Macross Vehicle Models

[Valkyrie]

So as to not further hijack Honneamise's Ghost thread, here's one for Macross vehicle models.

To kick it off, here's my progress on my model of the day.

I started over again on my 1/72 tow tractor scratchbuild. The first attempt I gave up on because stuff wasn't coming out straight. The second was looking a lot better, but when I pulled it out today, I found that a several areas were severely warped due to shrinkage of the polyester putty that I used. So it was back to square one.

So once again, working off my CAD drawings, I cut out the shapes on styrene and started gluing and filling (with Apoxie Sculpt this time around). I worked on it on and off for about 7 hours tonight, and this is as far as I've gotten. All the basic shapes are in place at this point. It just needs some fine-tuning and a lot of detail work. It still needs lights, streering wheel, pedals, seat cushion, etc, etc. And I'm still not quite sure what I'm going to do for the wheels. Scratch building them is probably out of the question, so I've gotta dig through my parts box and see if I have anything close.

But anyway, I don't want this thread to just be about my project. So post all your wants and ideas here. And if anyone else is inspired to take up a vehicle scratchbuild, then by all means, post pics here!

[Kylwell]

I've got a need for the 6 wheeled passenger carrier and the smaller truck.

As soon as I get an opening in my schedule I'll see what I can do.

[Berttt]

As for wheels you might be able to use some a WWII 3/4 ton truck and shim them. Putty up and scribe some detail.

I didin't do that here, instead I got a 2mm strip o ribbed steyrene and added it in there as I was feeling lazy.

The front wheel look kinda small so you might want to use one off say a Hasegawa GSE cart or maybe a tank return roller puttied and the tread pattern scribed in.

Cheers,

Berttt

Edited June 18, 2006 by Berttt

[Viceland]

Hey Ken, good start.

What's up with your Target Drone? and the VF-11? PM me...

[honneamise]

I´d really like to make these:

- the big one is cool, but this will be a very big kit!

- all of these with the exception of the airfield truck of course.

The smaller ones would make a great set I think. The cilvilian cars are also cool, maybe for a second set.... and of course I will build a Cola vending machine no matter what!

Edited June 19, 2006 by honneamise

[Sdf-1]

It's really amazing how much there are interesting designs in Macross. I just love rare Macross subjects made into kits.

Edited June 19, 2006 by Sdf-1

[big F]

It's really amazing how much there are interesting designs in Macross. I just love rare Macross subjects made into kits.

409106[/snapback]

Yeah its testament to Kawamori`s designs that he though so much about this universe he created that he needed to make it as full as posible. So many Sci Fi`s are just superfical and lack depth with say the exception of Star Trek and StarWars, and a few others. most of them are "lets do just enough for the film/series and not bust the budget so we can make as much cash as posible. That way we dont have to spend time explaining things to the viewer."

The few that really bother think about depth and the real worldare streets above the rest.

You can imagine Kawamori thinking hmm what would your Macross era civilian drive to work in, and what is the next level for the humble vending machine.

So many series just fob you off with hey in 300 years time everyone will still pay for stuff in bank notes and watch tv on CRT monitors while they will drive to work in Ford Pintos. Because they lack the imagination to bother thinking about it.

Where it should really be :- In 300 years everyone pays for stuff in electronic credits linked to their DNA/Retina scans and watches tv downloaded to their brains directly while driving to work in the latest Ford hovermatic car.

You get the idea.

Great work to all and everyone who attempts to make the lesser noticed Macross vehicals and stuff.

Edited June 19, 2006 by big F

[Grayson72]

I´d really like to make these:

- the big one is cool, but this will be a very big kit!

- all of these with the exception of the airfield truck of course.

The smaller ones would make a great set I think. The cilvilian cars are also cool, maybe for a second set.... and of course I will build a Cola vending machine no matter what!

409098[/snapback]

I'll take five of each. Yeah the big one isn't necessary actually, I'd start with the little one you have in the pics.

Please please please do these!

[honneamise]

I´d really like to make these:

- the big one is cool, but this will be a very big kit!

- all of these with the exception of the airfield truck of course.

The smaller ones would make a great set I think. The cilvilian cars are also cool, maybe for a second set.... and of course I will build a Cola vending machine no matter what!

409098[/snapback]

I'll take five of each. Yeah the big one isn't necessary actually, I'd start with the little one you have in the pics.

Please please please do these!

409441[/snapback]

I´ll be on holiday for 2 weeks - think I will take the PM book and the old 1/100 models with me, I should find some time to draw plans in 1/72!

[Grayson72]

Thorsten you're my hero!

[THOR]

He's a champ!

Can I get on the list?

-THOR

[Chas]

Anybody have better pics of this?

[HWR MKII]

OOO the "meatwagon" i would love one of those for a recovery dio

[MechTech]

I feel so much better now. I'm not the only crazy person who has tried to build these! I started on the airfield truck complete with flatbed for a GU-11 (in 1/200 of course). Talk about tiny! I put it aside for "bigger things."

The left one is the first start and the right one is the second. All I need is a solid block of plastic to carve it out (1/200 is so cheap)

Some of the Aerospace Ground Equipment (AGE) stuff would be cool too! Like the tanks for fuel and carts (gotta get the missiles around somehow).

I would love some more views of the "meatwagon" too! Everyone's got to have one of those. You can't win all the battles.

Thanks Valkyrie for starting this thread! - MT

[neptunesurvey]

I'm in for a few of the tow vehicles, larger of course. Those are nice MechTech. How do you handle items that small? Do you use tweezers or do you use clamps?

[Noyhauser]

I'm IN! Maybe for 2! I LOVE little vehicles like these.

[MechTech]

Neptunesurvey: I mostly use my fingers. The smaller parts like the cushions and steering wheel gotta be tweezers!

I'm throwing around the idea of buying a set. I do have some Hasegawas that "need a tow." - MT

[Valkyrie]

Quick update.

I've been trying to do both detailing, and fine-tuning the overall shape at the same time. And I'm realising that it's not a great way to go about doing things. But it's working so far. I think.

I finished the circle-bar tie-downs in the rear bumper today, and drilled out the holes for the headlights and tail lights. I still need to either find or fabricate lenses for them though.

I started doing the diamond plate surfaces too. I think the photo-etch I've got for it is just about right. I cut it roughly to shape for the two smaller surfaces, but I've still gotta build a frame around it. And I've only got a place holder for the 'hood' so far.

It's definitely proving to be an interesting project. Especially considering that I have to plan for casting every step of the way. I have to make sure I'll be able to make an effective, durable mold of the final piece.

[honneamise]

Looking great so far, very fine detail considering the tiny size! As you say, a lot of thought will have to be put into casting with these all-around-detailed parts, especially on the thinner areas. I´m looking forward to see more of this!

[MechTech]

Looks great so far. You gonna include ground crew figures? One idea for lenses I've used is to get a punch (hollow die or paper punch) the size you want and make punch outs of clear plastic. Then get a drill of the same diameter or that's a tight fit and snap the lense in place.

I'f your building it as a solid unit for molding, still punch out a piece of styrene the size you want and sand over it with a sponge sanding block. That should bevel out the edges nicely.

I've got a collection of various sized hole punches and hollow stamp dies just for that reason. Hope that helps. - MT

[Valkyrie]

Thanks for the ideas. I may end up doing something like that.

As for the wheels, I may end up scratchbuiding them after all. Last night I finally found the ones I had started on a year or so ago. But that was before I revised the drawings, and made the rear tires bigger. So they probably won't be used anyway :/

But the biggest problem I had with them last time was that I wasn't able to get a halfway decent tread pattern scribed in them.

But I think I've got that solved... I ordered a knurling tool for my lathe

[MechTech]

A lathe would be great to have. Either that, or if you have textured stytene/brass sheets, cut and wrap some around your wheel. - MT

[Valkyrie]

One more quick update.

I've been working on the diamond plate the past couple days. And after a bit of trial and error, I think I've about got it.

My knurling tool should arive tomorrow, so once this and the front bumper are done, I'll be starting on the wheels.

[Kylwell]

I've got some 1:100 scale tires that might work ok.

Just picked up some HWMMV's to base on of the crew carriers off of.

[HWR MKII]

so whats the status on these.

[Valkyrie]

It's coming along quite well. I'd put the total progress at about 80% right now. No new pics at the moment. It'd look damn close to the last ones anyway. Except now the bumper is in place (with the diagonal lines scribed in)

I've still got a bit more detailing to do. And I've still gotta build the '5th wheel' for the top. And the tow bar for the back. And devise a way for it to link to the VF-1's landing gear. And (the part that worries me the most) modify a driver figure into something that looks like it MIGHT have come out of Macross

I think I finally found a set of front wheels that'll work well. They're from an Arii/Bandai 1/100 variable VF-1 kit. But the ones I have aren't in that great of shape. Anyone got a set of them they could send my way?

Oh, and I found the perfect clear headlights for it too, in one of Wave's 'H-Eyes' sets. The final kit will include solid cast ones, but you can replace them with the Wave ones for that extra bit of detail.

I've been working on designing my GU-11 gunpod loading cart a bit too. And one of the first things I noticed was that the stock VF-11 kit sits far too low for a cart w/ gunpod to fit under it. So it looks like I'll be modifying the stock landing gear so its cylinders are extended further, raising it up. And if all goes well, I'll be able to cast them in metal when the time comes

The original plan was to sell the tow tractor and gunpod cart as a set... But it's looking like I'll have one done long before the other, so I may just scrap that plan and sell them seperately.

[honneamise]

That towing vehicle is looking great so far Valkyrie! I want at least one!

I´ve just come back from holiday and now I´m starting with the 6-wheel crew vehicle.

I have the IMAI 1/100 kit in front of me but, looking at the lineart, it appears way off, the upper body is too high and the wheels are too small. I´ve made a scale drawing and it appears that I can use the wheels of the "cherry picker truck" from the IMAI set - they even have the right tread pattern, but I need to scratchbuild the hubs. I hope to have something to show in a couple of days.

[Grayson72]

That towing vehicle is looking great so far Valkyrie! I want at least one!

I´ve just come back from holiday and now I´m starting with the 6-wheel crew vehicle.

I have the IMAI 1/100 kit in front of me but, looking at the lineart, it appears way off, the upper body is too high and the wheels are too small.  I´ve made a scale drawing and it appears that I can use the wheels of the "cherry picker truck" from the IMAI set - they even have the right tread pattern, but I need to scratchbuild the hubs. I hope to have something to show in a couple of days.

414840[/snapback]

Oh fricken schweet, Thorsten is back on the job

[MechTech]

I found out the hard way that Imai models and line art have some "differences" to put it softly! Can't wait to see what you guys come up with! - MT

[Valkyrie]

Alright, took a few pics of the truck mocked up a bit. The metal plates and bumper are glued down now, but the entire driver's compartment is temporarily held in place with clay.

The figure I've got in there is temorary, obviously. And the seat and cushions need more work. I may end up shortening the seat too, if the legs on the final figure are too short, like Hikaru's.

I found lenses for the rear brake lights too. They're some of Wave's rivets. These will probably be made seperate pieces to make painting easier. And they'll be plastic Wave parts, not resin casts.

In the pic with the wheels, the front wheel is the one I plan on using. The rear ones are just mock-ups. They're the closest I could find in terms of size, but still a bit too small.

Next up, I get to work on the tie-downs on the hood. I'm still not sure if they'll be seperate parts, or part of the main cast. But we'll see.

And I really should get started on the driver figure... I have a feeling it'll be the last thing done, no matter when I start it...

[honneamise]

That is a beautiful little vehicle! The size of the rear wheels looks quite OK to me, besides, would bigger ones still fit?

I have started with my crew vehicle, thought there´d be no problems with the plans but guess what, there is anime magic even here! Now I know why IMAI chose to make the body too high and the wheels so small - the driver needs to sit ABOVE the front wheel, there is not enough space for the passenger compartment to fit between the wheels cause they are so wide...

The car body, according to the lineart, is so shallow in height that there is hardly any space for the driver to sit IN the car, he´s more like sitting ON the car! Still, I decided to make it look like the lineart, I really hope that I can fit a driver figure into this.

[Valkyrie]

Very cool, Honneamise! You sure work fast

But where are all the replies at? Does no one care about these anymore?

[MechTech]

Looks great guys. Both of you. I think more pictures would get you more replies. Keep it up! - MT

[THOR]

How do I get on the want list for these?

Great work as usual!

-THOR

[jardann]

These are lookin' great guys! I think people are probably waiting to see how these turn out. Pics with in scale figures really help too.

I'm definitely watchin'!