MechTech

I've been building and scratchbuilding models for 30 years. I'm still learning new tips and tricks for better accuracy! DON'T GIVE UP! If my wife can do it, you can. The only way you're going to get skills, is if you use what you know, and learn more as you get older. I would even dare say you could start a thread, and ask for advice as you go on, step by step. Also do searches. We've talked about everything here from what types of glue to use to airbrushing techniques. You have a lot of resources and help right here - for free! Some of us do this professionally, and others (like me) just wish we could! Take care. - MT

That's cool Apollo! That's some serious engine power! I bet the ATF guys love you guys! You could almost start sending up toy valks on your missions and resell them as "actually launched into space! " - MT

So which satelite did they put into orbit? - MT

"And now for something different..." That looks great! I know that's a lot of money each shot. Looks great. I'm sure the other rocketeers ask, "what's that all about" in referance to your rocket theme. I know when people ask what I'm working on, I just get the dear in the headlights look - MT

It's late, but thanks HWR for the epoxy comparison! - MT

Update 12 AUGUST 06: Working on the motorized pods. I'm doing it this way for a couple of reasons: 1. The rear "thruster box" is small and doesn't sit low enough in the water. 2. Conventional propshafts would be sticking out between the box and the hull. 3. Putting the motors in pods saves space and puts most of the noise in the water. 4. I will be able to swivel them for improved manueverability. Here's some buildup photos: Here's the plastic stretched, and taped over a spare motor can to be dunked in boiling water. (Note there's two layers). Boiling the plastic heats it uniformally wihout "hot spots" and it even cools down faster. The stretched and bent plastic will now stay in the shape that's it's been heated up to. Here's a glued-up and untrimmed tube with motor inside and the stuffing box slipped over the motor shaft. The tip of the stuffing box is made from an old brass gear machined down to snuggly fit into a plastic tube later on. Then it was cut in half. The open end was slowly bored out by handrill. That large opening will have a little silicone poured into it to make a water tight seal (oiling the shaft first!). That's it for now. I get to order my props this week ! - MT

The cool part about building 1/200 valks. no one will ever see in there!

Stealthtacular! - MT

Thanks guys! I'm humbled . I'm really trying to get this thing done by December. I'm going to try and buy all the propellers next week. Let's just say the cost is about the same as 1/48 Yammie! Four 6 bladed brass props. I'm really trying to finish the bottom hull (the parts you see now) this month. The upper part will have the fun engineering parts on it like elevators, the main entrance door, loading ramp and other goodies like squirt guns (got those waiting to go). I'm going to work on the shaft seals tonight. - MT

Just popped in and saw it. That looks great! It reminds me of the Vietnam erra F-4 Phantoms. - MT

I'm surprised. I think we might see a hike in "political arrests" in China. Some of the "cheap" labor is prison labor too. - MT

Hey Cap'n, is that really wood that you've made the master out of? It looks more like some kind of resin block (kinda like the Mospeada kit). Thanks. - MT

Think destroid and armor. I was asked by a friend to help design a container that could be dropped three stories and keep an egg intact inside. Students were only given a coffee can and an egg. In a nutshell, the egg was put into the center of a foam cage shaped like a 3D cross that extended out to the sides of the can. Whichever leg of the cross strikes the ground, absorbes the shock. Together they all help absorb vibration (like turbulance in flight or in a mail truck). I'd advise making some kind of SOFT foam core that's arms extend out to the box sides. The next step is to put it all into a stiff box. IF the box gets crushed in a corner, the foam should take up the shock. The person doing the work is right about keeping the package tight, ONLY to the degree that you don't want it shifting around inside of the box. Newer computer boxes have a similar design if you've seen any recently. The box can even be punctured and the contents be alright. If it that's valuable to you, just plain packing peanuts won't do. I've packed stuff in them, putting it into the middle. All the peanuts get pushed to the sides sometimes and one side of your goods is unprotected. Hope that helps. I've had LOTS of experience packing and shipping on a proffesional level. - MT

Hey Big F, very busy when I can on this thing. It's dragging on longer than I hoped, but it should be worth it! Now I'm working on the motor seals and cases soon. - MT

Sounds to me that you know what you're doin' . Keep it up. Maybe I'll build mine someday. - MT

I bet that guy threatens his kid with that rocket. "If you don't shape, I'll send you to the moon!" He could do it too! Whew! That dude has got to be using at least "F" or "I" series engines too. BigF, is that what the "F" is for in your screen name? - MT

Looks great so far Big F. When the chunkey monkeys were the only option, I always wanted to fix the chunkiness in some parts. I never wanted to mess with the ABS though. - MT

That looks great! I'll never look at my Tamiya paints the same way aagin! Do you know the difference between Milliput and Aves Apoxie in hardness? Milliput is great, but way more denser than styrene. Sanding can be a little touch and go. - MT

UPDATE 7 AUG 06 I finished building and installing the stabilizers: Here's the stabilizer folded in flush. Here's the stabilizer deployed (note area behind fin is flush). Port Bow Stabilizer Deployed. Port Stabilizers deployed for size comparrison. Here's the P38 (Bohndo) on the bow, I still have to sand it down. (waitn' for the stink to go down - note it's hangin' outside)! The biggest sub-assembly yet has to be modifying the motors. They are 5mm shafts with 5mm thread out of the box. My problem is that most props on the market are 4mm. So I built a rig and filed the shafts down and rethread them. While I had them open, I punched out the rear bushing and bored it out and put a ball bearing in there. The front already came with a bearing on them. These are 700+ sized motors so they had plenty of power to turn them down a couple of sizes. Here's the rig I made to file/machine down the shaft diameters. Cutting 4mm threads into the shaft. (Blurred photo)Completed threads. The motors were old surplus so the armature had a light coat of rust. I sanded them down and recoated with enamel. These 5 pole motors have so much torque, they make the whole rig jump up when I was started them up to machine down. Here's the end bells with ball bearings fit into place. I'm now working on the shaft seals to go over the motor shafts. The motors will be in pods, not conventionally mounted. This way they can swivel and give better manueverability. Plus I'll have more room inside for stuff. I had to make four sets of each of these. I soldered them and have to do some fine machining later. It's late here and I'm off to bed! - MT

Looks great. I wouldn't think a Valk to look that good in black! - MT

You stumped me. There was a lot of the later releases in the "Robotech" line. I was really surprised walking into some stores and seeing them. I didn't really care much about the boxart. It's all about the model baby. Remember those dumb "Gobot" models that were really Mospeada kits? I was far from good anime shops for a while, so it was great to just walk into a Toys R Us and get anime models - for a good price! - MT

Yeah they're dry. In fact they are harvesting all around us - stupid alergies! - MT

Great coloration. Hopefully your wife will see what you did and not be so upset about airbrushing now! - MT

Way better than stock! - MT

That's cool man. I miss my rocketeering days. I couldn't fly around here. I'd like set some guy's field of grain on fire! - MT