Rockhound

Update: engine rest parts The parts that you attach the feet/engines to come in three pieces: Big slot rest and two very small pieces. Be very careful when assembling them. They fit into the legs/nacelles a certain way, as mentioned in the instructions. Shown in the pictures are the parts and how they fit into the legs. And of course the legs are finally assembled! I used some grips and scotch tape to hold everything together overnight to insure a good contact seal. Well, that's it for the build-up thus far! Gonna sand down the legs tomorrow, as well as do some (massive) touch ups to the white-painted areas. Also, since I couldn't do any spraypainting, I decided to work on another model, just do some glue and sand work, as well as masking the canopy. Enjoy! It's the attack helicopter form Pat Labor 2. It's loosely assembled right now for the photo, but the major components are easily removed. The company that makes it uses alot of slots and tabs making for stronger attachment.

Update: base coat for metallics Here are the parts that require a black base coat before applying the metallics. Consists of the gun, feet/engines, verner nozzles, wheel hubs (mentioned in earlier post), head rest on top fuselage, intake "thingys" on bottom fuselage, pieces for front sensors, intake covers, etc. Forgot to take an after photo, sorry.

Update: Yay! Sorry for taking so long, that cold has been kicking my arse for forever. But now I'm back to it! Here's your updates! I separated the parts that require different base coats, mainly black and white. Here are the white coats: Landing gear, bay doors (interior), wheel wells. First I airbrushed the necessary parts white, let them dry. Then I used some black ink and smothered everything to let it all sink into the little notches and such. Once that dried, I drybrushed flat white paint over them. Needless to say, not very well, but they're white. I'm sure the paint gurus/masters are cringing at me right now, I've just never really did landing gear stuff before. Sorry! It really was a rush job. I might tighten everything up tomorrow when I'm not so tired. The landing gear is easy enough to paint, as there are alot of wide surfaces. But the silver needed on the hydralics (sp?) blends too well into the white so I need to fix that. Plus the gloss black I used on the tires kinda sticks out. Yeah, I'll definately work on that tomorrow, might even spend the whole night on it. Paint little details and such. WM Cheng: "A little note, it looks like the rear hydraulic arm thing to the front nose gear is in backwards in one of your photos - you might want to do a dry fit into the front wheel well to make sure." The pieces that assemble into the front landing gear actually come like that, just the way it was molded. Nothing I can do about it. The rear wheels/tires come in 4 separate pieces: tire halves and hub halves. The gear comes in three: halves and the little piston that attaches to them. The front wheels/tires come in 6 pieces, tires (whole) and hub halves. The good thing about this is you can paint the mubs OFF the tires making for a much neater paint job.

Thanks for the heads-up David. When I was looking for actual photos of the 188 F-16s, it showed the box art was indeed wrong. I'll be keeping the light/dark gray deleniation (sp?) in mind when it comes time to paint. Mainly all I wanted to do was build this with a paint scheme that screamed "Arkansas Razorbacks", wasn't really looking for accuracy. I will, however, be using your advice on alot with this scheme, especially the intake alignment tip. I never really paid attention to where it actually happened. Thanks!

Thanks for all the replies! It helps me stay motivated! The project is on hold for a bit, got really sick a couple days ago and I don't wanna have to worry about paint fumes and spray with a fouled up throat. Until I can get back to it, this is the scheme I've been talking about (in case anyone was wondering. LOL) My main concerns are the light gray to dark gray at the canopy. The F-16 has a wide enough surface to make the color shift more noticable than the the YF-19 surface area. I might play with that for a bit. Also, the decals for the read stab (the big red part) will have to be modified to match the YF-19. I plan to make all 4 rear stabs on the YF-19 red, and will have to work with the decals like that. But not to worry, it'll look good. I also have a WAY different plan when it comes to panel lining this bird.... you'll see (and probably cring.) Till next time! Rockhound

UPDATE: almost ready for main color paints I split the project into 3 masses: One for the top (upper fuselage, top of wing surfaces), one for bottom (lower fuselage, bottom of wing surfaces, wheel well doors, intake/legs, etc) and one for misc color (white for wheel bays/landing gear, gloss black tires, metal/steel for feet and other movable pieces) The legs have not been assembled yet since I need to paint the wheel wells and insides first. Once I do that, then the legs will be getting the two-tone treatment. Like I mentioned in the first post, I will not be painting this in the anime canon color of Radome Tan, instead opting for the F-16 two-tone gray style with red read stabs. (ala 188 FW out of Fort Smith, AR.) More to come!

UPDATE: landing gear The landing gear is beefy and can easily hold up the aircraft. The front comes in 4 parts (3 plastic, 1 clear) not including the wheels. The read comes in 3 parts not including wheels. The rear gear has an extra hydrolic part to it not on the 1:72 scale. The whole thing is, as usual, awesome.

UPDATE: head The model comes with a faceplate. Dunno why, but it does. The problem: it looks friggin awesome and you can't use it. But here's a picture of it if you wanted to know. If you wanted to use it, you'd have to dig out the plastic on the fuselage.

UPDATE: misc stuff The rifle: It's awesome. It comes in 5 pieces (4 plastic, 1 clear piece). The butt of the rifle and the nozzles are their won seperate pieces, so you don't have to worry about sanding off any detail in the front or back. The way it attaches itself to the arms is nice also. It's got tabs to help secure it so it doesn't go flopping around. Even without glue, it stays in place. With that said, it is recommended to NOT glue the arms in place until everything is painted and decalled. You CANNOT put the rifle on the arms after you place the arms on the fuselage. paint, decal, and cote the arms, and then paint/decal/cote the rifle. When it's time to due the final assembly, glue one arm on, then place the rifle in the slot, then glue the other arm on.

UPDATE: Some subassemblies, tips for building. The assembly is pretty much the same for the 1:48 scale model as it is for the 1:72. Today was a pretty light day, just looking everything over and some building. Assembled the cockpit and painted it. You can notice the extra detail in the cockpit area:the chair is looking more authentic and the rear area looks less "thrown together." Something to notice. In the back of the cockpit, the part that appears to be floating, does NOT rest on the back of the bottom piece. It's very, very lightly touching, so don't try move it around. I first primed the parts, then airbrushed dark gray over everything. After that I used a black ink form Games Workshop and washed everything with it. The chair was done the same way, with Guard Red painted onto the cushions.

Good afternoon MW! Earlier I posted about finding a WIP thread for this model, but alas no luck. I got my models in today and will begin the thread! WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN BUILDING THE 1:48 YF-19 by HASEGAWA, aka Step-by-step to building the 1:48 YF-19 for those of us who are modelling challenged... First off, what to expect: It's big, but that goes without saying. This is how big it is... Some seperate piece comparisions: I apologize for the bad quality of photos, was using my Flip camera and taking stills from that video. But I'll be going back to digital camera I used when I made my other WIP threads. Some awesome things about this kit: 1. It's big! The detail is not simply an enlargement of the 1:72 scale. The details are evident in the wings, leg nacelles (sp), fuselage, everywhere! It's a completely new model from the ground up. 2. You know how we usually have to get rid of that unsightly crease line down the middle of the canopies? Not this one! Just go straight to the Future wax and you're done! Nothing to sand down. 3. Decals. They're big, big enough that you don't have to worry about masking and using your paints unnecessarily (if inclined to). 4. The wings can be switched to different positions without needing glue or special parts. But honestly, who sweeps them back anyways? LOL Anyways, keep watching this tread for the actual build-up. I'm starting the cockpit now. I will NOT be using the PE parts that will be available for the 1:48 YF-19. Simply because I'm too impatient to wait for them. Also, I will NOT be painting this in the anime canon paint scheme. My friend is really into this aricraft, but is also extremely proud of his college, so I'll be painting this in the scheme of the AF Air National Guard 188 FW F-16 (red-tailed Razorback scheme). I'll be using both the YF-19 decals, as well as the Tamiya 1:48 F-16 decals. Thanks for browsing!

Good afternoon MW! I'm glad to see MW is as active as ever. It's been a while since I built my last Macross model and was looking for a 1:48 YF-19 build-up thread if one existed. I ran a search for one, but nothing turned up. Just curious if I used the wrong keywords or something. Some might remember the build-up threads I did for the SV-51, VF-0D, and VF-0S reactive battroid. If a thread does not exist, I will make one once my models arrive (via 1999.com). If this is in the inappropiate forum, I apologize and please delete is necessary. I appreciate any help you can give. And if not, the 1:48 YF-19 build-up will commence once my model arrives! Thanks! Rockhound

Here's the best way to get rid of your backlog.... do them all at once. During my first stint at modelling, I built a whole Skull Squadron diorama. Roy, Hikaru, Max, Ben (forgot the true name. don't kill me).I built all the major assemblies for each kit, painted them, then assembled them. Took about as much time as once kit. This works best if you're painting roughly the same colors on different kits, which is why my Skull Squadron was finished as fast as it was. What keeps alot of modelers from cruising through the kits is down time. The best thing to do is simply build the subassemblies of the kits of all the kits you want, then prime all the pieces, then paint similar colors (doesn't work if you're doing a YF-21 and a SV-51 Nora though but you get my meaning). Simply eliminating downtime between processes will crush your backlog. Also Excillion, since you're getting that Alclad II Steel, you could do all your exhaust ports/engine nacelle/feet/gunpods/etc all at once! It's when you get to the decals you gotta bite the bullet and push through. Work enough decals and your fingers become raisins.

Hey guys, sorry again for the late posts. I've had to shelve the project for a bit. Combination of college, not enough time, and money. I'll resurrect the thread once I get going again. Till then!

Sorry, I haven't updated in a while. Summer courses for college are 5 days a week, 3 hours a day for 5 weeks. Pretty hectic. I'm still on the sanding stage. Hopefully I'll have something productive to post in the next few days. Edit: Another problem, I keep coming up with ideas for projects. Like Max's funky rear stab missiles aircraft (weird episode), a Razorback red custom VF-0S Battroid, VF-0D battroid custom, etc.

I usually use a dark gray for the cockpit, inside portion of the cockpit walls, and the sides of the injection seat. If using Testors/ModelMasters it's Gunship Gray. Then I use tan or some kind of light brown for the cushions of the seat. The top portion of the cockpit, namely the front section infront of the instrument panel and the thin top section that rests directly underneath the canopy are painted black.

Update: Day 2... finished subasemblies and fabricated hip flexor I finished all the subassemblies- legs, armor, arms, gunpod. I decided that the gunpos would be help by hand instead of mounted on the side of the arm. In the anime, it looks like he's hoding it by hand. I also did some hip flexor fabrication. I cut the back of the calf armor form the super valk plane kit and used it to cover the gap form the intake piece to the thigh part. Right now it looks gawd-awful. But I will be placing little strips I cut form the same calf armor to simulate "ribs" on the flexor. This should add some surface detail and make the space less ugly. Here are the legs as they appear on the fuselage. After looking at the episode a little more, I didn't like how the legs were pretty much parallel to each other. So, I decided to flare them out a bit. This made the legs curve at a wider angle than the anime, but it adds to the dramatic pose the kit will be place in. Also not shown are the duct nozzles being placed in the feet. Next will be the shoulder fabrication. I'll be doing something a little different, mainly going to do a flat plate being swung down that is attached to the deltoid portion of the upper arm. Since this aircraft was designed back in the early 80's, I imagined some struts/pivots/pistons are being used.

My scratchbuilding meant things like a cockpit overhaul and a few things here and there. The pilot is pretty easy, just need those little clamps, an x-acto knife, and no fear of putting little cuts in your thumb. haha Thanks though Big F. I forgot to mention, the pilot has that pack on his chest. That needs to be removed also, otherwise you'd think Millia was piloting. I'll use some sanding filler and fabricate some buckles and straps instead. Geez, just got another idea for a project. Max's crazy VF-1J with missile rear stabs. Remember that episode?

Update: Day 1... The cockpit and pilot. We all know to start with the cockpit and pilot. I won't bother writing a build-up of the valk, DrunkenMaster has an excellent thread going for that kit. In fact, I'm pretty much following it for my fighter parts! Now, since the series' pilot suits are different than the movie, I thought I'd try to make such an adjustment. This includes adding a center flight stick to the cockpit, and trimming the excess from the pilot. That being said, I'm not recreating everything form the series. I'll be taking liberties here and there, (mainly due to my lack of scratchbuilding skills) but I'll be building it so it look slike the series, such as the pilot, the colors used, and the UN Spacy logo on the Fast packs instead of the traditional Skull Squadron bones. Here is the pilot. I decided against changing the helmet since it was so small. I trimmed the shoulder pads off and the excess from the forearms. When you trim the shoulders, the arms stick straight out, so you have to sand the connecting point to make that surface parallel to the body. You'll get a little gap at the shoulders. Wait for the to dry then fill it with a little filler. The right arms should almost cross the chest to get to the center stick, and the lft arm should go almost straight down the body. The pilot is still a little rough, I need to smooth the forearms still and trim the excess from the right hand. Also assembled some... subassemblies such as the nose/cockpit, main body, wings, and head. That's all for now.

Evening everyone! Just finished my VF-0S w/Ghost booster and it's time for a new project. Now presenting Rockhound's "How to build a model with minimal skills but mad heart!" This episode- Super Valk gerwalk! I will be using parts from the VF-1 Super Valk and Super Valk Battroid by Hasegawa. So stay tuned! Here are the screenshots I figured out how to take to reference the kit. One of the things that will be tricky is the hyperextension of the knee joint, as well as the attachment of the arms in gerwalk form. There is an extremely well done tutorial by Chas that I will be following for the shoulders and knees. Another thing I will be adding, the flying missiles! Yes, I will be building the shooting missiles with the front ends of the missiles in the weapons kit, wire, and pulled cotton balls. Amazing! Anyways, I'll be starting that tomorrow after my summer semester classes. In the mean time, grit your teeth at my latest model, the VF-0S w/Ghost booster. You will cring in agony, cry tears of blood, and wonder why all my black decals turned gray. Hint: never used flat coat before, and will never use it again. My... beautiful... paintjob. I'm crying on the inside and white-knuckled on the outside. Till tomorrow!

Well, what kept me modeling was the unexpected surprises that would happen as well as the end result. Earlier I mentioned what keeps me going, but now I found something that just knocks me down again. Important lesson: make sure you know how to use flat coats properly! I wound up making my beautiful paint job and all the black decals... gray. ugh. But, like MechTech said: It's the light at the end of the tunnel. And I'm really excited about my next project which will include a WIP! Keep modeling fellas! We can only get better! And remember, if you can't be naturally outstanding be aggressively average. (Quoted from some newspaper comic strip I read a long time ago.)

Here's what I'm working on now, almost done even. Just need to finish up some painting, decals and re-coat. I went with silver and then clear red on the front of the Ghost cause I thought it would look cool. It matches the gunpod and top of the head perfectly. Also, it helps add some red to the ghost that helps make the UN Spacy logo not stand out so much.

Sorry, Dante, this thread isn't meant to have pics. Just a general "What motivates you" kind of topic. What keeps you modeling?

So yeah, there I was working on my VF-0S w/booster. I had the perfect paint job on it, a beautiful flat white primer with no blemishes. Then I spray the light gray (Camoflage gray that is) over it and it looks even better. I work on the booster, fast packs, armaments, rpiming it with flat black perfectly. Then I hit it with the appropriate grays. Beautiful. I start to mask the areas for lighter grays on the booster. Fantastic. Then, I pull the tape away slowly, only to pull up a little paint, right down to the plastic actually. No worries, I mask off the offending area and re-do it. Noticable fix job, but not too shabby. Problem is, acrylic pulls up like very thin plastic. Little flakes here and there. I tell myself, Self. They'll flatten out once you hit it with the glosscoat." Glosscoat on the VF-0, perfect. Or so I thought. Appaerently my airbrush is pushing a thin line of it out, instead of the usual spread. I fix it and continue on. Then I wait till after the UFC fights to start the panel lining. I have never been good at lining, but I still try something new, although old news to you: Oil and mineral spirits. It's the one attempt I never did. So, I start the process and it look slike a mess. Damn near black and gray all over it. You would of thought it was a pile of ash. I knew it couldn't work. Looking at the model as it stood soaking in mineral spirits and oil I thought I might as well throw the thing out and buy a new one and start fresh. But, I hesitate. I wait and wait and wait. I decide to play some Hot Shots Golf and wait some more. 3 hours later, I sit down in front of the model. Do or die. I'm not a gentle person, there is nothing soft about me wiping down the model. I grab a paper towel and put a little mineral spirits on it and go to town. Slowly, I wipe back the oil, leaving what looks like a bad mechanic was on the job. Then I wipe some more... looking better. Wipe some more, sweet zombie jesus. Is it looking better? When it was all said and done, I felt relieved and satisfied. My first successful panel-lining. And that was what kept me building the models. It's always when you think you're doing a bad job that you just might be composing a fine piece of art. What keeps you modelling? And yes, this happened 20 minutes ago. haha

Thanks for the kind words WM! I've never been any good at panel-washes, that's why I didn't risk using it on the decals. I thought that by using an x-acto knife and slicing through the decal and letting the semi-gloss coat weight it down might of helped. Found out it only works with wider gaps, such as the flaps on the rear stabs and wings. I did, however, use a TON of MicroSet over two days on the kit. Didn't think I would have used so much. As far as the holes, you don't really see much. The turbine piece and the toes/feathers pretty much block alot of light. I did two other threads also, the VF-0D WIP and the reactive armored VF-0S. That one is on the second page I think. Anyways, I also attached the two boosters. I think I like it better without the boosters. I feel they take away from the visceral appearence of the aircraft.