Wattle's Termite Transport.

[Erazmus_M_Wattle]

Hi Folks. I have had this particular idea boiling away in my brain for a few months now. I have been playing Iron Warriors for a five years now. One peice of the Iron warriors background that I particularly like is the reference in Index Astartes to them owning lots of arcane technology. In particular that they have many Termites in their armoury.

I just love the idea of Chaos Marines bursting from the ground in a dark parody of the Imperial Marine drop pod landings. So I got to thinking about the rules. What would I use. The Dread Claw was my first thought. I liked how the Dreadclaw can leave again but the termites would reverse back under the ground again and depart rather that taking off back into space. Forgeworld already have rules for that so it's just a case of 'counts as.'

The other option that I have been considering is just using the rules for the space marine drop pod. They are still space marines so the points values will probably be okay as is. Actually this is what me and my gaming buddies have already decided is the best option anyway. Also the ability to have the storm bolter or missile launcher is quite neat. I would use it as a combi-bolter or a Havok in games anyway. Both being a slight nerf anyway. Well I think it is.

So I got out my drawing pad and made a few scribbles. I then made a series of plans to make the model in the traditional method. These are incomplete. I also don't have a scanner which is a pity because I'd like people to see them.

Anyway, I discovered 3D computer modelling and Shapeways so the idea of having them printed in the 3d so I can mould them has gained favour. I will add some computer models of them when I can work out how to upload some pictures so that they are embedded in the message rather than attachments. If anyone can advise me on how to do this it'd be a great help.

More to follow soon.

[Erazmus_M_Wattle]

This is the back of one of the doors. As you can see I have taken a few of my design cues from the drop pod.



The following pictures are two imperial doors and a chaos one.







and I did a pre heresy one inspired in part by the thunder armour's overlapping plates and the pre heresy stuff that Chapter House have made.



I have based the design quite strongly on the drop pod which is a big departure from the original design. Which had an aperture for a door. My idea is for an alternative STC pattern discovered on some distant world. I had heard FW were considering doing a termite. Mine will have exactly the same footprint as the drop pod so is very similar in size. What do you think so far?

[GomezAddams]

Very good stuff, very interesting too. Which ends going to be the drill end though?

I prefer the second set of imperial doors but I think that a mix of the two would be best.

[Erazmus_M_Wattle]

The drill end is going to be at the opposite end from the hinge. I imagine it erupting vertically or nearly vertical and the doors dropping down. I am going to put my sketches on tomorrow. I might not have a scanner but A digital camera will do the job nearly as well. That way folks can get a better idea as to what all the parts actually are.

Yes I imagined a mix of both the imperial doors. A sort of repeating pattern. I have designed it to have 6 doors. So alternating will look quite cool. The drop pod rules state that it has a transport capacity of 12 so I thought I'd do it with 12 passenger bays.

Cheers for your words of encouragement.

Wattle

EDIT: thanks Gomez, for the help in getting my pictures to work.

[Radical]

Machinator I believe had one on his salamanders log on the last page or something if you want some pictures of one he made.

[Erazmus_M_Wattle]

I looked through quite a few pages on his log but couldn't find the termite. I have seen a few really cool termites on here though. Sterling stuff.

[Machinator]

He may be referring to my Salamander Termites:

http://www.warseer.com/forums/showth...=139049&page=2

I love the idea of those old school beasts, much cooler than a drop pod. Good luck with them!

[Dannage]

Check out the PCRC Imperial Fist logs. I believe it may have been Bob Hunk who actually had, not only little blue LEDs lighting up his space marine eyes, but he also had a working termite! The drill kept shaking itself out of the battery, so it didn't work brilliantly, but when he held the battery in, that drill bit twirled and span like a trooper!

[Erazmus_M_Wattle]

Machinator, your termites are awesome. I have gone for a hexagonal design as well. Well actually Mine is an octadecagon but it has six doors and will have six track units. I hadn't considered having a stone cutter in mine. I figured the drill would be sheathed in the same type of power field on it that Power fists and power swords have. That way it will rapidly chew through any material with little resistance. I do really like yours though so I will be following your thread with trepidation.

As an aside I did imagine a daemon engine which would resemble a termite soldier but instead of the huge clamping jaws it would have a big drill bit with a large multi-melta type gun in the tip. I was insired by the story on WD where the Iron Warriors fought the tyranids and got caught with their pants down by the tunneling nids. My Warsmith has devised these machines to tunnel down and neutralise such a threat. But that'll be another thread...

Moving on. I promised the original drawings so here they are. The first is my original concept but I apologise in advance due to the blurry nature of the pics.



and 2 of the plans I drew. As you can see in the 3D images I was able to faithfully reproduce them in the CAD package.





more to follow soon. This might be a slow burner as it is taking me ages to work out the drill section. I am struggling slightly but I am sure I will work it out soon.

[Erazmus_M_Wattle]

Tonight I have been working on the top section of the hull. The round disk at the top is where the drill is going to sit and the notches at the bottom are where the top of the doors will slot in. I am considering making it so the neodymium magnets can be glued in to the notches and the doors so that they stay shut when you want them to be.



It is still a basic 3D shape at the minute. I still need to work out the details that will liven the model up a bit and a copious amount of rivets need to be added. I will probably do some of this tomorrow night. The drill is still causing me problems. I want to add cylindrical angled cutting burrs on the cone. 2 sections rotating in opposite directions. I have placed one on the cone section and it looks ace but trying to get the rest in place is a pain in the ****. I might have to resort to changing my design but I'd rather not.

So next will be the bottom hull section. 2 Parts. One where all the doors fit in the hinges and another lower section. This will be in 3 sections each one sticking out the ground at slightly differing angles. This should give me a bit of variety when I have more then one model. I am planning to have about ten of them so that my entire army can arrive in style, Apocalypse games obviously. My mates will be interested in a few each. They all play Imperial Guard and Imperial Marines hence the imperial doors. If I get enough interest I will probably sell them as well. Although that is probably jumping the gun at this stage.

Once the hull is complete I will do the supporting buttresses for the inside and the central consoles with a Drive shaft in the middle. I am also thinking about how the occupants will be strapped in. I have an idea about it but I reckon I will make them the same width as the drop pod harnesses so that they could be used instead for a bit more variation.

Over and out for now.

[Erazmus_M_Wattle]

I have done 2 more doors. I thought I'd try ones with chevrons. One with the chevrons pointing up and the other the opposite. I also coloured one up to see what it may look like.





And the other way;



Still working on the hull. Lots of rivets. Really boring. Other details? Not sure yet. More soon.

[Erazmus_M_Wattle]

Another update.

I have been adding rivets to the chevroned doors. I don't think they need any more detail than that. Do tell me if you think they need it.



I also went back to the top hull section. It is now fully riveted up. What a long and boring job that was. I haven't finished detailing it yet. I put some little vents on the side but maybe it needs some more.



Again tell me what you think. I'd love to see what everyone thinks. I have to say I am little disappointed in the lack of interest. A few kind souls have posted so thanks to them for stopping by. Maybe I put it in the wrong forum. Maybe I should have put it in the 40k Chaos thread. Never mind.

Next I am going to work on the bottom hull and track sections and then I'll be able to put them all together into the nearly complete vehicle. As usual your thoughts are most welcome.

[Dannage]

I'm very jealous that you can have something printed in 3D. My CGI modelling skills are much better than my hand sculpting! This stuff should look very good!

[GomezAddams]

I think its because theres quite a few threads of CG models that never see the light of day - I however, have faith

The top sections looking good so far, not too busy. Keep on at it bud

[chaos0xomega]

HEY!!! Mine is still a work in progress!

Erazmus, don't feel too bad. I think most people are still unsure as to how realistic any plan involving 3d modelling is. My thread has been up almost a year now, and its only about 15 pages long. Compare to other threads half that old that have almost double the post count.

[GomezAddams]

It wasn't a stab at yourself Chaos I'm a long time lurker little time poster perhaps because progress has been slow - we wargamers are a fickle bunch prefering to buy something weeks after we see it. Given enough time to think about it we only end up doing sensible things with our money like 'taking the girlfriend out' and buying 'food'. pfft.

I have a feeling I'm going to be looking into try this myself before too long. The possibilities of combining 3d modelling, printing, and casting are extremely interesting.

[Erazmus_M_Wattle]

I'm very jealous that you can have something printed in 3D. My CGI modelling skills are much better than my hand sculpting! This stuff should look very good!

You could have something printed in 3D too. Check out;

http://www.shapeways.com

They are a company that does rapid prototyping. Their prices don't seem too pricey. I had originally intended to make this the old fashioned way. I used to play around with Lightwave, which is the program they used to do Babylon 5. I got quite good at using it. So I downloaded Google SketchUp. A bit of playing around to learn the basics and then I had a bash at this. It is probably a bit more costly than making it the old way but I don't mind if it means I can get a model or ten in my collection that few others have.

I think its because theres quite a few threads of CG models that never see the light of day - I however, have faith

The top sections looking good so far, not too busy. Keep on at it bud

Thanks for your continuing support. It is very encouraging.

HEY!!! Mine is still a work in progress!

Erazmus, don't feel too bad. I think most people are still unsure as to how realistic any plan involving 3d modelling is. My thread has been up almost a year now, and its only about 15 pages long. Compare to other threads half that old that have almost double the post count.

I know what you mean. I think as the costs of this technology comes down the ability for people to make their own models this way will become very realistic. I think when we both get our models finished and painted people will be blown away. I looked at your design and I liked it. I think Gomez is right. People expect to see the finished article much quicker than the 3d modelling really allows. I am not all cut up about the lack of interest. I just thought it was a little odd. I will continue none the less.

[Erazmus_M_Wattle]

Okay. Here is a little update.



Now I have put it together It looks a little too large. Each door is the same length as a drop pod. I originally intended the termite to be a similar size to the Space Marine Drop pod. I don't know. Not sure.

The bottom section will probably not be as high as it is. I just added that piece to give it a bottom. I haven't worked on that section yet at all. So maybe the drill head is a little too long. I think maybe if the drill was a lot shorter it might look better. The top hull section possibly needs to be a little shallower as well. It is too tall.

I am happy with the doors and the width and depth of the hull. It just looks a little too tall which makes it much bigger than I wanted it to be. I think maybe I will make a physical mock up out of foam to get a feel for how big it will be on the table top.

What do you think?

EDIT: I also haven't added the track units which is what the gaps between the doors are.

[GomezAddams]

I think the heights fine - with the drop pod the whole things placed on the tablem where as the termite I think a few people are going to be sawing them in half..

[Erazmus_M_Wattle]

Right. I get what you mean. Though my design is meant to represent the top two thirds sticking out of the ground. I might get round to making a complete Termite with carrier vehicle but for the moment I just want to do the deployed version. No need to saw it in half.

I am going to make the bottom so that it has a base which will have rocks and earth piled up around the bottom. Probably 2 actually; 1 straight up and down and the other tipped over slightly. I might even do one at a much more acute angle.

Any way I went back and shortened the top hull section and I changed the length of the drill so that it is much more squat. I like the look much better. It will still be slightly taller than a SM Drop Pod. It will now be about 21cm which is much better. Here is a new shot of the adjusted composite shot.



I made a composite because I initially thought it would be easier to make the individual parts rather than making a complete model and then breaking it up into smaller parts. It's working so far. It's a pain to arrange all the bits together though. I like the fact that you can change computer models because if I had made a physical model I'd be making a new one right now.