HWR MKII Posted November 21, 2004 Share Posted November 21, 2004 as the title says. is it decent for an early 80s kit? i have one in the house but i cant touch it until december 25th. go figure. oh the agony of macross christmas presents. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jipe Posted November 21, 2004 Share Posted November 21, 2004 I have the 1/72 model. It's a good kit for his age. I like the legs system, but for myself I think he is not big enough (really 1/72 scale ?) The exosquad/matchbox toy seems more "1/72" with 2 cm higher. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWR MKII Posted November 21, 2004 Author Share Posted November 21, 2004 my wife found the 1/72 scale model for me. jipe what are the legs like and do you have any good pics ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jipe Posted November 22, 2004 Share Posted November 22, 2004 Sorry but I haven't camera (maybe for Christmas ! ) but a poor webcam. I don't thing we see anything. I am sure someone there build this kit ! No pictures ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWR MKII Posted November 24, 2004 Author Share Posted November 24, 2004 well my wife suprised me and gave me the defender early. it was pre started. the feet, hips,guns and shoulders had been assembled. i assembled the rest of it and compared to the line art is mostly accurate. the only real flaw is that the 3 depressions on the back of the rear "toes" are represented as raised blocks. im going to shave those off and reconstruct the depressions by layering a piece of sheet plastic on with the holes cut for the depressions. ill post some pics of the painting process this week. jipe you were right the foot and leg system is good. its tight too even without needing polycaps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWR MKII Posted November 24, 2004 Author Share Posted November 24, 2004 time for some paint process pics. i left some seams in to simulate access hatches and how pieces would split apart to service the guns and actuators in the legs. so again i bust out the rusttough primer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWR MKII Posted November 24, 2004 Author Share Posted November 24, 2004 the model is literally straight out of the box Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWR MKII Posted November 24, 2004 Author Share Posted November 24, 2004 nice details on the back exauhst vent Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWR MKII Posted November 24, 2004 Author Share Posted November 24, 2004 ignore the 1/48 VF-1S strike behind the defender. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWR MKII Posted November 24, 2004 Author Share Posted November 24, 2004 the white paint on the valk didnt turn out how i like so im going to strip it down and repaint it if i cant do some weathering to incorporate the flaws. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWR MKII Posted November 24, 2004 Author Share Posted November 24, 2004 here it is after a coat of tamiya XF-49 khaki. its the closest match to the color used in the animation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWR MKII Posted November 24, 2004 Author Share Posted November 24, 2004 the camera washes out the color a bit but it does have a nice golden brown to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWR MKII Posted November 24, 2004 Author Share Posted November 24, 2004 (edited) thats all for today. cant wait till christmas though. i have a 4pack of regult pods on the way and a 1/72 GBP armor and other various models on the way. i had to show my wife a good collection of items and she picked out of those based on my reactions.the decals didnt come with the kit so its time to go and make masks for the ones i need to airbrush on. Edited November 24, 2004 by HWR MKII Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jipe Posted November 25, 2004 Share Posted November 25, 2004 well, you are fast and this is a nice model. Very good. Let show us more pics I would like to see more destroids or zentraedi kits on the board. Macross is not only valks, valks, vaks ....and valks !!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gabe Q Posted November 25, 2004 Share Posted November 25, 2004 i have a 4pack of regult pods on the way and a 1/72 GBP armor and other various models on the way... These are some rare and pricey kits you're building. Where are you getting these? If your wife is getting you these then you're a very lucky man! What scale are those four regults you're going to build? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWR MKII Posted November 25, 2004 Author Share Posted November 25, 2004 (edited) i think they are the 1/200 nichimo regults. she found them on ebay. just do a search under macross/all categories and sift through it all. my wife actually finds all my macross kits she just searches online when shes bored or waiting to download something. i only own 2 valk kits myself i like the more obscure subjects . dont get me wrong WMcheng does excellent work and is a credit to model builders the world over but i can only see so many valks before they start to blurr together. Edited November 25, 2004 by HWR MKII Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWR MKII Posted November 25, 2004 Author Share Posted November 25, 2004 since the kit didnt come with decals i had to hand paint the markings Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWR MKII Posted November 25, 2004 Author Share Posted November 25, 2004 and the white/gray makrs on the legs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWR MKII Posted November 25, 2004 Author Share Posted November 25, 2004 (edited) heres the base wash and drybrush session. the wash is a 50/50 mix of gloss and flat black enamel thinned to the ratios i like. i use a mixed black because sometimes flat black can gray out when it dries and the gloss mixed in helps preserve the color depth. Edited November 27, 2004 by HWR MKII Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWR MKII Posted November 25, 2004 Author Share Posted November 25, 2004 the gun detail pops really well with the dry brushing. i drybrush with the base color mixed with tamiya XF-60 dark yellow to lighten it a little then i drybrush again with pure dark yellow for a final highlight Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWR MKII Posted November 25, 2004 Author Share Posted November 25, 2004 i love how the feet look. they have a nice heavy feel you dont often get in mecha kits Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWR MKII Posted November 25, 2004 Author Share Posted November 25, 2004 the overall back and rear leg detail is excellent. i decided not to convert the detail on the rearof the feet since the age of the plastic was causing it to fracture and shatter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWR MKII Posted November 25, 2004 Author Share Posted November 25, 2004 another shot of the guns and thats it for today time for some thanksgiving turkey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWR MKII Posted November 29, 2004 Author Share Posted November 29, 2004 (edited) well i went and got a nice pair of revell germany 1/72 scale hummers to go with the defender. perfect memory says that the first defenders rolled off the assembly line in 2000 so it fits. now i just need some people. i plan on doing something on a test range looking site or one being used on an exercise. Edited November 29, 2004 by HWR MKII Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWR MKII Posted December 2, 2004 Author Share Posted December 2, 2004 well my wife suprised me yet again and came home with a 1/72 scale MI abrams. she said that it would look cool with the defender in some sort of scene. im fresh out of ideas for it right now since i have been working on an overload of projects yet again. another 1/16 tiger,a 1/16 sturmgeschutz IV with METAL tracks, the 2 72 scale hummers,1/16 scale 69 and 72 dodge chargers and a 1/35 scale sturmgeschutzIII with crew, motor and crumbling wall. the 69 will be the general lee once the body is worked out. do any of you guys have any ideas on how i could incorporate the abrams into a scene say on an 8inch by 10 inch finished piece of wood with some sort of groundwork. im torn between urban combat or lightly forested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ido Posted December 3, 2004 Share Posted December 3, 2004 well my wife suprised me yet again and came home with a 1/72 scale MI abrams. she said that it would look cool with the defender in some sort of scene. im fresh out of ideas for it right now since i have been working on an overload of projects yet again. another 1/16 tiger,a 1/16 sturmgeschutz IV with METAL tracks, the 2 72 scale hummers,1/16 scale 69 and 72 dodge chargers and a 1/35 scale sturmgeschutzIII with crew, motor and crumbling wall. the 69 will be the general lee once the body is worked out. You really have a cool wife Very cool defender too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jardann Posted December 3, 2004 Share Posted December 3, 2004 I have to second Ido's comment. My wife is cool with my modeling projects, and she even likes to look at some of them, but she wouldn't know what an Abrams was or where to get one much less what the scale means! As for the diorama, I would think of a convoy like scene on a small stretch of road. OR a river crossing scene, yeah that would be cool! That's it, I'm gonna keep my ideas to myself now. I may want to use them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWR MKII Posted December 3, 2004 Author Share Posted December 3, 2004 thank you IDO and JARDANN my wife actually found my first macross model for me after seeing DYRL? it was the hase elintseeker. i still have it it just needs some fixing after moving to england. i like the rivercrossing idea. i could use a clear resin to do the water and still show off the defenders feet.HMMMMM i also have some foam around that i could cut into the base ground before i cover it. i think ill go with it. thank you sean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grayson72 Posted December 3, 2004 Share Posted December 3, 2004 I really like your effect for shading and highlights, it came it really nice. I don't think there was a enough contrast on the one I did. Plenty of exhaust marks though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWR MKII Posted December 3, 2004 Author Share Posted December 3, 2004 (edited) hey Grayson ive only seen the pic of yours in the collections thread and it was small so i couldnt make out much detail but it looked good from what i could tell. it was next to what appeared to be an early bradly fighting vehicle. if you look at the pic at the top of the page you can see the wide soft brush i use for all my drybrushing next to its foot. ok the idea i have for the river scene will be with the abrams and hummer gaurding the road across the bridge with the defender walking by squishing its foot into the stream bed and sloshong water about. im going to use acrylic gel medium in layers to build up the water and keep its clarity and sculpt the slosh effect into it. the hummers have their doors open so i cant do a mobile scene but a defensive action is good too with some people milling about. i may have them watching it go by like its the first time they have seen it. i came upon thr gel medium idea because resins have a tendancy to yellow tamiya paints when they warm up as they cure. i should have a prototype ready this weekend at least a rough cut one. im still deciding on a concrete bridge or steel frame one. it would have to support the weight of an abrams. im suprised at how well the markings came out. yes they are all hand painted some are airbrushed and some are with a brush.the G3 on the shoulders is done by hand while the light grey marks on the legs are airbrushed. Edited December 3, 2004 by HWR MKII Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jardann Posted December 3, 2004 Share Posted December 3, 2004 Hey, glad you liked the idea! It really just came to me in a flash as I was writing that message. I can't wait to see your progress! If I ever get the time, surely not until after the holidays I'm going to have to make up a river crossing scene too. I'll use a different mech though! Please give some details on the gel medium. I'm very interested in it's properties and how you apply it, tint it etc. Do you get it at a model shop or a craft store? Does it have a brand name? Thanks for sharing your excellent work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWR MKII Posted December 4, 2004 Author Share Posted December 4, 2004 you can get the gel in arts and crafts stores like michaels. its in the acrylic paint seaction in a tub and sometimes tube. get a small tub at first and see if you got the right type sometimes they dry opaque. the paste will be either clear or milky white kind of like thick white glue. you tint it by adding small amounts of acrylic paint into it. my prototype wont have a wooden base on it just yet i still need to get it but the foam will be cut to shape and the proper dimensions so when i get the wood all i have to do is glue it to it. i may do a knocked out stone or concrete bridge that has a steel temporary one attached to span it like ones that were blown up in bosnia. i have plenty of reference pics of that. im also looking at recent tank developments to see how i can modify the standard 1980s 105 mm abrams to make it look like the UNARMY has been using it. some kind of external overtech upgrade. i may replace the barrel with some twin railgun looking thing with cables and conduit on the turret. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWR MKII Posted December 11, 2004 Author Share Posted December 11, 2004 sorry for no pics lately. i had to change shifts at work yet again so my sleep schedule has been shot to hell. i should have production started tonight on the base. ill post pics as i go along to show some of the methods i use to go ground work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myersjessee Posted December 12, 2004 Share Posted December 12, 2004 nice work on that Defender!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jardann Posted December 13, 2004 Share Posted December 13, 2004 Can't wait to see some diorama progress pics! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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