mslz22

Don't worry, i won't change the price of the kit, no matter how much the molds cost me.....

Just stopping by to vent a bit, I am pouring the main body mold right now, looks like this mold alone will be about $140.00 worth of rubber Hope this mold comes out good, i would hate to have to do this twice.....

quick update, with the exception of the hindge, the pattern is done!! The first round of molds should be done this weekend, then i need to make a handful of production molds, then they start shipping. I will start posting pics of the parts as they come out of the molds over the course of the week.... mike

Also, the above post is not directed at anyone, it was just an opportunity for me to try and give everyone a little insight into how i sculpted the kit.... thanks mike

Whoops, sorry, yes ther are panel lines very close to what you see in the line art and in that pic, you will be able to see it better in resin than with the grey primer. I also have the "eye" as a cast part that you can paint white and stick on. Overall the monster evolved along a couple of different lines, as there seems to be no "official" version of the monster, there are a couple of different line art versions as well as the animated version, and a number of different models ( I did not use the 1/72 for any ref) the Yellow Sub model seemed to be one of the best looking ones and i took some ques from that. I also had to take into consideration a way to make it hollow, a way to make it reasonable to mold and cast, make it as easy to paint (ie light green and dark green parts are cast seperatly for the most part) and make it reasonable to assemble and capble of standing up. Add to that the lighting stuff, some poseablity and trying to get this thing done for a reasonable price All that being said, i know people are still going to have "wishlist" for the monsters details, some may just not make it in for a number of reasons. Being an optomist i hope people can see it as an chance to customize their monster if they see fit. Hope that did not seem like a rant, i just really want people to know why the model is the way that it is and hopefully everyone will be happy with it..... mike

WOW a year!!! If this was the only thing i worked on this year i would feel like i was quite lazy , but luckily for me i have been just about nonstop for the last year. As far as a countdown, i am going to be spending most of my next 2 days finishing up the last of the pattern parts. I know that I've said that before, but i mean it this time Actually what has happened is that over the course of working on this I've gotten better and better at scratchbuilding, so some of the parts that i made early on I now want to "tweak" a bit before commiting them to rubber. I've had a couple of moments where i feel like I will never finish this thing because i will want to make change after change, but i think it is at the point where i just need to wrap it up........I pulled out parts from the other 1/72 monster for the first time in a year or so, and IMO, the difference is striking. I will post some comparison pics if i get a chance. mike

Just a quick update for everyone, not much going on in the next couple of days.....other than clearing my plate of other stuff so starting Wed or Thursday my time will be devoted almost entirely to the monster...... mike

Good, i was sick all last week but i did not stop working..it did slow me down a bit, but not bad. I'm thinking 2-3 weeks for the first payments.....after the first kits are out i should be able to pump out about 5 kits a week, and again i will take payments in que so i do not hold on to peoples $ for too long.... mike

I put in for a bulk decal order with Devin last night so, unless he is too busy to get them in time, even the first kits will have the decals. I got sidetracked by a cold for the last few days (and a blizzard), but i don't think it will effect the timeline for the first kits to go out.... mike

The arms, not the side cannons, will be solid, but they are not as much resin as you might think. I kept them solid because even with the side cannons being mostly hollow they are still a bit heavy and i do not want any sagging. For running wire up from the side cannons to the body you will be able to use hollow brass, which will also make a strong bond between the parts. 368563[/snapback] Thanks for your reply. Will there be pins installed in the legs, to support the weight of the upper body? I for one would not want brass rods or anytupe of metal supports embedding in my kit. I am planning on adding joints, instead of just pinning the Monster in a static mode. 368570[/snapback] The legs will have 2 metal alignment pins in them, they will be easy to twist out with a pair of pliers or i can cast you a set without them, I imagine the vast majority of people will be very happy to have the pins for alignment and strength. The other kit had the legs "struts" solid, not the 4 seperate "strut" style that i designed mine to have. I picked the way that i thought was best for ease of painting, ease of assembly, and stability for a static pose, again with a focus on keeping it easy for me to cast to keep the price down.... mike

The arms, not the side cannons, will be solid, but they are not as much resin as you might think. I kept them solid because even with the side cannons being mostly hollow they are still a bit heavy and i do not want any sagging. For running wire up from the side cannons to the body you will be able to use hollow brass, which will also make a strong bond between the parts.

The master was built so that the body is made up of a "top" and 3 "bottom" parts, that way the body is hollow, also allows for light/wire routing, same thing with the cannons. The feet are solid, but only because i want to keep it bottom heavy so there is no chance of tiping over. Long story short, rotocasting is not needed. the parts will be pressure cast to keep bubbles to an min.

With the exception of a tweak here and a panel line here or there, the pattern is done That being said, lots of parts need to have at least 2 molds, arm parts, cannon parts, all the leg parts...and some will just need to have gang molds made, like all the parts i want to do in the clear red. That will take a bit. After that I will need to do the instructions. People who want their kit early and don't mind watching the instructions unfold will likely be able to get the first kits in approx 1 month.....barring any problems. I was waiting to announce the final price until the molds are done (i still won't take money until they are)........so..... When we started the project my target was to offer a better option than the existing kit, which runs up to $400.00 if you count in shipping if you can find one, lighter and much better detailed, and more true to the various depictions of the monster (my "blueprints" were enlarged printouts of different reference pics) . My original target was $275.00 plus shipping not including the decals. I am happy to say that after a lot of work and a lot of materials, i will be able to offer the kit for......................... $250.00 including the decals, the breakdown is $240.00 for the kit and $10.00 for the decals. Shipping will be determined when i have a final weight, but i expect it to be around $15.00...... This will be the biggest kit that i offer, and it is priced less than my other kits. mike

No monsters were harmed in the making of this film Just got the sample sheet from Devin, they look good

Alright..alright....with parts in the molds and only 2 hands this is the best "macro" shot i can get..yes it's blurry, and the parts are only sloppily held together but you can get a better idea of the size........ mike

Thanks Jesse...lots of molds brewing so not a lot of time to actually cast stuff but here is the biggest part of the 8 part cannon...

Yes, back to our regular scheduled program I am pouring some more molds today...well right now i am drinking a mug rootbeer, but when i am done with it i will be finishing up pouring molds for some more cannon parts and the cockpit. mike

Like the pics above, alot of the little adjustments and the panel lines are just not showing up on my camera so there is just not a lot new to see right now, once i have cast parts i think the panel lines and details will show up much better, i can even do a light wash on some primered parts to make them show up, also once i get the remaining leg parts molded and cast i can start building up from the feet and give everyone a better idea of the size etc..... mike

Just got word from Devin that the sample decal sheet will be on it's way to me in a couple of days

Like i said you can't see the panel lines but they are there....2 of the 3 arm parts have been molded and cast (only 1 shown).......

I don't use any mold release, just baby powder....i would suspect that it may be a problem with either one of the things that you tried to clean it with, the type of primer that you used, type of paint, or the tape. if you go into more detail i may be able to help you more..... mike

I am not sure that everyone will be able to pay all at once so anyones place in line is really dependent on when they can pay, some people that are first on the interest list may not be able to pay right away.... I've made a few more molds, and i've been detailing the main body a little bit at a time all week. the panel lines do not really show up with my crappy camera but i will try to get some pics up over the weekend. My goal right now is to have my kit cast up and start on the instructions in 2 weeks, crossing my fingers that my schedule will allow... mike

Because with all of the other choices available i want to make the 1/55's look unique with the mods, like the fighter mode i am planning on eliminating the swing bars from the battroid mode, along with a few other mods to make it more poseable. I have a soft spot for the 1/55, and a pile of old jetfires , so when i get the time i just want them to be as cool as they can be....

I do have plans to do a battroid non transformable someday........someday

Ok, here they are, sorry they are a bit blurry, this custom has the whole range of stuff that i used to do (and will again when i have the time ) for customs... Nontransformable Devins Decals My resized missle packs, gunpod, colapsed head, and strike cannon. Resized from the 1/48 Club M Valk to fit the 1/55. Customized nose, w/pilot Movable wing flaps custom landing gear with rear rubber tires Custom backpack And some other stuff that i am likely forgetting.....