ChristopherB

Hello, Wow! They look great! I doubt that I will be able to resist getting them, but I owe, I owe... Sincerely, Christopher

Hello, I think that it would be cool to have a complete set of clear armor. The intent is to show off the interior detail, and as such the Strike Cannon may be lacking in that category. However, last I heard, Rhoby was still working on the Joke Machine recast project, so perhaps he prefers to finish one project before beginning another. I have not taken the time to contact him yet, because I am not sure how long it will be until my name comes up on the JM order list. If anyone has any information, or received a JM from him recently, please post the latest news. Sincerely, Christopher

Max Jenius and Mechamaniac, Both of you hit the nail right on the head. I especially like the part about "under-sexed" males, and that was my sentiment as well. I remember calling her on the content of her posts early in the ballgame, but it didn't do any good. Sincerely, Christopher

Hello Mike, Wonderful job on your custom! You consistently produce high quality works. I'm sure that the pictures don't do it proper justice. Sincerely, Christopher

Kurt, Great job on your custom! Very clean looking, and I can't wait to see it with the armor on. Sincerely. Christopher

Definitely cool! Yet another item to add to the list of things I want. Unfortunately, just because I "want" it, doesn't mean I'll be able to "buy" it. I'm really glad that Yamato came along, because I was getting tired of searching Ebay for decent Jetfires. Sincerely, Christopher

JsARCLIGHT, Right on dude! My wife is a San Diego native, and I did my military tour there, otherwise I probably would have never gone. I have to admit, San Diego is beautiful, and has a lot of cool things to do. The smog isn't nearly as bad there yet, but it won't be getting any better. Previously, technological advancements were decreasing pollution even though the number of vehicles on the roads were increasing; however, those advances are no longer able to keep pace with the shear amount of people. The number one problem in the world is over population. Anyway, I'll do my part to salvage the thread to help maintain "appearances," but it might be too far gone. It can be pretty hard to save your collection from an earthquake. The entire building/house could collapse, a busted gas main could start a fire, and the list goes on. When God says it is our time to go, it is our time to go, and when Kawamori calls his valkyrie angels back to him, well I guess there is not much we can do but shed a tear as we surf Ebay looking for replacements. Sincerely, Christopher

Hello, Cool, looks good! Did you ever finish the 1/72 DYRL launch arm project that you were working on for Blackaces? Maybe I missed the thread about it. I remember he obtained an original and then he gave it to someone to be casted and copies sold. Sincerely, Christopher

Commander McBride, Not sure exactly where you live in CA, but I know we met a couple times. First at Anime Expo. MW meeting, and at MW Con. 3. Maybe you are being sarcastic, but those fires were not in the "middle of no where." Riots: You got this one right, at least I think. All we need is for people to pretend to riot based upon some social injustice, when the reality of it is that they just want to loot stores and beat up innocent people. Fires: I lived in Upland, which is a very nice community in San Bernadino and beautiful homes were being destroyed pretty close to where we live. It was an aweful experience. Not to mention San Diego, which was hit pretty hard. Both areas are highly populated, and right off major freeways. Tell the hundreds of homeless families that the fires were in the middle of no where. Gangs: My son got beat up at school by a gang of black kids, and the only motivation was the fact the fact that my son is white. The school is in what appears to a nice area near the San Diego Zoo, Veteran's War Memorial and Balboa Park. Police officers patrol the school because of gangs. The number of gang related killings in LA is really high this year. Smog: So thick that you can't see the mountains on some days. When you are above it and look down, you realize that you actually live in, and breathe that crap. A big brown haze of pollution that hangs over the cities. Yeah, Southern California has it's good points, but things will only get worse as more people/illegal immigrants move there. Anyway, I moved to Maryland to get away from all of that, and my wife and kids left the day before the earthquake hit, so that was good news. Sincerely, Christopher

Hello, Yeah, it's fun to tease one another about the different branches. I was a "Squid," or "Surface Puke," as compared to a "Bubble Head." You join the Marine Corp to fight, and I have the most respect for the USMC. My step-father retired from the Marine Corp. He spent time as a Drill Instructor and then Forward Air Observer during Vietnam. The Huey he was in got shot down, he was shot up pretty bad, left for dead and stripped of his uniform by the Viet Cong. Needless to say, whenever I screwed up, I was disciplined "Marine Corp" style. My real father served in the US Army during Korea but stayed stateside. Did top secret work intercepting and decoding transmissions from Russia, and they were doing the same to us. Afterwords he went to work for N.A.S.A. for (30) years and got to meet most of the astronauts. My brother served as a medic with the Marine Corp stationed at Camp Pendleton and Twenty Nine Palms. My grandfather on my dad's side served overseas in WWII with the US Navy. Uncle on my mom's side served in Alaska during the Vietnam War with the US Army. So basically, we have been a pretty patriotic family. Every branch except for Air Force. Sincerely, Christopher

Hello, Sweet looking kit. For Nu Gundam fans, G-System is going to release a 1/72 scale kit. Here is a preliminary picture of the work in progress: G-System is also considering releasing a 1/48 Hi-Nu Gundam. If you have seen a 1/60 Perfect Grade Gundam, then just imagine how much bigger a 1/48 scale will be. If 1/48 scale is too big for you, they also released the Hi-Nu. Here is a picture and ordering information: I highly recommend Mecha Dream if you plan to buy any resin kits. Sincerely, Christopher

Hello, Well so far, it looks like I have bragging rights for the longest marriage posted so far. To be honest, I'm not sure it is something to be proud of, because it means I lost a lot of chances to fornicate with other girls. On the other hand, it takes a lot of work to make a marriage successful, and nothing beats being in love. ( years of marriage, and I am only (28) years old. I married a beautiful girl with natural red hair (strawberry blond) and a flaming temper to match her hair color. (2) great kids, a boy that loves baseball, and a girl that plays with Barbie and Strawberry Shortcake. Sincerely, Christopher

Pretty amazing story. I find it really disturbing that a French reporter would not interfere with a missile launch. Notice that I did not say I was surprised though. Whatever it takes to get the story, and trust me, the reporter was not there by chance at just the right moment. You have to get clearance with the bad guys to be with them.

Hello, No need to include a separate spot in the poll for the Marines or Coast Guard. Marines are basically a section or department under the Navy. Hell, we even have to provide someone to patch them up. The Coast Guard is under the Department of Transportation, so technically they are not really a "military" branch. Here is what the word "M.A.R.I.N.E.S." stands for" My Ass Rides In Navy Equipment Sir Muscles Are Required Intelligence Not ESsential (5) years in the Navy as an Operations Specialist. (We do a little bit of everything: radar, navigation, identification friend or foe, firing Tomahawk Missiles, act as air controllers for carrier based fighters.) Places I got to go: Alcapulco, Hawaii, Thailand, Phillipines, Singapore, United Arab Emirates, Dubai, American Samao, and Australia. Basically an all expense paid world cruise. Now I work at the Veterans Administration and help other veterans, widows and dependents. By the way, "N.A.V.Y." stands for: Never Again Volunteer Yourself. Just remember that veterans gave life and limb so to establish our country and project our freedoms. While we sit warm and safe in our homes, they are out there, far from home and loved ones protecting us. Sincerely, Christopher

Jung, I'm sure that there are more pictures of the Blue Roses custom, to include the blue and tan hexagonal color scheme, but locating them has proven to be difficult. Perhaps if someone were to translate the article it would reveal the name of the creator, and then you would have a place to start. As it stands, all of my"Blue Roses" internet searches have not turned up anymore pictures. Regarding the hexagonal pattern. I personally commissioned MW member "Flyboy" to make a custom 1/55 VF-1S Blue Roses Strike, and he painted it in the blue hexagonal pattern. It was a lot of work, and he used different shades of blue to create the camouflage effect. Needless to say, he had to create his own "mask" for the pattern and carefully spay each shape. The end result more than justified the work involved, and it ended up being the most elaborate paint scheme I have ever seen, and I've owned a lot of customs. Yes, the Blue and Tan versions look wonderful together, and as soon as I saw the picture of them together, I knew that I wanted to own a set for myself. Initially I planned for them to be in 1/55 scale, but now that the 1/48 is available I think that they will compliment each other perfectly. My family is doing well, and I'm thankful to have a wonderful wife who puts up with my Macross custom addiction and job transfers. (I'll send you a PM shortly Devin.) Sincerely, Christopher

Hello Jung, I hope you are doing well, and it is good to see you back! I fondly remember buying some awesome customs from you, and they were quite an investment, especially considering how much one of your pristine 1/55 customs sold for. Oh, those were the days, back when it was cool to locate a decent Jetfire or Joons on Ebay. Blue Roses Scheme is my favorite, and I have had some projects in mind, and completed for quite a while, so I'm looking forward to seeing yours. Here is a picture of the original 1/48 VF-1S Blue Roses Valkyrie: I commissioned Devin quite a while back to make the first Blue Roses decals, and we also talked about the elusive "brown" camouflage scheme. Here is the only picture I have been able to find, but in the past I swear I saw more at a Japanese Macross Valkyrie modeling website. Can't find it again though. Here it is: Good luck! Let me know if I can be of further assistance. Sincerely, Christopher

Hello Kurt, Great job on Gouf and Dom! If you think 1/60 scale is big, wait until you see my finished 1/48 GP04G Gerbera resin kit built. A company named G-System has even released a couple of 1/35 scale kits, which are really expensive. I am big Gundam fan, and I hope that one day someone will release a Perfect Grade Macross VF-1S, so I can build my own fully detailed valkyrie. That will be a dream come true! Sincerely, Christopher

Hello, Definitely a great job on the 1/72 Strike. Reminds me a lot of the Club M kit. The builder was definitely inspired by it. Quite a few similarities, but also some differences. Mainly, the manner in which the missile pod opens. Of course the 1/48 Club M is made to be ultra-detailed, but to modify a 1/72 Hasegawa to the same level took a lot of work. Sincerely, Christopher

Hello, I still like the 1/60 line, because they take up less space, so I would be interested if Yamato did indeed release the upgrade set. I checked out HLJ and notice something interesting, but then it could just be a mistake. To be honest though, I don't recall them making this type of mistake before, and if they have, it is rare. Here it goes: Assembly Guide: Skill Level 2, Cement, Paint Required Product Overview: This item is a set of optional parts for modifying or detailing robot and other science-fiction kits. It requires both cement and painting to complete or use. Anyway, presuming it is correct, I can imagine that we would need to paint the GBP1 armor, but if they release a generic upgrade kit that is non-specific, well that could require some assembly. Who knows, but I thought it worth mentioning, and it's always good to add a little fuel to fire of speculation. Sincerely, Christopher

Hello, Looks great! I've been wanting to see how good one of these kits looks after it has been built, for a while now. The leg armor could use some decals, especially since the boosters have the Macross emblem. Sincerely, Christopher

Hello, Thanks for the information. Personally, I've never tried "break" fluid, but I found that "brake" fluid will indeed damage plastic parts by making them brittle. I find it interesting that "Easy Off" will damage metal, but not plastic. You would think the opposite would be true. I'm interested in the potential long term effects, if any, that may not show up immediately, but months/years later might occur. Plastic is of course porous and I doubt that the cleaner just stays on the surface. Ovens of course do not have plastic inside of them, because of heating issues, so I wonder if "Easy Off" was ever intended for use on plastic items. Just curious, not trying to be the "fly in the ointment." Sincerely, Christopher

Hello Devin, Thank you very much for making these decals! As usual, you did an amazing job, and raised the bar another notch. My love of customs will be the death of me, but I don't plan to ever go on the wagon. By the way, I mailed you the "other" Enigma booster emblem, so you can add it to the decal sheet. You should get it any day. Just to clarify for those reading, I obtained the Hasegawa style Enigma Booster album from the limited release option decal set. It will be cool to be able to pick which emblem you prefer to use, or just make (2) different Engima customs, one with each emblem. I'll reply to your PM's soon. Sincerely, Christopher

capital_jay & Grayson72, Thank you both for posting a reply. The information is greatly appreciated. I was pretty sure that the numbers referred to a specific manufacturer, but I was not sure who. I remember reading that you could get pre-matched Gunze paints to go with certain Gundam kits at HLJ. Sincerely, Christopher

Hello, I did a search prior to posting this thread, and did not find a match. Perhaps my search criteria was off, and if a pertinent thread exists, please post the link. My question specifically refers to the Hasegawa Macross VF-1S Strike Battroid "Minmay Guard" Limited Edition kit. I have built a lot of models during the past (20) years, and normally I just paint them whatever color I like, or bring a color reference with me to the hobby store and go with the best match. This time, I want to do it right, and by the book, all though I'm sure some will say it is not necessary. I've done it every other way, so please post if you can answer my specific question. Does the Hasegawa color guide provided in each model kit reference a specific brand of paint? If so, who, and where is the best place to obtain it? I'm familiar with the differences between acrylic paint and enamel, so that is not an issue. As we know different paint manufactures are prevalent in other geographical locations. Obviously, the majority of the colors referenced are fairly generic. I mean, white is usually white, and silver is silver, but other colors can be intrinsic to the model kit. I have never heard of a color called "Radome," so perhaps it is a combination. I know what an actual "Radome" is, since I served in the military, but a V-1S does not have one. The color guide provides reference numbers to correlate part with paint color, and then some Japanese text, and then what is most likely the English equivalent of the paint color. I presume the "H" next to the number, just refers to "Hasegawa" since I know of no paint manufactures name that begins with an "H." Thank you in advance. Sincerely, Christopher

Mike, Great job on the custom! Very nice work, and it is nice to see the custom landing gear and gunpod. Sadly, the 1/55 has always lacked the ability to be able to have the gunpod mounted in fighter mode, but you have fixed that. I'm looking forward to seeing your next custom with the 1/55 Takatoys nosecone. Sincerely, Christopher