Yamato 1/60 VF-1 Kit Custom/Detailing by Kye

[master of macross]

wao wao wao send pm to you

[kyekye]

<geek mode>

0402 LEDs? For a simple way to dim LEDs, just increase the resistor value; the LED brightness is proportional (nonlinear, up to a point) to the current running through it. To find the resistor value, you can:

• look up the current/Lumens info on the LED data sheet & calculate the resistor value: R = (Vsupply - Vled_on) / current
• use a pot (resistor potentiometer), adjust to your desired brightness, & measure the pot resistance
• experiment by swapping in larger resistor values (binary search is effective)

Swap in the appropriate, cheap resistor once you have your value. It shouldn't make much of a difference but resistors typically have 5% or 10% value tolerances depending on what you choose; the tolerance may matter if your supply voltage is just above the LED turn-on voltage.

There are other, more-involved ways to electronically dim the LED but you can also use a regular LED instead of a super-bright, use a diffuser, paint over with transparent/translucent paint, or use gels.

</geek mode>

This is such a cool & inspiring project!!!

Oh boy.. you're trying to make me do Math!!!???

Seriously, Thanks for suggestion! I need to figure out how many LEDs will be attached to how many batteries/switches before do the math thou.

Jaw dropping awesome!!!!!!!

Thanks!

I'm speechless. I'd love to see you detail up one of those 1/24 scale Valks......

I'm running out of space in my mancave! anything bigger than 1/60 would be troublesome..

You got it. Recaster is actually closer to you than I am.

Thanks >EXO<! Maybe I can have him ship the set directly to me and save some shipping cost?

[kyekye]

Another busy weekend doing family thing (meaning less time on this project.. )

Here's my mini update.

• I decided to go with Movie Hikaru version. so that means I need different pilot figure (one comes in kit is TV pilot). So I copied one from my other VF-1S, and made joints on 2 points (Ball joint on the head/neck, and pin on the wrists)

Also made some additional copies of parts I'm gonna modify/detail up

And started working on the canopy.

First, I made a resin copy of clear canopy, then cut out to make frame. Yamato kit has short monitor box and seat pushed forward, so I'll need to shorten/extend some parts. That will also give me some space for monitor LED work and space for seat detail! For the glass part, I don't have vacuum form set up, so I'll use heat press instead..

Back to the air-brake and chest plate. Added hinge for the air-brake. Adding piston actuator is impossible for the space.. so I gave up..

For the chest plate, I cut out some areas for detail up.

So far, it's going as I planned, but it's slow!!!

[Loute]

Might be slow, but that's the trick, going too fast would flunk the project.

I'm keeping an eye on this one cause it's ambitious and so far I like what I see ;-)

Keep up the good work, take your time, make it flawless

Make us dream

[Hikaru1234567890]

If you ever become rich, make one in real one!

[3D-Brainx]

I agree with Loute, slow, with patience, but constant.

This is awesome, mad detailing, it's going to be great!

[Valkyrie addict]

mind blowned!! truly amazing

I believe the canopy itself from the kit has does fitting issues.

[Boroboy]

Here is my last weekend work summary.

With resin copies of wings I prepared, I started cutting out this way, that way to figure out flaps movement and angles..etc - while trying to figure out LED wiring.

That is brilliant! I love the wing extension and flaps. Great work!

[valhary]

just perfect you should make conversion kits availables

[Dax415]

This is looking great already!

[MacrossJunkie]

How do you do those cut-outs so perfectly?

[kyekye]

Thanks again for keep checking the thread and leaving nice comments!!

just perfect you should make conversion kits availables

Full conversion kit will be difficult, but I might be able to duplicate some modified parts later.

How do you do those cut-outs so perfectly?

Hmm.. It's not really perfect, but this is how I do it.

1. make holes on corners with 0.5mm drill

2. use Photo-etching saw blade to cut it

3. use micro-file and sanding stick to clean the surface

Edited May 20, 2013 by kyekye

[kyekye]

Another slow progress...

First, the front landing gear. I needed to do this first before getting into the cockpit detail.

I drilled 1mm hole on the side of diecast and cut out the space for LED wiring. Made 2 parts small actuator and attached using 1mm screw. Added LED and lens. The light is bleeding out too much, so I'll cover the backside with something.

Now that I clear the bottom gearbox, I can start working on the cockpit parts.

Like I mentioned earlier, the parts position need major shift.

• Extended the front console and added some details + LED wiring.
• Shortened the back part and added detail parts
• Shorten the seat height and added some details
• Made custom decal for console + Added bottom part

New parts layout and quick fitting test

That's all for this weekend.

More work (such as PE parts, other custom decals..etc) will be done on the Cockpit during painting pass.

Now I gotta find some space for battery and switches.

[Benson13]

[Kurisama]

Hoooooly sheeeeeeeeet.

[Chronocidal]

Seconded.

What type of battery are you planning on using for this? Assuming you're going to use a small button-cell, I can think of a few places to put something that size. The trick is just working the wiring in.

Since you've got so many separate components, I'm guessing you'll need separate batteries in the nose, each leg, and the main body. You can probably fit a battery inside the nosecone if you cut away a little of the cockpit pieces.

The backpack probably has plenty of room for the power source for the wing and tail lights as well, though running a connection through the backpack joint might get tricky. Guess you could replace the existing hinge pins with copper, and just make a rotating contact, but I don't know if it'd be necessary.

If you modify the rear landing gear to rotate and fold like they're meant to, and use a collapsing piston like you made for the front, you should have plenty of room in the leg powering the lights there as well.

The big question now.. are you going to give this same treatment to a set of strike packs?

Edited May 20, 2013 by Chronocidal

[Knight26]

That is insanely cool, you need to post a pic of it sitting next to the unmodified too to really show the differnces

[Froy]

[eugimon]

amazing work! Have you thought about adding a thin film of something like wax paper between the instrument panel and the LED to diffuse the light a little more evenly?

[Valkyrie addict]

[KiriK]

just caught up to reading this thread. I hope you have it finished before MW Con 2013 in October!! i'd love to see it in person and this could definitely be a top contender for our annual Macross Customs Contest where you can win prizes!!!

AMAZING WORK!

[Ignacio Ocamica]

This has become my favorite MW thread!!!!

[MacrossJunkie]

I can see the finished product is going to be mind blowing. I like how the instrument panel is turning out already.

[kyekye]

Hoooooly sheeeeeeeeet.

This has become my favorite MW thread!!!!

I can see the finished product is going to be mind blowing. I like how the instrument panel is turning out already.

Thanks for pretty pics and comments! Great encouragement!

Seconded.

What type of battery are you planning on using for this? Assuming you're going to use a small button-cell, I can think of a few places to put something that size. The trick is just working the wiring in.

Since you've got so many separate components, I'm guessing you'll need separate batteries in the nose, each leg, and the main body. You can probably fit a battery inside the nosecone if you cut away a little of the cockpit pieces.

The backpack probably has plenty of room for the power source for the wing and tail lights as well, though running a connection through the backpack joint might get tricky. Guess you could replace the existing hinge pins with copper, and just make a rotating contact, but I don't know if it'd be necessary.

If you modify the rear landing gear to rotate and fold like they're meant to, and use a collapsing piston like you made for the front, you should have plenty of room in the leg powering the lights there as well.

The big question now.. are you going to give this same treatment to a set of strike packs?

Current plan is to group them by function (A: landing/flight signal, B: Console, ,C:Power..etc) . I don't worry too much about wiring, but finding spots for switches (and cleverly hiding them) worries me a little.

Rear landing gear wasn't part of my plan (except for adding cables), but I'll need to look into it for the extra space. Thanks for the tip!~

That is insanely cool, you need to post a pic of it sitting next to the unmodified too to really show the differences

Oh yeah. I gotta do that, I guess. Next time!

amazing work! Have you thought about adding a thin film of something like wax paper between the instrument panel and the LED to diffuse the light a little more evenly?

The decal is applied on thin clear plastic cut-out shape, so I can just sand a little to get that effect. I also gotta block the light bleeding somehow.

just caught up to reading this thread. I hope you have it finished before MW Con 2013 in October!! i'd love to see it in person and this could definitely be a top contender for our annual Macross Customs Contest where you can win prizes!!!

AMAZING WORK!

Thanks for the idea, but I doubt this will be done by then - working only over the weekends. Also my contest days are over

Edited May 21, 2013 by kyekye

[UN Spacy]

[raptormesh]

Thanks for embarking on this project. The world is a better now for that. /kowtow

[Loute]

Brace yourselves, week-end is coming (ok, tomorrow evening ).

[Mommar]

Brace yourselves, week-end is coming (ok, tomorrow evening ).

No pressure Kyekye... but we are in love.

[kyekye]

Brace yourselves, week-end is coming (ok, tomorrow evening ).

Sorry to disappoint you, but we have memorial day 3-day weekend until Monday

So.. next update will be Monday night!

Here is my old 12" figure custom I did a while back. Enjoy until my next update!~

[Capt Hungry]

Wow! I am very much looking forward to the finished product! So cool.

[EXO]

Take my breath away

[505thAirborne]

[Benson13]

I'm really impressed that you got a 1/1 scale figure to match his height perfectly.

[Loute]

Sorry to disappoint you, but we have memorial day 3-day weekend until Monday

So.. next update will be Monday night!

What? You mean you have a life aside your hobby?

We'll wait, I think no one here wants to see the project spoiled.

[Kicker773]

that is awesome!!!