Jasonc Posted June 24, 2017 Share Posted June 24, 2017 These really take me back to when I first started with all of the customizing after my days as a youngster. Nevertheless, they look great. I kinda wish I could work on one, but alas, I've sold all of my 1/55s off. I now have a ton of unassembled Yamato kits, but those require a different type of work. I'll live my 1/55 customization through you. I remember making the feet be able to vector thrust, the legs rotate out, and so on. Those were the days of our innovation, LOL. Great work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mazinger Posted June 25, 2017 Share Posted June 25, 2017 I've fallen behind on my 1/55 custom plans, but have very much in mind to do an M&M set. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter Posted June 26, 2017 Share Posted June 26, 2017 Wow, those are some impressive looking chunkies, awesome work man! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mslz22 Posted June 28, 2017 Author Share Posted June 28, 2017 The amount of masking that goes into a set of these is way more than I expected. Getting thru it slowly and starting to decal where I can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mslz22 Posted June 29, 2017 Author Share Posted June 29, 2017 And getting some armor started. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derex3592 Posted June 29, 2017 Share Posted June 29, 2017 those are looking fantastic! What kind of paint are you using? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
505thAirborne Posted June 29, 2017 Share Posted June 29, 2017 These are looking awesome! Great addition to your DYRL VF-1 Squadron! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mslz22 Posted June 29, 2017 Author Share Posted June 29, 2017 Thanks, for the sake of keeping these "reto" I have been using rattle cans of Krylon fusion. It's a great paint for 1/55's and keeps the look of those early 2000's customs I am going for. It's also very scratch resistant after about a week of setting. However, I will say that after 10+ years of using an airbrush exclusively to paint, using a rattle can kind of feels like trying to set a delicate brass furniture screw with a hammer. After this one I may try decanting it into one of my cheaper airbrushes. I just figured out that it cleans up nice with lacquer thinner. I was never sure if it was an enamel or acrylic, but lacquer thinner really cleans it up easy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mslz22 Posted July 7, 2017 Author Share Posted July 7, 2017 So here is a nifty little last minute mod that i don't know if I have seen before. I'm sure someone else may have. One of the things that always drove me crazy about doing customs is that the swing bar pin (that black spring loaded thingy) always would scratch the paint for the most part. I got lucky sometimes with weakening the spring and putting some petroleum jelly on the pin. And it was always a crap shoot. So here I am using 1/4 neodymium magnets on the metal swing bars, you have to drill out the area that pin would be coming out. Then on the nose I put 1/8 steel pins. I found that using steel rather than another magnet, while weaker does not have the issue of them needing to be lined up exactly. I beef up the connection of both the magnets and the pins with a little apoxy sculpt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristopherB Posted July 11, 2017 Share Posted July 11, 2017 Looking good Mike, it's awesome to see 1/55 custom valkyries again. They were always my favorite to collect. No one has done that particular modification to my knowledge, it's an interesting idea. I did add some magnets to the leg armor so the inner clip would no longer be needed. I recall that Jung would cut off the front of the swing bar making the nosecone look more sleek, but that also prevented them from transforming. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mslz22 Posted July 12, 2017 Author Share Posted July 12, 2017 Getting close on Max Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derex3592 Posted July 12, 2017 Share Posted July 12, 2017 awesomeness Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mslz22 Posted July 12, 2017 Author Share Posted July 12, 2017 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derex3592 Posted July 12, 2017 Share Posted July 12, 2017 aaaand that's all I have to say about that..until I see the wife's ride right beside hubby! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mslz22 Posted July 13, 2017 Author Share Posted July 13, 2017 Max Super Battoid, only took me 32 years to get one done! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derex3592 Posted July 13, 2017 Share Posted July 13, 2017 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
505thAirborne Posted July 13, 2017 Share Posted July 13, 2017 That Max 1J looks soooooo good!! Damn, I'm temped to start buying 1/55's again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mslz22 Posted July 13, 2017 Author Share Posted July 13, 2017 Thanks, I'm sure it's my age talking but nothing gives me the warm feeling I want from collecting than a 1/55 custom. It took me years to realize it, but for all the superior releases in 1/48 and 1/60 it's the 1/55 chunky that makes me happy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
505thAirborne Posted July 14, 2017 Share Posted July 14, 2017 1 hour ago, mslz22 said: Thanks, I'm sure it's my age talking but nothing gives me the warm feeling I want from collecting than a 1/55 custom. It took me years to realize it, but for all the superior releases in 1/48 and 1/60 it's the 1/55 chunky that makes me happy. I believe it was 1986 and I was at Mervyn's (an old dept store that used to sell toys), so I'm maybe I'm 8 at this point. They had shelves of SW, Transformers & RT toys, when I saw all the Jetfire's I lost my mind and wanted one badly, my Mom said maybe for Christmas Santa will bring you one..... two days later on my B-day I unwrapped a Jetfire, Top 5 gift of all time!! So despite being a 1/48 & 1/60 fan, the 1/55 is pure magic! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derex3592 Posted July 14, 2017 Share Posted July 14, 2017 Absolutely, I remember when i got Jetfire as a Transformer, but loving Robotech as well...i was SO confused, but didn't care because the toy was just freaking awesome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vt102 Posted July 17, 2017 Share Posted July 17, 2017 Brings back memories of Jung and his full custom 1/55's. Very nice. I always wanted to build one. Bought the pieces and the donor valks, and even the decals. But never got around to doing them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mslz22 Posted July 17, 2017 Author Share Posted July 17, 2017 Milia getting there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mslz22 Posted July 17, 2017 Author Share Posted July 17, 2017 Done I guess... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mslz22 Posted July 17, 2017 Author Share Posted July 17, 2017 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mslz22 Posted July 28, 2017 Author Share Posted July 28, 2017 Another one one the bench, Hikaru 1S non transformable made from a beater with numerous broken parts. This will get non removable armor soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
505thAirborne Posted July 28, 2017 Share Posted July 28, 2017 That Hikaru 1S is looking great! The M&M Valk's are works of art, excellent job! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wmkjr Posted July 28, 2017 Share Posted July 28, 2017 Awesome hip sockets! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Convectuoso Posted July 28, 2017 Share Posted July 28, 2017 Those valks are looking great. Good job! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mslz22 Posted July 28, 2017 Author Share Posted July 28, 2017 Thanks, update for today, still lots to do. I made 3 mods to this that i have not done before. 1 is the hip sockets, which is cool not only for the pose but it also gets the legs in the right place. 2 Same type ball sockets at the shoulder. 3. I eliminated the backpack connector part and attached the boosters directly to the standard backpack. This brings those boosters in a bit tighter. Overall it only changes the proportions of the 1/55 a little bit, but I think it goes a long way. Of course all this only works as a non transformable battloid, but I kind of feel like this is what the 1/55 "wants" to be in battloid mode. Either way I feel like it's a good use of a $20 beater. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mazinger Posted July 28, 2017 Share Posted July 28, 2017 3 minutes ago, mslz22 said: Of course all this only works as a non transformable battloid, but I kind of feel like this is what the 1/55 "wants" to be in battloid mode. Incredible, really! Curious, do you think there you could have added the hip joints and still kept the transformation? What kind of joints did you use? Also, I'm not sure if you have answered this, but what paints did you use? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mslz22 Posted July 28, 2017 Author Share Posted July 28, 2017 30 minutes ago, Mazinger said: Incredible, really! Curious, do you think there you could have added the hip joints and still kept the transformation? What kind of joints did you use? Also, I'm not sure if you have answered this, but what paints did you use? Could I make something that would allow it to keep it's transformation? Short answer yes if I made something that mimics the 1/48 Yamato swing bar. That being said it's completely unreasonable IMO to do so for a 1/55, I bet it would be like 2 grand of my time/work to do something like that. I am happy to stick to non transformables for these customs, like I said most of these are $20 beaters. The ball joints for the shoulder and hips are just 3/8 diameter brass balls that come pre threaded with a 8-32 thread. I just get some 8-32 machine bolts and cut them to the size I want. In the case of the hips the threaded rod is just straddled across the "headlights". You have to hog out a trench for them to sit in. Then I just putty up the nose and glue it all together and it's good to go. For the shoulders you need to make some mods but it's the same idea, basically a 5/8 8-32 screw covered with a 5/32 piece of brass replaces the post. In both cases I use apoxy sculpt to fill in the voids and then drill out 3/8 receiver for the ball joints. It has limited motion, but these are not for playing with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nightmareB4macross Posted May 8, 2019 Share Posted May 8, 2019 Mike, Could you post a picture of all the customs in the first page? For some reason the pictures are all gone. Apologies for necromancing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nightmareB4macross Posted November 5, 2020 Share Posted November 5, 2020 Necromancy...just because these are awesome and wondering if more were made. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capt Hungry Posted November 10, 2020 Share Posted November 10, 2020 Great work! I recall seeing other 1/55 customs here back in the early Aughts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pengbuzz Posted November 10, 2020 Share Posted November 10, 2020 On 11/5/2020 at 12:44 AM, nightmareB4macross said: Necromancy...just because these are awesome and wondering if more were made. Hey, it's always a good time for 1/55 customs! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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