dur

@sqidd Great buyer! I see you're filling in your M+ collection nicely

Bump folks- I'll pay $50 just for a right hand!  If you want to make a quick buck and like to display with fixed pose, let me know!

Dat fighter mode... does it lock up solid?  I ordered from NY, can't wait to put it on my -31S (haven't even opened that valk... waiting for the armor  )

Mind sharing some details on your technique?

Are gundam markers alcohol based?

Sooo, long story short I have been running mad scientist experiments on dying valks different colors.  I had a terrible mishap with my YF-19 and all the clear parts are now solid black

If you've got a broken copy with intact and still clear cockpit/sensors, I'll take it off your hands.

I also scored a really sweet deal on a VF-31A that was missing the poseable right hand.  If you have a spare poseable right hand of any VF-31 variety, I can swap the cover off with one of the fixed posed hands and repair my valk.

Thanks for looking!

Price listed is for the set- I'm open to negotiation/trade offers

Edited: it took me that long to remember how to embed pics, lol

SOLD SOLD SOLD!

Sooo I bought a VF-171EX armor set.  Then I bought a 171+ armor set leaving me with an extra armor.  So naturally I picked up another 171 to fill in the armor

And now I have no money, so I'm going to let go of one of them: $SOLD F&F shipped in CONUS, I'm on the SSL.  If you happen to be near the research triangle in NC, I'll deduct $25 for local pickup

Thanks to @mzhao3 for the VF-171EX set!  Packed nice, great communication, and would gladly recommend him

Just thought I'd chime in with some things I've learned from painting valks...

-If you want the paint to stay on parts that rub, you pretty much HAVE to use some kind of epoxy resin paint.  The valk in my profile pic is an HMR VF-1S I used to practice with: I used Duracoat firearm paint as the base coat and then used acrylics that were similar to finish (only because acrylics are easier to work with and duracoat takes 3 weeks to fully cure!).  Which reminds me, I should really photograph my completed, decalled HMR VF-1S .  The duracoat has been strong enough to stay on my Glock 19 slide coming into and out of my kydex holster under (simulated) stress so I don't think its coming off from a valk transformation any time soon!

-I'm experimenting with using dispersion dye to change valk colors.  This has worked great for me on my Acid Rain figures and transforming toys which I handle a lot- the dye gets IN to the plastic and has survived a whole lot (50+?) transformations on my '88 team Speeder mkII.  The downside?  It's really hard to mask, it's really hard to figure out what the final color tone will be and its a function of time and temperature.  Also, at least for bandai valks, they like to use multiple types of plastic that dye at different rates (or some not at all without heat...).  You also can only go darker, since it's a dye- (can't dye "up" to a lighter color!)

-BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL WITH THINNER!  I was told mr. thinner was plastic safe, but I didn't realize it was actually causing embrittlement to the point where I started getting some cracks from just leaving my VF-0A in gerwalk.  People who build static models don't really think about durability!  Use isopropyl alchohol instead when you can, or Testor's Easy Lift Off, both of which I can confirm are genuinely valk safe.

 

Ideally if they can do a rerun for the Eva01 metal build, they will do another for the VF-31A. But that's more of a wish.

One can only hope that they'd do something incredible like make it alpha-02 or alpha-01 to boot.  Collectors aren't mad since their exclusive is still exclusive, new people get a chance to own one of the greatest valks ever, and people that play with their toys (i.e. like me) can dual wield swoosh!

Like title says, I'm looking for one- supers or not.  I've got some stuff for trade too if that's more up your alley!

14 hours ago, Saburo said:

I learned from the best. 

 

Playing around with the VF-31F and the Lill Draken adapters.

I think this should be designated the VF-31FU.  For giving cap ships the FU!

Now I need to find another set of reaction missiles to do this with mine

Pardon me for my ignorance of all things gundam, but does that gunbarrel striker go on all the metal builds, or just the aile strike?  I'm thinking about buying several of the gunstriker barrel mecha to use as drones... anyone who has it mind taking a picture of it next to a 1/60 valk?

2 minutes ago, Slave IV said:

Do any of the three have leg and/or paint/cockpit scraping issues?

I've only really played with one of them extensively (one I got super cheap since it had no box).  It had neither scraping nor paint issues, but I couldn't resist and started repainting it myself into US Navy Low-Viz scheme.  Speaking of which, I should really finish that...

The other two are sitting pretty on their landing gear- I have 5 pairs of the shapeways hips standing by if something goes wrong!

Wow, I'm mighty tempted by that restock- the 0A is my favorite bird by far, but I already have 3 of them .

Duracoat is is then... oh well.  At least once it goes on, it's there forever short of sand blasting.

Looks like we can only display the armor in its intended environment: zero-g

That is also a pretty unflattering pose they have it in: I'm sure it could look a lot better with just some arm repositioning

Hi there, just wondering if anyone has tried using Vallejo's mecha color line and if it actually does yield more durable paint jobs (or even, paint jobs that survive transformation!).

So far, the only paint I've used that has survived multiple transformations is Duracoat (which is generally used on firearms...) but its really annoying to work with since you have to mix in hardener, use really toxic solvents, wait for 1 week to cure, pay $30 a bottle, etc. 

With the scalptastic price the hip-dislocatey-0D goes for right now, the sub 40k yen price looks downright reasonable.

56 minutes ago, spacemanoeuvres said:

I know but I saw it literally 5 minutes after it went up and passed lol

Should have bought it and sold it but I know I would have just kept it and I don’t need another one hehe

Whoever got it must be over the moon...or a scalper ha

Or, the post was an error, and whoever bought it is going to receive a refund and an apology.  Happened to me before when a Japanese seller accidentally listed an Arcadia VF-0S for $250 bucks.  I was a sad panda...

But I agree, if I had the chance, I would have taken it just to get another one... oh man am I addicted...

I know this is unlikely, but I personally really hope they release Arad's 31A, an alpha 1, 2, 4, 5, 6.... (and while they're at it, beta 1-6)... the more the merrier!  I couldn't care less if the ones I own depreciate, I just want to be able to get more.

I also hope that going forward we see more grey low-viz style schemes in macross series.  I hope they get the hint from Ozma's 25, 29, and the 31A that the demand is there.

Blah- when the DX VF-1J released, almost all 1/60 valks took a nose dive in value as the market flooded with people trying to get funds for it.  Now that things have settled and supply has been dropping, prices across the board are sky-rocketing...

I do have to confess to nabbing another pair of 31A's though during the panic

Every time I pick up a valk, I can't resist the temptation to transform.  If it breaks, it's an excuse for me to try to improve it!  If I wanted static display pieces, I'd just buy 3 copies of the variable model.  I buy the 1/60's and DX's for perfect transformation and it's just so cool seeing it go between all the modes.  Fighter is generally my favorite mode though, so after I get my fix, the valks usually end up back in fighter mode.

I think my first vf-25A (first modern valk, I purchased) I've transformed at least 100 times.  Really a testament to the design of the valk that there's nothing really wrong with it outside of floppy hips, which have their fix with a periodic adjustment. (when I'm feeling braver, I'll probably try the silicone padding trick to fix it for good)  It's currently being repainted into low-viz US navy colors since it was getting jealous of the 31A's awesome scheme

Is it just me, or does the armor completely replace the forward canards?  You can pull them out with enough force.  That would mean that Kairos armor has even less issues in the way for getting made

I initially thought the armor looked kind of dumb, but fighter mode got me good: I just bought a 31S for this armor to go on.