From earlier thoughts, the options were: front or back; the back has too much detail to lose, although it does have a flatter and broader surface that would help for a larger ramp.
The front though would be representatively acceptable, less detail to lose, but severely limited on the size that I can cut (more on that later).
The front panel (front facing), I left off because I'm great! (note: PPPPPPP - "Prior preparation & planning, prevents p*$% poor performance")
Well almost ....... Things to change:
- I should not have glued the halves of this panel together, before starting to hack at it.
- The margins; top and bottom could be extended to create a longer ramp. (the top can still be done, but the bottom will be too much aggro now the hinge is done)
The pattern of panels creates a pretty good outline for a doorway so I followed a general template that was there. Firstly, I scored around the Grot observation panel to the lower left of the panel to replace with a plain plate (just below the blue plate), this was awkward but doable (see note 1, above!). For 2 reasons: I needed a flat surface on the inside (the mould is a block in the panel rear), and .....I rushed into it without looking for an easier way, such as just cutting down the reverse side and covering it up.
With a razor saw, I scored along the the convex face of the panel until I could get a sawing purchase around the template and remove the central portion (shown by the drybrushed styrene grid patterns stuck onto the rear, in the phot above). This created a "Skullcap" that reasonably sat in place. The Orky Glyphs were added to the front, overlaying on either side to prevent it falling in to the Mekshop (top photo).
The hinge was trial & error with a "guesstimate" cut away of the the bottom section of the ramp; and the top edge of the adjacent front panel surround. Using hollow styrene rods of different diameters that can slot into one another; 3 sections of large diam & 1 length of smaller diam(through all 3).
The outside sections were secured to the bottom (outer panel) with superglue and hot glue.
- The centre section was secured to the bottom of the ramp itself.
- Ensuring a free rotation about the long rod through all 3 (careful gluing at this stage)
This is a tried and trusted method that I have done previously on a scratch built Dredd Drop pod in foamcard (note: I need to make some more of these, so a future WiP for the blog).
The hot glue does have a certain amout of elasticity to allow for a good range of movement. This was extended by gently clamping the ramp fully open and leaving for a day.
Et Voila!!
You may have noticed that I didn't (couldn't) stop there; I had to carry on messing about, so I installed a crane onto the inside of the front panel. Plus, it couldn't be a static fitting (I like dynamics).
Back to the bitz box ... : the wreckerball bit from the Battlewagon, styrene tubes, and a bit of girder later .......
The fittings are secured to the panel, with the wide bore tube. A smaller bore attached to the crane assembly, which then just slots into it from above, giving at least 180 deg rotation into the Mekshop and out over the extended ramp.
It is now an interactive action figure.
The Mekboyz are happy bunnies.
What next? It is going to be an Evil Eye in da Sky Stompa (GW Stompa Datasheet ), so.
Still to do:
- Paint the peripherals: weapons, arms, rokkits etc,.
- Build a SuperDooper Rokkit!
- Build Rokkit mounts (probably to allow removal when expended)
- Build the Kopta platforms (storage, assembly and launch)
- LED project
- Paint it RED!!!!
"Red Wunz go Fasta!!!!!!!!!"
I will continue with the project, but I need a sabbatical to get Zagstrukk and a load of Stormboys done; watch this space.
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