MechTech Posted February 27, 2013 Posted February 27, 2013 WM, how about putting a "creative" decal over the seam. Maybe paint some blank decal paper the same color and apply it - I won't tell Nice work Noyhauser! Those came out great! I love the Crusader too. I'm glad the A-7 kept the "family" alive longer. Any rockets going into the Scorprion? Derex, it's too bad you can't get back into there and foil line everything. Three ideas: 1) A metalic coat may work almost as well as foils. Maybe you can test it on a part? The metalizers may work. 2) Strip it with Pinesol and foil line the outside (with a matt finish that will hold paint better), then paint. Bare Metal Foil usually burnishes down well. It may even give you a cool finish after the paint adding some "metal skinned" effect. 3) Lowering the voltage may lower the effect, but it will also lower the light penetration. Sorry man, I can relate with the Deadalus. The whole right side will light up and I thought the plastic and paint would cover it up - NOPE! The good news is no one will probably ever see it with the left side open for viewing. - MT Quote
wm cheng Posted February 27, 2013 Posted February 27, 2013 (edited) Hey MechTech - I think by the time I'm done with the rear fins, cylinder thingys, and the reaction missiles, I don't think I'd really see the seam that much. I think if I did something with it, it would draw more attention to it - a decal will still show the seam, you'd have to fill and sand it which is what I should have properly done in the first place (oh well!). Ok, I'm at 70hrs so far... not a quick little simple kit to power through in the end! At least I got to finally assemble it together! Hint: don't attach the canopy shield till the end - this is the 2nd time I've broke the tiny hinge on the chest piece that holds onto the tiny red hinge that attaches to the canopy shield - its so damn fragile! Somehow my head doesn't seem to tuck in properly - I can't seem to get it down under the forward fuselage - scrapped the hell out of the nicely finished metallic red light on the forehead though! Finally figured the retractable hinge on the shoulder missile pods (sneaky Bandai!) After lots of fiddling, I finally got the hip covers to go over the wing root. Love the tabs that lock everything in place on this model - but I've scrapped the hell out of the finish trying to get it all together without too many glaring gaps! I'll keep it in the fighter mode while I finish it off so I can weather it, then transform it into the battroid mode to keep (till Bandai renewals get re-issued and I can get my own VF-25S armored) which was its main purpose to hold me over from the "devastating loss" of missing out on that toy. But now that I have it in the fighter mode - its really growing on me! Off to the gun pod, fast pack guns, fins and engine nozzles tomorrow! Edited February 27, 2013 by wm cheng Quote
Benson13 Posted February 27, 2013 Posted February 27, 2013 Why do your models ALWAYS make my high end toys look like little kids Transformers? Beautiful work as always. Quote
GU-11 Posted February 27, 2013 Posted February 27, 2013 That's about as close to a "perfect VF-25 build" as it gets. Quote
Paliodor Posted February 27, 2013 Posted February 27, 2013 (edited) Excellent build. Subdued colors with a light shadding are making it looks more realistic. One of the best looking VF-25 that I saw so far. <Looks at the shelf with their own Valks> It's about time to paint those kits ^^ Edited February 27, 2013 by Paliodor Quote
Noyhauser Posted February 27, 2013 Posted February 27, 2013 WM, how about putting a "creative" decal over the seam. Maybe paint some blank decal paper the same color and apply it - I won't tell Nice work Noyhauser! Those came out great! I love the Crusader too. I'm glad the A-7 kept the "family" alive longer. Any rockets going into the Scorprion? Thanks MT. Yes, there are... the "big" ones. Two Genies and some falcons. I would actually like to build it with all falcons, but it doesn't come with the right pylons.... unfortunately. Quote
MechTech Posted February 27, 2013 Posted February 27, 2013 It looks great WM! I think the finish is great on it too. That's cool Noyhauser. Does that kist come with all the wing tip pod/nose pod missiles, or is it a later version? The Genies will look cool. Most people don't even know about them. - MT Quote
Wasabi-san Posted February 28, 2013 Posted February 28, 2013 Very seldom does a box arrive that the item inside is absolutely destroyed, even with all of the packaging and space added to help protect said item. Case in point. Sheryl came in a small-ish box from HLJ.com and looked like it had fallen off of the truck, slid 50ft, then got kicked all of the way to the door, and back. I'm just glad it wasn't something super valuable, like it normally is. So, pulling out the figure, the ribbon was broken off of the seperated head, the crop holster was snapped, and the base was cracked. It was an opportunity to work with PVC again. After removing the mantle and cape, there was a nasty block to be sanded and smoothed to shape her back between her shoulders. Her head was glued and blended back on, the holster was removed and filled, the base was glued, texture coated then sprayed Trim Black. The lines of her outfit were touched up and the ribbon hole filled. The crop was also modified because it too was broken. I'm not into Frontier, but I thought this model was pretty good looking...enough to get. Here's as she stands. Quote
MechTech Posted February 28, 2013 Posted February 28, 2013 They decapitated Sheryl!? That's messed up! Your repair job came out great though! - MT Quote
coronadlux Posted March 1, 2013 Posted March 1, 2013 What was it suppossed to look like before? It looks great and the repair job is awesome. Did you try to work something out with HLJ? Quote
wm cheng Posted March 1, 2013 Posted March 1, 2013 Some masking of the guns... Booster packs (didn't realize that I should of dusted before taking the pictures!) The thin white decal stripe around the blue part of the front of the packs was such a pain - the decal had to sit on a tiny bevel all the way around, I might have masked it next time around (if there is one!). Generally all the decals are such a pain (they really wanted you to use the stickers!). I can't wait for Hasegawa's rendition of this! I didn't go the purple route - I ended up more blue (the fins and guns are supposed to be Tamiya Medium Blue) but ended up being a tad too close to the booster packs - oh well. 78hrs later... (almost a full week behind schedule!) I'm liking the aircraft mode more and more (even with the ridiculous overkill packs). Just the canopy, reaction missiles and a nice light coat of lighter dry-brushing weathering on the packs. Quote
wm cheng Posted March 1, 2013 Posted March 1, 2013 I know, I know... I'm not looking forward to it either. But it was originally intended to be in Battroid mode to show off all its missiles. It's only in this mode because this is the mode you finish off in following the instructions. However I do like it a lot. But I did scrape some paint off the head that I need to repair and I need to dry brush weather the armor packs which is easier in the Battroid mode. I take some pictures before I "REALLY" carefully transform it into the Battroid mode once to give it a chance before I decide which way it will stay. Hopefully the Hasegawa kit comes out soon to replace this in the aircraft mode (but I'm sure its years away, they will probably put out all the aircraft only full squadron first!) Quote
EXO Posted March 1, 2013 Posted March 1, 2013 Make sure to take really nice pics of fighter first! Quote
MechTech Posted March 2, 2013 Posted March 2, 2013 AWESOME work! That's definitely a space design with all the "extras" on it. Can't wait to see the finished job! - MT Quote
wm cheng Posted March 2, 2013 Posted March 2, 2013 (edited) DISASTER STRUCK! Argh... I must be gettin' too old for this... while I was transforming it (very carefully might I add) - I somehow broke the main wing hinge. Its pretty crazy for all this weight to be on those tiny plastic hinges, but they gave way and snapped! I was so close to being finished too. I'm so disheartened... I guess, I'll try to pin the hinge where it broke like a resin model with epoxy and see if I can salvage the hinge. Worst case I can glue it permanently in the aircraft mode - although I've been dying to see it in the battroid mode as well. THIS IS WHY I HATE TRANSFORMING MODELS!!! Edited March 2, 2013 by wm cheng Quote
wm cheng Posted March 2, 2013 Posted March 2, 2013 Wow, it seems like its going to work! It's working just friction fitted pins without glue so far. I'll crazy glue the pins in tonight and see what happens. Dinner break! How do people build this model?! I feel just too old... Quote
Benson13 Posted March 2, 2013 Posted March 2, 2013 Yeah but a young guy couldn't make it look like a masterpiece like you do with your years of experience WM Quote
Valkyrie addict Posted March 2, 2013 Posted March 2, 2013 Wow, just wow! You seem to be having a bad time with hinges lately, hehe, kidding Quote
Kelsain Posted March 3, 2013 Posted March 3, 2013 Without the wing, that thing really looks like a lawn dart! Hope this fix works! Quote
sketchley Posted March 3, 2013 Posted March 3, 2013 How do people build this model?! I feel just too old... They don't. I've built the VF-27 kit and have had my fair share of breakage on it. The most annoying were the arm shoulder joint and one of the two hinges for the back, behind the head. Suffice to say, it sits in fighter mode... I swear, these kits are NOT meant to be transformed... Wow, it seems like its going to work! It's working just friction fitted pins without glue so far. I'll crazy glue the pins in tonight and see what happens. Dinner break! Thanks for the tip on how to recover from similar breakage. It answers a question I've been meaning to ask here for awhile. Not sure when I'll get around to attempting it on the VF-27, let alone transforming it to battroid... Quote
MechTech Posted March 3, 2013 Posted March 3, 2013 I feel your pain man, I've had similar issues a couple of time lately! The good news is that you can recover! This kit seems to have a lot of issues. Maybe the box side should say "For Ages 25 and up!" But the the older guys have issues too! - MT Quote
wm cheng Posted March 3, 2013 Posted March 3, 2013 (edited) Thank God that fix worked! ... I should of started out on a easier kit. I guess I'm just rusty. But yeah, that's 3 hinges I've broken in the last 2 months - argh! I'm too impatient. However, this is the best of the Bandai bunch (love the tabs that lock everything together) - although I haven't built the Tornado one yet which I hear is just as good. Might have to consider the RVF-25 next as I missed out on that pre-order as well... Well, 85hrs later... some quick shots at my workbench with a piece of black card to hide my mess... Only the gunpod and reaction missiles left... and a transformation into the Battroid mode to see what I have to repair. Edited March 3, 2013 by wm cheng Quote
Duymon Posted March 3, 2013 Posted March 3, 2013 (edited) Ya know with WM working on this thing you realize the Bandai kit rocks...well..except for the fragile joints lol. I have a bunch of these 1/72s but have never had a wing break. The only valk to break was the Super parts one I built a few years back after throwing it against the wall out of frustration lol Edited March 3, 2013 by Duymon Quote
Ignacio Ocamica Posted March 4, 2013 Posted March 4, 2013 So beautiful, It deserves to be seen in battroid Quote
Wasabi-san Posted March 4, 2013 Posted March 4, 2013 (edited) . Edited January 31, 2014 by Wasabi-san Quote
big F Posted March 4, 2013 Posted March 4, 2013 I guess if they do or if some one does want to, they could fill an order book quite nicely. Quote
505thAirborne Posted March 4, 2013 Posted March 4, 2013 The term "Flying Fortress" takes on a whole new meaning with this VF! wm cheng, Simply an amazing build and your attention to detail is Epic! Quote
MechTech Posted March 5, 2013 Posted March 5, 2013 Thanks for sharing your progress WM Cheng, your build came out awesome even if the kit wasn't so easy! Now put that sucker in a case and keep the youngins away! - MT Quote
cool8or Posted March 6, 2013 Posted March 6, 2013 Hey, wait a minute... why this build up doesn't have its own thread? I didn't see it until now! Anyway, congratulatios WM Cheng, your work is superb. I'm building a VF-25 too, but I decided to make it fixed in fighter mode, to avoid problems with so fragile joints. Quote
derex3592 Posted March 7, 2013 Posted March 7, 2013 After months of trying to figure it out, I finally made a base for my fine molds millennium falcon model... All materials were less than $20 total. Little tiny stormtroopers were $15..all in all... I call it a win.. :-). Just need to get an acrylic cover for it at this point and I will be done. Quote
EXO Posted March 7, 2013 Posted March 7, 2013 Did you figure out your light blocking? That looks awesome! Quote
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