WH40K - Orkspendables Trukks with Kromlech Wheels

Not much work done on these in the meantime, but here are some pictures that better show the wheels. I added some brass tubing to the 4 x 4 Trukks to represent transmission shafts.

The rear view shows the little plastic blocks I added to raise the body from the rear axles. This brings the body roughly level, now that there are wheels of the same size all the way around. (In the original model kit, the front wheels have a smaller diameter, so their axles are lower than the rear ones.)

This view shows how the tyres come in left and right varieties. Because I bought 14 wheels (in the four styles sold by Kromlech), I ended up with one extra right hand wheel and missing one left hand wheel. That's only important if you care which way around the tread goes, and I decided that the Orks didn't care about one wheel. So, the centre left wheel (middle of this picture) is the 'wrong' way around.

If you do care, just buy an even number of wheel sets from Kromlech!

WH40K - Orkspendables Trukks with Kromlech Wheels

Here are the wheels I am using for my Ork Trukks, inspired by Expendables 2: The Expendening. These resin wheels are from Kromlech miniatures. The Trukk chassis are just resting on the wheels for now. Because the original design of the Trukk has smaller wheels at the front (and I have adjusted the height of the rear suspension pieces) I will use styrene tubing to make sure that all the axles are the same width. Once they are glued to the Trukks, I will be able to add more plastic bits around the bodies to make that Land Rover shape I am (sort of) after.


Here's the range of four different wheels. Note the relatively small area where the resin mould stub has been removed. A quick bit of filing and a lick of paint and that won't be visible.

You can also see the front and rear of each wheel. The wheels are about the same size as the originals from the Trukk models, with 4mm axle holes.

These wheels are nicely moulded. The detail is reasonably good, for what is supposed to be rubber tyres made from scraps and bolts. There are no bubbles in the resin, and they should paint up very nicely.

The wheels are called 'Raider Wheels'. Kromlech sell them in their eBay store, in two different packs of two (so 14 wheels makes 7 packs.)

 Kromlech also threw in some free samples: an Ork Nob head with German style cap,  a power armour shoulder pad adorned with chainmail and a chaos style head suitable for power armour or a hefty rebel type figure.

WH40K - Orkspendables Trukks - Chassis

The usual slow progress on my Orkspendables Converted Trukks. I ordered some resin wheels from Kromlech's eBay store, so I haven't bothered with the Ork wheels yet. I never really liked the 'nailed on armour plating' look that the GW wheels have, although if the undamaged Kromlech wheels look too neat, I might consider their 'Raider' wheel sets.

Ork Trukk chassis with middle axle and suspension removed. 

So, I built the chassis of one Trukk in the regular way, with axles for six wheels and cut the middle axle part from the chassis of the two other trucks, gluing the ends back on. The white square was just a piece of scrap styrene that happened to be the right size to reinforce the join where the cut was a bit wobbly. (It's not just parts that go into the bits box. Offcuts and scraps can also be useful!)

Another Ork Trukk chassis given the 'cut and shunt' treatment.

I also raised the rear suspension of all these vehicles with some bits of plastic, to make them a little higher off the ground than regular Trukks. This will give them more of a Kustom feel, if only by about 4mm. It also allows me to use large wheels all the way around them, rather than small ones at the front.

The cut out suspension areas make the two 4x4 Trukks much shorter than the original, which isn't really fair for the tabletop if I want these to be played as regular Trukks. However, the Secret Ingredient I will add to each trukk should bring the length back to 'regulation'. I am also tempted by a few other bits in my bits box which aren't really on the movie trucks, but would probably look good on these vehicles. We shall see!

WH40K - Ork Trukks inspired by Expendables 2

Here are some pictures from the opening scene of The Expendables 2, showing the modified Land Rovers used by our heroes. (The pictures come from trailers for the movie, and from the company who made the modified vehicles - Portal Rover)

They have inspired my next addition to my Ork forces. I want to convert three Ork Trukk models to represent the three converted Land Rovers seen at the beginning of the movie - two 4x4 and one 6x6.

They'll get plenty of armour plating, and extra 'bits' to cover the engine areas. I'll trim off a lot of the spiky bits and put gun mounts in the appropriate places. I have bought three Trukk models and also a Skyfire Landing Pad (to cut up into armour plate.) I still want the Trukks to look Orky, so they won't be to clean or even.

WH40K - Ork Flying Gun Thing

You don't have to buy an entire GW model kit to get the good bits. There are lots of bits sellers on the net, who will sell you separate parts from those kits. Obviously interesting parts like weapons and wheels sell more quickly (and are more expensive) because people who build conversions and dioramas want more of those bits. Random pieces of vehicle hull might languish on a retailer's shelf and be a bit cheaper. That's good if you want to build some WH40K terrain to represent a 'burned out' vehicle hull.

I had a few bits left over from the Ork Bommer kit, and a "Super Gatler" from the Ork Stompa, bought from a Bits seller for inclusion in some conversion or other. (Possibly the as-yet-unbuilt STOMP-E which remains in pieces in the bits box.) I also had a couple of Tau Devilfish engines, from the kit which eventually became my first Ork Fighta.

All this has been combined with a Tau Piranha model to produce an Ork Flying Gun Thing. I'll come up with a name for it, or take any suggestions...

(As I was building it I realised I could avoid using all the wings, engines and weapons from the Piranha. These in turn could be added to a Battlesuit to make a super-flying Battlesuit! It's the Mekboy DNA in me, I swear...)

The brass bits are from a packet of brass... bits... which I bought at a hobby store. I can think of lots of uses for those. 

Although in real life this model is completely glued together, in the game I like to think that the engines swivel for a very crude VTOL effect. The 'feet' underneath it become landing gear, of a sort. More skilled modellers than I could actually make that work. Check out Work In Progress for some amazing conversions.

The 'face' on the nose is made from a Warhammer Fantasy Black Orc shield, and the 'anchor' part of the dragging chain mechanism from the original Dakkajet.

VRROOOMMMMM! FREEAAAAOOOOWWWWWMMMMM!
Dakka dakka dakka dakka dakka dakka!

WH40K: Even More Dakka on the Dakkajet!

The rest of this kit has been built straight from the box. However, I used a lot of the optional pieces, to maximise the number of guns and bombs this contraption will carry. It's not in accordance with the rules for the model in the game, but it is the way my Orks would go!

The vertical stabilisers on the tail are from old Ork War Trukk kits, and the lower stabilisers on the wings are from the Tau Skyray variant of the Devilfish/Hammerhead kit. I also assembled the ork pilot and Grot gunner, a gun turret, and assorted missiles and bombs, but I will paint those separately. The tan coloured rocket pods are from an old robot model kit that a friend threw into my bits box. I also changed the 'anchor' at the back of the plane for a double chain axe head. The pilot thinks it is funny when that digs into the runway or whatever is on the ground during one of his flybys.

Planned paint scheme will be metallic grey or silver all over, for that classic 1950s look, with dark red highlights on areas like the stabilisers to match the rest of my Ork forces. If I can be bothered, I will add suitable nose art. Any suggestions?

WH40K: Ork Dakkajet Needs More Dakka!

I bought the new Ork Bommer kit, and decided to build to my fancy, rather than a specific choice from the game rules. It will pretty much be a 'Dakkajet' but with lots of extra weapons and 'gubbins'. It's a great kit, by the way, and I recommend it to anyone who plays Orks or wants a clanky looking, steampunk sort of fighterplane model kit. Put simply, it needed more dakka!

Gatling Good! These photos are from www.hlj.com and show model kits for sale there.
You should buy some!

I also wanted to make use of the Gatling Gun, made by Kotobukiya for Gundam and similar Mecha type models. It's a brilliant bit of model making, about 14cm long when completed, and it's clockwork, so the barrels rotate! It could be used on a 'giant killer robot' or futuristic tank model, or a science fiction themed 1:6 figure could also carry it. I found the Gatling Gun on Hobbylink Japan's website. (Good value and excellent range of kits, from science fiction and real world themes.)

It took a bit of sawing and fiddling about, but I jammed it into the fuselage of the Ork plane. I also put some aluminium tube over the windup bit of the clockwork, extending through the body of the plane and out the exhaust, with a cog and some more metal bits on the other end. That was so I could wind up the gun and make Dakka! Dakka! Dakka! Dakka! noises during a game. Unfortunately bits of plastic dust and glue have gotten inside the mechanism and made it a bit unreliable. That's a lesson learned - clockwork, glue and fumble-fingers don't go together.

WH40K - Deadly Deathraider ... Of Death - mostly painted

Here's the Deathraider, with a slap of paint. I have to say that the aftermarket resin pieces I added are all very nicely sculpted. I decided on basic black, with a sort of tombstone grey for the stone work, and bone for the skeletons and skulls. Tamiya metallic spray for the weapons and tracks, with a little black ink here and there to tidy up spills and mess. I will have to re-do the black parts again, because I am getting sloppy with my drybrushing. As usual, I am going for tabletop, arms length quality, rather than 'Eavy Metal.

A quick rundown of the extra bits:

- Angel of Death side doors and ramp, from Chapterhouse Studios
- Rectangular and angled panels, from Scibor
- Tombstones and grave markers, from Renedra.

Chains from a craft shop. About $5 for two metres.  I just drilled small holes and used little nails to hold the chains on.

Skeleton from the Warhammer Giant plastic kit.