Skull-1

So awesome. I can't wait to find a place to live so I can get back at this. I miss it.

Oh man that so totally rocks. I never even thought of doing that!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sweet!

Nice job!

It looks great but someone needs to explain to me what the problem is with the armor in the first place. Was there a mold change or something by Yamato?

Picture no worky...

Thanks for the compliment! Basically what I did was sand the lower half of the foot with a file to make them look more like the animation. If you are not going to remove the "thruster venting" at the bottom of the foot (which I am doing on one of mine as we speak--wow what a nightmare) I recommend putting some filler on the inside of the thruster before sanding. You want to reinforce it because filing it down without doing so doesn't leave much structure and you could wind up breaking the foot.

I have multiple examples of modded feet in my gallery. They really make a difference.

The simplest hand mod I know is to simply saw the fists off and mount them with a nail. They will then be able to twist at the wrist. You can move on from here by removing the slider notches making them reversible. Thus in fighter mode you don't see the hands any more, just a flat plate per the animation. Takes little effort.

What he said. Those pen tubes hold the pen tip very tightly. You have to pull them apart with your teeth sometimes. Also, if you have a looser one you can bend the pen tube into a slightly oval shape to add friction before JB Welding is completed (more on that later). You can hold a modded 1/55 inverted by the feet and it won't break loose. The modded thighs are pretty tough.

Good point. If they're wrinkled the film is probably broken and they will come apart without something to hold them together. Try this on a limited basis with one or two carefully cut decals before doing it to the entire sheet.

I would try soaking them in waer for as long as possible. Use solva-set once they come off to make 'em stick and clear coat to make 'em stay down.

Found it for you (c. July 2006). http://macrossworld.com/mwf/index.php?showtopic=19786 Interesting that we both made the same cut initially. (From c. Sept. 2003). http://macrossworld.com/mwf/index.php?showtopic=1608 I found my original attempt at this (c. April 2003) but I cannot find a date. It had to be sometime around mid-2003 but I can't nail it down. I bet I posted this on the old forum somewhere. Man look at how bad these pics are with a truly attrocious digital camera LOL!

Excellent photos. This highlights the effect of a flatter cut on the stance of the Valk. If Battloid/Battroid mode is the one you prefer to display it in then a flatter cut is better. If you prefer Gerwalk mode then a steeper cut is better. Both have their drawbacks sadly. Here's an aggressively slanted cut (left) compared to a flatter one (right). Note that the flatter cut appears to tuck the "heels" inward.

Thanks, Jc. I did this in mid-2003 or so using canibalized elbow parts off of 1/55s. It worked, but was a lot of effort. The BIC Pen is easier because they are ubiquitous and allow more margin for error. I think my first BIC swivel thigh came out in Jun 2006. I've since done about 12 pair of 'em and it gets easier each time. The original thread didn't have the BIC explanation until several pages in. It was therefore not very user friendly or easy to find. Hopefully this will do more for people.

Step Five: Clip a section off the PEN TUBE, slide this over the PEN TIP, then trim the PEN TUBE until flush. (NOTE: I have shown an assembled version for clarity. The thighs should not be attached to anything yet. Test fit the PEN TUBE/TIP combo inside the hollowed out upper thigh. It should fit inside it fully. Step Six: Once the part is seen to fit properly, remove the PEN TUBE and carve some scallops into it. These will assist the JB Weld in holding the part securely. Step Seven: Read this section carefully before proceeding. a) Mix some JB Weld (JB Kwik actually works better if you work fast as it dries quickly) and fill the lower thigh with it. Then stick the PEN TIP down inside the thigh, wiping away any excess. Don't let the JB Weld flow over the top of the thigh cut. b) Place the PEN TUBE over the PEN TIP and use the upper thigh to align. Press the parts together keeping the PEN TIP section of the thigh on the bottom so the JB Weld doesn't flow out of the opening and wait for the JB Weld to stiffen. When it does harden some use MASKING TAPE to hold the entire thing together. NOTE: WE ARE NOT CONCERNED WITH PERFECT ALIGNMENT OF THE OPENINGS RELATIVE TO FORE AND AFT OR LEFT TO RIGHT--WE WANT THEM FLUSH AT THE CUT WITH A *VERY* VERY TIGHT SEAM. We will sand the excess that sticks out like a notch later. TO BE CONTINUED...

Step One: Glue the the thighs together with JB Weld or Super Glue. Pay particular attention to the black thigh parts--glue them down so they don't break off when you saw the thigh. Be careful not to get any glue on the Spring or ratchet assemblies but you do need to glue these areas down. (NOT SHOWN IN THESE PICTURES... This is a good time to fill the screw hole in the middle of the thigh. Place tape over it to smooth it out once you've filled it with JB Weld.) Step Two: Saw so that you are cutting the part from low to high and front to rear (low/front to high/rear). The forward part of the thigh is the lower end of the cut. (I'm repeating myself because this is crucial. If you don't do it this way, the A Stance won't work as it will swivel the heels together instead of the legs outward!) Step Three: After allowing the JB Weld/Super Glue to dry, core out the insides of the thigh segments using an X-Acto Knife and wire cutters (the latter are particularly useful for removing the remnants of the the screw channel in the middle of the thigh). Then lightly sand the edges [] where the thighs meet on a flat nail board or with sandpaper on a flat surface. Lightly. Don't go crazy. We are just wanting these to be relatively flat and smooth so the edges are tight when they touch. Do not be alarmed that the thigh openings are not the same size--we will fix that later. Step Four: Grab your Pens and Clamps... You will be test fitting them at this point. *** ABOVE: This Part Will Be Referred to as the "PEN TIP" -- the Bevel at the Widest Point is the "PEN LEDGE". *** (Yes I know, it should be the "Tip Ledge" but I don't want to confuse people so I named it somewhat improperly in order to protect speed readers from confusing "Tip Ledge" with "Tip"! ) The pen tip goes into the lower part of the thigh (which is usually the smallest). Trim this part down so that it fits inside the thigh fully with the pen ledge of the pen tip slightly below and parallel to the cut in the thigh. You will want it to fit inside the opposing thigh part with enough room for the pen tube to go over it. (Do not JB Weld just yet, but this is what it looks like when you finish the next step.)

Due to popular request and the fact that the thread this originally appeared in is misleading... I am re-posting a clearer version of the BIC Pen Swivel Thigh Mod for 1/55s. All you need is a 1/55 thigh, a saw, some BIC Roundstick Pens, Sandpaper, Masking Tape, 2 C-Clamps, and some JB Weld. Here we go!

Somebody broke off one of his head lasers.