Scratch built Eldar gravtank - I need input!

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Vassal
Hi guys, I need a second (and 3rd and 4th) opinion on these 2 Eldar gravtanks I'm brainstorming. I was originally going to steal Area23's idea but didn't have an old mouse anywhere and thought these headphone bits might work well. I like them, I'm just not sure if the base headphone piece are Eldary enough for it to work. More detail on the project on my blog.

I hardly have any Eldar bits so this is pretty much the best I can do with them :/ I'd sculpt on some extra detail like gemstones before painting and you'll have to imagine pintle mounting and the like, but here is the result of an hours hard bluetacking!

Tank 1
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Tank 2
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The other problem is the soft bit, how could I treat it to make sure it's hard enough to take paint without cracking it?

Thanks for all help!
 
I would protect both the soft part AND the chrome like one and wouldn't paint them at all...

It looks fabulous so far. I don't think it needs more bits other than a few gemstones and maybe some decals here and there to look good. Maybe the community can help, I'll have a look in the bits box to see if I have things that could help.
 
I think it looks brilliant so far, maybe you can add some sort of wing to the side, like the you've got on the guns but slightly bigger, and on the main body, just to reinforce the eldar design esthetic
 
Thanks guys :)

It hadn't occurred to me not to paint the soft bits but that could work. The chrome bits have writing on so I'll have to paint them, otherwise I'd be very tempted to leave them as is.

The blades on the guns are Dark Eldar bits (I'm not even sure where they came from tbh). I could break out the plasticard and try build some wings but I'm reluctant to make this project more complicated than it needs to be, I get too easily distracted!
 
I'd remove the soft bit altogether and put some 'wings' on it in the Eldar style - as an attack hovercraft it looks fantastic for some human army, but it's not really saying 'highly advanced anti-grav tech' to me. That's my two pieces :) keep at it, the concept of using headphone speakers is awesome! Must go look into some of my broken ones now...
 
That's been my worry with them :/

I'll see if I can remove the soft bits without breaking them, then if I decide to go back to them or to use them as Imperial hovercraft or something I still can. Plus they'll be easier to paint. Any ideas on how wings could go? Maybe sweeping down and back? Hmmm
 
I think it looks very nice. The first eldar vehicles had similar forms. I remember the early Epic grav tanks weren't so much streamlined as today.
I'd cut off the soft part down under and make it float, on a base. The hole on the front you could cover up. With putty or with a bead or a drawing pin.

I'm still looking for the right oval or drop-shaped bits. I'm sure something could be found in any good toyshop at the girls' jewelry and bijoux whatsits department, but i havent found the right things yet.
My mouse grav tank mentione above is covered with spoons, drawing pins and beads, and wooden half-spheres from a hobby-shop. I wouldn't put too much on this headphone tank, as the shape itself is already interesting enough. maybe only some beads or engines from pen taps on the ridge on the back and leave it like that.
 
Thanks for the input. The padding is glued in place sadly. I'm going to rip one of them off, atleast if it looks bad I've got a second.

Some oval bits would be great, I just picked up some nail art discs in 1 and 2 mil to use as rivets, they're pretty cool.
 
That looks really cool.

The only bit I don't thin is quite eldary enough is the 90-degree angle from the main body to the top edge of the curtain, aroundthe base, perhaps softening the transition by filling the with some wraithbone cable-housing.
 
I think you've hit the nail on the head there Zhu, 90 degree angles definitely aren't Eldar style! Hopefully I'll get some time to play around with them this weekend, see what I can do with it.
 
Cool :) it certainly looks like the Tomytronic.

I've hit a wall with the grav tanks, I don't know how to smooth out the sharp angle around the base other than lots of greenstuff.

On the plus side I have been painting the Eldar pirates so the project is progressing.
 
Ok, grav tank update!

Tank 1
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Tank 2
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Just need some details like gemstones and tidying up joins. I'm drawing a complete blank on filling in the 90 degree angle around the edge so it's staying unless someone has a good idea :)

Let me know what you think. Oh and some (bad) photos of the first 5 painted Eldar are on my blog if you're interested. Once I've done the rest I'll work hard at getting some decent photos of them up in the showcase.
 
Looking good so far. For the 90° thing you could simply cheat by adding a sort of textured tube all around like those you put electric wires in, it's the sort of textures that you can see on most RT vehicles and you could choose the right diameter at your DIY to have just the effect you want. I hope you counterweighted the base because otherwise, expect the tank to fall quite often ;)
 
Haha I've not counterweighted them but I definitely will :) thanks for the compliments.

As for tubing it could work, I'll have a look in the local DIY place and see what he's got.
 
Good find Zhu! I like it, I'll probably pick up both and then I can see which I prefer. I'm sure I'll find a use for the leftovers too :)

Slow progress on these, I made some greenstuff gemstones and have been sticking them on, otherwise no change. This piping should be the last job before painting other than cleaning up a few of the joins.
 
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