# Leman Russ/Vindicator hybrid conversion



## The Gunslinger (Apr 4, 2011)

Hey everyone

As some of you may seen, i have entered this months conversion competition with my tank hybrid. 
I will be attempting to combine a Leman Russ with a vindicator to make a much more bulkier looking tank. I am really not a fan of the Rhino chassis so i am going to use the tracks etc from the Leman Russ instead. 

I have started this thread to show the step by step of the construction, just in case anyone wants to recreate the end result themselves. Plus im sure i will definitely end up needing some advice as the project gets going. 

So here is the start of the project:









Both tanks i have had for a while, in fact the Demolisher is very very old, dating from my very first foray into warhammer whilst i was in primary school. So it has been painted many times, so i am going to have to paint strip the sections im using before i get really into construction. However im really happy im still able to use parts of this model that i have had for years 

Thanks for looking and stay tuned for progress. 

Cheers,

The Gunslinger


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## The Gunslinger (Apr 4, 2011)

So as the title would suggest, anyone who wanted to reproduce this would need a leman russ and vindicator kit. Now if you were starting from scratch you would have the benefit of being able to work on things from fresh. Unfortunately i do not have that luxury.

As i said earlier my Demolisher is many years old, and was put together by a much younger and less modelling savvy version of myself, so there are lots of problems with it. Mainly, the tracks do not match up right, leaving gaps, so i have had to rip apart the track sections and correct the problem to start with. 









But once that was done, i had two tracks that would work fine. Like i said i still wanted to paint strip these at some point, but for now, here:


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## Iraqiel (May 21, 2008)

I like where this is going, looking forward to seeing more progress!


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## The Gunslinger (Apr 4, 2011)

Edit: Thanks mate, must have posted this bit whilst you posted yours. 

So the original plan to take the base plate of the rhino and stick it in-between the two russ track sections so i cut the parts that fit into the rhino chassis.









However i realised that that would make the tank far to narrow and would leave gaps in the hull. So i am going to make the inside part of the rhino and then stick that to the russ' tracks, like so:









Of course there are those annoying doors etc that means the outside isnt flat so i had to remove them.
First i cut the sections out with a knife:








Then clipped off what was left on the other side:








Before sanding it down so it was nice and smooth:


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## Dakingofchaos (Sep 29, 2009)

This looks interesting, look forward to the end result.


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## The Gunslinger (Apr 4, 2011)

Thanks guys for the support.

So after getting the rhino section ready, i had to cut away the part on the russ' tracks that connect up to the tank so that it was smooth aswell:








so the plan is for the rhino section to sit on top of the bolts that hold the wheels in place like so:








and line up with the hull on the front:


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## SwedeMarine (Jun 3, 2013)

This is getting more and more interesting.


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## fatmantis (Jun 26, 2009)

yes very..looking forward to the end


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## Iraqiel (May 21, 2008)

I can see this being very 1940s panzerjager style, looking great so far!


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## ItsPug (Apr 5, 2009)

This looks like the beginning of a very good conversion. I'll be keeping an eye on this. Keep up the good work!


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## The Gunslinger (Apr 4, 2011)

Thanks for the interest guys, appreciate it.

I have assembled the main vindicator section:








The idea is for it to sit on top of the tracks like so:








Im then going to use the track guards from the russ to fit around the vindi's armour. 

I have also began work on a new barrel for the demolisher cannon using the barrel from a Defiler:









Let me know what you think.


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## ItsPug (Apr 5, 2009)

I had the image in my head of the gun being at the from of the tracks, but reversing the tracks looks so much better.


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## The Gunslinger (Apr 4, 2011)

yea i like it that way, kinda looks like a mini land raider, so looks marine ish without having to use the rhino chassis.


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## The Gunslinger (Apr 4, 2011)

So after dry fighting the parts together there is a gap at the back between the plating, so i need to put this part back into play:








However i do not want the tracks armour, so cutting that off. 








and sanding it down leaving me with this:








Which will then come together like so:








I still havent glued anything together yet, i want to stick the side platings to the tracks before i assemble the inside of the rhino, and i cant do that until i get some more detol to strip the paint off the tracks. So this may be as far as i get for a couple of days.


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## The Gunslinger (Apr 4, 2011)

So i was thinking about cutting away some of the armour plating so i could fit in some deathguard rhino doors, like so:








What do you all think? good idea/bad idea?

Cheers


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## SwedeMarine (Jun 3, 2013)

is it for a traitor regiment of guard?


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## The Gunslinger (Apr 4, 2011)

SwedeMarine said:


> is it for a traitor regiment of guard?


No its going to be a vindicator in my death guard army.


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## ItsPug (Apr 5, 2009)

I'm not struck on the idea of a door that high up the side of the vehicle, it just seems a little off to me. I would have suggested brass etch but IIRC forgeworld dont do any for nurgle, only for death guard.


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## SwedeMarine (Jun 3, 2013)

it fits if you make it as an armor panel instead of a door.


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## The Gunslinger (Apr 4, 2011)

Yea i was going to cut the hinges off and just have it as a armour panel. Have some extra death guard doors so thought i might use it for this.


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## fatmantis (Jun 26, 2009)

man its such i good idea i say go for it!!


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## ItsPug (Apr 5, 2009)

Ah, that makes much more sense. I thought you were going to use it as a door. The only issue I have then is the thickness of the plate, and the fact that there is just one. Is it your intention to "up-armour" the entire conversion?


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## Moriouce (Oct 20, 2009)

Very nice build! Not far from my Looted Russ which I have reversed and given a pintle-mounted Killkannon.


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## Loli (Mar 26, 2009)

Wow, this is so well thought out and looking good too.


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## The Gunslinger (Apr 4, 2011)

ItsPug said:


> Ah, that makes much more sense. I thought you were going to use it as a door. The only issue I have then is the thickness of the plate, and the fact that there is just one. Is it your intention to "up-armour" the entire conversion?


No i was going to cut a hole in the plating so i could fit the door inside so it would be on the same level. Atleest that was the plan, we will see how it pans out in reality. 

And thanks for the interest and support guys.

Like i said earlier going to be a few days before i can do much more to it, need some dettol to strip the paint of the tracks.


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## ItsPug (Apr 5, 2009)

The Gunslinger said:


> No i was going to cut a hole in the plating so i could fit the door inside so it would be on the same level. Atleest that was the plan, we will see how it pans out in reality.


With the old kit, you wont be able to position the resin door where you put it in the photo as the wheels that support the track will be in the way. If you're going to try it, my suggestion would be to remove the wheels that would be in the way and use some plastic to support the tracks, something like a piece of sprue should be enough.


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## The Gunslinger (Apr 4, 2011)

ItsPug said:


> With the old kit, you wont be able to position the resin door where you put it in the photo as the wheels that support the track will be in the way. If you're going to try it, my suggestion would be to remove the wheels that would be in the way and use some plastic to support the tracks, something like a piece of sprue should be enough.


Thats a good point, thanks for that mate. It was only a thought, i will have a better look when i get home on monday and decide what i want to do with it.


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## The Gunslinger (Apr 4, 2011)

So finally got around to stripping the leman russ track sections, had to take them apart and put them back together again for the 2nd time which was annoying.








So now i can begin proper assembly, so iv attached the rhino walls like i said i would before:








Before putting them together with the Rhino interior:


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## SwedeMarine (Jun 3, 2013)

Dude! That looks really good. I may yoink this for my Rhinos eventually


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## Kreuger (Aug 30, 2010)

Looking pretty good so far.

In your earlier pictures the track housing from the rhino chassis didn't quite cover the tracks. Are you going to have a piece to cover the gap?


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## The Gunslinger (Apr 4, 2011)

SwedeMarine said:


> Dude! That looks really good. I may yoink this for my Rhinos eventually


Feel free, i stole it from someone else's rhino conversions so seems only fair. 




Kreuger said:


> Looking pretty good so far.
> 
> In your earlier pictures the track housing from the rhino chassis didn't quite cover the tracks. Are you going to have a piece to cover the gap?


Yea i have a plan for that, which i shall reveal shortly :grin:


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## The Gunslinger (Apr 4, 2011)

So i have stuck down the vindicator's extra armoured roof and the front section, which just fits ok at the front but not at the back, so i will have to do something about that soon.








As was mentioned earlier by Kreuger, there is a slight gap in the armour, so im going to try and cut and fit the russ' track guard around the vindicator armour like so:








Its a real bitch trying to get them to match up though, so im going to have to fill the gaps in with some green stuff.


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## The Gunslinger (Apr 4, 2011)

coming to the end of the main construction of the tank now, iv attached the russ' exhausts onto the back to try and hide the rhino door:








And i have finished fitting the track guard around the armour plating, i will need to fill in the gaps but it looks pretty good so far:


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## Kreuger (Aug 30, 2010)

Keep up the good work, that looks bitchin'!


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## The Gunslinger (Apr 4, 2011)

Finished stage one of the project, so im classing it as done for the conversion competition.
Filled in all the gaps with green stuff, and iv changed the barrel to the defiler one.


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## Old Man78 (Nov 3, 2011)

Great conversion, have a cookie, boom


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## The Gunslinger (Apr 4, 2011)

Oldman78 said:


> Great conversion, have a cookie, boom


Thanks


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## Uveron (Jun 11, 2011)

Looks Great man. 

I would have almost gone for a bigger-gun so I could use it as a Tank-Destroyer as well. (Which you still could)


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## Kreuger (Aug 30, 2010)

That's looking really nice. 

I have 2 hopes for your next steps. That you will sand/trim down the greenstuff and that you'll greenstuff the seam in the defiler cannon. 

It's coming together really well.


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