1/60 Queadluun Rau Custom

[Kurisama]

Hey hey,

I'm planning on repainting my Q.Rau, into a hybrid TV style cannon fodder/Miria green colour scheme. So far I've been able to disassemble all but the core-cockpit area.

Has anyone else had experience with this?

It seems to be all glued together - I've tried prying the back open on the left side, as it's the most hidden part - but no success.

Other than prying it open and stress marking/breaking the heck outta it, I guess I will have to carefully mask the cockpit area and face/shoulder flaps, as well as the boob cannons...

Any tips?

I can provide photos if need be.

[grapetang]

Can't help (yet) but I think there were at least two green re-paints and a purple one. I'll be watching this as I've been wanting to do it too. Is this a straight re-paint or will you mod the head, antenna, & pantlegs/cuffs?

Edit: Can't find the old links. Here're two other ones:

http://www.macrossworld.com/mwf/index.php?showtopic=33235

http://www.macrossworld.com/mwf/index.php?showtopic=30715&st=0&p=775911entry775911

Edited August 17, 2011 by grapetang

[EXO]

They're both in the gallery section

http://www.macrossworld.com/mwf/index.php?app=gallery&module=user&user=917&do=view_album&album=164

http://www.macrossworld.com/mwf/index.php?app=gallery&module=user&user=1652&do=view_album&album=161

[Kurisama]

Thanks for the links, but they're not quite the direction I'm going - the more old school green schemes are a tad too literal-a-colour match for my personal tastes - due to the panel lines and slightly different details on the movie version Rau, I'll be seeing what works best - going to re-use some decals from a few spare 1/144 rau and 1/100 glaug decals to detail it up - nothing to 'in your face', I really dislike the decals on the shoulder flaps and a few others. You know what they say; less is more.

Anyways, to answer your question grapetang - I wasn't going to change any details apart from paint job, but looking at the other pics, I will add some raised greebly bits sparesly around the suit, like the 1/144 kit - also maybe make a new head entirely, custom build one in a 3D program and print it out at shapeways.com, while I'm at it, make some new articulated fingers - my 1/60 had floppy fingers. I like the antennae tho, so I'll keep that! Although I thing the crotch plate has to be changed... somehow.

[DarrinG]

I would love a standard green Q-Rau 1/60 for my blue Max VF-1A to fight, but do not have the time.

I've seen them for only $50 now online.

Maybe I should get the red and pack it away for a someday project.

Surprised Yamato does not make a greeny for a web or show exclusive with all that tooling already done...

[Kelsain]

Anyways, to answer your question grapetang - I wasn't going to change any details apart from paint job, but looking at the other pics, I will add some raised greebly bits sparesly around the suit, like the 1/144 kit - also maybe make a new head entirely, custom build one in a 3D program and print it out at shapeways.com, while I'm at it, make some new articulated fingers - my 1/60 had floppy fingers. I like the antennae tho, so I'll keep that! Although I thing the crotch plate has to be changed... somehow.

I was thinking along the same lines as shapeways with my Q-rau. I have a friend with a Makerbot Cupcake, but I don't think I'll be able to get good resolution out of it. I got a good deal for this toy on eBay a while back, turns out it came with the Milia figure too. This conversion is on my to-do list, but a few others are slotted before it. I need more practice anyway.

Grapetang & exo, thanks for the links!

Edited August 17, 2011 by Kelsain

[Kicker773]

Any updates? Can't wait to see some progress!

[Kurisama]

Not yet! Current status of project; Q.Rau is as disassembled as can be, masked off and ready for repainting - also making the custom components in Maya as I get the time to do it; Ironically other 3D stuff (paid work) as taken priority...

Will update when I have something more than a exploded-taped-up Q.Rau to show!

[Kurisama]

Soooo..... long time no update. Good news is that I'm almost done marking assignments in my day job and the urge to make progress on the Rau is building, managed to squeeze these out yesterday;

The head on the left is the first mock-up based on the available concept art and my own 1/144 bandai kit, the head on the right is to the dimensions (height and width) of the 1/60 DYRL head - I prefer the left. Going to add an optic lens greeble thingy inside the visor - cause hey, what the hell. Only thing is - trying to get get a clear enough material for the red area. More details on the head maybe? Thoughts?

Here are the replacement manipulators. Fingers are proxy - I'm going to make them bend on the first knuckle, and the base will have a ball joint as the original 1/60 does - but i'm inclined to make it a pivot joint - thoughts? Details on the palms are just an indulgence, but they're starting to grow on me.

Starting to think that I may make replacement missile shield covers for the knees and backpack - only the back pack ones are held by a pin and not a screw, and seeing as i don't know how to disassemble it and i don't wanna break it;looks like i may have to leave that one alone, only to the reason I want to keep the door opening gimmick - but the knee ones shouldn't be a problem.

Other than the repainting, I plan on also cutting some small pieces of plastic card to make the raised panels and details as on the 1/144 kit. I'd rather not drill and make details that sink in to the plastic - my hands aren't steady enough!

Over the last few days I've been toying with the idea of A)re-making the grey piece between the thigh and knee joint to include a swivel and B)Re-making the forearm to the TV Rau style - thoughts?

[Kelsain]

Wow, very nice. I think the left face looks better too. The right is too chunky.

On the hands, the ball joints on mine are floppy as well, so I could see why you'd consider switching to a pivot. I think if you're going to add another joint at the knuckle, you'd get pretty good poseability with all pivots. The only thing it couldn't do is interlace the figures, as seen here at the M3:

Looking at it again - it doesn't even look like the palm is supposed to be circular...

On your final 2 ideas:

A) I don't think a swivel at the knee is necessary. I really can't recall any pose from the anime that would benefit from that. And it'd be something else to mess with, and another possible point of instability in a pose.

B) TV style arms would be a definite improvement over the toy's banana arms. I was going to try this as well.

And BTW, if you're thinking of making these available - either cast from the printed masters, or just multiple prints - I'd totally be in for one!

[Kurisama]

Cheers Kelsain!

Well, when I get these all done with all the parts in hand and assembled - I will make these available to all my fellow Macross-worlders - don't you worry about that. I have found a local company that makes sprues and the like, so mass production shouldn't be hard - just a matter of cost effectiveness.

Yeah - the image doesn't quite look circular - but for functionality sake, I will make it circular so it can turn at the wrist.

The joint at the knuckle would be a pivot joint, not a ball joint - a ball joint that small and so numerous there would just get a mess.

With the knee, I think if I did make it - you'd be able to get a slightly wider 'toe pointing away from each other stance', but i'll see how it goes - the material may be too brittle for that, we'll see.

Up-scaling the arms would look sweet - would be able to put nice little nozzles/verniers in the circular indents and panels lines

Even though I'm a original design loyalist - what would you think if I made the Q.Rea style 3-barrel arm cannons?

[Kelsain]

The joint at the knuckle would be a pivot joint, not a ball joint - a ball joint that small and so numerous there would just get a mess.

Yeah, I figures that. I think both joints as pivots would look just fine.

With the knee, I think if I did make it - you'd be able to get a slightly wider 'toe pointing away from each other stance', but i'll see how it goes - the material may be too brittle for that, we'll see.

I just seems to me that most of the leg posing of the Qrau is at the hips. Granted, the stock hip and groin armor REALLY limit the range on this thing.

Even though I'm a original design loyalist - what would you think if I made the Q.Rea style 3-barrel arm cannons?

Meh... Personally, I prefer the cleaner looking tri-barrel to the oversized gatling cannons on the Rea.

[Kurisama]

Lol, re-using original pieces is fine by me! Less modeling!

In other news - trying to pry open the chest area is breaking my balls - being really careful not to create stress marks on the plastic. Anyone ever done this before? I'm having trouble with the pieces directly behind the grey shoulder flaps. Otherwise it'll be a hell of a lot of masking tape and liquid mask. Shame too - cause I want to paint the pauldrons (seem to soft plastic/rubber?) separately.

[grapetang]

Looks neat! My 2 cents:

Re: head - left one, definitely.

Re: hands - pivot joints at the knuckles & finger are great as I don't see a reason to position them any other way.

Re: knee rotation - perhaps not needed? How about extending the range of motion (with rachets)?

Re: TV arms - YES!!! I'm not a fan of the banana arms. Details would be a plus.

Re: Q-rea arm cannons - psst! just make a Q-rea!

Looking forward to seeing more!

[Kurisama]

Hey hey muchachos

Getting back on the 'Rau, sent off 2 orders (2 different materials) to Shapeways for the head unit - awaiting the delivery to see which material works best. Once I know I'll ship off the rest of the orders/pieces!

Here is a preview of what is complete so far:

By the time the order comes through (along with my 1/60 VF-11 add-ons!) I'll have the manipulators done. back-pack missile hubs done (flipping between the opening gimmick or a solid piece), forearm pieces done, shins done and finally feet done also. That is, after I finish marking these 50+ assignments... EL OH EL.

The link to my shop is here; http://www.shapeways.com/shops/RPG

I'm not making them for sale just yet, not until I have them in hand and am happy with the results.

Cheers!

EDIT: Added another part. the inner nozzle parts;

These should slot right in and be glued into the original nozzle part.

Edited June 12, 2012 by Kurisama

[DarrinG]

Where do those 'nozzles' go?

[Kurisama]

Its not visible in the image u posted. These pieces are in the thrusters of the 1/144 kit, which aren't there in the 1/60 kit. See attached pic;

[Kurisama]

So I'm making the back-pack missile hubs - would people prefer the DYRL or TV version? Or make both available?

Missiles will be the same on both versions, just at slightly different scales. Missiles will come on a sprue for ease of painting.

Thoughts?

I'm also having delusions of grandeur here - can I gauge interest at the thought of making a hub-replacement that enables the Rau to wield a Rhea style cannon (on one or both sides), with a pivot for 360degree swivel and another pivot for up/down movement? If so - it'll be last on the list, but I do love me some Zentran-Frontier style cannons... Would give a cool silhouette - a feminine mecha angle of death ^___^

[Kurisama]

Update! Both versions finished;

DYRL:

TV:

[Benson13]

Damnit. Looks like I'll be spending more money and getting another Rau.

[Kurisama]

Well, this is interesting;

Left is obviously the 1/60 DYRL and the right is the 1/144 TV version, both at a 1:1 ration to each other - using the manipulator as the common ref.

Didn't realize that the arms were that out of whack to each other...

I may scale it up a bit or make a hybrid - or should I keep it faithful to the kit? C'mon MW members - here's you chance to have some input!

[Benson13]

How much do you think your total kit will cost so I can do some budgeting magic?

[Kurisama]

I would say about $120ish before shipping. It really depends on how much the arms, feet and manipulators are going to cost. Maybe a new cod piece also?

With all the pieces I've made already (Head, Nozzles, Knee Hubs & Shoulder Hubs + Missiles), it comes to $55 before shipping.

I was going to make the legs, but seeing how the price is going up - not sure about it now... I dunno - we'll see how it goes - I'm not sure if there is much interest in the legs.

Hell, not sure if there is much interest in this at all!

[caslon]

wow!! You are making something unpopular to have some fame this time! Good job!

[Kurisama]

Thanks caslon! Truth be told - the Rau (in TV, DYRL, MD and the Rhea) is my all time fave mech - period!

Here is an update for the arms, ended up mixing the elbow of the 1/60 with the rest of the 1/44, slightly stretched too;

[Gian]

Good luck with the project!

I love Q-Rau's and their derivatives, any chance of doing the Quilqua?

Edited June 14, 2012 by Gian

[Kurisama]

Hey Gian, you know I'd love to!

But not at this stage, just want to finish this one The back pack would be a nightmare to match up and make flush with the torso due to all the subtle curves. But maybe, one day.

There are othe designs I want to see in 1/60 *cough*renegade*cough*rhea*cough*... Uhh *cough*nousjadeul*cough*.

Hola desde Australia, hermano!

[Benson13]

Dude, this is looking better and better with every post.

[Kurisama]

Thanks Benson!

Finished the arms - had some issues with getting the curves right and little details matching up with the 1/144 kit, but I think it turned out ok. Should be able to use the same screws and screw covers from the 1/60 kit on this.

Phew, almost there! Just the feet, manipulators and just now - I decided I'm gunna make some nipple guns. Nipple blasters? Anyways, I've been mulling over some sort of waist articulation, got some ideas - stay tuned!

[Reïvaj]

Really looking great so far, Kurisama!

[Mog]

Once again, awesome, awesome work!

[Gian]

There are othe designs I want to see in 1/60 *cough*renegade*cough*rhea*cough*... Uhh *cough*nousjadeul*cough*.

Hola desde Australia, hermano!

Hola compadre!

Those battle suits are sweet, I hope to see more 1/60's!

Are you Chilean too? I wondered why you used spanish lingo in your designs, and since you are from Australia... (where the Chilean community is bast)

[Kurisama]

I'm one of those kids (like MANY Australian kids) who's parents come from the old country but was born here. I walk in both worlds, like the Daywalker, lol.

Glad to hear you guys are digging it, sometimes it feels like I'm working away in a void of self delusion!

[Benson13]

I have to ask, Kurisama, do you ever sleep? There is A LOT of progress on this project in a very short time. Or is it just that easy for you?

[Jasonc]

For around $120, I'd be in for a set. As for your question of the cannon, Abso-freakin'-lutely. I would definitely make a Frontier Klan Rau. It'd go along with the Klan pilot figure I'm working on in my ultra spare time.