20max20

A bit of hot water and lots of sanding later, main surface is saved. Just ordered some “blue stuff”, I will use it to make a mould of this part based on the other VF-2ss I have so I can re-cast the last imperfection with epoxy...gonna take time :/

Yes, with the second one I´ll use lots of magnets (it is and ET after all  ) so there will be more freedom to remove pieces ( -> shoulder/arm folding mechanism) and achieve a sleeker fighter mode. Should be a quicker mod that the one I´m currently doing and I wanted to check the concept during the weekend but I will have no time as I had a little unexpected issue I have to fix  

After days of sanding to make the hole body 2 mm less thick, I finally started working on the front chest plate to make it less curved/domed and more straight/flat, like the Bandai for example, so I took my hairdryer (not first time I do this process), gently started with the left side and immediately...

but what plastic quality is used here?

Rescue mode: on!

(btw, if anyone has a VF-2ss waiting to go, or already in the bin...let me know )

Not yet actually. My mods objective is fighter mode oriented, so I haven´t spent much time thinking about improving the look of battroid. Actually ,I think it will look "worse" in this mode after the mods, but I can live with that. I want to keep the "perfect transformation" aspect with this project, but on the new one I´ll start (yes, I pulled the trigger and another VF-2ss is on the way....) I´m seriously considering going the extra step "parts forming" to improve fighter mode look even more...

Agree with you, that hand improves the look a lot!

P.S.: quick update, the idea on how to integrate fin + cover for the L pieces does not work with the transformation  

...looks like I’ll have to do some work also on the sap... 

The fin is simply in the wrong place. I decided to move it "back" also to free the line of the profile of the nosecone that is contributing to give a slimmer look to the valk. At first I decided to have a polycaps inside the nosecone + pin attached to the fin to make it "parts-former", but then I realized "hey it it could rotate and go back in the original position for battroid", so why not?

Also, I´m still planning to mod the L shaped plastic pieces connecting the metal swing bars of the leg to the body and make them collapsing/extendable, and I would like to close the hole in the fusalage with a panel.

I combined the two ideas...let see if I can make it work  

14 hours ago, jvmacross said:

The repositioning of the legs alone makes it look so much better...great work! 

Looking forward to the finished product...and finding out what your mod service fee will be....

Ahah, thanks! still long way to go to see the final result. Mod service fee you say eh...mmm...I´m tempted to purchase another one as it is on sale at hlj...I have 2 colour schemes options in mind...I could use it as practice...I just need a third reason...(that it is on sale doesn´t count, right? )

At concept stage for the ventral fin, this idea seems to work!

maybe these are a bit better...

Tempted to buy another one, this project is quite fun! Maybe next time it goes back on sale.

Working on the legs. I realized that the reason why they don´t stay parallel to the arms in fighter mode, but rather angled in a sort of A stance, is because the ball joint on the metal swing bar is blocked by the housing to reach a proper straight positioning of the legs.

Problem solved by removing part of the plastic housing then! Surprisingly, also the actual hole in the leg needs to be widened a bit, and this results in having the housing for the ball joint able to "click" in and out, allowing extra extension for the joint. Lucky!

I took some pictures to show before and after.

Also, put together the pieces with sticky paste for a check (new panel line on the leg, shortened dorsal booster, new shoulder pieces).

..now fixing the ventral fin..

Hi,

yes I´m planning to do "something" to the swing bar, but not as the Bandai. Indeed, i do not really like the big break they create in the underline of the valk.

The idea for this project is to work on the L shaped plastic piece they are attached to and make it extendable/retractable. In this way, they would stay extended as they are now for battroid mode, but collapse for fighter and "hide" inside the giant hole there is currently right after the nosecone. Here is where the big challenge starts, as then I will have to create a "tunnel" (which can be accessed by open/close panels) in the body/air intake of the valk for the metal swing bar to make sure the legs sit in fighter mode high close to the wing :/ No idea how to do it...I need help! 

Anyway, I´m basically done with the first wave of mods. not 100% satisfied by the outcome but I have some ideas how to improve. I think I will let some days pass so that I will re-look at them with a fresh perspective. Recap:

- new panel lines - check!

- Dorsal booster lowered closer to the wing - check!

- Backpack reworked and made smaller (in almost every direction), also the piece covering the head is shortened and shaped to match the head profile - check!

- wings sanded down and relative pins to have the valk body thinner - check!

-  arms mod so they are sitting in fighter mode not parallel but angled up towards the body - check but maybe I will use ball joint later on!

- new smaller shoulder - no check, do be re-done with new idea

Now let´s move to the legs...

some quick pics:

Modified Arms and new smaller shoulders almost ready. The arms will not be sitting under in parallel position to the body, but angled up by an additional “click” at the shoulder.

Thanks! Still need to close the mod on the shoulders to see how much sleeker it will look. For now, left thruster lowered down closer to the wing (just realized the ventral fin under the nosecone should also be moved a bit to the back...that will be a challenge, probably I’ll have to go down the “part removing” route...).

Side view after sanding of the base of the wing and the pins...slowly getting slimmer

Some new panel lines and shortened backpack:

Well essentially I want it will look slimmer in fighter mode, with the leg sitting more under the wings (the plan at the moment is to make them attach directly to the wing...that's where the disposable flosser could help...maybe...).

To achieve this there are a lot of small solutions that need to be found and implemented.

I think I got almost all planned out, but I still have to come up with a good idea for hiding the metal bars connecting the leg to the body, would love to be able to do some cool 3D stuff :/

I already sanded down the wing base and gained some millimetres also sanding the shoulder joint. This, together with smaller shoulder (like the Bandai Hi Metal) should make the shoulder hang down 5-7 millimetres less than before...

...and of course, custom Roy colour scheme!

Started to work on it, hope she will look better after the modifications I planned...

To feed some 19P love, My first attempt to make a custom, hope you'll enjoy

but...are the wings on the "other" SV-262 in the background in the poster different? Looks like the "spiky" part is missing...

I was thinking to this solution too Graham...but what about the white markings "sms001" or other numbers on the leg pack? stickers? Hope not.

Max