# TSoH's Titan Project



## The Son of Horus (Dec 30, 2006)

I've given in. It's the last thing I need to be messing with, but I've got that itch to make the board shake with the footsteps of something heavy. 

So, this is where I'll be posting the pictures as the project progresses. Using "For Sale" signs (Thanks for the suggestion, Frost Reaver) and inexpensive, thin PVC pipe, the Emperor shall have another god of machines striding the battlefield in His name. In deus ex machina!


The current plan is to arm it with an Apocalypse Missile Rack on its back, which is the sort of iconic thing for a Reaver to have; and put a Gatling Blaster and a Laser Blaster on the arms. The Gatling Blaster gives the Reaver the capability to beat up heavy infantry formations, while the Laser Blaster will make short work of any opposing Super Heavy vehicles-- a capability my collection currently sorely lacks.

This is a 1:1 scale (relative to the final model!) mockup of a foot using index cards. It measures about four inches from the tip of one toe to the tip of the opposite toe.


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## Argitist (Apr 29, 2008)

Looks intense. Good luck.


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## The Son of Horus (Dec 30, 2006)

After thinking about it, I decided to tidy up the foot a bit, plate the index card with plasticard, and continue on with the actual project using the mockup. So, here's the first update-- the greave for that foot. 

It stands about six inches tall... and that's basically to where the knee will join.


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## loyalist42 (Sep 7, 2007)

Looking good! 

What's the plan for the armor? I've seen everything from a plain, industrial look to highly detailed, sculpted motifs...can't wait to see what you come up with :good:


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## The Son of Horus (Dec 30, 2006)

Thanks! 

I'm at the point where I'm thinking about how the legs are actually going to attach to the waist. I've got one full leg done, more or less, standing at nine inches tall... but I'm not sure how I'm going to do the joint. 

Anyway, as to the armor... I have no idea what I'm going to do. Part of me really likes the slightly drab, industrial look, and part of me really likes the over-the-top sculpted detail. I'll probably do a bit of both-- probably paint the armor grey, but add assorted iconography to the armor plates with green stuff and bitz. 

I also don't much care for the sort of ovoid head that the Reaver from Forge World has. I'm thinking I'm going to make a larger version of the Warhound's head for my titan. It has a much more "Battletech" look to it, for some reason, which is kind of what I want the end result to be.


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## morfangdakka (Dec 31, 2006)

Plastic ping-pong balls are great for making joints. You can pick up some cheap plastic balls at the dollar store they even have different sized ones incase the others are to small.


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## Lord Sinkoran (Dec 23, 2006)

Looking ggod so far. When do you think you will finish it?


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## The Son of Horus (Dec 30, 2006)

Lord Sinkoran said:


> Looking ggod so far. When do you think you will finish it?


Thanks! As insane as it sounds, I expect this Reaver to be prepared to serve the God-Emperor in no more than four or five days, and that includes painting time. This is my first attempt at a scratch-build project, so I don't expect it to be perfect in the end, but it'll still be very much playable, I think. 

With a total of about four hours of work, I've got the legs completely built, although my bitz box is temporarily in storage, so I don't really have access to it to completely flesh out the details. Thanks to Morfangdakka, I've got an idea for how to make the joints when I get working on the waist, which is the next section that I'll tackle. 

Here are the legs, with a Space Marine for scale. The left leg looks crooked, but it's not-- it's bent at the knee, so the titan will have an "advancing" pose. Since there aren't any details or anything and no paint, it's hard to tell, though.


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## Rindaris (Mar 17, 2008)

I see how it is Son... I talk about making a Knight Paladin so you have to make a Reaver... :laugh: At least if we have the same general teams for the next Apoc game the marines will have a VERY nice showing of Titans and superheavies :grin:

Can't wait to see this completed and in person.


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## Inquisitor Aurelius (Jun 9, 2008)

A Warhound's one thing, but a Reaver? You're scratchbuilding a bloody REAVER? You're insane, man. Absolutely fucking nuts.

I'll be watching this topic with great interest.

I think you might want to reconsider the Warhound head, though. It won't look like a Reaver - just, well, a really big Warhound with a dorsal missile launcher and a couple of extra toes. Might a more angular (say, hexagonal) version of the "classic" Reaver head not be a better option?


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## The Son of Horus (Dec 30, 2006)

Inquisitor Aurelius said:


> A Warhound's one thing, but a Reaver? You're scratchbuilding a bloody REAVER? You're insane, man. Absolutely fucking nuts.


I aim to please! It's fun to be crazy 

The plan was originally to build a Titan Legion, since the material cost of a Reaver the way I'm doing it is like $25 USD ... but four Warhounds, three Reavers, two Warlords, and an Imperator take up a fair bit of storage space, and I flat don't have it. So, I decided I'd do something only marginally less crazy, and build a Warlord. How's that for nuts? :crazy: Then, after taking all the measurements and scaling calculations based on the Epic model, I realized I would have absolutely no way to transport the stupid thing, since it'd be about half my height, and I'm 6'5''. I could carry it to the store since it's all of three blocks from my apartment, but... yeah. So that's how I arrived at the Reaver. 

Anywhoo, I've hit a bit of a roadblock in construction, so there are no pictures in this update. I spent today messing with the skeleton for the torso, and have discovered that the plans I've been working off of are horribly, horribly flawed-- when measured properly, the armor plates come out looking outrageously Orky-- which would be very cool if I were making a Gargant, but... I'm not. So I'm going to have to consult the Holy Manual of Operating a Basic CAD Program and figure out how to make a proper torso. 

I'm thinking I'm going to start the general torso design with a plasticard box about four inches wide, five and a half long, and about three and a half tall. From there, it's going to have to be sloped to accomodate the carapace armour and the mount for the Apocalypse Missile Rack, and that's really where the CAD program comes in-- I don't know the exact angles I'm going to need to work with on that one. From there, it's a question of making continually smaller boxes to form the engine housing and exhaust ports on the rear torso and making the cowl that guards the neck joint on the front. 

The way I'm planning to attach the torso will leave the torso free to twist (I grew up on Battletech, so torso twist is very important in my mind for a 'mech!) I'm basically going to use an angular bowl formed from plasticard, with thin PVC forming a skeletal structure to hold a larger PVC pipe "pin" in place, so the torso won't ever actually be glued on. That'll also help with transporting the Titan, I think. Transporting it really is a major issue, since the plans I've been working on make it much more in scale relative to the Epic models-- for example, the scale is closer to an Epic Reaver standing next to a stand of Epic Space Marines. Depending on how I end up doing the torso, the Titan will probably end up standing around 22'' tall with the missile rack attached. Forge World's Reaver is actually a little on the small side, as is their Warhound, IMO; although their Reaver is in scale with their Warhound. I think their Reaver measures 18'' to the shoulder, and around 20 to the top of the missile rack.

I'm going to have a look at some different size PVC pipe at the hardware store, and figure out if I can make a modular weapons fitting for the arms-- it's sort of a point of least importance to be able to mount different guns to the thing, but you have to admit, it'd be kind of cool to be able to fit different stuff to the Titan, and as a result, probably have movable arms.


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## The Son of Horus (Dec 30, 2006)

Apologies for the double post, but this time, I actually have an update. 

I sat down and messed around with a CAD program for a while, and I think I've come up with a torso design that the Omnissiah would approve. So, I've gotten back to work. The internal structure is reinforced by plasticard, so I actually didn't need to make that much of a skeleton for the central torso-- just bits to evenly space the spot where it'll meet the waist.

I've drilled small holes that aren't visible in the pictures, mostly as marks, for where the shoulders will attach, and a hole on top where the Apocalypse Missile rack will be. This is really just the internal structure of the center torso-- I'm going to be building around it quite a bit. The center torso structure uses the dimensions I mentioned in the previous post.


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## The Son of Horus (Dec 30, 2006)

Whee triple post! I've finished the groin assembly, for the most part, and am still working on the torso, which is a seperate piece. But here it is, attached to the groin. I drilled a hole in the top of the groin piece so the torso will be free to rotate.



















*EDIT* 

Okay, so I couldn't bring myself to make four posts in a row. I really couldn't. However, the body of the Reaver is basically done, from a basic construction standpoint. I still need to go pick up some stuff from the hardware store to make the joints for the legs, and I need to go raid the bitz box that's in storage at the moment to get all the assorted gubbinz I need to flesh the beast out. Then, it's just a question of making the head, the missile rack, and the arm weapons. I'm going to browse in the hardware store and see what I cam come up with to make the weapons mounts modular, but I'm not going to sweat it if I can't figure something simple out-- I figure the Laser Destroyer and Gatling Blaster are both pretty ferocious weapons, so I won't really be that bummed if I can't swap 'em out. Part of me wants to make a Vulcan Mega Bolter (as that's an option for the carapace!) and make the Apocalypse Missile Rack removable, but I'm sorta eh about that, since the missile rack is pretty iconic of the Reaver-class Titans.

This is a rough approximation of the pose for the torso and legs. Oh, and the Librarian that's chilling by the feet is there for scale. Once the joints are done on the legs, the Titan stands 24'' to the shoulder. It's a big 'un.


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## Galahad (Dec 21, 2006)

Looking fantastic so far. Keep it up!


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## ReaperOfHeresy (Jun 8, 2008)

It looks amazing so far :clapping::clapping:
Good luck whit the rest of it.


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## Viscount Vash (Jan 3, 2007)

Cor they grow up so fast these days! :laugh:

The speed with which this is coming along is making green with envy, no wonder you are multi posting, you are building it quicker than we can comment.

Great work so far I look forward to seeing it finished. ( At this rate when I come in from work on friday lol.)


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## The Son of Horus (Dec 30, 2006)

Thanks!

I'm having a lot of trouble with the legs. I may need to rebuild the groin section from scratch, because it's got all sorts of holes (ha ha...) in it from assorted different attempts at getting the legs to attach cleanly.

Here are the beginnings of the arm weapons. On the left arm is the laser destroyer, and on the right is the gatling blaster. I'm going to add six smaller barrels inside the gatling blaster so it looks suitably...gatling. Right now, it just looks like a bigass cannon.


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## bishop5 (Jan 28, 2008)

Nice... the only criticism I have is that the legs look far too weedy to support that Titan. I love the massive, chunky legs that the FW Reaver has...


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## The Wraithlord (Jan 1, 2007)

My god man have you even thought about sleep since you started this??


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## Rindaris (Mar 17, 2008)

Wraithlord... you don't know SoH very well do you?


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## plug (Feb 22, 2008)

This is one very interesing build. I've got to agree, you are nuts. Look forward to seeing more updates


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## Death 0F Angels (Feb 27, 2008)

looking good. Nice posters. "Leave the gun. Take the cannoli."


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## The Son of Horus (Dec 30, 2006)

The Wraithlord said:


> My god man have you even thought about sleep since you started this??


I'm an insomniac. It's amazing what you can get done while the rest of the world snoozes.


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## Galahad (Dec 21, 2006)

It's amazing how much progress youve made


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## Brother Anubus (Feb 26, 2008)

This looks awsome man. Hey you don't mind if I use this idea do you?


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## Ordo Xeno Commander (Jan 17, 2007)

Brilliant, simply brilliant TSOH. The finished thing is going to look insane.


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## The Son of Horus (Dec 30, 2006)

Brother Anubus said:


> This looks awsome man. Hey you don't mind if I use this idea do you?


Go for it! I used templates I found on tabletopwar.com for the old Epicast Reaver, but the end result doesn't even remotely resemble them. I'll probably have the head on the Titan by the end of the day today, if nothing else, so stay tuned!


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## The Son of Horus (Dec 30, 2006)

Just a small update-- the barrels for the gatling blaster, and the neck joint for the head. I'm still having all sorts of trouble with the legs attaching, and numerous faliures have basically destroyed the groin assembly, so I'm going to have to redo that. I'm thinking I might get some PVC joints that are curved, and one that's a "T" shape, and just link the legs using those, then build the groin assembly around that.


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## Galahad (Dec 21, 2006)

Looking great.
I'm a little concerned about the right arm though...those barrels look a little...squishy
Could just be the camera angle though


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## The Son of Horus (Dec 30, 2006)

The right arm relative to the viewer? It's solid plastic, it's just sort of ribbed. I'm going to paint it up to make it look like focusing coils for the laser destoyer. The multiple barrel weapon in the right arm proper needs a bit of sanding still to get the little barrels all even and whatnot-- it's small Schedule 40 PVC, though.


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## Galahad (Dec 21, 2006)

I meant the multi-barreled weapon. The barrels seem a little squashed, but it could just be the POV


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## Olmer (Jul 4, 2008)

lawlz ssweet.


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## WoRLoKKeD (Apr 1, 2008)

Insane is an understatement. Incredibly impressive!


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## Dies Irae (May 21, 2008)

"How to have a cheap warmachine of destruction" by The Son of Horus...
Great job man. what about a Warlord?? :grin:


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## Lord Sinkoran (Dec 23, 2006)

OMG on a silver plater what a make:shok::good:


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## dlakertor (Mar 18, 2008)

That is truly amazing, i cant wait for more pictures....you are so inspirational :victory:


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## KarlFranz40k (Jan 30, 2009)

Um, what happened? Heres me in 2009 posting this while the last post was mid july 2008, nearly a year ago? Did Son of Horus ever finish his titan?


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## Crimson_Chin (Feb 20, 2009)

thread necro much?


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