Myersjessee Posted December 5, 2004 Posted December 5, 2004 (edited) I wanted to take some time and post a review of the Samurai Monkey Atmospheric Booster display base kit. Despite my involvement in the Booster itself (I cast some of them) I was no more involved in this kit then any of you were, so when the postings went up I ordered and waited with baited breath. This base is supposed to be a display piece for the booster and a later add on for the launch vehicle. My kit arrived last week, and I was thrilled…thrilled enough that I wanted to share my thoughts. John has a knack for realism. He must spend a lot of time around real mechanical equipment, because he just seems to have a way of making something unreal look feasible. I first saw this skill in the Legioss. Lots of people loved the kit for lots of reasons, but what struck me most was how it suddenly looked like something based on reality instead of a cartoon. John again uses that knack on the base. In fact, when I first heard he was doing the base for the launch vehicle separately I was under whelmed. I’m impatient by nature and it was the big truck I wanted. While I still want the truck, it was seeing this baby with so many tiny details that soothed my impatience. You see…the base isn’t just a stand now…its something that enhances the VF1 booster…and to me, makes it look real. They say the devil is in the details…well…then John got devilish with this baby! Take for example the base. Its fairly simple..and only visible in a couple grainy cells in the cartoon…and a couple bad line arts. Obviously the time was put into the mecha…not the arm in the art books. So…if it had been up to me I would have slapped a simple base together and called it a day. Not John. (Note…mine would have also been shapped similarly to a piece of 2X4 cut on a band saw! J ) John went and added weld lines to all the joints. His lines are really cool, and I’m not exactly sure how attained….but I can already see how just this little detail will make the kit come to life. Now, a little oil wash, some well placed rust marks and this base turns into a well used piece of equipment. Less technical then the Valkyrie it supports, it’s meant to be functional and last….what a cool little detail that came from that devilish mind! These details continue throughout the kit. My next favorite is the “nose” or end of the ramp. To my knowledge this isn’t visible anywhere. Again, I would have slapped a beam in place and called it a day…not John. His mind brought to life a functional piece of equipment. This base has to launch a rocket…it needs to move, adjust the rockets angle, and then drop out of the way…so he added a separation point into the end of the ramp, and then detailed the hinged tip that I can just picture adjusting the angle of the Booster, then dropping away as it launches. Other items of note range from the rivet markings across the arms and barrels, the very functional design and explanation for the whole base rotation and the incredibly detailed angle actuators. (these babies go all the way down to the collared swivel connector with three heavy attachment points! Wow! I would have glued to pieces of PVC together and called it a day! ) All in all..the design that went into the kit is another John masterpiece. Every angle seems accurate, so piece out of place. So…what have I forgotten…oh yeah, how about the kit itself. I spent so much time ogling the design I forgot about the quality of the kit. Here is where John ticks me off. I have learned to cast over the past 3+ years. I like to think I learn something new every time I do a project. Well…I just learned from this kit that John knows a hell of a lot more about casting then I do! The pieces are, well perfect. Seam lines are invisible. Bubbles are non-existent. The pieces are sharp, and impressive. I really don’t think it’s fair that all this talent gets hoarded in one source! J The kit comes with 12 pieces; some wires and some screws in a nice box with cover art and a well-done set of instructions. Assembly seems straightforward with lots of room for customization. The resin used in the kit is a heavy dense blue resin. Some sanding revealed it to be very dense with no internal air bubbles that I sanded into. (This is great news for model buildup speed) The resin itself, John tells me, is a special mixture meant to hold up the weight of the booster without bending… SUPER COOL! ) I can only imagine how he was able to work so well with this stuff…I have to imagine it’s a real goo compared to the viscous stuff I use! I am very happy with this purchase…so much so that I decided to start building mine now. Stay tuned for my buildup…and please wish me luck! Hope this review is helpful. First...a finished product (John Mosacto's demonstrator) Edited December 5, 2004 by Myersjessee Quote
Myersjessee Posted December 5, 2004 Author Posted December 5, 2004 Here are some pictures of the kit: First...the pieces Quote
Myersjessee Posted December 5, 2004 Author Posted December 5, 2004 (edited) Now...some closeups...the base: Man..check out those cool weld marks! Edited December 5, 2004 by Myersjessee Quote
Myersjessee Posted December 5, 2004 Author Posted December 5, 2004 (edited) and the parts: Man..I love all the sharp little lines and rivits...will look excellent when washed and airbrushed (I hope! ) Edited December 5, 2004 by Myersjessee Quote
Myersjessee Posted December 5, 2004 Author Posted December 5, 2004 and the rest of the pieces.... Quote
Myersjessee Posted December 5, 2004 Author Posted December 5, 2004 overall...I am extremely happy with this kit...no buyers remorse and more so I am happy to be supporting two of our own who I hope read this, smile, and continue doing new cool Macross kits for us. Thanks John and Rob! Quote
robokochan Posted December 5, 2004 Posted December 5, 2004 Awesome review Jesse! Thank you very much! I look forward to seeing you build it! Rob Quote
baxojayz Posted December 6, 2004 Posted December 6, 2004 That looks like a very different resin than was used on my booster. I think I need to plunk down some extra $$$ now. Quote
Myersjessee Posted December 6, 2004 Author Posted December 6, 2004 That looks like a very different resin than was used on my booster. I think I need to plunk down some extra $$$ now. I would...I'm thinking of buying another as it's such a cool little stand. Good luck! I started painting and building mine yesterday...Ill post updates as I go. Quote
SpacePirateNeko Posted December 7, 2004 Posted December 7, 2004 limited stuff makes me cry =( i cant seem to find any links for ordering the booster ..rail ...or myers spider bot Quote
captain america Posted December 7, 2004 Posted December 7, 2004 ...You mean like this?: http://www.samurai-monkey.com Quote
captain america Posted December 7, 2004 Posted December 7, 2004 ...You mean like this?: http://www.samurai-monkey.com Quote
robokochan Posted December 7, 2004 Posted December 7, 2004 Or you can PM me for the Launch Rail and Booster... Or Pm Jesse for the Spider Bug... Quote
AlphaHX Posted December 7, 2004 Posted December 7, 2004 limited stuff makes me cry =(i cant seem to find any links for ordering the booster ..rail ...or myers spider bot or you can read this thread. for myer's spider bot. limited stuff makes me cry too. but at least the things ur still looking for are still available. ur lucky. Quote
SpacePirateNeko Posted December 7, 2004 Posted December 7, 2004 Thanks ...nice website by the way Quote
Myersjessee Posted December 13, 2004 Author Posted December 13, 2004 Limited stuff only makes me cry when I dont have one....thankfully I dodged that sob session with this kit! Anyone built theirs yet? Quote
nautilus Posted July 28, 2012 Posted July 28, 2012 The gob. It is smacked... Just shows you what real affection can achieve. Quote
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