captain america

Thanks Gabe, it means a lot Don't forget the fighter pod eh?

...As well as some semi-complete pics with all the greeblies attached; I'll be committing paint and decals to it as soon as I recuperate from my casting trauma...

Hey everyone! Just to let everyone know that virtually all paid orders have shipped, and some will likely be arriving this week. Also, as promised, please find herein the instructions for the kit. I'm in the final casting strech with the second set of molds, so if anyone wants a model, now's the time to let me know.

Thanks Tober. The whole design is just insane: like a big rig just exploded into a zillion pieces. Heck, I can barely even discern 15% of the truck parts... Kinda makes me wonder if it's even practical to attempt something like this in small-scale resin.

I have a bit of an oddball question, but hey, no harm in asking, right? What kind of reference, other than film stills are out there for the new Optimus Prime? Might there be anything along the lines of full 360 degree CG renders that could be put through a 3D printer by chance? Just in case someone out there might be interested in making a 1/24 scale model... Or something

You want some good advice? Measure twice, cut once! Hell, I should put that in a fortune cookie! Model building/making is similar to commercial illustration: it's 90% preparation, and 10% application. Further, I will echo the sentiments expressed above, whereby it's generally prudent to hone your skills and experiment on a kit of lesser value, as committing untried techniqes to an expensive model can increase your risk of high blood pressure, stroke and depression.

Crazy Lu wrote: "GIVE ME SPARTAN!!!!" -Give? I think not; you'll have to earn it, MUAHAHAHA!!! CrAZY lU WROTE: "oh yah, I do want one of those please ... regult scout... that is ..." For you my friend, a special price: 30% ABOVE retail... Because I care Update: production is going quite well, and I'm hoping to have a dozen parcels in the mail by tomorrow... If the decals arrive in time

Guncross said: Nice dude! Thanks! so Spartan next project? actually, yes! my b-day s around the corner My birthday's just a little further down the corner from yours, what's your point?

Hey everyone! The casting has begun in earnest, and the parts are looking fantastic! I'll be posting a few pics later so that you can see the casting quality; I already started cleaning parts on mine and it's gotta be my favorite model so far: the quasi-clear front dome gives the Scout a really eerie, alien feel. Anyway, onto the nasty stuff... Each kit price: $140.00 Shipping rates: all quotes are for airmail w/insurance. -1-2 kits, throughout North America: $16 -3-4 kits: $26.00 International, including South America, Europe, Hong Kong and Australia: -1-2 kits: $32.00 -3-4 kits: $49.00 Payment methods accepted: -International Postal Money-Order in US funds is my prefered method, and it can be sent to the usual coordinates. -Silver eagles, maples or bars sent by mail--just be sure to wrap them carefully! -Paypal, though this will incur an extra charge of $6 per model because the Paypal nazis feel entitled to take a whole $0.04 off every dollar I recieve. -Western Union money transfer: this is a fairly expensive method, and I'd advise it only if you're ordering 4 kits at a time, due to WU's massive service charge. Shipping should begin in roughly 1 week from now, decal situation permitting. Below are a few pics of some raw castings with the flash removed... Looking quite good. As usual, the floor is open to questions, either here or via PM

Kits will be ready starting next week; I'm already in the casting process, and decals should be in soon. More pics and info to come shortly.

What do you want to talk about?

Hey Ruben. Looks awesome! Don't be afraid to try weathering, it's actually fun: just practice on a scrap piece or model before you commit to the good stuff, and if anything, go slow. It's very easy to over-weather something, so I recommend going in gradual stages, and give your eyes a rest after each stage, and if you can, get an extra set of eyes to evaluate your progress

Certainly. Here you go...

Hi Jasonc. The detailing I refer to is in fact just minor riveting and clean-up: things that don't necessarily photograph well, but that'll make a difference up close.

The Scout Regult is done; only minor detailing needed now; all the info is at the SM site: http://www.samurai-monkey.com/boardz/viewt...php?p=9391#9391 Teaser pic

I should have the pics of the final model tomorrow, the parts are pretty much done, with just some minor detailing remaining. For a non weapons-carrying mecha, this thing came out looking pretty damn kickass, but don't take my word for it, judge for yourself tomorrow when I post pics.

New update on Samurai Monkey: http://www.samurai-monkey.com/boardz/viewt...php?p=9246#9246 Preview pic below.

The problem is not a lack of will on my behalf to produce new models, but rather a lack of demand for certain subjects. From my own personal experience, demand becomes rather fragmented whenever I try to deviate from the designs of the original SDF: MACROSS, and to be honest, I find many of the designs in the spinoff series to be rather weak and unattractive. That having been said, I can also only produce so many models in a given period of time, since I have other obligations. Further, I feel that I'm already producing models faster than most people can earn the $$ to afford them, so I'll likely be offering fewer models in '08, and I have at least 2 subjects in mind that will be limited release. By "limited", I mean a production run of roughly half of what I make now

Sorry!

You bought a house but you're egging me on to make 1/35 Destroids? Bite your keyboard! No worries Sean, people have other priorities and commitments; I'm cool with that. Though that 1/35 Destroid idea seems to have struck a chord with me in a fanciful, pie-in-the-sky sort of way. Who knows, perhaps one day if I could find twenty or so brave souls...

I confess that my unabated model release schedule may have dealt a heavy blow to most peoples' wallets. I'll try to go slower Either way, the last few replies were sufficient to bump me into the 'go' lane. I'll start sculpting on Monday.

Not yet, things are surprisingly slow. Not a popular subject, perhaps?

Sub-par = below standard, or inferior. Howdy Carl. Nope, I've never released any variable/transforming/transformable model anything, and have no plans to do so. IHP (International House of Pancakes?) and SHE are free to do or persue whatever their hearts long for. I myself tend to favor scale accuracy and realism, others lean towards playability at the expense of accuracy or realism. The transforming SHE models I've seen in the past, complete with visible screws make my head hurt. Why go to the trouble of creating a toy that retails for 3 times what a "proper" toy would cost, all while being infinitely less playable? My attempts at a "build it in the mode you want" model (in the form of the 1/32 Legioss) were only moderately successful. I was able to prove to myself that it could be engineered and sculpted, but the logistics of outright production proved too troublesome for the financial revenue that it would bring back. Doesn't mean it can't be done, because it can. The question one must ask one's self in regards to such a project is: how large of a financial loss am I willing to accept in order to prove a point?

Oh, it's not just lacking panel lines lemmie tell ya! To me, it's just a mediocre resin offering created without love or passion. Notice that the trailing edges of the control surfaces are as blunt as the leading edges, the exhaust petals are blunt, blocky and way too thick in scale, the nosecone and intake trunks look like little more than blocks of resin: no elegance or flowing of shapes whatsoever. As for the few panel lines that ARE there: they look to me like a guilty last-minute addition to make the sculpt look less uninspiring than it really is. I don't intend this to turn into a tanmen-bashing thread, but I call 'em as I see 'em. What I find amusing is that between Honneamise, Cobywan, myself and a few others, we are able to turn out unlicenced models that run circles around most of what resin came out of Japan... Or elsewhere, for that matter.

I think you did a great job. I've seen the original tanmen kit and, well... I know full well that it's far from a stellar starting point.