VSF 28mm Egyptian Landship

[Supercollider]

How about if the boat hull was inverted (I guess you'd need a different hull?) and used the curved under-side to look something like a heavily riveted leviathan Scarab Beetle?  The tree clearing mechanism could be a couple of powerful hydraulic pincers

I'm in the process of making a steam powered howdah for use on Venus - I put a front scoop from a steam train on it to push the jungle aside.  A low-tech solution.

Anyway - just a couple of random brain farts - I like the look of this project a lot

[ushistoryprof]

B with the side sponsons looks very VSF.  How about on obelisk  shaped control bridge for that very Egyptian feel.

Prof
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http://worldhistoryprof.blogspot.com/

[fastolfrus]

If it was B I'd go without the bow turret, but I'd probably opt for C.

Pyramid shaped bridge structure and obelisk shaped smokestacks (possibly with hieroglyphs)

[Ray Rivers]

The tree clearing mechanism could be a couple of powerful hydraulic pincers

That is a super idea!

Anybody have any idea where I could pick something like that up?

Tons of ideas flowing now... 

Obelisk smokestacks... or course!   

A statue on top of the bridge as well... a Sphinx, Anubis, something or other.

Like I say I want it to be very Egyptian.   

[Sinewgrab]

If you don't mind feeding the 800lb gorilla, the Games Workshop Chaos Defiler has several sets of legs that could very easily double as pincers. BIt spedny, though, at $62 american.

[Supercollider]

Bionicles often have great claws and pincers, and thrift stores are often knee deep in them.  Plus, they're easy to pick up in retail, and are often on sale. 

Just do a google image search for 'Bionicle Pincer', or 'Bionicle Claw', and it should give you some idea of the possibilities.

Bioincles are great for bits in general

Edit:

Here's a good example: http://www.flickr.com/photos/32482342@N05/3086392827/

[Geudens]

That is a super idea!

Anybody have any idea where I could pick something like that up?

Star Wars collectable (oop, but untill recently very cheap...) as in the background of this picture has two, complete wit connection cables:

http://www.olleysarmies.co.uk/scruntsatwar6001.html

Rudi

[Ray Rivers]

Here's a good example: http://www.flickr.com/photos/32482342@N05/3086392827/

That crab is amazing!   

Thinking that Ramschackle HST legs might do as well...

http://shop.ramshacklegames.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=15&products_id=140

Anyway, decided on model B and have started building the sponson guns with the intent that they are able to rotate.  We'll see how that goes...

[ushistoryprof]

The bow will need Eye of Osiris on each side to guide your ship of the land to safe berthing.
Prof
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http://worldhistoryprof.blogspot.com/

[The_Beast]

I've seen your background thread, which I missed before, on the other list, so after a good read, I'll see if I have to eat any of those words. ;->=

Doug

After the most entertaining read, I'd have to say it'd take a small history 'bash' to say the parts "came in from Prussia, but, alas, it was the hull of the large ship, and the track unit from the first of what was supposed to be screening units".

The RA RA boys were so impatient that, over the objections of their advisers, assembled all the pieces into the monstrosity with which their army was saddled. ;->=

I have a terrible tendency to think of ways of tossing a spanner into the works; your force, and mine are merely musings of a deranged curmudgeon.

Doug

[Ray Rivers]

So with materials and concept in hand, on with the build... 

Actually, because I am so bad at this kinda stuff I always feel I need to warn folks that using my techniques can be harmful to the health!   

So... anyway... the first thing I'm tackling here are the sponson guns.  This is a jolly good idea which is turning out to be jolly difficult.  Because I hadn't planned to do this, it left me scurrying about trying to find nice cylindrical things which could be cut into turret bodies.  I ended up with a couple used feeding tube syringes.  These things are plentiful in my household, but that is another story which I won't burden you with.

Cutting the tubes turned out to be really hard and pretty standard procedure for me as to how dogged determination wins out over lack of skills and proper tools.

The first thing I did was try to use a handsaw to cut them, but because the blade was too small I couldn't control the cut and it veered badly off to one side.  Then I tried to cut the 1mm thick plastic with a scalpel.  WARNING:  DO NOT DO THIS!  I should have know better as forcing the blade through the thick plastic broke it and sent the point flying... luckily not into my eye.  So finally, what I did was I took my small handsaw and moved slowly around the diameter of the tube cutting just bit by bit until it snapped off clean.  Then it was just a matter of a little sanding, and voila, after a long and perilous journey I had my four basic tube turrets.



With the tubes FINALLY cut, I now turned to make the "floor and roof."  I used the tubes as templates to make both inside and outside plasticard circles.  I need the inside piece so that when mounted the turret will be able to move back and forth.  There are, essentially, hinges.



It all looks a bit rough, but that is intentional as I plan to smooth everything up when I match the pieces together and actually mount them on the hull.

So with the basic turret body completed I now did a bit of work on my hull.  Here I marked off where I plan to put the armored plates and mount the sponsor guns.  "X" marks the spot on the photo that will have to be cut out to fit the turrets.  DANGER Will Robinson!   



And that is where I am at this moment.  Not much progress really but due to my incredibly poor skills, I'm not all that fast a builder...

Hopefully, on the next report, should I survive, I will have the turrets both completed and mounted on the hull.   

[Gluteus Maximus]

And that is where I am at this moment.  Not much progress really but due to my incredibly poor skills, I'm not all that fast a builder...

Hopefully, on the next report, should I survive, I will have the turrets both completed and mounted on the hull.   

It's a marathon, not a sprint, so slow but sure is best.
 
If the project does kill you, can I have your army? 

[Ray Rivers]

If the project does kill you, can I have your army?

I have a "toy will" (doesn't everybody) already made up and you're on the list.   

It's a bit of a slow start, I know.  Haven't received all my materials yet, hopefully this week.  I'm also toiling away on my Egyptian Household Cavalry and those folks are taking a lot of my time.

Hopefully, things will pick up soon... given nothing goes awry with my power drill.   

[Ray Rivers]

Quick update.... I survived my experience with Black and Decker!   

So today I cut out the holes in the hull for my turrets.  I used the old "drill a bunch of holes first then with the drill reeving slash through the remaining bits" technique.

Savage... but effective.   



The right hole is what is left after I drill a bunch of closely spaced holes, the left side what I got after slashing about with the drill.

Still had a bit of time so I took a Stanley blade and cleaned up the mess.  The important thing here is that the height of the hole is more or less exact so that when I actually install the turret hinges, the guns will move freely.

Finished off the left (port?) side...



On the left you can see a cleaned up space for the turret.  On the right I have placed a turret into the hull so we can get an idea of how it looks. 

Below the turret is the gun barrel before modding.   

Still haven't received my additional modeling supplies (11 days now) which could slow me down a bit... hopefully soon.

Cheers!

[Ray Rivers]

Sponson guns completed, though not installed.



Finally, received my supplies in the post, though I still need to buy lots of Egyptian dudades.