BSC2025 Vanvlak Trench Crusade Armoured Transport Lighter (Motorized)

[Vanvlak]

I have caught the Trench Crusade bug, and am building forces for New Antioch and Nurgle Cult of the Black Grail. Which means I am building a tank and have almost completed one model, with several unfinished WIPs. Fairly typical for me. I am also constructing a slightly more than 4' x 4' board, with a canal right down the middle, and although it will have a bridge, a ruined bridge, and a couple of rafts and pontoons, I might just be able to squeeze another VESSEL in. This also means I do not have to worry about troops getting their feet wet, or even fancy water effects, as the canal will end up being blocked solid by traffic and assorted floating or semi-submerged junk.

My build will be an ATL(M), an Armoured Transport Lighter (Motorized): not many guns (probably just one); cargo space; a small bridge; and armour.
I can see two very different approaches, one for each of New Antioch and the C of the Black Grail, but although the latter is a fun idea, I think I will go for the former. I'll decide the specific direction after I dive into the bits cellar (yes, the old storage cellar is practically a bits cellar, like a bits box but with more damp.

I have one aim for the competition: to finish the blasted thing!
And I have a list of points to guide me:
1) keep it small
2) keep it simple
3) reduce its size and complexity further
4) using stuff which I have been keeping for a rainy day which never came if needed
5) make it smaller still; and simpler
6) do not try to make it adaptable for use by a dozen different forces - and compatible with 40K, WW1, WW2, etc.
7) do not try to include rails for railway carriages on it, that is the road paved with good intentions which leads to development hell

Enough rules, more diving in the bts cellar.

[AKULA]

Sounds like a good plan mate, look forward to seeing how it progresses

 

[Gunbird]

7) do not try to include rails for railway carriages on it, that is the road paved with good intentions which leads to development hell

Technically that would be railtrack laid with good intentions

Looking forward to your creation

[Vanvlak]

Thanks guys 
I am going to add another rule: since this is WW1 period-ish, rivets would abound. As I do not have a tool for making rivets, and these eat up time more rapidly than a black hole (does that even make sense?), the new rule is: find ways to minimize rivets! And I have a couple of ideas, which do not require the invention of welding.

[aircav]

Thanks guys 
I am going to add another rule: since this is WW1 period-ish, rivets would abound. As I do not have a tool for making rivets, and these eat up time more rapidly than a black hole (does that even make sense?), the new rule is: find ways to minimize rivets! And I have a couple of ideas, which do not require the invention of welding.

When I did my K-Wagon I got some graining/beading tools & used those pushed into greenstuff to form the rivet head

[snitcythedog]

If you are working in plastic, a good option for rivets is a leather rotary hand sewing punch.  You can use it to emboss rivets from the back of the panel.  It is quick and easy. 

If you look around the interwebs you can find one for under twenty quid.

[Vanvlak]

When I did my K-Wagon I got some graining/beading tools & used those pushed into greenstuff to form the rivet head

That's a cool one, Aircav, if that were entering the Conveyance competition I'd just give up! 

[Vanvlak]

If you are working in plastic, a good option for rivets is a leather rotary hand sewing punch.  You can use it to emboss rivets from the back of the panel.  It is quick and easy. 

If you look around the interwebs you can find one for under twenty quid.

Interesting - I am working with plastic (mainly), will look into this and probably get one, thank you.
In the meantime, I also found a way of avoiding most of the rivets 

I am messing around with the design, with the bridge and the single cannon going from end to end of the vessel and back, and only the ramp end selected. In contrast, I found a good deal of the bits I intend to use (plastic card, plastic sections, and a pile of stuff collected from an eclectic range of sources. So far I am only using one model bit, a small turret, which is likely to be mounted as something which the designer thought was an innovative approach to naval artillery, but was in fact a cross between a turret and barbette with a few disadvantages of each...

[Codsticker]

If you end up still wanting to use rivets Green Stuff World has a few options, from 3D printed rivets to moulds for casting rivets: link.

[Gunbird]

I would reccomend the Meng sets of Bolts and Nuts as they make all sorts, very affordable and plastic. With a sharp scalpel you can slice these off and to to town. Riveting stuff.

For my orks they have been a Godsent

[Daeothar]

I use sprues of bolt heads from Tichy Train Group. I bought a bunch in different diameters at least 20 years ago and they're still in use, although my stocks are slowly diminishing. They're polystyrene, so easy to glue down when working with plasticard. They come in a ridiculous amount of shapes and sizes too.



Another method I've used it akin to the tool suggested by snitcythedog, but instead of a single punch, it's a cog-like wheel with sharp points. I pilfered that from my mother's sewing accesories decades ago. I believe it was used to transfer clothing patterns onto paper, to copy the shape.

They're pretty cheap and readily available. Where they shine is creating long rows of evenly spaced rivets...

[Vanvlak]

This is turning into a showcase of methods for making rivets - I need to show off my own version, but although I punched a small handful, I do not have process pics, so those will come in the next update.
Thanks for the ideas, biggest problem now is which to try first  ! I think all are better than my solution.

Meanwhile, I have started - here are some of the main bits, a discarded piece of electrical cable ducting (or conduit), and the plastic body of an old multiple socket extension.


You'll notice the multiple socket thing has a small bit cut off: that is what I actually used, the rest went back to storage.

Here's the assembled - er - end of the vessel. I still have not decided whether these will be the bows or the stern!

It's still a bit rough, but I will refine this later after some additional construction work.

[Vanvlak]

Next step: avoiding a million rivets. The hull needs fattening up from the inside and out, and the exterior will have Consecrated Corkrete, an armoured, very low density composite which also resists demonic attacks...



The strip of plastic will be one of several used to create a framework around the 'corkrete'; notice the old turret painted blue: this will be the sole weapon on the vessel.

Here's the assembled hull with armour - and the turret, which we'll have a closer look at further down.



And here's the turret-barbette, a ridiculous design which looks interesting - at least I like it. The gun barrel is scratchbuilt; I need to add detail to the gun deck.



The turret comes with its own rivets; the shipyard used larger recessed ones for the armour plate above it; they'll look better painted and washed.

[Lost Egg]

Looks like you're off to a grand start Vanvlak.

[Mick_in_Switzerland]

This looks good