How to Make a Warhammer 40k Fuel Tank

Fuel is very important for it is one thing that gave energy on our equipments and in every engines that uses fuel to run. Everybody needs fuel in flamethrowers used by the Space Marine squads or by a Land Raider that's just about empty. Or a Dreadnought who's thirsty or a Leman Russ who's all passed out. No matter who you are or what you are, if you've got fuel guzzling heavy support and equipments that need to be refueled, you're gonna need to have a fuel tank. Preferably a fuel tank that just near and close at hand. Just make sure its not too close or it may be a threat of attack and nobody wants to have a fuel tank shrapnels embedded in their jet packs. So after some introductions lets get down on our main agenda.

Materials:

Thin wood

Polystyrene (styrofoam)

Empty can of beans

Acrylic Black paint

Red gore or red paint

Terracotta (brownish red)

silver gray paint

Step 1 Creating the base

There are so many different ways and materials that can be use in for the creation of the base. Thin wood, Masonite, Polystyrene (Styrofoam) is the most popular of all because it so easy to cut and it is handy. Foam board is also one materials that can be use however due to its substances it has a tendency to curl once primed and painted. But for this project its better to use the thin wood as our base because of its lightness and durability.

We used polystyrene (styrofoam) and cut out cinder blocks from it then stick them together on the base. Then base coating all the cinder blocks in acrylic black, heavily dry brushing all of them in codex gray, and light dry brushing them in skull white we stuck in some rebar (also known as metal wire cut and stuck into the cinder blocks). Once everything is in place and already prepared its time to add the fuel tank.

Step 2 Adding the fuel tank (can of beans)

For an amazing and beautiful Warhammer 40k fuel tank (I have to differentiate this from a regular fuel tank) Lets use for our fuel tank an empty can of beans. Since the can is already opened, the other end is gone, we can traced the can into a piece of foam board for the replacement of the other end that was gone. Cut out the traced circled then stuck it into the other end of the can. Once all the end of the can is closed, perforate the can a little in your desired position in few different places. This will brought a beaten and battered look in the can.

Step 3 Base coat the fuel tank

After putting some designs onto the can its time to put color to it. Simply base coat the fuel tank with acrylic black paint. Be sure to base it a thin layer only for a couple of times. Putting a thick layer of paint in the fuel tank will result in major peeling of the paint.

Step 4 Painting the fuel tank

When the base coat is already dry its time to paint the fuel tank with red gore or simply red paint. Once again the painting should be lightly because more colors will be added later. I

�ve chosen to paint streaks in certain sections only. Next add some terracotta (brownish red). Lastly add bolt gun metal (silver gray) or mithril silver to give the steel look. To emphasize the fuel tank and have a better place for it add a steel frame and base for the fuel tank. It can be made with some Popsicle sticks and Styrofoam. The Popsicle stick will be the steel frame and the Styrofoam will act as the cement base for the fuel tank. Simply base coat them with acrylic black. Paint the cement base codex gray and the steel frame with the same paints used for the rust effects on the fuel tank.

Step 5 Add some pipes

Get some straws that can be bend on the other end and glue them together. Cut them to equal sizes then glue them to one of the ends of the tank. On the foam board we used to replace the missing end of the can. For the paint use the rust effects on the pipes too.

Step 6 Flock it!

This step completely finishes it off. I used a mixture of home made modeling flock, static grass, sand, and some weeds I pulled from a nearby trench. Simply brush PVA glue (white glue) onto the parts of the base you want flocked. I also added flock to the cinder blocks and a little on top of the fuel tank.





Matthew Glanfield is the webmaster for MiniWarGaming.com, a site that strives to provide useful resources to players of the Games Workshop Warhammer Fantasy, Warhammer 40K, and Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle Game. You can visit his website at http://www.miniwargaming.com