Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => The Conflicts that came in from the Cold => Topic started by: Andym on July 05, 2013, 10:15:44 AM
-
Hi all! I wasn't sure where to post this. Tripods generally come under VSF but Dr Argo's reign of terror is set in the 70's.
I was asked a wee while back to do an adapted tripod model that's supposed to have been modified by Dr Argo himself. The Crooked Dice team had some ideas and we finally settled on this design...
(http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a605/andymac2105/7565C159-E3D1-47C3-A131-C5B4407713B8-1674-000002AD646B176B_zps5791395d.jpg~original)
It uses some of the same design aesthetics as the tripods from the old BBC series for the body(minus the front grill area for Argo to stand in!) and a more modern legs.
I started off building the legs, seen as that was going to be the hardest part of it to do. All I did was just cut some plastic card with some unmeasured curves and drilled some holes down the centre. I used Green Stuff to pack out the shin armour and scored some panel lines in it before it dried. The hip joint is just half a ping pong ball with a plastic card disc cover. There's some GS in there to strengthen it a bit too. The knee joints are plastic tube with GS ends......
(http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a605/andymac2105/A20FED80-FA49-46FB-85FF-85F390A0512D-1674-000002AD7B074498_zps2091bd72.jpg~original)
I felt the legs were a bit weak so I supported them by sticking them on a base. I, later on, redone the upper legs and made them of thicker material to give even more support! The body is built using blue foam as a basis. I used plastic card (roughly) discs and glued foam on top, then shaped the foam to give me the rough 3D shape of the body. I then covers it it in GS, a panel at a time. I later on found out it was better to do the whole half on one go, it made a smoother finish....
(http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a605/andymac2105/0F53936C-DB8F-4602-B155-92DBDAFEB037-1674-000002ADA49C248C_zpsbdf625a6.jpg~original)
-
I covered the hip discs in GS to make it look more mechanical...
(http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a605/andymac2105/D45B71B2-9BE2-4753-AC70-4BC063C5824E-1674-000002ADB3EA6F9A_zpsfbb69ffd.jpg~original)
Once that was done I started to do the cockpit. I made a ledge, again, from plastic card and some embossed stuff I had to give it texture. I also started detailing the sides, making it look like the side of Star Wars Star Destroyers, just using wee cuttings of plastic tube and card all the way around.
(http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a605/andymac2105/A6E5BF89-0784-4D26-9AF5-CA4D8CEEC874-1674-000002ADE00CD5C3_zps46bf44b6.jpg~original)
(http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a605/andymac2105/E449CD94-5F99-4D68-A4A2-63DB5B17DC06-1674-000002AE08933381_zps0004a6d2.jpg~original)
Underneath, I had some plastic conduit and solder to make the pipes and stuff...
(http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a605/andymac2105/B6989395-FA04-4428-933E-4337316DA94F-1674-000002ADF1D4A3CB_zpsd66df0fa.jpg~original)
The tentacles are wire covered in plastic tube, GS balls cut in half for the wrists and plastic card for the claws....
(http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a605/andymac2105/031774E5-F3C8-495D-9DF3-33AC9FAA032B-1674-000002AE397E7A38_zps9db5fb41.jpg~original)
The smoke launcher is just GS....
(http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a605/andymac2105/E90E2878-A942-4D6B-B66D-F2FE601BDA37-1674-000002AE4E5B1C78_zpsa0692549.jpg~original)
-
bloody nice :-* :-*
-
very very sexy :-*
i loved the ol tri-pod series, own it on DVD
-
At this point I was trying colours to see what worked. I wanted to keep the same colours as the Argonauts....
(http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a605/andymac2105/702E3F46-230D-4EEB-9636-E114E66EBD83-1674-000002AE663F2A01_zpsea3bbfcc.jpg~original)
(http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a605/andymac2105/6B6C9D9E-31F0-4864-9419-62F1323C73BD-1674-000002AE71DC5E1F_zps0e636d69.jpg~original)
And this is the finished beastie....
(http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a605/andymac2105/42164DDE-B903-4941-A82A-F4B7DB9CCB60-1674-000002AE9453AC00_zps1f9ac2da.jpg~original)
(http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a605/andymac2105/154F0883-9D6D-467F-AA30-A2CE636B2596-1674-000002AE9D9F1A27_zps3d3dd333.jpg~original)
(http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a605/andymac2105/308EF3BC-C2D9-4A8D-A307-018C51CAF4DC-1674-000002AEA7314A8A_zps9b8dea57.jpg~original)
(http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a605/andymac2105/C2A59321-B6EE-47A8-99B3-D5EE6E2D062C-1674-000002AEB15A0C4D_zpsd82582e0.jpg~original)
(http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a605/andymac2105/482BAE6B-BC73-4791-B5CD-19663E8819B2-1674-000002AEBCD201C8_zpsded34c6b.jpg~original)
(http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a605/andymac2105/5852A3FE-A632-4951-8B5B-CFDCBC474B07-1674-000002AEC8686FE5_zpsfb5c7de4.jpg~original)
(http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a605/andymac2105/90FDEE24-6A1A-4A1D-AE23-646D9325351F-1674-000002AED9AB5A06_zps88dd533f.jpg~original)
(http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a605/andymac2105/00E7225B-6B1A-49AC-92D2-76383167928F-1674-000002AEE4274E25_zps2fe7791f.jpg~original)
(http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a605/andymac2105/3CB72174-82C5-4B83-AD6A-39A004917328-1674-000002AEF33C36A7_zpse243f947.jpg~original)
-
And this is one of the professional pics by Kev Dallimore in the new Crooked Dice Argonauts programme guide...
(http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a605/andymac2105/AC4EEF8A-5BE8-4030-A1D2-0B9C0EAF8E2C-1674-000002CE25611D98_zpsb23aa4d5.jpg~original)
-
Absolutely cracking! Top quality scratch-building and painting Andy. :-*
-
Beautiful,Very nice work.
-
Effing brilliant!! :o
-
Really, really cracking. (I now also have a better idea of what you sound like in real life. :))
-
That is unbelievably beautiful!!! :o
You are a complete git,sir. ;)
How can you produce so many amazing things so fast? Is there anything that you are crap at? (Please say yes!)
Its just not fair that one person can be so bloody talented! :)
-
Fantastic! I just started reading the Argonaut programe guide this morning and was wondering how I could get to see more of the tripod.
Thanks for the step-by-step too, very interesting.
-
:o
You don't hang around, do you Andy?! lol
-
Oh good grief, that's unbelievable - grand! :o :o :o
-
That's fucking awesome mate :-* :-* :-*
cheers
James
-
why did u go for a open cockpit instead of closed??
-
Wow! That thing is 50 shades of awesome! 8)
Everything just works about it, in spite of, or maybe because of the improbability of it all. It looks like it will fall flat on its face, especially when manned by an evil genius, but for some reason, that makes it look more menacing.
Too bad it's a one off; I'm convinced there's a (rather compulsive) market for such a device out there... :D
-
As ever Andy - a cracking job! it's got pride of place on my shelf!
Slayer - re: the cockpit. the design for the tripod has also been a bit vague. There's a little silhouette in the 7TV core rule-book - and that's about it.
For a practical build, I wanted something that could could incorporate the Argo model and also reflect the reverse-engineered origins of Argo's technology. Plus I love that old BBC show, so thought an homage to the upper shell shape was a nice touch.
It was basically a prototype, just to see about the practicalities of puting something this big into production - IF there was any interest.
I was thinking legs (and arms) in metal and a resin hull. Legs definitely need some rethinking as I think Andy found them fiddly in the build. They would likely need greater support and fixings in production. We've limited experience of bigger kits, so any tips would be most welcomed :)
-
Keep off the Grass! lol lol
Amazing stuff.
-
As ever Andy - a cracking job! it's got pride of place on my shelf!
Slayer - re: the cockpit. the design for the tripod has also been a bit vague. There's a little silhouette in the 7TV core rule-book - and that's about it.
For a practical build, I wanted something that could could incorporate the Argo model and also reflect the reverse-engineered origins of Argo's technology. Plus I love that old BBC show, so thought an homage to the upper shell shape was a nice touch.
It was basically a prototype, just to see about the practicalities of puting something this big into production - IF there was any interest.
I was thinking legs (and arms) in metal and a resin hull. Legs definitely need some rethinking as I think Andy found them fiddly in the build. They would likely need greater support and fixings in production. We've limited experience of bigger kits, so any tips would be most welcomed :)
Send me a pm about bigger kits if you like mate, I've a few pointers that might help.
cheers
James
-
It was basically a prototype, just to see about the practicalities of puting something this big into production - IF there was any interest.
I would buy this in a heart beat if it was commercially available! :o :o :o
-
Wow that looks damn good!
-
This is just beyond belief. There's a market out there for this I believe. The question is how much would it cost to put into production and what would the price point be? There are guys out there willing to spend a pretty big nut on something like this.
-
Thanks very, very much guys!
That is unbelievably beautiful!!! :o
You are a complete git,sir. ;)
How can you produce so many amazing things so fast?
I have help! Minions....assemble!...
(http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a605/andymac2105/4008ED1B-F45B-4B5B-9FBF-68B64845EF7A-2060-000003211468B0E3_zps22db42ff.jpg~original)
Is there anything that you are crap at? (Please say yes!)
My mummy says no! ;) My girlfriend disagrees!!
Fantastic! I just started reading the Argonaut programe guide this morning and was wondering how I could get to see more of the tripod.
Thanks for the step-by-step too, very interesting.
I never seem to remember to take pics at the right time! If I do it again Cheetor, I'll make a big effort to get it done properly!
:o
You don't hang around, do you Andy?! lol
I've got something else nearly finished as well Paul! ;)
why did u go for a open cockpit instead of closed??
We talked if a few different options Slayer. Originally we were thinking of making Argo pop out of the top, just waist up, aka the Ainsty buggies. We also talked of integrating Argo into the seat so he was part of the model and stuck in. In the end we thought this let you use whatever model you fancy in the cockpit. I also have a lot of love for the old versions of the Eldar Warwalker, again pilot up front. If you want I'm sure I could do another one with Argo up top! ;) :D
As ever Andy - a cracking job! it's got pride of place on my shelf!
I was thinking legs (and arms) in metal and a resin hull. Legs definitely need some rethinking as I think Andy found them fiddly in the build. They would likely need greater support and fixings in production. We've limited experience of bigger kits, so any tips would be most welcomed :)
Your most welcome!
I think if the legs were cast as one piece, as opposed to relying on a glued joint, that'll strengthen them up a great deal. The other options would be to fill in the undercuts on the thighs so as opposed to having a 'T' cross section it would be an inverted triangle or the last option I can think of would be to replace the thigh sections with tubular legs.
Thanks again for the very supportive comments guys!!
-
in for the win, fantastic bit of kit 8)
-
Eff me!!! That's sublime Andy! :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-*
-
Stunning. Simply stunning. :)
-
I never said on the cd forum how lovely this is, shocking behaviour on my part :( still would like to see one for sale though. More importantly, it is fantastic!
-
That is LUSH! :o
-
So Andy, when will the 1:1 scale version be ready? :o :o Amazing build as always.
-
Wow.
Absolutely awesome work..
R
-
Photobucket links repaired.
-
I don't remember having seen this before. It's fantastic!
After all, there's a silver lining to the Photobucket disaster! Thanks for making the effort of repairing all the links in your old threads.
-
Terrific. 👍
-
Thanks guys!
-
This is brilliant !
Bill Weston.
www.underfireminiatures.com