IG Light Tank Tutorial

[Getz]

Some people have asked me to explain how to build my IG Light tank chassis, so when I put together my latest chassis I whipped out my Digital camera and cooked up this little tutorial.

To build the chassis you will need a Chimera or Basilisk kit and the hull top of a Leman Russ - I built mine as something to do with the spare parts left over from building my Mars/Ryza pattern Russes. You will also need the Turret from the Russ to complete the tank in the same way as me, but the chassis can also take Predator, Chimera and Hellhound turrets with next to no modification if you prefer.

First build the Chimera Chassis as normal up to this point;

Notice that I've shaved off some of the detail on the inside of the sponsons. This detail interferes with the engine decking and as such needs to be removed with a sharp knife before you do anything else.

Next take the Leman Russ hull top. You will need to cut the Glacis plate and some of the hull roof off while leaving the Turret Ring intact where shown;


Once you have cut done that, you will also need to trim the back plate down to size. you should make the cut just below the fillets that stiffen the rear plate, leaving you with a piece that looks something like this;


These is the most critical part of the conversion (yes, it's that easy) as these cuts will determine how well the hull fits into the chassis. Therefore, when making these cuts I suggest to make sure you cut off too little rather than too much... Final fitting of the hull top tends to require a little bit of jiggery pokery and it's always easier to cut off a little extra than put it back. Also test fit everything before you finally glue it together.

[Getz]

Next, you will need to fill the hatches in the Chimera Hull roof while leaving space for the Turret Ring;

There's no need to get too anal about getting the joints perfect as much of this will be hidden under the turret when finally fitted. I've used a Leman Russ side hatch in place of the Chimera square hatches as I saving them for armour on one of my Chimeras. The Round hatch is made out of a combination of the old Leman Russ Hatch and the new Tank Accessory hatch.

Next, drop the Hull top into the chassis. In my experience they fit pretty much perfectly, but a little sanding may be neccessary on the hull top sides to get a snug fit;


Use the Basilisk Back plate (it's in all Chimera based kits) to fill the hole in the floor like so;


And finally dress the back of the tank up with Leman Russ bits in a manner to you liking - the bethod I've chose here tends to hide any ugly gaps if you didn't quite get the back plates to marry up properly;

[Getz]

this particular Chassis was destined to become a Hellhound, so I also added a Hellhound fuel tank to the back and a turret I had already converted. Notice how the Turret hides the hatches as I described earlier;





This model still needs a little attention with some Green stuff to fill the odd scruffy gap, but that's pretty much all there is to it.

[Strikerkc]

Very very nifty. It's absolutly bristling with weapons for only being a light tank though .

[The boyz]

Wow that thing looks great Getz. Cool tutorial aswell, I think I might have a go at doing my own light tank conversion sometime soon.

[Getz]

Actually, I may remove the Hunter Killer Missile, as I'm thinking it spoils the line of the tank - but I'll paint it first and then decide.

[Eisenhorn]

nice tutorial getz
big pics and good txt.

im going to ask if i can add my version on how to make a "light tank" with bigger turret. i know the one i posted in the thread head thread i would just add how to make the turret and how i fitted it to the hull

[Getz]

Be my guest. It strikes me as being very similar to my method anyway and we may as well get all that kind of thing into a single thread.

[Eisenhorn]

well thx expext it to be up tonight some time. as im of to buy some fireworks for tomorowe just now

[old guard]

Nice one chap, Im still toying with the idea of chaos armour for blood pact some way down the line and this may well provide the basis for some of that Urdeshi armour that nice Mr Abnett keeps writing about.

Bearing in mind you're into that kind of stuff too I look forward to seeing If you go down the same path.

later.

Need more fluids feeling like c**p...........AAAARRRRGGGGGHHHH....MAN FLU!!!

[Eduard]

That looks awsome!, might give it a try for my recon guard company.

[Getz]

Bearing in mind you're into that kind of stuff too I look forward to seeing If you go down the same path.

My blood pact have straight forward Leman Russ Conversions. Well, reasonably straigth forward... They have conventional hulls and modified Forgeworld Gryphone pattern turrets.

[Gwedd]

Comrade,

Nice work. If I were to do the same type of conversion, I would probably leave off the hatches on the forward hull. Rather than cut them, since they could be used for something else, I'd simply use a knife and some fine sandpaper to take off all the molded rivets, then cut a fit a sheet of styrene to cover the whole section in front of the turret ring. Nothing wrong with what you did at all, but I'm a bit of a tight-wad bitz-wise

I'm thinking about a similar conversion with a Predator turret and a large-bore gun, similar to the old US M551 Sheridan tank.

http://community.webshots.com/album/32772403spmTQm

http://community.webshots.com/album/32772403spmTQm

Again, good work. thanks for posting this.

respects,

Gwedd

[Eisenhorn]

well i said i was gone post a small tutorial on how i built my "light tank" here so her goes:

pic are at the bottom.

u will need:
chimera set
leman russ sprue B
Imperial guard Tank Accessory Sprue
green stuff, small amount og plasticard or similare stuff

1. build the chimera just as u would if u had buied a basselisk.

2. now take the leman rus hull and cut it at the front joint just below the turret mount.

3. this piece shuld match up good too the chimera hull u have already built.( u will have to trim the edges just as getz)

4. add details to the hull (hatces, scopps, track guards, etc)

that was the hull now on to the turret and the more jucie stuff.

1. take the leeman russ turret, trim of all the spikes and pointy stuff.

2. take 2x long track guards pieces and attach them to the sides of the turret. then take the small track gaurd pieces and attact them to end of the long ones. take the one medium siesed track guard piece and connect the tosides of the turret.

3. take some of the sprue frame and use it to renforce the track guards.

4. fill the gap in the turret with a plasticard.

5. attach the battle cannon at the front and fill any gaps with green stuff and plasticard.

6. add detail to the turret. (hathces, barrels, sights etc)

now u should have big and nice turret. attach it to the hull.

enjoy ur new russ

[Getz]

That's a very ingenious Turret conversion, Eisenhorn. So simple, but it looks really good. I'd take the trouble to fabricate a more realistic turret mantle myself, but if in doubt the good 'ol "fabric cover" made out of GS will hide a multitude of sins...

[Eisenhorn]

hehe.. the good old green stuff
we should rename "erase stuff" or "hide ur faults stuff"

well i cant rember why i didn't use the leman russ hull fitt. as its over 2 year since i did this conversion

[cpl_hicks]

just got the latest uk WD and those rhino/chimera conversion for GD tanks have given me an idea,, using Getz light tank conversion but use the rhino tracks instead, now all i got to do is get the thrre kits to do it

[Eduard]

That something so simple can look so great!

And I think that "erase stuff" sounds best, the number of time that stuff saved me from something embarrasing.

[immortal99]

Very very nifty. It's absolutly bristling with weapons for only being a light tank though .

Thats what i though, it looks great but its got a lot of weapons for a *light tank*

[Getz]

What can I say? It's a Hellhound with a Pintle Heavy Stubber and a Hunter Killer missile...

More to the point, the tutorial is for a light tank chassis. what you arm it with is up to you...