1/60 VF-5000 3D Printing

[wmkjr]

5 hours ago, Tage said:

Hey Team, just a quick update. Started painting it all. Used a nice off-white for all the underparts, but the top parts came out a little more blue than i expected.... i've ordered some more paint that's a little more green and more like the actual plane, but it'll probably arrive Tuesday :-( I'll get painting as soon as it arrives though. 

In better news the clear parts i ordered scrub up really nice. The top canopy is one that's been sanded from 400, all the way to 3000 grit paper, and the bottom one is how clear it gets once you've used a clear coat on a similarly sanded canopy. Super clear huh? 
So yeah, super quick update! hopefully next time i'll be posting up shots of him all done, and maybe even a video! :-)

 

Did you try dipping it in Future/Klear?

[Tage]

3 hours ago, wmkjr said:

Did you try dipping it in Future/Klear?

No, but keen to try... do you know what the UK equivalent would be?

[wmkjr]

I'm not in the UK but I've used Lakeland QuickShine Floor Finish (green/white bottle) if it's still around.  It's milky but dries clear.

\

Future/Klear is made by SC Johnson and goes by the name of Pledge Floor care finish or similar. The name might be different. Here is one I found on Amazon UK.

I'd suggest trying on scrap canopies from junker models or clear disposable spoons to verify if it works as the formulas might differ from here in the US.

Edit: Here are a few before/after pics. The first one is the before. The rest are after I sanded it down then dipped. 

Edited April 16, 2018 by wmkjr

[Tage]

Ah Pledge! Yeah that's a big brand over here. Thanks man, i'll have a hunt for it. Just had a hunt myself and a few UK model sights have also recommended that. :-)

[arbit]

Tage (and @Xigfrid), I don't know how far you are with painting, but I have seen pros who hide the 3D print lines by brush painting Mr. Hobby Surfacer 1200 along the seams, then wiping off the excess with lacquer thinner across the seams, sanding and repeating.

Seems painfull, but...

[Xigfrid]

Hey arbit, I didn’t know this technique. I would love to see it in action if you have a link to a video or a tutorial. 

On an another hand I have made some research and found that those nylon print material can be effectively smoothed with Toluene, hand brushed or vapor. Now I need a friend working in chemical to source some for me...

back to these canopies... I have sanded a similar canopy and since the outside is generally not an issue, I have had hard time to find a good tool to sand the inside side. Then just spraying TS-13 clear over it.

I am not entirely satisfied with my latest test but the result were nice 

[arbit]

2 hours ago, Xigfrid said:

Hey arbit, I didn’t know this technique. I would love to see it in action if you have a link to a video or a tutorial. 

The technique is shown here. What I described is a bit different because I don't like thick Tamiya putty, but same idea. It's also how a lot of people fix mistakes. But I also wonder if it would be easier to prime the whole part, then completely sand the primer off, and repeat as required to remove 3D print lines.

http://reedoak.com/how-to-prepare-reedoak-3d-printed-figure-for-paint/

Edited April 17, 2018 by arbit

[arbit]

2 hours ago, Xigfrid said:

I am not entirely satisfied with my latest test but the result were nice 

Did you sand it down first with high grit paprr and then with toothpaste or other gritty compound?

[wmkjr]

@Xigfrid Already got the ball rolling I see. Is that FUD?

[Xigfrid]

8 hours ago, arbit said:

Did you sand it down first with high grit paprr and then with toothpaste or other gritty compound?

I could toothpaste it inside, but the issue was to sand the inside flat first with larger grit. I can’t insert any of my tools and I am afraid to sand it directly with sand paper. 

@wmkjr this canopy has been 3D printed with clear resin, just like Tage’s canopy, I haven’t thouroughly tested the resistance but it looks stretchier and stronger than FUD

Edited April 18, 2018 by Xigfrid

[dbh1973]

Please add me to the list as well. Your engineering is fantastic!

[Tage]

Hey Arbit, oh wow yeah that's pretty darn good. My prints are about that level of quality too. I've really just does a couple layers of primer and my layers of pain have smoothed things out a little bit... I probably have been a little lazy/impatient with my prep work before painting these things (it's been about 2 years in the making lol). But that method of smoothing would be super easy on this kit considering the amount of long flat/easy curved surfaces. I'd just watch out you don't cover any panel lines. Great tip though for sure. I'm sure a lot of you are better model painters out there than I am! 

 

[arbit]

1 hour ago, Tage said:

it's been about 2 years in the making lol

Oh man, I know that feeling. After all that work, you just want to get done, and leave the painting to the pros!

[Tage]

Hey Guys, just a quick updated. He's all painted and together! Next i'll do that video i mentioned earlier and take photos in his bot mode. I'm really happy with how he's turned out. 

Showing the gunpod's sliding mechanism too :-)

 

[arbit]

Man, you should be really proud! It's no easy feat to design your own transforming valk.  Great job.

Now I want to see you transforming it live on video 

Edited May 2, 2018 by arbit

[Xigfrid]

Wow amazing finished valk! There is some nice engineering in it, with so little visible screws. You should be proud

[Sildani]

Wow. From a dream to painted reality. Be proud, Tage. You followed through. 

[DarkArchon3000]

OMG! That is stunning!  I can't wait to see the video.

[wmkjr]

Congrats on getting your project completed! Time sure flies! Didn't realize it was almost 2 years ago that you started this project.

[frankell05]

transfooooooooooooorm it, yiessssss

[Tage]

Hey Team, Guess what? It's all done!  

Review/transformation video here: 

 

Please excuse my weird English/Kiwi accent, and a couple things falling off part way through haha (including his fast-pack). They fell off mainly due to the over-poking and prodding i've done to this kit. Also I had completely the wrong lens on for this sort of thing so the focus gets a bit tight sometimes. Looking back at it too, i'm quite sarcastic the whole time, so don't take me too seriously hah. 

Overall it's been super fun. Thanks for all the support and following along over the last 2 years or so, really really didn't expect it to take that long. But meh - life...

Here's a few final pics of the kit. Quite like the size actually, as he is meant to be smaller than the beast that is the VF-19. 
 

[arbit]

Hold everything. I need to see this.

Kiwi accent? Even better. 

---------

After viewing: 

Great video, lots of fun.

My thoughts are, first of all, sorry to tell you, but I think you've lost most of your Kiwi accent in London

Regarding the incorrect-sized holes that you made, you might thicken them with some nail lacquer to get a tighter fit.

I hadn't realized you based the transformation on the Halfeye kit. But it makes sense seeing it, because it definitely has the Halfeye look.  

I think you have made an improvement with the 3Dd designed screw holes. That's why I avoid fiddly transforming resin kits, because drilling those screws is a disaster.

I am shocked that you went from designing a rectangular wallet, to this complex beast. I really don't know how you made the jump, unless you were a designer to start with.

It occurred to me that you must be unreasonably passionate about Macross 7 to be inspired to go through this (As for me, I only liked the music and Fleet of the Strongest Women).  But nothing gets accomplished without passion, right?

Thanks for sharing,,, and looking forward to your work on more of the neglected designs!

After everything you learned, I am sure you will make more improvements on playability for your next project, and adding more clearance for paint layers during movement. 

Edited May 7, 2018 by arbit

[Sildani]

Brilliant, just brilliant! Insert clapping hands GIF dude. 

Edited May 7, 2018 by Sildani

[IamChris]

awesome work Tage !

[wmkjr]

Awesome work.  And Swwwinnngggs!

[valhary]

nice!!!

[kajnrig]

So... Preorder when?

[Tage]

Thanks Guys! glad you like! 

And hah @arbit yeah I think i have lost most of my accent. Some end of sentences still go up at the end sometimes though haha. And also I think i'm generally unreasonably passionate about Macross in general hahaha.

Right, on to the next project then. :-)

[Shizuka the Cat]

How much would you say building the thing cost you, @Tage?

[Tage]

On 08/05/2018 at 2:55 PM, Shizuka the Cat said:

How much would you say building the thing cost you

oh man... Getting the initial S.H.E. Kit... another 1/144 VF-5000 kit that actually had a fast pack i could reference more easily... about 3 and a half test prints as this being my first one of these sort of things... paint... bought a new air brush and extractor fan (probably doesn't count, but still sorta does) I'm probably looking at bordering £1000 if i'm tallying it up properly if i'm being honest. Some where around there I reckon. Of course would have been less if i wasn't such a newb learning on the go and didn't mess up certain things on my first few test prints. But it's all part of it. 

[M'Kyuun]

Just discovered this thread yesterday, did some reading throughout and watched the video. Not only is the fruit of your two years an amazing bit of work, but learning the CAD, the processes of getting the parts made, and all the in-between stuff are all impressive accomplishments in and of themselves. You're doing what many of us only dream of doing, and my hat is humbly off to you, sir. I struggle to do simple stuff with vector graphics, so something like this seems as far off to me as taking a leisurely stroll around the Sea of Tranquility. It's a fine accomplishment, Tage.

The engineering on this is rather complex, and it's not just the obvious stuff, like linkages, swivel points, etc, but stuff like the bits in the wing gloves to keep the wings in place in battroid- the stuff you don't see, but is necessary. I've built a few transforming mecha with LEGO, so I understand the importance of that sort of thing. Impressive work, certainly on par with what we see in many of the official toys/models.

If you're looking for new subject, one that's never been attempted by anyone thus far, at least in a fully transformable format, I'd suggest the Variable Glaug. It's one of my personal Holy Grail Macross designs that I'd love to have on my shelf as an official toy, but I'd be content just to see someone produce a working model of the thing.

[Tage]

Ah thanks M'Kuun! That's really made my day! There was a couple points in the process where i was honestly was thinking I should really just make this a non-transforming plane model and leave it at that. But actually trying to keep semi-weekly updates on here really helped the process i found. Like a Diary of sorts. Plus getting loads of help when things went wrong (you know who you are)

And man yeah i really do love the Variable Glaug. It's just so unique but still has a very old school/original Macross vibe in its Glaug-i-ness if you know what i mean. But yeah that would be a real challenge. 

I'd love to see your lego work. I saw that guy's work that did the lego YF-21 recently. Almost Super Deformed in proportions but not quite, but still was really just amazing. The rest of that person's work on their Tumblr or Flicr (can't remember where the deep dive internet search took me) was properly good. 

Thanks again, chat soon.

[M'Kyuun]

Well, I'm glad, and I'm sure you're really glad, that you stuck with it. You've got a homemade rarity as far as Macross mecha go; the VF-5000 is one of those designs I think we as a community of Macross fans and toy collectors would love to have on our shelves, but neither Arcadia nor Bandai have given any indication of producing it. I believe Experten's lovely little model is the only version that has ever been made available for purchase, and only under limited license at certain events in Japan. (If I'm wrong about that, someone correct me, please.) So yeah, you've definitely created something unique.

I've long thought the Variable Glaug was a pretty sweet looking, yet undersung, design. I get your meaning about its Glauginess. I think it's absolutely brilliant how Kawamori went back and took two old non-transforming designs, the Monster and the Glaug, and redesigned them to transform. Guy just has an amazing imagination and a particular genius for making brilliant transforming designs while maintaining a real-world believability about them. It's one of the most appealing aspects of Macross designs.

Before I toot my horn (I toot humbly, as I'm a mediocre builder. I know some remarkable builders (Brian Cooper, Shawn Snyder, Mark Neumann, just to name a few) in whose shadows I'm happy to bask. There are plenty more who post, including Adrian Rodriguez (https://www.flickr.com/photos/kuyaaids/), whose LEGO Macross designs, although chibi-ish, are functional, and instantly recognizable to those in the know, and whose recent YF-21 I linked in the LEGO thread on these forums. I thought it rather apropos.

My stuff can be found here https://www.flickr.com/photos/95379588@N08/

Keep your expectations low, and enjoy. Cheers!

[wmkjr]

I believe Tage said he got the Studio Halfeye VF-5000 kit and upscaled it via Sketchup. 

[David Hingtgen]

I haven't checked into this thread for a while, but picked a good time to do so---it's done!  (and in the best VF-5000 paint scheme, too)