Pimp my Dread: an AoBR to Ironclad conversion project

[Brother Christopher]

Hi there. I found an old AoBR Dread, which I ruined some time ago by trying to repose him and I figured that it would be a nice starting point for a cheap and unique Ironclad. Inspired greatly by FW's resin model, I started with the conversion work. The first part are the legguards. First I had to remove the ornament on the dread's right guard. Then, I measured some things, drew some messy lines with a pencil, made some dry-fitting and came up with a paper template for the guard. Unfortunately, bending plasticard and making it fit turned out to be a task tedious and not simple.

 

Here are the images. Sorry for the quality, I had to take them with my phone.

 

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/640x480q90/829/urg4.jpg

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/640x480q90/24/1i8r.jpg

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/640x480q90/809/9ecm.jpg

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/640x480q90/812/s5wh.jpg

 

How do you like it?

[Combat_Vet]

Looks good so far. I will be watching your progress as I am planning the same thing in the near future :)

 

Good luck to you brother!

[Arthanor]

So far so good! I see you're going for the "techno-MkIV style" instead of the traditional gothic BT style. I like that.

 

I am thinking about doing something similar in the future, so I am keen to see how your project turns out.

[Aqui]

I recently bought an AoBR Dread myself and was thinking of upgrading to an Ironclad too. I look forward to seeing what you come up with

[Brother Christopher]

Thanks for replying, and I hope that you'll start your own conversions soon.

 

Here's the first update. The panels aren't fitted well, but to be honest, that was the idea. I know that I can't do that well and from the beginning I assumed that all the cracks will later be filled up with green stuff. That way I save up time and spare myself many frustrations.

 

http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k260/krj_38/Ironclad%20Dreadnought/6_zps703a6f4c.jpg

 

http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k260/krj_38/Ironclad%20Dreadnought/5_zpsd9c9d31d.jpg

 

Also, if you're interested, I've posted my templates for the armour plates. Maybe they will be of some help to some of you. However, I never intended them to be made for public, that's why they are very "makeshift". The armour is made from 1mm plasticard, with one exception.

 

Top panels.

 

You should print out 2 sets of those, and remember to make a mirror image of the piece. You need 2 sets, because first you cut out the "base", along the outer edges. Later, you should cut out the piece inside, for the extra layer of armour (the lines running inside the panel). You also should cut the blackened rectangular out and than glue it back, to get a crack there.

 

http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k260/krj_38/Ironclad%20Dreadnought/003_zps59b4c027.jpg

 

Legguards and front panels.

 

Again, first you need a mirror reflection of the bits. For the legguards, I used 0.5mm plasticard glued on a thin, 0.25mm plasticard to maintain the shape of the guard. You need to cut out the bit along the lines, and then cut the thing in half, along the "Z" line in the middle.

 

The front panels' template is a mess. Basically, first you cut along the outer lines, than you get the extra bit from cutting along the middle lines.

 

http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k260/krj_38/Ironclad%20Dreadnought/001_zpsf365e6ef.jpg

 

As I said, I made those "templates" for my personal use and they were clear to me when I used them. In case you would like to sue them and you are confused, don't hesitate to write a PM. I'll try to help you with that.

 

 

Next up: feet. I want to recreate some of GW's Ironclad's extra detail, like the cylindrical bits between the "toes" and the extra sections of the "toes".

 

http://eurobitz.com/162-172-large/feet-of-ironclad-dreadnought-x2.jpg

 

http://eurobitz.com/720-731-large/feet-of-dreadnougth.jpg

 

Cheers!

 

 

[Combat_Vet]

I really like the way you are going about this. It is a totally different direction than I would have taken. I tend to go add tons of bulk and then try to figure out what to do with it. Your way makes much more sense. The templates will come in handy as a frame of reference and a starting point. I wish I could say I am starting mine soon, however I have two more termies to scratch build and I have to finish a rhino. After that I may do the dread or try to build a demon engine.  Thanks for the templates and I am looking forward to updates :)

[The_Chaplain]

I think your ironclad is off to a great start- the plasticard work will look really good once it has been gap filled.

 

How are you planning to do the tech bits on the feet?

[Brother Christopher]

I think your ironclad is off to a great start- the plasticard work will look really good once it has been gap filled.

 

How are you planning to do the tech bits on the feet?

 

I want to attach a narrow block of 2mm plasticard to the existing toes and than file one edge to get the right shape. I should get a small slope that way. Then, I'll probably glue some small 0.5mm plasticard squares to the sides of every toe extension. Also, I'm planning to place small tubes with a green stuff belt between the toes to reconstruct those bits on Ironclad's feet.

 

I'm afraid that it will be time consuming, but at the same time I want it done in the best possible way. But... it's going to be tough one. I started cutting the 2mm plasticard and now I know for certain: it is not a good modelling material to make details out of.

[Jolemai]

Looking good so far. Will you put up a guide/shopping list once you've completed it?

[UltraRich]

If you want rivets for all the armor go on ebay and look for 1mm half round nail beads

You don't want the gems you want the round ones.

 

I've just got some and used them on my rhino, They work really we'll

If you want a pic of the beads let me know

[Honda]

Your making excellent progress on this brother! When you are deciding on what to arm him with, remember that 2 x Heavy Flamers make wonderful gifts to the heretic, the traitor, and xenos scum. :)

[Combat_Vet]

@ultraRich - I would love to see a pic of those half rounds. I use clipped off heads of seamstress pins for rivets myself. I hate to hijack a thread, I was just wondering how much of a difference there was.

[Squeaky]

I love the hybrid your making :) I never liked GW's ironclad it's far to clumsy looking, yet the original sarcophagus centre is cool. Great work mate can't wait to see some more :)

[Koriel]

You've really captured the FW ironclad look with you plasticard work. All the little details really set him apart from other dreadnoughts and he's gonna look great when finished. Now I wonder, will he have a head like the forge world ironclad or will he be interred in a standard sarcophagus?

 

Also, many thanks for posting the templates, they'll come in handy for alot of people :)

[Brother Christopher]

Looking good so far. Will you put up a guide/shopping list once you've completed it?

The shopping list isn't long. You need some 1mm plasticard (like 10 square cm), some 0.5 mm (even less than the 1mm), a tiny bit of 0.25mm. Optionally, you can use a bit (a stripe 5cm long and 0.3cm wide) if 2mm plasticard for the toes. I say optional, because you can always glue together 2 1mm sheets. Apart from that, you need plastic cement, super glue (for the leg guards, grr), a hobby knife, some 1-2mm tubes, green stuff, and some patience. As for the guide, I'm trying to describe what I'm doing in the updates, but I'm also considering making a proper 'tutorial'.

Your making excellent progress on this brother! When you are deciding on what to arm him with, remember that 2 x Heavy Flamers make wonderful gifts to the heretic, the traitor, and xenos scum.

Thanks! He'll have a DCCW with a flamer and a custom, scratch-build FW-styled hammer with... I haven't decided yet, but a meltagun probably. Or I'll make the weapons exchangeable. A meltagun is tempting for the potential added flexibility and the ability to take a wound of a MC before charging it/destroying a vehicle. On the other hand, two flamers burn twice as hard and the incinerated foe smoulders that much longer.

I love the hybrid your making I never liked GW's ironclad it's far to clumsy looking, yet the original sarcophagus centre is cool. Great work mate can't wait to see some more

You've really captured the FW ironclad look with you plasticard work. All the little details really set him apart from other dreadnoughts and he's gonna look great when finished. Now I wonder, will he have a head like the forge world ironclad or will he be interred in a standard sarcophagus?

Also, many thanks for posting the templates, they'll come in handy for alot of people

Thanks for the kind words. I decided to take the best aspects of the two models and put them on this poor, ruined AoBR dread. And I'm leaving the sarcophagus. First, it is the one from the BR upgrade sprue and I wanted to use it badly. And secondly, I now own 3 FW dreadnoughts and only 1 with a sarcophagus. So I want to balance things out a bit. Also, a slab of metal seems more appropriate for a AV13 siege walker than a fancy helmet (as cool as it is).

***

As for the rivets, I have my own tried, fast and effective method. I'm using PVA glue for that. It may not be as sure and reliable as other methods, but it's fast and so far I didn't loose any rivets. All you need is a small syringe with a needle with its sharp point removed. You draw some glue into the sytinge, and then press it slowly wherever you need it. It forms a nice hemisphere, which sets after some time and is pretty resistant to falling off. I used this technique on my vindincator and I haven't noticed any missing rivets so far.

Hopefully, when I get to the rivet making stage of the conversion, I'll have my camera back and will be able to provide better quality photos of the method, if you're interested.

[Brother Christopher]

Here are the almost finished feet. Almost, because I need to add rivets here and there.

 

http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k260/krj_38/Ironclad%20Dreadnought/7_zps9838e61b.jpg

 

Next up, the power station. As you know, the AoBR dread has its exhausts shortened. I want them to stick out more and I have to do something about the plasticard tubes I attached some time ago. After I'll be through with that, only minor, cosmetic and damage-repairing actions have to be taken. And by damage-repairing, I mean filling up all the gaps I left a couple of years ago, when I repositioned the dreadnought's legs. Grr. What a mess! Maybe I'll also add a strip of plasticard round the sarcophagus, to cover up the flat areas left after removing the original plate

 

Cheers!

[Son of Carnelian]

Your efforts on this amaze me. You've put a lot of effort into this dread and it already shows!

[Brother Christopher]

Another small update: the DCCW with a heavy flamer (a regular tactical squad flamer trimmed to fit) and custom fingers. I need to file them down a bit to get a shape I want and I need to add some power cords, similar to those of GW's Ironclad's hands. I hope that you are able to see something in the picture. If not, I'll have access to my camera tomorrow and post some better images soon.

 

http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k260/krj_38/Ironclad%20Dreadnought/7_zpsd6722ddc.jpg

 

http://megabitzshop.com/bilder/produkte/gross/Warhammer-40K-Bitz-Space-Marine-Ironclad-Dreadnought-Close-Combat-Arm-Right.jpg

[Combat_Vet]

I really like the claw! About how long does it take you to do the construction on a piece the size of that power fist?

[Brother Christopher]

It's hard to tell. Doing what I wanted to show in that picture took me about an hour, including looking up pictures of Ironclad's CCWs, doing much dry fitting and wondering whether that is how I want it to look. Cutting and gluing things together is the easiest and fastest part.

[Brother Christopher]

I finally got a hold of my camera back. It turns out that those images are not the best I can do, sorry. The close ups on the DCCW are particularly grainy, but you should get a much better idea of the progress with the project than from the phone camera shots. Speaking of the DCCW, I don't want to brag or anything, but once I have to say this: I'm proud of how something I did turned out. And from a "gaming distance" i.e. not from an overly zoomed in photo, it looks amazing. Also, the gaps between the plates of extra armour are filled.

http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k260/krj_38/Ironclad%20Dreadnought/P1060714_zps44de0671.jpg

http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k260/krj_38/Ironclad%20Dreadnought/P1060715_zpsb03942a4.jpg

http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k260/krj_38/Ironclad%20Dreadnought/P1060717_zps5a0d6b6f.jpg

With the DCCW, I wanted to get something similar to this:

http://megabitzshop.com/bilder/produkte/gross/Warhammer-40K-Bitz-Space-Marine-Ironclad-Dreadnought-Close-Combat-Arm-Right.jpg

So I added a third "section" of the "fingers" and some power cords.

http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k260/krj_38/Ironclad%20Dreadnought/P1060719_zpsaceff060.jpg

http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k260/krj_38/Ironclad%20Dreadnought/P1060720_zps42bf2d9f.jpg

http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k260/krj_38/Ironclad%20Dreadnought/P1060721_zpse72d84eb.jpg

If you're interested, for the DCCW you need a lot of patience, a spoonful of "I have no life", some plasticard, greenstuff and bits of guitar strings. You combine all that in a cauldron of masochism and you should end up with something like this. But, I have to admit, it was worth it. But... All that satisfaction...

[Brother Christopher]

It's been a long while, but it also was a long and intense time in my life. I'm happy to report that my Ironclad conversion is almost done. I finally found the strenght and courage to do something about the exhausts. I added the power cords/fuel cords/pipes on the bottom of the power station and "improved" the tips of the exhausts. Well, the holes I drilled aren't as neat and symetrical as I wanted and now I'm considering redoing them. But... as the task is tiresome, I'm also considering leaving them as they are and hoping that the paintjob will cover the imperfections. What would you advise?

 

http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k260/krj_38/Ironclad%20Dreadnought/P1080236_zps5408d973.jpg

 

I'm planing to do make the rivets tomorrow and he's done. Oh, an I'm going with a DCCW/Seismic Hammer (or rather Seismic Hammer which will be represented by the DCCW conversion I've made) and a set of Hurricane Bolters. As I got a regular Ironclad in the meantime, he'll get two punchy arms and the AoBR conversion will be more anti-infantry. I guess that the 3-6 bolters shots are a good trade-off for the additional attack in melee. And if not, the bolters look awesome. And... they save me some time.

 

Let me know what you think.

 

Cheers!

[Brother Christopher]

Okay. The conversion work is over.

 

Here's my conversion next to the AoBR dread.

 

http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k260/krj_38/Ironclad%20Dreadnought/P1080247_zps8edbfee7.jpg

 

http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k260/krj_38/Ironclad%20Dreadnought/P1080246_zps054ce87b.jpg

What I changed with the original AoBR model?

 

> repositioning of the torso and legs (I hoped to achieve a better result; the repositioning was made for a prior conversion idea, a project that luckily failed and made room for the Ironclad project)

> exchanging of the sarcophagus

> adding detail to dreadnought's "feet" making them a bit more like GW's Ironclad's

> extending the exhausts tips (the holes I drilled in them are a disappointment, but I figure I'll leave them be as they are)

> adding power/fuel cords on the bottom of the power plant

> adding FW-inspired legguards and panels

 

 

http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k260/krj_38/Ironclad%20Dreadnought/P1080237_zpsccc82d51.jpg

 

http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k260/krj_38/Ironclad%20Dreadnought/P1080238_zpsda13d9de.jpg

 

http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k260/krj_38/Ironclad%20Dreadnought/P1080239_zps2be926aa.jpg

 

http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k260/krj_38/Ironclad%20Dreadnought/P1080240_zpsc74061b0.jpg

 

http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k260/krj_38/Ironclad%20Dreadnought/P1080242_zps30bdb538.jpg

 

I'm not fully satisfied with the leg pose, but I don't feel like cutting, repositioning and gluing them again. He's taking a step, that's what he's doing, right?

 

And my creation next to a regular Ironclad.

 

 

http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k260/krj_38/Ironclad%20Dreadnought/P1080244_zps2260e5d6.jpg

 

http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k260/krj_38/Ironclad%20Dreadnought/P1080245_zps32700cdd.jpg

[Son of Carnelian]

Love how the Dreadnaught is in motion. I wish we could do that with the plastic kit right off the sprue. 

[The_Chaplain]

Phenomenal brother; you've breathed new life into that dreadnought.  Now all it needs is a coat of paint!