MechTech

I'm contemplating getting one too! A guy in our club does his masks for windshields and markings on his. The latest ones will cut thicker and faster too! - MT

Welcome to MW! Most 1/72 scale stuff is close enough. Just like clothes, a lot models that come from Asia are actually a little smaller than the label. So a lot of the 1/60 models are actually off a bit. You'll be fine with 1/72 scale accessories, vehicles and figures. You can also buy sheet styrene and just build up your own too. If you haven't heard of them before, Plastuct and Evergreen make all sorts of extruded shapes like tubes, square tubes and i beams. Plastruct has ladders and stairs of all sorts too. Both have textured sheets too. If you are doing a lot of gluing, I HIGHLY recommend Micro Weld. http://www.microscale.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=MD&Product_Code=MI-6&Category_Code=FINPROD You can buy it most hobby stores and online. It is a "green" glue that is safe to use indoors. It's non-toxic and it is as good or better than most liquid cements. I use it so my family doesn't complain about the smell when I build in the living room with them there. For lighting, I recently posted this: It will help your case. If you have a Detolf case, using the angle as I showed helps to prevent glare. A lot of people put light strips straight onto the shelves. The glare is very distracting, if not blinding (looking directly into LED lights is bad for your eyes too). I hope that helps you on your way! - MT

NZEOD - That will look funny when you add in a golf cart! WM Cheng - The finish on those two looks awesome! Nice, clean and SHINY on the metal parts with just enough weathering elsewhere. - MT

NZEOD - "Hey kids, get off my lawn!" I hope that was a good sandwich (in the photo)! Seriously though, the ground pattern is looking realistic. Chronocidal - The mods are coming along nicely! - MT

Great mods Chronocidal. It's too bad you even have to make so many just to get it right. - MT

I'll have to remember the 32ml Vallejo paints. Some of the guys in our club have used some of the lacquers which are just like metal, but the whole lacquer solvent thing is a pain! - MT

Thanks Electric Indigo! I've heard the same thing with Vallejo clogging air brushes. I don't do much metallic work, but I need to complete an old VC-27 Tunny model. I wanted to do the inlets with a chrome-like finish that many other turbofan nacelles have (not counting the blades). Which brand of metalizer powders are you referencing? - MT

That's cool! I do a lot of printing so I thought I recognized the roll end caps Thanks! I may try their metalics out. - MT

Nice-n-clean Cross Air! She has a nice anime look to her like coming right off the drawn cell. Nice stand to make the whole project look great! Neptunesurvey - Great metallic finish in your models! What did you use? Is that one stand from a paper roll holder? - MT

I'm just seeing this. GREAT build! Great details and the lights are a nice touch too! Congrats on a great build! - MT

"Nichimo King" That video is cool! Thanks for sharing! - MT

You did a great job weathering and mudding him up! That's some terrific Macross respect there! Nice photos too. - MT

Great work Kenny! I like how you made the flora and fonna with common items. The AT-AT is believable too. The mods you made to it fit right in visually (whether its canon or not in the series). Great diorama all the way around! We need more here on MW! - MT

He he, what I think about when people talk about updating old kits... - MT

Pengbuzz - Your Defender looks great! Especially considering its humble beginnings! Regarding the carpal tunnel surgery, there are some potential side effects, but I highly recommend it! I'm posting this here because I know others here suffer from it too. I had it in February this year. Except for leaning on my hand, like to stand up, still being tender, everything else is fine. I lost feeling in my thumb and most finger tips before the surgery. It's just now starting to come back. The longer you wait, you may permanently lose your felling. NZEOD - If the enemy was actually coming at your three amigos, they wouldn't know what they were looking at! The splinter camo really does break them up! Together they look like something other than what they are! Congrats on a terrific trio! Derex - Your model should be a Star Replacer instead of a Destroyer - it's so bright! You'd blind the Rebels before you'd have to shoot them. It's turning out great! Now I can turn my monitor back up... - MT

Congrats NZEOD! It's cool when you can track something down -especially when it doesn't cost an arm and a leg! Pengbuzz - That's funny about sanding! Concerning surgery, bow stringing effect? That's a new one on me. Electric Indigo - You are totally right! Add air bubbles for more fun! - MT

That's cool. I hear you about carpal tunnel. Right hand is healed, may need to go in for work on the other. ABS doesn't like to sand smooth like styrene. It gets "hairy." Sometimes acetone can give it a nice surface afterwards like 3D printers use to clean up bias marks on their prints. I started building a model in ABS and that was the only model I ever sold "halfway" done. The cements for it are toxic and then there's the whole sanding thing... - MT

Pengbuzz - That Defender is looking great! It must be "fun" working in ABS. I think I have that same toy holed away somewhere in my stash. - MT

Pengbuzz - That's a nice score! Arbit - Like David said, there's not much in the way of flaps down on takeoff. It's not a VF-1, but the next best thing... Flaps are usually for slower flight or landings (fully extended). That Valk diorama looks cool with the spoilers up. I don't think I've seen that before. Also go to Navy.mil (like I did) and under "Media" check out photos. Do a search like landing or takeoff. There are videos out there too. - MT

That's right, 'Murica's got the "King of Beers!" If you get your enemies drunk, you don't have to blow them away! NZEOD - Looking good! Weather can be a drag sometimes, but it looks like your working through it. Derex - Cool with the LEDs. I think it will look great when done! - MT

Thanks for sharing! That's one of my favorite mecha designs too! - MT

Tekering, somehow I missed this thread before. Your build is great! The mods are a great touch and he came together perfectly! Great poseability! But why do I think he looks like a '70's heart throb version of John Travolta? -MT

Some things are definitely worth repeating!!! That is an epic build. The luminescent dots are a nice addition to where fiber optics would be a pain. - MT

Derex - You gonna add a wave motion gun to that!? I got a drill! Seriously though, I think I somehow got an exacto knife or something to "mod" my New Jersey. Arbit - That's cool. I think I did the same. I just wasn't that good at drawing. I sucked! Now it's part of my job - MT

Thanks! Cool to know they are doing more Macross stuff! - MT