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WH40k: Wheeled Salamander Scout Car

PostPosted: Sat Feb 23, 2013 12:16 pm
by Commissar-Krad
So, one of my gaming buddies has been switching up armies a bit lately and I have been getting a bunch of his surplus. I got 3 Leman Russ tanks and 2 un-built Chimera kits. One of the Leman Russ tanks I converted into a Destroyer Tank Hunter but the rest I wanted to make regularly for use in normal games. One of the Chimeras he had purchased the Chapterhouse wheeled conversion set. So, using that as a starting point I wanted to plasticard up a Salamander scout vehicle. I didn't feel much like painting today so I finally decided to get going on this project.

First thing I had to do was even out the lengths of the hulls, since one side of a chimera hull is longer but I wanted a flat front. Then I whipped out some fresh x-acto blades and got to work bulking it out.

Here's a look from the front:

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Here's one from the back, there will be a door in that hole:

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A look at the inside, the side with the firing step will have some sort of seating. There will be a radio in the back, some stowage racks, and a hatch to the crew compartment. Also going to put some rails over the top to support a canvas roof:

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Here's a test with some weapons, not too sure on the autocannon and I will probably use a heavy bolter and not a flamer. Perhaps even a heavy stubber facing the rear. There will be a raised armor shield all along the front edge:

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Let me know what you guys think! :D

Re: WH40k: Wheeled Salamander Scout Car

PostPosted: Sat Feb 23, 2013 4:05 pm
by mangozac
So far so good. I especially like the fact that you're doing an interior - already stuff like the mesh floor look great! I do feel that having the front as one big flat surface is a little bit bland and boxy, but it will probably turn out fine when the details are added ;)

There's a bit of 3D print striation on the sides of the hull. Does anybody know if those will be hidden by the layers of paint?

Re: WH40k: Wheeled Salamander Scout Car

PostPosted: Sun Feb 24, 2013 8:28 am
by Commissar-Krad
Probably going to put some sort of bumper on it as well as some head lights. Should help break up the front.

There is quite a lot of striation on the sides. I am either going to see about what paint does or I will get some Mr. Surfacer or equivalent to change the texture. We will see, gonna to some gap filling and detailing tonight.

Re: WH40k: Wheeled Salamander Scout Car

PostPosted: Sun Feb 24, 2013 9:10 pm
by mangozac
Yeah those kind of details on the front should definitely help. Keen to hear the results regarding the striations - they are indeed a bitch to clean up!

Re: WH40k: Wheeled Salamander Scout Car

PostPosted: Mon Feb 25, 2013 3:44 am
by Commissar-Krad
So I did some more work on this last night. I filled most of the gaps with milliput and did most of the sanding on that but it still needs a bit more since it was not fully dried. The main advancement was the forward firing shield and the gun shield on the autocannon. I think it really helps in defining the silhouette of this vehicle. Still going to add the tarp rails, probably will tonight. Here are a few pictures.

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Next I need an opinion on the radio system. I've got the improved comms bit from forge world. I've always want to use it on a command tank, but they're just too big for a Leman Russ. I think that they would be appropriate for a recon vehicle as it would want to have good communications. They could be require to call in artillery, reinforcements, air strikes, or a maybe a last ditch exterminatus. Since it's 40k the technology would be bulky but the question is: is this too bulky for this vehicle? Should I use this or scratch build something a bit smaller. I will probably tie the longer aerials to the tarp rails once they are on and I begin finishing the model.

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Let me know what you think.

Re: WH40k: Wheeled Salamander Scout Car

PostPosted: Mon Feb 25, 2013 7:14 am
by Joey
May I suggest guitar wire for the aerials? It not only looks more realistic, but it'll last longer that way too. I'd also magnetize the improved comms bit for easier transportation.

Re: WH40k: Wheeled Salamander Scout Car

PostPosted: Mon Feb 25, 2013 7:41 am
by mangozac
I like the comms unit but I do agree that it's sticking out too much. I reckon the solution is to pull it forward into the hull a little, so that the forward antenna mounts are sitting on top of the rear top corner of the hull.

I also agree with Joey's suggestions - guitar string would look much better for the aerials themselves.

Re: WH40k: Wheeled Salamander Scout Car

PostPosted: Mon Feb 25, 2013 8:25 am
by Commissar-Krad
Joey: For whatever reason I had never considered using the guitar wire I use for pinning as aerials I always get irritated when my plastic ones break off.

magnozac: That should be a good compromise between the size of the unit and scratch building a smaller one. I will bust out the dremil this evening and try it out.

Re: WH40k: Wheeled Salamander Scout Car

PostPosted: Fri Jul 25, 2014 12:34 pm
by Commissar-Krad
Finally, back at it after more than a year. Have not really scratch built much in that time, probably build some more ships for BFG when I finish this. The first thing I got to was to finish adding all of the rivets. There are so many. I added a large optic and targeting screen to the autocannon. I added a console at the rear for the commander/commsman. For the crew and any passengers there are a total of 6 fold away seats, 3 on each side. I think I will have 3 crewmen in the back of the Salamander, the gunner, the commander, and a scout. I built the commander at the desk, but I sort of ran out of crew bits to use for the other two. I may have to set to ebay. On the front hull I had to convert a heavy flamer into the heavy bolter, and I used a regular old chimera hatch for the driver. I used one of the oldschool rhino doors as an accessway to the driver and assistant driver/hull gunner area. The smoke launchers have been changed around a bit for a different spread, more suited to the placement on the side of the hull. There is one tow point on the front and one on the back of the hull. Lastly, I put on the rear door and made a little locking mech and some hinges.

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Lets hope I don't lose inspiration again and stick it through to finish this thing. I really am looking forward to painting it, and in using it in some games. I will be adding the other crew, a stowage rack on the back, probably some rails across the top for a tarp, and whatever other details I figure as I go. Thanks for checking in.

Re: WH40k: Wheeled Salamander Scout Car

PostPosted: Fri Jul 25, 2014 4:19 pm
by mangozac
Woohoo progress! So far so good, just keep up the detailing. When doing this kind of stuff always remember to continuously refer to details on real world military vehicles ;)

Re: WH40k: Wheeled Salamander Scout Car

PostPosted: Fri Jul 25, 2014 5:42 pm
by TomG
And put enough skulls, you know it is Imperial vehicle. :mrgreen:

Re: WH40k: Wheeled Salamander Scout Car

PostPosted: Sat Jul 26, 2014 10:36 am
by Commissar-Krad
Thanks guys, not to worry, plenty of more details and skulls to go into this model.

Re: WH40k: Wheeled Salamander Scout Car

PostPosted: Thu Jul 31, 2014 11:41 am
by Commissar-Krad
So here's some more progress on the Salamander.

Firstly, I added a little telescoping auspex/visual scanner to go up and down and look around.

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Next, I put the stowage rack on the back, under the radio box.

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Finally, I put some exhausts on either side of the hull and a headlight on the front. Not to mention the bars on top for a tarp, or maybe a stowage rack for ultra long range recon missions. I also found some torsos I had laying around and finished the hull. They're vehicle crew torsos that I changed a bit and then cast some copies of for future use. You can also see that I added a couple of ready magazines for the autocannon, behind the gunner station.

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I think I am going to call this one a wrap. For a 40k model I feel that it's gonna have enough details for now, and once I paint it I will be adding a bunch of stowage. Also added another IG winged skull on the other side. Thanks for stopping in.

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Re: WH40k: Wheeled Salamander Scout Car

PostPosted: Fri Aug 01, 2014 7:58 am
by mangozac
Looks great, but you know what? I reckon you could do another pass of detailing: but this time focus on joins. For example, you've done those cool roll bars and the two strips of styrene on top. That's all good but it doesn't look right with the styrene strips blued on like that. In real life they would be either bolted or welded together and either way the tube would have some kind of bracket structure where the strips join.

I would also have a little sleeve around the roll bar tube where it joins the hull, again this would add realism.

Lastly, you need to add rivets to all of your new styrene! It doesn't look right for the resin parts to be riveted and the rest not!

Re: WH40k: Wheeled Salamander Scout Car

PostPosted: Fri Aug 01, 2014 3:20 pm
by Commissar-Krad
I think you're right. Doing that little bit more would not take much time. I have some scale bolts I could put on the roll bars and a few rivets at least on the gun shield and upper armor would do it well. Probably around the door to the driver's area as well. Thanks, zac