MechTech

Thanks for posting those guys! - MT

This looks more and more spectacular each time! I can't wait to see the finished product! - MT

Happy Birthday to THE BEST anime franchise HANDS DOWN - EVER!!! Cross Country practice in high school was delayed a day so I got home in time to see giant robots and giant aliens duke it out! Then I saw the awesome model kits! All these years and I'm STILL building Macross models (scratch or kit) and it's my favorite model by far! - MT

Those came out great. They are royal pains in the butt to get rid of the seams too! - MT

That does look great! I'll give it a terrciary "it never gets old!" - MT

?????? - MT

Muchas gracias! Te lo agradezco! Espero completar pintándolo en octubre. Ya casi termino. - MT (via Google translator )

Bonus! Breakout drawings AND animated GIF - AWESOME! Thanks EXO! That thing IS a piece of beauty! It might sound funny, but I think you could put some slightly modified small scale figures in there for destroids. Everytime it opens up, I keep waiting on the ramp to unfold! SHAWEEeeT job man! - MT

Thanks Petar! Talk about eye candy! I thought the one with paperclips all over it was funny - the McGuyver special - MT

I love that kit! I always wanted one and I'm attempting to do similar, but in 1/350 scale with less detail of course. I've always been a freak for detail and missiles on my models! - MT

The kits are looking great guys! The Falcon looks great (my son seconded that). The Frazi (nice use of sign board stock) and Ikazuki look great. I have no idea what the Mongrol and Ro Jaws is, but they look cool too. My wife was around the computer and I read her what you gusy were saying about "what the wife says" and she laughed. She knew I was an "addict" before being married so I warned her into what she was getting into. I guess she feels secure knowing I'm at my workbench instead at another chicks house! The other night I was stuck at work late compiling a report and she called. I picked up the phone and she just said, "who's the ho!?" I laughed, looked at my monitors and said "Samsung!" She busted up! Back to the bench! - MT

He. he, it's supermodel skinny, but it looks cool all the same and you gotta dig the bit of engineering put into it to make it transormable. - MT

EXO, any graphics on how you're going to do the parts break-out like you did for the Prometheus? - MT

I don't know if you're familiar with the brands, but the better micro tools are either Microlux (Micro Mark) or Proxxon. Some of the tool parts are the same, only different color schemes. Some are entirely different. HEAVILY research reviews on whatever you get. I've got the micro drill with variable speed control on it to help from melting the styrene. That with the X-Y table and a machine vise works great. There are a few 3" rotary tables, but I haven't heard good reviews on the cheap ones. A 4" might work, but it will take up most of your table space! The drill press and 10" disc sander are by far my most used tools! I'll score and break a piece of styrene, then true the edge up on the sander. Plus the sander is great for truing up tube ends and making tough angles in things. The drill press can be used as a lathe too (which you have already). I'm working on a REAL lathe for Christmas though -MT

Thank you vt102! It's nearly time to finish the painting as the weather cooperates! - MT

Thanks guys! Micro Mark can be expensive, but their tools especially are better quality than others I've worked with. I thought this would be a good trick for those of us wanting to do something "different" with casting. No painting needed afterward Challenge coins would be cool, but keep in mind they would sound like plastic. VT102 - Give Valkyrie time. He really gets into some projects and you don't hear from him for a while. - MT

Thanks ahiachris. I know there are a lot of us out there that can help each other out with great tool ideas. Some tools are just way too over priced or not the right size for hobbies. - MT

I'm glad all my research helped out another crazy person wanting to build one of these I am interested actually. I don't know how much printing would be, but my "evil scheme" was to take an exhisting hull bottom to cut time and cut out the rest of the "boxy" sides from styrene to put onto it. The bow is really weird shaped so that might have to be re-done too. I've got my CNC engraver going, but I don't have the right software to set up the machining - that would make this much cheaper to produce in styrene and yeah, a kit is possible! More like a kit conversion. Buy a 1/350 class Nimitz kit and HEAVILY modify it. Of course I'm still wanting to PRINT a Monster and destroids in 1/350 (with or without this project). If I can yank Neptune into this, he'd be up to it too I'm sure. I even thought of doing a Prometheus, but that would be a TON more work! It'd still be cool though! We'rte talking 3-3.5' models. I have the Valk master ready to go to molding for the Promethius (or whatever - more on that later). Back to your stuff - enough thread hijacking - MT

I use mine all the time. I'm trying to make a good rotary table for it since the ones I've found (3") all get slammed in reviews. I mostly work micro scales so precision is a must. Have fun! - MT

Nice work guys! I love the PS3 vault, the Mig and the VF-2SS. We could use some today to get rid of the pesky reporters!!! I've been working on the tools for my workbench to resolve some issues. I also have NO BUDGET! I mill a lot with my drill press and an X-Y table. The drill press has no threaded up-down on it so it's all micro-adjusting by hand. That takes multiple attempts and hurts the eyes. So I got some threaded rod, a skateboard bearing, handle parts, an old motor can and some threaded "T" nuts to make what you see. Then there is the issue of cutting tiny styrene pieces cleanly the first time and getting the angle right. So I got parts from a busted up hard drive, a razor blade, and some .080" styrene to make a cutter. The last bunch of parts you see are "Rotary Table MkII." I need to be able to precisely spin a styrene rod or piece around to mill it. So I took an old drill, a busted up VCR head, and spare parts from "stuff." I'll post a photo when it's done. Next week I'm going for building a radio out of coconuts and bamboo - MT

The cool part I love about our forum is all the new stuff I learn about or kits that have come up for sale (home grown or commercial). I found some cool stuff I thought I'd share since I've never seen anyone here use it before. A contractor and his crew I know was about to coomplete their term. He knew about me building models so we discussed doing something different as a parting gift. So he commissioned me to design and cast some insignias for his organization. When I went to go order the basics to do the casting (I can only do open casts where bubbles don't matter much), I saw Micro Mark has some metal powders for casting. Basically you cast your original in the usual silicone RTV, then you take the mold and put some of either Bronze, Brass, or Iron powder into it. Let it completely run around and cover the mold. Then take the rest of the powder and pour it back into the bottle. Then you use a clear or nearly clear casting resing to cover the metal dusting. You can use the transparent resin entirely, or just cover it and then use opaque resin to fisnish the casting. I used all clear and added a brown tint to it with the Brass powder. You can also mix the powder into the resin, but that uses more that no one sees. When the resin fully cures, you take a FINE grade sanding block and LIGHTLY buff it out. IT IS metal that you're looking at and it's "cold cast." As we all know brass tarnishes, so I clear coated mine since powders react fast to the elements. The photo shows one reject that I buffed half of and left the other half unbuffed to test it out. Note the tons of air bubbles in it! Then I used a off blue wash to simulate oxidation and make the details stand out. The finsihed box has a brass plaque to show color simularites. The results are below. I hope this helps someone with what they're thinking of doing next. The only trick to using this is to let the resin run smoothly over it (like with a toothpick to deliver it to the mold surface). The resin can actually wash the dust off if you pour it too quick. I only did that once after I got the hang of the process. This is going into my next Macross project to do some stands! Hopefully this helps somebody. - MT

Your best bet is to get what side profile lineart you can and superimpose it on a scaled grid (on your PC). When you have the picture scaled right, paste it onto your material. The Captain also uses MDF. The plastic boards can get pricey. It all depends on what size you're buuilding and how small/large the parts are. By the way, if you won't be a big user of a mill, I just use a hoby variable speed drill press with an X-Y table on it (photos posted up on "What's lying on your workbench soon). Hope that helps! - MT

I need to get on MW more often! The Daedalus looks awesome EXO! I think you hit it dead on! I'm just catching this tremendous buildup. Any chance of making one in 1/350 scale I'm seriously considering doing one in that to match the rest of my ship models. The "Big Baby" needs to find a good home! I love that the hatch opens and some photo etch would definitely look awesome! Can't wait to see photos. - MT P.S. I'd love to see an Asuka II as well. I'm SERIOSLY thinking of modifying a 1/350 Nimitz kit. Then again, there's no 1/30 mecha from that series to go on it! - MT

There definitiely needs to be another 1/5000 kit (or bigger) of this. I was disappointed at Bandai not re-releasing this along with their other re-releases. At least we got the factory again though! My 1/5000 hasn't faired the last two moves too well. - MT

We definitely need more photos - MT