MechTech

Those guys look great Ron! You just need the sound of the Macross air raid siren blasting in the back round! If you don't mind the humble suggestion, get a thin sheet of clear styrene and a paper hole puncher. For 1/48th, use the punch outs for stands on each foot. They blend color to whatever you put them on. Keep up the awesome work! - MT

AcroRay is right. It all still looks prototyped to me too. These were just to get people like us interested. Guess what - it worked! Is it just me, or have some people been drinkin' Hater-aid? You can't please everyone, and I'm sure that will be the case with this model regardless. I'm still neutral on this model. If it's like the VF-19 series, I will be very disappointed. After all the awesome R&D and equipment upgrades Bandai has had, I kinda doubt it. - MT

Don't panic - yet. Those are ALL prototypes, some parts roughly made. It looks like they wanted to get people's appetites for the product ready. - MT

Awesome custom. You'll never find that in mass production! - MT

I'm not a guru, but I take the same problem on a lot. Models are like clothes I've found. Not everyone's size x shoe is the same or everyone's size x pants. You always have to try them on first. Or in your case, test fit. I bought a set of 1/200 figures from one company, and another from another company. Even that small, there was a big difference! That stuff bothers me too! My humble solution, find the figure you like, and build around that one. Only you will probably tell the difference! - MT

Prometheum, bigger is better! Wether it's a Glaug, T-34, or antique model trains! Old Lionel? Again, awesome work on the tank! - MT Cain, great job on the alien paint effects. I never did see that movie. No head, odd design!?

THANK YOU Graham, Jenius, Chowyunskinny, and Vifam7 for the updates! These are realy looking awesome! Not that I'm biased towards 1/200 scale stuff or anything . I'm thinking my one preorder will not be enough! The ABS seems to fix the PVC sags too! I'm not a big "toy guy," but these will fit nicely alongside my other 1/200 aircraft and mecha. The VF-3 and 9 look awesome too! Thanks again for the updates (good thing my wallet isn't here, it'd be mad ). - MT

Yep. If you look WAYYyyy backin this thread you ight be able to see the lower hull. It might slice through a balsa hull, any more than that I'd be afraid to scratch the new paint on my ship WHEN it's ready! I won't be making any updates until I can source some mini, momentary DPDT rocker switches for the controlls. I'll need quite a few. There's the ramp in-out, ramp fold-unfold - - two sections, main hatch, two internal cranes (4 total switches), and the interior doors. - MT

Aaah yes, the Mikimoto illustrations. I've never seen those outside pictures online. Nice touch! Definitely a "buy and never open" item! - MT

Yep, that's a cool set! Clear smoked plastic stands and all the different heads. I think only the decals were different. Aaaah, the good ole' days! - MT

Hasegawa makes the crew, aerospace ground equipment (AGE) and weapons loading/handling equipment. They've been making it for years. They've got almost all the conventional weapons covered too! - MT

It looks great, but her butt is too shiny (never thought I'd say that ) Cool models! - MT

Yep, "anime magic!" Until someone draws a variable mecha in CAD and animates it, the three modes never work out like they're drawn or animated. Even the simple Daedalus I'm working on has tons of anime magic in just the line art. I've studied the drawings for hours, made smaller models, and still one thing won't work as drawn or narrated in the text. A lot of line art also accentuates certain features on purpose - doubly frustrating! Now, I'm ALL about taking a static valk and making it transform - -don't get me wrong. I think that's awesome. Big gaps and big hinges will always take away from the "realism" though. It just comes with the territory. Not to mention problems with styrene or even ABS being strong enough to be thin enough. Those pros who took a static model and made it transform and look good in all three modes had to "cheat" and use brass hinges. Once again, the problem comes with the territory. All things considered, the model looks pretty good so far. No judgments until the final work is released from me. - MT

Welcome! This should help: http://www.hlj.com/hljlist2/?MacroType=Inj...p;GenreCode=Sci Just translate Yen to dollars. All of the recent re-issues have brought the value down on some kits. If you're selling them, there's a "For Sale" section. - MT

Thanks guys for the compliments! Yes, it did take a long time! UPDATE 1 June 08 I wasn't going to detail the underside and I thought, "well, I've come this far..." Here's some photos: Not shown are the two micro switches underneath to cut power to the motors when the ramp folds open or closes. Without them the servos could crush the whole thing when opening or closing (that's bad!). The engraving doesn't show up well, but it's there, ALL over the place! I'm tired of engraving for a while! Enjoy the photos. - MT

UPDATE 25 MAY 08 I FINALLY finished constructing the ramp component. It just needs to have the wiring harness put back on. I didn't bother with an overall top view because all the panels look the same on top. The sides (mosly complete). Side View of the folded ramp. 3/4 view showing it folded with top details (and some putty on the seems). Next job is just to wire it all in. - MT

I didn't see this in the other thread. Just in case, a breakdown in the flight deck variations:Asuka_Carrier_Views.bmp - MT

Quote: "What keeps you modeling?" It's the "light at the end of the tunnel" for me. I already have a good idea of what it will look like and hope it will come together - praying helps! I've been working on the Daedalus for over two years (mostly straight on). If I didn't have that vision, I'd have given up years ago (before commencing building). Congrats on your kit coming out alright after all! You did a great job AND you learned something new - two for the price of one! - MT

What a bummer! I'm sure other stores or evil bay vendors will still have them for sale. Yes, they may cost more. - MT

A full picture of the city would be awesome. I started doing that myself before leaving home (a LOooong time ago). I took a shelving unit and got as far as lining the shelves with styrene and then getting plexiglas to cover it all. The BIG earthquake kinda set me back (and slammed several mecha on the floor ). I love to see big projects like the city you did. I can REALLY appreciate all that work! - MT

And I thought I was nutz for building a Daedlus!? That will be a lot of work, even without the mechanics and stuff! Keep us in the loop with your progress. - MT

The Mospeda stuff is ALL awesome looking. Get rid of the screw holes and it could almost pass as a model. -- MT

I don't get to this section much, but thanks guys!!! - MT

Yeah, that's something relatively new! - MT

Various Joint Sets --The following parts may be used on 1/72nd kits down to 1/200th scale kits-- Yellow Submarine Double Ball Joint Set (clear) Kotobukiya D-72 H-Joints Kotobukiya D-101b Ball Joints Ever wish you were double jointed? Your model can be. Yellow Sub's PPC-T05 is an actual set of double ball joints in sizes from 5mm wide, 7.5mm wide and 9mm wide (at the largest diameter - the mouth of the female joint). An important note on these. These aren't your Gundam kit leftover polycaps! This set is made of clear polycarbonate plastic (Lexan). I would have never thought of using this material in combination with a styrene, but a little superglue and you'll be good to go (rough up the gluing tabs and clean with solvent for best results). Other colors are available. The fit is more than snug and I had to use pliers to get the parts together (9mm)! No white stress marks after doing some test moves with it either. These will keep your model together and hold it there! "(won't loose long time )" Kotobukiya makes some awesome mecha kits and all sorts of "extras" that I wish I had in my early modeling days! D-72 or the H-Joint set (ABS Unit 2) is made out of ABS. Stronger than styrene and once again some super glue and the tabs at the end of the joints will make it stick. The joint ends are 3.5mm square, 5.2mm square and 6mm square. I bought this set because the smaller size will do 1/200th Destroid joints easily. One end can join another end for a single motion joint, or an "H" piece will allow you to connect two ends together to make a double joint (these just can't move 3D, just 2D). I haven't opened mine yet so I can't tell you about the fit quality. I do know they sell out a lot! Kotobukiya makes the smallest sized ball joint sets I have seen (next to some kits thumb bits). Why buy something this small (5mm outside at the mouth opening)? The answer can be found here:http://www.geocities.jp/sidenet_note/sidematerial/regult/regult.html How else can you add that kind of movement to your model short of buying it in a Revoltech toy? NOTE: this guy cut notches in one side to increase forward movement on the joint. These are not soft polycap material, but a little harder. Fit is good and snug, but too much movement and the ball will pop out. Limited range of motion for that reason. If you need a ball joint this small, like for a small hand, this will work fine. This only lists the three sets I purchased to test, but still covers a lot of the set types out there. Most of these come in color variants as well. Hopefully this will add some "life" to your display model. - MT