VF-1James

Thanks for the advice guys. I got the quick weld in the mail on Friday, and did an experiment with it. When set, it still seems far too brittle at such a small size. What I'm now thinking is that instead of worrying about making this part, I could possibly take the piece to a machine shop and they could make it for me. From what I've read, I could get the part made from either plastic or metal. Does anyone have experience using machine shops?

I've ordered 2 different versions of it from the net (one regular, one a quick set version), so we'll see how this stuff works when it arrives. I was also thinking it sounded a lot like bondo, Big F. I was wondering if anybody knows the properties of this stuff. Because I want to cast a part, I'm wondering if a silicone mold is going to work or not. This stuff seems to bond to almost anything- that's what it was designed to do. I'm not a chemist, but I imagine that silicone will work. Will definitely run a test on silicone that has been set first, before I run off and spend the time making a mold box for the part.

Wow, thanks AcroRay! This stuff might be the key to this project. It seems easy to work with, and it has the strength I need for the part. I'm going to try it.

Hey all, it's been a while sine I've posted. I have been devoting my time to trying to create my own custom characters in 1/6 scale for the last few months, but have run into a few problems. I'm using a Medicom RAH 301 Kai body as my base (customized from a few different figures), but as is the problem with most Medicom figures, the shoulder joints keep breaking. Realizing that the joint will break no matter how many times I buy a new figure to replace it, the obvious solution is that the joint needs to be made from a stronger material. I have learned basic resin casting, but I don't think it's enough to withstand the pressure from moving the arm at the shoulder. That said, I believe metal is the answer here. However, metal casting is currently beyond my skill set, so I've decided that I need the help of a recaster for this. If anybody has any recommendations about whom I should contact, please let me know. Macross World has always been one of the most intelligent, helpful forums out there, which is a rare exception to most places on the net. In this situation, I'm proud to belong. Thanks guys.

Happy birthday to one of anime's all time greats.

Wow, that looks great!

Thanks a lot guys, this will really help!

Hey all! I've been working on a head sculpt, and it's nearing completion. That said, a difficult task lays ahead of me- recasting. Yes, the fun part... I seem to remember that there were step by step instructions here on how to make molds to recast your own parts; however, I'm having trouble finding the thread. If anyone has any info that could help me out, or the link to the thread I mentioned, I would be in your debt. Thanks so much! -James

Wow, come to think of it, there were A LOT of lines in Street Fighter that are worth cringing over. The electro-magnetism crap made no sense, and was one of the worst lines in the movie as well. And yeah, Mai's probably not going to end up nearly as nice as we'd all like...

Wrong. The greatest line ever was delivered by Raul Julia/M. Bison. "You came here expecting to fight a madman, but instead you found a god!" Yeah, that sums up the movie for me right there...

Voted Roy- hope he wins, since Spike is a really popular character. While I think Spike is awesome himself, Roy is Roy, and that was enough for me.

He did. He gets better suction now with his new one. P.S.- Anyone see the Kabuto that the guy was talking about in the article? OMG, it's incredible... I'd say between the MSG4 figures and that Kabuto, my wallet's going to be hurting.

So those are the only two figures that use this as a base body? Shame, I was hoping there'd be a much less expensive way to get it (like a $50 figure, instead of a $150 figure).

What's the cheapest way to pick up this body?

I love Medicom's stuff, they get most of my money in terms of action figures. I started collecting their Lupin and Kamen Rider lines, and I'm pretty happy in general. My biggest problem is quality control (it's pretty terrible for the price you pay). My Lupin figures are pretty durable in general, and I've never had any problems there. But as for the RAH bodies, they give me a lot of trouble. Here are a few case points: 1. Though not the RAH body's fault, my Kamen Rider 1 (1971 Ver 2.0) has a mishapen head (seriously, it's way out of whack, and I've bought 4 of this guy in total over the course of a year, and all of them have been that way). 2. This mostly happens on the nude bodies you can buy (for customizing), so be be warned of it. The shoulders joint's plastic will crack, and the arm will fall right off. I can't tell you how often this happens. And when it does, you either need to have some spare Medicom parts around, or you can kiss your $100-$200 goodbye. I've been burned a few times (more than once on Kamen Riders, and both legs of my Spider-Man Comic Version's legs broke off). Spidey was done for when his legs came off, because he's sewn into his costume, and the only way to fix him is to ruin the outfit. I was a bit upset about that, but I didn't care much for him anyway. And if you buy anything before 2004 in the RAH line, you're probably going to need to switch the body or something. I bought some old Kamen Riders, and the bodies were so weak and poor, that the arms and legs came broken. They are worse than the nude bodies, so I'd stay away from them. One thing I will say for Medicom, their costumes are fantastic! I'd say that's where Medicom's strength is as a 1/6 scale figure company. Their sculpts are a bit stylized, their figures are hit or miss, their prices are outrageous, but the quality of their costumes makes you think their almost worth the price. I ordered the exclusive Kamen Rider #2 (from the recent remake movie, "The First"), and he finally arrived last month. Let me tell you, his costume is incredible. He's probably the coolest 1/6 figure I've ever seen. His quality is excellent all around, and I can find no problems with him whatsoever. So my best advice is to just wait until somebody else gets a figure, reviews it, and then you can make your decision as to purchasing it or not for yourself. If you want to find out the hard way (which it seems I usually do), just go ahead and get whatever from them. Some figures you'll love, some you'll hate, and some will break as soon as you take them out of the packaging. It's a very mixed bag.

I just got one for Christmas, and this is the first thing that I broke! I didn't realize that others had this problem as well. I figured it was a hinged joint, so it must move, right? Guess not... Anyone have this part, or willing to recast it?

All toys of people can be considered "dolls", right? I think the big difference is what the doll is made to do. These Macross ones are made to represent the characters. They were not designed to change their outfits so they can go out, do their hair in time for the party, or to make them go on dates with female dolls. No, they were made to satisfy the desire to capture our favorite characters from macross in a 3-D form, to bring the movie to life on our shelves, and to look cool in general. I fail to see how making a cloth costume makes it less masculine. A figure is a figure. The real question you should look at isn't whether buying these will make you look uncool in the eyes of others, but if you like them enough to buy them yourself. I'd figure since everyone here was posting in the toy forum, they'd gotten over thinking owning action figures was embarassing. I got over that a long time ago (more like I never stopped buying them, they just became more and more expensive, and nicer and nicer, until they were real art pieces).

I think the liknesses are way better on these two. The Hikaru had something a bit off about his face (though the hair was 100% amazing). I think PopBox is the first company to get the hair right on these characters. The expressions are also much better on these two. They really feel like the characters they represent this time. I personally think that dirty look that Roy has is awesome, and just what I was thinking he should have in my mind (it DOES follow the line-art, since he has that expression in one picture). The hair is a bit strange though... I think it's perfect on Roy, except where the neck begins. What is that? Those aren't his sideburns, because they're too far off his head. That part baffles me, but other than that, the hair on top is 100%. Max looks great too, but his glasses should be improved upon a bit. I think maybe adding a frame would help, and slimming down the part that sits on the nose. However, if a frame were added, it may take away from his closeness to the line-art (he doesn't really seem to have a distinct frame there). If the middle were slimmed way down, they'd look more like glasses, and less like a visor. Again, great hair (what kind of conditioner does Max use?). Also, great idea on the extra hands. That fixes a problem that pretty much everyone who purchased the Hikaru was complaining about. The fish is kind of cool too... That set also needs a Minmay handkerchief as well though. Oh yeah, btw, I still want that tubby bastard, Kakizaki. That'd complete the Skull crew.

The figure's head reminds me of some of the artwork you might find in a Robotech comic . I still think that this is a good looking costume, but I just want it to be perfect. Also, I think the buckles would look a bit less silly in a metalic color (no way they'd be yellow in real-life). So far, this is the best costume he's made, that's for sure. And BTW, Hikaru is using the Obitsu (slim) male body, which Hobby Link carries.

I asked him to change the collar of the undershirt (not a fan of the zipper), and the collar on the jacket (I want it to be one piece, not two pieces on the left side). Also, I think the buckles would look better in gold than in yellow. You guys agree? I love the costume in general though- the colors are spot on, and the cut is just perfect.

Hey all, here is the prototype uniform for Hikaru from the guy in Hong Kong. All in all, I think it looks great, but I have two big things I'm going to ask him to change with it. I really wish I had better communication with him, because I never discussed this suit with him... He just sort of went and made it. Oh well...

Well, whatever the case, I am going to really enjoy putting this figure on my shelf. It'll give me my 80's sci-fi character fix. I think just as a figure goes, this thing is amazing. But you know? I think it reminds me a bit of some of the water-color art that Macross has. You know, that stuff looks a bit more realistic, and not at all like the regular designs. So in that, I don't feel too bad about the realistic sculpt. Plus, the head will be seperate I'm pretty sure, so you don't have to buy it. As well, an anime Roy sculpt shouldn't be too far down the road.

He didn't seem too interested in messing with my version... So I'll probably see if anyone else on Macross World will be willing to. Don't worry, we'll get a more anime head out there for Roy. It may be a joint effort between my head, EXO's ingenuity, and a recaster. The only problem with that is, you'll have to paint it yourself. Oh well... It's better than no solution. I'm just going to stick with the Hong Kong guy's sculpt for now. I actually like it a lot, but I do agree that it's not anime. It's... Well, what do you call art from Hong Kong? It's distinctive, and I like it, but it's an interpretation of the character. I will get this one for a more realistic feel, and then the one that I was doing before (probably will end up a lot different when it's done, but...) will give me my anime fix. So I'll get two Roys, and two Hikarus. I wonder about Max though... Where's the love for him?

Far as I know, yes.