jardann

This has been looking very cool. I am quite interested whenever it is available. Hope you get some time to enjoy the holidays! Hoping you can resume the project in the new year.!

Looks like you're off to a great start! It's so cool to see one of these kits being completed. It's a great subject and fantastic that John produced it.

Ha ha! That old Imai box has two completely different colors for the fast packs right there next to each other! I think they both look good, and would love to see a build that uses the greenish hue.

All that being said, Gabe's blue mix looks just about perfect! I don't think you can go wrong with it, and I'm definitely going to have to steal that formula. Thanks for posting it, Gabe!

I think your best bet would be to get a few paints that are all close to the color you want, and then mix until you get the best match you can. Since you are going to be painting the whole thing, You'll want to mix up a large amount of the color you decide on so that you make sure you have enough to paint everything. You don't want to run out and have to try to mix more because it will be almost impossible to exactly match your previous mixed colors.

It sounds like a pretty big undertaking. Best of luck!

That's a good looking build! Thanks for coming back and posting up those finished pics!

I definitely dig that color scheme! I especially like the dark grey for the boosters/armor parts. It gives an excellent industrial/utilitarian look. Even though you mentioned some airbrushing problems, it looks like you managed a nice smooth finish with the paint. The simple red roundels look good against the grey too.

Seams are the bane of all modelers! Especially on those older kits. Although my experience has shown the Bandai kits are better than the Imai/Arii kits by a landslide! I know I've had kits that felt like I put hours into filling and sanding seams only to see them show through the paint like trenches! As a modeler, there's always room for improvement on your next kit, but you've definitely got a good model for your display shelf there!

Just an idea: I'd love to see some subtle silver or gunmetal drybrushing on those big thruster nozzles and all the little small nozzles. I bet that would really make them pop and look great against those dark grey armor parts!

Keep up the great work!

I think JT Graphics is still in business. I've had pretty good experience using his decals in the past.

http://jt-graphics.com/

Very Cool! Looks like you're off to a great start! That must be a pretty good-sized diorama. What are the full dimensions?

Awesome job on ROM! He is one of my favorite characters. I think the original Marvel comics are very underrated. I wasn't too impressed by the artwork in the new IDW books though.

Anyway, love to see ROM getting some attention! Can't wait to watch him come together!

Can't wait to see how this turns out. I've got one of these waiting in the stash. I do like these old vintage kits. They had some great detailing for their time. Keep up the good work, and let us know if the kit presents any snags or tricky bits!

Super cool! Did you design those yourself, or are they available to purchase/download from somewhere? Great work on them by the way. Seems like paper would be a great medium for building in that large scale.

Fantastic craftsmanship on those! It is too awesome how the Gallant can be assembled/disassembled into it's components. Love the Inbit too! I like to see the Mospeada modeling love!

Amazing job on that old kit. You really brought Millia to life out of the original plain figure!

Thanks for sharing all of your process. It's very inspiring!

Very cool stuff there! I love the launch bay interior artwork! Did you do that yourself?

Anyway, great work. It seems like you took a bit of a minimalist approach to the scratchbuilding and customizing. It gives a good effect and adds a bit of an organic feel to the valk. Like a previous poster said, it adds to the nolstalgic anime look of original Macross. It's awesome to see that you were able to stick with it and get this project finished even after some setbacks!

Hi all, I haven't sold in a while, but I've done several deals with members here and I'm on the SSL from way back.

I've got some Robotech Defenders Dougram model kits listed on that old auction site. Thought some of you might be interested. Please see them at this link: SuperAwesomeModelKits!

I know prices are high, but a lot of these kits have been going for more. I can combine shipping, and may be able to work out a deal if you PM me.

Thanks for looking!

oh yeah, and I have a nice laptop for sale there too!

The Valk is looking good!

And that's a great tutorial!

Awesome job on that JM! You really did it the right way and it paid off. Did you sculpt the figure from scratch, or did you just modify the face/head on one?

Dang! Nice price on that. Congrats 'nickel, you should be pleased!

That sucks and Ebay is definitely not the fun place it used to be. Corporate Ebay has taken a lot of abilities away from sellers. They place 100% of blame for any problems on sellers and give shady buyers a free ride to screw over as many sellers as possible with no repurcussions.

But I digress...

Your transaction does sound unfortunate, but If the seller listed as payment required within a certain time frame and you couldn't meet that timeframe then, he does have the right to cancel the transaction. Now, I'm not saying that is right. He probably did look at it as a way to get out of selling it for cheap. It certainly would have been courteous for him to wait until you could send payment since you did contact him. That probably is a seller you want to avoid in the future and I thank you for bringing him to our attention here on the boards. However, I always recommend that buyers try to understand the position sellers may be in. He may have needed that money within a certain time frame. He may have been taking a loss on the item at that sale price and saw a way to save some money for his business. He may have been scared off that you were a scam artist trying to mess with him and so he got spooked and cancelled. There are very few avenues for a seller to avoid a shady buyer and the delay may just have scared him off.

Anyway, there is really no harm done that I can see. You haven't lost any money on this ordeal. It's just a bummer that you didn't get the good deal you wanted and you wasted a bit of time. I say chalk it up to fate and move on. Hopefully you will find another great deal soon.

Good luck!

Looking great! Kind of looks like he got stuck out in the rain.

This has been a great thread to watch. Thanks for all the pics!

OH NO! This announcement may just signal the end of the "golden age" of Macross modelling!

John, your skill and passion have been great blessings to many model builders and fans of Macross. I have always been so inspired by your kits and have been very thankful that I have had the opportunity to purchase them and interact with you during the creative process. It has also always been a pleasure to deal with you for any transaction. Your skill, creativity and professionalism should stand as a shining example to all small operation model kit makers.

While we in the modelling community will definitely miss your fantastic kits, I sincerely hope that your move and career bring you much peace, joy and personal satisfaction. You have our best wishes for a limitless and fulfilling future! Please be sure to keep in touch with the community here and the people who will always appreciate you and your talent.

Thanks for the great times!

Interested in 1/72 unpainted.

I'm glad someone is finally taking on this project. I do have a bit of concern for the dimensions. I assumed with room for what looks like up to 8 passengers and some small cargo stowage that it would be considerably larger than a Valkyrie. I guess the boxy shape gives more usable interior space?

Never really sure how I feel about this design. Love it because it is Macross and has a utilitarian look to it. Obviously made for a specific purpose, and looks more realistically designed for space operations. However, it is not the most charismatic design.

Hey Captain! Just sent final payment. Sorry for the delay. The kit looks fantastic! Can't wait to get it.

Mike, could I please get included for a set of decals for this? I would also like to purchase a set of the Monster kit decals as well to go along with my first run kit. I'll be watching for details about price etc.

Thanks all you kit creators and wallet destroyers!

Thanks for the comparison pics, but I'm sorry I asked. Now I really really really want to add the V2 to my collection!

My wallet hates me.

A thing of immense beauty!

Do you have an original finished kit? I would love to see a side by side for comparison.

Ha ha! yeah, that was a brave attempt. Glad to see it worked out, it looks great!