tekering

That's precisely why I stopped doing custom Star Wars figures... eventually, a proper figure would supersede my earlier work, and I never knew what to do with my customs. So, since I was so impressed with Hasegawa's Prometheus, I've taken the time to do a rough assembly on the rest of the "cruiser mode" model... ...and it's, like, this bizarre hybrid design, more DYRL than SDFM. Since the cannon booms on their "Storm Attacker" model were more accurate to the TV design, I tried switching them out... ...which I suppose is an improvement...? I was hoping it would be useful reference for mods to the Matchbox toy, but it turns out to need just as much modification itself! Miyatake's TV design just can't catch a break.

I wouldn't worry about the price. At $90 apiece, they'll be lucky to sell half their production run... and deep discounts will likely follow. Well, they're using the Mospeada logo, so it should be Stig and Ray... but of course, they're also using the "Cyclone" nomenclature, so it ought to be Scott and Rand... I just wish they wouldn't make up bullshit markings like the "22" on Ray's armor.

I don't understand these controls... Which mode is "valk mode?" Three! That is great news.

That's because the UN Spacy has the requisite resources. Like the US military, the Galactic Empire, or the United Federation of Planets, they have access to repair facilities, the means to replace damaged parts, and personnel to do the required maintenance work. Light wear (like in Hidetaka's illustrations) is all you'd typically expect to see. Conversely, if you're depicting a rag-tag group of guerrilla insurgents, Somali pirates, or an under-funded Rebel Alliance, their equipment should appear heavily weathered and poorly-maintained, because they don't have the necessary money and resources. They don't have capitol ships like a Star Destroyer or an SDF-1 to rely on. Amateur modelers typically overdue weathering simply because they can, they think it looks cool, or they want to distinguish their models from their toys (that would otherwise look identical). As they gain experience, they begin to understand how much weathering should be applied, where weathering is appropriate, and where it isn't. It's a three-stage learning curve, see: Learning how to apply weathering to a model -- oil stains, scratches, scorch marks, dents, dust and dirt, rust, chipping, etc. Learning where to apply weathering -- exposed surfaces, exhaust vents, cannon muzzles, understanding where damage would likely occur (and where it wouldn't) Learning why to apply weathering -- appreciating the circumstances under which the equipment is used, access to necessary resources, and the age of the equipment I'd say Roberto is firmly in the second stage.

Just to clarify, scale in Transformers is based on consistent depictions of relative character heights IN ROBOT MODE. While many of the Autobots are scaled close to their alt. mode sizes, Decepticon alt. modes very wildly. The Masterpiece seekers were designed as 1:72 F-15s, actually... and the Autobot cars are mostly 1:32 scale. That's why we scale based on robot modes.

These parts?

Not at all, man. Now's the best time to be throwing around ideas and suggestions about how to fix this toy, and what better place to do it? Please share your mods with us here. Well, since most of the leg is hollow, I figured I could rig a sliding mechanism so the extension could retract into the base of the leg: I can make space for a couple of extra centimeters in there. I've just got to figure out how to engineer the legs so they hold their extended position, and support the weight of the toy when standing up...

That's terrific detail for that scale, @pengbuzz. Thanks for your input. I've decided to favor "attack" mode because it's closer to Miyatake's animation model than "cruiser" mode on the Takatoku/Bandai/Matchbox toy (and I see many of the same inaccuracies present on your Revell model).

That depends on two factors: What size you define as a "poster" What resolution you'd consider "high quality" If your expectations are anywhere near mine, I'd say... no.

Good call, @jenius. The size discrepancy is far less significant in "attack" mode... and now I'm starting to notice other little inconsistencies in the line art as well. Were these little differences a mistake, or did Miyatake deliberately fudge the proportions between modes for aesthetic reasons...? I suppose I'll have to decide whether to choose accuracy in one mode over another, or just produce a hybrid that compromises both...

Overlaying the line-art confirms the length of my cannon booms is accurate, but illustrates a new problem to address... The Daedalus isn't too far off, but look how much bigger the Prometheus is supposed to be...! The so-called 1:3000 Prometheus toy is barely any bigger than Hasegawa's 1:4000 model! I guess I'll have to find a more appropriately-sized aircraft carrier model (or toy) to modify...

Looks like it's been to hell and back. Cheers, Bolt.

I know Al Matthews is blocking a proper Apone, but what's holding back Drake? Or Gorman? Come on, fall in, people!

Yeah, it's my current favorite from Yamato... at least, among Macross toys. I tried to keep my answers Macross-specific, but Yamato did some fabulous Votoms toys, Arcadia's Garland tops any of their Valkyries, and Bandai produces action figures, toys and models from so many great properties... I wouldn't even know how to choose! Almost exclusively, yeah. There are Furuta/F-Toys, Eaglemoss, Johnny Lightning, Hallmark... lots of companies represented there. More-or-less, yeah... the starships in that display range from 1:2850 to 1:3200. My ships are arranged by scale, not by manufacturer. Repulsorlift technology. It's a galactic standard.

Yeah, I've already changed my mind. I love Yamato's 1:48 Woodland GBP, and think it's been unfairly overlooked:

But... the super/strike packs were only for use in space, and wouldn't even function aerodynamically in an atmosphere... What would be the point of a camouflage color scheme?

My thoughts exactly. And you succeeded! But that's pretty much the opposite of what I'm going for. I want it to look like a modern toy, not a chunky monkey. The stumpy main cannon booms were always what bugged me most about the toy, so that was the first problem I decided to address. Now, since they tended to droop a little in cruiser mode even before I extended them, I've taken steps to keep them level with the main body of the ship: See the notches I've cut into the base of the boom arms? They'll fit over the tab that sticks out in front, to help secure the booms in place. After considering a series of slots and tabs to keep them locked together more securely in cruiser mode, I instead chose to reinforce their connection with magnets.

Why not just take the whole display?

Indeed, as one of the first to prove this turd could be polished, your input is most welcome. I've already managed to improve the silhouette, at least...

Since my unpaid COVID-19 "vacation" has been extended another couple of weeks, I've decided to rescue my poor old Matchbox SDF-1. Love it or hate it, most of you have one... ...and, if you were anything like the ignorant teenager I was, you put stickers on it, played with it, broke bits off it, and left it in direct sunlight for days at a time. Now, there have been several others here who have taken a toy in similar condition and restored it, repainted it to be more cartoon-accurate, or even made structural improvements to it, and I've been inspired by your work... however, the underlying proportions remain a problem. Here's what a side-by-side comparison reveals: And here's how I've decided to modify it. The legs will be repositioned and extended, the cannons will have a whole new section added to lengthen each, the bridge will be substantially modified, and the biceps will be redesigned from scratch. The result will still be a transformable toy, but with significantly different proportions: Step one requires scratchbuilding extensions for the cannon booms. These are just hollow boxes I've made by gluing pieces of 1.0mm styrene together.

Yeah, that color scheme is awesome.

It's what we called "politically correct" in the '90s, showing sensitivity towards issues of race, gender and sexual identity (and more recently, representation of same in works of fiction).

It's a fabulous toy, but the color's wrong. The VF-11B should be an IJN gray, something like this... ...but Yamato's is more of an ocean gray, with a lavender tint to it.

Geez, I didn't even recognize her.