captain america Posted April 2 Posted April 2 A happy belated Easter to you all, and I hope you had the opportunity to get some much-needed R&R. As some of you may know, 2024 marks the 20th anniversary of Moscato Hobby Models! To celebrate this milestone, I would like to propose the next original build project for your consideration in 1/48 scale, I call it TANKU-ROBO (AKA SOUTHERN CROSS SPARTAS/Veritech Hovertank). The kit would have the following features: -built in accordance with original, primary visual source material -integrated (free-pose) ball-joint system -aftermarket round hands included -two different head options -may be built in any one of three modes (not directly transformable!) -pilot figure included In order for this project to go ahead, I need a minimum of 30 orders, non-negotiable. Please read the following carefully. If you are interested in getting this model, send me a PRIVATE message. Posting in the comments will NOT be construed as interest. Kit price for the first thirty: $390 Canadian dollars Kit price > 30: $415 Canadian dollars Shipping will be calculated and collected once the kits are closer to completion. There will be a standard shipping price for the US and Canada, while international shipping will be calculated based on destination and order size. You have until April 19th (inclusive) to place your order. If I fail to get the requisite orders by that date, I will simply refund everyone and move to another project—this is a one time offer! With regards to shipping: I will try to give you at least a one-week heads up before I collect, and a 2 week grace period to allow you to make payment. If you fail to make your shipping payment within the allotted time, your kit payment will be refunded. If you then decide to re-order, you will be charged the >30 price along with shipping. Go!! Quote
tekering Posted April 3 Posted April 3 9 hours ago, captain america said: -two different head options -may be built in any one of three modes In that case, I'll claim four slots myself. 😎 At less than $300 USD, I'm sure the remaining slots will be filled quickly. For a once-in-a-lifetime chance like this, it's a great deal! Quote
Convectuoso Posted April 3 Posted April 3 I've already claimed one spot. I hope more people is interested on this Quote
tekering Posted April 3 Posted April 3 5 hours ago, Convectuoso said: I hope more people is interested on this Help spread the word, then! Let's use the power of social media to ensure the market is properly informed. Quote
Convectuoso Posted April 3 Posted April 3 1 hour ago, tekering said: Help spread the word, then! Let's use the power of social media to ensure the market is properly informed. That's what I'm doing. Sharing with all my modeller friends Quote
Boobytrap Posted April 3 Posted April 3 I've claimed 2 spots. It'll be a chunk of change with everything else that seems to be hitting my account at the moment but there's no way I am missing this! Quote
captain america Posted April 3 Author Posted April 3 Whoa! 20 in the first day!! Keep it up, guys! Quote
CoryHolmes Posted April 3 Posted April 3 (edited) Mere words don't suffice to articulate how I feel about this. A picture is worth a thousand words, so... *ahem* After all that inarticulate screeching of joy, you can put me down for 2 kits. Possibly 3, depending on how things go but I'm good for 2! This isn't quite my birthday, but it sure does feel like it! Edited April 3 by CoryHolmes Quote
Protoman Posted April 4 Posted April 4 Damn. I'm going to go in for one. It's a little smaller than I would have liked for my collection but at this point 1.) Beggars can't be choosers. 2.) Who knows if and when someone else will step in. Quote
Major Tom Posted April 4 Posted April 4 (edited) Put me down for 2 Tanku Cap Edited April 4 by Major Tom Quote
CoryHolmes Posted April 4 Posted April 4 I'm a dum-dum who was so excited that he didn't read the post all the way through. PM sent with my requests, Captain! Quote
captain america Posted April 4 Author Posted April 4 MIND: BLOWN! Demand for the 1/48 TANKU-ROBO has exceeded the first run in just 48 hours! Payment requests are sent out to all those whose email is on file. The speed at which you respond to the payment request will determine whether you end up in the First 30 group, or the >30 group. Quote
MKT Posted April 5 Posted April 5 Didn't order one, as I have no modelling skills.. but can't help feeling excited for folks who have ordered; it's been a most requested item for very long time. Congrats to @captain america for the good response. Quote
CoryHolmes Posted April 6 Posted April 6 And to think that you've doubted me all this time when I said there was demand for quality Southern Cross mecha 😁 Quote
tekering Posted April 7 Posted April 7 7 hours ago, CoryHolmes said: I said there was demand for quality Southern Cross mecha 😁 Yeah, but you had no way to prove it, since quality Southern Cross mecha was never available to the market. Before the Bio-Lloyds, all we had was a poorly-sculpted vintage kit, a couple half-assed Matchbox toys, and a few Spartas 3D-printed prototypes that weren't good enough to make it to production. Ironically enough, the great Dyson Max had already proven an anime-accurate Spartas figure could be produced (as long as it didn't transform). I would've bought a 3D printer just to make one of my own, if only he'd provided .stl files... but at least @captain america can use his model for reference. 🙂 Quote
Tober Posted April 7 Posted April 7 Heya Capt. do you know if Return 2 Kit Form will be importing these to Australia? I might be interested in a few, but shipping... blah! Quote
CoryHolmes Posted April 7 Posted April 7 2 hours ago, tekering said: Yeah, but you had no way to prove it, since quality Southern Cross mecha was never available to the market. Before the Bio-Lloyds, all we had was a poorly-sculpted vintage kit, a couple half-assed Matchbox toys, and a few Spartas 3D-printed prototypes that weren't good enough to make it to production. Ironically enough, the great Dyson Max had already proven an anime-accurate Spartas figure could be produced (as long as it didn't transform). I would've bought a 3D printer just to make one of my own, if only he'd provided .stl files... but at least @captain america can use his model for reference. 🙂 Oh, hush you. You can take your stoopid "reality" and "facts" and eject them out the ship Among Us style! Quote
captain america Posted April 8 Author Posted April 8 On 4/7/2024 at 2:39 AM, Tober said: Heya Capt. do you know if Return 2 Kit Form will be importing these to Australia? I might be interested in a few, but shipping... blah! Sadly, no. Australian import fees made the distribution for my kits untenable. Quote
captain america Posted April 8 Author Posted April 8 (edited) 2 spots remain open for the first 30. Orders 31 and up will see the price changed to $415 CAD + shipping. The first run of 30 is locked-up. Edited April 8 by captain america Quote
captain america Posted April 9 Author Posted April 9 (edited) The 1/48 TANKU-ROBO project is going ahead. Edited April 9 by captain america Quote
captain america Posted April 17 Author Posted April 17 Hey guys! I've been hard at work drafting the diagrams for TANKU-ROBO, and it's going well--VERY well! Because this is a quasi-transformable mecha, it obviously poses some extra engineering challenges, but that only makes it more interesting. I have overcome most of the hurdles and will have a proper update next week. In the meantime, I have a request: can anyone take this file and print it out for me in 1/48 scale? It needs to be: -ultra-fine resolution -1/48 scale (can specify max dimensions for you) -no display base required If you have a printer and are so inclined, send me a private message with your fees and timetable, thank you! The file in question: https://cults3d.com/en/3d-model/various/asiento-y-piloto-de-spartan-hovertank-robotech Quote
tekering Posted April 18 Posted April 18 13 hours ago, captain america said: Because this is a quasi-transformable mecha, it obviously poses some extra engineering challenges And because it's an Ammonite design, there's a lot of guesswork involved in parsing out the details. Incidentally, will the alternate head be for a Sergeant/NCO or Corporal/Private? Quote
captain america Posted April 18 Author Posted April 18 (edited) Hey Ted. My intention was to make the Sergeant head as the alternate. This way, if someone wants the Private model, they can simply remove the crest and putty over the ear flaps. Edited April 18 by captain america Quote
Boobytrap Posted April 18 Posted April 18 Looking at the picture from Ted I kinda (ok, more than kinda) want the one with bunny ears :D. Pretty sure I'll modify one of the extra heads as a swap out to do just that. Quote
tekering Posted April 18 Posted April 18 6 hours ago, captain america said: if someone wants the Private model, they can simply remove the crest and putty over the ear flaps. Excellent! I'll definitely be doing that. 33 minutes ago, Boobytrap said: I kinda (ok, more than kinda) want the one with bunny ears :D. I definitely won't be doing that. 😅 Quote
Boobytrap Posted April 19 Posted April 19 2 hours ago, tekering said: I definitely won't be doing that. 😅 Oh you're no fun If you are still getting 4 kits then what else are you going to do with the all those extras in your parts bin. May as well have a laugh at some of the ridiculousness in this show. Quote
tekering Posted April 19 Posted April 19 3 hours ago, Boobytrap said: what else are you going to do with the all those extras in your parts bin True... I suppose I can't argue with that. Embrace the absurdity! Quote
captain america Posted April 25 Author Posted April 25 Captain's log: Thurday, April 25, 2024. Work on the 1/48 TANKU-ROBO has begun and is off to an excellent start. I had actually done some drafting a couple of months ago on my private time, just to see if there were any irreconcilable geometry problems. My biggest concern was for the Sniping Clapper mode, hereafter Transport mode because many renderings had an absurdly thick and clumsy profile: nowhere near the more flat and uniform appearance we see in the animation. Either there was a significant problem in the fundamental geometry, or these guys weren't trying very hard. I'm happy to tell you it's the latter, but with a caveat. I was able to get a flatter profile because I opted to incorporate collapsing panels in strategic areas. That is to say, certain modules are hinged and can be made more compact in certain modes. This is actually quite feasible in a toy like the old Matchbox Hovertank because it's large and offers more breathing room for screws, joint reinforcements, etc. In 1/48 scale, the geometry is still sound, but due to the smaller size, sturdiness and playability would be greatly sacrificed: bad news for toy designers, but not a factor for a display model! As you can see in images 1-4, I was able to get Transport mode very flat and elegant without sacrificing the other modes, and without cheating! 004.HEIC003.HEIC002.HEIC001.HEIC With the drafting process now largely done, I can begin proper construction. Pic 05 shows the basics: a pile of modelling board chunks, some analog calipers, a ruler, and of course the plots. 005.HEIC Pic 06: I need to cut some of the modelling board into more manageable pieces, so under the band saw it goes. 006.HEIC Pic 07: with every cut of the band saw comes a rough, uneven texture left by the blade, so those pieces are then milled flat. 07.HEIC Pic 08: in order to achieve precise results, precision must be maintained at every step of the construction process. If I allowed deviation to occur at this early stage, the end result would be a sloppy, irregular mess! 008.HEIC Pic 09: now that I have a few decent blocks to work with, I begin the tedious process of cutting out my paper patterns, which will guide my construction. 009.HEIC Pic 10: as a bonus, I thought I'd show you some of the cutting tools I use on the milling machine. On the far left is the faced-end mill: I use this for creating flats over larger surfaces. It does the same work as a regular mill shank (second-from-the-left) but does it much quicker. Then comes a large bull-nose cutter. The many cutting edges denote this to be used for fine cutting. It differs from the smaller bull-nose flute in that despite being small, it has fewer knife edges, meaning it can remove more material more quickly. The last two are smaller, square end cutters which I use for detailing. Sometimes removing too much excess material can cause a part to crack, so these are used for fine work in sensitive areas. 010.HEIC Pic 11: with certain blocks which are too thin and awkward to hold in the milling vise, I use my trusty drill press with a sharpening stone as an improvised end-mill. When using this method, I usually only have to remove a millimeter or less, and it does so very effectively, with the drawback being lots of fine dust. 011.HEIC That covers the progress for this week. Things should start getting more interesting in the next update, when you'll start to see some (almost) recognizable shapes, so stay tuned! Quote
captain america Posted May 2 Author Posted May 2 @everyone Captain's log: Thurday, May 2nd, 2024. Work on the 1/48 Tanku-Robo project proceeds! In pic 12, you see the paper patterns affixed to some prepped blocks of modelling board, just waiting to be sculpted into shape. 012.HEIC *Pic 13: under the band saw go the blocks. I avoid cutting too close, because the blade is known to bend and can create warped cuts. Rather, I proceed by removing the large stuff first, and leave at least 1mm if clearance all around. The excess will be removed in another operation.013.HEIC *Pic 14: here I've CA glued some cast resin cylinders together to help in the machining process. The jaws of the lathe chuck need a minimum amount of surface to grab on to, so this is my solution. This is just one of the things you can't do with metal! 014.HEIC *Pic 15: once the CA glue has set, I can now (carefully) turn the part. 015.HEIC *Pic 16: Now in the mill, I'm using it as an improvised drill press. The holes I've bored out represent the hinge points for the lower knee joint, as well as for various armor bits. The holes go all the way through, so I get perfect left/right symmetry. 016.HEIC *Pic 17: some of the shapes previously trimmed on the band saw undergoing the milling process to remove the last bit of excess. With the mill, I can go right to the paper line and get perfectly flat shapes. 017.HEIC *Pic 18: some parts, like the thighs, need to be rounded. Here I'm finishing the shaping with a manual sanding block, though I took this part to the bench grinder first. 018.HEIC *Pic 19: the front upper hull of the hovercraft is seen here. I decided to cobble it together from various other parts because of its complexity. In **pic 20, you see what the underside looks like, as I wait for the glue to dry. 019.HEIC020.HEIC *Pic 21: I now proceed to remove the excess material on the band saw. 021.HEIC *Pic 22: next, I take the part to the grinder to get that perfectly vertical, curved outer shape. Once again, I take my time here, as removing too much can be very costly! 022.HEIC *Pic 23: Same part, now having some cut-outs machined. 023.HEIC *Pic 24: here I've created the upper, secondary shape and make sure everything ligns up before I continue carving.024.HEIC *Pic 25: Once all the shapes are satisfactory in their squareness, I can begin implementing some hand-sanding to bring out just the right curvature.025.HEIC *Pic 26: Still not done, but now much more recognizable!026.HEIC My apologies for the slow progress: this mecha, by virtue of its variable geometry, is made up of many, many small parts and they require lots of time to shape properly. The model is actually more advanced than I'm showing you now, because I want to save that for next week. A fellow MWer is currently working on the modeling of the pilot figure, and what he's doing so far looks excellent! Stay tuned for a very cool update coming next week! Quote
505thAirborne Posted May 2 Posted May 2 Is anyone else unable to see the pictures @captain america is posting? Quote
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