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captain america

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  1. captain america
    Captain’s log: Friday, November 15th. Holy cow, that’s a lot of dust!! Seriously, my workshop hasn’t been this filthy since the Norbert Gerard project, and I’m only just getting started. Thankfully, I’ve been able to do more of my shaping on the mill as opposed to using the rotary tool for those operations. It’s a slower, but more precise process. The flight pack is simply huge, so I decided to break the main structure into two components, if only to get it to fit in my milling vise. IMG_1625: while this cross-section milling is quite tedious, it gets the job done with great precision. I started the process off by carefully grinding a small section of the cross-section on the drill press, then the mill (the rougher cuts) are done on the lathe. IMG_1626: Same part, different orientation. You’ll notice that the milled section from the previous pic was sanded down almost completely IMG_1627: Aaaand down the other side of the slope. It’s important not to remove too much material at this stage; i can take my time and hand sand right down to the edge of the template afterwards. IMG_1628: I used a little ghetto hack to open up the missile housings by using the grinding stone normally fitted to the drill press, which you can see here. I started the process off with the Dremel to open up the cavities, otherwise trying to remove that much material with the mill-mounted grinder would have induced terrible vibrations and risk damaging the part itself, if not the milling table. IMG_1629: Now that I have the missile pod openings, I’m going to need to make those bulbous covers. Normally I’d turn the part out of cast resin barstock, but it’s so big that modeling board is the only way to go. IMG_1630: This is the bottom part of the flight pack, which has undergone much the same process that was shown previously, and has been hand-sanded into shape. IMG_1632: The angled part at bottom-left is actually the chassis of the mecha. It doesn’t look like much, but everything will be bolted to it. The knee components were also made, and the lower legs started. IMG_1633: the flight unit, now bonded together and tediously sanded into shape. The hollowed center section will provide a substantial weight savings, and will undergo still more strategic bulk removal in the time ahead. IMG_1636: The chassis and crude cockpit parts are already beginning to take shape. Even at this early stage, the parts are looking better than I’d anticipated. You can’t tell, but I’m actually giddy behind the camera. That’s all I’ve got for this week, I’m afraid. That flight pack was practically its own mecha project, and I’m glad that the rough shaping for it is done. Next week I’ll have more done with the body and legs, so it might actually start to look like a power suit… Stay tuned! 15 days remain for preordering... Tick-tock.
  2. captain america
    I actually put a lot of thought into the design. Hopefully it will be well received.
  3. captain america
    A teaser for my original design project. The mecha will be unveiled on December 20th, and kit release in March 2020.
  4. captain america
    I'll concentrate on the actual mecha for the time being; that's already a big, complex project that will require my full attention. I wouldn't rule-out a standing Milia figure down the line, though.
  5. captain america
    I obviously don't check this section nearly enough, but wow, that's an amazing build!! You sir, have made me proud.
  6. captain america
    Milia-chan will be wearing her flight suit, but it will be a very snug, form-fitting suit.
  7. captain america
    Captain’s log: Thursday, November 7th. I’ve hit the ground running on this baby! You guys aren’t the only ones who were itching for a decent 1/72 kit, and I could hardly contain my own enthusiasm for this one. I spent about 3 days working on the technical drawings and in good Anime lineart tradition, none of the views, even the orthographic ones, line-up with each other! This turned out to be something of a blessing, since I want to make a model that looks like that iconic 3/4 rendering that was used for the old Imai box art. As some of you might know, that plastic kit falls somewhat short compared to the artwork, so I taylored my diagrams on the view I like best. *quincy 3 view* What’s probably most notable is the shorter torso and longer legs on my draft, which I based primarily on the 3/4 view. The plastic model followed the lead of the orthographic views, which explains its long, droopy face. Have no fear, this will be a proper TV-version sculpt. *IMG_1620* Three solid pages of diagrams, and another 4 pages of lineart reference… It’s going to be big, and by big I mean over 26cm tall to the top of the antenna! *IMG_1619* Big parts mean big slabs of modeling board, and I don’t have any blocks ready to accomodate those huge parts, so… Off to the bandsaw we go to cut some mighty Renshape slabs. *IMG_1621* While the bandsaw’s guide allows for some relatively straight cuts, it’s no substitute for the precision of a mill, so off we go to he milling station to create some nice, flat surfaces and true 90* angles. The block you see is one of the smaller ones; the piece intended for the backpack just barely cleared my cross-slide table! *IMG_1622* Diagrams are now carefully cut to shape and bonded to the modeling board with spray adhesive. *IMG_1623* After a bit of excess mterial removal on the bandsaw, I head back to the mill for some machining. To avoid the finished model toppling over from excess weight, the backpack will be strategically lightened and hollowed-out to create a better front-back weight balance. *IMG_1624* A lot of people wonder how I create all those compound curves that they see on my models. Well aside from the bandsaw, the mill, the lathe and the rotary tool, I also do quite a bit of shaping with rough sandpaper. These are just a fraction of the specialized shapes I made from modeling board. Oftentimes I will craft a sanding block just for one specific operation in order to get a specified shape or curve. Modeling board is notoriously hard on cutting and grinding tools, so the sandpaper (100-300 grit) is held in place with spray adhesive and needs to be changed frequently. That’s all I’ve got for this week, but remember: you only have until December 1st to place your orders if you want the pilot bust included with your kit. Please use your time and funds wisely.
  8. captain america
    Duuude, that's beautiful!! Can I share some of these on social media?
  9. captain america
    Hey Ted, thanks for posting that. I already have quite a sizeable cache of z-Army markings from the Regults, but if I need assistance I'll definitely let you know. I figured out why the old Imai kit was such a disappointment to me, but more on that tomorrow.
  10. captain america
    Just started drafting the blueprints today. You may be shocked to hear that... ... None of the orthographic views from the lineart match-up with each other! You're shocked, I know. No big deal, I've employed my trusty Japanizing descrambler technology to, uh... Make all new diagrams from scratch. A lot of work, but lots of fun!
  11. captain america
    Friday November 1st, 2019. Today begins the official pre-order phase for my 1/72 Queadluun-Rau (hereafter Quincy Rowe) resin kit offering. Please read and re-read the following very carefully! The kit is to have the following features: *Riveted surface details in keeping with previous Z-Army offerings *Opaque resin with some clear parts (sensor eye, etc.) *May be built with the cockpit open or closed *Detailed cockpit interior *Missile pods may be built open or closed. *Static legs and hips for maximum sturdiness and free-pose arms *waterslide decal markings Projected completion of masters: mid December Projected completion of molds: January 2020 PREORDER SPECIAL Those who place their orders before December 1st will receive a resin Milia bust that fits in the open cockpit along with their QR kit. No, this item will NOT be available after the preorder period! Kit price: $400 CAD dollars* (about 305 USD) Domestic shipping: $38 CAD for 1 kit; $50 CAD for 2 kits Ordering Procedure for US/CANADA: -Just send me a private message with the quantity of kits you want. I will provide you with the total and payment directions. That’s all there is to it! ***Prices do not include PayPal fees: please add 4% to your total. (total amount x 1.04)*** INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING As of now, all orders outside Canada or the US are to be placed directly with Return2kitform, who is now my official international distributor. You can contact them on Facebook @return2kitform or via email at returntokitform@gmail.com As a result, your shipping rates, which were previously atrocious, will now be slashed by about 40% on average, depending on your location. You’re welcome!
  12. captain america
  13. captain america
    Brand new. There'll be pics of the scratchbuilding process, but I don't think you'll see finished pics for quite a while.
  14. captain america
    This is going live on Friday, November 1st.
  15. captain america
    I thought this was hilarious!
  16. captain america
    For those who don't know, I'm working on an original mecha project. Teaser:
  17. captain america
    Someone sent me one of those kits to inspect a few years ago. I don't know if it was an original or not, but the castings were absolute trash. Haven't seen anything that bad since the JafCon kits from 1993.
  18. captain america
    The EP-13 cannon is characterized as an 80mm beam gun, so it's an energy weapon. Don't think there's much recoil on something like that.
  19. captain america
    Can I get an Amen?
  20. captain america
    Probably not, but if you think that Hasbro's remedy is only top-down vertical enforcement, you're missing the big picture. Where direct legal pressure may fail, all they have to do is tell their distributors that any of them that continue to carry/distribute 3P products beyond a 60-90 grace window will be cut-off. No more official Hastak products for you! Does that wipe Zeta or 3P off the map? No, it just reduces the incentive to carry their stuff that much more. In many ways, this might be far more effective.
  21. captain america
  22. captain america
    Based on the translation of the fan's conversation with Zeta that you posted on TFW2005 in conjunction with this... I think it's fair to say that sufficient pressure was applied to sink the Core Star.
  23. captain america
    What you feel is irrelevant, and so is spite. If they become knowledgeable of an infringement, they must act to defend their IP or risk losing it entirely. It doesn't have to manifest as a full-blown lawsuit, something as simple as having an attorney serve the infringing party with a C & D will get the ball rolling, and they only need to apply as much pressure as is needed to get the other party to back down; not an ounce more. Most 3P are happy to produce figures that aren't in direct competition with official product, nor have they been brazen enough, at least until recently, to market head-to-head with HasTak. That might have been their saving grace. My point is that the more brazen 3P becomes, the greater the chances that they will cross a line that will open the door to them getting legally smashed, and potentially changing the market landscape in a way that will NOT be to the average fans and collectors' benefit.
  24. captain america
    Neither Haslab's nor Zeta's transformation is without its drawbacks, it's just a matter of what compromises you're willing to live with. Looking at the back of the planet on the Haslab, you have a large orange depression and spikes all along the equator, which is accurate. On Zeta's, the equator line is the robot's crotch, which should be blue-grey. Also on Zeta's figure, the four single-cratered panels that flank the vertical leg panels on both sides and to the immediate North and South of the equator are the robot's hip armor, both front and back. Those panels are light gray/silver with blue-grey craters in robot mode, so just with that, you can see that there will be "deco chalenges" to put it as politely as possible. If you look at the flanks of the Zeta planet mode, the area where the rings attach, there should be an orange circle there too, albeit smaller than the one on the back. The panels both north and south of the equator, and the equator band itself make up the shoulders and forearm armor: all orange in robot mode, but mostly blue-grey with some orange splotches in planet mode. Zeta's planet mode is already compromised in terms of shapes, but now ask yourself which mode you want to sacrifice for an accurate paint scheme, because you won't get both! Also, if the Haslab crowdfund fails, there's the real possibility that we'll get neither. Several people on the TFW forums have flatly stated that they cancelled their Haslab preorder when they saw the Zeta figure, and the crowdfunding counter did reflect that. There remains the very real possibility that if several millions of dollars in revenue suddenly goes up in smoke because they couldn't get their 8000 units funded, Hasbro will look to Zeta and have their lawyers make a case for either infringement or tortious interference, and possibly both.
  25. captain america
    MP-10 (V2) was an excellent figure when it was released and still is. At $80, even 3P figures cost more than that. Ultimately, the only questions you should be asking are do YOU like MP-10, and is $80 a fair price in light of all the other similar figures currently available.
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