captain america

Hey Ted! You'll be happy to know I was able to get the vast majority of the mold parting lines on flat/relatively undetailed areas to make clean-up easier.

The 1/48 Destroyed Thomas Hawk project is coming along nicely! Decal artwork is completed, and casting is nearing the half-way point. 119 opaque parts and 5 clear parts for a total of 124 pieces!

The advantage of larger scale and a dedication to detail, my friend! When I have my kit mocked-up in a couple of weeks, you'll see how every other Tomahawk, kit or figure, pales by comparison.

Quick Monday update on the 1/48 Thomas Hawk build: I've been busy making molds. In fact, I completely neglected last week's update so I could finish ALL the molds, test them and show-off the castings! This is one BIG kit, and that doesn't even include the clear parts, so it'll be >1kg.

1/48 Destroyed Thomas Hawk masters: done! Now on to mold-prep. If you thought the 1/72 Quincy Rowe was a big kit, wait 'til you get your hands on this thing!! Also a neat surprise: a pilot figure will be included because reasons.

Any progress on your build?

Captain's log: Friday, June 23, 2022. The 1/40 Thomas Hawk patterns are now almost done, and I'm at the stage where I need to mold certain parts to have complete masters. As such, I will push-back the latest update a few days and instead, I'll give you another important scratchbuilding technique: how to make scale weld marks. This technique should also work with plastic and resin kits, though be aware that if you're applying it to thin plastic parts, you may run the risk of warping said part via the application of heat. Pic 74-- What you'll need: -a package of Super Sculpey oven-bake clay -some very sharp files and/or a scriber (etal files are optimal) -a straight edge (in this case I used a piece of plexiglass) -a hairdryer -a tiny spatula: note that any clay modelling tool with a very narrow tip will work) Pic 75: once you've determined the location of the weld marks, trace a quick line with a pencil, then using your file and the straight edge, run your file over the line several times. Go gently at first, then once there's a bit of a groove to guide the file, you can apply a bit more pressure or use a scriber. The goal is to create a ditch which is just wide and deep enough (about 1mm in this case). When you're done, wash the part thoroughly with soapy water and a toothbrush to remove any residual dust. This is critical, otherwise the uper Sculpey will lift away! Pic 76: take a small blob of Super Sculpey and roll it into a noodle with your fingers. Do NOT make it too fine, but instead keep it fat, like 3-4mm in diameter. Pic 77: using your fingers, smear the Super Sculpey into the ditch you created a little at a time. Don't worry about the excess, just make sure the ditch is well filled. Pic 78: using an old hobby knife, press downward and run the blade across the ditch with the cutting edge facing backward. This will help smear the Super Sculpey into its groove and simultaneously help remove the excess. Pic 79: with the excess Super Sculpey carefully removed, use a very lightly moistened spatula and indent the Super Sculpey as shown above. This will be a very frustrating process, as the Sculpey will tend to want to lift up if the ditch isn't deep enough, or if your sptula is dry. The advantage with using Sculpey is that you're not working against the clock as you would be with catalyzed epoxy clay. You can even start over several times if needed. Once your weld marks are done, take your hair dryer on high heat, and heat the Sculpey weld lines for about 2-3 minutes each, then let sit for about 10 minutes for the clay to polymerize. Notice: because the Sculpey is brittle, avoid flexing the part in the case of application on styrene, or put a very light bead of CA glue on the weld to help hold it in place. On modelling board, this isn't necessary. Voilà: easy do-it-yourself weld marks! Next week you will see the 1/48 Thomas Hawk masters in all their glory, so stay tuned!

Captain's log: Thursday, June 15th, 2023. I've been quite busy adding surface detailing on Thomas, and there's a LOT of it! By virtue of all the parts being large, the sharpness and intricacy required means I can't take the shortcuts I would on a 1/72 subject. I also added a lot of details I didn't have on the 1/72 kit, and so far I'm very pleased with the results. Pic 61 shows the cockpit, or at least, as much of it as can be seen with the viewing screens installed. I made it to resemble a Valk Battroid cocpit with the large monitors but because it sits so low in the chest, much of this will be hard to see unless you remove the head and glacis plate/visor unit. Pics 62-63 show the tremendous detailing work done to the legs and feet. Those little black dots are actually railroad bolts; each one had to be hand-drilled and inserted, and I'm not done yet! I don't know how well these will cast, but they look fantastic! Pics 64-65 show the main torso, the camera unit which will be behind the clear lens, and I also fabricated a somewhat realistic sliding mechanism for the cockpit hatch. Seriously, the artists who drew this had no clue how to engineer anything properly, so I had to go in and do their homework for them. Pics 66-67 show the shoulder pods: missile launcher on the left and searchlight on the right. The former has individual missile doors, and I even did the missiles. The small green one is of the 24 chest missiles, while the large one goes in the shoulder launcher. To install them in their respective launch tubes, merely clip the large fins. So this way you have the option of showing the missile launchers empty, full, or with missiles in flight/display. Pics 68-72 are what I've got so far. It doesn't look like much got done, but my days have been full with tedious detail work and at least one more week to go, but I'm thinking 10 more days and I'll be done. The very last pic (73) shows the Tomahawk in scale with an M1A2 Abrams, just to show you how massive these mecha robots are. More to come next week! 61.HEIC 62.HEIC 63.HEIC 64.HEIC 65.HEIC 66.HEIC 67.HEIC 68.HEIC 69.HEIC 70.HEIC 71.HEIC 72.HEIC 73.heic

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Captain's Log: Friday, June 2, 2023. Today, in addition to showing you the progress of the master-patterns, I'm going to show you a technique for making recessed details, like vents, scoops and other thingamabobs which are impractical to sculpt manually. This is especially true for recessed details which need to be mirrored or duplicated exactly. In this case, it'll be the recessed triangle shapes on the bottom of the Tommy's shin armor. If you look at pic 45, I begin by creating a buck of the desired shape using some modelling board. I make the part long enough so I can then split it in two so as to have identical, mirrored pieces. Using calipers and a sharp pencil, I calculate the positioning of the shapes and then holding the buck against the part, I simply trace its position on both sides. Pic 46: taking a knife and a sharpened flat-blade screwdriver converted into a chisel, I begin carving the recess very carefully. You want the opening to allow the buck to fit inside, with barely 1/3 of a mm all around. Don't worry about the opening being perfect. Pic 47: spray your bucks with a generous coat of mold release (in this case, Price-Driscoll Ultra 4). Now put these aside and mix your polyester putty and using a tool, generously dab some putty into the recesses and then press the bucks into place and wait. Pic 48: as the putty begins to harden, it starts by becoming just a bit rubbery. This is when you very carefully and gently pull the bucks out, leaving a perfect imprint! Take note: this is a bit of a black art, as removing the buck too quickly will cause the putty to crumble and ruin the detail, whereas if you wait too long to extract, it may not come out at all, mold-release be damned! Pic 49: let the putty harden a couple of hours, then sand away the excess. Voila! Pics 50-52 show the range of motion in the legs. The knee was a bit of a bear to create because it was poorly designed, but I made it work. The one concession is the hinge pin which will need to be inserted during the build and puttied over. Pic 53 shows the main body module without its weapons pack. You'll have the option of displaying it this way if you wish Pic 54: the open cockpit hatch, awaiting yet more details. I opted to have the cockpit hatch merely slide open, as opposed to slide-&-tilt, which just adds unneeded complexity and the sensors get in the way. Pics 55-60: beauty shots! Mke no mistake, there's still lot of detailing needed, but even at this stage the model looks fantastic! I may forego next week's update in order to mold a few parts I need to complete some parts, but know that I'll be chugging right along behind the scenes.

Captain's log: Thursday, May 25th I wasn't expecting to make much progress this week, but it came out better than I thought. Unlike the 1/72 kit, which I treated like a non-transforming fighter, I want to take this kit in a direction which more fittingly exemplifies its tank-like design and feel. As such, I'm planning to forego details like rivets in favor of weld seams, but those details will come later. Pic 37: I used part of a VF-1J tub and seat, since I reckon the control system would be about the same. I then created an armored tub around it, which is faithful to the line-art. I also elected to move the pilot's seat lower into the chest cavity, and this for two reasons: it offers the pilot better protection, and he won't have a massive cannons mere inches from his ears! Pic 38: the main weapons pack is made modular to offer more building possibilities, but also creates some engineering challenges which may come back to bite me in the molding process. Also, the cavities in some places are so deep the milling shank can't reach, so I'll have to go and smooth-out some details with the Dremel. Pic 39: the quad-cannon underboob assembly coming along very nicely indeed. The smaller cannons were a bit of a bear to machine, but patience and persistence paid off. Pic 40: all the missiles will be separate from their housings, so you'll be able to build Thomas with all missile slots filled, empty, and even with missiles in-flight with fins deployed. Pics 41-44 show the kit in its current state of finishing, looking considerably better than it did last week, and I'm happy to say that despite its massive size, the kit is quite sturdy and will have better range of motion than I anticipated, due to a last-minute engineering upgrade. More info in next week's update, so stay tuned!

Captain's Log: Thursday, May 18th, 2023. I'm going to begin with a quick tutorial on parts shaping. That is to say, the process which follows machining which you saw last week. Let's begin with a simple part like the ankle joint module, which is what we see in pic 25. You'll notice some penciled lines over the top and also at the edge, which is where I intend to create a deflection in the surface. These pencil lines will guide me in the shaping process. Pic 26: using some sanding blocks, I begin going over the part in the area I want to sand down. Take your time here and watch the lines, otherwise you may remove too much material. Pic 27 shows what I was going for. I can now smooth the piece down further with some finer (3-400 grit) sanding blocks for optimal finishing. Pic 28: the next piece to work on is the foot. Starting from a square block, I very carefully remove some excess material with the band saw. I could have used the Dremel, but this is faster and makes much less dust. As you can see, I'm still leaving a good 3mm from the pencil line when I cut. This is because the band saw isn't precise, and it's easier to remove a little material at a time than have to putty and re-shape. Pic 29: this is freshly hacked on the band saw. Pic 30: now I can take the Dremel and remove a bit more material, and simultaneously smooth out the odd angles. Pic 31: yet more block sanding. As you may have guessed, I make my own blocks using modelling board and 80-100 grit sandpaper. Because of the sheer amount of sanding I do, the sandpaper covering needs to be replaced every 2 projects or so. Pic 32: the shoulder missile housing. this is one component I was dreading, but the fabrication was much easier than I anticipated. Everything is eyeballed, yet everything lines up perfectly when I put it in the chest cavity. Pic 33: the main body/chest/back module, now with substantial amounts of material removed! In addition to cost-cutting, this also helps to keep the finished model as light as possible, while still retaining structural rigidity. Pics 34-36: this is where I'm at right now, and it's coming along very well indeed. Pics don't quite convey how big this thing is, so next time I'll look into using a familiar object for size reference. Next week's update may tarry or be a bit underwhelming, so I ask forgiveness in advance.

While there are always discrepancies in the various views, the Tomahawk is one of the better subjects in that respect. The knee joints are poorly thought out, but I can work with it. I have to add a few milimeters of clearance here and there to give better range of motion, but knowing that resin shrinks, it will be compensated for.

Captain's log: Thursday, May 11th, 2023 Get ready, kids! I'm going to show you a wonderful hack for turning modelling board chunks on a lathe to make perfectly round parts. Composite materials are wonderful in that they can be worked more quickly and allow you to do things you'd never be able to get away with in metal—much like this little trick. Pic 11. I need to make the crotch module for Thomas Hawk, and because of it's largely cylindrical shape, I opted to turn it on the lathe. I first begin by chopping a slab of modelling board slightly larger than what I need. Then I attach a perfectly round mandrel using CA glue. That nub is what the chuck will grab onto when I turn the part. Let this dry thoroughly. Pic 12: using a crudely made compass with my caliper, I scribe a rough circle around the mandrel, then take the part to the band saw to remove as much excess material as possible. Pic 13: this is now adequate to mount on the lathe. It doesn't have to be perfect, just round-ish. Pic 14: now proceeding at slow speed, I use a small knife and remove a milimeter of material at a time. Resist the urge to go too fast, otherwise the pressure may cause the part to split from the mandrel, and damage your part in the process! Have a cleaning brush and your shop-vac handy, because this makes a dusty mess! Pic 15: I now have the part at the diameter I need, and have even added an extra piece on the right (using CA glue) which will allow the crotch to mate with the waist. That extra piece will also be needed for milling operations later. The pencil line at left is where I will saw the part off, separating it from the mandrel. Pic 16: once that's done, I pencil in the guide lines, then take the part back to the band saw to remove the excess material. Pic 17: yet more pencil lines are drawn so I know where to cut. But first, I need to smooth-out the rough texture left by the band saw, so... Pic 18: into the mill it goes! That round puck I added earlier on the lathe allows me to clamp the part securely for machining. Pic 19: Yet more milling. This was a tricky pass to set-up properly, and I'll have to get it right for both left and right sides. Pic 20: moving on to other components, here is the main body module in the center. This part, much like the crotch, will require many milling operations to be hollowed-out. Pencil lines are drawn, and then the milling fun will begin. Pic 21: another challenging part to make is the foot. Because I decided to add a taper to the ankle mating joint, it makes machining that much harder. Here I'm removing as much excess material with the band saw, proceeding in diagonal cuts, removing a little material at a time. Pic 22: before anything else, I take the main body block and drill-out the shoulder mounting points on both sides. The foot (left) and waist joint (far left are both waiting for their turn on the mill Pic 23: the shin armor being carved on the mill. Because of the complex, tapering shape this part will receive, I need to perform milling operations now, while the lateral sides of the block are still square. Pic 24: the curve on the shin armor is too tight for my rotary sander, so I use my milling machine like a crude CNC router, removing small amounts of material one pass at a time. Afterwards, I'll be able to sand that perfectly smooth by hand. It may not show in this update, but the masters are coming along very nicely. The fact that the parts are large means they require more time and effort to make than their 1/72 counterparts. Also, I made my own job more challenging for the sake of improving the aesthetics of the model. It'll pay off, just wait and see!

Captain's log: Thursday, May 4th, 2023 It has begun! My silence over the last week was spent planning the build of this massive kit. While I was faithful to follow the front, profile and rear views on my 1/72 build all those years ago, I did something different this time: I took the ¾ view beauty shot of the Tomahawk which was used for the ARII box art, and back-engineered diagrams based off that. This resulted in some rather significant alterations which, in my opinion, will make for a much more aesthetically-pleasing model. For one, the chest sits higher, the arms are shorter and have smaller cannons. Also the legs are longer, giving Thomas a more elegant and less ape-like appearance. Pic 00: once all the diagrams have been made and re-checked, they're printed out at 1/48 scale, along with some line-art reference pics. The ruler gives you an indication of the size of the parts. Pic 01: now begins the tedious task of cutting out all the plots. By hand. Because crazy. Pic 02: the blocks of modelling board I had lying around weren't big enough to accommodate the plots for this kit, so I had to trim a new section from my slab of Ren-Shape. This will then need to be trimmed and milled into smaller, more manageable blocks. Pic 03: I first begin by trimming sections of modelling board on the band saw. I eyeballed the plots and cut sections larger than what I need. Pic 04: here I'm testing the plots for fit, and gluing the first plots to the board. Now I have to re-face the rough sides created by the band saw. Pic 05: because these are larger surfaces, I use a tool called a face end mill to create a perfectly flat surface. Pic 06: this is the main body/back module, and it's huge! The mill can not only create flat surfaces, it can create perfectly square angles when cutting. Pic 07: as I said, perfectly square! I use a pair of steel right angles to check my work, and with that first 90* angle made, all the other surfaces are child's play. I may do a tutorial on that next week. Pic 08: While it's not ideal, sometimes I have to turn Ren Shape parts on the lathe. There's a whole procedure behind this, and it's a hack that you just can't do with metal parts. The down-side, as you can see, is the awful mess it makes. Pic 09: when I need to create parallel surfaces, I will sometimes resort to the drill press grinder, just because it's quicker. Sometimes I have to use this method for larger blocks which won't fit in the jaws of my mill. The disadvantage with this method is it makes more fine dust. Pic 10: these are the heel modules. I create one, thick block, which I will then segment in two. This method ensures both left and right pieces are identical, with no fit problems. That's all for this week. Not the most exciting of updates, but there are just so many blocks to cut, and it's a very long process. Since next week will be more of the same, I'll offer up some useful machining techniques in the next update, so stay tuned!

First build update drops Thursday.

Almost 2/3 of payments received. I'll start the work as soon as the remaining members make their payments. In the meantime, I've begun the drafting process. Also, does anyone have a Hasegawa 1/48 VF-1 pilot figure they'd be willing to part with? Please DM me.

Thomas Hawk is a go. I repeat: Thomas Hawk is a go! You can now send in your payments.

Three and a half days. Freezing rain accumulated on trees & power lines and caused them to collapse under the extra weight. Anyway, you should really get in on this project.

5 spots to fill. I'll let the project run until April 15th, a few days later than expected because the power went down for 3 days in my area and I haven't been able to reply to people in a timely manner.

9 spots to fill!☺️

Before we go on asking for other things, maybe we should start by securing the orders needed for the current project. If you can, spread the word. I think I have a good enough history of consistency and excellence to warrant the investment.

Great job, guys! Almost half the slots filled in less than 36 hours! You can really help the project succeed by sharing it with anyone you think would be interested.