MechTech

The missiles came out great! How about some 1/200th ones - MT

Looking great Blue! If I had a nickel for every time I had a new idea or changed my my mind mid-stream o a project... - MT

Now that I can get on the website - finally...great job! I think she'll come out terrific! - MT

Sorry for the delays in updates. I've been working some crazy hours lately. Here's where I am so far... I used the rotary table to make the wheel. That's the tip of an X-acto knife next to it. Next I'm on to the seat and steering column. - MT

Welcome and awesome work Vince. I like the scheme a lot. Wales are cool. I thought orcas were really menacing so I stuck "Shamu" on the left knee cap of this 1/100 monster. Keep up the great work! - MT

The easiest thing to do that I've done is use a grain of sand light bulb (ask your local train store about it). Pull off the resistor and it's 1.5volts. Encase it in a piece of plastic and wrap that with foil to hide light coming out from the sides. I save the colored plastic bits from Gundam models and use that material for color filters. You can do the same with LED's. Look up surface mount models if space is tight. A piece of sanded plastic (both sides) filters out brightness and makes it "warm" in appearance. Use clear lights/LED's and use Tamiya clear colors for various colors on the same panel. I've messed with all of these before. LED's are my favorite because a couple of button cells outlasts an incadescent bulb on a AA. No heat either (though grain of sand bulbs hardly make any either). PM me if you need details. I have other projects going on that are keeping me away from the boards here. - MT

HEY! That's a Huey in the photo, not a Chinnook! I want my money back! That is funny though!!! - MT

I need some pain killa looking at the camo job Very intricate! Great work and nice "loin cloth" - MT

Sometimes you have to go AROUND the block to get to your destination. I didn't like the wheel I pieced together for the Sugarfoot. No that I have the X-Y table on my drill press (making it a light mill), I decided to make a rotary table since no one makes one that small. The case is 1/4" styrene in most places and .080" thick where strength wasn't an issue. Here's some photos in brief: [attac hment=77004:Rotary_T...ailstock.JPG] You can lathe with this, only the piece turns slowly and the drill bit spins fast. Take the tailstock off (which fits just right into my vice as shown) and you can machine something right in the drill chuck, like styrene dowel (made from squares). That's how I got my new wheels. Picture to come. Note my ghetto fabulous index points on the rotary box, I bought a cheap compass and used the backing. Lay the box on it's side and rotate the table to a point on the compass. Now you can drill holes around something in uniform. - MT

Looks great. I almsot bought those and went with that for my Daedalus. You can get everything in 1/144 (non-Macross), but 1/200, NOooo! Just make some of your own decals. At least they're black. Then again, great chance for some custom "nose" art! - MT

Nice work on the Fatty and the veritechs guys! My radiator leaked so every time I filled it there was a ton of rust coming from it. I took the rust and bottled it. Now I've got realistic rust! - MT

You had some 4" dryer vent tubing laying around that you just had to find a home for huh! Looks great! There's a theme with you - BIG MODELS - MT

Yeah, I heard that it's getting released too. If I had taken pictures of the real thing, I would have posted them for ya, but sorry. - MT

Looks great! I always wanted to do that when I was younger. I started but then grew up and left home - only to make even more Macross stuff with less shelf space Keep it up! - MT

Sorry for the delays. I'm working on a shift for a while so my time is kinda cramped. I have not abandoned either project though! - MT

This is an important thread for us "Macross Anonymous" members BEFORE my wife and I got married I warned her of what she was getting into. As long as I get a corner INSIDE the house (climate controlled) when we have to move, it's cool. Plus she knows where to find a tool (or tape measure) when she needs one. For what EXO said, yeah, I win too-woo hoo! Then came children. We have a boy and a girl. BOTH are fans (some of you have met my son). I've had Robotech for years (before Macross got dubbed) and we've all sat down and watched that as a family. In fact my shildren still love to watch it with me! My wife and I sat and watched Macross and Mospeada before the children cam along. My daughter has the vinyl Imai MinMei doll that she begged for me to get her. My son has several veritech Gashapons and a couple of toys (until he learns to care for his toys better). I've got a collection of models going back to Macross day one that just keeps building. I have my own closet thankfully to stash them...oh yeah and under the bed too I keep my kits in large plastic boxes for storage and protection. I try to squeeze time in when I can. One of my children usually flanks me at the workbench with legos, playdough or a coloring book. I'm slowly losing ownership of it. Even my parents and sister (after all these years) ask what my latest Macross project is and how's it going. The family that Macrosses together stays together (or something cool sounding like that). - MT

Thanks guys for the advice. - MT

Fellow MW'ers, I need your help with choosing a good CAD software suite. If it does CAD/CAM that would be great too. The TWO major must haves are: 1) Low cost. ($200 and under) 2) Ability to export for machining. If it has the ability to import lineart from other software suites (like MS Office) that would be great for doing signs and other items. I've looked at some software, but because I've no experience drawing in 3D, I'm at a loss for experience with some suites. I do a great deal of 2D drawing so that is no issue skill wise. In fact, I own the Corel Draw suite. Just my lack of experience with 3D software. And since I'm a model builder, the goal is to machine the item on a CNC router. I'm finally going to buy one after waiting years and years (which is also why the software needs to be low cost). I have a great deal of experience using Corel and a laser engraver. It's time to move up to the 3D realm now! Thanks in advance for your help! - MT

Absolutely AWESOME sculpts EXO! I'm really tempted to buy them. I have only one 1/60 Yamato valk v1 though. I'm thinking about it... Excellent work on the spies. You gotta do the spies for "completeists." Oh yeah, and the little kid throwing a fit, just makes you want to flick his butt and put him in line - MT

My secret to realistic damage - real damage! Burn/drill out the blast holes, sit a LITTLE match head or gun powder in it, and hold a lighter next to it. Can't argue with the real deal No sweat on the car. I'm getting a manual X Y table for my drill press. It will make life a lot easier - even if its cheating - MT

It's as hot as Sylvia herself Nice mods to the kit! - MT

I FINALLY got to get some work done on the Sugarfoot. As before, I milled down a larger block of styrene. REALLY simple process. Take your Dremmel milling bit and put it into a drill press with a mini fence on it. Push the block back and forth (safely) making passes and keep moving the fence gradually until the stock block is the shape you want. I'll be getting an X Y table to cheat at this The Sugarfoot has those lines down the side and it would be a major pain to glue strips, so I engraved strips into it. Plus they will survive abuse better when handling. Where I am at so far... I am considering just doing a whole set of ALL these vehicle and selling it, "Insta Macross Ground Ensamble." I have to figure cost. But I will sell one offs too. - MT

Nice projects everyone! I love this thread too. It's a nice mix of reality and sci-fi! - MT

Cody is back at it again. Kids, cover your eyes Great work as usual! - MT

SCHAWEET mod! You have really taken an inside joke and made it cool! - MT