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tekering

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Everything posted by tekering

  1. My colossal missiles have arrived! The box is surprisingly large, but the missiles... ...are indeed colossal! I'm pleased to report that is not the case. The kit comes with a large sheet of water-slide decals.
  2. Well, parts of it are bigger... The gunpod, for instance... ...while other parts are equal in size... ...and some parts are actually smaller, even. They're both a pretty accurate 1:72 scale, as it turns out, but significant differences in proportions between modes leads to major differences in size (and shape!) between individual parts. Despite my efforts to paint and detail them to match, some startling discrepancies remain... ...and surprisingly, Kawamori's original animation models sheets are the culprit! The angle these are drawn from suggests three verniers on the leg armor; two pointing downwards (towards the back of the fighter) and one pointing out to the side... ...and as we can see, the battroid was drawn that way in the animation. However, in fighter mode... ...there are clearly four visible, on a considerably thinner and more elongated armor piece. This is the design the informed Yamato's toys, and Hasegawa's kit. So, it turns out both model kits are accurate in scale and proportions, despite (or rather, because of) discrepancies in the inconsistent line-art!
  3. Not at all, Chris. The orange is quite striking, and the T-70 is a perfect design for the Vintage line. It's even a new sculpt, larger and more accurate than earlier releases (yet still awkwardly disproportionate). However, it retails for $100... ...and doesn't even come with a pilot figure!
  4. I've been admiring that "Wheeljack" Gnerl for years, Brett. I had no idea it was yours! Here's a good opportunity to illustrate a common issue with larger resin kits, which is warped parts: The bigger the parts, the more trouble you'll have fitting them together. It's a natural part of the process, owing to the nature of silicon molds; silicon is great for capturing and reproducing fine detail (as you can see above), but its lack of rigidity makes it difficult for larger parts to maintain a consistent shape. Thankfully, there's a simple solution. Most resins become soft and pliable when heated, so all it takes is a couple of minutes with a hair dryer to make the pieces flexible enough to conform to the surfaces they're supposed to mate with. You can use glue, screws, metal clamps, or even rubber bands to hold the pieces together long enough for the resin to cool and harden: If you allow the parts to cool off slowly, it actually strengthens the material itself (a process known as annealing). The resin will maintain its intended shape, unless it's sufficiently re-heated. To keep the upper fuselage flexible during this process, I hollowed out the nose cone: That helped the upper half of the fuselage conform to the lower half, eliminating most of the gaps between the parts. With the rough assembly completed, the full size of the model becomes apparent. While the pilot figure could pass for Hi-Metal R scale, the fighter itself seems closer to 1:60th! Now I've got to determine the right colors to paint it, both the interior and exterior. Only a few weeks left, and lots of surface prep. work still remains...
  5. Sorry for the lack of regular updates. The further behind schedule I become, the more time I spend building, and the less time I spend photographing and documenting the process... So, to solve the floppy joint issues that plague this kit, I've resorted to metal pins, rods and screws for stability. See, these segments fit between the thighs and the legs, basically acting as knee joints: As previously demonstrated, however, they're entirely inadequate to the task of supporting the figure's considerable weight. My solution was to drill into them, and attach them with wood screws: Since the screws will be concealed by the leg armor, it seemed like the simplest solution (and allows me to adjust the tension as required). Success! The figure now stands unassisted. Of course, the resin joints that attach the thighs to the body failed in their job as well... ...and had to be drilled out and replaced with metal screws.
  6. tekering

    Macross figures

    They're sculpted to grip the pulse rifle, nunchucks, and double-bladed lightsaber accessories included with the figure... you know, the weapons Rick brandished whenever he wore his duty uniform.
  7. That's the MP-27+ release. Gotta put him on the sled for maximum toy accuracy!
  8. Am I the only one confused by the math here? From October 2019 to December 2020 is fifteen months, with a release scheduled for every month. That's 15 miniatures, not 50. Even at their extremely optimistic pace, it would take over four years to get 50 miniatures produced. Maybe it's supposed to say "in 2019-2024...?" I find this press release to be highly suspect.
  9. Haunting imagery, to be sure, but not powerful enough to earn that timeless John Barry score... I mean, everyone remembers him best for the 007 theme -- and his early Bond scores are magnificent, no doubt about it -- but The Black Hole was his masterpiece.
  10. The Judeo-Christian imagery suggests Reinhardt was sent to the fiery pits of hell, forever imprisoned within Maximillian, while an angel led the Palomino survivors through the pearly gates to salvation on the other side of the black hole.
  11. Thanks, @sh9000. Cancelled my BBTS order (which would've required me to eat the cost of a Rocketeer figure I had no interest in).
  12. Maximillian did not save Reinhardt. The ending of The Black Hole is open to many interpretations, but that's not one of them.
  13. Quit quoting that Minmei .gif, man! Simon Furman happened.
  14. tekering

    Hi-Metal R

    Geez, that's a common assumption. I'll post the screengrab myself this time, and save sh9000 the trouble: Count the cannons, guys.
  15. Practically speaking, it's not going to happen. With Max Factory's PLAMAX 1:20 VF-1 kits available now, there just aren't enough fans with the skills (and the cash) to tackle a slightly-smaller resin kit version instead...
  16. Bandai did their homework...
  17. Takara did that with their Super Collection Figure line nearly two decades ago: I never would've believed that a simplified trailer like that would get produced at Masterpiece scale... but I guess TakaraTomy had to distinguish Convoy 3.0 somehow!
  18. No chance of that... She came in, did laundry, and left again... without even noticing the Xenomorph staring at her!
  19. Yeah, that's the Tsukuda Hobby vinyl figure... although they claim it's 1:5 scale. Given there was no suit used in Alien 3 -- just a miniature rod puppet and an animatronic head -- it's difficult to pin down exactly how large the "alien creature" was supposed to be.
  20. That was a perfectly legitimate excuse... before the advent of home video.
  21. There's another quarter-scale Xenomorph I'd almost forgotten I had, since it's been hiding in a box for the past five years... The next time the wife comes to do laundry, she's in for a nasty surprise.
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