My previous post carries my endorsement for magnetisation, if not full then at least the options that interest you.
The Russ is an odd beast, and this tutorial will show you how to achieve full magnetisation, however I’m most likely only to ever run the russ or vanquisher variants, so one bit later on might be more annoying if you plan of regular use of the other two.
We’ll start with the sponsons.
Build you chassis following the GW instructions to this point, leaving the tracks off for now.
Then build you sponsons following the GW instructions.
The first deviation is here, where we reinforce with a section a sprue, providing a mount for a magnet, and insert a slamm flat magnet into the cupola on the sponson.
The sprue we insert needs to be offset to avoid obscuring detail on the russ’ side. this is achieved by resting the sprue piece on the tank in the desired position, and placing a pre-glued sponson down onto it :)
The weapons get the rear of the mounting strut shaved down to allow for the passage of the magnets, and a magnet inserted to mate up (watche those polarities!)
We now have a finished sponson, with magnets, ready to go.
At this point we need to blob a bit of black paint on the sponson magnet to help us locate the hull magnet attachment point. once we find it, drill, insert and glue.
Tt is entirely possible to make the magnets invisible by flush mounting them, and even GSing over them. I have left this one proud because I intend to magnetise some “gubbins” as I like my tanks laden with supplies similarly the slightly jutting shape wont stand out badly if simply painted in with the rest of the hull.
These new kits dont half have lots of options!
Onto the turret.
This is dead easy. first off, just glue some 1mmx2mm magnets into the mounting brackets on the turret.
Assemble the various weapons.
Then clip off the mounting studs on each weapon drill out and insert magnets. simples!
You now have a Russ chassis where each sponson and front mount weapon will swap out at will, the sponsons are detachable and the turret weapon is snap fit :)
I hope that helped, and gave you a few more tactical options :)
Thanks for reading!
Love what you have done again. But just a quick observasion that I have made. Being a sad Army man that I am, your smoke launchers are not in a very pratical place. This is due to the fact that when a smoke launcher is fired the smoke canister rises in the air before exploding thus given you a smoke screen. Yours if fired in real life would bury themself's 20ft into the ground before detonating. Sorry mate I will get back into my little box now and hide.
ReplyDeleteBut by the way I do love the new Leman Russ kit's I really enjoyed building and painting mine. The only thing that let the kit down was the Vanquisher cannon, I think it's a bit short. But apart from that a really nice model.
Hi Dave, thanks for that.
ReplyDeleteshort version is, I know. :(
long version - I really think those GL's are ugly and would rather not put them on. i nose mount them on my sentinels and thought it might work here, it dosent.
but I cant really leave them off becuase it makes my wyswyg bone twitch. and i might meet an asshat at a tourney,
maybe i'll hack em up and paralell mount them on the turret like real tanks :)
and yeah, the vanq is short...
Sorry mate I didn't mean to dig. But I know what you mean they are ugly and I don't use them at all. I tend to get away not using them as I normaly play friendly's and haven't entered a comp in about 5 years.
ReplyDeleteMust admitt can't wait to see it painted.
No apology needed, it wasnt taken as a dig, your well informed and constructive comment merely said out loud something i was going to "settle" for, as I was feeling the blog wars pressure during the build.
ReplyDeleteturns out a solution was easy. see my next post :)