tekering

The vertical stabs should cant outward in fighter mode, @Robin-11.

Ooh, that's very cool, and very tempting... 😋

Resin powder, to be exact.  Actual sand looks more like gravel at this scale. 😉

Geez, you guys seem to have more free time than I do!  Remarkable progress, especially from @Papa Rat.  I'm glad to see the Alien "Space Jockey" got some well-deserved attention in between all your vintage Valkyrie kits. 

20 hours ago, Mog said:

It’s actually @tekering’s diorama. 

Oh man, Mos Eisley is kicking my ass, guys. 🤕

I went ahead and printed the rest of the Dowager Queen derelict, more-or-less as it appeared in 1977:

It's almost as big as the whole cantina! 😲

As you can see, it still needs a ton of work before it's ready for paint, weathering... and a whole lot of sand, of course. 😅

I also need several of those iconic moisture vaporators...

...and even though Hasbro gave us one back in 2007, it was typically inaccurate (and pathetically small). 🙄

No matter.  I can just print my own to scale, using this free online model I found. 😋

Looks perfect, right?

Well, you get what you pay for. 😣

Seriously, in my 16 months of 3D-printing, I've never encountered such a poorly-designed model.  The damn thing's got no substance whatsoever.  Some parts aren't even attached, just floating in virtual space... and to make matters worse, the rash of heavy rains this week have caused me additional problems.  Let's zoom in and do a forensic examination of this disaster:

At the top, you can see where supports should have printed, had there been less humidity and more consistent temperatures.  That's materials failure.

I had to substantially increase the exposure time for each layer.

Here, you can see a bizarre gap in the support structure, caused by a persistent glitch in the proprietary slicing program.  That's software failure.

I had to switch to a less-efficient file format to avoid further issues like this.

Finally, this section is where supports collapsed, lacking a surface to adhere to.  That's a structural failure in the model itself.

I had to spend hours reinforcing the interior structure, and many more hours placing hundreds and hundreds of supports manually to ensure a successful print. 😒

Well, after days of manual restructuring, technical adjustments, and a heavy dose of trial-and-error, I finally got one assembled.

I went pretty heavy on the weathering, as the Mos Eisley vaporators look poorly-maintained.

I might've gone too far. 🤨

1 hour ago, Hikuro said:

Not sure why the manga culture is obsessed with that trope.

More often than not, it reflects the experience of the author, the artist, and the reader when interacting with the opposite sex.  Each successive generation is becoming progressively more shy and self-conscious, and the population is dwindling rapidly as a result. 🙁

10 minutes ago, Bolt said:

Add me on mate. 
so what is the cost?

$60 USD per set, plus shipping. 

24 minutes ago, 26662 said:

For some reason, I expected them to be ~50% bigger than they are.

Most of us were 50% smaller in 1984. 😉

1 hour ago, Bolt said:

What scale would you call this?

Sentinel calls it 1:48, despite rampant evidence to the contrary. 😒

Anyone familiar with the anime will question Sentinel's diminutive stature (and the way the pilot barely squeezes into the cockpit), and logically conclude it's closer to 1:60 scale...

Of course, the old "Tatsunoko's official stats are whack" argument is akin to flogging a dead horse nowadays. 

5 hours ago, Perxion said:

it's homemade, actually.

Wait, how did you make the blisters...? 😯

8 hours ago, pengbuzz said:

The two engines we see in the background of Mos Eisley on Tatooine for the landspeeder scene (Obi-Wan and Luke) in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope?

Mad props to @pengbuzz, guys!  Got it in one. 

Dammit, @Papa Rat!  My Arcadia Premium Finish 1:60 VE-1 Elintseeker isn't looking so "Premium Finish" now... 🫣

In fact, it looks like a cheap toy next to your model. 😞

18 hours ago, Papa Rat said:

I huge shoutout to @tekering for the amazing 3D print.

Can't wait to see what you do to it! 😋

Incidentally, I just got around to repainting my Gachapon ALIEN Juggernaut:

It now resides in the lower left corner of my 1:3000 starship display.

Now, let's see if you geeks can out-geek this geek:

Who can identify what I'm printing this week?

And for what purpose...?

12 hours ago, Bolt said:

That sounds like the og Danny Elfman music.

Yes, he composed the theme for the '90s animated series as well.

12 hours ago, Bolt said:

This looks interesting and cool.

I couldn't disagree more. 😅

Inspiring work as always, Brett.  I particularly like the Valkyrie pilot. 

Did you bother detailing the Glaug cockpit?

47 minutes ago, Hikaru Ichijo SL said:

I have never seen in-story documentary that i liked.  Have you.

The Practice S02E10, "Spirit of America" is a definitive example of the form.  It can (and has) been done well.

2 hours ago, Cheese3 said:

Here’s my 1/144th collection

Oh man, those vintage Valkyries are rough, but that Gundam... 🫣

2 hours ago, SteveTheFish said:

So should all 3D printed parts be washed off with IPA, or just prime them as-is?

I suppose that depends on where you're getting them. 😅

I'd never send anyone parts that hadn't been thoroughly washed, dried, and cured first, but I suppose you can't expect that kind of professionalism from everybody.

If you've got the IPA, it certainly wouldn't hurt to wash any resin parts before priming. 

1 hour ago, Papa Rat said:

I also adore the smaller scale of those kits compared to the huge, let’s say VOLKS KOG kit with the buster. 

No way!  The bigger, the better.  I have the 1:60 KOG with buster on pre-order. 😋

1 hour ago, Papa Rat said:

Also that Nousjadel-Ger looks great! That’s a mouthful. 

FYI, it's pronounced "New-Jar Dell-gar." 👌

3 hours ago, Papa Rat said:

I have to say that this build hasn’t been as fun as some of the old vintage stuff I have been doing. Regardless I’m learning a lot through the process.

Dude, you're a machine!  I can't believe how much progress you make with every post in this thread. 😲

I hate struggling with the limitations of vintage kits, and much prefer the accuracy and ease that comes with modern engineering.  I think perhaps you enjoy the challenges of surface prep. and painting more than I do. 😅

2 hours ago, SteveTheFish said:

I'm still tempted to think you're a phony when you say that you've only been modeling for about a year or so, like you're having us all on.

Yeah, but look at how much time he's putting into it.  He's accomplished more in a month than most of us do in a year!

I've only been 3D-printing for a year or so, but I've dedicated so much time to it that I know my equipment better than some professional printers do.  The more focus you put into an activity, the quicker you gain skill and expertise.

Oh, and speaking of which:

This cost me a great deal more than @LocusPocus paid for his, I'm sure, but it's still cheaper than what Bandai would charge for the Hi-Metal R toy they teased (but will never release). 🙄

48 minutes ago, SteveTheFish said:

The figure's body and head parts are fine, but the limbs have a weird texture to them. Do these parts need to air dry, sit under UV lamps a bit longer, or do they need to be washed off with alcohol or something?

Sounds to me like a bath in isopropyl alcohol is warranted.  After that, a little air drying in the sun will ensure the parts are completely cured as well.

1 hour ago, 505thAirborne said:

For those of you who still have a MPC Shadow Fighter, does anyone have a clue what shade that thing actually is?

This is what I see:

1 hour ago, 505thAirborne said:

I'd like the Alpha & Beta match up as much as possible.

No two ways about it; gotta paint 'em both, then.

Actually, I'm pivoting towards displays with their own internal light sources.

1 hour ago, mantisfists said:

The frickin thing transforms!?

Not by itself, of course, but since it's just a massively upscaled Sentinel toy...

...the same engineering principles apply.

1 hour ago, Mog said:

Are there blades in those arm gauntlets?

I see no indication of that.

Ricky Mui posted this on Facebook:

A costume inspired by Sentinel's 1:12 Brough Superior toy.

Unbelieveable! 🤯

Great Spider-poses!  👍

 I've been busy this week making space to display larger projects... which requires great imagination (and a little engineering) when it comes to densely-packed rooms like this one:

I finally realized how I could increase my display space considerably... 🤔

...and a week later, I've gained another 30 cubic feet. 😁

16 minutes ago, mikeszekely said:

I'm thinking this is the set I'm going to go all-in on.

Going all-in on All-Built-In is all-good in my book. 👍

MMC's Combaticons and Protectobots have served me well. ☺️

4 hours ago, LocusPocus said:

Any suggestions on how to TLC this thing is greatly appreciated!

You'll need to take the time to sand off all those layer lines, especially that rough lip along the chest. 😣

Man, DLP printers are no good for miniatures. 🤨

I hope that didn't cost you much! 😅

6 hours ago, lechuck said:

Yikes to that box art?! I think I prefer bad Sunbow animation.

Misrepresentation at its worst, to be sure. 😒

Transformers packaging has come a long way since then.  Look what just arrived on my doorstep:

A beautiful slipcase reveals a stylish cardboard box inside...

...with the contents neatly arranged in the blister within.

This is how these figures have been released for the Japanese market.  The set cost ¥10,000 shipped from Amazon.jp. 👌

Get it while you can! 😁