whytwolf

Update on the sculpt:

Thanks to the size screw up as point out above, I've had to start all over again--not too much of a problem as the second time is turning out better than the first. I'm just really slow at sculpting...and I still need to find time to finish all my models that I'm working on too....too bad someone won't pay em to do this (not that I'm THAT good anyway)

Below are some new pics:

And for reference:

And here asre some pics of the head, hands and assault rifle. The head I want to do several variations on, so I'm going to cast a resin copy and modify that. The hands are being sculpted in GreenStuff (Kneadatite epoxy putty) and I plan of putting a Milliput (another epoxy putty) layer over the assault rifle to allow for a harder edge, smoother and more mechanical look and feel.

As always, any comments or suggestions would be much appreciated.

Thanks

Sean

Any silicone should work.  Let the rubber set then remove the pattern and let dry.  You will not be able to pour two halves seperately.  You can pour the whole mold at once and cut open the mold after it sets.  That is my usual mold-making procedure anyway.

So you don't use two part molds at all? interesting. How do you determin where to cut? What about pour and vent holes and registration marks? I'd love to learn more about how you do this, as I'm pretty inexperience with casting but am trying to learn as fast as I can

Thanks

Sean

I usually pour molds into a sealed box.  Or at least I cover the top with a plate to make the top of the mold flat.  So in this situation you just let it set up like normal.  The rubber then shrinks over time as the fumes leech out of it.  For me I can take the parts out in 8 hours or so.  But you could let the full 24 pass if your container is really tight.

The part was probably used on the raider.  But it is also used on this baby;

http://home.comcast.net/~cobywan/Templates/Galactica1978.htm

Just to double check before I try this myself....

Ths trick should work with any silicon RTV product right? I'm using Smooth-On OOMOO 30, and want to try shinking the mold...

So what I would so is mix the silicon and add a certain % voilume of Naptha (Zippo fluid sounds good), pour my mold and let it cure, then pull the master and wait for it to shrink? How long will the shrinking process take? Or does the master stay inside the mold while it shrinks? (that doesn't make much sense, but I have to ask...)

Will this work with two part molds?

Thanks.

Sean

Absolutly outstanding work John.

It makes me cry to think that the low viz 1S valk I was working so hard on is a POS compared to this masterpiece....

Ah well, just sets the bar a little higher for the rest of us methinks

Sean

Would modern planes flown under the UN SPACY flag count (a la Shin's F-14)?

I'm currently working on a F/A-35 JSF flown against Anti-UN forces during the same time frame as Macross Zero.

Will post pics when done.

Sean

Is this particular price for real?

Bandai 1/55 Elintseeker

Seems pretty absurd to me.

Sean

thanks fro the advise.

still a question. wich is the minimum distance i should have between the spray can and the model?

ugh. Not an easy answer as it depends on the part and the paint. I've found sucess in spraying about a foot away, two feet if it's a large part (or complete fuselage etc.) Anything under six inches though and you risk pooling the paint, which requires quick clean up, or some careful sanding.

HTH

Sean

I have been remiss in not adding Kurt to the list for the 1/72 Hasegawa low-viz decals he sold me. Reasonably prices, very fast shipping, and quite reasonable about going to the extra trouble to pick up his cash when I sent him a Western Union Wire Transfer instead of a money order--my bad!

Thanks again Kurt!

Sean

I'm currently using some Testors spray paint for my Hasegawa VF-1S kit, and it works great. My only warning is to ensure you have some distance from you and your subject, otherwise the pain goes on too thick, and it's a PITA to clean up and re-do. Otherwise, it's a cheaper alternative to buying an airbrush (just not as good...story of my life )

HTH

Sean

On the subject of resin casting, is there anyone out there who would want to/be able to make molds and cast some Macross scratch-build projects for me? I'm interested in selling some limited run kits, but I don't have the capability (yet) to produce the high quality casts that I've seen here.

Sean

Thanks to Knight26 for setting me straight re: size of a non-micronized Zentradi. With the new measurements in mind, it was back to the drawing board (so to speak). I'm now nearly at the point I was before, but this time with a properly scaled 1/72 Zentradi who ranges at about 40'.

Nice thing about starting again is that I can do better, and fater work using all the lessons I learned on the previous sculpt.

I hope to have some pictures to post in the next few days.

Sean

I don't think I've seen anything so funny since...well...the Reagan Administration?

Sean

ps - no, I'm not trying to start anything....

Hrmmm, I used a engineering scale to determin the figure height--the scale has 72 scale feet maked out over the length of a 1 foot long scale--1/72 if my former engineering education is right I figured this guy at 60 feet, and used the scale to measure....

Wouldn't be the first time the math has buggered me up though so I could be wrong

Sean

Looks good. I'm currently using Hasegawa's standard carrier equipt set for my Valk dios, but having something 'authentic' would be a cool addition.

John: I love working in 1/72 myself, but I did realize just how small it is when I compared a 1/72 pilot to my Zentradi figure sculpt. And oddly enough, the way the math works out, a 1/72 full-sized zentradi is the same actual height of the dude if he was micronized and you built a 1/6 figure of his micronized form (if any of that made sense). Wierd hey?

Sean

Sorry about that--here are the pics:

The yellowish clay is an ivory Sculpy III, while the pinkish stuff is SS. Eventually the whole sculp will have a thin SS skin as the armor surface (and cause the SIII keeps cracking)

Here's a sense of scale for this figure, the small grey blur is a 1/72 human pilot. These Zentradi blokes are large

Some (blurry) images of the head and hands for the Zent figure. The curled up one will eventually be holding an assault rifle (at this scale it's ~20' long!)

Sean

I'm currently working on a 1/72 full-sized Zentradi figure sculpt, and posted progress pics to the Clubhouse's Sculpting forum, you can check it out here:

Zentradi WIP

Comments would be much appreciated.

Thanks

Sean

Just another quick question--to Monkey-Nugget this time--I know the Zent fighter pod was a Big West approved licenses product, is the valk booster? I'm not usually a stickler for this sort of thing, but I don't know what sort of legal issues exist for garage kits for Macross in North America, as HG owns all merch rights correct?

Just wondering, mostly because I would like to release a Macross kit of my own and don't know how/if I could get it licensed or if I should just do it under the radar....

Hope I didn't kill the mood

Sean

[on edit: if I could type I'd be golden ]

Sweet, thanks for the info John!

Man, you're one hell of a modeler though

Sean

That is a very cool idea. I'm usually more into static 'on tarmac' displays attached to picture frames etc, but I may just have to try that one with my next Valk--or maybe even the CF-18 I'm working on

Cheers.

Sean

Specialised, yes. Expensive is relative. A 2" by 16" by 50" plank usually runs @ $400 dollars. I'm in Canada though, so we have different pricing. The booster end-bell is actually urethane resin: I poured some into an empty yogurt container and let it harden; makes perfect round stock that you can turn and taper... Just takes way too long to hack Renshape into round bars, so I use it almost exclusively for flats & components that need to be milled.

Nice idea with the resin--I should have thought of that

Actually, I'm up in canada as well, and am looking for some more professional materials to do some scratch building out of rather than trying to carve from balsa wood and varnish it . Where do you pick it up north of the border? Is it easy to work with?

Thanks.

Sean

Kewl, thanks for the info John. I would assume it's pretty specialized and expensive. Do you need any special tools to work with it? I'm guessing you put the modeling board on a lathe to turn things like the engine bells etc. right?

Thanks.

Sean

[on edit: damn I hate typos]

That looks fantastic!

If you don't mind my asking John, what do you use for building those? In all my scratch building days, I've not beeen able to come close to what I've seen you do (here and with the Legioss).

Nice work. I'm not one for getting the booster myself (always thought it a godawful looking design) but am considering buying a couple of tickets just to support the project!

Sean

I just picked up my first 1/72 Hasegawa valkyrie, a VF-1s, and I can't express how impressed I've been with not just the detail but the parts fit as well. I've slowly been building up using the photoetch sheet as well, and it's the best model, and certainly the most enjoyable I've worked on in a very long time (likely ever).

Thank god for this thing, or I would be rattling around a big empty house alone after my wife left me last week. She found my Macross obsession hard to live with I guess

Sean

I'm looking to so a scratchbuilt VFX-4 myself only in 1/72 scale. Could I use the images you've posted so far and work from them? I'm drawing my plans using a CAD program, but my prelim drawings will be simple, basic drafting.

How are you doing your plans?

Sean

I'm also interested in the clear VF-1J model, but mostly for the low-viz markings. In fact, I'd be willing to simply buy those decals from someone if they arn't using them.

Thanks

Sean