Ground Vehicle Set

[MechTech]

Since no-one is probably ever going to make the ground support vehicles in 1/200 scale, I'm making them for my Daedalus and to accessorize my other models. I will make extras and probably sell them pretty cheap ($15.00 for the set). Please let me know if your interested. These are not primered because the paint would cover the details! So ignore the seem lines, they will NOT show up in molding.

I will mold them in color. The question is what colors? The AGE Truck is seen as yellow, red and green in various parts episodes. Production won't be for a couple of months since I'll be on vacation for a while. Here's some photos:

The tug steering wheel/dash borad (with indicators) fell on the floor and has vanished ! I'll be making a new one. Note the tow bar goes short-wise across the tug when it is stowed and not in use.

The AGE Truck has all the parts intact. I was going to build it with the rear open, but the wires coming out would keep it from sitting on the ground flat!

[atta

chment=74185:AGE_Truck_Side.JPG]

Here's the tank cart (I believe for oxygen).

And what would your fighter be without a gunpod? I'll be making a proper gun pod, this one is a Nichimo prop for concept.

All of the models have been painstakingly built to the line art. My closeups accentuate the stray marks that you won't see with the naked eye. Sorry, you will have to purchase your own ground crew, but I can direct you to a few vendors. The green dude is a Herpa 1/200 military ground crew member. Any feedback is welcome as always. I'll be in So. California during the holidays. I'll be bringing these with me in case anyone is interested and in the neighborhood. Have a Merry Christmas everyone! - MT

[anime52k8]

HOLLY SH*T!

that's amazing...

[Ranger565]

Since no-one is probably ever going to make the ground support vehicles in 1/200 scale, I'm making them for my Daedalus and to accessorize my other models. I will make extras and probably sell them pretty cheap ($15.00 for the set). Please let me know if your interested. These are not primered because the paint would cover the details! So ignore the seem lines, they will NOT show up in molding.

I will mold them in color. The question is what colors? The AGE Truck is seen as yellow, red and green in various parts episodes. Production won't be for a couple of months since I'll be on vacation for a while. Here's some photos:

The tug steering wheel/dash borad (with indicators) fell on the floor and has vanished ! I'll be making a new one. Note the tow bar goes short-wise across the tug when it is stowed and not in use.

The AGE Truck has all the parts intact. I was going to build it with the rear open, but the wires coming out would keep it from sitting on the ground flat!

[atta

chment=74185:AGE_Truck_Side.JPG]

Here's the tank cart (I believe for oxygen).

And what would your fighter be without a gunpod? I'll be making a proper gun pod, this one is a Nichimo prop for concept.

All of the models have been painstakingly built to the line art. My closeups accentuate the stray marks that you won't see with the naked eye. Sorry, you will have to purchase your own ground crew, but I can direct you to a few vendors. The green dude is a Herpa 1/200 military ground crew member. Any feedback is welcome as always. I'll be in So. California during the holidays. I'll be bringing these with me in case anyone is interested and in the neighborhood. Have a Merry Christmas everyone! - MT

AHH I am in for 2 sets easy!

[Gabe Q]

How the heck do you make them so small? Looks good though...

What part of So Cal you gonna be at?

[neptunesurvey]

I'm interested in a couple as well.

[MechTech]

Thank you guys for the compliments. Have you ever seen "Honey I Shrunk The Kids?" Now you know how they got so small A magnifying glass was needed for the tug. The brass photo etch mesh (smallest I could find) was all that worked. I actually have finer meshes, but they're woven and fell apart when cutting cross-grained.

I have the following down for orders:

Ranger565 - 2ea

Neptunesurvey - 2 ea

GabeQ-PM'ed answer.

I made up a new dashboard for the tug. Both the AGE truck and the tug have dashboards with steering wheels. They just won't "snap" into place for the photos. The AGE truck dash in in the photos.

[cobywan]

Cobywan 2 each

[EXO]

we're gonna have a lot to talk about when you come to SoCal! LOL!!!

[Ranger565]

we're gonna have a lot to talk about when you come to SoCal! LOL!!!

Oh and I also Pulled out the those Crazy Resin Destroids in 1/200 that I want you too look at Mech when you get here. I even have a 1/200 Phalanx, all resin. These are NOT the 1/144 that have been around. ( they are Smaller) I am going to take better pics tonight with my new camera and show you the size.

All are Resin and I have

1x Destroid Monster

1x Destroid Phalanx

1x Destroid Defender

2x Destroid Spartan

2x Destroid Tomahawk.

Check back tonight about 9:30PST for the pics. I am still at work until 8:30PST

[miriya]

This is awesome! So cute!

[Ranger565]

Here is a few pics of the Destroid Monster and Phalanx. I really think they are 1/200. I will let you guys decided when you see them in person.

Carl

[MechTech]

Quantity updates:

Ranger565 - 2ea

Neptunesurvey - 2 ea

Cobywan - 2ea

Thanks Carl for the photos. I am interested in seeing those. In fact, I'm bringing a cast of a Phalanx that I have for scale comparison.

I really am looking forward to seeing you guys. It's been years and the only other Macross fans I know are my two children. I guess you gotta start somewhere ! - MT

Thanks for the compliments guys. When I get home I actually have to connect my mom's computer to the network. The old one just doesn't work right anymore. Maybe it's the combination 486 and Windows 95?! So I may have a short communications blackout other than cell phone. - MT

Edited December 15, 2009 by MechTech

[EXO]

Oh and I also Pulled out the those Crazy Resin Destroids in 1/200 that I want you too look at Mech when you get here. I even have a 1/200 Phalanx, all resin. These are NOT the 1/144 that have been around. ( they are Smaller) I am going to take better pics tonight with my new camera and show you the size.

All are Resin and I have

1x Destroid Monster

1x Destroid Phalanx

1x Destroid Defender

2x Destroid Spartan

2x Destroid Tomahawk.

Check back tonight about 9:30PST for the pics. I am still at work until 8:30PST

Hey awesome! Let's plan out the meet soon... after New years I guess! Or if you guys are free inbetween Xmas and New Years let me know... we can get a quick drink.

[Ranger565]

Hey awesome! Let's plan out the meet soon... after New years I guess! Or if you guys are free inbetween Xmas and New Years let me know... we can get a quick drink.

hey thats fine with me.

[MechTech]

Hey everyone. I'm back from vacation and will have to wait a couple weeks to to purchase molding supplies for the ground support vehicles. In the mean time, I'm building the crane truck and "jeep". I'll post pictures as I make progress. I'll probably be selling extras of those as well. Remember this all still counts as credit towards building the Daedalus - MT

[EXO]

Saw these in person! WOWAWEEWA!

[PetarB]

Now where did you get that giant dime? I want one!

Seriously, great work!

Now casting's going to be a challenge, though, I imagine...

[ahiachris]

Now where did you get that giant dime? I want one!

I think I saw it at a certain department store in the kitchen section here It's a serving tray.

[baxojayz]

Are you still taking orders? I can take some off your hands!

[MechTech]

Sorry for the delay, every time I tried to get on MW the server was so slow it seemed to lock up. Baxojayz - I can still take orders, I don't even have the casting stuff on order yet

Nuts! Ahiachris fugured out my serving tray trick! I'm still trying to work on a price, but here's the Crane Truck in progress:

I started with a massive chunk of Evergreen #415 .250" x .750" (6.3mm x 19.0 mm) It's a HUGE strip of styrene in 2 foot long lengths. Then I machined it down making passes through my drill press with a Dremmel bit on it to keep the thickness uniform.

Then I made several more passes through the drill press with various bits to shape the chassis as you see. I only used files and one glued insert to clean it up.

The wheels were spares machined on a Dremmel then covered with Evergreen .020" thick V-Groove sheeting. I cut against the grain at 45 degrees to make the treads. I had to do this twice since the treads oppose each other.

Progress photos on the main chassis parts. There is still a lot of work to do on this part:

And what progress I have done on the cab section. It's not totally cannon because I put windshield wipers on it :

That's it for now. It's taken a week to get this far. The cab is version 3 I tried to do thin window frames and make the cab hollow because I hate "fake glass", but it was too thin and would not have casted well. That's it for now - MT

Edited January 31, 2010 by MechTech

[big F]

WOW!!!

I want one of those giant Dimes

[rotorhead]

I tried to do thin window frames and make the cab hollow because I hate "fake glass", but it was too thin and would not have casted well. That's it for now - MT

just a random thought here, but is it possible to cast the cab hollow, tape up the side window openings, and then fill the cab with future from the front window openings? let it dry, and it ought to be nice and solid, and really, no one needs to know that the "windows" fill the entire cab. or maybe have a seperately casted roof to be attached after installing whatever is to be used for the windows? dunno.... just trying to brainstorm here. anyhoo, keep up the incredible work!

:edit after looking at it a bit, i thought you might also be able to put a couple drops of future directly on the existing window to give it a glass like sheen and thickness. when you say 'fake glass', do you mean painting it blueish or something similar?

Edited January 31, 2010 by rotorhead

[MechTech]

Thanks guys. I can sell them separately or as a set. You guessed right rotorhead, I prefer transparent parts for simulated glass. The part is small enough that I believe I can just cast it in clear epoxy. It will only take a few drops!

Some bad news, my allowance had to go to "real life" needs so I will be about another month behind in casting. What I will be working on is the M299 Sugarfoot after the crane truck is done. I forgot to add. The crane truck will have the crane OR the bucket parts for you to put on there. Easy choice. Giant dimes sold separately

I'll post pictures as I can make updates. - MT

[MechTech]

What do you do when you get snowed in! Work on your models! I shoveled almost three feet of snow off my driveway (can park two cars on its length). The main part of the truck is now done. There's a six foto wall of snow down the edges of my street. The place looks like a giant snow fort. Another foot of snow forecasted for Tuesday! Hmmm, maybe I'll finish it this week

The cab and chassis separated. The top will hopefully be molded in clear.

Now I have to build the crane parts and actual chassis to connect the wheels. - MT

[neptunesurvey]

Very nice.

[big F]

The level of detail is great. you must have so much patients, and good eyes too.

[nightmareB4macross]

Hey Mech Tech,

You do realize, that you can enlarge the lineart from Macross Pefect Memory if you were to use a scanner or printer.

These look incredible. Awesome work.

Can't wait to see more.

[MechTech]

Thank you guys for the compliments. Being snowed in four days was awesome and a big help time wise completing the truck. The truck is done except for the winch part of the crane.

Are you kidding me!? Someone is just now telling me I can enlarge the pictures of these! Thanks for waiting so long guys Seriously though, I'm sure many think I'm nuts for choosing such a small scale:D

The completed topside portion.

I hate "fake" looking bottoms on vehicles so I tried to give it some dignity. Anti-lock brakes are extra

I had a leftover spring piece so the steering has a "shock" on it now.

There is as much detail squeezed into the crane as possible; molded versions will be extended and retracted.

Next to the Imai version which I found has good scale, but missing many critical details (80's mold technology).

Truck in action with "bucket". The winch is currently under construction.

A REALLY CLOSE closeup. The bucket took most of a day's work to get it accurate.

That's it for now. I'm thinking $15 plus shipping if anyone is interested. Molding will hopefully begin in three weeks. - MT

[Ranger565]

DUDE!! Thats sick!

[EXO]

Beautiful! I wasn't really interested in that scale but I'm getting these just to look at!

[baxojayz]

Brilliant work!

[MechTech]

Thank you again guys. The truck is FINALLY done! Here's the winch:

I had one small picture to go by, so here's what I came up with.

And the whole thing together...

While going through the lineart, I saw the barrels in the picture foreground. They are also included in the 1/100 Macross factory, so I thought I'd make one. These will be casted too. I vertically lathed it on my drill press for the most part.

That's it for now. The next step will be the M-299 Sugarfoot. - MT

Edited February 15, 2010 by MechTech

[neptunesurvey]

Looking great. Any thoughts of doing it in 1/72 one day?

[MechTech]

Hey Neptune. I thought about it, but this is all really part of the Daedalus build. I'm contemplating it for someday. Hopefully one of those guys that have started theirs will finish them (hint-hint you guys). -MT

[ahiachris]

Hey Neptune. I thought about it, but this is all really part of the Daedalus build. I'm contemplating it for someday. Hopefully one of those guys that have started theirs will finish them (hint-hint you guys). -MT

Most of the ground vehicle I started are just watiting for the caster to start.