Adding vehicle stowage and clutter is a perfect way of individualising your model, or indeed breaking the monotony of having large numbers of identical vehicles!

In this thread, I ask that everyone contribute their ideas (and if necessary mini tutorials) in how to bulk out our vehicles with stowage items. I started this thread after being persuaded to do a tutorial on sandbags which can be found here -

http://z3.invisionfree.com/The_Ammobunker/...?showtopic=1335

To kick us off, let's first discuss good sources of potential stowage.

Here is a picture of a number of items in my modelling box.


These are from a variety of sources including:-

Vehicle accessory sprue's, both IG and Marine (eg razorback)
Forgeworld
Tamiya Accessories
Barricades set
Heavy Weapons Team sets
Bits of String
Independent Model Manufactures (in this case 1/35th from Legend)
Left over model pieces (see the Crusader magazine pack)

Other useful bits can include spare track links, fuse wire, gw barbed wire, bandage, etched brass components, spare ammunition and shells etc.

I'm sure there are many more so I encourage you all to add to our list.

Many items can be scratch built, and perhaps if Rictus reads this, he may be so kind as to add a few of his ideas. For example, if you look in his threads, you will often see him making boxes, Jerry can holders and other ways of attaching parts such as spare wheels.

Check out this picture -



Notice the spare wheels from the Baneblade sprue's. They are attached here with simple pieces of plasticard and a couple of model bolt sets.

The stowage in the scratch built pannier is from a variety of sources. Another method as I discussed on the sandbag thread, is to use gs sandbags to weigh down stowage as well as using them to blend stowage together.

The simple trick in applying stowage, is not to just dot it about on the tank. Clump it together for added realism. Also, don't just stick a Jerry can or barrel onto the side of a vehicle unless you have some apparent way of making sure it stays there! If you are lucky, you have Jerry cans from the Razorback sprue which already have a holder, but more often than not, you will have to make your own.

From the Tamiya Jerry cans in the first picture, I have just knocked up this simple pannier from a few scraps of plasticard. Obviously this works just as well with the jerry cans supplied on the vehicle accessory sprue's.



Here's another idea I just pinched after seeing the Baneblades in the latest White Dwarf. Simply bind two weapons canisters together with thin plasticard strips. Simple but effective.



Perhaps someone would be so kind as to add a quick tutorial on making GS straps and buckles? :D

I'll be adding to this post as I go along, but please feel free to start contributing.


To be continued....

I'll stick up a tutorial for how i made tube charges and barrel cleaners next time i make one :)

SC

That would be sweet and exactly the kind of thing we want here. Cheers bud.

Anyone with good GS skills care to show us how to make rolls, straps and buckles? :)

Righto, here is some pics of my stowage...

Engin Chimera:



Chimeras:



Trojan & Atlas:



Side Skirts:



IW Vehicles:



Russ Rear:

I tend to use stowage from both the Sentinel kits, Tamiya stowage, and just the IG sprue. I also use the Battlefield Accessories sprue for time to time.

I've found little pick axes from lego sets, as well as lego chains can be useful :)

Cool idea Tony.

Rictus - there are many fine ideas there bud, thanks for the pictures.

Tell me, where did you get the resin rolls on the chimeras?

Funny this, what I've been doing all morning before Uni!



Same as everyone else, Tamiya, WWII and Modern, GW accessories, and any other 1:35 scale kits I can find.

Tanks with flat areas of armour showing (apart from the frontal arc) don't exist on the battlefield, everything is carried not only to fight but to live comfortably.



The Landrover in the centre is mine, twice its legal carrying capacity, never bogged in or let me down, notice the Sultan on the right, boxes bolted on any space available, and both left and right FV436's with stowage baskets on the roof.

eventhough tanks often carry stowage the most and many times everything , exept the soldiers rations and basic equipment, is carried by noncombat vechiles such as jeeps, trucks and for long distances or over impassable terain they use planes or choppers.

off course soldiers do often hang out their kits for easy acces and to make sure the tank is fully operationel.
and it arent just kit bags that are carried, sandbags, radios, ammo,
barbed wire, all kinds of stuff realy.

such as the tank here has bags and kits at the side, for easy acces by ground troops.

and to make sure the inside doesnt gets cramped when it engages combat, the downside is that all the kit bags are gonna get shot up by small arms fire wich wont hurt the tank,
but its pretty damn annoying when all your food and water has lead in it, that goes for ''ventilated'' clothes and repair boxes to.

then again some times its not a good idea to hang all kinds of stuf around the tank , such as leopard tanks where the crew is supposed to stay inside the tank and not go wondering around it in the middle of a battle. such as this one.


but while on the move no matter in battle or not tanks need to cross al kinds of terain citys, deserts, swamps and rivirs.
and theres no soldier in the world who wants a soaking backpack with an extra load of water in it and medical stuf and food of course go bad when soaked with unclean water (oke you might find a nice fish in your bagg to eat), and guns and ammo cant resist water in their system as good as people might think. nobody wants to have a jammed weapon in a fight.

so avoid these kind off situations while driving your tank.

Thanks for the lesson Bram, 18 years of military service never taught me those things, I can sleep at night now....

i really want to get/make a guitar case to stick on the outside of one of my tanks :D (apparently james blunt did it.. dont like the singer.. but like the idea of a guitar on a tank)

anyway.. should probably try and contribute to the thread but i think everything i do has been mentioned/shown.. all i can say is dont put the lasguns from the GW accessory sprue on the outside, very bad/unrealistic idea (well, im assuming, we dont all 18 years of military experience!)...

BYT

Cheeky BYT, sorry Bram, little wound up over something else.

I've seen loads of guitar cases strapped to the outside, and bicycles, patio sets, erm not much I haven't seen really!

ello all, here's my wee contribution, and i intend to write this post in phoenetic-camp, and get at least 2 references to Rictus' rapist ways.

Stowage kit i use, thanks to Jase for this, which literally translates as - Thanks to Sal for this...

'Iya...
Now, jerrycan holders, because a jerrycan stuck to a tank looks odd, it needs to be held, like one of Rictus' victims after the ordeal *licks finger and touches the air - "Chalk it up"*
jerrycan, many of you are unintelligent and won't know what this is...

cut some strips, 2x 0.3x0.3xm, 2x 0.9x0.3cm and 1x 0.9x04cm (x3 for 3 holders in this case)

glue on

dry, then cut another strip of 2.5mm to fit

glue it to the back, thread through the handle and glue to front of holder, add a button/peg/pin/catch - done


barrel cleaners - for a leman russ, not going to happen i'm afraid, too large bore cannon it would look daft... so tube charges or bangalores, used to 'cut' positions to allow infantry in, see Saving private ryan for this. (bangalores are being phased out for the bangalore blade, made in Britain btw, thx future wepons ;))
two tubes, (in this case 4mm by 2.8cm

glue together, and reinforce with a bit of rod

two strips, like a chinook on the ground

glue over, fill ends and....

painted examples

hope that helps
SC

Good tut Steve.

I thing though, you only managed to get one reference to Rictus's rapist ways. Which in my book means you suck.....

Dude will you leave Rictus the hell alone! Hes well nice to everyone here and you make him out to be some manic rapist!

Thank you Rictus, thank you for all the gifts you bring to the forum

Err.... thanks Steve, I think?! :( Matt, take no notice.....

SC, stop it!

Actually, to be fair, that's some good looking stuff and the painted example is great. That would look cool on any tank.

If someone didn't know what a Jerry can was, don't see how it makes them "unintelligent"........... ( i know what one is, but still)



Anyway, nice ideas guys. But even if there is lasguns or cans on the outside of the tank, if it looks good then who cares? I just stick stowage on because it looks cool, i dont really care if it's realistic or not. I doubt we can really claim realism when the tanks made of plastic/resin and is a model that is in the 41st millennium. Just my 2 cents.

this is great! now i just need a job to buy the materials, and the tanks to put them on. and does anybody have some modelling skills for sale? i could use a good set of those to...

and you did only make it to one reference, Steve. How can we llok at you the same, now that you have broken your promises? FAIL!

Please don't encourage him. I'd like to keep this thread on topic.

The cogs from the Brass etc sprue from the 40k Basing Kit might be alright as "spare parts" for tanks i guess?


Here's some stowage supplies im using with my Baneblade:

Nice, I see what you mean about the cog.

Just ordered myself the Sherman stowage set from Lgend as it has some particularly nice peices on it. One set of this (approx £14 plus postage) is enough to spread arounf half a dozen tanks, especially if you mix it in with plastic and scratch built pieces. With luck, those two leather tankers helmets might fit a couple of orks!

http://www.www-legend.co.kr/data/bbs/con_HXPCKp.jpg

no problem jase i was just bored and started typing :lol:
my fingers refused to let go of the keyboard, any ways there are some neat stowageses in this thread, the trick is no to overdeu it or else there will be bag hanging on the barrel of a russ :D

OK, keeping this thread as a useful tutorial, I'm looking for volunteers to add a bit about green stuffing straps and buckles, and maybe some bits about adding camo netting.

My only contribution on netting made from bandage with bits of torn cloth.

Never done camo netting but you should look at Cheese Cloth.

My turn for a tutorial. And as SC did a bangalore tut so will I...

(I was bored in work)

As I had some from the FW Stormsword kit I based the ones I made on those...

FW Bangalores:


And mine (from my Hellhound):


As you can see the ends aren't flush but recessed. I made them thus...



A - A 3.2 diameter tube is cut to length (whatever suits the tank). Now the walls look to thick as such;
B - Using a pin vice the hole is opened up to 2mm in diameter, to about 5mm in depth.
C - Some 2mm diameter rod is cut, approx 3-4mm in length and one of these is pushed into the hole at each end of the 3.2 tube just past the end.
D - A second tube is done the same way and glued side by side to the first one.
E - Next up is the mounting brackets, use soem styrene strip, in the example a 1x2mm strip was used. It is cut into pieces as long as the two tubes are wide (so approx 6.5mm long). One piece is glued to each end of the tube, the position is whatever looks good and will depend on the length of the tubes used. A third one in the centre might be worthwhile if they are particularly long (though making them too long may not long right).
F - Straps. I used .25mm styrene cut to match the bracket width (2mm in this case). Cut long enough to wrap round the tubes from one bracket side to the other and a bit extra. Brush some poly cement over the tubes & brackets and bend the strap over. The strap shouldn't be flush with the brackets yet.
G - Finsihing off. Trim the strap ends and then cut from a styrene rod (.75mm rod with a 1mm thick bracket) some rivets and glue in place.

And there you go.

That's pretty damn cool mate, nice diagram too! Going to try that myself.

Rictus' version is waaaay better than mine.
Although, to be fair, i've not seen a FW one, and thought i was being original when i made it, so thats sorta a defence

SC

Nice to see some healthy competition! Anyone asks mate, tell them you've packed a couple of digerydoos! ;)

Ew, didgeridoos.




I shall post some pics of my Stowage on my Baneblade tonight if you wish to see it peoples.

Yes please!

i did do a camouflaged catachan sentinel once covered it with jungle trees and plants, does that count as stowage to?

Well since my airbrush is a piece of [Not on the floor please], and using air cans is pointless and didnt turn out well, i'll be doing most of my tank spraying with tamiya cans and GW paint :(


Anyways, here is what i got so far:

just a mock up, with bluetac straps lol, and bluetac holding them on, but yeah...

AS requested
made from 0.3mm plastic strip and 0.5mm rod

pulled over stowageage

SC

really cool stowage in here, will really help when i'm making my imperial guard tanks.

also, Digits, how do you go about ordering from legend? I can't find any way to order off their site...

I order mine in the UK from -

http://www.friendshipmodels.com/

I recently scored these on eBay for my Baneblades and Russes :)

$12.00 is around how much i paid, not [I]too[I] bad.



it's 1/35th scale and by the sounds/looks of things is plastic. Should be good :D

and you would have spent $7 if you'd bought it through a propper source.
http://www.modelsforsale.com/catalog/model...5434cc3e1cf2ecc

scroll down its 2/3 of the way down

(add your expletive of choice*) E-bay- this is one (of the many ) reasons i wont touch it.





*-self censored :)

Meh, i dont buy from online stores because i dont like using a credit card online lol.

Your decision obviously, though the logic of not wanting to use a card on a 'secure' server for a recognised organisation that you could go back to your card supplier and say 'thats the swindling B*****d' escapes me. Especially as, if I read correctly, you've been stiffed $80 by another supplier you encountered on 'the bay'.

But hey its your money and thats not to say that you cant encounter problems with any supplier.

all that aside that does look like a good set, they do another which has food containers and stuff for more modern vehicles which is pretty good too

I use eBay and have had no problems with things NOT showing up, besides the 80 dollars worth of paints, but yeah. Other than that, and these stowage kits, i usually get bargins and good dealings. The only reason why i paid 12 bucks is i didnt know anywhere online where i could get it cheaper :)

But eBay is good for people like me who live in crappy rural areas with no real hobby stuff. I got my own credit card recently so i should be able to make purchases on online stores now.

Example of eBay goodness = 7 IG snipers for 20 dollars, as opposed to $20 for 2.

Oh and lets not forget the brand new sealed leman russ i got last year for 10 dollars :)


The set is good though, i scored a few cheaper ones of the same brand from a different store on eBay. One contains modern American stuff, one contains Allied stuff and German, and there's a lot of cool things i'll pimp out my Baneblades (yes, i plan on several) with.

Keeping this on topic (thanks lads) another couple of tips for you.

First up, the trick is to make things look attached. Check out the heavy bolter ammo boxes by Forgeworld on the right. They come with a secure locking bar. Now look at the track links on the left. I cut the "pointed" ends from three unused single links, turned them on end and stuck them down as if looking to provide a fitting bracket for these three links. A very minor but effective mini conversion.




Secondly, this tarpaulin is made by simply cutting a rectangle of three ply mans tissue and folding it on itself. Using watered down PVA, it is dabbed into position. Once dry, apply another coat of pva before painting. A very simple conversion. The trick, is to ensure enough detail is still visible. Alternatively, if you don't have many interesting pieces of stowage, stick bricks and pits of balsa down in off shapes then completely cover in tarp as if to represent covered stowage. The addition of straps in that case is advisable to break up the monotony and to make it looked effectively lashed in place.