kyekye Posted April 23, 2013 Posted April 23, 2013 (edited) After a long break from my last Macross/Mecha kit building (as well as my hobby life), Somehow I managed to come back to it! I've always wanted to make this custom build, but I had a couple of reasons I didn't start until now. The biggest reason was my fear of paint wearing and chipping on transforming kit, but I might have found some solution - which is not fully tested yet. Anyways, the below image is my project plan. Basically, my goal with this project is to make it like Hasegawa 1/48 or Club-M resin kit - while keeping the ability to transform between 3 modes add details where it's safe add lights where it's possible and make sense. use metal where it makes sense for texture or it need strength The base kit will be either VF-1J or VF-1S that I bought from HLJ during 'Panic buying frenzy' I haven't decided which one it will be yet. It could be My favorite first TV Hikaru VF-1J - but cockpit design is not as cool as movie ones, and doesn't go with cool launch arm (that I'm planning to build later..) Movie Focker VF-1S Super Valkyrie - All good except that I'm not a big fan of S head design Movie Hikaru VF-1S Strike - it's the final battle model - All good except that I'm not a big fan of S head design I'll decide as I go.. By the way, I've been buying some supplies and parts for this mod for a while now. Below is a some part of it So.. according to my plan, I'll be doing some major work on the wings, chest block, backpack(?) and cockpit area. So I've made silicon mold to start copying those parts. My workflow will be 'recast - cutout/rework - recast those parts'..etc Also I found a cool mechanical hand parts that I can use. Size is between 2 hand types that comes with Yamato 1/60. Design is a little different, so I need to work on that. That's it for now, but I started it at last!! I can only work on this over the weekend nights, so it will be very slow process.. Edited June 12, 2013 by kyekye Quote
Valkyrie addict Posted April 23, 2013 Posted April 23, 2013 Sounds amazing!!! What about rescribing the panel lines deeper?? I'm working on a Yamato VF-1A and just did a second clear coat to seal the decals and have pretty much loss all panel lines details now...don't know what to do, I'll see if I can rescribe them for panel lining but I don't have the correct tools for it. Good luck on your project and keep us updated. Quote
Mommar Posted April 23, 2013 Posted April 23, 2013 (edited) Holy crap, this will be epic! You'll make us all hate our crappy per-assembled Yamato's, just like we all hate our standard SDF-1's, but in the most awesome way possible! Why, and in what way, are you rebuilding the forearms? Edited April 23, 2013 by Mommar Quote
MacrossJunkie Posted April 23, 2013 Posted April 23, 2013 Wow, that's quite an ambitious plan. If you manage to do all that, I'll be seriously impressed beyond words. Quote
kyekye Posted April 23, 2013 Author Posted April 23, 2013 Sounds amazing!!! What about rescribing the panel lines deeper?? I'm working on a Yamato VF-1A and just did a second clear coat to seal the decals and have pretty much loss all panel lines details now...don't know what to do, I'll see if I can rescribe them for panel lining but I don't have the correct tools for it. Good luck on your project and keep us updated. I'll most likely sand off most surfaces evenly to compensate the thickness of primer and paint- which will unfortunately remove most of panel lines. So I'll have to redo them.. Luckily, I do have panel line tools and templates, so I'm good to go Holy crap, this will be epic! You'll make us all hate our crappy per-assembled Yamato's, just like we all hate our standard SDF-1's, but in the most awesome way possible! Why, and in what way, are you rebuilding the forearms? oh... that.. First, the elbow design is wrong on 1/60 VF-1 toys! Second, It's just personal preference. I want slightly tapered/ thicker forearms in Battroid mode - like images below. However, I don't want to mess with how the gun-pod or super parts attached to them. So I'll just add a little bit. Quote
kyekye Posted April 23, 2013 Author Posted April 23, 2013 Wow, that's quite an ambitious plan. If you manage to do all that, I'll be seriously impressed beyond words. Well.. It's a plan, so it might not happen 100%. You will see me trying thou Another thing is there are many more option parts available than before - such as tiny 3V LEDs and tiny battery boxes. I also learned some new skills while doing 12" custom figure projects Quote
Mommar Posted April 23, 2013 Posted April 23, 2013 Even after highlighting the differences I still don't really see what you mean. Why are parts of the legs and backpack being redone too? Or maybe I won't understand that either! Quote
Ignacio Ocamica Posted April 23, 2013 Posted April 23, 2013 It's shaping up to be a great project!!! Will patiently wait for the updates! Quote
MacrossJunkie Posted April 23, 2013 Posted April 23, 2013 Well.. It's a plan, so it might not happen 100%. You will see me trying thou Another thing is there are many more option parts available than before - such as tiny 3V LEDs and tiny battery boxes. I also learned some new skills while doing 12" custom figure projects Are those tiny battery boxes available online or did you find them in a local shop? I'd be interested in getting some also if they are small enough. It looks like you're going to try to get the HUD to light up as well? That would be pretty sweet if you can manage that. Definitely looking forward to seeing your progress on this. Quote
Mommar Posted April 23, 2013 Posted April 23, 2013 I want to see this so bad, but I don't. Because in the end I just know I'm going to want one and will have no means to do it. Quote
kyekye Posted April 24, 2013 Author Posted April 24, 2013 (edited) It's shaping up to be a great project!!! Will patiently wait for the updates! Thanks! It will be slow thou I want to see this so bad, but I don't. Because in the end I just know I'm going to want one and will have no means to do it. ;;; Looks like a good project! Like 'MacrossJunkie' said, it IS ambitious plan. I'll see how far I can go with it Even after highlighting the differences I still don't really see what you mean. Why are parts of the legs and backpack being redone too? Or maybe I won't understand that either! Elbow: Tip of the elbow should be open with 'U' shape. Yamato closed it to hold arm attachments. I'll open it and use magnet instead. Hip/Legs: I'm gonna enlarge the hipgun (or was it vernier?) a little bit and add inside mechanical detail on lower leg (like 1/48 Hasegawa model) Backpack : the round part is rather flat on Yamato version. It should have more spherical volume. However, it will interfere with arms when unfolded, so I might omit that plan.. Are those tiny battery boxes available online or did you find them in a local shop? I'd be interested in getting some also if they are small enough. It looks like you're going to try to get the HUD to light up as well? That would be pretty sweet if you can manage that. Definitely looking forward to seeing your progress on this. Battery box (with switch) is this one. HLJ or AmiAmi or This shop or This place also sells a lot of LE/battery related items. Or you can just custom make as you need. HUD will be lit via LED+ Fiber-optic cable (same way i did SDF-1 city, but cleaner this time ) Edited April 24, 2013 by kyekye Quote
MacrossJunkie Posted April 24, 2013 Posted April 24, 2013 Nice. Those battery coin holders are pretty small. That modeltrainsoftware.com shop is where I got the LEDs and battery coin holder + switch for my SDF-1. Good service and friendly people, based on my correspondences with them. The smallest of their 3V LEDs are very small but still insanely bright which is great. Quote
Hikaru1234567890 Posted April 24, 2013 Posted April 24, 2013 So what you're doing is making it the T.V version and Movie version? and your making it more detailed then Yamatos? Quote
Froy Posted April 24, 2013 Posted April 24, 2013 (edited) Wow this seems like an immense amount of work. Will you be making magic hands? Edited April 24, 2013 by Froy Quote
Reïvaj Posted April 24, 2013 Posted April 24, 2013 (edited) Wow, I'm really looking forward to seeing this custom/detailing!!! Edited April 24, 2013 by Reïvaj Quote
kyekye Posted April 25, 2013 Author Posted April 25, 2013 (edited) Nice. Those battery coin holders are pretty small. That modeltrainsoftware.com shop is where I got the LEDs and battery coin holder + switch for my SDF-1. Good service and friendly people, based on my correspondences with them. The smallest of their 3V LEDs are very small but still insanely bright which is great. smallest I found was 12mm, but I can make smaller ones if necessary. Some 3V LEDs are too bright, so I'll need to use fiber-optic cables and put some smoked lens covers to dim it down Wow, I'm really looking forward to seeing this custom/detailing!!! Cool. Me, too!~ So what you're doing is making it the T.V version and Movie version? and your making it more detailed then Yamatos? Eh... That, I haven't decided yet. The base work can be applied for both, so I have some time to decide which one I'll do first. I'm leaning towards the Movie Hikaru VF-1S Strike version. Wow this seems like an immense amount of work. Will you be making magic hands? Magic hands!!?? You must be joking!! Edited April 25, 2013 by kyekye Quote
MechTech Posted April 27, 2013 Posted April 27, 2013 You must be a project manger as a career Kyekye! Looks like you got everything figured out and ready to go. I think it will turn out great and will be worth the effort, especially the lighting effects. - MT Quote
kyekye Posted May 1, 2013 Author Posted May 1, 2013 Gonna be EPIC! Thanks! I might need your 1/60 ground crew later, so save some for me! You must be a project manger as a career Kyekye! Looks like you got everything figured out and ready to go. I think it will turn out great and will be worth the effort, especially the lighting effects. - MT Haha I was ..kinda years ago. Still figuring out the LED parts thou Quote
kyekye Posted May 1, 2013 Author Posted May 1, 2013 Here is my last weekend work summary. With resin copies of wings I prepared, I started cutting out this way, that way to figure out flaps movement and angles..etc - while trying to figure out LED wiring. Here is rough result. Also made a Air Brake out of resin copy and added some details. The canopy cover is right under this (the chest piece), so I don't have much room. I will see if I can add piston actuator , but it's very unlikely... Also made a resin copy of the pilot. The one comes with the kit is soft Vinyl and hard to add detail or paint. That's all for this week! Quote
derex3592 Posted May 1, 2013 Posted May 1, 2013 I'm awed. Amazing detail for the scale! Agreed! This is gonna be totally BAD-ASS! Quote
Frogze Posted May 1, 2013 Posted May 1, 2013 Amazing work! I'm really looking forward to your progress on this Quote
Ignacio Ocamica Posted May 4, 2013 Posted May 4, 2013 Now all of a sudden, all my VF-1 ver 2's will look like pieces of sh¡t compared to your custom Quote
apolloneo Posted May 8, 2013 Posted May 8, 2013 awesome work! hat off! Just wonder 2 issues, 1st where to order those hands replacement? HLJ? 2nd, the LED shown on the wings, is that a real LED bulb or you are using optic fiber? I saw many projects are using fiber optics, because it saves spaces. Quote
kyekye Posted May 9, 2013 Author Posted May 9, 2013 First, Thanks for nice comments! not much progress (to make post) last weekend, so I'll update more this weekend. awesome work! hat off! Just wonder 2 issues, 1st where to order those hands replacement? HLJ? 2nd, the LED shown on the wings, is that a real LED bulb or you are using optic fiber? I saw many projects are using fiber optics, because it saves spaces. 1. 1/100 Mechanical Hand 100 Square G Gray by Hobby Base or 1/100 Mechanical Hand 100 Round G Gray 2. Those are just wiring test LEDs. Fiber Optic cable doesn't seem bright enough while LED seems too bright.. I'll figure out something this weekend. The actual LED I plan to use is 1/4 of that size. Quote
grapetang Posted May 10, 2013 Posted May 10, 2013 <geek mode> 2. Those are just wiring test LEDs. Fiber Optic cable doesn't seem bright enough while LED seems too bright.. I'll figure out something this weekend. The actual LED I plan to use is 1/4 of that size. 0402 LEDs? For a simple way to dim LEDs, just increase the resistor value; the LED brightness is proportional (nonlinear, up to a point) to the current running through it. To find the resistor value, you can: look up the current/Lumens info on the LED data sheet & calculate the resistor value: R = (Vsupply - Vled_on) / current use a pot (resistor potentiometer), adjust to your desired brightness, & measure the pot resistance experiment by swapping in larger resistor values (binary search is effective) Swap in the appropriate, cheap resistor once you have your value. It shouldn't make much of a difference but resistors typically have 5% or 10% value tolerances depending on what you choose; the tolerance may matter if your supply voltage is just above the LED turn-on voltage. There are other, more-involved ways to electronically dim the LED but you can also use a regular LED instead of a super-bright, use a diffuser, paint over with transparent/translucent paint, or use gels. </geek mode> This is such a cool & inspiring project!!! Quote
peter Posted May 10, 2013 Posted May 10, 2013 I'm speechless. I'd love to see you detail up one of those 1/24 scale Valks...... Quote
EXO Posted May 10, 2013 Posted May 10, 2013 Thanks! I might need your 1/60 ground crew later, so save some for me! You got it. Recaster is actually closer to you than I am. Quote
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