Stormblade

[g0rb]

Hi everyone,

I've been away from this forum for quite some time, mostly building things that I can't really call papercraft. However in March I started a build of the Patoroch Stormblade template.


This is a mostly papercraft build - some of the smaller elements I have scratchbuilt from paper + bits of plastic, sculpey, epoxy putty etc. and made molds for resin casting.


As usual, I followed the theme of the template, but not all of the details. I modified some parts as I went along...


I had a fairly large ambition for the tracks: Someone had asked me whether my tank tracks are movable, and so of course I said no, but this led me to thinking why not?
So the tank track links are individually cast from a template of paper masters, each is drilled and they are pinned with wire. The track remains flexible, runs through the body and over the free-running wheels.
I have the space to possibly fit motors in if/when I get the chance.


It is mostly done now, following a length session of riveting

Here are some photos of the build process:

Tracks:





Body:





Wheels:




Track masters:

[g0rb]

As I mentioned, a lot of the detail on the track are resin casts from (mostly paper) masters:

Resin cast wheels + hub



Mounted wheels:



Headlights:


Hull greeblies:




Drilling the track links:




The wheel mounts:



Resin casts:

[g0rb]

Some more work, including the main gun, side turrets, etc.

Main gun: the ribbing is made from sculpey





Detailing the wheels and tracks:


Adding the side turrets:


Adding the interior wheel guides


Hull detail:

[g0rb]

Here is the 99% finished model as of today. The underside still needs detailing, and there are a couple of small bits that still needs attention.

Then, on to the paint job!

[RogerYoung]

seeing the whole building history in so few posts make it feel like a quick build. Please tell me this is wrong and that you actually are as slow as i am.


But anyway, a great project and an awesome result.
More not-paper than i use myself - but especially tracks&wheels are exactly the parts where i ask myself every time why i did them in paper... again.
Next time, i will do something else. Perhaps resin...


Thank you so much for sharing your way to do the plasma coils! Screw-imprint on putty... great! Just what i was looking for!

[bigpetr]

It is perfect.

[rockpaperscissor]

Inspirational modeling as always. I can't wait to see this one painted and weathered. Fantastic work!

[g0rb]

Originally Posted by RogerYoung

seeing the whole building history in so few posts make it feel like a quick build. Please tell me this is wrong and that you actually are as slow as i am.


But anyway, a great project and an awesome result.
More not-paper than i use myself - but especially tracks&wheels are exactly the parts where i ask myself every time why i did them in paper... again.
Next time, i will do something else. Perhaps resin...


Thank you so much for sharing your way to do the plasma coils! Screw-imprint on putty... great! Just what i was looking for!

Thanks Roger! I started this build at the beginning of March, so pretty much 3 months at this point. Maybe 2 or 3 hours @ 5 nights per week, but we did take 2 weeks or so to go skiing and camping. So maybe all up about 120 hours or so, but the error margin on that estimate is high.

Yes, this is definitely a mixed media project rather than a papercraft build, but the members in this forum have been most forgiving to my builds in the past, and I thought some would like to see this.

Glad you liked the plasma coils, yeah I've been playing with different ways to make screws in order to make ribbed cables, and it occurred to me that I could roll a piece of sculpey out with a long bolt, and carefully bend the sculpey around the shape I wanted. In the past I've used other methods to get plasma coils, but I'm pretty happy with this method.

Originally Posted by bigpetr

It is perfect.

Thank you Petr, you are most kind!

Originally Posted by rockpaperscissor

Inspirational modeling as always. I can't wait to see this one painted and weathered. Fantastic work!

Thanks Don! Yes, it definitely needs that coat of paint before it'll look like much
I had to go one better on my previous tank tracks, I know you liked those so I thought you'd be interested in seeing these. Your support and encouragement are greatly appreciated!

[ShadowCory]

You are bringing the thunder with this build!

[g0rb]

Originally Posted by ShadowCory

You are bringing the thunder with this build!

Thank you Cory, much appreciated!