PLAMAX 1/72 VF-1 Valkyrie

[Bolt]

Thanks for sharing @kajnrig !

[Urashiman]

6 hours ago, kajnrig said:

Ask and ye shall receive. Behold, in all its yellow stripy glory:

That tail sticker is already dangling by a thread after 5 days of sitting in the box. Yikes.

Unfortunately, I think that's it for now from me. This was supposed to be just a quick test fit for now so I could get a sense of how the kit builds before getting back to another project that's consuming my time - the 1/72 "Rodams RAS-40" GP04 (major pain in the butt, highly NOT recommended, best to do your LED wiring if you absolutely must have it). After seeing it wouldn't hold together on its own, I made what I now realize is the mistake of deciding to sticker the kit as I go. Now I'm gonna have to carefully remove said stickers and basically start the build over, for real this time.

 

Oh well. Lesson learned.  Into the box it goes for now.

I will say, with regards to the kit, I like the overall shapes of everything. I'm still a bit too used to the Hasegawa shape - a bit fuller overall - but the slimmer look isn't bad. I dare say, though, the tail fins are maybe too vertical and could stand to be canted a bit more.

Anyway, that's enough rambling from me. Hope everyone else is having fun with this kit.

 

Ahahaha! Oh man - I do that quick strip with masking tape as well, just to check how far I can break the kit down into building groups for better airbrushing and decal applying

 

And yes - putting lights into your kits is a churning task.... so many kits ended up in the trash.

[pengbuzz]

Wow...those tail stickers are just embarrassing!!

[Bolt]

Those tail stickers are right out of Bandai's HG playbook. 

[Urashiman]

Yay, mine came today. Finally!

[pengbuzz]

6 hours ago, Urashiman said:

Yay, mine came today. Finally!

One thing I would do is to scan the sticker sheet and print it onto decal paper.

[Big s]

1 hour ago, pengbuzz said:

One thing I would do is to scan the sticker sheet and print it onto decal paper.

Are you good that? 
just seeing who here is in case I need to hit someone up for services. These kits look great, but I don’t think they’re planning aftermarket decals the way Bandai does.

[pengbuzz]

2 hours ago, Big s said:

Are you good that? 
just seeing who here is in case I need to hit someone up for services. These kits look great, but I don’t think they’re planning aftermarket decals the way Bandai does.

I do it quite a bit, but I don't have an ALPS printer (one that can print in white). As for my regular printer, I'm so low on ink, just printing stuff on draft is coming out all lines.

@Anasazi37 would be the one to talk to, but last I checked, he's backed up and ALPS carts are rarer than hens' teeth about now. Also not sure if his is even working, but you can try asking him.

[Urashiman]

5 hours ago, pengbuzz said:

One thing I would do is to scan the sticker sheet and print it onto decal paper.

Nah ... I am good. Got a set of 2009 Minmay Macross the First water slide decals to use with that VF-1

[Anasazi37]

On 12/9/2022 at 2:42 AM, pengbuzz said:

I do it quite a bit, but I don't have an ALPS printer (one that can print in white). As for my regular printer, I'm so low on ink, just printing stuff on draft is coming out all lines.

@Anasazi37 would be the one to talk to, but last I checked, he's backed up and ALPS carts are rarer than hens' teeth about now. Also not sure if his is even working, but you can try asking him.

Yep, I'm backed up and every time I use my printer I'm gambling that it won't break. Had a very close call recently, but was able to repair it. A replacement printer, like the ink cartridges, has to be imported from Japan. Really expensive, even with the strong dollar these days.

[pengbuzz]

6 minutes ago, Anasazi37 said:

Yep, I'm backed up and every time I use my printer I'm gambling that it won't break. Had a very close call recently, but was able to repair it. A replacement printer, like the ink cartridges, has to be imported from Japan. Really expensive, even with the strong dollar these days.

I looked up replacement parts just on a lark on Picclick.com (ebay aggregate site); dunno if any of this is useful, but I thought I'd take a look for ya:

https://picclick.com/?q=alps+printer+parts

[Anasazi37]

3 hours ago, pengbuzz said:

I looked up replacement parts just on a lark on Picclick.com (ebay aggregate site); dunno if any of this is useful, but I thought I'd take a look for ya:

https://picclick.com/?q=alps+printer+parts

Appreciate the gesture. Part of owning an ALPS printer is having a large list of links to stores, auction sites, etc. for replacement parts and ink cartridges. Feels a lot like maintaining a classic car, but way more niche.

[Thom]

On 12/9/2022 at 2:04 AM, Big s said:

Are you good that? 
just seeing who here is in case I need to hit someone up for services. These kits look great, but I don’t think they’re planning aftermarket decals the way Bandai does.

 

On 12/9/2022 at 4:42 AM, pengbuzz said:

I do it quite a bit, but I don't have an ALPS printer (one that can print in white). As for my regular printer, I'm so low on ink, just printing stuff on draft is coming out all lines.

@Anasazi37 would be the one to talk to, but last I checked, he's backed up and ALPS carts are rarer than hens' teeth about now. Also not sure if his is even working, but you can try asking him.

If you don't have a printer that prints in white, you could use white decal paper.

[Anasazi37]

11 minutes ago, Thom said:

 

If you don't have a printer that prints in white, you could use white decal paper.

That is always an option, but generally only works for simple geometric designs where you can very carefully trim away the excess film before application. You also have to be okay with a white background on everything. Another semi-popular option is getting white toner for a laser printer, which allows you to create designs like the white "UN SPACY" text on clear paper. I've seen some people use white toner to print what I would call the "background layer" in ALPS, which consists of all-white versions of each design, and then they print the regular color layer. That is done on different sheets of paper, so you would first apply the white decal and then the color one on top of it. You have to do that because if you try to take the white-printed sheet and run it through the printer again to put color on top of it, which is how ALPS works, the results are terrible. You need very precise layer registration to pull it off, which can only be done by a printer that hangs onto the sheet for both print runs. The only "affordable" printer that can do it is ALPS. Everything else is high-end commercial and extremely pricey. If you can find a commercial printing service that is willing to do one-off or small batch runs of a sheet for a reasonable price, that's awesome. There might be a few out there.

[Bolt]

Models like this , aside from our ongoing customs, illustrate the ongoing demand for a good quality and reliable printing solution..I know I'm just talking into the wind, but why hasn't this technology gotten cheaper and easier.? 

[pengbuzz]

18 hours ago, Anasazi37 said:

Appreciate the gesture. Part of owning an ALPS printer is having a large list of links to stores, auction sites, etc. for replacement parts and ink cartridges. Feels a lot like maintaining a classic car, but way more niche.

Yeah, I kinda figured you had a list of resources; I found picclicks to find stuff on ebay that may not normally show on searches. Thought it was worth a shout, ya know?

[Anasazi37]

2 hours ago, Bolt said:

Models like this , aside from our ongoing customs, illustrate the ongoing demand for a good quality and reliable printing solution..I know I'm just talking into the wind, but why hasn't this technology gotten cheaper and easier.? 

I get the feeling that the commercial options have become more affordable and easier to use, which has led to things like on-demand t-shirt printing sites and all sorts of other custom merchandise (mugs, stickers, etc.), but the technology is still out of reach of hobbyists. My best guess is that the technology could be scaled down to an affordable desktop option, but then the manufacturers would have to convince consumers that they need it. Since most white+color printing needs can be taken care of by the on-demand sites, that leaves niche communities, like ones who print decals, out in the cold. Just my $0.02 on the topic. It's frustrating.

[Big s]

I felt the need for a decal service a while back when Bandai was the only one doing stickers, but there were plenty of easy to find decal sets for the kits that didn’t have an official aftermarket set. But I don’t see the same places offering for these Macross kits from max factory. I haven’t even seen them for the larger kits that have been available for a while 

[Convectuoso]

[Bolt]

I really like the head sculpt. But don't care for those big anime hands in proportion to the overall size. They especially make the gun pod look tiny. 

[Big s]

I like the big hands. It reminds me of all those old model boxes where they show big expressive hands. The gunpod does look a bit thin in some angles though, maybe when it gets some color it might look a bit different 

[KOG Water Dragon]

I think the hands are just a tad too big. Nice style, and yes reminiscent of the old box arts, but still... just a fraction too big.

[Big s]

4 hours ago, KOG Water Dragon said:

I think the hands are just a tad too big. Nice style, and yes reminiscent of the old box arts, but still... just a fraction too big.

When I was a kid the show would be on tv, but the only thing I had as a reference to how things would look were those model kit boxes.we didn’t have a good vcr for recording and I didn’t have access to any line art, so those pained pictures were it. That’s probably why these hands don’t bother me. They’re so big that there’s no possible way they could be stuffed into the forearm, but from years of staring at those boxes, it just seems like that’s how it should be.

[KOG Water Dragon]

28 minutes ago, Big s said:

When I was a kid the show would be on tv, but the only thing I had as a reference to how things would look were those model kit boxes.we didn’t have a good vcr for recording and I didn’t have access to any line art, so those pained pictures were it. That’s probably why these hands don’t bother me. They’re so big that there’s no possible way they could be stuffed into the forearm, but from years of staring at those boxes, it just seems like that’s how it should be.

I was a kid when the show was on TV, too. Born in '78. And I had a lot of those old kits. I just think this new kit's hands surpass even what was seen on those old box arts. If it looked like the old box art, I'd be happy.

[Big s]

The Arii kits unfortunately were far easier to find at my local hobby shops when I was younger big grabbers on those boxes. The imai kits were more of a rarity for me before Bandai rereleased them

[Urashiman]

5 hours ago, Big s said:

The Arii kits unfortunately were far easier to find at my local hobby shops when I was younger big grabbers on those boxes. The imai kits were more of a rarity for me before Bandai rereleased them

My first VF-1 was Arii as well, with a little beach suit minmay as well

[MechTech]

I'm late to the party, but I TOTALLY have to agree with @Duymon 's comment on the boxart. It just needs the Airfix log to be an Airfix box!

[lechuck]

On 12/22/2022 at 4:15 AM, Convectuoso said:

Look great, this Battroid feels "back to the roots" with its utilitarian compactness. Dare I say probably the best looking amongst all the current toy and model kit options.

[Big s]

1 hour ago, lechuck said:

Look great, this Battroid feels "back to the roots" with its utilitarian compactness. Dare I say probably the best looking amongst all the current toy and model kit options.

I’m with you there. I’m surprised they didn’t make a compromise to make it match the fighter. I like the hasegawa and that they tried the more real robot thing, but I prefer this style

[no3Ljm]

[Big s]

Glad they got smart and decided to do a release with waterslide decals 

[pengbuzz]

2 hours ago, Big s said:

Glad they got smart and decided to do a release with waterslide decals 

About time, right? They must have gotten a battlefortressload of complaints!

[Big s]

9 minutes ago, pengbuzz said:

About time, right? They must have gotten a battlefortressload of complaints!

I was thinking the same thing 

[Urashiman]

3 hours ago, Big s said:

Glad they got smart and decided to do a release with waterslide decals 

where does it say that?

[Big s]

1 hour ago, Urashiman said:

where does it say that?

Edited May 9, 2023 by Big s