MechTech

Looks great so far! I missed out on a lot when my phone line was down! - MT

No more fumes! BIG Apology mods - this should have gone into the scratch build/customs section. Little sleep for a few days does that to ya. - MT

I so know what I want to do when I grow up (maybe someday). Even their toilet is awesome! I just need a bazillion dollars/pounds to buy that laser engraver! - MT

Thanks guys! I'm really humbled - really! I'm also excited because I've got a 1/2" stack of .030" styrene on my workbench in custom cut sheets so I can handle it better (the full size sheet BARELY fits on my floor! I've gotta give props to U.S. Plastics (link). They came through again quickly and with what I ordered. They even e-mailed me to verify my order because of the additional charge for the custom cutting. GREAT prices and selection! Until our mods can restore most of the old pictures, most of them are here Model Boat Mayhem thanks to the proprietor, Martin who was following the thread too unknown to me. He e-mailed and asked what happened to our website here - small world! I'll be updating them there too now I guess. The weather has turned from R/C flying back to building weather again, I think. Good timing! Oh yeah, I DID buy a PicooZ R/C helo. Awesome with a little mods for forward flight. It just needs a Sea Sergeant or Comanche body - but that's another project. My apologies too for any delays in response. Our telecom cable pair went bad and they had to wire us up to a new one ( a week later) No names, but those in the UK can guess who they are. Maybe my speeds will be improve? "Talk" to you all later. - MT

IAD and HWR, that's awesome guys! I've been roughing it out in the field to come back to this. Very NIIiiiiiice! You will definitely have to post some video!!! - MT

I know there's some hard core LEGO builders out there so I thought I'd share the wealth. What does this have to do with Macross? Think Macross Zero... http://www.funmansion.com/html/Lego-Aircraft-Carrier.html - MT

Thanks guys! Big F, Duxford has an air show on until Oct 14th! As far as recovering photos, that's up to the mods. I've told them about it but... - MT

Looks great! There's no school like the old school (and a lot of putty)! - MT

Thanks Martin! It's good to be back!!! Neptunesurvey, http://www.plastruct.com/ . Their site is a pain in that it isn't that easy to navigate, BUT, they have almost anything you can think of for model/hobby architectural building. Search in the top left hand corner. They do most of their items in train/hobby scales to. Some examples of items they make (styrene or ABS), ladders, steps, "I" beams, "C" beams, joices, tubes, all kinds of building structures and textured sheet, etc, etc. Your best bet is to find a hobby shop that has a good stock from them. That's how I found my stuff. Their catalog may be easier to look at. Download their catalog too! My crane is made from two "C" beams either side, an "I" beam, and .020" sheet and .060" sheet. Simnple but strong enough to haul a MAC II model around (hint). The joices may be what you're looking for ( two parallel beams connected by "W's" along the length. They may even make a crane kit for what you want to do! Yep, they do all kinds of models too. Let me know how it goes; better yet, post some photos! - MT

Better you than me! That thing was a pain to build! It seems like I was sanding it for ages! - MT

OK, that was weird. It would just hang on "uploading" and that was it. OK, let's do this for real. UPDATE - 6 AUG 07 - FINALLY!!! Here's my first test photos and the crane that was supposed to take one week and ended up being about two. The inserted drawing points out details (notes for me really) and the yellow shows the cranes I'll be building as fully functional. The big yellow one will be fun! This jig was built to slice a printer toothed belt longways - perfect length for this project. It's not perfect, but averages 1mm wide and works, so hey. This is the handmade cog from three pieces and gauge showing belt width. Here's the micro motor gearhead. It's only 2.5cm long and strong, even at 1.5volts! Note the brushes on the sides and hair fine wires. The contacts rub against copper tape plated sides. The whole assembly simply rides on an "I" beam (the tubes hug it). I had more pictures, but my wife over wrote them (I just found out the hard way)! Here's the crane from overhead. You can see the gear case at the end and the two pieces of copper contacts running out along side it. The gear case is driven off the motor via a thinly sliced piece of surgical tubing to make it run more quite as opposed to a spur gear. The whole length is basically an "I" beam piece and two "C" pieces glued on .020" plastic to reinforce it. A ball bearing sits at the pointed end (pictures are worth a thousand words). With limited file sizes, here's a short video of it moving some. It's fully functional moving back and forth or hoisting up and down, anywhere on the length of the crane. Here's the ribs contouring the shape of the bow. And the ribs sheeted over with .060" styrene. This was way to heavy (to be safe) so I've trimmed it out some. I've just ordered the side sheeting, .030" styrene. U.S. Plastics is cheap and awesome! http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/category....e=76&Page=1 Great prices and service! I've been busy this summer. The Fairford airshow took a big chunk of my budget (well worth it) and holiday bible school took about a week. It's been slow going, but when the styrene comes in, boom, back to work! - MT Winch_Moving.MPG

I actually just did. No crashes, but I'm having problems posting pictures still. It just says initializing when I go to upload and then it hangs there. (Let's see if this reply posts text only). - MT

Welcome and great job on all the kits! - MT

Thanks Sketchley, that's good to know info, you never know project will need it! - MT

I'm using Internet Explorer 6.0.26. Everything else has been fine so far (except over at the Macross Mecha Manual Webpage). I haven't changed any firewall settings (Norton). I was happy until the server migration. Migration is for the birds . - MT

The flesh is willing, but the browser is week! I don't know what's going on. I think I'm getting the cold shoulder from the mods, like no help or answer. I'd hate to have to switch browsers JUST to post back here. I've got pictures too! I'm just waiting... And waiting... - MT

Would it be easier to sand it down a bit and put a thin piece of styrene on it?

Where's a good source to purchase these? I haven't really found anyone. Thanks. - MT

Not that it helps any, but I have lots more pictures! I just can't post into a thread with pictures in it after the migration. I can only do fast replies for now. I'm waitng on Hurin to help me out (subtle hint). The founder of s shipbuilding site is complaining too. He asked that I send him my old and new pictures. When he gets them posted, I link to it. - MT

That's what I'm talkin' about! He's got some skills alright!!! AWESOME work and it doesn't look like a toy! He can do that stuff because he's a member of the Hong Kong Modelling League. It's like the Justice League, only with styrene powers . If you want to articulate your figures or hands like that, cut joints into the part, drill holes through them and glue wire into it. It's like the old Gumby toys. It works as long as you don't do 90 degree bends. High angles stress and crack the wire. - MT

Let me guess, the spoiler will be swept forward? Where are you going to put the fold pod ? I'd love to do a 1/1 mod. Trouble is the best I could do is make my minivan look like the "Rabbit Shuttle" on DYRL. - MT

I found out I'm not the only victim of the server migration. I can't even post pictures right now! I only have "Fast Reply." "Reply tries to initialize images and crashes Explorer! I'm missing the old server about right now! - MT

Thanks for posting that photo! I'm VERY interested. The little gears in my mind are saying "buy one and make it transformable." - MT

That looks great! I never really did care for that kit and I have a couple too!

On one hand the two schemes are pretty cool. On the other hand, I think they could have doen better for one of the most popular anime productions of all time. - MT