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tekering

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Everything posted by tekering

  1. tekering
    Join the club, pal! Who doesn't love the Gamo? I can't wait to add one of these bad boys to my collection.
  2. tekering
    I won't have any progress to show for the next few weeks, I'm afraid. The animatronic Yoda I'm working on has to be submitted by the end of the month to qualify for our annual modeling contest, and I don't have much time to devote to anything else...!
  3. tekering
    I was under the impression that all of it reads like the very worst kind of fan-fiction... Certainly, that's the reputation Star Trek novels have within the literary sci-fi community. Seriously, what Star Trek books would you actually recommend?
  4. tekering

    Hi-Metal R

    tekering replied to joppewo's topic in Toys

    Not at all. The Spartan's torso is connected (top and bottom) by this big-ass heavy-duty diecast hinge.
  5. tekering
    I have more reference material to share, especially for those of you who ordered multiple sets. You might be interested in making a mass-production unit, for instance: ...or perhaps even a Macross homage...?
  6. tekering
    I just printed this on a card, cut it out, and slipped it between my iPhone SE and the transparent casing. Cheap and easy.
  7. tekering

    Hi-Metal R

    tekering replied to joppewo's topic in Toys

    Don't sweat it, guys. It's a die-cast joint in a PVC polycap, and it pops right out.
  8. tekering
    Thanks for the feedback, guys. I think I've found a much more accurate orange now:
  9. tekering
    Yeah, that was me. There's quite a bit of TFW crossover here, I think. Check out my new iPhone case:
  10. tekering
    Good to see so many elements from Rogue One making their way onto the small screen -- Death Troopers, U-Wings, Saw Garrera, even mention of Krennic's "Stardust." Disney's gonna have to keep a tight rein on continuity!
  11. tekering
  12. tekering
    Preliminary color check... Not sure about the orange.
  13. tekering
    No, I think we can assume they're just using the wrong pictures. The consistent use of "1:72," "conversion kit [sic]," and the listed price all indicate they're not the transformable 1:48 kits. Oh, and I think Aoshima themselves are providing retailers with the wrong pictures, since Amazon.jp has also posted listings with the same erroneous images.
  14. tekering
    Having found none, I've written several of my own for this thread... I've also archived them on my blog. They're beautiful paintings, and the only reason why I bother tracking down the original releases. For example:
  15. tekering
    Presumably, Arcadia Shop charges up front... It's our pre-orders that fund the production, I'm sure.
  16. tekering
    Another Aoshima re-release! Sweet! Those are the most accurate Mospeada model kits ever produced. Sure, they're not up to modern standards of engineering or articulation, but it won't take much work to adjust the proportions or upgrade the joints... and at the price they're asking, it's cheaper than tracking down the vintage releases. Here they are at Hobby Link Japan, too: https://hlj.com/product/AOS05446/Sci https://hlj.com/product/AOS05447/Sci I see HLJ has also listed the 1:72 Legioss "Conversion Kit" re-releases, but erroneously using 1:48 kit photos. https://hlj.com/product/AOS05443/Sci https://hlj.com/product/AOS05445/Sci
  17. tekering
    Sure, I did. Why?
  18. tekering
  19. tekering
    In case it's of use to anyone else, here's the Gosu painting guide I've prepared (color-matched to the Blu-ray masters): No, I've gotta keep those in reserve... for the Blueberry Space Crab.
  20. tekering
    Fascinating, how Google Translate interprets タンポ印刷 (tampography) as "tampo," "dandruff" or "tampon printing" (!), all within the same paragraph...
  21. tekering
    The postman's visit left me feeling pretty peachy today! I wish I could've afforded a third, but Arcadia's 1:3000 "Premium Finish" SDF-1 just set me back $500...
  22. tekering
    Curiosity has motivated many of my model purchases of late... It's precisely because sites like yours and CollectionDX don't cover models -- and because Japanese modelers always post such tiny pictures! -- that I felt a need to provide this information online. Some of these kits are easy, and some are difficult; some are surprisingly accurate, while others aren't; some are almost up to modern standards, while others are crap even by archaic '80s standards. I figure fans oughta know which-is-which. If there are any details in these reviews I haven't covered, feel free to ask. Next up: Imai's 1:15 VR-038L "Bartley" kit has some misleading artwork on the package, representing Houquet (NOT "Fuke") wielding her distinctive cannon in a dynamic action pose the figure is totally incapable of achieving, with a smaller image of the bike mode the figure is also totally incapable of achieving. Since 1:15 is the scale the MegaHouse figures employed, I figured she could fit right in with the boys... ...since MegaHouse neglected to include a Bartley figure in their "Variable Action" line. So what's in the box? About 75 parts total, which is less than half the parts count of Imai's 1:12 scale kits. Since this kit is considerably smaller and is fixed-form, it's much easier to put together; the initial rough assembly you see here only took a couple of hours. The figure is articulated about as well as could be expected for its age, but badly needs elbow, knee, and thigh rotation... Nonetheless, even the stock figure is capable of some fairly feminine poses, thanks to its lightweight construction (and a great deal of patience!). Unfortunately, the proportions are considerably less feminine. One detail came as a real surprise, however: The front and back tires have distinctly different tread patterns! I've never seen that on any other Mospeada toy or model kit. Anyway, how does she look with the MegaHouse boys? Pretty damned awful, I'm sorry to say. She's too tall, too fat, and too masculine -- almost as if it were Jim wearing Houquet's ride armor -- and it's gonna take a lot of customization to make her look like the lithe teenager she's supposed to be. Oh, and while Imai saw fit to include her targeting scope, they clearly forgot something: There's no weapon included in the kit! Fail, Imai. FAIL.
  23. tekering
    On the contrary, you've confirmed my initial assumption; those model kit parts are definitely too small for the Beagle frame. Thanks for re-posting the pics, though. Actually, given Yoshitaka Amano's impossibly skinny transvestite Yellow Belmont, I'd say the proportions aren't inhuman enough. But yeah, it definitely needs work. By the power of Grayskull! The weathering's a little over-the-top, but proportions and detailing are top-notch. Glorious. Kinda makes you wonder how Kids Logic managed to frakk up their 1:4 statue so badly, eh?
  24. tekering
    Oh, we've known about Stig for years... Tatsunoko was actually really into European names back then. Look at the cast of Southern Cross, for example: Jeanne Fránçaix, Louis Ducasse, Claude Leon, Marie Angel, Charles de l'etoile (French) Lana Isavia (Scandinavian) Seifriet Weiße (German) Andrzej Sławski (Polish) The only American name among the principals is Bowie Emerson... and he's named after a knife.
  25. tekering
    So, while we wait for information on new merchandise, how about a look at a classic Mospeada model kit? Imai's 1:12 variable-type [sic] VR-041H "BLOWSPERIOR" comes in a surprisingly large box, adorned with the usual gorgeous paintings and bullshit English text -- What? You didn't realize "Blowsperior" was a mistake? Seriously? Well, it should come as no surprise that Shinji Aramaki is a vintage motorcycle enthusiast, and that he named Yellow's specialized ride armor after a high-end line of British motorcycles designed by George Brough. The "Brough Superior" was the first sports bike, and Brough Superior motorcycles are still prized by collectors to this day. It galls me that, after three and-a-half decades of advancement in the field of information technology, fans around the world continue to refer to the VR-041H as a "blowsuperior," years after we've learned "Stick" is actually Stig (a Scandinavian name) and "Fuke Eroze" is supposed to be Hoquet et Rose (a French name). Tatsunoko marketing execs in 1983 were only concerned with the Japanese market, and had no Internet access; you have no such excuses, so knock it off. It's Brough, not "blow." Got it? Good. Anyway, despite the wide variety of Mospeada toys produced over the last 35 years, this vintage kit remains the most accurate rendition of the Brough Superior released (since Beagle folded before putting their version into production). Let's take a look inside the box, shall we? There are numerous parts on multiple sprues (over 150 parts, all told), including real rubber tires, die-cast metal joints, screws and springs. Since it's designed to be transformable, there are a lot of complex moving parts to assemble. Another mistake on the packaging is where it says "simplified construction for easy assembly," 'cause it's not. The instructions are sometimes inadequate (especially if you can't read Japanese!), making for a difficult build, even for someone with considerable modeling experience. In some cases, you've just gotta muddle your way through and figure it out as best you can. There are points in the instruction manual where Mospeada characters provide advice, but it's not particularly helpful: For example, Hoquet's word balloon says "Be careful not to lose those tiny parts." Good advice, sure, but not very informative. Once you get it together, though, it really looks the part. The figure and bike are both well-proportioned (look at the size of those tires!), but articulation is somewhat limiting. There's no elbow or thigh swivel -- just a rather restrictive hinge -- making it difficult to get a good riding pose, and no up-or-down movement for the head, either. Before I complete any of the subassemblies properly, I'll definitely be adding additional ball joints to bring the articulation up to modern standards. It's not easy, but you can get the ride armor to stand unassisted if you find the right pose. It's back-heavy, of course (like any Mospeada ride-armor), but not inordinately so. Forgive the crude assembly; I'm just figuring out how everything fits together, and which parts will need painting first. At 1:12 scale, it sits right between the 1:15 Megahouse toys (R) and the 1:10 Beagle (L). I was hoping for parts a little bigger -- to kit-bash a custom Beagle Brough Superior -- but I just don't think the scales are compatible. The boots would definitely be an improvement over those dainty Beagle legs, however! It's important to remember that this isn't a toy, and you have to be really gentle with some of the joints. It's designed to be transformable, but given the fragility and the potential for paint rub, I'd advise against transforming it once it's completed. You should probably decide what mode you want to display it in before you build it, and keep it that way. Of course, having said that, I'm gonna have a hard time deciding which mode I prefer...! I managed to acquire this kit for about $30 USD shipped -- twice its original retail value, sure, but still a steal for such a large and complex model. If you're an experienced modeler -- and you can find it for a decent price -- I highly recommend getting one. It's gonna look awesome once I'm done with it.
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