Blackadder's Attempt To Build a Lucius Patten Imperator Titan 'Invictus'

[Blackadder]

Rough Shaping:


Final rough shaping involves truing up the block to 90° then cutting a 45° bevel each side and finally two 22.5° bevels each side on top and sides.


http://i.imgur.com/9DUyTiT.jpg

Next (and this is the tricky part because it takes a bit of an eye for roundness) sanding off the excess in a controlled arc movement on the sanding belt.


http://i.imgur.com/bdNKxBZ.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/8vAqAXM.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/W0ZiUMI.jpg

so the helmet has a slightly flattened ovoid shape in cross section.

 

[wargamesculptor]

Nice shape BA, should make fitting the crenellation on the top easier as well

 

[Blackadder]

Basic Helmet and Head


Well it took far more time than I thought but I do finally have the basic helmet cut to size.




http://i.imgur.com/P1eCper.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/fNkomQv.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/J6b7rWg.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/5egDBeZ.jpg

The rear view shows how much I cut out of the interior so I can add the under helmet detail when the cockpit is complete. I may still remove a lot of the inside material but for now it's sufficient as the helmet is as fragile as an eggshell with out it's interior framing.




http://i.imgur.com/n4znz4T.png

BTW you may have noticed the background image. This is what I am hoping the finished Titan will look like but leaner and longer legs.

 

[Blackadder]

Suffice it to say I am not happy how this helmet is turning out so I am revamping it. Update coming soon.

Meanwhile:


I naturally assumed my Warlord crew would fit into an Imperator head but never really checked so while I'm waiting to complete the face shield I just tried them for size.....


There's plenty of room; even for a Princep and a few attendees And a cadre of Tech Priests as well.


http://i.imgur.com/Hgx7B75.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/ApSGtc4.jpg

 

[Blackadder]

Now It Can Be Told:


Now that I have resolved the issue I can reveal why I had to revamp the helmet. It all boiled down to an assumption on my part that the artist drawing the two elevations of the head was a draughtsman. In a proper draught you project lines from one plane to another and ideally there should be a top elevation as well but I accepted the two elevations as sufficient for my 3D rendering. I built my model slightly oversized than the plan as I wanted the 'head' to be larger than my Warlord's head as the finished model will be 10 to 12 inches taller than my Warlord. I blissfully used the side elevation for all my calculations and after laminating all the layers proceeded to sand the contours of the helmet but after the rough sanding was completed I found the helmet dome was significantly flattened.


http://i.imgur.com/8vAqAXM.jpg

It did not have the look of the front elevation at all. Needless to say I was extremely disappointed as I had based my interior design and mechanism on the front projection......




http://i.imgur.com/56WnEFl.jpg

Rather than scrap the helmet and start afresh I opted to build on the original to increase the height of the dome which is seen in these two images. It was last night that I managed to glue in the compound curved pieces requisite to obtain a smooth contour; the final pieces to be installed later this morning.


http://i.imgur.com/2QebzHA.jpg

So with this setback resolved I can continue with the building of the head; my obsessive compulsive integrity intact.

 

[wargamesculptor]

Great recovery BA, shame the picture hadn't been done in a draughtsmen fashion in the first place

 

[Blackadder]

A Cure for a Rainy Day:


After a rough rounding sanding I scored the armour panel lines. First with my utility knife. Then with razor saw and finally with xacto keyhole saw blade
https://www.widgetsupply.com/mm5/gr...5-5pc-no-15-keyhole-saw-2016-main_519x340.jpg


to widen the gaps between the armour




http://i.imgur.com/rer2DpT.jpg

Now the helmet is ready for wet sanding which will hopefully remove the striation lines.


http://i.imgur.com/Vuhruvo.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/iKwkjcl.jpg

Now we're back to making the visor.

 

[wargamesculptor]

Taking shape BA, the plating adds to the shape

 

[Blackadder]

Crest:


The crest seemed a daunting task but after the helmet it was child's play. I began by laminating six layers of 0.030 thousandths styrene last night because 1/4 inch styrene is too expensive and to hard to work with plus 0.030 is what I had on hand.


I then scribed two lines and equa-spaced the drill points with my vernier calipers.


I used my #11 Xacto blade to deepen the drill points and hand drilled 1/16" pilot holes for the scallops.




http://i.imgur.com/I6LWbhV.jpg

Then I drilled 1/8 inch holes to center the 1/4 inch final holes for the scallops.


http://i.imgur.com/shluvZ1.jpg

After drilling the 1/4 inch holes I cut off the excess material and sanded to the appropriate half hole depth.


http://i.imgur.com/5ugL5iz.jpg

 

[Blackadder]

Spear Heads:


Spear Head ornaments are tedious but worth the effort. There are probably easier ways to make them but I want mine to have a 3D bas-relief so I made mine out of 0.040 thousandths styrene. Below we see one in place on the helmet and the rest in various states of manufacture. When doing something like this I allows make a few extra so I don't have to start from scratch. You never know when you might need a spare.
Start by making an undersized template (marked 'T'), trace the points on a piece of scrap styrene, cut them out with scissors (yeah it's that simple,) Drill your pilot holes, Cut the corner holes with your; surgical diagonal cutters, Fingernail cutters, Dikes, what-have-you, use your rat tail needle files to make the spade base compare you work to the finished and make the proper adjustments with you, curved nail file and you're done.


http://i.imgur.com/fFxZ4If.jpg

Now do it twelve more times or more........


http://i.imgur.com/84L1tlJ.jpg

See you tomorrow.

 

[Blackadder]

Bada ba ba baaaa I'm Lovin' It:


Funny how these ungainly projects grow on ya. At first I was mildly interested in this project. A lot of people requested I give it a go so for the past few years I accumulated various plastic bitz that looked like they might go on a quicky Imperial Titan that anyone sufficiently motivated could build. I still have baskets of the junk; bottlecaps recyclable containers and the like and I finally solved the pelvis dilemma but until I saw the head for lack of a better term I had little enthusiasm feeling that I had reached the pinnacle of Titan manufacture in my Warlord.


http://i.imgur.com/hvfBsqo.jpg

Now I am in a quandary because this Titan will eclipse my previous effort but Damn I am getting really fond of this beastie.


http://i.imgur.com/izMrl2e.jpg

The front view shows up on the image more so than in person that the spearhead gusset on the right side is longer than that corresponding one on the left. that will have to be fixed but overall I am pleased with the outcome. I made my darts a tad larger than that in the computer image as I couldn't translate the drawing into an actual model. But it seems close enough and even as I write this I get the depression of compromise.


http://i.imgur.com/jRCmP0p.jpg

But no; that way madness lies.


and it's still two hours to Martini Time... Dang!

 

[wargamesculptor]

Looks good to me BA, and where you've had to modify things because of the misdraw in the artwork I would say it's an adaptation rather than a compromise. Would say you've earned two Martini's with all you've achieved so far

 

[Blackadder]

The Perfection of Asymmetry:


When you look at the Darth mask you are thrilled with the evilness of the visage but split the image and reverse it mirror image wise and you will see the resulting perfect symmetry of either the left or right is not nearly as disturbing. We are all different people when we see ourselves in a photograph. With the magic of the computer we can splice together the left and right images of our face and see two entirely different people neither recognizable as ourselves.


http://i.imgur.com/N07NveX.jpg

That is where I am with this visor. That and the printout I made is too small. The 0.030" plastic cutout I made directly below the helmet assembly seems to be of the correct size.


Also the visor wraps around the helmet so the front view is foreshortened therefor I must allow for that by adding what i estimate a quarter inch (6,3 MM) to each side........


Fun and games, Right?

 

[Foxtail]

When you first started this project I thought to myself that I would have no idea how to even begin to attempt that face. I can see where you're going with it though and it's great.

Minor issues and things not quite lining up are part of the parcel with these sorts of projects I suspect

 

[Blackadder]

When you first started this project I thought to myself that I would have no idea how to even begin to attempt that face. I can see where you're going with it though and it's great.

Minor issues and things not quite lining up are part of the parcel with these sorts of projects I suspect

I appreciate that. My goal here as with my Warlord to document how I did it. The amazing thing about the image I am replicating is the facial planes were delineated by the artist which I found quite helpful. The artist did it to highlight the image but I shall use them to fold the shape the visor.

 

[Blackadder]

Facial Planes:


We're going to experiment with this visor as I don't have an overhead projection so I made the angle gussets flexible until I see how the 'face shapes up.


http://i.imgur.com/9ysjqn4.jpg

That way I can make the minimal adjustments required for an approximation of the artist's intent.


http://i.imgur.com/Qc99a8q.jpg

Note the strips in the foreground. The one with the heavy pencil line glues to the inner surface of the visor. It is slightly scored so it acts as a hinged gusset. It can sustain a minimum of flexing before fatiguing the same as the visor plate. Once I am satisfied with the position of the visor planes I'll reinforce the the back side of the visor to hold the shape.

 

[Blackadder]

Raising the Ears:


When I was a kid going to the barber was called, "having your ears lowered." Well in this case the operative word is raised. and bring the ears forward and shorten the helmet.


BTW after having been to the barber, you had "White walls."


http://i.imgur.com/AeNn6yB.jpg

Anyway this side view projection shows I need to cut the helmet a minimum of 6 MM (one quarter inch) on each side and shorten the length almost half an inch (13,0 MM) which necessitates re-positioning the spear points.


http://i.imgur.com/eNjbnNv.jpg

Or I may just go with three after the one in the forehead.


http://i.imgur.com/8stjVq5.jpg

The close up also doesn't do it for me; Fah!


http://i.imgur.com/xa0CkQU.jpg

 

[wargamesculptor]

In the artwork it seems to be a curve rather than a bevel after the first cheek bevel. Would that bring the face more in line with the art ?

 

[ekipage]

You may get frustrated with some of your work on this, but all I have to say is Daaaammmmm, that thing is looking great! My kudos to you for some great work and talent in building these monstrosities.

 

[Blackadder]

Thanks for all the replies. Frustration is the name of the game. If it were easy to make one of these monsters everyone would have one. A good part of the enjoyment is resolving issues and overcoming obstacles. I alternate between elation and depression dozens of times during these builds such as today when I feel exalted....

Family Portrait:


Who's your Daddy? I accomplished a whirlwind revamp of the Command Deck aka the 'Head' shortening the rear overhang (Wait, he is talking about the head of this beastie not the loo???) but I did leave the cock's comb alone. (he is talking about the loo!)


Seen here along side my Warlord to give a proper scale.


http://i.imgur.com/NvG8rtI.jpg

And a closeup.


http://i.imgur.com/tZgfEjR.jpg

More images to come............