Whats Lying on your Workbench MK IV

[derex3592]

sweeeet!! Need to go to town on the weathering with this one!  Nothing has happened on my workbench in over a month....work, fiance's, and wedding plans just take up every second of my time now...*siiiiigh*...I remember when I use to have a hobby.....

[505thAirborne]

Thanks derex! I've had an Airbrush set for months but haven't really had the time to play with it... I'll find the time now for this Raptor, factory fresh clean simply will not do! LOL

Hope you can find spare (model building) time again soon. 

 

 

[Thom]

I've added another project to my busy table. I'm in the Matchbox group build on Britmodeller, and I just started to drop the flaps on my Lancaster.

[electric indigo]

Is it hardcore Matchbox only or can I join with my Revell re-issue of the Victor bomber?

[Thom]

4 hours ago, electric indigo said:

Is it hardcore Matchbox only or can I join with my Revell re-issue of the Victor bomber?

As long as it started as a Matchbox kit, you're good!

Though, I came across a prob when I wanted to do a Uhu in the Matchbox box, that was actually a Revell kit that was put into a Matchbox, I guess during their buy-out.

But, please join, all are welcome!

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/forum/604-matchbox-gb-ii/

[MechTech]

I saw those colors and said "Matchbox!" Hopefully the fit isn't too bad on that kit. Some of Matchbox's colored moldings were great when I was a kid, and then others were a pain because they ddin't match the color scheme.

Things have been slow going back on my ship. I create one thing and then somehow screw it up. I need to lathe small gun barrels for models so I mounted a drill chuck into bearings for the lathe tail stock. Now thin work can be supported without warping easily. I have to remake this tool too because it has some wobble in it. Got a nice action shot of sparks flying.

Then I machined the gun barrel (Oto Melara 76mm) in 1/72nd scale. The turret mount was machined from solid glued together styrene blocks and the rest was from styrene sheet. They were done on a rotary table on a mill. That tool has made a lot of cool things possible. Need to take more pictures after the glue sets and they are mounted to the turret.-  MT

[Kylwell]

1 hour ago, MechTech said:

I saw those colors and said "Matchbox!" Hopefully the fit isn't too bad on that kit. Some of Matchbox's colored moldings were great when I was a kid, and then others were a pain because they ddin't match the color scheme.

Things have been slow going back on my ship. I create one thing and then somehow screw it up. I need to lathe small gun barrels for models so I mounted a drill chuck into bearings for the lathe tail stock. Now thin work can be supported without warping easily. I have to remake this tool too because it has some wobble in it. Got a nice action shot of sparks flying.

Then I machined the gun barrel (Oto Melara 76mm) in 1/72nd scale. The turret mount was machined from solid glued together styrene blocks and the rest was from styrene sheet. They were done on a rotary table on a mill. That tool has made a lot of cool things possible. Need to take more pictures after the glue sets and they are mounted to the turret.-  MT

It's the repeating of parts that always kills me. Love machining, hate machining the same part multiple times.

[arbit]

Hi Mechtech, So how did you go down the path of machining? Seems unfathomable.

Edited October 9, 2017 by arbit

[Thom]

Nicely machined part!!

[Return To Kit Form]

That cannon barrel is outrageously well done. Bravo MT that is some great work

 

[Lt. Z0mBe]

Amazing work, Mechtech!  I look forward to seeing it painted and part of a build.

Kenny

[MechTech]

Thank you very much guys! I started getting into machining because it is ultimately just making a jig. For instance, cutting a bunch of styrene strip to the same length you use a tool or make a jig to keep the parts the same. Machining does the same thing for me on a more flexible level. Even some of the tools you saw me make are a form of jig to help me make something like the barrel.

Arbit, It started with a drill press. Sure you can drill holes with it, but if you put parts in it like styrene you can spin them and machine them a little by hand such as making missiles. Its like a lathe, only vertical! Then I got a small X-Y table for my drill press and that makes it like a mill. Now I could make precision cuts in marked increments (like a jig again). Add a rotary table to the X-Y table and you can spin parts and cut them like making gears or simply cutting a circle out. I got tired of calking my neck to the side so I just got the machinist lathe. They say you can make almost anything on a lathe and a mill and I have to agree.

Attached are some photos from the 1/350 Monster build I did about three years ago. The first photo is of a mill with a rotary table and the work is supported by a tailstock to keep it stiff. The second photo is another piece on a rotary table with notched cuts being made into it for a ratchet. It was then cut off. Both parts are in the last photo. The ratchet parts are the top right and the "arm" is of course on the bottom. Machines help me make true cuts where as all hand methods were far less precise and clean.

If you keep serious about model making, especially scratch building, machines may be the way to go (or 3D printing).

By the way, the aluminum part of the barrel I machined, the brass was from an aftermarket 1/32 machine gun barrel. It's about the same diameter as regular pencil lead, so it is very thin! More photos coming up as the parts dry. - MT

[Lt. Z0mBe]

That is seriously cool.  I certainly consider myself a serious builder but I have not (yet) made the jump to machining stuff.  Projects like that certainly make it more inviting.

Kenny

[Sanity is Optional]

What's a good manufacturer for a desktop mill/lathe? I've been wanting to get one for a while now.

[arbit]

That's cool Mechtech. Like all these hobbies, I assumed machining starts with a small, simple need, then grows and grows...

[Kelsain]

Alright, so I'll be starting work on the Sauron costume this weekend, I have 2 weeks until we trick or treat here in the 'Ville.

In the mean time, I mentioned that I'd show my current WIP:

It started with the Marvel Legends BAF Iron Monger. I found a good deal on eBay, and thought this guy had some potential. As it was, the figure I bought arrived broken, so the vendor replaced it with another for free! Here's the raw figure, standing beside 2 Black Series 6" troopers. My plan is to mod this figure into a 1/12 scale Space Marine!

I removed the original hands & forearms & fashioned new with some 3/4" tubing. Turns out the hands of an MG Dom (that I've had laying about since 2002) are right in scale for this guy. I'm going to bulk up the fingers a bit, to make them look more like gloves than robot hands. Legs have been lengthened with some 3/8" spacers & custom stompy boots were printed from Shapeways. This adds about 1/2" height to the figure, bringing him to ~ 8.5 feet in-scale. I might add a little torso length to bring him closer to 9 feet.

Unfortunately, I mis-scaled the helmet that I designed. It's about 15% too big. Will have to readjust that and try again. I also have a backpack designed in 3D, but I'm gonna wait till I have a few other parts ready & find a coupon before I order. The nozzles are designed to rotate.

In the mean time, I'm working on putting together his first armament, a bolt pistol. I'd originally planned on using an MG Ground Gundam gun, but I found a Kotobukiya M.S.G. rifle that seemed to work better. Just chopped off most of the barrel & swapped out the grip. "Pistol" seen here in the arms of the FO Trooper:

 

 

And apparently, I can't get rid of this extra pic:

 

Edited October 12, 2017 by Kelsain

[MechTech]

That's looking cool Kelsain!

Yeah Arbit, it does just grow and grow! Like from an X-acto to a file set, to an airbrush...to a desktop mill!

Sanity is Optional, after a lot of research and experience, Sherline has the best small hobby machines by far - no comparison! I have gotten some of the cheap Chinese machines and they have a lot of play in them or don't work smoothly. I even bought a higher end Chinese mill from Micro Mark, and it has issues to include a control board that is starting to go. The tables have a lot of play in them making them wobble. Even after a lot of cleaning up and re-machining, the tables still don't run true. I'll be buying a Sherline mill when I get the money. My Sherline lathe is awesome and runs smooth as silk and is very quiet. I can lathe at night and no one gets woken up. You can even take the head and use it on the lathe or mill to save money, but I'd like both to make it easy to go between machines. Sherline is right in California between LA and San Diego too. You can visit them to check out and try their machines. http://sherline.com/

Everyone: At the bottom of their page is "The Joe Martin Foundation for Exceptional Craftsmanship." Get a box of Kleenex to wipe up your drool and click on their museum link. Scroll down and check out some of the machining examples. The best part, styrene machines like butter versus steel or aluminum. My cutting bits stay sharp for years on styrene only. - MT

[Sanity is Optional]

5 minutes ago, MechTech said:

Sanity is Optional, after a lot of research and experience, Sherline has the best small hobby machines by far - no comparison! I have gotten some of the cheap Chinese machines and they have a lot of play in them or don't work smoothly. I even bought a higher end Chinese mill from Micro Mark, and it has issues to include a control board that is starting to go. The tables have a lot of play in them making them wobble. Even after a lot of cleaning up and re-machining, the tables still don't run true. I'll be buying a Sherline mill when I get the money. My Sherline lathe is awesome and runs smooth as silk and is very quiet. I can lathe at night and no one gets woken up. You can even take the head and use it on the lathe or mill to save money, but I'd like both to make it easy to go between machines. Sherline is right in California between LA and San Diego too. You can visit them to check out and try their machines. http://sherline.com/

Thanks for the info, guess I ought to lay off buying Valkyries for a while.

Hmm, what to get first, a 3D printer, or a Mill?

[CrossAir]

I totally forgot about this kit and when cleaning up my cellar lately it fell on my foot again:

Resin-Kit Battletech Mad Cat from Armorcast

As it is 1/60 scale, it will look great aside the DX valks.

I bought this kit around the year 2000 and started working on the resin parts. Now I can go straight for painting. I have decided to put on the same camouflage paint scheme as on my 1/100 scale Mad Cat from Ral Partha I painted right before I bought this kit. Note the U.N. Spacy signs I put on in a time I had no relation to Macross/Robotech any more. 

But I’m still undecided about which decals I’ll put on. I have some left from the Yamato VE/VT-1 (water slide), so I could put the Battlemech also in U.N. Spacy service like its smaller version. 

Edited October 14, 2017 by CrossAir

[arbit]

Looks like a cross between a Glaug, Tomohawk, Regult and a Gnerl's nose. 

[CrossAir]

54 minutes ago, arbit said:

Looks like a cross between a Glaug, Tomohawk, Regult and a Gnerl's nose. 

Now you're mention this, I see some similarities, too. Whereas the first Battletech Mech's were almost exact copies of Macross Battroids, at least the later ones like the Mad Cat seem to be mix-ups to not violate copyright .

[teckno viking]

5 hours ago, CrossAir said:

I totally forgot about this kit and when cleaning up my cellar lately it fell on my foot again:

Resin-Kit Battletech Mad Cat from Armorcast

As it is 1/60 scale, it will look great aside the DX valks.

I bought this kit around the year 2000 and started working on the resin parts. Now I can go straight for painting. I have decided to put on the same camouflage paint scheme as on my 1/100 scale Mad Cat from Ral Partha I painted right before I bought this kit. Note the U.N. Spacy signs I put on in a time I had no relation to Macross/Robotech any more. 

But I’m still undecided about which decals I’ll put on. I have some left from the Yamato VE/VT-1 (water slide), so I could put the Battlemech also in U.N. Spacy service like its smaller version. 

Awesome job and like the RDF markings.

Damn Clanners are everywhere!!   

I Fight for the Dragon, I Live for the Dragon & I Die for the Dragon.
House Kurita, Always!

Edited October 14, 2017 by teckno viking

[CrossAir]

17 minutes ago, teckno viking said:

Damn Clanners are everywhere!!   

I Fight for the Dragon, I Live for the Dragon & I Die for the Dragon.
House Kurita, Always!

Oh, I give a damn on Clans, too. I only like taking over their technology. Even into other series like Macross 

Edited October 14, 2017 by CrossAir

[MechTech]

That turned out great CrossAir! The white metal parts were a nice touch for that kit.

Nearly finished the gun turret! The turret has an access hatch handle with five spokes on it. Of course I already have spare three and four spoke versions the right size already I can't use. But this has a FIVE spoke version so I had to make one. I cut five slots on the mill rotary table and straightened them up with a razor blade and high power magnification. Then cut it off on the lathe. Then after five tries, finally got a thin enough rim to go onto the outside. The next photos are of the finished turret parts. I think the base is too high so I'm going to cut it down. The ammo feed will glue under the turret next along with some hoist points for the turret. - MT

[CrossAir]

Wow, the gun looks awesome. I modeled a 20 mm Oerlikon gun with 2 or 3 lathed parts some years ago, but I'll never get this depth in detail. Great work, can't wait to see the finished ship!

[mickyg]

MT that is nuts!  Brings a new definition to what I'd consider "precision" - perhaps you'd like to consider building Integrated circuits next?

It looks so realistic, it's got me wondering what the range is on the radar?

[Chronocidal]

On ‎10‎/‎14‎/‎2017 at 1:33 PM, CrossAir said:

Now you're mention this, I see some similarities, too. Whereas the first Battletech Mech's were almost exact copies of Macross Battroids, at least the later ones like the Mad Cat seem to be mix-ups to not violate copyright .

So I have a friend I discussed this with, and he's more into the Battletech lore than I am.  At one point he mentioned that the Madcat is literally named in-universe for a target recognition computer's attempt to differentiate the design between a Marauder (the Battletech name for the Glaug) and a Catapult, which was another classic reverse-knee-jointed mech with shoulder missile batteries.  So yeah, even in-universe, it's recognized as similar.  

[CrossAir]

Evolution by merging two old designs . As I just remember now from old Mechwarrior 2 Game: Madcat is the name the Inner Sphere Forces gave to that Mech, the Clanners call it Timberwolf. 

To get back to topic: the camouflage painting is done, just started assembly of the legs and then heading for applying the decals.

[arbit]

I've finally picked up my brushes again after a huge set back with my resin kits.

As a first timer, I have to say painting resin figures is so much harder than model kits.

Needs a lot more control with masking and airbrush, because the parts are not easily separated for you.

Stripping and repriming is such a bummer....

 

[derex3592]

I feel your pain...learning resin kits ain't easy, I had and still have many setbacks when doing them.

[arbit]

7 hours ago, derex3592 said:

I feel your pain...learning resin kits ain't easy, I had and still have many setbacks when doing them.

Winners never quit, and quitters never win

[Thom]

Awesome work on that deck gun! Just fantastic!

As for me, I'm digging them panel lines!

 

[Salamander]

23 hours ago, arbit said:

I've finally picked up my brushes again after a huge set back with my resin kits.

As a first timer, I have to say painting resin figures is so much harder than model kits.

Needs a lot more control with masking and airbrush, because the parts are not easily separated for you.

Stripping and repriming is such a bummer....

It really, really depends on the kit. Many regular non-anime model kits (and older anime kits) also have bad parts separation. Some resin kits have better parts separation than plastic kits, e.g. Volks' color resin kits.

I personally think part preparation on resin kits takes more time than on plastic kits, but painting usually isn't that much more work (getting the paint to stay put on the other hand...).

[arbit]

2 hours ago, Salamander said:

I personally think part preparation on resin kits takes more time than on plastic kits, but painting usually isn't that much more work (getting the paint to stay put on the other hand...).

Oh yeah, I spend coutless hours in prep. But once the primer on, there shouldnt be a problem with paint staying on, right?

11 hours ago, Thom said:

As for me, I'm digging them panel lines!

Very nice scribing! I never get those edges clean, and over scribe.

[Nyankodevice]

made a bit more progress...