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Post by loyalist on Apr 16, 2016 13:27:21 GMT
Not really - I've made dozens of orders from UK companies with no problems. Antenociti's Workshop has been excellent for modelling supplies such as grass tufts.
The biggest pain was Forge World sending me expensive kits with warped parts that should never have gone through quality control checks, but proper parts were eventually received. I'm not having much luck with Ironclad Miniatures orders, though John kindly didn't charge me for some extra gun carriage wheels I requested with the large first order of 20mm trenches - I used them on the electric field gun and an anti-tripod gun. He still hasn't gotten back to me about whether the many UPS-damaged trench components were covered by the insurance he paid or how I'll be compensated. Will have to ask him again - the order was received 3 months ago.
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Post by loyalist on Apr 16, 2016 20:12:16 GMT
I found that the superstructure back door panel from a Mark III tank will fit over the side sponson well. Just cut the panel in half just to have the door portion. Will be a little smaller than the one pictured for the mobile HQ tank. A test fit showed the door panel's hatch looked too small, so I used one of the louvered panels instead - the panels are larger than the doors and exactly the size of the rectangular openings in the sides of the tank. I filed off the 4 louvers and trimmed the back plate the panel is on so there's just a narrow rim around the panel and the rim overlaps the openings in the hull sides. I sanded the back plate to reduce the thickness by 50% and added door hinges made from pieces of 0.035" styrene rod. On the back side I added some pieces of 1.5 mm x 1.5mm styrene (same thickness as the depth of the recesses in the tank's sides) which made a tight push fit for the doors. Thanks for the suggestion - the result looks good. The final construction step is to get another Faraday gun barrel from Ironclad Miniatures and install it.
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Post by loyalist on Apr 17, 2016 9:21:43 GMT
Just heard from John at Ironclad Miniatures. The correct order will be shipped ASAP so I should have the other Faraday electric guns in 1-2 weeks.
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Post by loyalist on Apr 18, 2016 13:44:52 GMT
I've found another Monitor for sale for a reasonable price so may buy that and convert it into a Command Tank, but with a much lower observation/signaling tower, the 4" guns in the hull and the HMGs on the tower. I've thought about making the Flame Tank but its range is so short it might not get close enough to fire before being hit and exploding.
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Post by loyalist on May 5, 2016 12:48:04 GMT
The Faraday Guns from Ironclad Miniatures finally arrived yesterday so the Rupert Tank should be finished this weekend. The Faraday gun breech needs to be cut off and a brass rod fitted to glue into the turret gun mount. The shortened Faraday gun will be the same length as the 5" gun that comes with the Patton tank.
The other two Faraday gun barrels will be used to make a Tesla Tank, possibly on a BEF Wicket tank hull, and an Electric Gun turret for a river monitor. I got some extra Faraday gun carriages so have 6 for conversion to ammo, fuel and generator trailers. Although Morgan's Rupert design concept didn't include a generator trailer I may add one.
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Post by loyalist on May 9, 2016 17:12:52 GMT
The 'Rupert' tank is done but I'm having second thoughts about it's nationality.
Installing the IM Faraday gun was easy. I cut off the breech right in front of the two short cylinders on top but installed it differently than planned. I found a size of brass tube that was a snug fit over the breech end and another tube 2 sizes smaller that fit the mounting hole in the turret. I cut the largest tube 3/16" longer than the breech, glued in a 3/16" long piece of the next smallest tube, then 3/8" of the smallest tube and glued the barrel assembly to the gun mount on the turret. It looks quite good imo. Photos to follow.
Why I'm having second thoughts is that it's supposed to be a British tank but it has an American Mk IV hull and is steam powered instead of petrol/electric. Now I'm thinking of calling it an experimental Mk IV with a Tesla gun. The armament was to be the same as on Morgan's BEF Rupert tank but I added a 4" gun in the turret cupola so it can shoot something heavier than HMGs while recharging.
I think it would look better with a generator trailer so have started to build one from an Ironclad Miniatures Faraday gun carriage fitted with wheels from an AD heavy howitzer. The larger wheels make the trail of the carriage level when hooked onto the MK IV's tow hook.
The wheels were left over from building the BEF Electric Field Gun from a howitzer model but using IM Faraday gun wheels on it. I lucked out in finding a brass tube size that fit the wheel axle hole and had an internal diameter that fit the axle on the Faraday gun carriage.
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Post by loyalist on May 30, 2016 23:31:43 GMT
Here are some photos of the Ironclad Miniatures Faraday electric gun-equipped 'Rupert' tank, though I'm now thinking it will be a US variant of the Mk IV in Canadian service: The trailer is an Ironclad Miniatures Faraday gun carriage with AD wheels from the converted Electric Field Gun, which got the IM carriage wheels (see pg. 1 of thread). I might build a generator/capacitor similar to the field gun's for the trailer, but the 'Rupert' isn't supposed to have one.
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Post by madmorgan on Jun 4, 2016 12:36:41 GMT
I think IM needs to review its personel in its warehouse/shipping department. They seem to have a major problem, probably in the form of an employee who either needs further training or replacement. Just my two cents. Your work is an inspiration to us all! Wonderful adaptation of my ideas. I don't think I'd ever be able to do as well and am satisfied that I can purchase the tanks I thought up & am very happy you have found a use for some of my ravings on your table as well
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Post by loyalist on Oct 1, 2016 14:25:24 GMT
Large Electric Field Gun - based on Morgan's idea. Components: AD Large Field Gun carriage (gun supports lowered 4mm) with Ironclad Miniatures Faraday Electric Gun wheels and Faraday Electric Gun, resin copy of a Coil Gun's deck, cabin made from parts of the Mk II tank kit and a few pieces of styrene, insulator on top made from parts of an Imperial tank's coil gun. Right side with good view of the insulator on the deck made from the end plug of a 40K Imperial Guard Lascannon cable bundle. The small insulated wire passing through it to the gun is from a broken N Gauge signal light tower. The styrene deck under the cabin is 1.5mm thick to match the resin deck's thickness. The resin deck is 1mm higher than the plate the ammo crane would be mounted on if this was a large field gun. The cabin is on a piece of 1mm styrene with strips of 0.5mm styrene underneath where it overhangs the mounting plate for the crane. The metal part supporting the insulator on top of the cabin is the end of an Imperial tank coil gun barrel that's glued into the turret. The cabin houses a capacitor that stores current to fire the gun, and possibly a seat for a crewman who fires the gun. Everyone else runs clear before firing due to the strong electric field generated. After talking with Madmorgan about other coil gun calibers I may convert this to a 3 pdr coil gun by adding a shortened FoW King Tiger gun barrel. The stats would be midway between those given in the rule book for 2 pdr and 4 pdr coil guns: range 70", +5 power, cost in the 130-135 pt range. (Like the 2 per coil gun the 3 per has an onboard generator/capacitor but considerably larger; unlike the 1 pdr coil gun (see '1 pdr Coil Gun' thread) the tow tank doesn't have to stick around to generate power for it.
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Post by madmorgan on Oct 5, 2016 11:27:56 GMT
Outstanding work as always. Don't forget to post a final table of the coil guns, with the points. Will make an excellent addition to the 'optional rule' section of the Living Rules Book.
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Post by Quendil on Oct 5, 2016 11:29:09 GMT
They are great. Can't wait to see them painted up
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Post by loyalist on Oct 6, 2016 11:49:39 GMT
They are great. Can't wait to see them painted up They'll probably be the next models I paint before I start infantry and the S2G cavalry.
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Post by loyalist on Oct 6, 2016 18:57:55 GMT
I'm thinking that maybe I should put a 3 pdr coil gun conversion in my BEF Land Ironclad, replacing the 12" gun. The conversion would have a gun barrel about the same length as the 12" gun's. A 3 pdr would have more range (70" vs 60") but less power (+5 vs +6) than a 12" gun. Not sure if it should have the same cost; I've worked out a cost for the 3 pdr but we don't know what a 12" gun costs.
Unfortunately I have only 1 spare FoW King Tiger barrel so can convert either the Large Electric Field Gun or the LI turret.
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Post by madmorgan on Oct 7, 2016 9:00:15 GMT
I'd think the 12" gun would be the choice as this would preclude the need for power source and hookup of a 3 pdr coil. As I note before, I don't see the LIC moving that much on the battlefield so generation of the charge would be more difficult or require additional construction of a generator on board. Not sure if I'm clear on this - I think the 12" is a more 'natural' fit is all.
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Post by morbius on Oct 15, 2016 12:40:10 GMT
Loyalist,
The trailer is an excellent idea. It might also be worthwhile considering a combined coal and water trailer. The rules state that the Mark IVs were sometimes equipped with trailers to extend their range since they guzzled so much water. I imagine these trailers would be similar to the ones used for the flame thrower variant of the Mark IV.
Craig
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