Morpheus Posted October 23, 2008 Posted October 23, 2008 Yay for the Red Lobster Will they include the wings on the kit?
David Hingtgen Posted October 23, 2008 Posted October 23, 2008 But the question was even more specifically asking about foil-backed stickers, not clear ones.
azrael Posted October 23, 2008 Posted October 23, 2008 Quedluun Rare? Engrish, possibly. We'll know once more materials are published.
protostar8 Posted October 23, 2008 Posted October 23, 2008 HLJ coverage... Very nice pic of the Alto Super Pack version http://www.hlj.com/hlj_gallery2/v/ajmhs08/...C_7934.jpg.html
regult Posted October 23, 2008 Posted October 23, 2008 oh sorry. I have built several of Bandai's MG Patlabor kits and they all come with regular clear stickers and i clear coat those as well. Never had a problem. Bandai has always had a bit of a problem with oversized decals...especially the clear excess part around the actual decal itself. I usually trim all bandai stickers so all excess clear material is cut away, apply and clearcoat. they hold up just fine. Thanks, and thanks David for reiterating the question that's been haunting me, because at this stage, I either have to get a whole set of decals to redecorate the model, learn how to paint all the details or the easiest: use the stickers and probably clear coat it for a "permanent" solution. Of course, I may actually proceed to get a second kit so I have at least 2 and can display in 2 modes at the same time, Ozma would be a bit of a waste of money because I don't recall seeing his valk that clean...I will stick with the princess.
regult Posted October 23, 2008 Posted October 23, 2008 But the question was even more specifically asking about foil-backed stickers, not clear ones. Hmm, when transforming or posing, you inevitably touch it and the foil sticker nudges! I realized the glue they used is a bit "soft", so I am not sure how blow drying would work.
anime52k8 Posted October 23, 2008 Posted October 23, 2008 oh sorry. I have built several of Bandai's MG Patlabor kits and they all come with regular clear stickers and i clear coat those as well. Never had a problem. Bandai has always had a bit of a problem with oversized decals...especially the clear excess part around the actual decal itself. I usually trim all bandai stickers so all excess clear material is cut away, apply and clearcoat. they hold up just fine. how does that look once it's done? I'd think that the stickers would be a bit too thick to go over with a clear coat that actually does anything. anyway's I think the best option would be use the kit decals with a bit of decal softener then hit all the decal parts with gloss clear, do panel lines and weathering over that, then hit the kit with a satin clear coat. (also, it sometimes helps to give the kit a coat of gloss clear BEFORE the decals, so that you don't get that silvery edge around the decals.)
biggooftoybox Posted October 24, 2008 Posted October 24, 2008 Ugh with the initial VF25 prices so marked up now that the kit is in such high demand and seeing all the upcoming releases. I wonder if it'll be better to hold off on them all until they are all released and pick the best from the bunch.
ntsan Posted October 24, 2008 Posted October 24, 2008 Ugh with the initial VF25 prices so marked up now that the kit is in such high demand and seeing all the upcoming releases. I wonder if it'll be better to hold off on them all until they are all released and pick the best from the bunch. Well there is one on ebay for only $36 dollar.. But for me I would take the one with superpack instead if I saw it coming
505thAirborne Posted October 24, 2008 Posted October 24, 2008 For someone like me who is on a budget for keeping there collection going and at the price for the VF-25, Is the kit worth getting? Detail, quality or over all appearance. Really want one, but for some reason, I'm hesitant.
Sumdumgai Posted October 24, 2008 Posted October 24, 2008 Well there is one on ebay for only $36 dollar.. But for me I would take the one with superpack instead if I saw it coming Like this? Pic found on HLJ originally. Looks nice and skinny, not chunky and fat.
007-vf1 Posted October 24, 2008 Posted October 24, 2008 (edited) Well there is one on ebay for only $36 dollar.. Did you ever bother to check the shipping charges? you could pay yourself a trip to japan and pick it up in person Of course I am exagerating... Edited October 24, 2008 by 007-vf1
miriya Posted October 24, 2008 Posted October 24, 2008 Like this? Pic found on HLJ originally. Looks nice and skinny, not chunky and fat. Now that is one SEXY MOTHERJUMPER!!!!
vermillion01 Posted October 24, 2008 Posted October 24, 2008 Now that is one SEXY MOTHERJUMPER!!!! Aye, it purty alright.... shame about the paint app tho
Hikuro Posted October 24, 2008 Posted October 24, 2008 or lack of paint app.....that thing is sticker city!
ntsan Posted October 24, 2008 Posted October 24, 2008 (edited) Did you ever bother to check the shipping charges? you could pay yourself a trip to japan and pick it up in person Of course I am exagerating... For shipping that is not too expensive, consider I got charged US$27 for shipping alone for 2 toynami 1/100s (2 of them for only US$25, cheaper than postage!) that is smaller than the box of VF-25F kit to New Zealand. (cheaper than getting 1/48, 1/60 Valks, those shippinng fee cost $50 alone ha) I always check for shipping charges, consider most stuff I order is from overseas anyway and some only ship to US only Edited October 24, 2008 by ntsan
Graham Posted October 24, 2008 Author Posted October 24, 2008 Heh, like many people, they forgot to paint the mouth black in that HLJ pic. Graham
electric indigo Posted October 24, 2008 Posted October 24, 2008 Actually, the "mouth" area is black and grey. I have not seen that on any painted kit so far.
Dobber Posted October 24, 2008 Posted October 24, 2008 Also people are missing the black "V's" on the legs near the cuffs. the panel lined area just below the gear doors is supposed to be black but I've always just seen it panel-lined instead of completley filled in. look at the box pictures and the animation that's inclueded. I had a hell of a time getting the panel-lining to hold there and then I noticed that it is supposed to be totally colored in!! ARG!! Chris
David Hingtgen Posted October 24, 2008 Posted October 24, 2008 I never noticed that spot by the gear doors, thanks! (I did notice the mouth area a while ago and plan to do it correctly--the head will probably take as long to paint as Alto, there's a lot of details/colors and it's a "focal point" of the model) I'm almost done with Alto and the cockpit, just need to do the red stripes and the visor. (if it turns out at all decent I'll post pics, but he really is 1/100 scale)
Vifam7 Posted October 24, 2008 Posted October 24, 2008 I never noticed that spot by the gear doors, thanks! (I did notice the mouth area a while ago and plan to do it correctly--the head will probably take as long to paint as Alto, there's a lot of details/colors and it's a "focal point" of the model) I'm almost done with Alto and the cockpit, just need to do the red stripes and the visor. (if it turns out at all decent I'll post pics, but he really is 1/100 scale) Do you think that if Bandai has designed the cockpit a bit better, an accurate 1/72 scale Alto figure could've fit? Or you think think this is simply an example of how anime specs sometimes do not translate well to real life scaling?
Dobber Posted October 24, 2008 Posted October 24, 2008 I'm wondering that too. Is the VF-25 model too small for 1/72 or is the pilot just too small? As is, the VF-25 model does seem pretty mall compaired to the Mac 0 valks, still bigger than the VF-1 though. David, no problemo my friend. Chris
Dobber Posted October 24, 2008 Posted October 24, 2008 AS for my build I really treating this one as a test build, ie...minimal painting and then just panel-linging. This way I can see what is really exposed an where everything goes, it'll make the subsiquent VF-25 models a little easier. I did give my engine nozzels a custom color, though, and I really like how they turned out. I used decals for the stripes but honestly, I think when I get my Ozma I'm just going to paint the stripes on, more durable that way especially since they are in an area the requires alot of handling to get everything locked together well. I'll also paint the skeleton portions too on my latter 25's. I plan on getting them all and as of now that's another 4 (Ozma, Michael, Luca, and Super Alto) Plus if they make an armored Ozma....good grief!!! Has anyone figured out how to get the hip lazers to stay in place in fighter mode? Mine don't seem sit flush at all leaving a large gap between it and the upper fuselage and also by the intakes. I don't understand what is preventing them from connecting right but it feels like something is blocking them from snaping into place well. Chris
David Hingtgen Posted October 24, 2008 Posted October 24, 2008 It's Bandai's fault IMHO--the cockpit tub is way too narrow, with large separate "sills" on the sides. They're just "filler" pieces to get rid of the resulting gap between the cockpit and the fuselage. It's almost like they made the cockpit too small, then "filled in" with extra plastic from other parts rather than re-tool the cockpit. When I actually build it I'll see if there's some reason it had to be done like that and isn't simply an error. But the cockpit is as narrow as a WWII fighter, smaller than any jet I've built. While the forward fuselage itself is wider than an F-18's. ::thought:: It may have to do with the large black "stripes" on the sides of the nose, as they are also the "extra-large sills", but that just seems to be a bad way too do it--surely there was some way to make the stripes a separate piece without making them mount on the SIDES of the cockpit. Those black parts are awfully thick.
wm cheng Posted October 24, 2008 Posted October 24, 2008 Yeah, I'm not sure if the model is too small, but the cockpit is definitely way too small!
electric indigo Posted October 24, 2008 Posted October 24, 2008 It could be that they relied too much on the CG model, since it shows the same undersized pilot.
David Hingtgen Posted October 24, 2008 Posted October 24, 2008 That's a whole lot bigger than the kit pilot, proportionately. As soon as I'm done with my Alto painting and have him fully removed from the sprue, I'll find a 1/72 pilot to compare to and photograph.
SDF-ONE Posted October 24, 2008 Posted October 24, 2008 It could be that they relied too much on the CG model, since it shows the same undersized pilot. My guess is that the CG team heard that the plane had to fit two persons in there AFTER it had already been built. Extending the cockpit backwards is not possible. Extending it at the front is not aesthetically pleasing. Let's scale the pilot down then. CG magic! In the attention to detail series - I also noticed on your picture that the black stripes on the sides of the cockpit don't run all the way to the end of that part. On the Hobby Japan kit they corrected this. They did not add the tiny elevation on the stripe, which I think I prefer.
David Hingtgen Posted October 25, 2008 Posted October 25, 2008 IMHO that'd be a bitch to fix, since there's a slight depression there on the white part due to the internal configuration. (a fairly normal but subtle sink-mark) The "natural seam" there between the black and white sections helps hide it a lot. But if you want to make it white you'll need to putty the underside and outersides of the white part above it to fill it out to match the black part, then paint. PS--don't forget the white discs on the sides of the ankle: (I may skip it depending on how close of a match I can get with my white paints--Bandai's using their "purple-white" in this kit)
David Hingtgen Posted October 25, 2008 Posted October 25, 2008 I just painted the red details on Alto---I'm skipping the collar. No way. My finest brush from the UK that I "keep in reserve to preserve the tip" is too big. If the head was separate from the body it'd be easy, but this--not worth the risk of screwing up the entire neck/shoulder area. (and if you look, you'll notice even Bandai's guy couldn't do it nicely---smeared red on the left shoulder pad--and he's so good he's paid)
theplasticwerks Posted October 25, 2008 Posted October 25, 2008 (edited) Quedluun Rare? You never noticed how red Klan's Q-Rea was? It's too bad we'll never see the Laramia's Quedluun-Well Done. Background characters never get any love... Edited October 25, 2008 by theplasticwerks
David Hingtgen Posted October 25, 2008 Posted October 25, 2008 Alto scale comparison time. With Hasegawa 1/72 Isamu helmet: With 1/72 Dragon F-16 pilot (pre-painted, not my work): And after realizing from the above pics that I had smudged the left shoulder (the black stripe across the red spot), I touched it up and took these: (Alto doesn't really have grey gloves---more like grey wrist-protector gauntlet things, the hand and fingers are still black) PS--if anyone can successfully paint his collar red, please let me know where you buy your butterfly-leg-hair brushes)
ntsan Posted October 25, 2008 Posted October 25, 2008 Alto scale comparison time. With Hasegawa 1/72 Isamu helmet: With 1/72 Dragon F-16 pilot (pre-painted, not my work): Nice comparison, so the pilot in VF-25F is like kid's size compare to the real pilot..?
DarkReaper Posted October 25, 2008 Posted October 25, 2008 (edited) Did you ever bother to check the shipping charges? you could pay yourself a trip to japan and pick it up in person Of course I am exagerating... There are some relatively cheap ones on ebay though but ultra-rare. I got mine for 65$ from some japanese guy. A bit bit more than it would have cost from HLJ, but much less than the 80-90$ the chinese want. Nice comparison, so the pilot in VF-25F is like kid's size compare to the real pilot..? No, thats Micro Klan piloting alto's VF: Edited October 25, 2008 by DarkReaper
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