How to Magnetize a Warhammer 40K Dark Eldar Talos Pain Engine and a Chronos Parasite Engine

 

In this tutorial, in the first part I will magnetize the Talos Pain Engine’s weapons. I will then go on to magnetize the rest of the model so that it can be converted from a Talos to the Chronos.

1)      If you only want to keep your options for the Talos open so you can play WYSIWYG then you can stop after the first part.

2)      If you want to be able to convert over to a Chronos and back again, continue on to part two once part one is completed.

3)      IF YOU HAVE NOT DECIDED if you want to do both, no worries. I hadn’t when I put this together. NOTHING in part one will keep you from changing your mind until I say “Now you have to decide.”

4)      IF you only want a magnetized Chronos, go to Part Three.

5)      I recommend saving all the bits and bobs for the very end, which is a little out of order from the instructions, but it will keep them out of the way.

 

Materials:

            Talos/Chronos Kit

            Glue

            1/8^th and 1/16^th drill bits

            1/16 by 1/32 magnets

            1/8 by 1/16 magnets

            1/8 by 1/32 magnets

 

PART ONE: Magnetize the Talos Pain Engine

 

Step One: Build the body and hips as per the instructions BUT DO NOT attach the carapace. It is not the end of the world if you do; it just makes things easier if it isn’t in the way. Do not glue in the upper arms or the faces at this point.

 

The next three steps are all interchangeable

 

Step Two: I did the tail weapons first. Put the body on the stand and slide the tail into the slot. DO NOT glue it in. Do this so that you can judge how to cut and place the weapons.

 

Assemble the four twin linked weapons. Next cut the tip of the tail so that it is flat and facing forward. Glue on a 1/8^th by 1/16^th magnet here. Don’t worry that it looks bad; it will be completely covered when you attach the weapon.


This is from later (obviously) but demonstrates the magnet on the tail.

Now the glue on the weapons should be dry. Next you glue a 1/8^th by 1/32^nd magnet into the weapon piece at the point where the “ball” of the tail would have attached. You do not need to drill here, but can if you wish. The magnet will not lay completely flush with the bottom, so the trick here is to make sure the magnet is laying flat. It is not hard, you just have to pay attention or the weapon will point at an angle.



The magnet laying in the twin linked weapon

Last is the small carapace that sits on the weapons. You can magnetize this by clipping the tabs and placing a 1/16 X 1/32nd magnet on the second tab (the one towards the back). The place a magnet in the slot of the wepon at the back of the slot.

The tab from the carapace fits into the tab and in my model stays without a magnet but I ended up magnetizing it just to keep it secure.





Once it dries, this is what it will look like.

 

Step Three: Next is the right arm. This is the close combat weapon arm, and you will have to make a choice which close combat weapon you want of the three or four provided. The other option is to find or purchase the bits to make more of the forearms, but I elected to only go with what came in the box. I went with the cleaver. You can then also make the chain flails, which is the other right arm weapon choice. Don’t attach the vambraces yet. You can if you want, but they are pointing and will hurt your fingers while you drill.

These are the right arm parts assembled, minus the Vambrace

            While these are drying take the right arm piece and clip off the peg. Drill a 1/8^th inch hole, just deep enough for the 1/32 depth magnets (if using 1/16^th depth magnets, some will have to be exposed. Glue in the magnet. Next take the dry forearms and drill a hole for another 1/32^nd depth 1/8^th inch magnet and glue those in place.  Now you can glue on the appropriate vambrace.

 

The finished right arm peices

Closer view of the magent in the forearm

Step Four: Now the left arm. You have to make a choice here. You can build another close combat weapon OR the venom injector. This is again because of only having one forearm set like on the right. Again, you can go find additional pieces or just choose. I chose the venom injector and here is the reasoning. The venom injector looks like a big claw or set of talons, which looks a lot like one of the CCWs on the other side. I can use that as either the CCW or as the venom injector by changing out the appropriate vambrace. So, I magnetize the vambrace and change that out depending on which way I am using it. The liquefier gun also uses the toxin vambrace so it can be switched back and forth so I don’t have to make a permanent choice. The way I look at it, without the toxic vambrace, the venom injector is just a big claw, right? So build the venom injector and the twin linked liquefier gun. While these are drying, repeat the process for the left upper arm, like you did with the right.

Twin linked liquifier gun and left arm

            Once the forearms are dry, repeat the magnetizing process like with the right-sided arm pieces. Then I put a 1/16^th by 1/32^nd magnet in each of the forearm slots where the vambrace pegs would sit. It is just smaller than 1/16^th wide, so you may want to drill a small hole. It will be almost unnoticeable, but makes it easier. I think cut off the peg on the underside of the toxin and close combat vambraces and drilled a very shallow hole to place the small magnet in. It is not necessary, but makes it sit a little more flush. They will then sit on either arm.



Magnet in toxin vambrace

A later view, but you can see the magnet in the slot for the vambrace

 

            The last part of using these two weapons is the attachment to the first “vestigial arm hole accepts the attachment of the tubes running from the weapons. So, clip the ball on the end of the tubes at about 1/3^rd of the way in, creating a flat spot to glue a 1/16^th by 1/32^nd magnet. The drill a hole in the vestigial arm hole to accept the mating magnet. The hole is required so that the meeting will be flush. IF you elected to go with a CCW instead of the venom injector, you will also need to magnetize one of the vestigial arms, vanes or poison vials so that it can be put there when using the CCW.





Here you can see the vestigial arm hole magnet behind the main arm hole magnet



Here is the arm I decided to use when I want a left hand CCW. It sticks onto the vestigial arm hole magnet-and there you go.

 

You will notice that at this point you have not drilled or magnetized the upper arm connection to the body. Be patient, it is coming....

 

Now you have all the available options on your Talos Pain Engine. The decision time has arrived. If you only want a Talos, then glue everything in place (including the upper arms to the main body) and finish it up as per the instructions. If you want to also have a Chronos, then go on to Part Two. If you want interchangeable faces, go to the end of part two.

 

PART TWO

 

So, you have decided you want to make a Chronos too. So we will start with the arms.

 

Step five: There are two ways of doing this. Either magnetize the upper arms of the two sets or cut the “tentacally” part of the chromos arms off and magnetize them just like attaching the forearms in the Talos portion. I went with doing the upper arms, which gives me flexibility later should I ever decide to make something permanent.

 Method 1: Drill a hole into each arm socket on the main body of the model to accept the 1/8 inch magnets. I just drilled all the way through. Place the 1/8 by 1/16^th magnets in so that they are flush with the surface. If you used a 1/8^th in bit it should be a very tight fit and you won’t need green stuff. If you over drilled, then you may need some on the back to get them to hold. Now, you can glue on the carapace.

Here is the talos with the arm magnet in place-obviously I did this before the vestigial arm hole magnet. The order doesn't really matter.

view of the arm connection to the body

 

            Next, clip the tips of the two Talos upper arms and the two chromos arms to create a flat spot. Drill a pilot hole with your 1/6^th in drill bit, and then drill the 1/8^th inch hole. Place a magnet into the arm socket making sure it is flat to the surface. I used the 1/32^nd depth magnets and they hold fine.

 

 

Method 2: Clip the tentacle portion of the chromos arms off. Drill a small hole in them to accept a 1/8^th inch magnet and use to attach the same as the Talos forearms. Once that is done, you can glue the upper arms with the magnets into the arm sockets.

 

Step 6: Assemble the tentacle pod and the “tail pod” (parts 43 and 44 in the current instructions-the ones that you glue on the chains, vortex or antenna). Assemble the spirit vortex.

            Next drill a 1/16^th inch hole in the tail pod deep enough for two 1/16^th by 1/32^nd  inch magnets. Then glue ONE in the hole. Next glue the mating magnets to the base of the vortex and antenna (for the chromos) and the chains (for the talos). This way the magnets on the attachments will sit in the hole and the attachments will be flush.

Remeber to inset this on so that the adjoining magnet will not show.

 

 

Here is the spirit vortex. The other tail pod accessories can be done exactly the same.

            Currently, I did not magnetize the two back holes. The hole and peg configurations are very tight and hole fine. You could if you chose add magnets here, but I did not see the point. Should they ever become loose then I will add them then.

 

            With this done, you should be able to place it in the two configurations-the tail pod underneath when the weapon tail is in place for the Talos configuration; and the tail pod up top with the tentacle pod underneath for the Chronos configuration. You then only need to swap out the appropriate tail pod attachment for whatever option you choose.

 

Step 7: The facemask. This is completely optional, but I wanted three different facemasks. One for the Talos and two for the Chronos (the plain and the spirit siphon). First assemble the two pieces that make up the mask with the spirit siphon. Then drill a 1/16^th inch hole at the flat of the face, just before the curve. Glue in a 1/16^th by 1/32^nd magnet. Next drill a SHALLOW 1/16^th inch hole inside the corresponding mask position. This is only to hold the magnet in place and keep it a little bit flush, but be careful as, obviously, you could drill right through. If you are hesitant, then just skip the drilling or just glue on your favorite face.

I drilled a VERY shallow hole, just to make sure the magnet sat where I wanted it and did not slide around

 

"Hi, I'm a cyclops." Again, I drilled a shallow hole so that I could set the magnet in the right spot.

Step 8: Now add the two hip pods and all the accessories you want. If you are a purest, you can use a bunch of  1/16^th by 1/32^nd magnets and magnetize all the accessories (back spines and vestigial arm holes), but I just glued in the ones I wanted, as I was going to use the same back spines regardless of which model and I liked a combination of the vestigial arms and poison vials, so that is what I was going to do regardless.

 

PART THREE;

            If you only want a variable Chronos, then all you do is magnetize the tail pod and the face masks and any accessories you want. There are no other options. So, yes this part is really just a tease J

 

So, there you have it and Chronos and a Talos, all in one model.