MechTech

Heh heh! I suppose I could build them and then just move the family in there since it won't fit in my house. Then I could park the mini van inside the Daedalus HMMmmmmm, there's an idea... Would that make me the biggest Macross fan ever? The 1/10th figures sould cool. Are you doing them in resin only, or are you going the whole clothing route too? - MT

OK, lack of oxygen is possible Cyano is VERY possible too (ESPECIALLY since building this thing!) Thanks Peter. I'm going out on a limb, but I think you got a 1/10 scale fettish - just sayin' Yeah, at 3 to 4 meters long its time to donn a pilot's suit and take off. Oh yeah, and file a flight plan too! Thanks guys! - MT

Has anybody ever said you guys are demanding? I don't know about a blue or green screen, but maybe that's a good idea! I'll have to see about that. Filming in 720p, is that 720 pixels wide Peter? I just have my Casio Exilim camera (EX-G1) It takes great photos, and the video is pretty good depending on lighting. Anybody thinking about me building a Promethius in 1/200 scale - just quit while you're ahead. The promethius is bigger than the Daedalus and far more complicated. Why did I build the Daedalus? The conversation that I had with myself sounded like this: "hey, build the Daeadlus! Its an easy boxy shaped ship and it won't take long to do. Everything will be easy to do in long pieced sides. You can even add electronics and motors to for realism!" Then I said "Yeah!, let's do it!" Too bad I can't say I drink or do drugs. Then I could give the excuse I was stoned when I made that decision, but I have no excuse and I don't drink or do drugs I guess I have no excuse. I have learned that I will not make another ship this big ever unless it's a commission and I'm getting paid millions Thanks guys for your responses! - MT

Thanks Kyekye! It has been about nine years really. I WILL be working on a video for it too as soon as it is completed and in the water. Not to mention all the other stuff working too! Thanks for checking in. - MT

I was chatting with Peter about this. I too wish someone would make the baddies. I did this like 15 years ago. It's VERY chipped and quickly repaired after years of moving around the world. All the claw ends are shipped off too. It's molded in fiberglass resin so it is kinda brittle. It was also my first real sculpt so it shows in the poor details It's 1/48th scale to go with the model kit. So who do we talk to about getting the baddies!?!? - MT

Thanks guys for the compliments and lightning related encouragement I forgot to give props to EXO for his COOL T-shirts! Or as my son said - "the coolest T-shirt ever!" I'm hoping to get this thing done soon! Take care and thanks for checking in! - MT P.S. My wife said I should have copyrighted "Mechtech" since the Transformers highjacked it

UPDATE 4 JULY 2011 - Happy Indpependance Day USA!!! Hey Everyone! Happy 4th of July to all us "Yanks" out there! Another year and we're still here - thank God! My aplogies for the delay in posts or replies. About two weeks ago we had a serious electrical storm that blew out our cable modem and my netbook! It literaaly blew up the modem! It had several loose semi-conductor pieces inside - I put them in a bag to remember! And I ALWAYS run and unplug our stuff durring storms - except at o'dark hundred! One bolt I believe hit the house or right next to us. The whole house shook and my two little children were shaking like leaves! Two circuit breakers tripped too. And now my netbook smells like computer death warmed over But it was a good excuse to repair my desktop so I'm back online. After two years (baby steps) the sail and bridges are done for the Daedalus. At one point my wife caught my son and I working on our projects at the workbench. He has a ship I'm helping him build (when he's not playing with his Transformers) and of course you can tell what I was working on by my post. She thought it was "SOOOoooo cute" she took photos. You can see the completed photos of the Navigation Bridge. If you ask me, it looks like a shark's mouth with teeth. This is the last item completed. The Tactical Bridge is the taller tower. I managed to get it mounted up this week too. If you look back in this thread, you can see the photos for the building of the interior gears and drive belt that run the radars (air search and surface search). The SDF-1 had both types of radars and old fashioned antenna so I did the same here. Plus it adds action to the whole thing. I also completed the reels on the bottom that are supposed to be for a crane !?!? Don't ask, that's all it says in the drawing text - no "how" it works or for what it goes too. I also completed the bridge seating and painted it too. Here the paint is still wet. Then the Navigational Bridge masts were turned on my drill press. The shafts are conncted with springs to the tower. If the masts are struck or bumped into, they simply spring back - no heartache over broken plastic and hours of work (save all your printer parts when you take one apart ). The same was done to the Tactical Bridge already. You can see the sail latches made from simple tube and spare sprue pieces. The sail is now ready to be put into service. And oh yes, the radar movie... I couldn't post it due to lack of rights Sorry! And a couple of other shots of the port tower as it was attached first. That's it for now. I'm glad this thing is getting finally getting done - the end is in sight!!! Take care guys and enjoy the shots! - MT

Thanks Sebastian. My wife knew what she was getting into BEFORE she married me; I litterally warned her As far as your room goes, just go to the hardware store and add some lights. I LITTERALLY built mine up bit by bit. Some of my monthly model money would go to "improvements." Take care! - MT

Thank you everyone for the compliments and comments. I freaked out one day. I came home and noticed the Daedalus was no longer on the counter! I didn't move it! What happened!? I asked my wife and she said she and my daughter moved it together! I thought - NNNOOOOOoooooooo!!! I went and checked on it and thankfully nothing was broke So I try to keep my family from messing with it. Yes, I'm getting there. Main parts to complete: 1.) Bridge. 2.) Side panels & detail. 3.) Stern details and brace thingy (check out the line art). 4.) Re-assemble interior pieces. 5.) Slap some paint on it!!! Thanks everyone for checking in. I hope to have more work done this week! - MT

BIG UPDATE 5 June 2011 Hey everybody, dig out your Sir Mix-A-Lot CDs and sing along with me..."I like big butts..." You guessed it, I've been working on the stern of the Daedalus. When anything measures across in several scale meters, you gotta call it big! First off, construction of "the dog food bowl." That's what my young daughter called it. You know, it DOES look like one too. I coulda bought one and saved the time making this one "Stern 1-7" photos show the basic construction of the final stern piece before detailing it inside. Note just how crooked the box got glued into the "dog food bowl." When I stretched it out into the rounded corners that's when I got problems. Of course while gluing it in I was at a perspective that did not allow me to see the crookednes!!!! Oh well, I want this done and I wasn't about to redo it again - unlike other assemblies you've seen. "Stern 8" Shows the "facy" snips I used to make the serated doors. I saw these scissors years ago and knew I'd use them on the Daedalus some time. My son asked what they were, I said nothing ans just cut some paper with them. He said, "space ship doors!" I'm proud of him Putting this second layer on the inside actually de-emphasizes the crookedness. "Stern 10-11" shows the completed "bowl" with details and then it glued to the rear. There i still A LOT of cleanup to go on the rear. when I was gluing this on I needed a compact weight so I used the best thing I could find that I have, a WWI shell fuse (INERT). I've still got to add some detail and sand/file ome corners. The rest of the photos I believe are self explanitory. See if you can find the Spartan destroid in the photos for size comparrison (where's Waldo ). "Stern 9-10" show the doors inserted into the stern assembly. This is what I'm guessing the Daedalus would look like connected to the SDF-1. All the drawings just show blackness so I used some artistic license. The rest of the "money shots" help make it worth the while spending all this time building this monster. You can see that I'm about 90% done now. I'm defenitely in a "glass is half full" kind of attitude. It should be done soon - construction wise. Then I gotta figure out how/what to paint it. That's it for today. I had to get this thing off the breakfast bar again or my wife will get ticked. I don't see why, it only takes up 80% of it, no big deal, and it looks cool, she just doesn't agree Thanks for checking in everyone! - MT

Hi Carl, all is well. Things are just goign a little slower on this than I'd like Hey Regult, this was actually shipped to my current house in a custom crate the size of a coffin. I'm sure as people drove by, they said to themselves, "what the heck!?" This thing is so big, I am seriously thinking of selling it. It takes up a lot of room, but then again, it is designed to be a display case in itself! - MT

UPDATE 19 MAY 2011 Well, after a month of working my butt off at work, I was just too tired when I got home to do anything on my baby, but now I'm back on it! The upper rear (suspected container crane holder and side loading ramp areas) is now getting worked on. The first part completed was the "hanger" for what some of us suspect is a container for a "loading/unloading crane." It's the very rear end of the ship - for now. You can see some of the scraps that I used to make the inner (no one will see) frame for the railed area. That area is now covered and I scribed in with a 1/8" wide chisel being draggeed along the edge of a ruler. Photo 3337 shows where an "lip" should be where the container crane would normally "park" inside (all supposed) of course). I'll be making a lip since this box will be covering the raising/lowering works of the motor pod. 3339 through 3342 shows the lip and the intircate corners I had to make. the corners were originally left open, fit with carefully cut corner bits, and then covered with TONS of superglue. File it down and then sand it and you get a noice smooth and round corner ready for some paint! That' it for now. By the way, I still can't get into my old computer so you're stuck with my Christmas Avatar - MT

For those of us linguistically challenged, will there be more than that model and who is the kit by? Thanks! - MT

I've been to busy to parouse the boards lately, so I took a break and MAN!!! That came out SHAWEEEeeeet! Excellent work Mike! I'm sure you'll kick butt at WF or break somebody's foot if you drop that on them - MT

Thanks Peter. I'm actually working on it RIGHT NOW. I took a break to check e-mails. I've built the big box in the back and now I'm working on latches for it. It covers the lowering device for the motor pod so it must com on and off easily. EXO - I cannot confirm nor deny anything (except that I'm not done with this thing yet)! I am thinking of selling this thing when done. It seems to be just too big! Plus getting stuff in 1/200th is a major pain to find - when available. I'm thinking of going 1/350th. It's smaller, cheaper, and I can find aol most anything want in it. A whole Nimitz class carrier is only 38" long and can fit in a curio. Even Peter said it, 1/100 is easy to find. I bought the MRC/Trumpeter 1/350th USS Wasp. It has EVERY ground vehicle and aircraft I like or could need on a ship: http://www.scalehobbyist.com/catagories/Ship_Models/GLM00064001/product.php?s=0&t=1&era=0,7,8&u=8,9 The rest of the aircraft I like are $7 a box for six. Anyhow, that's how I'm thinking right now. Take care guys and I'll post photos as soon as I take some. - MT

Thanks guys! I fixed the year in my post to read "2011" (thanks EXO ) The original VC-27, VC-33, EC-33, and fanliner photos are in an older post some years back if you're interested, do a search. Work has me busy lately so no Daedalus construction. I had it sitting out on our kitchen bar making access to the sides easy, but my wife got tired of seeing this six foot long "picket fence" sitting between the kitchen and dining room area (I thought it looked cool - every house should have a GIANT piece of Macross in it ) I'm hoping to get somewhere with it this weekend. Take care guys! - MT

UPDATE 28 MARCH 2011 - OVER FIVE YEARS AND COUNTING!!! Sorry for the long delay everybody! I spent most of 2010 away from home and so very little work on the Daedalus. This monstrosity is taking TOOOOOoooooo long to build Last year I compared it to a marriage; now I think I need "marriage counceling" Anyhow, on to the build. The last couple weeks I've been trying to squeeze in some work here and there with my busy work schedule. I had catching up to do so at first my "build time" was building a giant Lego amphibious ship for my son (I ordered the BEAUTIFUL LHD-1 Wasp in 1/350th and he wanted one too, but it would take forever to build and break EASILY). Next I had to fix the Tunny VTOL model that fell off the shelf to it's demise while I was away (attached). It still needs painting. Next I covered the front section with a top soon to be the flight deck for the bow section. Then I went to raise the main hatch and of course the clutch kept slipping so I had to take it apart and re-tighten it up. I also made a cover for the mechanism in the inside of the ship and solder on a brass nut to attach it to. Next came the top hatch opening "mechanisms" on top. I made the hydralics up with styrene scraps and tubes with aluminum shafts for the "real" look of metal despite the rubbing that will happen as the hatch is opened and closed over time. The rest of the bits came from my spares box to make up some kind of fake looking mechanisms to "power it.". The cowlings for the gear show a lot so I just had to stick something in there! Next came the fun part, actually getting to put the sides on it! Now it looks like its getting somewhere - thank God! I did one side and then copied it to the other since the other side fit well once "flipped" over. Then I cut out the sections as the line art illustrates and now I have to figure out what the heck to stick in those opened sections of the sides More work! But it will be worth it when its done. Now I'm jut trying to get this thing done so I can move on to other models, like the Wasp! Enjoy the photos and any feedback for ideas is welcome as always. Take care - MT

Thanks! I'm actually back after several months and just getting settled into our time zone and back with my family. You KNOW I'll be working on my "baby" soon - MT

I think you need a little "Hellfire" to keep you honest These are flight ready, not from a static display. I've got a 2.75" rocket pod if needed be too! - MT

Thanks for posting the photos (even if they were in the wrong thread ) It looks like they'll need a little detail work if I build them, but not too bad overall. Thak again!

The light lookscool on the Quelamitz. - MT

Thanks for the help guys. I had no clue there are THREE sets of these! I second the photo request too please I don't know for sure if they are the same, but Jardann is correct about FASA using the Nichimo kits. I had two each of the Glaug/Battle pods. I even had the dropship (the Minerva from Crusher Joe). I thought, "how cool to come across a little known secret and I could just pop down to my local game store for a Macross fix!" Theeraser sculpture I'm clueless on since I've never seen them before (except posts here). I found a 1/350th model of the USS Wasp amphib with complete aircraft compliment. Then there's the good ole' Tamiya Enterprise and all the great aicraft and goodies they make in that scale that they DON'T in 1/200th scale OK, pulling in the reins... - MT

Hey My Fellow Sprue Heads, I saw these on E-Bay: 1/320th Kits On E-Bay These are those rare 1/320th kits you see in the model kit ad inserts, but the kits are never anywhere to be found (even 25 years ago). Has anyone built these before? I'd love any background info you guys might have. There were 7 for sale there at Kimono My House, now there's 5 thanks to me I'm thinking it would be cool to put these with a 1/350th carrier (even though they're slightly off scale. I hope this helps increase someone's collection like mine - MT

Looking great! I think that pilot is a good fit; by chance did he come from a Harrier? - MT

That is some awesome work! And yeah ,worth killing trees over :^) Building it in foam board, you might as well do it in plastic stock or Gatorboard which is styrene covered, then you could glue plastic bits to it. That IS HIUGE!!! Great work and what are you going to do with it when done? Scare away the neighborhood kids? Keep up the great work! - MT