MechTech

@pengbuzz Your design is looking cool! Starting to get there with the lighthouse. The F-86 "flying" around the lighthouse will have LED fiber optics in the gun ports. This is the heavily modified circuit board from a dollar store toy for the gun LED and the 1/16" thick button to fit in the lighthouse top to trigger it. This is the lighthouse finial I turned on the lathe that is also the push button for gun LED circuit in the previous photo. Third time's a charm! Here is the all new rotor and brushes. The flat thing sticking up is the lighthouse LED that rotates. I don't like using rubber bands because they dry out and fail, but it was the only thing to help add tension to the brushes. I thought the weight of the brass brushes would be enough on their own to make them keep contact with the circular circuit board, but that idea failed. I used a 3mm "candle" LED and machined tubing really thin to house it and contain the light for the rear "flames." Hopefully this week it all comes together on schedule! - MT

Cool designs Pengbuzz! I actually like both your old and new transformable designs! The armored valk is looking good. - MT

What he said!!! @pengbuzz Cool! I'm looking forward to it. NEWS FLASH! For you aviation and Snoopy fans, Atlantis will be re-releasing the old 70's kit of "Snoopy and His Sopwith Camel." They are also doing the Red Barron kit too. Both have motorized props like the original kits. - MT https://atlantis-models.com/

Good dynamic pose with a clean finish! - MT

Linebacker is way more intimidating than supermodel! Wait, being from California, I've seen worse for supermodels - MT

@derex3592 The transporter looks cool. Now you can skip Doordash or Ubereats for take out. @pengbuzz While it sucks your joint broke, your improvements look good! It's a little less supermodel looking now and more robust looking. - MT

@derex3592 The shuttle looks great! Nice and clean wiring too. Sorry about your paint. I think Arbit might be right. I was thinking the same thing. When I was in England, it seemed like I was always painting in the cold (and wind) and then bringing stuff to dry in the house (in a vacant room). I hope things work out for you! Slow going on the lighthouse and it needs to be done for the 20th! The spring brushes on the rotor were causing too much resistance for the week pulley (remember, it's there to act as a clutch in case someone nails the plane while it's spinning). Plus the light blinked occasionally. So I machined a new type of brush that will use gravity to hold it against the copper rings. You can see how the brushes will swing on the rotor now. There will be two rows of brushes, one on either side so that one set will always make contact to eliminate breaks in the circuit. Then I got the micro connector installed in the wing to "plug" the plane into the swinging arm. On the other hand, I have another dilemma. My cats have no concept of the space time continuum. Two cats can't fit into a small box and one 24" inch cat cant fit into a 9.5" box! - MT

@valkyriepm Absolutely gorgeous build! I agree, the weathering is superb and harder to do on red colors. @electric indigo Cool build! I just finished an awesome book called, "A Higher Call" about pilots Charlie Brown and Franz Stigler. Not only is the main part of the story cool, but it goes into Stigler's experience as one of the last 262 pilots before the fall of the Nazis. Then it covers after the war and their reunion. It's cool reading about the 262 and all the pilots experience with it. - MT

Thanks for posting that, Shawn! I thought it looked at first like the kit - it is -sorta. He done gone and blown it up! Every aspect is like someone hit the "Extra Large" button on making the kit. The nose is squatty, but other than that - REALLY COOL! - MT

Great finish and weathering! - MT

@pengbuzz That is a great Design! I love the gunpod too! I like the head being on the upper surface where it might be of more use like firing to cover the rear or defending the upper area of the mecha. No new photos worth posting of the lighthouse. Just wiring and a switch, so now at least it has it's own power. I think I need to redo the brushes on the rotor though. - MT

Cool! - MT

Yeah...another era has passed on. He will definitely be missed! My Scottish relatives will be raising a glass tonight! - MT

@valkyriepm He's still alive! That looks awesome! Great paint and weathering two. The chips around the panel lines are a nice touch! - MT

There are also these, I believe they would be sturdy enough. - MT https://www.usagundamstore.com/collections/display-base

Somebody dared to actually build their collection! They made them look good too. - MT

Thanks, but that's where the F-86 has to go. I like the design of your mecha. It has a nice arrow shape to it. It looks like it has a more realistic transformation to it than most designs which are overly complicated. @MacrossJunkie Thanks! All this work just to sling around an F-86 to "battle" Godzilla!

Great build and weathering! - MT

@Dobber I love the details and the photoetch does makes a big difference! Your pencilwork paid off too! At least it will never "peel off." Is it just me, or does that one nacelle shot look like the mouth of a leach or lamprey? @pengbuzz The head design looks cool! I love the hood design too, but like you said, it gets overused. I think because its reminiscent of Samurai armor. @derex3592 It's looking good! Let us know how the paint works. I use foil, but it's a pain to lay down and it conducts so it can cause short circuits. Lighthouse update: Last week I made a base to cover the marks on the blue base (used previously for something else) and the drive mechanism. The drive is a tiny gear motor and belt drive. The belt drive acts like a clutch in the event something jams the plane from "flying" around the tower. It is also dead quiet! This week I machined a recycled circuit board with a lot of "meat" on it it and made the shaft and rotor to go on it. The circuit board gaps were filled in with solder and sanded smooth. The rotor is styrene with old motor brushes for contacts. The roof will be redone to match the new size of clear piece I used. And a GIF to put it all together... For now. I got to say I like the rotation better than those model circuits that dim and brighten a light like on train sets, This actually casts light and shadows for more realism.- MT

Someone who can use that keyboard can surely make a transformable mech with masking tape! It's looking good. Transformable models are tough because you do one thing and then find it interferes with another. Then you gotta start all over again... - MT

@derex3592 Hopefully you can get a coupon or discount. I got a bunch of Tamiya paint on sale last year. - MT

Too late! I already did! They have great stuff too! I HIGHLY recommend them. Over the years I've gotten their power tools (disc sander, drill press, band-saw and mill). Their stuff has variable speed motors so styrene doesn't melt when being machined. The smaller sizes fit on your workbench without eating up real estate. - MT

@wsna Welcome to MW! I was just about to post the text below when Derex posted an update. His method would be better. But if it's not what you want... Sanity is right, that is a good idea. You can get a tube with better control or buy tips separately from hobby and craft shops. I just get a .07oz (2 gram) tube of "The Original Super Glue" (Red Cap). I started using it lately because the applicator doesn't seem to get clogged as easy. The alternative is to get an applicator as posted in the link below. If you're a little crafty, you can make your own. Get a needlepoint needle and file/grind down half of the eye. The open area will hold a tiny amount of glue and only release it once touched to a surface - but be fast before the glue dries. I made one of these. You can stick the needle in an old paintbrush handle or something for better control. You have to scrape the glue off with each use as it dries. I hope that helps! - MT https://www.micromark.com/Micro-Glue-Applicator_2

@electric indigo That's a cool idea for a paint theme! Nice concept. But I would keep your day job just in case. - MT

He he, what he said! By the way, someone from our model club brought in November's issue of FSM and I got to see your centerfold in person. It's cool! I told the guys about the model since the static photos don't really tell the story well. - MT