Vermin APC?

[Griefbringer]

Didn't somebody on one of the old forums have blueprints for scratch building your own?

I did - you can find them at

http://users.tkk.fi/~rkoivune/trenchzone/vermin/

They are perhaps a bit crude by today's standards (scans of hand-drawn plans) but I am not really feeling like going to the effort of re-drawing them with a computer into nicer schemes.

Griefbringer

[Veez]

Well done!  I think it's a bit too much to expect you to CAD out an entire APC for our convenience.

[Griefbringer]

Of course, if someone else feels like grabbing a CAD and making a nice clean PDF file about the model, I will not mind. Actually, I would like those instructions to be stored in some easily findable place - anybody having a WZ-dedicated website that would like to host them?

As a hint, building the hull is relatively fast, but the wheels can be a pain to make by hand from cardboard. If somebody can come up faster to make alternatives they would be welcome. I was thinking of getting a rounded bar of wood and trying to cut that, but it might be a bit difficult to make it accurately enough without proper tools (ie. more than my primitive handsaw).

Also, does Excelsior produce anymore the weapon blisters that you could buy in the good old Target days for conversion purposes? The two APCs that I have used the Imperial HMGs from those. If they are no longer available, then another HMG would be needed, and this might necessitate enlargening the turret, as well as adding some counterweight to the rear of the turret.

Sorry, but I have been out of touch with WZ developments for a while (I still haven't even got a copy of UWZ), and I am not fully aware of what all is nowadays available for Excelsior.

Griefbringer

[Topkick]

Actually I found that some public toilets have paper rolls with plastic endcaps. The one at my FLGS uses this type of roll. Glue those together and sand down the ridgeline and they make passable off-road tires.

[Veez]

If i have time today (who am I fooling? I have nothing but time today) maybe I could convert them to powerpoint.  This sounds stupid but acutally prints out rather well.  For tires you can also raid your local dollar general type store (i.e. cheap toy place) for vehicles to steal tires from.  If you are absolurely hard-core you can cut PVC (white plastic drain pipe) to maybe a quarter inch or a cm (which is a pain in the...neck) and go from there.  I'm not sure if they still offer the weapons blister back or not but I hear if you send them an e-mail the good folks at EE will be happy to work something out.

Of course none of this would be necessary of Armorcast would finish up theirs...

[Griefbringer]

Thanks for the powerpoint version Veez, I will give it a look and place it next week to the same directory as the rest of stuff.

As for machine gun, if the separate HMG itself is no longer available, the one from Blood Beret or Wolfbairn HMG specialist could be used (they are separate part, not moulded straight into the body). Or if you have spare Imperial Regular HMG specialists, those guns from them could also be used. Of course enterprising modellers can try out other big guns, or just replace the turret with something different - like a bunch or rockets, flamethrower or an LMG on anti-aircraft mount. Or perhaps a completely unarmed version (say ammo carrier) for use as a scenario objective.

And a resin kit would of course be the easiest option, though mine is cheaper and easy to convert. Is armourcast also working on other WZ vehicles?

Griefbringer

[Veez]

Yeah, going through the directions for yours made me want to make one of my own.  All I need now is plastic, glue, paint, tape, wooden dowels, paper, paper rolls, scissors (I can get an HMG but it would probably be out of scale)...

Okay now I'm just depressing myself.

[Griefbringer]

I can get an HMG but it would probably be out of scale

Would it be 1:1 scale?

Griefbringer

[Veez]

Indeed.  I gurantee someone would get miffed about me using it though.

[Griefbringer]

I at last managed to place on web the PPT version of the instructions that Veez did on - it is on the same directory as the rest of the instructions. I hope people will find it useful.

As for using a 1:1 scale MG, I am afraid it would be a bit too hefty for a cardboard model to stand the weight - you would need to make a bigger model and use something sturdier for the material. Perhaps a framework of 2x4 timber, with the walls made out of plywood, would work for those wanting to make a 1:1 scale model. The floor should be done of planks though, so that people can actually stand on it (hey, you could even install a gaming table inside). As for the wheels, allowing them to rotate freely is not a good idea, unless you have some sort of brake mechanism installed. Would be a blast in conventions, probably.

Griefbringer

[Veez]

Pluss somebody here would drop a hellfire on it or something.  That and we are short of wood.

[Sosna]

EE jut got excellent sculpt of Vermin. We do hope that they decide to accept it and you will be able to purchase it shortly.

[cS]

Hopefully it will not be to big compered to other vehicle models.

[Gallagher_Standard_Barer]

I would rather keep it in scale with the trooper miniatures than with the other vehicles, I need to be able to look at the finished APC and believe that there is a whole squad of regulars inside.  I find that the GT offroad, Strike Skimmer and the Death angle a little too small to be believable.

[Veez]

Yes but you have to balanced that with affordability.  Resind is made of precious metals (okay not really but they charge you as if it were even though I've seen crap the world over made out of resin that cost mere pennies compared to what is being charged in the States) and the more you use the more it's going to cost.  The plastic model discussion is ongoing but I think the jury is in and the verdict is that method is not cheap.

I agree that the vehicles are small but it is an acceptable trade for being able to own one without the second mortgage.

That said, I'll be home soon, I have blueprints and plasticard and I'm not afraid to use either of them.