captain america

Captain's log, stardate: October 21st, 2011. Lunch time. Well here we go: updates for the nose section are finally done, save for a few little details here and there. Some re-tooling is centred around the cockpit, which has had some parts re-worked and details added, especially in the aft ejection seat area. The most significant update however, is the canopy frame: originally, I was just going to provide some resin hoops to put into the vac-formed shell and that would suffice. But then I had an idea: what if I were to produce a full resin frame and then modellers could just cut out the transparency and mate these to the frame for a more realistic look? It was a bit of a long, delicate PITA to get things going, but in the end I'm glad that I did, as I think it really adds to the look of the kit. The boarding ladder has also been tweaked somewhat and gives a sturdier look. Lastly, the big hurdle was the markings: the original vector file was lost 2 computers ago, so all I had to work with was a small jpeg file… Not an ideal situation. Nonetheless, with a few measurements, I was able to rebuild the whole thing, one marking at a time. I also took the opportunity to update some of the fonts; I figured they'd have access to snazzier printing technology in the 2080s, surpassing the need for crude stencils! A side-by side comparison of the markings is provided for your viewing pleasure. I was able to cram a few extra goodies that weren't in the original. That just about covers it for this update; I will begin principal photography for the destructions next week, and moulding begins immediately after that. Keep your fingers crossed folks, we're in the home stretch! http://imageshack.us/g/692/15374283.jpg/ Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Wow, MW looks weird with this configuration... I don't know if I like it, but alas... Been putting the finishing touches on the masters for part 6; canopy frame is almost done and so is the new decal artwork. The latter was a particular PITA, because the original vector file was lost so I had to start all the markings from scratch. Thankfully, by doing so I had the opportunity to use some slightly more modern fonts and improve a few little things here and there. Photo update coming Friday!!

Last pic. That's as far as I can get with prototype joints and without glue

More snaps, this time with the head and shoulders. Apologies for the blurry pics.

Hi everyone. Just wanted to post a quick update! Holy frack this thing is BIG! 37-38cm tall in Soldier mode!! :blink:

Hi Darrin. No beers needed, the simple answer is that I'm not sure yet; there's demand for some smaller-scale MOSPEADA-related stuff in the background, but I think that the MACROSS fans have been high-and-dry for more than a year, so maybe a new Zentradi mecha, or perhaps a re-issue of the Spaltan. All demand-related.

I think it kinda helps that you're located relatively close geographically Oh, and I will make the official announcement that payment for the final part (segment 6) is now due. To those who have already paid, you need only sit back and wait patiently. For what it's worth, I've already begun molding some parts that need duplicating for this last installment. I will begin making the final mods for the components, and you can expect an update either on the 7th or the 14th, but the latter is more realistic, as I'm sort of short on time these days. Your patience is greatly appreciated

Hi everyone. Just a quick heads-up to let you know that I'm starting to ship kits today. Most will be shipped by Monday or Tuesday, though 1 or 2 people may have their kits delayed as I had to order more screws, minor speedbump. Will be posting again on Monday to announce the commencement of the final segment. Stay tuned!

It's all in the proportions. Compared to both the old Imai 1/72 and the CM's 1/48 toy, the Wave kit's proportions are such that it looks stumpy, squat, deformed and un-heroic: head and shoulders are too big for the chest nacelles and body. It's not like any concessions had to be made to accommodate a complex transformation either, which is why I consider it an aesthetic failure, though I have to admit that the gun is a clear improvement and looks awesome. I've included comparison pictures to better illustrate my point.

The Wave soldier is just hideous! Considering that it doesn't have to transform, I think they dropped the ball massively. Heck, the 28 year-old Imai soldier looks better than that!

And the 3 remaining pages!

Hi everyone! Well as it stands, I've finally gotten the destructions for the body (part 5) done! Be sure to download them at your convenience

Captain's log. Stardate: today, somewhere between lunch and my afternoon snack. Hi Everyone! Another week, another update. I merely wanted to show-off the castings from the latest installment: they're coming out excellent (in reality, they have no choice: if the castings come out crappy, the molds get re-done.) Also, I took the time to check the fit of the parts as a precaution, and everything is coming out aces! The third pic is of a new series of landing gear masters: my first attempt to contract this service out was an unmitigated disaster and a waste of time, so let's all cross our fingers they my second attempt will prove more successful. I do deeply apologize that these are taking so long. That having been said, they will get done one way or another.

Captain's log, stardate: September 3rd, 2011. Morning. About to have coffee. Hi everyone, I'm happy to report that the newest set of moulds is complete and the first test-castings will be done by Monday evening. The procedure seems to have gone exceptionally well, as I've inspected the new tooling and found no problems, which is always a sigh of relief when you have to mold some rather complex shapes. The first 2 pictures are of the moulds themselves. The first pic shows two of them being poured, while the third is a finished unit. If you're wondering why I sometimes use tupperware as mold boxes, and acrylic jigs for others, it's simply to suit the size of the pieces being moulded. Some parts are so awkward that custom mold boxes have to be made to accommodate them, like the main body and the engine nacelles. The next series of pictures are courtesy of our very own Codam23, who is making the joints using 3D printer technology; something that would have been unthinkable a scant decade ago. The photos show the joints in question supporting a whopping 1.9 lbs of weight each, without bending or moving. I can confirm from the prototype joints that I have that they will be very strong indeed, and when built properly, will be able to handle the weight of the kit, no sweat! By next week, I should have some test-shots to show, as well as some mocking-up of the parts to give you an idea of just how massive this model will be. Stay tuned!

There are actually numerous deviations from the source artwork, especially with regards to proportions. As I've stated on a few occasions previously, this model is not intended to be a 100% anime-accurate version (which would not be physically possible anyway) but a design with my own touches, envisioned as it would exist in a more real-world scenario. A Legioss: Moscato version, if you prefer.

Excellent question! In fact, it doesn't affect the posing any more than the stubby version, though it is more noticeable visually. Not nearly as much of an eyesore as I thought it would be. I'll post some pics when the torso parts are finally molded.

A better comparison between the old and new nose. Night and day difference!

That depends on market demand. I tried polling for Inbit mecha a couple of years ago; the interest was abysmal.

I'll let you know how I feel when she's done; still no light at the end of the tunnel, so I just keep my head down and do what I gotta do. Oh yes, I definitely have a couple of kits for myself; this is iconic mecha pr0n for me

Hi guys! Welcome to the latest installment of Building The Perfect BEAST. Captain's log: Monday August 22, 2011. After lunch. I was going to post the update last Friday, but by the time I got to taking pics, I was already quite pooped… Guess I'm starting to show my age. Anyhoo, probably the most significant alteration to the Legioss is now done, and by that I mean the newly-reworked nose cone. The first two pics show the new nose in all its riveted splendour. There will be a few little details fixed here and there, but it's essentially complete. The oblong rectangular access panel on the starboard side of the nose grants access to the on-board oxygen generator and cockpit air-conditioning unit, whereas the small rectangular panel on the port side is for access to the air-conditioning/cooling system for the avionics. I made the semi-triangular raised shape on top of the nose a rain-repellant unit for the front windscreen. For those concerned about painting the necessary demarcation on the nose, I will provide a computer-made, same-size template that can be used for masking, so as to take the guesswork out of the equation. Pics 3 and 4 show the radome in the open position and the avionics suite extended forward. Some extra detail was added on the top and starboard side (replaceable mission cartridges) of the unit. Also, you may have noticed that the nosecone hinge is now beefier and mounted topside, as opposed to the starboard side. I did this to both offer the look of a more secure latching mechanism, and also allow the crew better, unrestricted access to all the plane's goodies. Pic 5: all the parts that are being prepped as part of installment 5, namely: the main body, right boobie, one engine and related intake ducting, the head, and the 2-way multi-mode data transmitter/receiver. Parts are being primed and prepped for instructions photography, and will then be moulded and cast as per my usual procedure. I will likely skip next Friday's update, but expect another progress report on September 2nd. Oh, and slightly on-topic, if anyone knows someone who does white metal casting, it seems that I would have need for that service again. There are problems with my current/previous provider. More on that subject as details emerge.

Hi guys! Welcome to the latest installment of Building The Perfect BEAST. Today we're going to take a look at parts for the 2 last installments; namely the main body and the nosecone. Though normally I prefer to concentrate on one segment at a time, these two sets of parts are such that they must mate very carefully with each other when building, so alterations to one part inevitably spills-over and affects other parts: a simple principle that translates into more tedious and time-consuming work. In pics 1 and 2, we see the old-style JG-97M power generator, as it was made almost 10 years ago. I was never quite happy with the look of it, and wanted something that was a little more realistic in appearance, not to mention that as it is in the pics, it would be a complete casting nightmare. Therefore, with a bit of clever machining and fabrication... …I end up with something much nicer (pics 3 and 4.) The new powerplant is more along the lines of what I'd envisioned, and sports re-tooled fan blades and no bleed-slots; much more efficient looking IMHO. Pic 5 shows the engine in its chest housing. Since the entire mouth/intake of the powerplant was re-tooled, I wanted to ensure that there were no fit problems with the unit. Pic 7a: the movable intake doors. THe one on the left is the old version, while on the right is the 2.0 version. Pic 6: The engine/housing and intake doors. This shows the parts in flight configuration. Pic 7: intake doors in closed (armoured) position. In my head, I'd envisioned the doors to serve 3 purposes: one to protect the engines from Foreign Object Damage while taxiing on rough runways, two, to serve as intake ramps to control the high-speed airflow to the compressor face in high-speed flight, and third as armored shutters in heavy-duty engagements. Pic 8: the new forward fuselage/radar tray about to be machined. The nose section took quite a while to shape adequately, since I really wanted to nail the shape that would allow the fighter to really come alive. The rough version I'd shown previously was too bulbous and really didn't work with the rest of the fighter. Pic 9: the new nosecone tested for fit and aesthetics. All I can say is wow! The old 1.0 nosecone really doesn't hold a candle to the new one. Be warned though, the Fighter mode should be over 20 inches in length: it has presence!! Well, that's it for this update. I should have all the masters ready to begin mold prep by next week--stay tuned!

Mori-Mori & Tamiya Polyester putty are pretty much the same product based on my experience; it's a fine grade of automotive polyester build putty and I love it to pieces! It's spendier, slower to harden and harder than Bondo, so I don't use it quite as frequently, but it's definitely a top-notch product. See, you can get a similar grade putty from a local automotive finishing supply provider, but the putty comes in this huge-a$$ tin, and what happens is that since I'm only using a small amount at a time, the stuff starts to harden in the tin (exposure to air from constantly opening the container) and goes bad before I'm half-way through. Therefore, even though a tube of Tamiya is 18 bucks, it's still cheaper than a huge tin that will mostly end up being wasted.

Hi everyone! As promised, I've compiled a short update of my current goings-on with the Beast, which is coming along nicely. One of the realities of old masters that have been handled and moved around over the course of a decade is, unfortunately, damaged parts. This is due primarily to 2 things: one being the very fragile nature of modelling board, and the other being very sharp and delicate edges crafted from that delicate material. Therefore, before anything else, little chips and dings have to be repaired, as seen in pic 1. I find that Tamiya's Polyester Putty is great for this because it's very fine and cures harder than Bondo. Next, I wanted to re-work the compressor face for the engines/generators to better fit in the nacelles and allow all the parts to integrate harmoniously. It's something that I had neglected back in the day, and will now finally be addressed. Step one involves correcting both the diameter and deleting the "bullet" on the compressor face. This is where a lathe comes in handy Pic 3: On the left is the part before the mods, and on the right is the updated piece. More work is coming so as to integrate everything, but I'll get into that more in next week's update. Stay tuned!

A dirty mech is a smexy mech! I think the effect looks awesome, great job! I used to use hairspray as a fixative too, but it gave my kits a bit of a girly smell so I stopped

Ugh, sorry to hear about that. I really don't know what's going on globally with mail service in the last year; it's like everything's going haywire. Let's hope that they're just slow like the last time. On a higher note, it's August 1st, so time to send payment for installment 5. Part 4 starts shipping today, later than expected due to a few unforeseen snags that were mentioned in a previous post. Anyway, since we're on to a new installment, you can expect a mini photo update by week's end, followed by a more comprehensive update the following week