# Scratch Built Vehicles



## Adramal (Apr 9, 2009)

Hi, everybody. I'm posting this as I'm interested in building some vehicles from scratch, either entirely so or with minimal bits from other kits. So I have a number of questions I'd like to ask.

Firstly, does anybody know of scratch built vehicles that people have done here on the forum? Or might they know of others that people did elsewhere, and be able to link those? It should be really interesting seeing what other people have been able to do, before beginning, myself.

Secondly, are there any tutorials on scratch building vehicles? Might you have any ideas yourself that you've been pondering over, and might like to share? I'd love to hear any of it, even if it doesn't belong to the particular army I play, just knowing how people have done it, or think it could be done, should be incredibly helpful.

If you know any tips or tricks, please do share! Keep in mind that I'd prefer it be entirely out of scratch, without any bits. But if there are bits involved, I'd like it to be kept GW only. I'm hoping that this can be entirely tournament legal, without very much dispute about it at all.

I had some ideas of my own, but nothing particularly complex. I'd much prefer to use wood or metal bits... sturdy items, as opposed to plasticard, to create these things. I don't mind if they're heavy or bulky at all, really. I'll post more on my own ideas as I think them up, though.


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## Lord of Rebirth (Jun 7, 2008)

Over the years I have seen hundreds if not over a thousand scratch built vehicles that amount to 20% or less pre-made parts. (GW or other model kit parts I mean.) There are simply too many ideas to list since you can go from replacing things like a Leman Russ ,cause A LOT of people think the current russ kit is fugly as hell, to creating a totally new vehicle like say.... a three wheeled giant flame tank.

The best site I know for scratch builds would be Work In Progress but I won't link to them just in case Jezlad doesn't like that. It's pretty much centered on the modeling aspect of the hobby. That is not to say other more general sites like Heresy don't have much. If you skim through the M+P section here you can find great stuff like Vash's beautiful Slaaneshi Questor titan.

There are a billion ways to do a scratch build but I have come up with a sort of formula I use when scratch building and designing though I'll admit I change the order a ton depending on what I want since some things I need to be more reserved about while other times I build random things more to build them than to use them in games or make fluff to fit them.

1. Concept: What is it? What is it for? How big is it? What color is it? Does it contain bananas? This is basically where you come up with something to explain to yourself or others what it is. It can be a descriptive name cause that is all you need or it can be pages and pages of notes and sketches and fluff and watermelons.

2. Research: This step can be totally unimportant or the most important of all. I have seen projects turn out great with 0 research and I have seen some that have fallen apart because of a lack of research. Basically you probably don't wanna contradict important bits of fluff and you don't want to spend months building something that is already out there. It can also help you refine your idea and even come up with need features and goodies.

3. Design: Once again this can be a big help or not really any help at all. If you are doing something with lots of identical parts like a 6 legged tank a design can help you get the leg design right before you end up making 7 different sets and going insane in the process. You can go from a sketch with enough notes for you to get it right to a drafted blueprint up to a 3D computer model.

4. Rough work: If you are doing something that should "interact" with something else in a certain way sometimes it takes a 3D model for you to figure it all out. Like if you wanted to build your own Land Raider design and you want it to look reasonable for terminators to come charging out the assault ramp. You can use scrap foam to make the basic form and check the measurements or some blocks of wood might or or maybe you only need to check some minor details and can build the final hull of your vehicle.

5. Final work: Build it finally you poof! Basically this encompasses building the model and detailing it and rebuilding it when you mess something up and painting it and duplicating it and everything else left. One design I'm working on right now will get finished then be duplicated in part and have other parts added on to make another variant. Some people even build something like a truck then make molds for some of the parts they completely built themselves so they can replicate the unit later.

6. Have some Watermelon: The MOST important step which you might want to do multiple times before the entire project and between each other step. Better yet eat two watermelons.


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## bitsandkits (Mar 18, 2008)

imagine it,draw it, build it in paper, work out the flaws, then build it in plastic/wood/metal/doughnuts.
doing this way also allows you to use your paper model as a template for your finished model, templates are important because alot of vehicles are symmetrical so you can get two parts or more exactly the same size by using a template. 

also wood is ok but it hard to cut accurately without certain tools like a band saw and such and also looks like wood when its on the model even when painted,you may want to use wood as a base and cover it with card or plasticard to create armour plate/bodywork. Foam card is a good alternative as its very light easy to cut.

To be honest alot of GW's tanks are simple designs, in fact marine tanks are just boxes on tracks,the Ork vehicles are far far more complex in design terms and in the case of the truck are actually theoretically functional as they have a working chassis,axles,prop shaft and engine.


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## reasnd (Jan 14, 2009)

The advice above is all good. There are a number of good yahoo groups which have some templates for building different vechicles from card BWC for example. And http://www.the-waaagh.com/ has a good section under Mek's garage, in which you can find some good examples of Ork vechicles. Have a look arround and then start building stuff. If you want to learn how to scratch build you have to be prepared to make a lot of mistakes. I started scratch building with whatever I scavenge but in hind site I should have just gone out and bought plastic card. It's easy to cut/file, comes in a multitude of different shapes and sizes, glues well, holds paint, and is supprisingly strong.
Good luck


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## Viscount Vash (Jan 3, 2007)

As you can see from the length of the answers your getting theres alot to be said about the topic. 

Some of these may have been said in greater length already but heres my top tips.


Scribble/doodle/draw whatever you want to call it for anything other than Orkie Builds I consider it essential.

Mock ups, in card or some other free/cheap material you can get build a try out. in the long run its a time and money saver.

Scan others ongoing project threads, materials,tricks and ideas garnered from them will save a lot of trail and error.

Start small. Its worth doing a couple of trainer vehicles before going for the big one. (I cut my teeth on various little ork Buggies and Trucks that are in the Gallery.)

Cities of Death building sprues are well handy for those of an Imperial nature.

Tools, buy good quality tools being a miser on this will cost you time.

Time and Patience. Take time off it if you lose your mojo, honestly if your not in the mood walk away, nothing is as gutting as getting sloppy half way through and messing the work so far due to rushing or waning interest.


There are a few very talented scratch builders and even more Kings of Conversion on the site that will help if you ask questions.


Now a little question of my own  Anything planned or ideas of what you want to build?


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## Adramal (Apr 9, 2009)

Well I'm hoping to do Adepta Sororitas type things. Rhinos and Exorcists right now, for the most part... Exorcist primarily. I could try to imitate the current ones with some differences, or go for an entirely new look to it. I'm not sure just yet, but I know for sure I'd like them to be very gothic looking, possibly stone-like.

I appreciate all the responses that have been coming in, thus far! =D I'm glad to see there are so many others as interested in this topic as I am. Hopefully I can come up with a good solid idea, and share it here. Or perhaps I'll find inspiration by looking at other persons works, and discussing possible projects.


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## Lord of Rebirth (Jun 7, 2008)

If you took a rhino and build an organ out of plastic piping then used plasticard to build additional armour similar to the Forgeworld "reinforced" armour but cut some cracks into it to give it a stone feeling. It would be a fair bit cheaper than the GW exorcist too.


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## morfangdakka (Dec 31, 2006)

Adding to what Lord of Rebirth said you may also want to look at the different panels and things in the cities of death buildings. There are many useful gothic bits in them. Also check out BobPanda's army its a space wolves army but he has a couple of landraiders with cut outs and models placed into the paneling and painted like stone. 
You could also photocopy art work and paste it onto plasticard and paint it to look like stone carvings.

There are many things you can do so research some ideas and find something that you think you maybe able to pull off and check out many of the building threads in the modeling section there are a bunch of scratch builders and kitbashers here that will help you.

Good luck.


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