drifand Posted August 23, 2003 Posted August 23, 2003 (edited) It's been stormy all Saturday, so I took the opportunity to tweak my 1/60s a little bit more. Previously, I had loosened up the shoulder polycaps and widened the elbow clearance on all three 1Js. Not too long ago, I also painted over the too-bright tri-barrel muzzles with a darker gunmetal shade; plus, I drilled thru the tri-barrels so that they looked more realistic instead of being filled up with paint. This afternoon, after I fixed the see-thru chestplate on the Hikaru 1J, I finally decided to do something about the hopeless misshapened optional left-hand as well. If any of you have tried using it to support the gunpod in a fighting pose, I bet you would find the curvature of the palm very strange indeed - there's only one particular angle where it will accomodate the gunpod correctly AND where the thumb won't get in the way. Any other angle would look out of place, i.e. the Valk looks like an inept soldier who's all thumbs and doesn't know how to hold his weapon. I can't really fix the sculpt but I could do something about the thumb. So I sliced it off and reattached it with a short pin at a new angle. The pin works like one of those "mono-shaft" joints in Kaiyodo toys. I did the same fix to the tip of the thumb so that it looks "right". Now my 1J looks much more presentable: After that, I started fiddling with the Max 1J. Decided to show it in a pre-flight situation with the FP hatch and canopy open. Then I asked myself: why not give Max a real neck so that he can "look around". Took out my cutters, snipped the head off and reattached it with another short metal pin. I like the result I'm not sure I want to do the same to Milia, so I called it a day... Anyone else has good mods for the VF-1s? I'd love to fix the skinny gunpod connector section! Edited August 23, 2003 by drifand Quote
Kanedas Bike Posted August 23, 2003 Posted August 23, 2003 -Sorry no mods to add - don't think I have your's (and others' skills with modeling and what not) - But I do want to say the Hikaru VF-1J is pretty d@mn sweet after all your improvements. If I happen to think of something worthwhile I'll post it up. -b. Quote
Toonz Posted August 23, 2003 Posted August 23, 2003 very nice! the next thing i'd like to suggest is to dip the canopy into future floor finish and let it shine Quote
Manji Posted August 23, 2003 Posted August 23, 2003 Wow, both of those are really cool quick little mods...may have to try this myself... Very cool Quote
vlenhoff Posted August 23, 2003 Posted August 23, 2003 I also like the background in the third picture. All the Bandai looking over in an almost arrogant way. I can almost hear them says: "Who do those Yamatows think they are?" That's why I'm not selling my 1/60, they're simply great! Thank God I didn't sell them. vic! Quote
Mechamaniac Posted August 23, 2003 Posted August 23, 2003 (edited) I also like the background in the third picture. All the Bandai looking over in an almost arrogant way. I can almost hear them says: "Who do those Yamatows think they are?"That's why I'm not selling my 1/60, they're simply great! Thank God I didn't sell them. vic! I sold off my NON-FP 1/60's but there's no way I'm letting my Supers and Strike go!. Nice mods Drifand! How did you do the apparently hinged FP Engine cowling?, and the apparently hinged canopy?. Edited August 23, 2003 by Mechamaniac Quote
Sam Posted August 24, 2003 Posted August 24, 2003 (edited) Looks good. Nice to have a bit of action? happening with displays. Isn't it cute how you have a baby blue max valk right beside daddy max valk BTW, I just checked out ur website images, nice collection there, like ur super real robots cabinet too..! Am thinking of trying to find an orguss mech, see if i like em or not. hehe Edited August 24, 2003 by Sam Quote
drifand Posted August 24, 2003 Author Posted August 24, 2003 very nice!the next thing i'd like to suggest is to dip the canopy into future floor finish and let it shine Ahhhhh! Do you know how many times I've popped into some hardware store hoping to find that magic elixir that is Futures floor wax? I'd love to try that mod but, man! No one sells it around here! If you know where I can get it in Sinagpore, please let me know. Thanks! Mechamaniac, I was inspired by another post on the old boards which showed off a whole squad of VFs in a hangar. I liked the way the FP cowling was shown and duplicated the style. You just have to balance it, that's all... the forward tips have sufficient grip, but you can always add a bit of blu-tack. For the canopy, same solution: Blu-Tack, applied in a small lump towards the back of the cockpit. The canopy isn't that heavy, so it stays in place alright. After seeing that light-up bootleg 1/55, I'm thinking of buying one to use the gunpod for a mod on the 1/60s... Quote
Commander McBride Posted August 24, 2003 Posted August 24, 2003 Great mods! I did your previous mods on my 1/60 hikaru, and they came out great. Quote
IIymij Posted August 24, 2003 Posted August 24, 2003 hey hey im hearing alot about this "future floor" floor finish thingie? just wodneirng if i can get this in canada? ive never seen or heard of it before? sorry for the newb q Quote
drifand Posted August 26, 2003 Author Posted August 26, 2003 hey hey im hearing alot about this "future floor" floor finish thingie?just wodneirng if i can get this in canada? ive never seen or heard of it before? sorry for the newb q Just a quick update: Thanks to a tip from Toonz, I finally found a local hardware store that sells FUTURE Floor Finish by Johnson & Son. The only "problem" I had was that it was sold in an industrial quantity tub - nearly 2 liters worth! Basically, FUTURE is an acrylic based floor sealant. You slop it on a cleaned floor and it gives a protective coat and long lasting shine. Folks seriously into scale modelling have long been using it as a "clear coat" over their painted kits for a beautiful finish. Apparently, it works real good on the 1/60 Valk's dull canopies too. I cleaned the canopies of grease and dirt, and dipped them into a bowl of FUTURE solution. It helps if you wait a while for the liquid to settle so that there aren't any tiny bubbles to spoil the coat on the canopies. Toonz recommends using a tweezer to fish them out, but I just used my fingers and left them on a piece of paper to dry. According to the container, it takes about 20-30 minutes for it to dry. Modellers usually leave it alone for a few hours for best effect. The results are pretty amazing! The dull canopies are now almost crystal clear! You can actually see the pilot figure clearly now... Very cool! Quote
ewilen Posted August 26, 2003 Posted August 26, 2003 The mods look great! What is that baby blue Max? Instead of blu-tack, I've heard of minwax and other wax-type dollhouse/miniaturist accessories. Might be worth a try. Quote
Diverdown Posted August 26, 2003 Posted August 26, 2003 What is that baby blue Max? That is a Doyusha 1/144 diecast VF-1J Max. Quote
Diverdown Posted August 26, 2003 Posted August 26, 2003 The results are pretty amazing! The dull canopies are now almost crystal clear! You can actually see the pilot figure clearly now... Very cool! So the Future makes the clouded canopy clear?? My question is; Why is the canopy cloudy in the first place??? <_< Quote
Diverdown Posted August 26, 2003 Posted August 26, 2003 Ooops! Forgot to mention: Sweet mods!!! Quote
Hurin Posted August 26, 2003 Posted August 26, 2003 This is just a theory. So don't shoot me for stupidity. But, if there are fine scratches on the existing canopy, and the floor polish not only fills those scratches, but also puts a glossy, smooth layer on the canopy as well, the result should be a more clear appearance. Again, just a theory. Best Regards, H Quote
rnurmin Posted August 26, 2003 Posted August 26, 2003 Ah, very nice, Drifand. I like the the new pose of the VF-1J Quote
Lightning Posted August 26, 2003 Posted August 26, 2003 could that stuff work on a 1/48 canopy? Quote
Toonz Posted August 26, 2003 Posted August 26, 2003 could that stuff work on a 1/48 canopy? yes it does. the same goes to 1/55 canopies. it can also act as a "seal" on your stickers and decals Quote
Lightning Posted August 26, 2003 Posted August 26, 2003 damn...i gotta find where they sell this stuff then... Quote
Manji Posted August 26, 2003 Posted August 26, 2003 Drifand...welcome to the "Wonderful Clear Canopy World" that is Future floor polish...just be warned, it is great for model canopies but don't ever try it on your floors (oddly it's intended purpose)... Quote
Commander McBride Posted August 27, 2003 Posted August 27, 2003 hey hey im hearing alot about this "future floor" floor finish thingie?just wodneirng if i can get this in canada? ive never seen or heard of it before? sorry for the newb q Just a quick update: Thanks to a tip from Toonz, I finally found a local hardware store that sells FUTURE Floor Finish by Johnson & Son. The only "problem" I had was that it was sold in an industrial quantity tub - nearly 2 liters worth! Basically, FUTURE is an acrylic based floor sealant. You slop it on a cleaned floor and it gives a protective coat and long lasting shine. Folks seriously into scale modelling have long been using it as a "clear coat" over their painted kits for a beautiful finish. Apparently, it works real good on the 1/60 Valk's dull canopies too. I cleaned the canopies of grease and dirt, and dipped them into a bowl of FUTURE solution. It helps if you wait a while for the liquid to settle so that there aren't any tiny bubbles to spoil the coat on the canopies. Toonz recommends using a tweezer to fish them out, but I just used my fingers and left them on a piece of paper to dry. According to the container, it takes about 20-30 minutes for it to dry. Modellers usually leave it alone for a few hours for best effect. The results are pretty amazing! The dull canopies are now almost crystal clear! You can actually see the pilot figure clearly now... Very cool! Ah, so you finally found it! I love the result of the stuff. I need to use it again, though, it's worn off, due t being handled so much, I think. Quote
Toonz Posted August 27, 2003 Posted August 27, 2003 hey hey im hearing alot about this "future floor" floor finish thingie?just wodneirng if i can get this in canada? ive never seen or heard of it before? sorry for the newb q Just a quick update: Thanks to a tip from Toonz, I finally found a local hardware store that sells FUTURE Floor Finish by Johnson & Son. The only "problem" I had was that it was sold in an industrial quantity tub - nearly 2 liters worth! Basically, FUTURE is an acrylic based floor sealant. You slop it on a cleaned floor and it gives a protective coat and long lasting shine. Folks seriously into scale modelling have long been using it as a "clear coat" over their painted kits for a beautiful finish. Apparently, it works real good on the 1/60 Valk's dull canopies too. I cleaned the canopies of grease and dirt, and dipped them into a bowl of FUTURE solution. It helps if you wait a while for the liquid to settle so that there aren't any tiny bubbles to spoil the coat on the canopies. Toonz recommends using a tweezer to fish them out, but I just used my fingers and left them on a piece of paper to dry. According to the container, it takes about 20-30 minutes for it to dry. Modellers usually leave it alone for a few hours for best effect. The results are pretty amazing! The dull canopies are now almost crystal clear! You can actually see the pilot figure clearly now... Very cool! Ah, so you finally found it! I love the result of the stuff. I need to use it again, though, it's worn off, due t being handled so much, I think. dipping can be this fun Quote
Commander McBride Posted August 27, 2003 Posted August 27, 2003 hey hey im hearing alot about this "future floor" floor finish thingie?just wodneirng if i can get this in canada? ive never seen or heard of it before? sorry for the newb q Just a quick update: Thanks to a tip from Toonz, I finally found a local hardware store that sells FUTURE Floor Finish by Johnson & Son. The only "problem" I had was that it was sold in an industrial quantity tub - nearly 2 liters worth! Basically, FUTURE is an acrylic based floor sealant. You slop it on a cleaned floor and it gives a protective coat and long lasting shine. Folks seriously into scale modelling have long been using it as a "clear coat" over their painted kits for a beautiful finish. Apparently, it works real good on the 1/60 Valk's dull canopies too. I cleaned the canopies of grease and dirt, and dipped them into a bowl of FUTURE solution. It helps if you wait a while for the liquid to settle so that there aren't any tiny bubbles to spoil the coat on the canopies. Toonz recommends using a tweezer to fish them out, but I just used my fingers and left them on a piece of paper to dry. According to the container, it takes about 20-30 minutes for it to dry. Modellers usually leave it alone for a few hours for best effect. The results are pretty amazing! The dull canopies are now almost crystal clear! You can actually see the pilot figure clearly now... Very cool! Ah, so you finally found it! I love the result of the stuff. I need to use it again, though, it's worn off, due t being handled so much, I think. dipping can be this fun Wha? Quote
recon Posted August 27, 2003 Posted August 27, 2003 Toonz and his obcession with dipping canopies....Hey toonz have you tried dipping the 1/48 canopies in future floor polish? Please remember dun take your valks to the loo when you are doing some business, least the valk nor its parts wun fell into the toliet bowl by accident. Cheers Quote
trueblueeyes Posted August 27, 2003 Posted August 27, 2003 damn...i gotta find where they sell this stuff then... FYI...Since you are in the U.S. like moi, you can skip the hardware stores and check in K-Mart or even your local grocery store. Little bit cheaper that way....Hope this helps! Melissa Quote
Commander McBride Posted August 27, 2003 Posted August 27, 2003 damn...i gotta find where they sell this stuff then... FYI...Since you are in the U.S. like moi, you can skip the hardware stores and check in K-Mart or even your local grocery store. Little bit cheaper that way....Hope this helps! Melissa Not necessarily. I'm in LA, and I had to go to a hardware store for mine. Quote
drifand Posted August 27, 2003 Author Posted August 27, 2003 The next time my pals come over to my place they probably bring along their canopies and we'll have a dipping party! Quote
Toonz Posted August 27, 2003 Posted August 27, 2003 Toonz and his obcession with dipping canopies....Hey toonz have you tried dipping the 1/48 canopies in future floor polish? Please remember dun take your valks to the loo when you are doing some business, least the valk nor its parts wun fell into the toliet bowl by accident. Cheers er....i still don't have the guts to take apart a 1/48 yet oh my toilet story LOL...this is so embarassing *sshhhh....* i still play with my valk in the toilet Quote
Toonz Posted August 27, 2003 Posted August 27, 2003 The next time my pals come over to my place they probably bring along their canopies and we'll have a dipping party! and they will also stay at your place over night to watch the drying process. Quote
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.