1/72 Resin Launch Arm kit w/ Max VF-1A Super

[Berttt]

Thanks for the build up WM.

Nice work man, your almost celebrity like status continues to grow amongst the Macross modellers here

Cheers,

Berttt

[Gundamhead]

Hey Berttt,

Your status is nearly celebrity too. How goes the booster, and what happened to the awesome Spiderbug build you did?

Thanks for the build up WM.

Nice work man, your almost celebrity like status continues to grow amongst the Macross modellers here

Cheers,

Berttt

347700[/snapback]

[MechTech]

Looks SHAWEEeeeet! I'd agree with posing the photos so that they look like they're comin' from the ARMD. If there weren't so many licensing complications, I'd say photograph and sell it as a poster. Maybe you can get one of our coherts in crime to take photos of the arm and Valk seperately and do some digital work to make the valk look like it's launching off! That wood be awesome!

[Gabe Q]

I am at a loss for words. You have outdone yourself yet again. Fantastic work.

[Stamen0083]

Hi, William,

Really awesome build up! Very nice.

I've found that having a tripod really helps with nice, sharp pictures. I think investing in one would be a good idea. A full size one can be had for little money on eBay, or any camera store around you should stock one.

I refuse to take pictures of small things without a tripod, mainly because I just cannot hold the camera steady.

Beautiful work, once again!

[Berttt]

I was having an ordinary day until I read that. Cheers Gundamhead!

LOL celebrity Status indeed

I finally managed to get back to the booster on the weekend, some touchups and weathering ahve been done, and now it's time for decals before some final weathering.

The Bug hasn't prgressed much, but now that you have mentioned I will probably spend the hour or so needed to finish it off.

Thanks for asking GH.

Berttt

Hey Berttt,

Your status is nearly celebrity too.  How goes the booster, and what happened to the awesome Spiderbug build you did?

Thanks for the build up WM.

Nice work man, your almost celebrity like status continues to grow amongst the Macross modellers here

Cheers,

Berttt

347700[/snapback]

347729[/snapback]

[big F]

Hi, William,

Really awesome build up! Very nice.

I've found that having a tripod really helps with nice, sharp pictures. I think investing in one would be a good idea. A full size one can be had for little money on eBay, or any camera store around you should stock one.

I refuse to take pictures of small things without a tripod, mainly because I just cannot hold the camera steady.

Beautiful work, once again!

347933[/snapback]

Yeah I agree I paid less than £20 for areally good tripod for my camera my video camera also fits it nicely. great for photoing stuff on my workbench or photoing the birds in my garden It stands over a metre tall and packs down to 30 cm. Looks cool too as its silver and transparent plastic.

[J A Dare]

i've been out of mw's radar scope for quite awhile, but...to know mw's wm is still cranking out his master builds, it gives me a sense of inner-peace.

I don't know if it's just creative types or not, but do you know when you get a idea in your head on how you want something to work out, and in your head you can see it, but trying to explain it to others makes you seem like a babbling buffoon, but you know it will be great when it's done...

Well in other words, a picture is worth a thousand words. You've showed us what was in my head. 

[Mechleader]

Unreal! Just when I think I am at a good level I see your work and I'm bact to a beginner!!!

Absolutely AMAZING!!!!!

Well done!

[wm cheng]

Thanks for all the kudos everyone,

I am going to take a little break from this (mostly just photos left) since the Christmas stuff is really piling up and I got a short 4wk production (YAY!) Hopefully to post and finish up on the Booster in the new year.

Thanks for tuning in!

[azrhino]

The thing that still blows me away is the attention to detail. You get to a point

and we're all thinking "This is awesome" and then you add some extra little bits

that take the final product to a whole new level. Plus you don't seem to go over

the top with the bits, and they look natural. Your skill level is a hard target to

shoot for, but it always inspires me. Now if I would just get off my butt and start

finishing some stuff.

Keep up the great work, and I eagerly look forward to your next build.

Edited December 14, 2005 by azrhino

[Gabe Q]

Thanks for tuning in!

351982[/snapback]

No. Thank you for putting on the show.

We're so lucky to have you.

[Zinjo]

Any updates?

[Viceland]

Any updates?

359377[/snapback]

I'm pretty sure this one is completed.

[Zinjo]

I was hoping for more pictures...

Any updates?

359377[/snapback]

I'm pretty sure this one is completed.

359504[/snapback]

[wm cheng]

Hi all,

Got a small contract job over the break and Christmas/New Years stuff! Yep, its pretty much finished, I do want to do a proper photoshoot of it when I get the time and post it to the model section as I normally do. But I want to attach two legs to the resin base so that it will stand on its own and get some darker background paper first. In the meantime, I'm itching to get back to the booster.

[wm cheng]

Back finally... in keeping with tradition, I have posted the finished pictures of this model in the Model forums; http://www.macrossworld.com/mwf/index.php?...&st=0&p=364161&

Please visit there and leave me your comments. Now I want to see your launch arms, don't be shy and post them - there must be someone else who have finished thier's too.

[Zinjo]

Gorgeous work dude!!!

[Gundamhead]

Those are great ideas for the dispaly, and some fine photography for such a awkward subject to shoot!

[wm cheng]

A little update... I got a chance to scan the signal arm lights into the scanner and I was trying to print my own decals. I thought I'd try to follow the anime screen capture, but mirror it (since my orientation for the signal arm and launch arm is actually mirrored from the opening sequence in DYRL).

Here's the preliminary graphics overlaid onto the resin signal arm. I plan on trying out the "inkjet" Bare-Metal Foil clear decals and I will also try the laser decals by the same company which I will colour copy at work (yay! our production has a colour copier this time!) Since I can't print white, I will probably paint the paddles white or silver underneath and apply the red/blue decals over top of that, so the white letters are the negative which will show through whats beneath.

If they are sucessful, I will post the full resolution graphics here so you can download and try to print them out yourselves for this kit.

[Gundamhead]

That is #$%&@^ cool looking.

[neptunesurvey]

You are god.

[Grayson72]

Now that would be awesome, yes please post the graphics.

[Gundamhead]

Roy gives the thumbs up approval!

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/thewildkingd...re2.jpg&.src=ph

There's still a buncha tiny things I gotta fix, but it's getting there. I hope to work on it more tomorrow.

[Grayson72]

It looks more like Roy's saying "Take a hike Jackass"

[Sdf-1]

It looks more like Roy's saying "Take a hike Jackass" 

376683[/snapback]

It could've been the middle finger... Somebody should do it.

[HWR MKII]

I think ill do it with Hikaru on my UD 1/48

[wm cheng]

Yay! Finally finished... I had a few minutes tonight and decalled the signal arm.

Luckily the graphics worked perfectly. I first painted the paddles with a Tamiya silver paint marker to get a highly reflective silver. Then I decalled over them with the graphics I created in photoshop (by first scanning the part in and drawing it out) and inkjet printed onto "inkjet" decal paper by Bare Metal Foil http://www.bare-metal.com/gateways/decal_supplies.html onto clear decal paper. The "white" is just areas where there were no inkjet ink, so the silver underneath showed through.

I took the photo immediately, so some of the silvering on the blue areas of the paddles is just the decal setting solution catching the light (its still wet as I type this). But its drying perfectly - I am really happy with it now (its that finishing touch which was missing).

So as promised, below is the graphic I used - its sized perfectly, so print your own and give it a try!

Photoshop work on top of the scanned part.

Photo of the decalled part.

Raster graphics file at 100% at 600dpi (Good luck!)

[Sdf-1]

Wow, huge thanks for giving us your neat graphics wm_cheng!

[Gundamhead]

Thank you very kindly, just what I was looking for!

[specr0101]

Sorry guys, but are there anymore launch arms availible? Thanks.

[Gundamhead]

Currently you are #26 on my list. Just don't ask me when that is, cause I really don not know yet. Last word was Jesse was re-doing some molds, and he's been busy. All i can do is PM you when I have one for you.

Sorry guys, but are there anymore launch arms availible?  Thanks.

 

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[specr0101]

Cool...Thanks!

[Gundamhead]

Well, here's my first pictures of my own Launch Arm. Sucker's a @#$% to photograph.

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/thewildkingd...r=/d371&.src=ph

I did Roy Focker's Super VF-1S and gave him some custom missiles. I think the Hasagawas are too big, and look a little silly, so I went with my old missles from the pre Hasagawa Macross days. I had mastered some missiles for a Super/Strike conversion kit for the old 1/72 Imai/Bandai variable years ago and used them after they got a update. I still like them better than Hasagawas. I was going to use the Strike cannon, but it didn't feel right. This is Roy during a launch before the cannon was operational. So now the continuity guys can be happy.

I skewered my VF to the arm. I used the pin, and went right through the VF, the backpack, the umbilical, and into the arm's sensor. That sucker ain't going anywhere. The illusion works perfect. People are convinced the little fingers are holding the VF, and wanted to know if they were pewter or lead. One guy even went to catch my VF when I turned it over and wiggled the arm. That means my plan of mounting it to the wall will work. The only bad part of that plan is it sticks so far out, I gotta mount it higher than my head in a sfae spot...

I added quite a bit to the launch arm kit base again. It had to do with a 'accident during construction' (I dropped it). Anyway, I wasn't thrilled at how it was turning out, so decided to try more. I can't help it, I get into build modes.

I wanted to use a mirror to reflect the VF, so the other side of the kit would be able to tell it's story as well. I was going to use a simple mirrior base, but then I thought using the mirror as the 'windows' would work. That became skip the windows, and put some people in front of the mirror behind the window, watching the VF launch. That became 'I need a Petite Cola Machine' in there. Which became, I need to angle the mirror to better show the VF. That became, now the rest of the base looks barren, I need more 'hull'. So that's what I wound up with.

Then Wm cheng gave up his graphics for the signal arm. They look awesome btw, and everybody should use them. It's so much easier than trying to paint the lettering... Mine were simply printed out at 14% on my cheap inkjet from the above graphics on cheap white paper, then glued to the signals. The glue (Future) soaked the paper, and dulled the graphics a bit by causing them to bleed. I plan to go back and fix it right. The graphics are worth a trip to a copy store and some nice laser printings. I just gotta remember to do it somday.

So, now my Arm is customized yet again. I still don't consider it completed though. Theres quite a few little details I want ot get to still. I'd like to add a few civillians including a girl with long black hair in a red dress. I'd like to do a little kid by the Petite Cola machine. I did take it to a local contest yesterday, and won 1st place in sci-fi. (Wings and Wheels ValleyCon 16) The thing is, the way the judging had to work, it was on the VF only. Now if that ain't a kick in the pants.

[azrhino]

Wow, GH! I love the detail on the base. Truly outstanding and inspiring.