Whats Lying on your Workbench MK IV

[Gabe Q]

@MechTech and @Chronocidal, thanks for the replies. I'm totally against scratch building the piece. I'm terrible at it. As far as ordering the sprue, I'd probably just leave it as. It just seems like such a simple shaped piece. That's why I was thinking along these lines. 

BTW, MechTech, I always admire your work! You're on this whole other level!

[Sanity is Optional]

Just buy some steel mesh, cut to fit, and superglue it in place?

[Return To Kit Form]

11 hours ago, Gabe Q said:

@MechTech and @Chronocidal, thanks for the replies. I'm totally against scratch building the piece. I'm terrible at it. As far as ordering the sprue, I'd probably just leave it as. It just seems like such a simple shaped piece. That's why I was thinking along these lines. 

BTW, MechTech, I always admire your work! You're on this whole other level!

G'day Gabe. PM me the details of the part. I could probably make a mold next time I am at it and cast the part with left over resin. It's what I did with my missing VF-0B part. 

Brett

[MechTech]

Thank you Gabe! I'd listen to Sanity is Optional. Wait, did I just say that? - MT

[Gabe Q]

On 7/10/2019 at 3:44 AM, Return To Kit Form said:

G'day Gabe. PM me the details of the part. I could probably make a mold next time I am at it and cast the part with left over resin. It's what I did with my missing VF-0B part. 

Brett

Brett, that's very nice of you to offer but I couldn't put you to all that trouble. Thanks for the offer, though.  I'll just take MechTech's suggestion to take Sanity is Optional's suggestion. 

[arbit]

A little something I'm working on for you guys.

 

Edited July 14, 2019 by arbit

[electric indigo]

Holy smokes! 

[Bolt]

Most excellent!

[CrossAir]

Wow, I like that. Especially the lighting in the cockpit. Awesome dude! 

[electric indigo]

I finally found the time to almost complete the Fighter 1. All that's left is the tedious panel lining on the 8 fins and fixing the right pitot tube.

[derex3592]

cool jet. What's that from? @arbit amazing as usual! 

[Bolt]

Thought I’d add this as I’ve taken a renewed interest in this project since I started it last December. It’s a custom conversion for my Tau ,Farsight enclave. In response to the Deathwatch Corvus Blackstar (which I love). For air superiority,It’s a fast attack drop ship . Heavily armed and intended to carry 6-9 elite jump troops. 

Basically I took a Tau Sunshark and a devilfish and hacked them together.

Modified the main VTOL thrusters ,added more , fabricated turret mounts for multiple load out options.

 

At some point, I had gravitated toward the “D” style cockpit with 2 pilots but the more I thought about it , the more I thought that was wrong. As the Tau employ a ton of AI in there war machines (and everything else) and they would design this to only need one pilot and let the fighter also run on AI. It also saves on space for the jump troops and extra features.

changed the rear by adding a detachable AI Remora style drone I fabricated from the hacked tail end of the Sunshark. Also added smaller swing down VTOL to the front end to balance it out. Also added magnetize burst cannons for the wings, which I may switch out for the larger BC’s. Since the wings are magnetic, there will be many load out options, as well.

still a WIP but it’s comong along..

[MechTech]

AWESOME Arbit!!! Once upon a time there was this guy asking about wiring up motors. Now you OWN IT man!

You're Crushing that Crusher Joe fighter Electric Indigo! (Sorry, just had to pun it)

That's cool Bolt! My son is thinking of getting some Tau stuff.

Had a productive weekend! I machined a buck for both the SATCOM antennas and the bottom got cut off for the gun turret bases with a new top glued on for the turrets. I machined the buck on my mill in the same chuck that fits on my lathe. After each vacu-forming, I threw it on my lathe to cut the base off uniformly. It saves trying to sand a level base with flimsy plastic sides. The SATCOM antennas are above the hanger (not glued on yet) and the turret bases below it. Lost the small navigation radar antenna and had to make a new one. Also added small link antenna globes below the spinning radars (also covers screw holes).

The radar tower comes off and the bridge roof hinges upward to open up. Covered all those seems with angles and other shaped styrene extrusions. The long strip going around the base of the bridge / top of the hanger covers the seem where that top piece also comes off to allow maintenance access.

The yellow paper turret and missile turret are all still hypothetical and still under development. - MT

[electric indigo]

Looks like a productive weekend around here.

8 hours ago, derex3592 said:

cool jet. What's that from?

It's from the '83 "Crusher Joe" animated feature movie, designed by the hands of some Kawamori guy during his Studio Nue days.

Kit is from Hasegawa, and it's totally awesome. 

[arbit]

5 hours ago, MechTech said:

AWESOME Arbit!!! Once upon a time there was this guy asking about wiring up motors. Now you OWN IT man!

 Well, I learned from the best. 

[peter]

On 7/13/2019 at 12:10 PM, arbit said:

A little something I'm working on for you guys.

 

Pffft....come back and show us when you get it to do this:

Haha, kidding,  Your build is effing impressive, holy cow.

I'd be lucky if I built a 1/72 Valk without it end up looking like a Gobot.

[arbit]

4 hours ago, peter said:

Pffft....come back and show us when you get it to do this:

And you think Im not working on that 

[arbit]

I've put up a new WIP thread in the Model Kits section for the bluetooth valk if anyone is interested. 

Edited July 20, 2019 by arbit

[Thom]

Some paint going on the Saber! Finished with the main colors, and just moving onto accent colors now before a gloss coat and then decals. She's getting closer to christening.

[Lolicon]

On 7/13/2019 at 2:10 PM, arbit said:

A little something I'm working on for you guys.

 

OMG that is one of the coolest things I've ever seen! 

[Bolt]

Nicely done @Thom.

[MechTech]

That's looking great Thom!

I got some details done this weekend. The first was the louvers for the air intakes. A strip of styrene was milled to simulate the louvers. Then a template was made to etch the four openings and louvers were cut to fit. A thin strip will go between the louvers and the opening.

Next, the tough part. I always loved the look of the fluted barrels on the Oerlikon 35mm. Those are what will be the secondary turrets. The tough part is machining them. I tried a lot of methods and materials. Aluminum, too soft. Brass, too hard, but not strong enough. I finally found steel could be lathed thin enough (with a live chuck holder on the other end). Next, I carefully milled the length of them with a special, thin saw blade. The slots were then hand widened with hobby files. I milled some muzzle brakes to go on them, but not sure they are convincing enough. They are shown in their turrets (modified Bradley turrets under construction). Then the RAM launcher was finally completed. Its an enlarged and stealthy version I made up.

Next step will be making the tie-downs in the decking areas and other deck related details. - MT

 

[Bolt]

Beautiful work MT! The 35’s and RAM are awesome

[derex3592]

Some painting and actual assembly has happened! 

[Thom]

Thank you Bolt, and right back at yah, MechTech! The louvers look great, but those guns are outstanding.

 

Derex3592, that Defiant is really coming together quick. Very nice.

[derex3592]

@Thom, thanks, I was hoping to get away with a quick snap together and paint build, but it's not a Bandai kit....LOL...I had to bust out the Perfect plastic putty for some seam filling and some sanding of nubs.  But overall, I think it's gonna look great. Just a little slower build than anticipated.   Went back to primer bench this morning before I left for work. 

 

@MechTech Your metal work is just amazeballs!  Those guns look fantastic! Can't wait to see the finished product! 

 

Edited July 22, 2019 by derex3592

[derex3592]

Decals have begun! 

[MechTech]

Nice n clean Derex. That thing almost looks the size of the Chrsitmas ornament Defiant we have.

Thank you guys! That was the first time I've cut flutes into barrels like that.

"Does this muzzle brake make me look fat?" I thought the first muzzle brakes looked awkward, bulbous at the end so I made something more modern looking in brass. The turrets are nearly done now too after adding details.

I wanted optics turrets for the ship and turrets so I turned some radii (balls) on my lathe and then milled "lenses" into them of various sizes to simulate lasers, IR cameras and cameras. I just need to clean the dust out of the cuts.

Long story short, I rechecked the main turret size and am going to redo the cap firing mechanism to make it smaller. Right now the mechanism sticks out of the turret where it should and has no room to cycle in either. Hopefully it won't take me another month like the last ones did each. - MT

[505thAirborne]

Your attention to detail is phenomenal MT, those gun turrets & cameras... damn! 

[pengbuzz]

On 7/20/2019 at 8:59 PM, Thom said:

Some paint going on the Saber! Finished with the main colors, and just moving onto accent colors now before a gloss coat and then decals. She's getting closer to christening.

Really liking the way this is coming out Thom!

[MechTech]

Thanks 505! I'm shooting for realistic - pun intended! - MT

[505thAirborne]

5 hours ago, MechTech said:

Thanks 505! I'm shooting for realistic - pun intended! - MT

The ship you're building, is it based on real world or Anime related?

[Kylwell]

On 7/28/2019 at 12:18 PM, MechTech said:

Nice n clean Derex. That thing almost looks the size of the Chrsitmas ornament Defiant we have.

Thank you guys! That was the first time I've cut flutes into barrels like that.

"Does this muzzle brake make me look fat?" I thought the first muzzle brakes looked awkward, bulbous at the end so I made something more modern looking in brass. The turrets are nearly done now too after adding details.

I wanted optics turrets for the ship and turrets so I turned some radii (balls) on my lathe and then milled "lenses" into them of various sizes to simulate lasers, IR cameras and cameras. I just need to clean the dust out of the cuts.

Long story short, I rechecked the main turret size and am going to redo the cap firing mechanism to make it smaller. Right now the mechanism sticks out of the turret where it should and has no room to cycle in either. Hopefully it won't take me another month like the last ones did each. - MT

so I've got to ask, have you ever cruised RB Models looking @ barrels? https://www.rbmodel.com/index.php?action=products&cat=c_bm&sub=35B

[arbit]

Kylwell, That's a nice little shop. I wonder if their turrets are fully drilled out tubes for lighting.

Mechtech, the scratch work looks gorgeous. I almost don't want you to prime it, because I like the different materials!  ...I need to get a mill!

Derex, How is the Q-Rau going? The thing must have nightmarish gaps to fill. Warm up your files and putty

[derex3592]

8 hours ago, arbit said:

Derex, How is the Q-Rau going? The thing must have nightmarish gaps to fill. Warm up your files and putty

Ohh...it's still here sitting on my desk looking at me. I wanted to build the Defiant before I went back to that, been on a Trek ships kick lately.  I've pretty much pre-assembled all I can on the Qau and everything moves that is supposed to move, so next is seam clean up and some primer. Honestly...fit was REALLY good with this kit considering it's age, scary good really. Not really any horrible gaps at all. if I get the seams to go away and get it painted halfway decent, it might actually not look to bad..we'll see. 

 

Defiant and Q-Rau pics coming soon! 

 

 

Edited July 30, 2019 by derex3592