Jasonc

Truth be told, I was considering getting one of the Sheryl files that were taken from the game, and creating a .stl file from it, and then enlarging it, then using a software that lets you cut it into printable parts with pegs, and creating a 1/1 scale Sheryl. It'd take forever, as I don't have a ton of FDM printers, but it'd be a long WIP. At least it wouldn't cost about $20K. More like $1000 for materials.

OK, tickets are ready for purchase, but our announcement is not up yet. It should be soon. sdcon.ticketleap.com/2023/

OK, so SDC is on a hold right now, until we figure out some issues with the venue billing.

Not much progress, but the tail fins are done. Next up, the hardest part. I'll be working on the legs starting tomorrow.

Tickets are up, but we haven't made the announcements on social media. Give it a few days, and I'll provide the link once we make the official announcement. If any of you are vendors, we have very limited vendor space indoors, and are looking for vendors that specifically sell a good amount of Macross, Mospeada, Southern Cross (if there's still any), and Gundam merchandise. If you are interested in that, send an email to sdcvendors@gmail.com Aside from that, we're official again this year.

I'm really itching for this as a toy. I do hope it gets a release, but if it is going to be released, I guess we'll only know based on if pre-orders start popping up.

This is a redesign of a camera/broadcast camera that is equipped on the VF-11 D Thunder Focus. It is supposed to be a pod that in essence, turns the Thunder Focus into a broadcast unit Valkyrie. I imagine that it would've been a piece that in the year the story Macross the Ride takes place (I believe 2057 or right before Frontier), this pod with its capabilities would be able to work with most valkyries that have a system up to par with its capabilities. I am working on several attachments now, so that it can fit different valkyries that people may have. I was able to get the moving parts to now work. The 1mm pin in the handle does work and holds it in with some tension, and is able to roll up and down. I need to widen the handle slot for the hand. The kit as a whole piece is 5 parts, 6 if you count the pin for the handle.

I went on a bit of a roll today, and got a bit done. I managed to finish up the wings, as well as put in some detailed panel lines for the kit. While I'll be putting more detail in tonight and tomorrow, I also managed to start on the upper boosters (?) These look like they're going to come in about 3mm off the bottom from what the line art has, but that is due to the line art having the boosters hugging the main body. As a kit, it doesn't work so well, and makes it a bit more difficult to make into easy parts that can be glued and aligned the right way (I hope that makes sense). Then again, 3mm isn't that much, and will also add to some of the main body paneling under them. I still need to angle the sides of the boosters, and then create the tail fins attached to rotate down. I also added the picture of the wing harness. I made it to where a 6mm OD x 4mm ID rubber O ring will fit there to keep it a bit stiff when the wings are in there so that they don't flop around. The wings will have the end pieces be able to angle down when in GERWALK, and will use a 1mm pin. There's also a stop that will keep them from rotating straight down. I can't seem to find this, but does anyone know if this is supposed to have landing gear, or is GERWALK the landed version?

It's more my wife's group, but they're damn good. And it's Kpop group Stray Kids, LOL. Here's a quick update. I didn't take a capture of the wing slide, but they'll rotate.

I've been much busier than I thought. From a concert yesterday, to overtime today, to seeing the same group tomorrow, I barely had time to do anything with this project. I did manage to start on the wing housing. I'll be doing a cutaway part on top to insert the wings once those are done. I just need to work out where to put the wing pegs. I'm going to look into having them lined with rubber inserts to give them better tension, so my shop on Amazon will start tomorrow once I figure out a good size for the pegs. In making the wing housing, I did have to flatten the bottom a little more than the sketch for the mechanics of the legs sliding forward. While it wasn't really necessary, I feel that if I curve it like the sketch, it will leave a wide gap in the leg slide mechanism that will be built to the curve of the body. If I find that I can change it later, I will adjust it, but for now, I'm going to stick with what it looks like now. On a side note, it's always bugged me how the lines show when smoothing out the edges (the strange, almost random lines) looks on these, but once it's actually printed, it should be really smooth.

The Ai-kun plushie is awesome. I only saw that once for sale at AX in 09 or 10, and got it instantly. Have yet to see any others for sale floating around.

Yeah, I totally see that as well. It's very throw back, but with the sci-fi edge to it. I really like the design of it.

Thanks guys, I do appreciate it. Yeah, they definitely are, and when they do show up, they are in the realm of selling organs for what you actually get. It's one of those mechs that I was always kinda mad that they didn't make a real toy out of it. It should've been made, and sadly never did. I always found the design of it to be a bit on the obscure side with the short stubby kinda nose, but had a very beefy look.

Yeah, it bugs me, too. The kit has an indent as the protrusion, but this line art, and interesting enough, the art on that very same kit shows it as a piece that really just sticks out. I've been able to do the cutting into the piece, and FINALLY got it to where I think it looks like it should. Here's the update so far. I've had very little time, especially today, and tomorrow I probably won't update since I'm going with the wife to buy a new car. Then Saturday is overtime work, so maybe Sunday. I added the little center back piece in the center, as well, so those are done. I think next I have to put in the ratchet system for the bottom arm cover. That may take a short minute, but that's not going to change the image much. Anyways, here's an update image.

Not much of an update yet. I've been trying to make sure and look at all angles of line art to make sure the lines are as accurate as possible, and still be able to convert the legs. Honestly, the fact that it only has the main legs moving as pretty much the only part of the transformation helps, but as of now, I do plan to make the harness for the arms open and close, along with the cockpit, and maybe at least have the arms be able to either slide out a little, or provide parts that can be swapped out to fix the anime magic of those tremendously long arms. I will also make some hard points on the wings, and probably use the Yamato/Arcadia VF-1 pylon dimensions so that they can be interchangeable. The tail fins will also be able to swing down as they're supposed to, along with articulation in the legs. I need to engineer how I'm going to lock the legs in fighter, but that doesn't seem too hard to do. Anyways, here's the latest. Obviously, a bit of a way to go. Being at work for 10 hours doesn't leave a lot of time for my projects. The second picture is just a material change that I use to compare line art to where I'm placing dimensions. As of now, I'm quite happy with how close it's staying to the line art. I hope I can keep up.

As it has had some issues with loose attachments and the sort, which I expected, I decided to revise some parts. This is actually my 4 revision finding parts that need work, and it won't be the last with the bottom handle I'm sure, but I think it's finally getting to the last parts. I was able to thicken the handle swivel by bringing it into the base a bit, and the wing part that rotates now has the pin up further, to guide part of it into the main body. I'm hoping it locks like it should, but this is printed material, and I can't expect it to hold perfectly. I think the friction hold might do OK, so after the next print, I will give it a go.

I hope this project is continuing well. I'd love to see how your printed part came out.

I'm done for today as I have a major cold, but managed to get at least the measurements about as correct as I can. I again used a 1/60 scale figure to use as a reference for the cockpit, and with that, worked my way outward. I also used an Arcadia Valkyrie as reference, and so, this will be about 2.5-3 cm shorter than a valk (roughly). This is just bare bones work on the nose and cockpit, so a lot of detail will go into it for panel lining. I can't say how happy that I have this line art as a reference. Usually there is no direct profile looks, so this does everything. I will have my work cutout for me as this project moves, but I can definitely say that I already have what I'm going to do for the legs mapped out, and the articulation of the legs should be able to allow it for A stance, and all the dynamic poses I can make. That said, I may end up printing it, then recasting it for myself, as printer resin isn't as strong as some of the higher end Smooth On products that have a reall good strong plastic feel. I want this project to be able to be a bit durable, I dare say toy like.

Hi all, just an update. We are slated for 10/7, but due to staff shortages and our graphics designer being really busy, we have not set up any official announcements. I'm hoping this weekend that we can set it all up and get the registration going, but it's a small crew this year. We are also going to be making some changes, but that shouldn't hinder the event itself. Macross, even while in it's 40th anniversary stage, has been kinda quiet with the ending of Delta, and the younger fans, as I'm sure you're aware, follow anime like pop music. That said, we'll be looking for panelists, a few vendors, and some special guests this year. I hope to have news soon.

Thanks. It's coming along. There's already tweaks that need to be made, so those are getting done.

I almost forgot the pic that explains it all...

I had a chance to look at what I have, and these images show the key part of its transformation. I am starting today.

I should've also mentioned that this is in 1/60 scale. I'm not sure if it can be scaled into 1/72, as the pin placement might be a little thin, but maybe with a little tapping and widening, it can be done.

For awhile, I wanted to work on my Solidwork skills working on the Macross the Ride Camera pod that is associated with the VF-11 Thunder Focus. I started working on it about 5 years ago (I can't even remember), but it was when I first got the kit. In any case, as I've been working on possibly doing the Orguss Bronco II, I ended up finding this old file, and decided to finish it, with a couple moving parts, like the handle, and a removable slot for the pod to carry in Jet mode. This is it finished, and I'll be printing it out to see how it all fits and moves soon. My biggest concern is the fitting of the attachment for it's jet/fighter. I may need to adjust that, as well as placement of where the 1mm pins will go, but aside from small adjustments, it's done. it has 5 pieces. Only 1 piece, the back end, needs glue. The rest should fit with pins. Depending on how the bottom fits, I may end up making it able to pull out and collapse, but that'd require more work on making it work right, and be able to stay in place depending on what form it needs to be in. Anyways, here it is.

I need to finish this. I've been on part 99 for a long time ( I think it's 99). The legs are a real piece of work getting it all to fit properly.