so need this as well....
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Looking at the latest picture, there don't seem to be any viewing ports at the front for the driver(s) to steer through...
Shurely some mistake? :?:
I so need this as well....
You steer it by kicking the driver in the shoulder. :lol: My uncle said that's how they drove tanks in the 70s.
I believe I will need this beauty as well.
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Please note that the tank is still very much "work in progress" (and Iīm pretty ashamed that Iīve botched the first attempt at mastering the steam engine for the VSF version :oops:), and Iīm sure that the master@work will add vision plates/slits and the like.
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Yes, view slits and other detail will be done some time this week, though I really like the idea of steering-by-kicking :lol:
Chris, what happened? Anything that can't be fixed?
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Chris, what happened? Anything that can't be fixed?
Superglue spillage on the boiler assembly. Damn, I already use semi-gel glue and it still spills.
Couldnīt repair it or work it up into a cast steel surface.
Iīll rather build a new boiler, nothing catastrophic. I may reuse it for myself.
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Superglue spillage on the boiler assembly.
What materials do you use? I reverted to the use of polystyrene almost exclusively, because it can be glued very neatly with ether. Every time I use superglue, I end up with stuck fingers and a big mess sooner or later.
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The tracks are finally finished, and I got to do some detail work on the hull:
(http://pardulon.com/img/galerie/preview/preview_15.jpg)
On the front, I added view ports for the drivers and the turret gunner and those shock absorber things:
(http://pardulon.com/img/galerie/preview/preview_16.jpg)
On the rear, I started on the radiator grill and the exhaust muffler:
(http://pardulon.com/img/galerie/preview/preview_17.jpg)
I am quite confident that I will be able to start molding this thing at the start of next week. It's about time that I finish this, I start to see little white rivets whenever I close my eyes :freak:
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This tank is simply a thing of awesome beauty.
Amazing. :D
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seconded, an absolutely must-have one, very good work!
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WOW, this is seriously much cooler than GWs Landraider they are so proud of.
Great tank!
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EXCELLENT.... but I imagine it would be over my budget ;)
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@Zaffa: I have seen it in person yesterday evening and must say that I have to HAVE IT AND CONVERT IT!!!! You're a genius!
(Damn! My stomach churns again...)
@Chris: Greven produces a solvent for superglue. I have used a few times before and found out that it leaves polystyrol unharmed. Try it on an excess piece first!
I work with superglue nearly everyday and soaking the parts (believe it or not) in water overnight might help as well!!
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That's a splendid masterpiece of a tank and a nice addition to my collection of infernal machines as soon as it becomes available!
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Almost done 8)
Took some last pictures of the prototype. I still need to do some minor detail work on the machine gun copula in the door (next to the sponsons), and the turret hatch, but I hope to get this done tonight. Molding will then start tomorrow, or probably tonight as well. Chances are good that there will be a first cast on Thursday.
I have decided to cast the exhaust muffler and the riveted hump over the radiator separately, so I can later add smoke stacks instead. Turret and sponsons will be separate es well, though the sponson guns won't turn.
Any last thoughts before I pour several kilograms of silicone over it?
Anyway, here are the pictures:
Full view:
(http://pardulon.com/img/galerie/preview/preview_18.jpg)
Top down view:
(http://pardulon.com/img/galerie/preview/preview_19.jpg)
Engine cover detail:
(http://pardulon.com/img/galerie/preview/preview_20.jpg)
Side detail:
(http://pardulon.com/img/galerie/preview/preview_21.jpg)
Turret detail:
(http://pardulon.com/img/galerie/preview/preview_22.jpg)
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jesus I love it !!!!! :o :o :o :o :love: :love: :love: :love:
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Zafarelli, the ideas for the thing as a whole are nice, but the details are what makes a model special. Excellent ideas, creativity and craftsmanship.
I am only writing this, because I want to have one ASAP, off course.
:mrgreen:
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First castings of the turret and the sponsons:
(http://pardulon.com/img/galerie/preview/preview_23.jpg)
No bubbles on those, I feel sort of relieved. Molds for the corpus will be ready tomorrow. I hope they will work equally well, but since the mold design is a wee bit more complicated, I am slightly sceptical.
Expect some conclusions on this project tomorrow night.
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Expect some conclusions on this project tomorrow night.
Excellent work! Expect lots of happy people the next morning!
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Done :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
Well, mostly. I still need to do the machineguns and a hatch for the turret, but that's about it.
Pictures of the actual first cast, straight out of the molds, no clean-up, no fancy paintjob, no special lighting:
(http://pardulon.com/img/galerie/preview/preview_24.jpg)
(http://pardulon.com/img/galerie/preview/preview_25.jpg)
(http://pardulon.com/img/galerie/preview/preview_26.jpg)
Three weeks of intense work went into this beast, including having to learn to design things on the computer, including all the glitches that come with this. Especially the export into a format the CNC mill (or at least the software with which the milling program was created) can understand was tricky - occasionally, the drawing enlarged itself to dimensions close to 1:3, virtually every time I had to correct the rivets because they shrunk be a fracture of a millimeter etc. etc.
The tank breaks down into 11 parts - left and right track, upper armor plate, lower armor plate, front and back parts, 2 detail parts for the rear, sponsons and turret. Gun barrels will be supplied as precut polystyrene tubes. Assembly is pretty straightforward, though, everything fits together using a similar slot-and-key system as my buildings (for those of you who know these).
A single sponson has ~150 rivets on it, and there are 80 rivets on each track module. I did not count the rest, after miscounting for the umpteenth time, I lost interest. Might be something between 1000 and 1200 on the whole thing.
The kit will be released at Salute '07, but if anyone is interested, I am willing sell some in advance. PM me if you need one (and who does not? :mrgreen: ) Retail price will be between 50 and 60 EUR. I still need to weigh the materials and do some calculations for an exact number.
Special thanks go to Driscoles and Vikotnik, who accompanied this project from the beginning, and of course to Arne, who owns the mill on which the components were manufactured. While he has not been in contact with miniature wargaming ever before, he showed great dedication. I don't think I would have finished this project without him.
Now, thanks to everyone for their comments and support! I hope you enjoyed the ride. I certainly did.
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Bravo! Well done! The finished tank is a thing of beauty!
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Amazing! We followed the story with great interest! We laughed, we cried, we rejoiced!!
And now we wants it...my precioussss!!!
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Did some parts for an alternative version:
(http://pardulon.com/img/galerie/preview/preview_33.jpg)
The module on top can be reversed, so that the copula thing will sit a bit more to the back, the driver will have his own hatch, then (not visible in the picture). The side parts for the sponsonless version can of course be combined with the turret.
Flywheel and smoke stack for the steam version are in the making, too 8)
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Will you be doing a turretless version, but with sponsons?
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excellent models you have created - well done. :)
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Helen, thanks :)
TadPortly, no problem at all. The side armor plates and the sponsons are separate, so it should be even possible to build a model where sponsons and armor plates are mounted with magnets and are interchangable.
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hoooly jeeesu... eee... cthulhu!!! :love:
that's beautiful! how much does a cast of this beautie cost?
and one questions: do You have any special method for adding all those numerous rivers? that requires angel's patience* for me! :o
*as we say in the sh!thole I live in :)
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hoooly jeeesu... eee... cthulhu!!! :love:
that's beautiful! how much does a cast of this beautie cost?
Look here:
http://pardulon.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=48&osCsid=56570fe1f3ddc2da72004adca24bd63c
and one questions: do You have any special method for adding all those numerous rivers? that requires angel's patience* for me! :o
You donīt even know half of it! :D :lol: I still wonder how he stayed sane enough to finish the model... :D
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Demi, the basic method for the rivets is drill hole - insert plastic rod - glue - cut to length - sand round - repeat. Angel's patience helps. After the first few hundred, you get quite quick, though. Did I mention patience?
I still wonder how he stayed sane enough to finish the model...
You're just jealous that you can't hear all these voices :lol:
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few hundreds? that may be the key: I used to drop adding rivets after adding a dozen of sth like that :P
and what's that whole patience? is that resin? and what company casts it? :D
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There are something like 1200 rivets on the whole model... a dozen would be sufficient for six track links :lol:
I think we confuse two things here: the master (shown earlier in this thread) was built by me and a friend of mine, the tank in the last pictures is a resin cast by Pardulon (also me). It is available from the link Chris posted. The patience part was only required for the master model, none is needed for the assembly of the kit :wink: