Ash's ever expanding Imperial thread

[Ash]

The front track guards are cut down dozer blades (well spotted Spikyjames). They are off the old tank upgrade sprue, I'm not sure if GW still make them. I covered the gaps with some heavy foil from the neck of a wine bottle. They seem to be quite in keeping with the rest of the tank , sort of reminded me of the track guards on a T-55.

I've never had a problem dry brushing over Tamiya spray paint, just give it enough time to dry completely (overnight) and don't breath in the fume or you'll be coughing for a week! However I find trying to get a watered down wash to cover quite hard, as it tends to make the water 'bead'. On smaller models I've mixed up a wash and added a small (very small) drop of washing up liquid to kill the surface tension. On this beast I mixed up a wash from oil paints and white spirit, as it flows better over the paint. Only drawbacks to that are that it takes a good day to dry and is prone to handling marks whilst still wet, it also drys a little bit shiny.

The paint chips are only outlined in the last picture's and were painted on after the wash was dry and the whole model had been given a very light dry brush with corresponding coloured Vallejo paint. Just to lift the edges of raised areas and make the whole thing have a more Matt finish.
The chips are fairly straight forward, on the green areas I outlined with Vallejo 'Buff' and on the tan areas with Vallejo 'Reflective green', which is an almost spot on match for the Tamiya TS-61 'NATO Green' spray.

[Chatto]

Hi Ash, great Baneblade so far!

However, I am curious as to getting more details of these Baneblade turret expanders. Can you provide a link to this seller? If it's already been done... call me blind then :P

Cheers

[Epicenter]

I'm not experienced with the new Baneblade plastic model - but is the upper hull plate / turret ring from the same after-market guy? I've always held off on buying a plastic Baneblade because I think the gothic arched viewports are inexcusably horrible looking. Is that part of the after-market cast? Or is there an option on the sprue to get un-lame viewports? (And if it's the after-market cast guy - can you give me a link to this ebayer as well?)

[Ash]

The kit I bought comprised; the turret top in two pieces; a base part that you glue onto the original turret base (so that it will still swivel). This piece also has two extra side armour plates built into which you attach the original plastic side pieces, you can then attach the stowage/ammo locker/bin/thing with a little careful trimming; the other parts are all to do with the mount for the main weapon, a new front plate for the gun mantlet, a piece that goes between the plastic gun barrel and the mantlet and two extenders for the swiveling part of the cannon mount. IMO the cannon mount is the only part that looks a little rough once assembled, which is why I made a mantlet cover from some gauze fabric.

The view ports on this Baneblade are not part of the conversion kit. I really didn't like the arched ones at all. In fact the original vision slits and relatively small turret put me off buying the kit (and the price).
Thank you independent retailer for selling it at a more reasonable rate.
Don't look too close at the vision slits as they were my first effort at casting things out of GS and are a little bit wobbly. I made up two out of bits of plastic from my bits box then made 'dupes. They are OK for a first effort but I'd give them a B- and a could do better.

I found one item that the guy is selling:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Longbarrel-Met...QQcmdZViewItem

[Chatto]

Eh, better than nothing, cheers Ash

[sheep]

looks good mate, the biggerised turret is a great addition.

Cheers

Sheep

[Ash]

I've finished off the paint chips, and added some camoflague nets. I'll post some new pictures before the mud and dirt stage.

[I <3 W]

I found one item that the guy is selling:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Longbarrel-Met...QQcmdZViewItem

why don't you just lathe your own. I suppose I might be able to make one.....hmm probably not though....do you have access to a lathe? You can do the same thing as him with acrylic plastic. I made a metal demolisher barrel and a plastic baneblade cannon (see my log).

[Ash]

why don't you just lathe your own.

Nice idea, but I haven't used a lathe since I was at school and that was for wood!
Anyway I quite like the issued plastic barrel.

Got a link to pictures of your barrels, as I couldn't find them?

[Ash]

[Ash]

Still got all the mud and dust to do, plus stencils, lenses and light. Hopefully finish it sometime this week.

[Slashed Gryffan]

This is certainly the best Baneblade I have seen so far! Awesome work!

[Ash]

I think it's nearly done. Although it's only when I point a camera at it that I noticed how many bitz need touching up.









I changed one of the crewmen as the more I looked at the other one, the more it looked like a shop window dummy.

[Pate5]

Great work! The weathering is very realistic and the camo looks also great.

[Ash]

Thanks, all done except for varnish. I'll post final pictures tomorrow.

[hallowed_are_the_ori]

Beautifully painted man!

[Illuminator]

Your attention to detail on this banblade is awesome. Takes a lot of patience to this degree of it. Overall I think it looks really nice, my favorite part is the weathered chips, and damage to the tank's paint. Looks ace.

[Animerik]

Man that´s propably the best baneblade ever! Love it, the wheathering is very nice and the convertions subtile but very effectiv. good work keep it up!

[Ash]

It's finished, I think!

[Ash]