Sanity is Optional

Thick with a large border, on kits where they run to the edges of curved parts. Plus the Valkyries call for hundreds of them.

I'll put it up on Shapeways, I'll also put up the CAD files (STP, IGS, and x_t) on file-sharing if anyone wants to print out their own. Not sure Shapeways ships overseas anyway (assuming people outside the US want the alternate pods). I'm only doing this for fun and mainly personal use anyway, it's a heck of a lot simpler than the things I have to work up in CAD as part of my job. [edit] I suppose if someone wants one and doesn't have access to a printer, or a store that will sell 3D prints, I could print up a batch and ship them out with the requisite hardware.

Trimming the edges off of all the decals on the valks, so they don't go over the edges of the parts... Yech.

I found them on McMaster Carr's web catalog. If you're not in the US I'm not sure what the standard metric sized below 1mm are. I can try and make a 1mm version as well, but it'll have to encroach on the missiles and have a larger gap at the missile hatches for clearance though, or go through a complete re-design to have an armature so it opens more outwards. Actually, I may be able to get away with gluing the rod into a channel on the door, rather than having it in an enclosed hole. I'll give it a look tomorrow.

Well, we have the Glaug, the Regult, and the missile Regults. What's left? Fighter pod, scout regult, and Q-Rau?

There's the Tamashii Web Exclusive Regult missile versions coming up in December.

I mainly buy model kits (gunpla), but the paintjobs and decals on Valkyries make me want to tear my hair out. Also the figures tend to be more robust for transforming and posing.

I think SAL is just backed up right now, I've had a package that reads as dispatched from Osaka on the 18th. Still isn't reading as in an international bag or arrived at import customs.

Figure rather than model, but yes. https://www.nippon-yasan.com/figures/22661-macross-delta-dx-chogokin-vf-31a-kairos-regular-limited-edition.html http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/NEOGDS-252726

I was talking about Bandai, Hasegawa seems a bit better about releasing all the things, but good luck if you want a re-print. Those VF-31a kits are already going for nearly $100

I can already see people on the For Sale subforum and over at Mandarake/Jungle selling off parts of their collections to fund the next few months... Which is making funding the next few months harder.

I can only assume they're going by apparent popularity, but kicked the VF-31a to web exclusive due to unpredictable demand. Chuck and Arad weren't that popular as characters to my knowledge, and even Mirage is still available in store for pre-order price.

I've had SAL stuff sit before, especially from NY. You can try poking them via website chat since it's been over 2 weeks.

I've got some sample rods showing up today so I can see how thin I want to go. Unfortunately a full 1mm thick rod like I'd prefer wouldn't quite fit. Made up a colored render to show the detail a bit better.

I don't think so, as the hatches would show up on the side of the pod. Now, I could certainly make one with missiles on both sides, but fore-aft like the YF-30 makes more sense than top-bottom and firing half the payload into your own fighter.

For Bandai, it shouldn't be an issue, but for a Hasegawa kit I doubt they'd make a transforming dish, rather just out, in, or one of each.

Slow day at work, so I added some detail to the doors.

I wonder, if they make a VF-31E, will it have the dish out or stowed? Or option for either?

Had some free time at work, don't tell my boss, so I figured out the door hinges and made sure everything had clearance. This will require some 1/64" steel rod to pivot the doors on.

Thanks for the input, I'll probably go through and strategically thin out a few places where the parts need to fit together. Btw, does anyone have input on the door hinge location? There's 2 general options I'm considering for how the doors open, as shown below.

I have a Yamato Tomahawk myself, and it's great and huge, but I need to tighten up the forward-back waist pivot, and I got it with the clamshell unopened. Also it looks kinda plain without any of the stickers added. So as to be relatively on-topic, here's a WIP shot of something VF-31 related:

The Regult, Glaug, and Desdroids are great. I can't wait for the HMR Tomahawk. The 1/60 Yamato one is nice, but the HMRs have great detail and all the tampo markings, plus better joints.

I keep meaning to order some, and then something shows up on Mandarake and I can't afford it again.

Here's today's WIP: Up next I think I'm going to make the missile trays a bit deeper, and the missiles taller and maybe larger, they look a bit tiny in there. I'm still thinking over how to hinge the missile doors and where to separate the top and bottom parts of the main housing.

Checked the fit on the weapons pod, and altered the missile doors to where it ought to fit properly in fighter mode (both with and without super parts). If you want to deploy in battroid mode I'd suggest having it be fore-aft rather than left-right. As to being stowable in battroid, going to say that one's flat out not possible without removing half the pod. Hey Xigfrid, as someone with more experience in this, you have any suggestions on what wall thickness I ought to be using for the plastic? Right now I have it set at 2mm, but that's pretty beefy considering the size of the pod itself.