Hey folks, when the rules recently were changed, and allowed my ultimate dream of a double Avenger grand cruiser list, I ran out to my local battle bunker and ordered two Vengeance grand cruisers for immediate development. However, like most of us, we know that these ships are used to make five (six if you count the gov'nah) other cruisers, and I would be damned if i would just leave this opportunity to pass. I decided to magnetize the vessel, and make this how-to for the rest of you to enjoy.
What you will need:
Vengeance grand cruiser kit.
All the weapons bits you could desire
K&J Magnetics (kjmagnetics.com) magnets, specifically 2 BX041 or BX041-N52 (for super grip.. may be too strong, as i found out the hard way) AND you will need a ton of B8401 (I got 50, seemed to be enough for 2 grand cruisers). A word of caution, Neodymium is BRITTLE, and will crack and break if struck too hard, even by other magnets. I had a few shatter just from the force of their own magnetism, and some crack from the pressure! be careful and buy extras!
Super glue
A dremmel or drill press (sorry, pin vice and sprue cutters just won't do the job here)
A really mean file (the kind that can beat up chuck norris)
First things first, you need to clean the model bits of flash and mould lines, get all of that stuff done with -first-. Do not assemble the mini! this is critical!
Next. Observe the lower weapons deck (where the imperial bits sit), this is where 90% of the swearing is going. Two bx042's are JUST thinner then the width of the gun bay. Take your bx042 manget and connect two together, then rest them in the gun bay, as centered as you can, then use a pencil to draw the outline of said magnet. If you want to be precise, drill a hole at the two upper corners, and stencil the other side.
This is the hard part. You need to CUT OUT that block, and it's about 1/4th of an inch of solid pewter. Dremmels and drill presses HATE pewter, because it binds with the bit. you do NOT need to be precise, I used a drill press and drilled holes along the stenciled line (just inside it so the top of the hole met the stencil). Do this ALL along the stencil, including the bottom (be careful not to cause too much damage to the mini here). Once you have a perforated square, use clippers to cut between the holes, eventually you should get the bulk of the metal out.
Once the bulk is out, get your "Chuck Norris Destroyer" file out, and get to it, using the BX042 as a guide for your filing, once it fits SNUGLY (you don't want it to be loose otherwise it will need green stuff to secure), take it out, apply superglue to the interior of the cut out segment, and put the magnet in, centering it as best you can. Add more superglue to large gaps if desired. The hard part is done.
Next, file down the inner borders of the bay, so you are sure that both weapon battery bits fit without bowing out (i had to do this for both of my ships). Double check with ALL imperial bits that they fit properly!
Next, take your smaller magnets (B8401) and carefully apply them to the back of imperial bits with superglue (make sure your magnetic poles are correct). Carrier bits are a little trickier, as they have no flat back to use, there is however, an inner border which will support these magnets just fine, and the magnetism is more then strong enough to hold them in place (trust me on this) I suggest you label your magnets with +'s and -'s to avoid confusion later.
The Upper bay. This is less labor intensive but tricker then the lower bay. You need to file or clip down the two lance bays set into the pewter, and clean out the edges as well so your B8401's will sit in the bay. If you don't do this, your ship will look like a hunchback. This is where sturdy clippers and "Chuck Norris Emasculator" come into play. DO NOT APPLY MAGNETS YET!
Go to your Chaos bits. The flat surface under the bits is PERFECT for the b8401. Glue it in, and place another magnet onto the glued magnet (do not glue magnets together! wait for the glue to dry completely!) Next, place it on the filed weapons bay, if it fits to your desired level, apply some glue (not enough to overlap) to the bottom of the magnet and place it directly onto the mini (with the connected weapon bit). If you did this cleanly enough, after about 10 minutes, you should be able to remove the bit with no problem, and your magnet should be securely in place.
Think the hard part is over? Hardly. Right now you have huge magnetism forces running through your mini. You will have to use some significant force to glue down the top bay to the bottom bay. Once they are secured, you can complete the construction knowing that you have constructed a magnetic masterpiece!
Just be aware.. Neodymium is EXTREMELY strong when it comes to magnetism, your bits will not come off without your permission, but you may want to be careful storing and transporting them.
I will add pics later!
SPECIAL NOTE: The Vengeance weapon battery bit has a raised border on it's back, the lower side requires filing and/or clipping down so a magnet will sit flat.
