When I first saw the Space Marine Character conversion set from Forge World, I couldn't help but think how cool all the little bits looked. Especially the combi-flamer. Not that it's the most practical weapon in the game, it just looked so cool to me.
As I was working on something the other day (I don't remember what it was), it hit me like a train that I could build my own combi-flamer relatively easily with nothing more than a regular bolter and some greenstuff.
It's easier than you think it is. All you need is some greenstuff, a sharp pointed X-Acto blade, a regular bolter (any bolter will do), a small piece of plasticard and superglue.
The first thing is creating a hamburger like shape of greenstuff that is as thick or even better, slightly thinner than the thickness of your bolter. The thickness is important, you need it to be consistent so your flamer vent looks correct when glued in place.
You want both sides nice and flat and smooth. Once that cures, you trace out the shape of your combi-flamer tip into the middle of the greenstuff.
Do it next to your bolter so the scale is correct. Remember it has to fit on the end of the gun when you're done.
Using a fine tipped marker, I drew out the shape I wanted. I kept it simple in this case since this was more to see if it would work than anything else. You could make it more involved once you get the hang of it. I also marked out a few spots where I planned on drilling out my vent holes.
I drilled out my vent holes first so that I could hold onto the piece while drilling. I used the very tip of my X-Acto blade and kept them small so the scale looked correct. You can see the difference between my plan and the reality as I found myself trying to get more holes on the vent so it looked more like a traditional flamer vent and not just some kind of strange barrel.
The plasticard is cut out in a tiny piece and used as a spacer between the new vent tip and the gun. This gives it a better look than just setting the new piece directly onto the face of the gun.
And that's it, instant combi-flamer!
Make sure to check out these posts as they might help:
Adeptus Custodes halberd conversion
