Jasonc

Sorry it's been awhile since I've posted on this. I had some major fixes to do on a couple other projects. Plus, I was designing the mechanics for a custom project that I was getting paid to do. In any case, I will get back to it shortly.

Unfortunately, when I got back from Japan the day before yesterday, I found out that AX is sold out. I wasn't able to register my industry badge in time, so I'm out, although, I do live semi-close by, so I can meet up outside, if anyone is down.

I'm going this year, if anyone wants to meet up.

Here's the official banner announcements. Registration for attendees, vendors, and artists is now live. There are very limited number of tables for Vendors and artists, so if you want to do that, they may be gone by AX time in early July. We are going to have some cool swag stuff with the full body art of these characters, too, so that will be available coming later, as well as guest announcements, and some other cool stuff.

This is true. There are only a few that I can say stay true to the look and "attitude" that Sheryl is portrayed as having. I guess I am seeing that lack in this more since these are detailed images at different angles. In looking at it again after you said that, I think I see the problem. The "squared" face you mentioned seems to be due to her face not being as angled towards the chin area, and also what seems like her face being flattened a little. Her cheeks also look a little fatter, but I'm not sure if that's because of the flattening.

I know these figures are getting more expensive, and normally I'd pull the trigger on these figures, but I'm a bit hesitant simply out of the fact that the figure's face isn't that great. I don't know exactly what it is, but there isn't any sort of expression in the face, and the character that Sheryl expresses doesn't seem to be showing in this figure. Being a huge collector of Sheryl figures, I'll probably still pull the trigger on it, but I can wait for this one.

Thanks guys. That confirms what I thought.

This is the picture he sent me... Obviously he's opened it since, as the pilot is now in the cockpit, so I just wanted to see if I was somehow missing something.

I did bring that up to him, but he claims it came with that in a sealed package. However, when I look at his image, it is the same construction, at least the same color as the ones that were sold here. I think it was DarrinG that sold them, and they look extremely similar to them.

I recently sold someone one of the Yamato Virgin Road VF-1 toys, and the buyer is saying that another one he owned came with a strap. I don't ever recall these, or for the most part, any standard Yamato release coming with a gunpod strap. Am I missing anything? Also, did the Virgin Road just come out once, or was there a reissue that was different?

They bring good luck

Was a bit bored, so I decided to color it.

Oh, I was not aware that one did. I knew it split, but wasn't sure where. I just want to make access for construction, so there are a few options I can consider. I did test fit the legs, and once the legs are on, this really has the look it was meant to have. I'm really happy at how it turned out. Truth be told, I'm always amazed that I was actually able to put my brain to work to make these things. I thought I'd never really use my engineering education for anything after my career change 15 years ago, but here I am. I gotta start working on the decal for the 20mm diameter (maybe 21 will cover the recessed parts, and make those as well. With the white backgound I left it, probably don't need sheets with white background, but I'll make some anyways, just to be safe. I also need to start on sealing up the gap as well.

Definitely now done, and needs some more detail, but it's in the process. Because I'm not a fan of making it just a white color, I decided to customize an even lighter grey, using an 80/20 ratio of white to light grey of the Mr Color paint. I like the result. I left the space for the kite decal white for a better contrast. Some of the paint needs to be cleaned up, but otherwise, I'm pretty happy with the colors. I'm now trying to make the front glass parts as polished as possible, but I may need to just go and recast these to get the best quality possible. Nevertheless, here's the first pics of it in the works. I may end up adding a few extra parts to it for ease of painting, like removing the back 4 boosters, and maybe make the entire cabin just one piece, but that would make adding the "glass" parts in the door a little more difficult. I could also separate the entire cabin at the black stripe across it, and that would hide the seem. OPTIONS, LOL

Sorry for no updates lately. I started working on the cockpit and canopy. I'm not sure on how much to detail it, as the line art I have is quite detailed diagrams. I at least want to put a figure inside, so maybe enough detail for the control panel, and to give the figure some more detail when in the fighter. I also added two hard points on each wing that are the same size as the Arcadia attachments. I'll eventually make Orguss detailed missiles, but I thought it'd be cool to be able to add some of the Arcadia weapons. I'll probably need to do more cutting in the body for the leg assembly, but that's only in the thought out stages.

It's validation for complaints. Seeing this thing in person, it looks great. I really, really want it. I think if more people saw it in person, they'd probably be a lot more excited for it. If not, I don't think anything can help at that point, but that's just my opinion, and you know what they say about opinions...

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.