BSC2018 Vanvlak's Necromunda Pattern Low-Loader (a.k.a. VIVI)

[Vanvlak]

I'm posting this as a place-holder and as a sort of example of the thread for the BSC.

As I got a copy of Necromunda for Christmas my choice of background was easy - I will however try to make it a build which can be used in non-GW scenarios, where the Necromunda Pattern Low-Loader I am planning will be called the VIVI (Vanvlak Industries model VI Low Loader, to give it its full name).

My entry will not formally be part of the competition, and will only be included to make up the numbers if an odd number of participants take part.

I will be building a long transport vehicle with the following characteristics:
1) it is a long vehicle, hugely unwieldy and difficult to turn; especially in the tunnels and narrow confines of Necromunda.
2) it is unarmoured and its driver's seat is exposed - again not a good idea in Necromunda.
3) the low-loader IS low, tends to get stuck in terrain which is not flat and is very easy to block. Rumour has it that it can be stopped with a well-positioned tin of starch-beans*.
4) just to make sure it fits the ill-advised theme - it's a monowheel. This of course just serves to exacerbate (1) and (3).

*the new rule book background makes a lot of the typical Necromunda diet of starch, recycled from - well, anything organic.

It will have as its one saving grace a good cargo capacity, and I hope to have the time to make some cargo for it - and maybe a section of corridor too.

[Hupp n at em]

Makes me think of all those flat cargo skimmers in the various Star Wars properties... cool idea! 

[Vanvlak]

Makes me think of all those flat cargo skimmers in the various Star Wars properties... cool idea! 

I think that's where the inspiration came from, except this one is wheeled.
I ditched the monowheel idea as I wanted to have the model stand upright at least for the photos, and I can't see that happening with the idea I have. But it still should be wobbly and too low for comfort, and on the plus side it should now be even harder to turn round corners. I'm also thinking of a modular approach with different payloads and perhaps alternative driving options.

[Billchuck]

How about a large inconvenient central drive wheel and a much-too-small coaster wheel at each corner?  Best of both worlds!

[Blackwolf]

Nice idea.

By the way,I had a most attractive Finnish girlfriend (years ago) called Vivi

[Vanvlak]

How about a large inconvenient central drive wheel and a much-too-small coaster wheel at each corner?  Best of both worlds!

Now I have images of the BAe Harrier undercarriage! Hope I don't go over the top and add vertical take-off (which will result in the vehicle crashing into the roof, and would be even more ill-advised, so maybe...) 
That would work - but I have to confess I found a pair of discarded wheels from castors which look just right, so if I work out something around them I'll use those, but keep this as a potential solution.

[Vanvlak]

Nice idea.

By the way,I had a most attractive Finnish girlfriend (years ago) called Vivi

Uh-oh - her namesake will not be flattering, I'm afraid. 

[Vanvlak]

And here's VIVI in progress.

Some plastic sections cut to size, and a couple of old castor wheels. In assembly I changed to of the beams for channels:



And some more bits:



The frame is the left-over stuff from a laser-cut model. One of you will be mad at me for doing this 

Here's VIVI's chassis assembled, an old school Goliath looks on:



Wheels added - with a couple of very old gangers taking interest in the proceedings.




I still have to add covers for the wheel attachment points; the cargo area up front (where the gangers are prancing around); a cargo area or a counterweight at the rear; and a drive motor and a cabin (or remote steering receiver if I'm lazy) amidships.

[tomrommel1]

following

[Vanvlak]

Progress at last.

I added a short length of channel to cover up the wheel attachment strut, and used those clothing size indicators which clip on clothe hangers to complete the wheel structures:



Somebody was so bored by the slow progress that he fell asleep. Fox has a shorter attention span than his Goliath friend.



Platform time - these flat areas with rectangular sections to keep them in place will support anything which goes up top:



Here's the view from the top - to give an idea of size, the distance between the gridlines on the base is 3":



Assembly was easy - but I made two sets, seen here with one of each assembled and one disassembled, the latter will probably have rivet marks added before I glue them:



This is where things get interesting. I am going to keep this modular, to allow me to have a variety of loads, control cabins (or not!) and machinery, and also ballast at the rear, possibly. For the competition I'll be keeping this simple, with just two sets, and I might make one more gothic and the other less so - a sort of cyberpunk version.

[Vanvlak]

Slight change of plans - that's what comes when you don't have a detailed plan!
The gothic one will be 'restrained gothic' - like a Leman Russ, for example, which only has tiny details which give it a gothic look.

The cabin will be closed - open is more ill-advised, but as I want different gangs (and also guilders) to use this, I can't have an open cockpit, not unless I want to convert one driver per faction! I toyed with having the legs fixed and the upper half interchangeable, but that seems a bit wasteful of model halves. Anyway, I can always make one after the BSC if I decide to do at least one faction open cab.
Since the cab I chose is closed, I am going about ill-advisedness in a different way - making it tall.

Here's the start - a couple of breath mint dispensing boxes. I will use these as the core of my structure, but will cover them with plasticard. The first face is done. I cut the card in two to provide two panels (more interesting than a solid blank wall), and added eight rivets each - these were done using nail punches, which if applied judiciously produce a recessed rivet look. If applied too hard, they'll split the card (near the edge) or distort it if the punch is placed closer to centre. The secret lies in not hammering these hard.



The 'recessed rivets' cannot be seen in the pic, but they're there, and will come out with a wash during painting.

[Vanvlak]

Stopped work on the cabin as inspiration struck for the payload (removable) in the shape of a small blue bulb pot:


The orange bits in the background are future scenery.

I glued this on the payload platform and added a framework around it:


More strips added, with washed detail to show the recessed rivets - and the punch (a nail punch) used for this:


As Hammers had observed when I had first mentioned these punches, they do bend the card a little. I'm avoiding this by using thickish card and a light tap, rather than a blow, with the hammer. I then sand the reverse side of the plastic card to remove the lump formed. It struck me that I could use the reverse as a projected rivet, but the definition is too low.

Here's the payload on the front of the low-loader - with a photobombing hammer:

On a rigid surface it sits correctly, and doesn't tilt forwards as it seems to be doing here.

[Andym]

Very promising! That flowerpot works surprisingly well!

[Mason]

That is a cracking start, mate.
I love how that flower pot came out, may have to rummage around in the shed later.
    

Brilliant idea using that MDF off-cut.
 



(Dunno how I have only just seen this....  Sorry, was not ignoring it, mate....)

[Johnnytodd]

Great use of found objects!  I would have never looked at chair casters as 28mm compatible - brilliant!