jardann

You can try fine tipped artists pens like Rapidograph brand (Rapidograph are expensive, but there are other cheaper brands of the same style). They are like sharpies, but with better color quality inks. The pens come in lots of different tip sizes, some very fine points are available. Use a flexible ruler to keep your lines straight and be careful not to smear the lines before they dry. If you have a flat coat, they dry faster, but if you have a gloss coat you can attempt to clean up any mistakes before it dries. You would probably need to seal the lines with a final clear coat too. Good luck!

Great stuff Sean! That's a nice workspace. Is that a little George Lucas THX homage I see on the readout screen in your MaK dio?

I like the 8.25" height as well. I think it really does look more correct in profile and more realistic interior room for the mecha. Awesome work man!

Everything Winterdyne has said is true. Another thing with those markers in particular is that if they really do contain poster paint, that will never stick to plastic. It will very easily scratch or rub off. Pics would definitely help others give you some good advice. Good luck!

That Falke is AMAZING! It should definitely win you an award. Really incredible work!

Wow, Really a great job there! No way would I believe that is your first model. It looks great and the pics aren't bad either.

I voted Yay! because it would be ultra cool, but I think John has said he will be staying away from toy mods from now on. Also, these would be much, much more extensive than the 1D.

You can cut the masking tape into thin strips and then you should be able to apply the strip in the curve that you want. After that, go back with bigger pieces to fill in the rest of the area that you want to mask. Silly putty can also be used to make irregular shapes, and then stick it on the kit where you want it. You can adjust it right on the model to make whatever shape you desire.

Try soaking the screws in vinegar for a few days. I have heard that the acid in vinegar dissolves the rust. It should at least be a cheap experiment. Once the rust is gone, you could coat the screw heads with paint to prevent the rust from returning.

Looks great man, If our resident model makers ever slow down on creating so many great Macross kits I may be able to save some cash up to get one of these! It's a good problem to have I guess!

Really looking great Mike! I think with your engineering, most anybody will be able to arrange these components in whatever way pleases them most. How cool would it be to have a DYRL Valk launch arm on one side and then this interior view on the other. Of course you would need a large display area! HWR or Master Cheng could probably do it. (hint hint )

I was thinking the same thing, though I see that it is already very close to the detail on the floor in front. I would think that the gantry should be able to clear the cannons on the destroid evenif they were pointing straight out. If at all possible of course. All the details are looking great! You should be able to promote this for many applications.

That was my first impression too. But, if they are, they have been modified a tiny bit. I'm sure those hands would be a good starting point though. Has anyone compared the Yamato 1/60 hands to see how they would look on a 1/72 kit? They may be too big, but they look pretty close to me.

I know you can get the saw/cutting discs for a Dremel, but I don't know of an attachment that provides a frame and table type setup like a mini table saw. Even if there was, there tends to be a problem with the speed of a Dremel melting the plastic instead of making clean cuts. I would recommend you get an Exacto hobby saw with a mitre box. They should be easy to find at hobby or craft stores. If you have a Harbor Freight store near you they have an electric micro mitre saw that may work too.

Figures, I don't pay attention to anything in the stores anymore really because nothing has been interesting to me for a long time. I was beginning to think I had just about finally outgrown toys!! No such luck! Now I'll have to look for more from this line I quess. Any idea if the Prime and Starscream are still easily available?

Yeah, I just picked up this set and had to open them too. The amount of twist ties was stupidly insane! I love the Skywarp, it is an awesome sculpt and it is very true to the original, yet with smart improvements. Ultra Magnus looks pretty sweet too. I hadn't bought a transformer in years because I thought they have been looking pretty lame for a long time. Liked some of the BT/Alts, but they were too pricey for me. When I saw this set I had to pick it up. I saw on the back of the box that there is a Starscream version, has anyone seen this yet. Also, does anyone know if there is an Optimus prime version like the Ultra Magnus from this set?

I'm definitely in for one, probably two, maybe more!!!!! I scare myself sometimes!

Nice clean job and that paint job is very anime accurate. It looks just like it does in the TV series!

You would probably get the best and most durable finish by using the Krylon fusion brand of spraypaint. It bonds with the plastic and becomes very scratch resistant. The best way to protect the silver and blue areas will be to mask them with a good masking tape. You can cut the masking tape to the exact size and shape you need with an exacto knife.(very sharp!!) Then spray the Fusion paint and let it dry to the touch, but not too long. Then carefully remove the masking tape and let the paint finish curing for several days before handling it. That will let it set to a very scratch resistant finish. It would be a good idea to practice the masking and painting on something before trying it on your important piece. Empty 2 liter soda bottles are good to practice with. A can of the Fusion spray paint will give you plenty to practice a few times and then finish the gun. Good luck!

Here's a pic of the option decals version. They came from an issue of Model Graphix magazine in Japan. link to models section

Yeah, they were designed for the Hasegawa models. I'm not sure if it was first done by a custom model maker and then worked into the kits by Hasegawa, or if Hasegawa came up with it on their own and marketed it etc. They are not canon, but definitely cool. I know one scheme came as simply a set of ooptional decals and the other scheme came packaged exclusively with a Hasegawa VF-1S Strike Battroid kit.

Awesome work man! Part of me says that the large flat gray portions on the back could use a smoother paint finish, but the other part of me says that the color variations give those big flat areas some interest. Everything else looks great, especially the areas with lots of surface details. You've done a superdimensional job!

OK, thanks for chiming in Mike. I'm interested for sure!

This would be great, but it would be very big wouldn't it? Are we talking transforming or static and if static, what mode?

Yes, the transformable kits are more complicated and much less forgiving. Get glue in the wrong spot, or leave some flash or sprue on the parts and the kit will not work. Really, you just need to take more time during assembly and keep your assembly as clean as possible. Also, taking the time to make sure the glue bonds are secure before moving on to the next step helps immensely when building a transformable kit. As long as you can make a clean, error free assembly, the transforming kits will go together fine. It's all basic skills, but with less room for error. Then, after they are built, you have paint scraping issues and delicate parts that tend to break when transforming. Actually, I would suggest you build a few of the 1/100 kits mentioned above. Then, build a couple modern fighter jet kits, like a cheaper Hasegawa or Fujimi F-16 or F-18. Take your time building those and try out some painting techniques. Then go ahead and give a Hasegawa Valk a try. After you have built some of the older cheaper Macross kits, you will definitely appreciate the quality and fit of the Hasegawa kits. If you are patient with the Hasegawa kit, it will build up just fine without much problem. The thing that really brings a model to life though is the paint job and that will take time and practice and experience which you can only get by doing it yourself. Good luck and remember, the best way to learn how to build a model is to start building, so go ahead and get to it!