fearyaks

Thankyou everyone for your tips. I'm currently breaking in my modelling skills with one of the AMT gold-plated Tie Interceptors. I figured it'd be easier as I wouldn't have to worry about weathering and all that fun stuff. Unfortunately, I did paint the solar panels black and that hasn't turned out great (because of the gold finish) and while masking them, it peeled off some of the existing plating. Regardless, It's going OK and I'll post my first model pics of a real one sometime soon (either the Vader Tie or a plated VF-1S).

I myself haven't seen any but the main page does have some movies if you need help transforming your valks.

I nominate Celga.com.

What I bought - Nichimo 1/200 VF-D Battroid and VF-1D Gerwalk (bid price 600 yen for each)

What I paid - $36.00 for two auctions on Y!Japan Auction

What I receive - nothing

Ouch, I feel for you.

I had considered putting them on the blacklist before, but I didn't. I used to use them, but their customer service went down. Like not answering emails with questions, not getting back to me on requests for items.

I recommend for a deputy shopper that you use http://www.crescent-shop.com

They have great customer service! The guy even managed to get me reimbursed on my Q-rau that got destroyed by chronopost, when they refused to take responsability for it (there was a thread on this in the toys section back around July, don't use EMS to send packages to France, trust me, just don't).

Dude... you got that replaced! Congrats. Did you get to keep the crushed-rau for a possible diorama?

I'll post pics if my camera doesn't break. I hope to get it started this week but I've got to clear out some space in the garage.

I was thinking of replacing the Vader figure with a Lego Vader figure.... or even leaving the cockpit empty.

Thanks a lot everyone. I'll have to check the paint types I got since it hadn't even occured to me to check acryllics vs enamel.

My test model is going to be an AMT Vader Tie Fighter... lots of big pieces and not a lot of assembly.

Thanks!

Hi all, it's been ~ 15 years since I last built a model. I bought some cheap Star Wars models to experiment with (learn how to paint and such).

Some basic questions for you all -

1. Do you paint the pieces first (while attached) or do you prefer to wait until the model is assembled... or does it depend on the piece (like a cockpit)

2. I presume you paint before you start the chalk-wash procedure

3. Is regular old Testers modelling cement OK?

4. Likewise, what about paint? I presume a lot of you are air-brushers but I want to take it easy for now and brush-paint. Is Testers that crappy (vs Tamiya for example)?

I think that's about it.

Thanks in advance all!

For what it is worth, I did eventually get my item from this guy but it could have walked to my house in the time it took to get here.

Also, this could be a 1/60 right which wouldn't be a great deal.

Edit - it is a 1/48

Played it on the Apple IIGS, the Amiga, the PC. One of my favorite games ever (it's a toss-up between that and Gunship... the original Micropose Apache sim).

Let me just say that this game and not Doom III or Far Cry is really pushing me to upgrade my crappy PC. I also mostly stick to console versions if they're OK but Pirates! will definately be on my PC.

auctionsniper.com is your friend.

Lots of them have been posted in this section anyway. Perhaps a sticky of the images? Too image heavy?

Hey VE - I preordered 2 from you but I think I preorderd something else which might be released earlier ( can't remember at this point). Will this cause you any problems?

-Thanks

Updated (edited previous post but don't want it to get lost in the stats counting)....

1/48

1A TV Max custom: 1

1A Max: 2

1A Hikaru: 2

1A LV: 7

1J: Hikaru: 2

1J: Super Max: 3 (one w/o FPs)

1J: Super Milia: 2

1S: Hikaru: 1

1S: Roy: 2

1S: Moon Guard custom: 1

Total: 23

1/72

VF11B FP: 1

YF21 FP: 1

VF19A: 2

YF19: 1

Total: 5

1/60

1A TV Max Custom: 1

1A DYRL Max: 1

1A Hikaru DYRL: 1

1A CF: 2

1A CF TRU: 1

1J Hikaru (super): 1

1J Hikaru (GBP): 1

1J Super Max: 1

1S Super Roy: 1

Q-Rau: 1

VE1: 2

1D: 2

VT-1: 2

Total: 17

Updated October

Every year the mechanical engineering department at my college would have at least one group whose senior design project involved better ways to cool laptop computers. SOme of the designs they came up with were great but the overwheming theme was not to make laptops so thin, continue to shrink the components inside yes, but give them ventilation room. One year a group decided to go all out, I don't remember the brand but they got this really thin laptop that they then overclocked and would run to the max, basically it could run for about five minutes ful tilt before getting too hot and shutting down. They then added I think they were 1/4" spacers all around it to give more air around the processors and several small high efficiency fans for blowing out the hot air, no intake fan, but you could feel a vaccuum at the intake vent when it was running full tilt. Finally they hooked up this interesting little gadget that was thermostat controlled and had one of those mini-CO2 tubes plugged into it. Whenever the laptop reached a certain preset temp the CO2 canister would fire a burst onto the processor, memory and some other parts (sorry don't remember where) cooling them down. The canisters actually lasted a long time and kept the laptop cool and running efficiently. The sponsors that year thought the design was great but said that the CO2 canister concept was not commerically viable and so what the added thickness in their opinion. Its too bad because that little LT really rocked when they were done with it and was still very compact and portable, oh well.

That's fine. I think most laptops these days run so hot that you'd burn your thigh if you actually used them as such.

I don't really think heat is an issue unless you're playing games or doing a lot of number crunching.... the issue that I simply had was about how difficult it was for me to try and replace my faulty laptop. The larger Dells and PC based ones are understandably thick and nasty because of what you mentioned.

Shoot, I wouldn't mind buying an external fan attachement or something of the sort. How about a liquid-cooled system that you could hook up to your faucet?

Chowser - have you played any Splinter Cell? How does it compare? I don't have a PSII so I've tried MGS2 and I enjoyed it (but I did prefer Splinter Cell). Was wondering how Snake Eater compared to Splinter Cell.

I'd have to agree w/Maniac. While I've never had a problem w/my Dell desktop, their laptops suck big ones.

Overview - ours overheats and shuts down such that the even some screen savers get it too hot. Our thermostat is obviously busted because the fan does work (turns on when you power up the system). For whatever reason, they've outsourced their tech support to an overseas company and those poor souls simply follow 'solution trees' or whatever the heck they're called.

Ex: (true story)

Me: My laptop keeps overheating. I've already updated the Bios like one of you suggested and still no go. May I simply get a request in to get a replacement or a fixit order.

Answer: I need to go through these steps first to make sure the problem is still occuring. Please do the following (no exaggeration) -

1. Remove the battery

2. Remove the HDD

3. Remove the memory

4. Remove the Modem (are you serious)

5. basically remove all removable parts, try to upgrade bios, check to see if overheating still happens.

Me: After spending 20 minutes removing the crap, putting it back in, and trying to upgrade the bios, the stupid laptop shuts down when playing a crappy Dell bowling game.

Answer: So I'll put in the order to get your laptop repaired.

Phase II:

Since it is a laptop, they'll need to send me a special box. No problem right? Well since I originally had the laptop shipped to my dad's place (it was an X-mas present for my wife and we were visiting him for X-mas), I make sure to give them my new address. Well of course the boxes get shipped to my dad's place (he's out of town so they get returned). I know it's not something a tech guy should be able to do (change an address on file) so no harm, no foul. I next call a sales person, start to explain my issue and they transfer me back to tech support (before I can even explain things). I finally get back in touch with sales, find someone who knows how to update my address and they 'confirm' the address and place an order for a repair.

What happens? Instead of actually replacing my Dad's address with mine, they mix the two and it gets sent to Oregon with my address in the 2nd line. Well this confuses the heck out of the FedEx/UPS chap and the box gets returned. So I'm getting pissed at this point and I try to just get a total refund. However, by now (waiting for boxes and such) I'm outside the 3 month window to get my money back from Amex and from Dell. I try one more time to get the correct address and the box somehow manages to get as close as Fresno (about 3 hours north of me).

So, screw them, we've got a crappy laptop that serves as a word-processor/internet surfing device. It's heavy as heck, thick as a brick and is an overall piece of crap.

At work we've got IBM Thinkpads and they're much better (lighter, no issues with over-heating) and at home my wife and I now use Apple laptops (Powerbook and iBook).

I think if you were going for a Laptop, consider an Apple one (good form factor, small, less issues) or a ThinkPad.

For now, I think the only thing Dell has going for them is their good LCD monitors.

But it is a good deal if you want a POS laptop.

I'm interested Neova. Thanks in advance.

Some quick shots. Crappy lighting but the 1/60s have a cool pose setup (a variation of what was posted previously).

Perhaps we should have a collection 'sticky' since this also seems like a place that people post their collections.

Thanks to miks for hooking me up with a LV,FP and clear FP set! Good packaging, quick shipping, no probs here.

So a friend at work found this (not affiliated w/Google) and we thought it was pretty cool.

It takes the 1st Google image search returned and turns it into ascii-esque art (using the query letters).

I wish I could post the results (I suppose I could take a screenshot)

anyway,

enjoy!

So... is the scam basically shill bidding?

It is odd that he is keeping the bid history private for the other ones.

I think this used to be their old site. I ran across it a few months ago and tried calling the numbers listed to verify certain items were in stock. No luck. I think the tisinc guys just let this site lapse.

^^ I wonder if you could back out at this point.

He'll probably blackmail you next.

Traded an MPC Alpha for a Hikaru 1A with med96ben and the Hikaru came packed well and promptly.

Thanks man!

i honestly don't like the darker grey color...so if it's really going to be the TV version i would assume they'd change the style of the box slightly to show that it's the TV version and not the DYRL? version...also, if it is the TV version i would also assume that the cockpit would change also (which the person neglected to list ) with the figure change...at this point i feel this is all just speculation since nothing is "set in stone" because yamato hasn't given any details of their re-release of the VF-1S...while it would be likely i wouldn't get my hopes up just yet until we get confirmation from yamato

But the person did mention something about the hands changing which would fit into the TV hands + color change theory.