tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88854102024-03-06T00:39:33.036-06:00The Vortex: Made of Paper, Glue and MagicJNORADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06468066058550857963noreply@blogger.comBlogger214125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8885410.post-57443452533660491302013-04-07T13:25:00.003-06:002013-04-17T16:26:44.067-06:00This Quarter's Project: 1:1 scale M136 AT-4<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This spring's project was an M136 AT-4. This piece accompanies <a href="http://jnorad.blogspot.com/2013/01/completing-morning-rescue.html">Morning Rescue</a> as a set. The goal was to have a rocket launcher that can store items inside, possibly one's lunch during the convention it would be used at. As a result, this program was called a <i>Rocket Luncher</i>, or <i>Morning Breakfast</i>. The launcher was designed for easy transport in mind and ease of assembly: the launcher was a commissioned piece that needed to be mailed out in a relatively nondescript box. I therefore designed the tube to be assembled from three shippable sections that fit in a fairly short box.<br />
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Morning Breakfast started off life as a three inch diameter $7 mailing tube from Office Depot. The tube was sized, then cut down to three sections for easy mailing. The center solid bands are simple connections between the sections. The required diameter was at least 92mm per my estimates, which required me to expand the outer diameter from 78mm. A liberal arrangement of triangular supports made of Magic cards were placed all around the circumference, supporting a four thickness shell of 110lb cardstock which would serve as the actual outer shell. The shells were made in segments where I could attempt to hide the seams with attachment straps.<br />
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The project was designed to replicate as many of the features of the AT-4 in storage and ready to fire conditions. The goal was to add folding sights, cocking lever, safety and firing switches. The main issue was the lack of decent reference material, as I have no actual model to copy the dimensions from and the photos out there are questionable at best for scaling.<br />
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The folding sights were difficult to approximate dimensions for. I did manage to find an expired auction listing intact spare sights that I could easily copy the dimensions for. The center aperature on the rear sights are 2mm and 7mm per the manual I found circulated, which allowed me to determine the remainder of the dimensions. These were liberally constructed with Magic cards and some stiffened tubes with super glue and 110lb cardstock.<br />
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The sights fold neatly between the storage compartment's rails, which would eventually be protected by a slip cover. The rails were stiffened by bamboo sticks, so they would not shear apart during use. The front sight is approximately the same as this assembly, but with smaller pins for retaining the sights.<br />
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The housing for the firing lever was the most difficult to replicate. My approximations are sufficient, but could be done better if I had access to a real copy. The parts were freehanded, then transferred to a template which I could then shape and minimize seams. <br />
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The shutters for the sights were simplified to reduce the amount of work required; the curves were approximated with straight edges that I smoothed (not really) out. The rail was stiffened with a trimmed bamboo stick approximately 2mm wide. The shutter was made of an upper and lower half, both stiffened with a healthy heap of Magic cards. Both were sandwiched together afterwards.<br />
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After both shutters were built, the details were done with laminated 110lb cardstock. The letters were crudely drawn and cut, so the (useless) instructions on the covers would stick out after a coat of paint. One sloppy test coat later, and the results were mediocre. <br />
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The shoulder rest was another element that was difficult to approximate dimensions for, until I realized that the lines match with specific portions of the octagonal muzzle cover and ends. That made copying it easy. It started off as a hollow 110lb cardstock shell, reinforced with two layers of Magic cards, then an array of 110lb cardstock tubes so it would not collapse when subjected to any force. The strap was made using a cheap wire picture frame I found at a Wal-Mart, and secured with a nylon webbing with a Size 24 snap fastener. <br />
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After a vigorous painting, I secured the elements in place with straps, approximately how they'd be on a real AT-4. Whether I did that remotely close to the real model is anyone's guess. <br />
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The rear exhaust port still has the end cap from the mailing tube in place for storage. I didn't bother painting that black to mask it. The safety pin was made from a paper clip. All the bolts on the end section are actual bolts, adding a bit of weight to the overall model, but were easier to buy than build approximations for.<br />
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The springs for the red safety lever and the folding sights were taken from some hair clips bought at a dollar store, and bent to fit. As a result, the safety lever can be held down, and the flip up sights actually flip up.<br />
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Pulling the sight covers back (and ignoring the instructions to "Press" ), the sights pop up. <br />
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The cocking lever slides somewhat freely, and the firing switch is spring loaded to allow for maniacal button pressing.<br />
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The overall costs for developing and building the AT-4 were fairly low, but annoying. The plans are not refined, and therefore will not be shared unless there's enough demand for it (which from this blog, means they'll never be released). I don't plan to label the launcher, as this needs to be shipped out fairly soon and I'd need to design all the graphics for the instructions with my mediocre graphics processing skills.JNORADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06468066058550857963noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8885410.post-90340421984545768542013-01-13T11:42:00.001-06:002013-01-13T11:42:57.821-06:00Completing Morning RescueWell, that was a terrible 7 months. Here's the latest update: <br />
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<i>Mission Accomplished. </i></div>
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So, I've clearly failed in item #2 of my <a href="http://jnorad.blogspot.com/2012/05/this-months-progress-morning-rescue.html">original plans</a>. No shutters for me. I decided to give up on making the impossible possible, and cut my losses. <br />
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The two sand reservoirs required a clear domed structure which I did not have any means of fabricating. A trip to a <i>Michaels</i> yielded <a href="http://www.amazon.com/DaMert-Company-793910-Spectra-Light/dp/B000F4I33W">this peculiar item (also purchasable off Amazon, apparently, if you want one)</a>. Looks like a portable epilepsy inducer. I bought it and destroyed the item, saving some children from a cruel fate, and netted some components in the process. Turns out the covering splits in half and is the perfect size for the reservoirs. Now, to build a structure to hold the domes in place on the shield. <br />
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Build two of these and we're set. <br />
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I sealed the open sides with a piece of plastic card sleeve, to form what looks like a terrible Diablo health icon at 70% HP. I may have put more sand than I'd like.<br />
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In order to make the little channels of sand that "flow" from the sand reservoirs, I decided to try molding them. Easiest way was to cut a template in cardboard, overlay one sheet from a toploader sleeve, and melt it into shape with the tip of a hot glue gun. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBSzWP7_LceMqs0L6wKWRaCMSRyup0ZJtX6XH9oK5pZ8cy2IIPP5QZCDq1WgR6ag2XqwIMYvfH5_rm56_hRICWqrf0hAuI6ApHLZC8T_aXaurSfRvhaP4Lsv9TqbuwyBypyt7zrg/s1600/moldings.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBSzWP7_LceMqs0L6wKWRaCMSRyup0ZJtX6XH9oK5pZ8cy2IIPP5QZCDq1WgR6ag2XqwIMYvfH5_rm56_hRICWqrf0hAuI6ApHLZC8T_aXaurSfRvhaP4Lsv9TqbuwyBypyt7zrg/s320/moldings.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
That yielded some weird shapes that were damn near impossible to seal with sand. But they sure fit well.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR30bcnNi7934psaodxggfCLFeDxNN5oq3cnv9JMUzcqMOjtzc6tWmZt0vwVbFyddvcY36jmJb7EER3ZKQRzdB9PP_TnR0TLt9xn24tAMsm1chvdmVDSguF5JtWvSf7Oa5iGnV6w/s1600/MR001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR30bcnNi7934psaodxggfCLFeDxNN5oq3cnv9JMUzcqMOjtzc6tWmZt0vwVbFyddvcY36jmJb7EER3ZKQRzdB9PP_TnR0TLt9xn24tAMsm1chvdmVDSguF5JtWvSf7Oa5iGnV6w/s320/MR001.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
I did manage to fill the parts with sand, and seal them up by sandwiching a ton of sand and hot gluing the space between the part and another sheet with copious amounts of glue. Then I tacked them onto the reservoir housings. They added a negligible amount of height but I could have compensated earlier by trimming down the housing heights.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixj7APfR5WTNQGH-f9gQbPTFax4ibSSBhoQzK3A6RNk90jDx5H3tu0sUO4xNFsoHda-1Qo4oUYwZKOgB013cfomHTV-OKBN7tiR_HWXc-KZ7RP8x3xJA-tCnIPN9rhRInp40oGyQ/s1600/MR003.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixj7APfR5WTNQGH-f9gQbPTFax4ibSSBhoQzK3A6RNk90jDx5H3tu0sUO4xNFsoHda-1Qo4oUYwZKOgB013cfomHTV-OKBN7tiR_HWXc-KZ7RP8x3xJA-tCnIPN9rhRInp40oGyQ/s320/MR003.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
The end goal is a very subtle, raised bubble that does absolutely nothing. You can probably just paint this red if you were lazy, and no one would really notice or care.<br />
<br />
On the subject of painting... time to completely ruin my work by a lackluster paint job, a signature of every project I do. I used Krylon's satin finish nickel to do the outer components, and smeared a glob of horrendous red/silver mix all over the center for a metallic lavender. I made sure to use a pipe cleaner to spread some silver unevenly all over the center housing and outer rings for that extra "1st grade look", because nothing says winner like a grinning child who shat himself. <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZxNqyMXa2doboppdlOADTtMygNmdd_kVlo_kVTL8PVXKfi3uF5U_1UzXdS1ZMlGkvct_8TRTLhSBVEpMNnB0yDSfkm8bE9S4fOaHY_EJXekD2CzMMBSF_vdGU5j6WfULJYkkfhw/s1600/MR006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZxNqyMXa2doboppdlOADTtMygNmdd_kVlo_kVTL8PVXKfi3uF5U_1UzXdS1ZMlGkvct_8TRTLhSBVEpMNnB0yDSfkm8bE9S4fOaHY_EJXekD2CzMMBSF_vdGU5j6WfULJYkkfhw/s320/MR006.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div>
And thus Morning Rescue was completed. The project ultimately consumed more cards in development than the actual piece took to build. Probably took under 25 MtG cards for the final construction, and about 50+ for the abomination that never came to light. The plans I used are rough, but probably not good enough for an aspiring cosplayer to make use of. I don't think anyone's dedicated enough to machine their own gears out of cards anyways. JNORADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06468066058550857963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8885410.post-30719939987691006892012-05-27T20:38:00.001-06:002012-05-27T20:38:06.695-06:00This Month's Progress: MORNING RESCUEThree weeks have passed. What have I built and learned about Homura's Time Shield? I learned that no amount of <span id="goog_51026618"></span><i><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PD-_oLjmCGY">Morning Rescue</a><span id="goog_51026619"></span></i> can make this go smoother. Here's my current project goals and the resulting mess that ensued:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipdqvcKs0gpT5qwKcgLcxm7LWLH7II3BbWf0Qnlho7AD5Wn7QQYN0XAPE_SezZQoQqsP8QQWTDiLNIDJpQOPUz0xKAXJclpBq1-cTSty1_EcAsVlYBZI4j3j39bt_rDz6cpt6yMw/s1600/MOOORNINGRESCUE-Gearbox.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipdqvcKs0gpT5qwKcgLcxm7LWLH7II3BbWf0Qnlho7AD5Wn7QQYN0XAPE_SezZQoQqsP8QQWTDiLNIDJpQOPUz0xKAXJclpBq1-cTSty1_EcAsVlYBZI4j3j39bt_rDz6cpt6yMw/s400/MOOORNINGRESCUE-Gearbox.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<ol>
<li>Build the most detailed Homura's Time Shield from <i>Puella Magi Madoka Magica</i> out of freakin' Magic: the Gathering cards. Since no one else builds with MtG cards, I'm already a winner. Hooray for shallow goals.</li>
<li>Make the gold shutter covers for the sides open. Not "removable" where you pop them off and lose them during a convention. <b><i>They must open and retract into the shield. </i></b></li>
<li>Add loose sand. No cheating with painting the sand containers red. The sand containers must be spheres and cannot be cheap jello cups or <a href="http://chuongtu.deviantart.com/art/Homura-s-shield-Madoka-263220483">colored gems</a>.</li>
</ol>
With the project goals defined, time to shoot myself in the head with an <a href="http://world.guns.ru/grenade/usa/m136-at4-e.html">AT4</a>. Let's take a look at what I've uncovered during the course of making this.<br />
<br />
<b>Planning and Research</b> <br />
<br />
There's two principles of building this shield: Aesthetically or Accurately. Aesthetically being that with exception of the center gearbox, the shield's features are symmetrical. Accurately being the result of my research into the actual shield itself: as close to the anime concept/production art as possible. Interestingly, you cannot have both. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkZF70ZOc_W-R08gRPWo5W4JeyjyxZR0XI4Qww5tbF3j2-OxGP2Uei3ozVsPr8M5t79oFme9RaWH4XSyAvMxyvywtDRW5gY4g1tqCQPclu0EiVLuVs7p9_-k09Gw69mI7fBGwDOQ/s1600/shieldirregularities.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkZF70ZOc_W-R08gRPWo5W4JeyjyxZR0XI4Qww5tbF3j2-OxGP2Uei3ozVsPr8M5t79oFme9RaWH4XSyAvMxyvywtDRW5gY4g1tqCQPclu0EiVLuVs7p9_-k09Gw69mI7fBGwDOQ/s320/shieldirregularities.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
This
particular screencap highlights asymmetry in the sand flow device. The
green boxes highlight non-uniformity in the teardrop shapes. The red
boxes show where the dimensions differ where the teardrops connect to
the center. One can reasonably argue that this is due to the animator's
decision to not bother making it perfectly symmetric since that would
involve more work. Let's assume that this is a once-of error. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhya4huVxaLHWe95bO-aYPotvfR6-DxMvCYcKcZlFp8xktXoyDxMB-z_rQKb1ul1w_P-27BGgQ8sSQTWPqYKDlBw_AMrjSe9D-wxFYI9vCY1T5j-mFfY1Mm8oMGgfxuaUQVCzy7Nw/s1600/shieldassymetry.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhya4huVxaLHWe95bO-aYPotvfR6-DxMvCYcKcZlFp8xktXoyDxMB-z_rQKb1ul1w_P-27BGgQ8sSQTWPqYKDlBw_AMrjSe9D-wxFYI9vCY1T5j-mFfY1Mm8oMGgfxuaUQVCzy7Nw/s320/shieldassymetry.jpg" width="311" /></a></div>
The
line art/concept art for the shield. However, I've mirrored the half
and shown it in green. Original is red. There's numerous dimensional
differences. These differences also match what was in the screencap. I
was led to believe that this was perhaps the result of sloppy source
material resulting in sloppy details in animation.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzxkhyphenhyphen-2T-IPcadrwMtxS47_gwe55TulXRgbDn1j7ssiw-VfJeDDr9SWD1oiG81Q9mHI9eQ7Qc3Zf7Wm2Iw-x0IfhH_-Y__TXnflKh2VYAg63IF6BZGBfdFVWCOYYDRYpNMpt6cg/s1600/Production_note_in_cover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzxkhyphenhyphen-2T-IPcadrwMtxS47_gwe55TulXRgbDn1j7ssiw-VfJeDDr9SWD1oiG81Q9mHI9eQ7Qc3Zf7Wm2Iw-x0IfhH_-Y__TXnflKh2VYAg63IF6BZGBfdFVWCOYYDRYpNMpt6cg/s320/Production_note_in_cover.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I
was about to do a "corrected" version of the shield, where everything
is symmetrical. Other examples of the time shield did this, since it's
easier to do and looks less odd. However, the final piece of evidence
that led me to proceed with the asymmetrical design was the production
notes sleeve. Brief glance, the cutout is symmetrical. Upon closer
examination, there are subtle signs that the differences were
intentional. It's a lot easier to replicate something that's symmetrical
especially with computers. It takes more effort to make something not.<br />
<br />
<b>Construction</b> <br />
<br />
Compasses are useless. The compass lead is blunt and imprecise. It's easier to draw a circle by making two holes on a strip of paper (equaling the radius), pinning one end to the center, putting a pencil on the other hole, then looping around. It's also reliable since you don't need to adjust the compass each time for repeated passes. So much for buying a compass.<br />
<br />
Building gears teeth-by-teeth by gluing each tooth equally spaced around a cylinder is tedious. Given the alternative of cutting each tooth around a circle, gluing teeth one-by-one is easier. Screw building gears ever again. At least they're decorative and don't need to bear loads.<br />
<br />
My plans focused on making the shield shutters open using gears. Worst idea ever. I do not want to cut gear teeth by hand with a knife. Archimedes did it, but I sure as hell don't want to. Did I abandon the effort to make the shutters open? Nope! After some math, I determined the dimensions to get a four bar linkage going that would open both shutter halves with a small 30 degree turn. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzeHcfw0SncWSaqBOoID4ILnfaSyWa74hdx_E3OEk-qXqWH2cwHnl3BjgbPCrx1thYe-94aqX2y1_5A6kBCllo4DrHlx4Bf3qKT3OLHYUINqdOi-KVdK_9N8vjLehqhNSxBbGWFw/s1600/foobarlinkage.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzeHcfw0SncWSaqBOoID4ILnfaSyWa74hdx_E3OEk-qXqWH2cwHnl3BjgbPCrx1thYe-94aqX2y1_5A6kBCllo4DrHlx4Bf3qKT3OLHYUINqdOi-KVdK_9N8vjLehqhNSxBbGWFw/s400/foobarlinkage.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
The plan is to have the two large rectangles attach to the shutters, then have them open up by rotating the center ring and bar. If it doesn't work, I can always just scrap it, build a static shield, and cry in a corner. My development tests have shown the concept can work; it's just a matter of not screwing it up.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAW2-_SwwRBHSJi9GVieB9BPcQr9KRYDGCiruOXcHe0I7UIrgUUjt4AjXooI1tpZHgN3n-7oWteyWmDw29XLp8ixOVufzN2kgQ8hwW5WkWroh_D_bgm_r7qiyYuLMX8Je1xtRKEg/s1600/shieldcover.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAW2-_SwwRBHSJi9GVieB9BPcQr9KRYDGCiruOXcHe0I7UIrgUUjt4AjXooI1tpZHgN3n-7oWteyWmDw29XLp8ixOVufzN2kgQ8hwW5WkWroh_D_bgm_r7qiyYuLMX8Je1xtRKEg/s400/shieldcover.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Currently, here's where I'm at. The outer ridges were difficult to judge the height of, since the line art and screencaps don't give much depth about any features. I'll consider releasing plans if someone really wants them.<br />
<br />
More progress whenever it comes. Let's hope I succeed. 50 sheep tokens are resting on this.<br />
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<br />JNORADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06468066058550857963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8885410.post-50956262069623444772012-05-06T11:37:00.002-06:002012-05-08T21:21:20.982-06:00Upcoming Plans - May 2012<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEild_cLiB7vMxhamvEmiDD9etieS9QkAmJnxxEBpyKJ0g8L24mxSLAbQtO-4OaoFMnwSoZJh4XAk8f6JKQ1jYK_VU6ySqDG2Av2XDA-xj16U_i30ewzeJDuarTVJlTiSke9SBnjHA/s1600/Plans.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEild_cLiB7vMxhamvEmiDD9etieS9QkAmJnxxEBpyKJ0g8L24mxSLAbQtO-4OaoFMnwSoZJh4XAk8f6JKQ1jYK_VU6ySqDG2Av2XDA-xj16U_i30ewzeJDuarTVJlTiSke9SBnjHA/s400/Plans.JPG" width="400" /> </a><br />
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Upcoming projects: Build the best <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PD-_oLjmCGY">Morning Rescue</a> shield ever.<br />
<br />
Scale: 1:1 <br />
Requested delivery date: August 2013<br />
Target completion date: 3 months<br />
Budget: Sideways 8.<br />
<br />
This project is one of the few commissions I take on: building Homura's time shield from Madoka. My main interests in pursuing this project are building the gear housing, and trying to build something that shouldn't be buildable. I'll also be trying out new building methods in order to manufacture gears. Prototype gears have been built with moderate success. They don't need to function, so there's leeway on gear tooth strength.<br />
<br />
End goals for this project are to have this shield be sturdy for light use, and possibly have the shield's spherical covers open up. Prospects look bad for that second goal. There's not enough design space to work with. Maybe I'll think of something.<br />
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Once the project gets deeper into development, I'll post plans, reference material and notes, assuming it can be completed and that people want them.</div>JNORADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06468066058550857963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8885410.post-40269671865125764632012-04-03T12:57:00.000-06:002012-04-03T12:57:41.186-06:00Miscellaneous part upgrades<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>I've finished up a set of long needed upgrades to address a joint problem: lack of a locking mechanism to retain the pin swivel joints in place. Long overdue, but I now have the tools and tech to pull it off. The main priorities were to upgrade the arms with this new tech, then the legs. <br />
<br />
The mechanism is fairly simple, but annoying to build by hand in multiples. The principle is to use a locking ring clamp around a groove in a pin. The ring must have an opening to behave like a spring, so it widens as the pin passes through, but contracts after the groove reaches the position. The ring should then hold the pin in place but also allow for rotation. Much easier to do with plastic parts than Magic cards and paper clips.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7TaaN0v3oHm9B9Z3vZFOskZNCRP6zNZjsqwq08Dna3-exTStpEk62izAlWUiNvcS79iLed2PSj6aMRDXu_K1feV0J4LXlrcM4x_9dIvbcLRvCv3A5KkMTMzNKPZQYX1B8oy9-Jg/s1600/100_3688.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7TaaN0v3oHm9B9Z3vZFOskZNCRP6zNZjsqwq08Dna3-exTStpEk62izAlWUiNvcS79iLed2PSj6aMRDXu_K1feV0J4LXlrcM4x_9dIvbcLRvCv3A5KkMTMzNKPZQYX1B8oy9-Jg/s320/100_3688.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The main components required are a cylindrical pin, a spherical shape at the top of the pin, a sleeve and a metal ring. The sleeve is comprised of two halves: the lower half that covers the pin, and the upper half that houses the sphere. Between the two halves, the metal locking ring rests, and will lock into the groove created by joining the sphere and pin. For the pins, I used the trusty cube to create 6.35mm diameter pins. The spheres were built using a tapered 90mm long strip of 110lb cardstock rolled around a 3.175mm (1/16") diameter bamboo stick.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNUZITggNtOZw2xM0KuWflzE9sIf8FGjQFLjBUFC_1MVaFML8uVIcPO7wsWC-MHvvKbURZTOSOOUdw5hSbE48PhF7k5gS_xhNX-JLWK1MjuiGlBWs831dV3gFsL1SdXllgs7MQZg/s1600/100_3691.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNUZITggNtOZw2xM0KuWflzE9sIf8FGjQFLjBUFC_1MVaFML8uVIcPO7wsWC-MHvvKbURZTOSOOUdw5hSbE48PhF7k5gS_xhNX-JLWK1MjuiGlBWs831dV3gFsL1SdXllgs7MQZg/s320/100_3691.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>In order to create uniform diameter sleeves, I had to build some tooling. Rolling up some paper around a bamboo stick, I now have roughly uniform rods to roll Magic cards around. These were built using a <a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?yimn5mot5jn">simple excel spreadsheet</a> to <a href="http://jnorad.blogspot.com/2009/06/making-simple-spheres-and-tubes-overly.html">calculate diameters in terms of paper lengths and thicknesses</a>. I had some old ones from a few years back, but re-made some new ones to help do fit checks. Probably would be easier to use drill bits since metal doesn't deform as easily as paper, but that's how we roll. <br />
<br />
I used Magic cards rolled around the 6.35mm (1/4") diameter rod to form a sleeve with the thickness of two cards. That thickness is the minimum I found needed to allow the rings to bend outwards and also remain stiff. A strip about 45mm long is enough for the inner housing. I used another 45mm long strip to connect the two halves with the ring in between to hold the assembly together. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw-NV-DAmq3loqtxudqf6mvLA1QRIXFdAS2S4aGUUfrZbwlxKLja0Q9YhPjPB2GGPUH993PqWeQcMDGU3mL_ocvALi8qmCh8IP77a3QsxvxTFfuJOfDDU9LhcVPi8mrmwMBhB54w/s1600/100_3690.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw-NV-DAmq3loqtxudqf6mvLA1QRIXFdAS2S4aGUUfrZbwlxKLja0Q9YhPjPB2GGPUH993PqWeQcMDGU3mL_ocvALi8qmCh8IP77a3QsxvxTFfuJOfDDU9LhcVPi8mrmwMBhB54w/s320/100_3690.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> For the rings, I straightened out a paper clip and rolled it around a 5.7mm diameter rod with the help of beadmaker's pliers. There's a bit of fine tuning afterwards with the finished pins to get them to lock snugly. <br />
<br />
The new locking mechanism allows me to do another upgrade: fixing the ankles. Right now, the ankles are just a hinge joint. I opted to upgrade the feet to provide two swivel joints and a hinge joint to allow for better poseability and stability. However, the foot requires a more delicate structure due to the small envelope. Therefore, I needed to downsize the scale of the locking pin mechanism.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA2hrV9m01-mv9PJ2e-4WhUBBsfeChLfOOn1P5BIncIU4aI6oE6LsB-ZmLtxFd92n9uHBfFPyEirWNVD66Ha6Gnc3Ef88imqp3Q7Rzvbn0vNMW7OtSHeCPRD_KJWrCNiXXI_KKCw/s1600/100_3692.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA2hrV9m01-mv9PJ2e-4WhUBBsfeChLfOOn1P5BIncIU4aI6oE6LsB-ZmLtxFd92n9uHBfFPyEirWNVD66Ha6Gnc3Ef88imqp3Q7Rzvbn0vNMW7OtSHeCPRD_KJWrCNiXXI_KKCw/s320/100_3692.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>In order to build more delicate portions, I had to downscale the pin joint from a 6.35mm (1/4") diameter pin to a 4.2mm diameter pin. The rings also had to get scaled down. The hinge joint pictured above ends up being 8mm wide and will support a 4.2mm dia lower pin and a 6.35mm dia upper pin.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8cJxox5Vcbdn1XEbj8wcG9g3LBjN7JSV-st4IiIsqw4E1IePKZqDWK-Y1nep3ktLXbdE1Kj4oE_HCgLgLiVuRYFnj5ifnO7VbS5NwJaqm7qHCkgWN0VSytfeIxkz1pRRiXHcMeQ/s1600/100_3693.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8cJxox5Vcbdn1XEbj8wcG9g3LBjN7JSV-st4IiIsqw4E1IePKZqDWK-Y1nep3ktLXbdE1Kj4oE_HCgLgLiVuRYFnj5ifnO7VbS5NwJaqm7qHCkgWN0VSytfeIxkz1pRRiXHcMeQ/s320/100_3693.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> The hinge goes into two different sleeves to form an ankle joint for a foot. The smaller 4.2mm dia pin goes into a 4.2mm dia ID x 6.35mm dia OD sleeve with its own locking ring. The ID of the ring ended up being 4.1mm. The larger 6.35mm dia pin goes into the shin.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJgjO7tt_jwERgChEKICcJ2m_bjo0_iCsxvOliGly87FLs14CrghjxO8jZlTtOnBhiNf2OxLoCanhYCd_uSTC-U-QdM6Fq6IrK1U49np9W2dVbO6-ho12dBc9SzlJLPmEKxa03hg/s1600/100_3697.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJgjO7tt_jwERgChEKICcJ2m_bjo0_iCsxvOliGly87FLs14CrghjxO8jZlTtOnBhiNf2OxLoCanhYCd_uSTC-U-QdM6Fq6IrK1U49np9W2dVbO6-ho12dBc9SzlJLPmEKxa03hg/s320/100_3697.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Here's the component breakdown of the leg. The pins were left unsanded, to allow the glossy coating of the card to help reduce friction. The sanded tubes are unsanded in the inside. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnw_Aglf-CHb1VLZWnb_0B_RYPDRElbQK41LRyHF6y1bg6kqPCLM-USYQRXRupkLnz-8IKIYvyr83QGHMDq1_0IOaq9lDOCVolLAJ9j9kqvoXKMm46oCU97f5i31uoH35FFEZ0KA/s1600/100_3696.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnw_Aglf-CHb1VLZWnb_0B_RYPDRElbQK41LRyHF6y1bg6kqPCLM-USYQRXRupkLnz-8IKIYvyr83QGHMDq1_0IOaq9lDOCVolLAJ9j9kqvoXKMm46oCU97f5i31uoH35FFEZ0KA/s320/100_3696.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Adding depth to the pins so they aren't just sticks. Was easier to super glue blocks of card to the sides, then carving them until they were round. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfz43N-vcEDJOyJuwjhYOovdewiXusMbQcGWefdzz3rvvQcPSPY2TSlKzpjtaPupeTSw78AFnFR3mI5Vv9QbWzqkN6lrj6WTN3eu5qkBpMhtc_0ui9_pmGyzb7gavePGfZ3U4v0A/s1600/100_3698.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfz43N-vcEDJOyJuwjhYOovdewiXusMbQcGWefdzz3rvvQcPSPY2TSlKzpjtaPupeTSw78AFnFR3mI5Vv9QbWzqkN6lrj6WTN3eu5qkBpMhtc_0ui9_pmGyzb7gavePGfZ3U4v0A/s320/100_3698.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Fleshing out the calves with liberal use of 110lb cardstock. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyYRt5N0C3hTzwIlrUdkBrSOsvZnr0djySXBA0tF1Tx1OyTuHbxYKSqsHEpTnbOtV2mb_NpCC1ignC1Hd_eOtU_zZgbyP0OLSiIQCTbc639SivObJy8Aer6V84C7BZQh4yBpP0cg/s1600/100_3699.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyYRt5N0C3hTzwIlrUdkBrSOsvZnr0djySXBA0tF1Tx1OyTuHbxYKSqsHEpTnbOtV2mb_NpCC1ignC1Hd_eOtU_zZgbyP0OLSiIQCTbc639SivObJy8Aer6V84C7BZQh4yBpP0cg/s320/100_3699.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>To finish the foot, I traced out a footprint, and marked the regions to trim off on the sole. The black Sharpied out regions get cut off to form a rounded block that I can then carve with a hobby knife. Perhaps the most difficult part of the job, as the foot needed to be smooth and not look like total ass.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWcNXpgG19qBRsB7p_tNAGxdfJwfn9FYa96btSUfIWPlkg4m9GXA1diy1DiU3-tck0GWZpGEhfngdP0VUt_Y9uG6pLmn-76kzRH02am8Y9cYRdgrM77Sl-flROM98z39o8MAaDsQ/s1600/100_3701.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWcNXpgG19qBRsB7p_tNAGxdfJwfn9FYa96btSUfIWPlkg4m9GXA1diy1DiU3-tck0GWZpGEhfngdP0VUt_Y9uG6pLmn-76kzRH02am8Y9cYRdgrM77Sl-flROM98z39o8MAaDsQ/s320/100_3701.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>After long hours of not doing anything productive, I whittled down the foot to shape to something remotely considered acceptable to a blind man. More liberal use of 110lb cardstock fleshed out the shape of the legs. After this, it was ready for a coat of "pale sickly girl" paint tone. <br />
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The new foot and ankle fixes some problems with articulation, allowing for better balance and stability. I can now reduce my reliance on obitsu stands, at least for barefoot poses.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOhXNEVYNyfKybV67jP6Ohs0lUeqqY2eDtLgOStzfabNtqLV7fiwDOmrSY_xLr2j8FRsMp0VE6yLud-tIoJzE6oX_2Ansp43AbcQEAAQhcrpaR6HngysFYSwPXkOh4UCzWWgMCjQ/s1600/100_3703.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOhXNEVYNyfKybV67jP6Ohs0lUeqqY2eDtLgOStzfabNtqLV7fiwDOmrSY_xLr2j8FRsMp0VE6yLud-tIoJzE6oX_2Ansp43AbcQEAAQhcrpaR6HngysFYSwPXkOh4UCzWWgMCjQ/s320/100_3703.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjhoxpb4V173SzxNQ3N3ejNH2aWppeP4MLcJ3Cb047z3ZYMZ-CL7Ymh6G71JFy8CLORxHofDy4_TAi4KysOf9457D-IrpQK58ZZveMRmJUaRRzt_PR4bzl89I7_ZV9y9wtx1E35g/s1600/100_3704.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjhoxpb4V173SzxNQ3N3ejNH2aWppeP4MLcJ3Cb047z3ZYMZ-CL7Ymh6G71JFy8CLORxHofDy4_TAi4KysOf9457D-IrpQK58ZZveMRmJUaRRzt_PR4bzl89I7_ZV9y9wtx1E35g/s320/100_3704.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>I'm quite happy with the stiffness and strength of the new joints. I do have to upgrade two more dolls with this mechanism, assuming nothing goes bad with Hotaru's new ankles over time unexpectedly.JNORADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06468066058550857963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8885410.post-25248901997950069372012-03-04T11:34:00.000-06:002012-03-04T11:34:49.169-06:00Kshatriya + Obitsu Stands = Fun<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div> I recently purchased a 1/144 HGUC Kshatriya from the Gundam Unicorn series. One of the comments I've seen floating around is that there's no means provided to display all 24 of the funnels. It's a shame, as you can't have the full glory of Kshatriya annihilating enemies with an overabundance of laser spam. All I've seen people do with their kits is pose them in the usual flight config with an Action Base, or standing on a table. Nothing with the funnels. How hard could it be to display them all? <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmYlCaSGBlsuMj-FwaNQrkEaaU-NEhJ8pJiEhtII0lnmYNvtuGPZW6Vu-i1XBy576cmLW8979pPFaAIFZn7ErUhqPMu9nn34Mg2b9laf8NiL8NGXCkXM_jDCjZVvHlmWm3nASW7Q/s1600/100_3659.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmYlCaSGBlsuMj-FwaNQrkEaaU-NEhJ8pJiEhtII0lnmYNvtuGPZW6Vu-i1XBy576cmLW8979pPFaAIFZn7ErUhqPMu9nn34Mg2b9laf8NiL8NGXCkXM_jDCjZVvHlmWm3nASW7Q/s320/100_3659.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
A while back, I had bought three <a href="http://jnorad.blogspot.com/2010/08/jnorad-reviews-obitsu-multi-purpose.html">Obitsu Multi Purpose Clear Stands</a> to try out. I was quite pleased with their performance. I had recently bought three more because they were that awesome. This is my 6th and last unassembled stand that I was saving up until now. Where are we going with this? We'll find out!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWt5zvoRsPoIqDHeZIIfXnZLyis_JlFiSkps-GgUrlKKNgMmobhZlYbOYWHvyR6aWs2dpsByXUYJtFXCKRjmUFwnUqhbN18FfBDSpIwSDWVDoGNJ5HU5EP-Y3efPOzegpyKGB2WA/s1600/100_3682.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWt5zvoRsPoIqDHeZIIfXnZLyis_JlFiSkps-GgUrlKKNgMmobhZlYbOYWHvyR6aWs2dpsByXUYJtFXCKRjmUFwnUqhbN18FfBDSpIwSDWVDoGNJ5HU5EP-Y3efPOzegpyKGB2WA/s320/100_3682.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> I discovered something about the funnel's attachment point to the wing binders and the shape of the Obitsu grabbing claw tips: they snugly fit with each other without modifications. Each stand comes with two grabbing claws. Theoretically, each stand can hold four funnels. I already have six Obitsu stands. Worked out better than I expected.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0MQtDR3ag_6EGeebpAEG8osoDzKi1bs4Gj87WdmViXTDfMEyc5xuRzs024f2PVE-yQbSbnPurlqsZboaAwI1evCYqKitE34CeOC3Bicjlv4ezOMgA3BOw-0c0wRq4s90l_1ZkUA/s1600/100_3668.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0MQtDR3ag_6EGeebpAEG8osoDzKi1bs4Gj87WdmViXTDfMEyc5xuRzs024f2PVE-yQbSbnPurlqsZboaAwI1evCYqKitE34CeOC3Bicjlv4ezOMgA3BOw-0c0wRq4s90l_1ZkUA/s320/100_3668.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>With some fiddling with the arrangement, you can finally have your Kshatriya with all funnels fully deployed. Too bad I have nothing that requires 24 funnels to kill. I did come across another problem that this configuration brings: I don't have 24 beam effects of the same color. Per the series, all the beams are green. Kshatriya comes with two beam sabers, which provides... two beam effects. Still 22 short. Luckily, like a pack rat, I kept the runners.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQdulr_DcPY1ehrXI6RmAC3_Nq3h7aUc9aPsDb_OEiwXYmWqIk9eWcAKjjNyDwX8XzvK1T_3YzbjoCsNHg2uiLKZktI6e7lCbSC3dxIzs9b1BMcUtdEW8tDe_RkZlfkeINJ5rLAQ/s1600/100_3679.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQdulr_DcPY1ehrXI6RmAC3_Nq3h7aUc9aPsDb_OEiwXYmWqIk9eWcAKjjNyDwX8XzvK1T_3YzbjoCsNHg2uiLKZktI6e7lCbSC3dxIzs9b1BMcUtdEW8tDe_RkZlfkeINJ5rLAQ/s320/100_3679.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The best I could do was to cut up the runner to form two additional beam parts. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrly_QCXogCKAFa_xvVW0NUQTFKbeURVRs6aBolLzJwc17JBWYW7wg2VLRljnnwTxIAlvlPb0RIn70jP9w19Vvh2JfKyBfQtUn1yBd0Qhi6Iz4r10NbHNth6p6G4ZgH7J4tZnjDQ/s1600/100_3680.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrly_QCXogCKAFa_xvVW0NUQTFKbeURVRs6aBolLzJwc17JBWYW7wg2VLRljnnwTxIAlvlPb0RIn70jP9w19Vvh2JfKyBfQtUn1yBd0Qhi6Iz4r10NbHNth6p6G4ZgH7J4tZnjDQ/s320/100_3680.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Using the stand itself to support the beam, and the tip of the funnel itself, you can get mid-shot effects with some mounting tack. I sure don't have more stands to hold up these beams by themselves, and this method worked out quite well.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ6LxmnSn_uQ4hPYYYtK4GHR1yaNxdGURDG4Lv_KWRRzwM-bpl2kpPlvYfYurfXZ8ACtsPC01tNBu68GEEVYTHo7rGWn3AQXgXIDULAtcIpjC02qXF0Hf3GiUCaY8p5B_EhxxAbA/s1600/100_3675.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ6LxmnSn_uQ4hPYYYtK4GHR1yaNxdGURDG4Lv_KWRRzwM-bpl2kpPlvYfYurfXZ8ACtsPC01tNBu68GEEVYTHo7rGWn3AQXgXIDULAtcIpjC02qXF0Hf3GiUCaY8p5B_EhxxAbA/s320/100_3675.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Can you say, "screwed"? </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">This was the first instance I had where I used every single type of stand I owned to do a single photo: six Obitsu Stands, one MMS stand (for the Zephyrantes), and an Action Base. This setup also takes up an ungodly amount of room to display, which is a shame since I'd like to keep this display on my shelf. It does need more beam effects though.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div>For a low budget method, you can just use black/white electrical wire and mount the funnels to the tips. Although, you'd need to fashion some weights to hold them down. The cost of six Obitsu stands is practically the cost of Kshatriya itself, so I wouldn't suggest anyone to go out and buy them just for this purpose. Although I don't think any Gunpla builder would have these stands to begin with.JNORADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06468066058550857963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8885410.post-90419007973230379452012-02-20T11:39:00.000-06:002012-02-20T11:39:52.573-06:00Alternate Weapon Ideas For A Strike RougeStill fiddling with Gundam kits at the moment. I had recently bought the Strike Rouge and Skygrasper/Aile Striker set. A month or so later, I finally completed it in a state that I'd consider "partially acceptable". There's plenty of reviews about the kit, so I'll spare you the crappy assault of "build progress" photos and "poseability" photos demonstrating how the articulation works. This is the Vortex! Only useless information that no one wants will be shared here!<br />
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For the inquiring minds, the PG Strike (and presumably all other Perfect Grade kits) stand roughly 12" tall, which conveniently is the same scale as a 1:6 scale figure. Unfortunately, their hands are quite large and don't translate well to a 1:6 scale figure, and feel more like 1:5 scale hands in size. While off scale, this does provide an opportunity to all you PG Strike owners who want something more desirable in their arsenal than the included beam rifle, shield and shiny sword. What if you wanted to give your Strike Gundam something more... interesting?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg97kWOVdBkmaFNFYzaqn6ZqjZ-ZNyqKBiLquXNIO7GUmunvchnV3zEzBdWL58tLgfy_VnjwGcAYvy8BqZcAzdIkiFDYo-g7A38DVYFejrAYLQcAlXJuHRCW-hIc65s8sR4TdiyZw/s1600/100_3626.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg97kWOVdBkmaFNFYzaqn6ZqjZ-ZNyqKBiLquXNIO7GUmunvchnV3zEzBdWL58tLgfy_VnjwGcAYvy8BqZcAzdIkiFDYo-g7A38DVYFejrAYLQcAlXJuHRCW-hIc65s8sR4TdiyZw/s320/100_3626.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Let's put on our thinking glasses and brainstorm! Where else could we find some crap to give our Gundam to use? Stuff that's roughly 1:6 scale, and would be used by a military fighting robot? <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis5_2EkOXpeN3WyF1zsDQJnkWSd-JYYTu1YWOo8NgYbNhIa5OiDqU-FmfBAPyD1OwtgCdsLxPaZOEqEbm8fbCGxHOyUXnY6QWTbtmokL6x1tqAWptqhvMRPkFtrzd0sCOmVIYtWg/s1600/100_3650.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis5_2EkOXpeN3WyF1zsDQJnkWSd-JYYTu1YWOo8NgYbNhIa5OiDqU-FmfBAPyD1OwtgCdsLxPaZOEqEbm8fbCGxHOyUXnY6QWTbtmokL6x1tqAWptqhvMRPkFtrzd0sCOmVIYtWg/s320/100_3650.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> To the gun rack!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidmx3CKW_I60pEsyQy79z9C47I3styr5FaEng9yOG0iunAU40Mh6iMy25VEr36iCe4GyhaFg-qtOmynmmpukF8M0Zm3mSMJmRHydpLDj9_jQhWjVImI5JfH1GJu4FuZ_mkZk93Pw/s1600/100_3653.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidmx3CKW_I60pEsyQy79z9C47I3styr5FaEng9yOG0iunAU40Mh6iMy25VEr36iCe4GyhaFg-qtOmynmmpukF8M0Zm3mSMJmRHydpLDj9_jQhWjVImI5JfH1GJu4FuZ_mkZk93Pw/s320/100_3653.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Since the hands are a bit larger than 1:6 scale, the Strike is limited in gun options. Guns like the M-4/M-16 with small thin grips are almost out of the question. Even if you happen to have one that sort of works, the fingers tend to overhang the trigger guard, so you end up like the Heavy Weapons guy holding... practically anything other than the minigun. My solution was to cup the grip with just the fingers, and that placed the trigger finger around the right area so it doesn't look oversized.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHjps6SaHI5-Za_iG8rIW2JoGjGSyF8sxtJJ3btMoUhyTm1GySY6F3_Bo6k2znuSHYXEdhJWpeuxO4HyQRMNFf8Ff50Bj3dXSuF32_bUTfvUSha0VTFAwDseittAtgluxUSlRKuA/s1600/100_3656.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHjps6SaHI5-Za_iG8rIW2JoGjGSyF8sxtJJ3btMoUhyTm1GySY6F3_Bo6k2znuSHYXEdhJWpeuxO4HyQRMNFf8Ff50Bj3dXSuF32_bUTfvUSha0VTFAwDseittAtgluxUSlRKuA/s320/100_3656.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Guns with a stock work well, as the grip occupies more space in the hand, allowing you to use the thumb more. So if you want to give your Strike some 1:6 scale guns, stuff like hunting rifles, shotguns and the like work well. Pistol grip weapons, not so much. I'm certain that a MK23 or a desert eagle would fit nicely. A Tokarev... not so well. I also tried out the MGL, and that didn't work. The fingers just didn't want to work with it. <br />
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Now, what about heavy weapons?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh1pxsvNLg8B3aejrzLCJJ4fKnPGQU4OQ3clUJMLi3yae-jjA3zLtBHi-kjyrNFCyTNxDpLG4KchwFUgvArJ0zOWtQi7ZjOAX8oQvgE8FkurMBsCRyxjK9tbn5qpuP1nArjEGmsA/s1600/100_3627.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh1pxsvNLg8B3aejrzLCJJ4fKnPGQU4OQ3clUJMLi3yae-jjA3zLtBHi-kjyrNFCyTNxDpLG4KchwFUgvArJ0zOWtQi7ZjOAX8oQvgE8FkurMBsCRyxjK9tbn5qpuP1nArjEGmsA/s320/100_3627.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The Strike's hands seem to fit a Dragon Browning M2HB quite well. All four fingers fit around the rear handles and the thumbs are close enough for the trigger. However, the main issue with giving your Strike the M2HB is that you really need to put your Strike in a trench. It can do some prone poses, but not enough to make the M2 work without putting the gun a little higher. Not quite a satisfactory addition. It's acceptable if you wanted to make a support gunner out of your Strike. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikpdchWe3_jhKe0jNsMoXLxWGSVxCvfR_G_qfsXdwR3M5aSBquII_Yk7JtiYC4O8v_Qy6oj2mXAPZOEcZa5JOZVFHnYNrCB50CruvSy8UujZEqTRNdMuJUFMvNpK0Lfl5WUGGY1w/s1600/100_3634.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikpdchWe3_jhKe0jNsMoXLxWGSVxCvfR_G_qfsXdwR3M5aSBquII_Yk7JtiYC4O8v_Qy6oj2mXAPZOEcZa5JOZVFHnYNrCB50CruvSy8UujZEqTRNdMuJUFMvNpK0Lfl5WUGGY1w/s320/100_3634.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>After a long while, I finally found a use for my ZACCA bazookas. They look great on the Strike Rouge, and the size fits nicely. However, there's a significant problem with giving 1:6 scale bazookas to a PG Gundam, and that's related to how their hands work. They don't have enough wrist articulation like you get out of most 1:6 scale human bodies. They're on ball joints, so you have a limited cone of range whereas human figures get wrists that can almost go 180 degrees. That makes most bazookas unsuitable for a Gundam. <br />
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I tried out most of the bazookas/rocket launchers I had and found a lot of not-at-all surprising results. I took photos of the ones that worked best.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4j7_A3LrHa44wZ0Pi-Br0G4Q9HdWzwqsMMwCK5PfsW1Zn37ZnLUrue-oKyjxUICznLRuKNaEZVjmhU2qva9ph6lTVVBi2b9hfbFKDobKNqds939bn8pG5tOOyOiarEOni9kyGxA/s1600/100_3636.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4j7_A3LrHa44wZ0Pi-Br0G4Q9HdWzwqsMMwCK5PfsW1Zn37ZnLUrue-oKyjxUICznLRuKNaEZVjmhU2qva9ph6lTVVBi2b9hfbFKDobKNqds939bn8pG5tOOyOiarEOni9kyGxA/s320/100_3636.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Soldiers of the World/ZACCA M20A1: mediocre. Hands fit around the trigger perfectly, but the limited wrist motion prevents you from holding them correctly. Shoulder armor interferes with the shoulder rest, so you'll need to be creative with your poses. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQJMg8LtRHuLeAMOr-e8_DO_VdjC5TnzdrsllZlQfYbjj9lhR0A6dfLi8Xi-rDCaBZ5w-bD9tQHqRh421ZV0LIVBOIIroPmfwV2bcxWtU1Qm6WNgQdjyDXNkb5P_-cC6mOSSMDIA/s1600/100_3638.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQJMg8LtRHuLeAMOr-e8_DO_VdjC5TnzdrsllZlQfYbjj9lhR0A6dfLi8Xi-rDCaBZ5w-bD9tQHqRh421ZV0LIVBOIIroPmfwV2bcxWtU1Qm6WNgQdjyDXNkb5P_-cC6mOSSMDIA/s320/100_3638.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>ZACCA Panzerfaust 3: Great. Nothing interferes, and there's enough range of motion to hold it properly. Can almost look down the scope as well. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1YK1wr2Q0X-ZPd9iF6HPLO6op3_KvC638F4ClCfi1PcZtWzx4bePSIOwYuiYni-XG42dLRSGEO8e2AW6-OogPwHrUBLKX_BUG7t2Xm6owjtwju2Ssl1E8jxoZoykHdwP-1JmxEw/s1600/100_3640.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1YK1wr2Q0X-ZPd9iF6HPLO6op3_KvC638F4ClCfi1PcZtWzx4bePSIOwYuiYni-XG42dLRSGEO8e2AW6-OogPwHrUBLKX_BUG7t2Xm6owjtwju2Ssl1E8jxoZoykHdwP-1JmxEw/s320/100_3640.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkG4bsIEdzCo07Fo4zTqDhnp2J7wSIH1L3yLOEeswQN0XrkAk6lq-r_G1v19UZDiTquDsLdpCbMHcBfpAKubrAARRaIplO1LPXc6ItNoP5sobSpoBLNXbyEO85uHtRSxKFsC5G7Q/s1600/100_3645.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkG4bsIEdzCo07Fo4zTqDhnp2J7wSIH1L3yLOEeswQN0XrkAk6lq-r_G1v19UZDiTquDsLdpCbMHcBfpAKubrAARRaIplO1LPXc6ItNoP5sobSpoBLNXbyEO85uHtRSxKFsC5G7Q/s320/100_3645.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>ZACCA M136 AT-4: Great. Since you hold it with one hand on top, the oversize hands for the Strike work well. The front grip's easy to hold. The shoulder strap should be glued together on the AT-4, but otherwise a good addition to the Strike. It's one of the more elegant rocket launchers you could have in your collection.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVKEK-KrqcDopOWPwXSwJrKu3d6MO2n18tR6a33czns25heMu_jMO50np-eDtKACKoyWW4NJQEoLjPvNPRY9j_Z8BKOVRuCGtbvQfh-dTI-wTVlnR5xH57WHSCybayYFvXu7YK-g/s1600/100_3649.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVKEK-KrqcDopOWPwXSwJrKu3d6MO2n18tR6a33czns25heMu_jMO50np-eDtKACKoyWW4NJQEoLjPvNPRY9j_Z8BKOVRuCGtbvQfh-dTI-wTVlnR5xH57WHSCybayYFvXu7YK-g/s320/100_3649.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> ZACCA Panzerschreck: Mediocre. You're going to have to hold this with one hand like the M20A1. No chance in hell you can get the second hand to hold it in any decent manner. Looks great, but you just can't hold the thing. This is where a better wrist motion would help a lot.<br />
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Other notes:<br />
I couldn't get the FIM-92, FIM-43 or the SA-18 to work due to the wrists. If you wanted a Strike Stinger combo, it'll look awkward. Don't even bother with panzerfausts. Other models from the ZACCA collection simply didn't work due to the shoulder armor interfering.<br />
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There's one outlet left for 1:6 scale weapons: Melee! <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimTtcgAzW6iO2PICty8dDjiPwMmPRn4MrzytWiTUYdGbiZbX14h7L75e0BdleAkOo-B8nQEsNGxEOJGfiLKJw9Ewyf-XPfo7-OVxfFxkcrZu9pfj9oCDK_5m2HEMOffm6NzVblZg/s1600/100_3618.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimTtcgAzW6iO2PICty8dDjiPwMmPRn4MrzytWiTUYdGbiZbX14h7L75e0BdleAkOo-B8nQEsNGxEOJGfiLKJw9Ewyf-XPfo7-OVxfFxkcrZu9pfj9oCDK_5m2HEMOffm6NzVblZg/s320/100_3618.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Let's say you felt the Grand Slam sword was a bit lacking, and the beam sabers were pretty dull. We can fix that with a Moonfire/Bloodberry! I did find that the fingers worked well to hold the hilts for my Bloodberry and Moonfire, but unfortunately the Moonfire's weight was too much for the fingers to handle. I had to play with the fingers to get them to clasp shut around the hilt. I could use some blue tack to attempt to hold the sword in place, but you will need to use quite a lot to hold it in place. Moonfire's the heaviest sword I have currently, almost twice the weight of the Grand Slam, and without hand pegs to hold it into place. The hands are capable of holding thin objects such as polearms, so it's feasible to have other swords (much like the Red Frame Astray) without relying on the hand peg. <br />
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It's convenient to know that a PG Strike can use about half of the possible 1:6 scale stuff on the market. The biggest problem is the wrists. I would recommend experimenting with other melee weapons than guns or rockets, as they offer the best results. Don't settle for energy blades when you can use a slab of metal to impale your foes.JNORADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06468066058550857963noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8885410.post-80325124105274489362012-02-06T21:29:00.000-06:002012-02-06T21:29:34.201-06:00Presenting the worst implausible plane everDecided to take a break and build stuff that doesn't require me busting out a slide rule and protractor. Picked up a Perfect Grade Strike Rouge and the accompanying Skygrasper. I had finished up watching Gundam Seed Destiny recently. That anime makes a good drinking game if you take a shot per every 5 minutes of re-used footage, and have a death wish. I actually don't care for the Strike Gundam much, but I read it was a very good example of a perfect grade model, and I need more puppets/test subjects.<br />
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I liked two things about the entire SEED series. The <a href="http://mahq.net/mecha/gundam/seed/ts-ma2mod.00.htm">Moebius Zero</a>, and the Skygrasper. Well, three if you count the pilot for both of these. The Moebius Zero model involves a lot of painting. Anything I paint looks five times worse than if I left it in primer, so that was out. What was left was the PG Skygrasper, which doesn't involve painting. Hooray! I decided to roll with that. And since it comes with a Aile Striker pack, I figured I'd get the Strike Rouge so the pack isn't worthless.<br />
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I found myself liking the Skygrasper less after examining how the model was designed, as a vehicle and as a model kit.<br />
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<b>Landing Gear </b><br />
This model does not offer any folding landing gear. There's actually NO space in the fuselage or engines to modify to fit the landing gear in. The space under the cockpit has room for half the wheel diameters before touching the pilot's feet. If you were dreaming of modding this to have working landing gear, no luck buddy.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWQtUFUq2IP6WlGYfMPMOapmTs3Gr3LF4KICGkJuGfppDsDQblrgaymP0q9-DHUG_7nQkqO8u8dtvcRVP0QYxiJcGJMSJ83mbbneFPh_fFoK3Zo5GKJLHJEDXANEmqKtCjXFpMKw/s1600/100_3593.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWQtUFUq2IP6WlGYfMPMOapmTs3Gr3LF4KICGkJuGfppDsDQblrgaymP0q9-DHUG_7nQkqO8u8dtvcRVP0QYxiJcGJMSJ83mbbneFPh_fFoK3Zo5GKJLHJEDXANEmqKtCjXFpMKw/s320/100_3593.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The front landing gear actually can't fold in even if wanted to. The canards and the region where I presume hardware exists to control them blocks the region where the wheels would fold into, and there's actually a panel that obstructs the wheels anyways. The panel lines don't even suggest that this panel moves. It has a protective flap to top it off. The front flap's existence is to solely allow you to get a fingernail under the landing gear cover to remove it. <br />
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The landing gear has four wheels, two on the front and one on each rear strut. The wheels are molded separately, and are attached by friction pegs. They do not freely spin at all. If this is the case, then why did they put a flat on the wheels? To stop the non-existent movement the wheels have from making the model not slide? Now you have to precisely orient the flat sides of the wheels on the ground, otherwise it looks odd. I guess it's to replicate a loaded tire?<br />
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<b>The Main Cannon</b><br />
Oh boy, do I hate this stupid cannon. How bad can it be, you ask?<br />
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This gun is a detriment to the plane in so many ways, it's not even funny. Actually, it is quite funny. First off, it's the size of something that should be mounted to the side of a battleship, and not a plane. Its so large, that if you turn it perpendicular to the fuselage, the profile of the gun would theoretically disrupt airflow to the tail fins and create control issues. The turret can spin around and easily smash the tail fins with the cannon barrel, so the tail fins are doubly worthless. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOGou2p0UztfpI0UvdPGlEg9TpDtrhkV1nPU9kFh-q84qtcFGyj76CWDeL5lR5d3fXNNdBs9po35WP9zNzxW2fX4e0MQFA72zlX3JGDWhGHAA0-WCrA9icUzAsFzTQtBL8TxfiIQ/s1600/100_3582.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOGou2p0UztfpI0UvdPGlEg9TpDtrhkV1nPU9kFh-q84qtcFGyj76CWDeL5lR5d3fXNNdBs9po35WP9zNzxW2fX4e0MQFA72zlX3JGDWhGHAA0-WCrA9icUzAsFzTQtBL8TxfiIQ/s320/100_3582.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijyUQT-JlW4t81ITM_I4mwKcZItmDjz7y9wsu7jXlo5Gef2HdqFS2q4e6jkUNXwqJ_dTsnlxPfT4krh7C8BGzGiCS2-K6v9zS_1x9Yh8FDQExMIV4lmQcPxBHsyOtjpWc_CGVrKw/s1600/100_3581.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijyUQT-JlW4t81ITM_I4mwKcZItmDjz7y9wsu7jXlo5Gef2HdqFS2q4e6jkUNXwqJ_dTsnlxPfT4krh7C8BGzGiCS2-K6v9zS_1x9Yh8FDQExMIV4lmQcPxBHsyOtjpWc_CGVrKw/s320/100_3581.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The best part about this cannon is the elevation. It can change the elevation to aim at targets in a fairly good cone. It's great for tracking targets. Its also great if you had a really bad day and wanted to kill yourself, as it can shoot into the cockpit. And the engines too, if you wanted to go out in a fireball.<br />
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I can also presume that the Skygrasper has no ejection seats. If you consider that ejection involves shooting out the canopy first, you'll also need to eject the turret too, otherwise the seat will collide with the long barrel. Then again, pilot safety is low on a Gundam series' mechanical design department. <br />
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The turret is the only outlandish part of the design, and it would have been acceptable if the rest of the plane was designed in an absurd manner. I removed the turret and plan on replacing the hole with some sort of cover or fan or anything that isn't an obnoxiously large gun. I find that the plane looks much better without it. If I was so inclined, I'd cut away the turret ring and make it transition to the front fuselage better.<br />
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<b>The Color Scheme</b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBOMP1XY5cojnmdJGoMEj3VsQVvPJYW25D2fwqnBudFh9aIYsYSWPBJ_P6PCwF2mb6fskrHH1coaXf3sHyVa-4VMx4QVbbGJFrFxsc3sxlCJppQ2uKP9Bzz13M0SquD2XEOqKScw/s1600/100_3580.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBOMP1XY5cojnmdJGoMEj3VsQVvPJYW25D2fwqnBudFh9aIYsYSWPBJ_P6PCwF2mb6fskrHH1coaXf3sHyVa-4VMx4QVbbGJFrFxsc3sxlCJppQ2uKP9Bzz13M0SquD2XEOqKScw/s320/100_3580.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>I just don't like the blue. It's too bright and not fitting for a military plane. So despite my original plan, I decided to paint this. I chose to replace all the blue with "gunship grey" which turned out to be the same as "Bandai plastic grey". Whoops. Still looks better than an elementary student's coloring sheet. I did like the yellow though, so I kept it on the intakes. I would have kept it on the engine/gun pods, but I damaged those with a large fissure, and required painting to hide that. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjats1IPwlTt66GwIY3guwzXdoZqT4K5ITj7jWbgUWBi6BDrn5XMW05b0afhtDJPU3NUojnlak1u6yXZFOOPGmniYRzg46pIYBmzhxOk1kpaeTQbJXp6w0b2eeFtNBr8_uVh4gIBQ/s1600/100_3597.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjats1IPwlTt66GwIY3guwzXdoZqT4K5ITj7jWbgUWBi6BDrn5XMW05b0afhtDJPU3NUojnlak1u6yXZFOOPGmniYRzg46pIYBmzhxOk1kpaeTQbJXp6w0b2eeFtNBr8_uVh4gIBQ/s320/100_3597.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>I've finished my first attempt at painting over the blue, and have removed the turret. I think it looks a lot better. Just need to detail the cockpit.<br />
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Anyways, enough about the plane. The kit comes with three pilot figures, which is weird since the plane is a two-seater. I've also never recalled two people being in one Skygrasper in the series.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXWDfq1lIxPd0k4j98XbeAdp4WB-VgHbZ4Nfzwcx4DqtWlRGM2FWzXmIvjd0P7Xcf_TJ-fbvXknrquJm0KuIaZmlpRC7Q_GO9DZ0BV12sarZ3nCUmZvqbPmGB0hVpw6xZCAdK3oQ/s1600/100_3592.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXWDfq1lIxPd0k4j98XbeAdp4WB-VgHbZ4Nfzwcx4DqtWlRGM2FWzXmIvjd0P7Xcf_TJ-fbvXknrquJm0KuIaZmlpRC7Q_GO9DZ0BV12sarZ3nCUmZvqbPmGB0hVpw6xZCAdK3oQ/s320/100_3592.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Gundam Seed was a bit hazy. I recall the pilot's name for the Skygrasper starting with an "M". I did my best to paint him like I remembered how he appeared in the series. I think I was spot on.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb3kLSNawUDUMYaDK8UldWTHiyduu-IcD4nlyZO8L0Wtb8nRFRsICR1Ix43DT2c5wtZ3GdV5ADVOvV-1CN4nR28EsE8iQuMvQ2hjsIPZYzSrhM77kTWE-hrAUajhFOyzLptaX3wQ/s1600/100_3600.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb3kLSNawUDUMYaDK8UldWTHiyduu-IcD4nlyZO8L0Wtb8nRFRsICR1Ix43DT2c5wtZ3GdV5ADVOvV-1CN4nR28EsE8iQuMvQ2hjsIPZYzSrhM77kTWE-hrAUajhFOyzLptaX3wQ/s320/100_3600.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>And who can forget the scene where the Skygrasper pilot M-something docks with the experimental Mobile Pants, and riverdances over the enemy forces in a might of Celtic flurry. <br />
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I still have quite a bit of work to do on the Skygrasper before I'm happy with it. Once that's done, I'll have the Mobile Pants part to fix up. I think I can see where the next few months are (not) going.JNORADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06468066058550857963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8885410.post-73867412845147483422011-12-20T18:06:00.004-06:002012-03-06T21:40:46.794-06:00Magic Rose<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhls9aXTrs_2A8bX9K-sFDgQsOxRxo76eYg03-bv7iqmfVycYbKiFPn5uF7vByr1k6t5SpHPx39oJX2uYTVjOG8ED03MZBJbdagAdQRKweiKdnhZ99vrEPMnL_sAKGmrcz5o6ELtg/s1600/100_1738.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhls9aXTrs_2A8bX9K-sFDgQsOxRxo76eYg03-bv7iqmfVycYbKiFPn5uF7vByr1k6t5SpHPx39oJX2uYTVjOG8ED03MZBJbdagAdQRKweiKdnhZ99vrEPMnL_sAKGmrcz5o6ELtg/s400/100_1738.JPG" width="400" /></a></div> Turns out I never shared instructions for my rose. After being pressured by a whopping one request, I've decided to share this abomination of red cards with the 3 of you who actually look at my blog. I actually posted this tutorial on a site that shall remain nameless, where it was equally unused and found absolutely useless. Here's aiming for 1 out of 2!<br />
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(Open the images in a new window for full view)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzMyVj-dSlkhes_gBEj2ANYiBLDABhuBUdClF48EJDaszfwKcD1r9-BOqd6aVKr13iJf0Tou-uFriNAZy29_Fy_zVlZldWwCIcevgZlUV5b5-gQiZlvBB3gzzYbKDZ9noT69wJWg/s1600/rose1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzMyVj-dSlkhes_gBEj2ANYiBLDABhuBUdClF48EJDaszfwKcD1r9-BOqd6aVKr13iJf0Tou-uFriNAZy29_Fy_zVlZldWwCIcevgZlUV5b5-gQiZlvBB3gzzYbKDZ9noT69wJWg/s640/rose1.JPG" width="192" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiDwm-F-MBmdMSiqmKew12vVv7fzyVa9RH5Y3c2ybabs2Rj996pxRIxI5pUIovm7CqynwfVqqsWrH7kUd0L5hs5jaxRn0EH7ns2VmokylpJZk6p4D0ngrVyUPygeOFMDpbMktagw/s1600/rose2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiDwm-F-MBmdMSiqmKew12vVv7fzyVa9RH5Y3c2ybabs2Rj996pxRIxI5pUIovm7CqynwfVqqsWrH7kUd0L5hs5jaxRn0EH7ns2VmokylpJZk6p4D0ngrVyUPygeOFMDpbMktagw/s640/rose2.JPG" width="174" /></a></div><br />
If you attempt this, please <a href="mailto:ill.omen@gmail.com">share your results</a>. I'd like to see how they turn out and what you chose as your "most hated abundant red card".JNORADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06468066058550857963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8885410.post-89005192406147708112011-11-27T17:30:00.000-06:002011-11-27T17:30:52.641-06:00Mobile Suit Biker Sinanju<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>No new projects involving cards or guns. I did however finally buy something that I always wanted to have in my collection: a Master Grade MSN-06S Sinanju. Just liked the design and the color scheme. It'll make a good addition to my desk, having vacated some slots. Also, it'll finally make use of those Gundam Action Bases I've bought a while back.<br />
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No review of the kit here, since there's plenty around. I did end up breaking two parts during construction, and the fuel tank caps ruptured due to thermal expansion during painting with thinner. Had to make some repairs, but they're not noticeable. I haven't gotten around to the decals yet. Waiting for my topcoat to arrive first. In case you're interested, I opted to hand paint all the gold after painting the parts black. No stickers or water slide decals were used, nor will they be used. Going to build this with the default stuff they give me. <br />
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I found that the kit was larger than I was expecting, and the scale was a tad under 1:6. I could make Sinanju hold some 1:6 scale weapons to some extent. I did have something lying around that was much better than a 1:6 scale weapon. Something that fit perfectly.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyQa6Sml0-WctRRYQI5hCka8-l5aP_Td-ndrTEcTX-Kl17WtZkbfSvIWtnBcDLB8R5XiXulJS7Tv1d__kru8b0HGB525294svjo1fP6t7aK5NUju684y5NVoUcVth3E30h39yUXQ/s1600/100_3559.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyQa6Sml0-WctRRYQI5hCka8-l5aP_Td-ndrTEcTX-Kl17WtZkbfSvIWtnBcDLB8R5XiXulJS7Tv1d__kru8b0HGB525294svjo1fP6t7aK5NUju684y5NVoUcVth3E30h39yUXQ/s320/100_3559.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"> Lego Technic set 8422! Managed to finally get some more use out of it. Color scheme matches somewhat as well. I'm rather fond of this motorcycle's styling and overall design. I could get one of the newer mototcycles, but none of them have the same appeal as this one. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_PSf98ovBkRAnUst97QvSVfj25Gd3oklVdl39XVagdS_WWYa1Rri1m2l047NevP6-hoe-BHPlZ2V9KAQI7FwBPbJFdNzxkBiBCkO2eqolAwA8n62ZClF2UWz1NZM1kCVWtsp0-Q/s1600/100_3560.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_PSf98ovBkRAnUst97QvSVfj25Gd3oklVdl39XVagdS_WWYa1Rri1m2l047NevP6-hoe-BHPlZ2V9KAQI7FwBPbJFdNzxkBiBCkO2eqolAwA8n62ZClF2UWz1NZM1kCVWtsp0-Q/s320/100_3560.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnIHji17_grsLzUsm1SYcEn3YDzyT8r_3gKEtvSAAny0y_U0mGYxau7QipTPgTNbcYDk6kYkJZf-ztrkUwb3XtwE05TBlgKg_WfWcwW83cMdacQl0pRjok30imsWHX558YV9IiEw/s1600/100_3558.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnIHji17_grsLzUsm1SYcEn3YDzyT8r_3gKEtvSAAny0y_U0mGYxau7QipTPgTNbcYDk6kYkJZf-ztrkUwb3XtwE05TBlgKg_WfWcwW83cMdacQl0pRjok30imsWHX558YV9IiEw/s320/100_3558.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Agile in space, and on the ground.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL5PfzhW6cZYI_qArcsHtmwQn8HnVg1bGXe-s1fKfa_M5lgZi2hl3muUKQyOgWrO2SocfOG98IQkRRN8tv9sxfnOOBIxhPEOqYVtYtM8qkgu9pq9lreYZYMr8j093emKrc2pnLuA/s1600/100_3568.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL5PfzhW6cZYI_qArcsHtmwQn8HnVg1bGXe-s1fKfa_M5lgZi2hl3muUKQyOgWrO2SocfOG98IQkRRN8tv9sxfnOOBIxhPEOqYVtYtM8qkgu9pq9lreYZYMr8j093emKrc2pnLuA/s320/100_3568.JPG" width="240" /></a></div> I also had the time to buy some more Obitsu stands. Somewhat wobbly for trying to do a wheelie pose.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqL9quS6rtIHawXEuRkTXvmDWYfckg82UZ3QnpJ5sbSD_IAKzLyhIkbKYuXnAjdeazQAimcXfQJoKNQflmQZUt2LWVsNabbYG5FrqCTe0qV1qWEh8Ho3I2gpRa_ew_qM0EF7fTWA/s1600/100_3569.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqL9quS6rtIHawXEuRkTXvmDWYfckg82UZ3QnpJ5sbSD_IAKzLyhIkbKYuXnAjdeazQAimcXfQJoKNQflmQZUt2LWVsNabbYG5FrqCTe0qV1qWEh8Ho3I2gpRa_ew_qM0EF7fTWA/s320/100_3569.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Unfortunately, Sinanju doesn't quite fit on Fenrir. The color scheme didn't fit anyways. At least now I can have mounted combat. JNORADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06468066058550857963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8885410.post-72571968045216993262011-11-05T11:22:00.000-06:002011-11-05T11:22:05.050-06:00J.Norad Reviews: ZYToys MGL-140Haven't had any projects in a while worth pursuing. Or ones that were physically feasible. I did miss <a href="http://jnorad.blogspot.com/2009/08/hell-yeah-its-august-24.html">National Build a Grenade Launcher Day</a> this year. I did liquidate my Demoman, so I no longer have a 6 shot grenade launcher or someone appropriate to showcase it.<br />
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I've also had an interest in obtaining a Milkor M32 after browsing some reviews on <a href="http://www.onesixthwarriors.com/forum/front-page-news/">onesixthwarriors.com</a> about the ZACCA P.A.P. chase model in their 1:6 grenade launcher set. I never managed to get one. Well, I finally got a Milkor MGL after a bit of shopping around for a cheap deal. <br />
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I picked up the MGL-140 in black over all the other variants. My reasons were simple. But in general, it seems to be the least desirable model based on overall pricing and demand. As of writing this, it looks like the shorter versions are higher in demand. My reason was "get the biggest one in black". I don't care for desert color schemes either. I paid $15 shipped for mine, purchased through a moderately reputable black market dealer holed up in the South Asian seas. They MSRP for $12, so don't expect to get one for under that unless you get lucky. You'll be looking at $17 after the usual price gouging.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBHRwSZ3-WrQ3hGbUYy9rbt13pyC8xDDo44xjKcJYYSq8Ei_CrDuHd8MMLiogd4YiNSxrnsu8FgV1tBkBUhoQEbTVabE2XR1s7zxIVH8MTGt-sKz8Qk6M8T33qQCNMMtPBRhnNog/s1600/100_3539.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBHRwSZ3-WrQ3hGbUYy9rbt13pyC8xDDo44xjKcJYYSq8Ei_CrDuHd8MMLiogd4YiNSxrnsu8FgV1tBkBUhoQEbTVabE2XR1s7zxIVH8MTGt-sKz8Qk6M8T33qQCNMMtPBRhnNog/s320/100_3539.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Straight out of the box, you get a simple plastic tray with the foregrip, scope and grenades packed separately. No hidden surprises like an insert sheet with info or a display peg board.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiadlncrZjdC1Zp5xP7xYexicEAXDt79UaXhhdXgKn1kche1BcNGV3AIhW0odEEi4zhPAV_vRVTMCys09FgCzIlG4RDN8kgyiBkFwlySIjNuXqeDMSAD0cDFZZRtc6R9ZnXBnmBw/s1600/100_3540.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiadlncrZjdC1Zp5xP7xYexicEAXDt79UaXhhdXgKn1kche1BcNGV3AIhW0odEEi4zhPAV_vRVTMCys09FgCzIlG4RDN8kgyiBkFwlySIjNuXqeDMSAD0cDFZZRtc6R9ZnXBnmBw/s320/100_3540.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Every other site probably has an exploded view of the parts. Probably none as half-assed as mine. There's six metal grenades, an adjustable cloth sling, and everything else shown in lovely injection molded plastic. <br />
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<b>Features and Flaws</b><br />
I don't think anyone expected this review to be all sparkles and sunshine. <i>The Vortex</i> brings out the suck in everything. And my MGL has a good quantity of suck. Let's see what magnitude of suck you can expect.<br />
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<i><b>The Stock</b></i><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGeWZ_eh8odkXgZbGS_o9vdY65osiASLhOSKfLvQ6wCGBKP3cl0TmSV0nvAaH-iHp0vwdLhJ7eRvD5EFViCNx9sPkOmpoI_ktG695m_5Ko1prkThfpDvZL-0Va6nS3ElUrkl492Q/s1600/100_3541.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGeWZ_eh8odkXgZbGS_o9vdY65osiASLhOSKfLvQ6wCGBKP3cl0TmSV0nvAaH-iHp0vwdLhJ7eRvD5EFViCNx9sPkOmpoI_ktG695m_5Ko1prkThfpDvZL-0Va6nS3ElUrkl492Q/s320/100_3541.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>I personally encountered an issue on the stock where it swivels up and down. The U shaped fork holding the arm in place was noticeably bent outwards like a V. as a result, it was quite easy to pop out the stock. I'd like a locking pin than two stubs that will wear down with repeated dislocations. Could be an isolated incident, though.<br />
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The slider part of the stock slides quite freely. There's not much of an end stop for the slider, so expect it to completely come off as you adjust it. Due to the way the parts are molded, it's not practical to rig a solid end stop like HotToys did for their M-4's for the <a href="http://jnorad.blogspot.com/2011/02/jnorad-reviews-hot-toys-modern-firearms.html">Modern Firearms Collection</a>. I can feel a little bump inside the stock where the stop mechanism is, but you can overpower it with little resistance. I'll try thickening the material inside the stock to make the fit tighter so it doesn't slide too easily.<br />
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<i><b>The Scope</b></i><br />
The scope is great. Great if you never want to move it to an angle other than horizontal. There's basic detail on the scope; no fake amber lenses or see-through light pipe. Just a solid block, but that's fine. The optic is loose, and there's no ideal way of making it hold mid position without making some frictional modification to the hinge. The scope base is molded from two pieces with a shared mounting pin, resulting in a pin that isn't snug due to an undersize. The scope fell off enough times during photos that I've thickened the pin with some super glue so it stays on better. Suggest checking your scope mount and making this the first priority modification. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-G4mZ4e3_rclCmlV0GLp3h1agZevG9LCeHGLMSRMgowyhMR0qbmL5ZBg7YzKkOAx7HLEZ4rG8bUh9VB3jBis-zpWRXBXztesMSckjCjkqIUvHd7SvWuwo_x1s5Mdi9pdi60S2Fg/s1600/MGL-scope.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-G4mZ4e3_rclCmlV0GLp3h1agZevG9LCeHGLMSRMgowyhMR0qbmL5ZBg7YzKkOAx7HLEZ4rG8bUh9VB3jBis-zpWRXBXztesMSckjCjkqIUvHd7SvWuwo_x1s5Mdi9pdi60S2Fg/s320/MGL-scope.JPG" width="320" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">One of the details I liked was the elevation numbers printed onto the side of the sight. From a distance, you'd think it's just a bunch of white lines. It's tough to get a good photo with a crappy camera, but you can see it. The numbers are a bit crisper than my photo shows it to be. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><b>The Chamber and Grenades</b></i> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The revolver chamber comes marked with the current grenade position on all six chambers in crisp detail. Mine seems to be molded not quite perfectly cylindrical. It has binding spots in certain areas when spun. The cylinder isn't loose enough to do Russian Roulette. As a plus, it stays in place where you want it for photos. If you push the chamber into the front frame, it fits snug so you can hold the MGL by the chamber and not have the rest of it slide away. I don't recommend modifying the chamber to spin freely because of this benefit. </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6IgJ_YHC-6c-0ej8bB3POBsboXQVLVHRyuKvNFdpzTf3qilclxtn5thbbWa_Jook3obPAApqXQ3DHyKZNUREYfn6z4UDawrBbxryTjkcmHgHrsewuY4QP6TOI7RpthpvPscguLQ/s1600/100_3550.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6IgJ_YHC-6c-0ej8bB3POBsboXQVLVHRyuKvNFdpzTf3qilclxtn5thbbWa_Jook3obPAApqXQ3DHyKZNUREYfn6z4UDawrBbxryTjkcmHgHrsewuY4QP6TOI7RpthpvPscguLQ/s320/100_3550.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">While on the subject of the revolver chamber, I should cover the grenades. They're metal with a fairly thick coat of paint. Part of the grenade tends to hang on a lip in each chamber, so they don't all immediately slide out when you tilt it downwards. Great if you don't like fishing out 1:6 scale grenades in the grass in your backyard. The firing cap is painted on and not molded, so if you do wear that part down for some reason, be prepared to repaint that. Over time, the grenade rims will chip paint.</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><b>The Frame</b></i> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The frame is a two piece construction, held together by a swivel pin joint. This is perhaps where most of these models will break over time. It's a mere 0.06" diameter plastic pin holding it together. Normally, this would be fine, but from handling the model and opening it a few times, I noticed that it's a fairly stressed component. When you open the grenade launcher to swivel it out, the revolver chamber has a pin that normally locks into a little detente in the rear frame. You need to either slide the rear frame back until the revolver chamber pin disengages, or bend the frame outwards like most people will do. Bending the pin repeatedly will eventually stress the plastic and cause it to snap. A suggested modification would be to drill out a hole in the pin, and reinforce it with a metal rod (or in my case, a paper clip). This will provide stiffness and keep it from snapping off prematurely. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-c56jK1HKzyc4vmFY5CJpogg3mjHM_JUS24OCFuWFBV-i7t70pqAYpIcvGJekuy4ukmZzaoYMc6uODXNgeUoJ5UT5ZrRQpV1_-YtV730l_lGS_dW6TCql5Z4s2DHLSBt20Z06gA/s1600/100_3554.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-c56jK1HKzyc4vmFY5CJpogg3mjHM_JUS24OCFuWFBV-i7t70pqAYpIcvGJekuy4ukmZzaoYMc6uODXNgeUoJ5UT5ZrRQpV1_-YtV730l_lGS_dW6TCql5Z4s2DHLSBt20Z06gA/s320/100_3554.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Overall Impressions</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">You may be asking <i>"Should I buy one?</i>" </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">You have no choice if you want an MGL, honestly. You have the illusion of choice between the six variants ZYToys has to offer. That's about it. You're not going to find the ZACCA M32 for a price under $30. You either want one or you don't. Now, if someone would build an RG-6 in 1:6 scale...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My suggestion is to buy the one you like the most, hope QC wasn't asleep/busy whipping the slave labor, and be mindful of the weak points. I don't see any reason to buy the whole set. You don't need all six MGL variants unless you're a ham fisted giant who breaks things by merely touching them.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFHuI2c0rjqi4RVBJtTj1PNKk1w-iI0jWy7XrlUKMU_awQoFcPQuZH1jDHZKO17CzpAdH3Odw-FEvbLawVRmgleavqRdTbkd80wmK6Rb2nKnEPW5rHxcAYqbaOkB8fXrl_ufVRQA/s1600/100_3548.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFHuI2c0rjqi4RVBJtTj1PNKk1w-iI0jWy7XrlUKMU_awQoFcPQuZH1jDHZKO17CzpAdH3Odw-FEvbLawVRmgleavqRdTbkd80wmK6Rb2nKnEPW5rHxcAYqbaOkB8fXrl_ufVRQA/s320/100_3548.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>JNORADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06468066058550857963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8885410.post-9908848089169894822011-08-06T20:09:00.000-06:002011-08-06T20:09:01.056-06:00Horse Bridle and Wear TestsI've spent the past two weeks letting people examine the horse in person. So far, it's holding up well. No visible signs of damage to the hull, and minimal wear. Only issue so far is a sheared wire attachment support in the neck which was quickly repaired. Survived some handling by some children. Only problems presented so far is the potential for solar radiation discoloring the hide. I'll need a phase-out plan for the horse when it reaches that stage. Until then, I've taken precaution to limit the amount of sunlight exposure on the horse.<br />
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One of the current ideas is to add horse armor, or at the minimum, a saddle and stirrups. However, I did end up needing to make a bridle for the horse. After examination of how a bridle was constructed, I had a small problem: my horse has no mouth to put the mouthpiece in. X-acto knife to the rescue!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZm8HCj7ANdRs1jE00aVJtG2luCUGfHtUj0nO12EG10IOfv1ETPypVuIcwLKIP65nTZ-qbXaV4gwyX4d6jm3ELw8e_hjMC2WXZU8zm6hTq3nhuuwcf3WZSPw38u7rf80BYCLOY8w/s1600/100_3509.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZm8HCj7ANdRs1jE00aVJtG2luCUGfHtUj0nO12EG10IOfv1ETPypVuIcwLKIP65nTZ-qbXaV4gwyX4d6jm3ELw8e_hjMC2WXZU8zm6hTq3nhuuwcf3WZSPw38u7rf80BYCLOY8w/s320/100_3509.JPG" width="240" /></a></div> First, some reinforcement parts were added to the mouth, which also helped define the mouth region. Afterwards, I added a slot along the mouth line, about 1mm thick, to allow for a paper clip to slide through. The cut surfaces were coated with loc-tite glue to help control material wear and to seal the edges to the effects of water. Of course, this does render my original horse head template semi obsolete as it does not account for a mouth slot. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLOzvoabQI_di6WwpCDoqsV1-F4w8r8WEJs6eM9jGUEZWPniSaNPVnQvoAbrWMv-L9hxuGmkhT0Re4B2GToNrcY2tV6SJnfyrLLxxy0sypqTiJ5SOfD3K60FoeGDAs1xSkzP8fOQ/s1600/100_3510.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLOzvoabQI_di6WwpCDoqsV1-F4w8r8WEJs6eM9jGUEZWPniSaNPVnQvoAbrWMv-L9hxuGmkhT0Re4B2GToNrcY2tV6SJnfyrLLxxy0sypqTiJ5SOfD3K60FoeGDAs1xSkzP8fOQ/s320/100_3510.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The bridle was built with the following (use at your own risk):<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipbg9od5Ui8GvbsGMp2qBmLTDI4MDmZeVbue3qJJ3DzsBb7NwmlQWBDgwY4aemGa1OrB_Uazkzvd6WjcWBDmOFynoHSCOAL3PNLeASuSBGTQHSya7AGzUCvV9BHmMGCNDdDNr4lQ/s1600/horse_Plans_bridle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipbg9od5Ui8GvbsGMp2qBmLTDI4MDmZeVbue3qJJ3DzsBb7NwmlQWBDgwY4aemGa1OrB_Uazkzvd6WjcWBDmOFynoHSCOAL3PNLeASuSBGTQHSya7AGzUCvV9BHmMGCNDdDNr4lQ/s320/horse_Plans_bridle.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>You'll need some paper clips or wire, and some needle nose pliers to form the mouthpiece. It'll also require an array of <a href="http://jnorad.blogspot.com/2009/01/construction-techniques-paper-clips.html">belt buckles, last covered in a previous post</a>. <br />
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Strap width is whatever you find handy. I ended up with 4-5mm thick ribbon to use. The original plan was to use fake leather from salvaged wallets, but the length was too short. I ended up using the same method from Aelia's armor straps and laminating two strips of brown ribbon together using fabric glue. Fabric glue holds fairly well compared to hot glue, and there's low potential of delamination due to high temperature. The result is a low cost and fairly stiff set of straps, adjustable for all your equestrian needs. Some sewing was required to hold the straps in the right directions. I wasn't going to trust glue to do the whole job.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPgcGjLGPtFE2XG14iBwGYDOHE1xrbbP128j4hafMAgrki_s_sHgqMZYPdXHNynFLSSNg4_R5p6tOtWDS98BvFL_K43C5O_rnlgeYUBDMdV_pKvWnxm18eH5rMayOjDbtlh-pCVg/s1600/100_3508.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPgcGjLGPtFE2XG14iBwGYDOHE1xrbbP128j4hafMAgrki_s_sHgqMZYPdXHNynFLSSNg4_R5p6tOtWDS98BvFL_K43C5O_rnlgeYUBDMdV_pKvWnxm18eH5rMayOjDbtlh-pCVg/s320/100_3508.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>For the low price of $2 for brown ribbon and $4 for glue, it's not a bad result. Especially considering it's adjustable and doesn't look horribly off, and I know very little about the actual construction. Looks acceptable to the untrained eye and that's all that matters for me.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifFjzHUi49iYVMBp7kGMoVksYtHeuyrw7dul1nRVAzcDfCwV8FYbuxDJ0AJgZAkIeKl-ugbsdeU2_cc2tq_h3P3a3diC2hfTRomMzBmq7KYRkvTHrzyI4qL-vA2_-mayVAHxfHQg/s1600/100_3525.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifFjzHUi49iYVMBp7kGMoVksYtHeuyrw7dul1nRVAzcDfCwV8FYbuxDJ0AJgZAkIeKl-ugbsdeU2_cc2tq_h3P3a3diC2hfTRomMzBmq7KYRkvTHrzyI4qL-vA2_-mayVAHxfHQg/s320/100_3525.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Now with some reins, we can properly ride the horse! The horse has always been meant for Aelia to use. She's gotten few presents the past two years, and now she gets the biggest of them all, despite never having a horse in Valkyrie Profile. I always liked the idea of a mounted lancer, especially after playing Mount and Blade: Warband. Now I can terrorize the countryside and impale at leisure.JNORADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06468066058550857963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8885410.post-7690852517417479842011-07-17T19:01:00.000-06:002011-07-17T19:01:15.478-06:00Finishing A HorseNearly three months after initiating building the <a href="http://jnorad.blogspot.com/2011/05/this-months-project-horse-legs.html">first components for the horse</a>, and nearly five months after deciding to build this, I've reached the end. Last time on the Vortex'o'suck, I<a href="http://jnorad.blogspot.com/2011/06/more-horse-progress.html"> had finished the entirety of the horse's neck</a>, with means to conceal the largest gaps resulting from neck articulation. All the pre-planning and well-documented work ended there. Now it's time to throw that all away and free-hand everything. Why? Because I have no plan from here on out! <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJdm2jPzbUfmqsq_PO2YfUqR9VcYaHDlWRGnmb4dhrwwgNzqciS6OKVUYZwRLzbN29Mg7F-ssrdqQ-YDRs2TOtfvbvlfopqBk0srKY0D4bQF2AZNy1_gIBrUxpItqhiUI39VMlWQ/s1600/100_3471.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJdm2jPzbUfmqsq_PO2YfUqR9VcYaHDlWRGnmb4dhrwwgNzqciS6OKVUYZwRLzbN29Mg7F-ssrdqQ-YDRs2TOtfvbvlfopqBk0srKY0D4bQF2AZNy1_gIBrUxpItqhiUI39VMlWQ/s320/100_3471.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>With the neck mechanism built, I can figure out the envelope for the chest cavity to conceal the sections. This involved cutting away the chest cavity and replacing the scaffolding with some nice solid walls. Most of the thin strips of cardstock will remain to keep the structure, but thin areas like the chest were removed entirely. They have served their purpose. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO3RKuzHT3fI3QmfW1BcoQahjPVdkkFQ6AJixcNQlSivrM44DK4qd3Cf_83M4_-1yuX2IlWyZ6YWUL6j39YMVu_HLKAhClMbmSwrO6gi4S4YHBkuaZJPr71gx25OxgQegxk9HTbQ/s1600/100_3472.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO3RKuzHT3fI3QmfW1BcoQahjPVdkkFQ6AJixcNQlSivrM44DK4qd3Cf_83M4_-1yuX2IlWyZ6YWUL6j39YMVu_HLKAhClMbmSwrO6gi4S4YHBkuaZJPr71gx25OxgQegxk9HTbQ/s320/100_3472.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Using an old technique of "build a pinata", by gluing strips of paper until a hollow shell is formed, I completed the chest cavity that houses the neck assembly and hides the gaps. This technique will be used for the rest of the horse from here on out, and was the single cause for the delay in completing the horse, since it's an unexact method and tedious to do. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBumoo_3CQNX5AX_tuQ_gYvlFmZlvE7XMi3bFD2K4QY6ngizj3l0X991fUGdT-BbhUv0eilvnJ1HSl_2Mj4E-GPmjZ9ikmZNsiufYsdhfso8HXz8-imcK4iGNc4NZwSs0lH5GpLQ/s1600/100_3476.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBumoo_3CQNX5AX_tuQ_gYvlFmZlvE7XMi3bFD2K4QY6ngizj3l0X991fUGdT-BbhUv0eilvnJ1HSl_2Mj4E-GPmjZ9ikmZNsiufYsdhfso8HXz8-imcK4iGNc4NZwSs0lH5GpLQ/s320/100_3476.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> The upper assembly required a new cover. I peeled the previously built scaffolding away and formed a new cover. I opted for a double layer of card to ensure structural stiffness and to conceal join seams on the other side by hiding them between two layers.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1ySor_4jaMhDzamCmBDthsA-PAFvqbt_4nkDnmxL2Lrw1xx-vqfC8xjJrgmT2gEEbPUq4QcEGOVLulcpBVFD0CQY5ZcJs-I3t7ViL3kS5bWHSw_FkaisV9ni3hhFLdizP1Lzl9Q/s1600/100_3474.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1ySor_4jaMhDzamCmBDthsA-PAFvqbt_4nkDnmxL2Lrw1xx-vqfC8xjJrgmT2gEEbPUq4QcEGOVLulcpBVFD0CQY5ZcJs-I3t7ViL3kS5bWHSw_FkaisV9ni3hhFLdizP1Lzl9Q/s320/100_3474.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Here is the new cover, with the old scaffolding in place over it. The fore legs have been fleshed out with 110lb cardstock internally, and a single layer of magic card over it. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjalb6FwjPMeOt97JL71KeAcyNlaO8BOBEXZxx20zsnH7iIr3Pcwa1HGsF_NGEIo0vmkBS4YHmB4E8QoR2LW6DSRwz-fDnZridYXwRclXvex97Dw8wPUqvC4uR3I_m7YHi51yGdTQ/s1600/100_3470.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjalb6FwjPMeOt97JL71KeAcyNlaO8BOBEXZxx20zsnH7iIr3Pcwa1HGsF_NGEIo0vmkBS4YHmB4E8QoR2LW6DSRwz-fDnZridYXwRclXvex97Dw8wPUqvC4uR3I_m7YHi51yGdTQ/s320/100_3470.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Building all the leg cover plates was annoying. I could wrap the entire body around with a layer of card like I did with <a href="http://jnorad.blogspot.com/2011/02/this-fortnights-project-camel.html">the camel</a>, but there were some sections that it wasn't feasible with due to the hinges. So, I decided to go with sets of mirrored cover plates to reduce the number of unique parts and to allow for somewhat easy assembly. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-0njkfr8MSuytZxnBQwk6QzHzrWktyoyKcP8HpQ_m_B4airYqOz152kOtXDozgjcRe2Foz_4wfMnvtI1F80PZCA-BrKuwlGCbOrqVB0U1L1NFmSqgGmVHvdNLaLmTBYahTe7xvA/s1600/100_3491.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-0njkfr8MSuytZxnBQwk6QzHzrWktyoyKcP8HpQ_m_B4airYqOz152kOtXDozgjcRe2Foz_4wfMnvtI1F80PZCA-BrKuwlGCbOrqVB0U1L1NFmSqgGmVHvdNLaLmTBYahTe7xvA/s320/100_3491.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Once the wireframe support was constructed, more pinata building was in order. The opening on the side of the rear leg was added to account for the supports holding the rear legs in place. The rear leg assembly itself was a balance of form and function, as I could either go for a structural column between the legs, or remove it entirely and let the legs complete the shape themselves. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHILTK1rncR1AuI0LxfRNhtQpAyZbv4boM5DXPP2jxmg2f2ajcyJRR8zWfUa6EjvpwTV_t3Onl84UzOyGRfAbVVvaIeYC0Ol3DLZ84NhRj9Lq-fAJRHeEiVV3rwekTyde2EGzIpA/s1600/100_3493.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHILTK1rncR1AuI0LxfRNhtQpAyZbv4boM5DXPP2jxmg2f2ajcyJRR8zWfUa6EjvpwTV_t3Onl84UzOyGRfAbVVvaIeYC0Ol3DLZ84NhRj9Lq-fAJRHeEiVV3rwekTyde2EGzIpA/s320/100_3493.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Some trimming later, and I built a dividing column for the rear legs. Some pillars were added to maintain strength, even though there should be zero interaction in the direction of the plates during normal operation. Figured it's a better option to do this now than deal with depressions in the card face later. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4BrPhKT-Vpkab3Wkjb4mEWpVoUIHXwGJbSBHn6EsYleNcpYdF_S8Nf4ZDjuYrbe33p2KC2ltsqv6Gg0V3UvQ2ZmROtnOICmO-YfeIQD5-3JrhY2qtoo01bZ4hLMRb5q2invbJFw/s1600/100_3494.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4BrPhKT-Vpkab3Wkjb4mEWpVoUIHXwGJbSBHn6EsYleNcpYdF_S8Nf4ZDjuYrbe33p2KC2ltsqv6Gg0V3UvQ2ZmROtnOICmO-YfeIQD5-3JrhY2qtoo01bZ4hLMRb5q2invbJFw/s320/100_3494.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> With the rear structure completed and the front skin done, it was time to make the rest of the body. First off, I ended up breaking my personal rule of not using lands for construction. You can see the outer shell made of some swamps. They came in some free intro packs and I was actually dwindling on chaff cards. Not like anyone's going to care if I use some Tenth Edition swamps. People already assume I'm using lands anyways. I need to save the most horrible of cards for other projects. The skin was reinforced in some areas with two or three layers of card. Damage was a concern, and repair would be difficult. I am keeping the templates for all the free-handed sections in the event I need to redo sections, but I'm hoping I won't need to. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl5iunxmp9mCRCJpSvw-9p_oPRr4o9YEkMq7kXEHeovZNUTwktHJqNfKAxhV9HlIXyK0ZODE1I2xYZnDVbILAqRhJXDWoQ9DA1zEFhCA9TMUnAkZx3iOiT59Me5FyofvuUg9-Nbw/s1600/100_3497.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl5iunxmp9mCRCJpSvw-9p_oPRr4o9YEkMq7kXEHeovZNUTwktHJqNfKAxhV9HlIXyK0ZODE1I2xYZnDVbILAqRhJXDWoQ9DA1zEFhCA9TMUnAkZx3iOiT59Me5FyofvuUg9-Nbw/s320/100_3497.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> After assembling the last remaining parts of the horse, I added a tail (which I had never made provisions for in the first place) by putting two twisted strands of black electrical wire flanked by some black wig hair. I probably need more hair. The wire's there so I can attempt to put the tail in dynamic poses, which so far doesn't work.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg2ZjLekozpVwHKlDO_m0RXNzsKxo_DRsO73nSDSU99cjqB_U306A2rvLer9iNZ0H4Ym7MJ9339sKbkVkQpIV3e3DW-7HvV3sA6y8ZG8Fwd_itDRYMOTUixAIwL8ixoWiG6_Oasw/s1600/100_3496.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg2ZjLekozpVwHKlDO_m0RXNzsKxo_DRsO73nSDSU99cjqB_U306A2rvLer9iNZ0H4Ym7MJ9339sKbkVkQpIV3e3DW-7HvV3sA6y8ZG8Fwd_itDRYMOTUixAIwL8ixoWiG6_Oasw/s320/100_3496.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Adding all the skin and remaining sections used up a total of 69 cards. With the previous sum of 246 cards, I'm slightly over the original budget with 315 cards. Still not bad. Is it worth building a 1:6 scale horse out of cards? Totally not. I'd recommend buying an artist's reference model if you want it as a reference, and I'd recommend buying a professional made one for $99-300 that isn't made of flammables and cellulose. Although neither of those lets you have silly poses with 1:6 scale figures.<br />
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If you're interested in the plans for the horse, drop a comment or send a message. Otherwise, I won't bother posting them. They need some clean up anyways.JNORADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06468066058550857963noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8885410.post-65432520760234240682011-07-04T11:41:00.000-06:002011-07-04T11:41:50.936-06:00This Weekend's Project: 1:6 Scale ViolinThis weekend's side project is severely lacking in the explosives department. <br />
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Tried my hand at #2 in Stringed Instruments Series, a Violin. The <a href="http://jnorad.blogspot.com/2010/08/this-weekends-project-16-scale-acoustic.html">guitar</a> was a fast project, and quite fun to do. This project however, was anything but quick, and mildly annoying to develop.<br />
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A quick search for violins yielded a blurry resized image of professional violin plans. The image was about the size I needed, and mildly blurry that I could still read it. After some resizing and quick drafting of some plans, I formed the basis of my violin body, in the same way I built the guitar. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL4SB0QpGzusrh1Dfdl8OtfIBUgq6RXiUVxOYLtDA2Oem7ULT2QKSYKf-4-HqHhlQWlHY7xbOzE9JR-0rg8gB4D3s20E9ZkICnxZEWFb8ok-EHQmGTDuADFbOneHUnlbLCRks-OQ/s1600/100_3435.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL4SB0QpGzusrh1Dfdl8OtfIBUgq6RXiUVxOYLtDA2Oem7ULT2QKSYKf-4-HqHhlQWlHY7xbOzE9JR-0rg8gB4D3s20E9ZkICnxZEWFb8ok-EHQmGTDuADFbOneHUnlbLCRks-OQ/s320/100_3435.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>This looks nice and simple, with tape holding the frame to the template, but the image lies! Taping a 5mm wide strip of Magic card and trying to get those pointed parts right was painful. Took a lot of time to get the laminations to stay in place while the rest of the frame dried. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfAXz2RK4d3a_6skX5uNpVuADWptIxvLpWcv11uySDj5CR95TqMmMm_FTvoaAInisC_vETBYirBTBnZ8CD8bL3ey50lWFe5kOARhv-APLjwE4QdjZuObIl8v62sjpKyM_J0Ydt0g/s1600/100_3437.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfAXz2RK4d3a_6skX5uNpVuADWptIxvLpWcv11uySDj5CR95TqMmMm_FTvoaAInisC_vETBYirBTBnZ8CD8bL3ey50lWFe5kOARhv-APLjwE4QdjZuObIl8v62sjpKyM_J0Ydt0g/s320/100_3437.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>Making the two faces was interesting as well. A violin has a contoured front and back, whereas the guitar I could slap on a solid face and call it a day. I took the contour map, made a model of it, then used it to form the pattern for my violin. Both sides differed in curvature, so I got to do this twice. Went through a good amount of cards trying to get the shape right. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg56zxDMOItMYRPDUas87j0KRz6PSLLq0zFhNRijBhvDw5F1sii9SGI8er24_9UnhEwLcrddQj5yoTS_R1gfkhxuErWCsDzq6Vmua0BNYc3zFdSaV3dNmabJT3WjUSd8DGgE51pdQ/s1600/100_3439.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg56zxDMOItMYRPDUas87j0KRz6PSLLq0zFhNRijBhvDw5F1sii9SGI8er24_9UnhEwLcrddQj5yoTS_R1gfkhxuErWCsDzq6Vmua0BNYc3zFdSaV3dNmabJT3WjUSd8DGgE51pdQ/s320/100_3439.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>After forming the sheet for the face, it was a good time to start cutting out the F-holes. Cutting them after being fully assembled would prevent me from cleaning up the other side of the holes. Unfortunately, the size of a violin prevents me from strategically placing the card back in interesting ways on the sides. What you see now will be obscured by clutter and will look less interesting.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbqsmPzzCVgvqcz4DrKalMDBLBHG09QELMTzzrwb7DB1CAiYaAj7N3JxXvxH4CtxRLrnrbTNviTL9YPVgdHeTWZFXG5qy469hf-PfumgSBNGssDG-DzQrgi3F1FL47F9SF3aqDGw/s1600/100_3440.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbqsmPzzCVgvqcz4DrKalMDBLBHG09QELMTzzrwb7DB1CAiYaAj7N3JxXvxH4CtxRLrnrbTNviTL9YPVgdHeTWZFXG5qy469hf-PfumgSBNGssDG-DzQrgi3F1FL47F9SF3aqDGw/s320/100_3440.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Building the neck was much more difficult than the guitar. Here's a side view of how the inside was constructed. A hollow curve for the scroll, and lots of cobbled together laminations for the neck support. Peg holes were made using a 1/16" bit on a hand drill, same as with the guitar.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj13b5M7KelzAqDGyfQvgVUkqoIFMGueDLDIjkXuO6n-i-UPvYKJiWFXZQrsImdVd_bGPmv5hHhS2cmd80HXfk8L4w5gaQj5FutsM1ScrQKC-BWAKkoSXoj0RjNI_BRkOp9To-9WA/s1600/100_3441.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj13b5M7KelzAqDGyfQvgVUkqoIFMGueDLDIjkXuO6n-i-UPvYKJiWFXZQrsImdVd_bGPmv5hHhS2cmd80HXfk8L4w5gaQj5FutsM1ScrQKC-BWAKkoSXoj0RjNI_BRkOp9To-9WA/s320/100_3441.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The main issue was trying to get the scroll shape, while keeping the side profile as a single card.I chose the more elegant route than the quick and dirty route of rolling up paper or shaving down the face to achieve the effect. It's a barely noticeable effect, especially at a distance, but I like knowing that it's there.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAl3sJK7Mk8EU8jW0mbv4DGZC4nfHtg-Qp6tRheKo2l4H9dieRp2nmNAmD3ptG8hqDUV95CR_2eJiTEzjjB2-MTdaK00vROgaMBp3SIS2VNMq8GAwLzqlo1KzzG5fb7GyTt4MJZQ/s1600/100_3454.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAl3sJK7Mk8EU8jW0mbv4DGZC4nfHtg-Qp6tRheKo2l4H9dieRp2nmNAmD3ptG8hqDUV95CR_2eJiTEzjjB2-MTdaK00vROgaMBp3SIS2VNMq8GAwLzqlo1KzzG5fb7GyTt4MJZQ/s320/100_3454.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Stringing the violin was the same as the guitar. Stick white sewing thread into holes, stretch, wrap around pegs, repeat multiple times. I toyed with the idea of making the pegs capable of tightening the strings, then decided that was the stupidest idea ever. I jammed some knots into the pegbox and retained them with paper clips, then called it a night.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpLBdxTZrS5UWou2B9UTPqkLF1-UE8vsOYKTEwYFx4ltwkp8gg1d1UhKJGyayK02TkHjVhyphenhyphen1VbFciTlV_RlflNajvfPnvIzss-6_xJWvKBwGUIloVG3gTWuFARUEdauLxCOiH2TQ/s1600/100_3456.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpLBdxTZrS5UWou2B9UTPqkLF1-UE8vsOYKTEwYFx4ltwkp8gg1d1UhKJGyayK02TkHjVhyphenhyphen1VbFciTlV_RlflNajvfPnvIzss-6_xJWvKBwGUIloVG3gTWuFARUEdauLxCOiH2TQ/s320/100_3456.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>I have never played the violin. I can only guess that the chin rest is there to prevent your facial acne from creating a circular spot on the violin from contacting it for hours. Decided to try to make it removable for the sake of being able to. Worked out fine by using a bent paper clip anchored to a 4-card stack. The chin rest gets held in place as well by the spike I rammed into the tailpiece to hold it in place. I figured since there's some metal thing holding it in a real violin, I can jam one in mine to prevent mine from flying off after a slight nudge. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1viGFBPWKON6H67PbmLrBecovmV__lxYadraBeksdl0qUXP1VvqQaHil77KjPGPLummEgP0Ob7-AxLrD_G14vTYtkBYRABYMF6IuE0JJK8exbl424uuDFmQP9j97Fj7-p31n0Kg/s1600/100_3453.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1viGFBPWKON6H67PbmLrBecovmV__lxYadraBeksdl0qUXP1VvqQaHil77KjPGPLummEgP0Ob7-AxLrD_G14vTYtkBYRABYMF6IuE0JJK8exbl424uuDFmQP9j97Fj7-p31n0Kg/s320/100_3453.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The bow used a large paper clip to provide support. I had underestimated the size of a violin bow. I always thought they'd be shorter than the violin. Seems like some are longer than the violin themselves. I opted for a 4/4 size violin and bow, so it's quite monstrous. The bow just uses paper to thicken the paper clip, and to provide an attachment point for the two bits that hold the string. Gluing them directly to a metal paper clip would have been ineffective and utterly silly. I ended up painting it with gloss black enamel and spraying it with a coat of clear gloss coat. Will that hold up against rough use? No idea!<br />
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I ended up using about six cards worth of material for this project, but ate up about 4 cards in development. Most of the parts were leftovers from the horse. This project helped deal with the pile of small scrap cards sitting on my desk, which is always nice as large projects yield a lot of semi-usable scrap.JNORADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06468066058550857963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8885410.post-13419494272678579762011-06-24T21:45:00.000-06:002011-06-24T21:45:38.473-06:00More Horse ProgressThere's slow progress for the horse. Just haven't had much of an incentive to get it going farther than it currently is. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbi8nKFlDKKCW7AQJIwYP6DNkIdjOZO4F5MhXmJ8tE_A_tfF3r5xXZcBEZD9LHRJ6dk095Qg2lUYeGZDVFXZakudzijryFO2WZW4iYmZfuWg3ZkXnQsdJroAcHXzK5h3ibBBJFNQ/s1600/100_3393.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbi8nKFlDKKCW7AQJIwYP6DNkIdjOZO4F5MhXmJ8tE_A_tfF3r5xXZcBEZD9LHRJ6dk095Qg2lUYeGZDVFXZakudzijryFO2WZW4iYmZfuWg3ZkXnQsdJroAcHXzK5h3ibBBJFNQ/s320/100_3393.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>In order to determine how the neck sections will be concealed, I started developing the frame for the horse's body and skin. Since it's going to be hollow, I've experimented with a more lightweight means of making the skin than the old method of piling on 110lb cardstock tubes until the shape gets fleshed out. The method involves making use of the tube framework that holds the body together, and adding depth gauges all along key points, then connecting them together with two thickness strips of 110lb cardstock. The resulting model looks like a wireframe outline of the desired shape, and presumably uses less material. It's a lot more fragile, but that's where the depth gauges come in to support the skin. The MtG skin should be thick enough to support itself once curved and glued.<br />
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Building the body requires the legs to be somewhat fleshed out as well. Tubes have been glued over the screws to provide access points. They're all outside the horse this time instead of the cosmetically better looking underside/inner side of the horse. I'll probably be tightening them often, so it's probably for the best. The screw assemblies compose of a countersink bolt, spring washer, two washers and a nut. The nut is held in place inside the center of the tubes by strips 2.5 Magic cards thick, 2mm wide, forming a hexagonal housing to prevent nut rotation. These will be later plugged with a 110lb cardstock core so the nut doesn't travel axially, fully restricting the degrees of freedom. If this wasn't added, tightening the bolts would be tedious and difficult since there's nothing to hold the nuts in place.<br />
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Since I've opted for the neck to bend downwards, I need to conceal the gaps that result. Rather than make a giant rotating joint that resembles a LEGO horse, I chose to go a more difficult route.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrOhU_yqiK15pIleJGaIAspyAhaUO8G3-EWa7HDrwhDwdsaR3Yrj6U17oc9hQ2y3gPhuKgHyJgxkGNF40TKHVSjQgvkSYjIdFf-ydzZ4EmBlqH7HmwpUqKIn2bldl59roAlsxEFA/s1600/100_3428.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrOhU_yqiK15pIleJGaIAspyAhaUO8G3-EWa7HDrwhDwdsaR3Yrj6U17oc9hQ2y3gPhuKgHyJgxkGNF40TKHVSjQgvkSYjIdFf-ydzZ4EmBlqH7HmwpUqKIn2bldl59roAlsxEFA/s320/100_3428.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>With the neck region and movement limits defined, I could figure out how much gap I needed to cover. At full upright, the neck has a large exposed gap at the bottom and a small gap at the top. The system has a static upper region, and a dynamic lower region. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrJI2c0TFnFWHdfz-4xJfR6TDhpLSBEGdbWRD9W4W5AhaWM6b40bIPxO5BEZZ5NF_GEWPJUeX40_ounYWFsH4TUbvhTnyzidtxCIayqEP9ZvllLASCZwFIf9q7t41XzFGMUUJbWg/s1600/100_3429.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrJI2c0TFnFWHdfz-4xJfR6TDhpLSBEGdbWRD9W4W5AhaWM6b40bIPxO5BEZZ5NF_GEWPJUeX40_ounYWFsH4TUbvhTnyzidtxCIayqEP9ZvllLASCZwFIf9q7t41XzFGMUUJbWg/s320/100_3429.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
At mid position, the edge of the upper triangular shaped cover piece lines up with the edge of the neck opening. The lower cover sinks inwards into the chest cavity, assisted by a set of hinges.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRZitZsk87MiklxAwZdhbTle8CwBrH56cbK1-WXIIHicdyjoPs49UFbtE0gr2KIkeL5Wr1mJfJpohR-J2RKs1azkFk7_13Y_54Pwst9owTaRa1_Rwi01Qi7wvYUhS4OtYs_ovGfA/s1600/100_3430.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRZitZsk87MiklxAwZdhbTle8CwBrH56cbK1-WXIIHicdyjoPs49UFbtE0gr2KIkeL5Wr1mJfJpohR-J2RKs1azkFk7_13Y_54Pwst9owTaRa1_Rwi01Qi7wvYUhS4OtYs_ovGfA/s320/100_3430.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The neck further bends downwards 22 degrees to allow the head to reach the ground to do grazing poses. This does cause another gap in the upper region of the neck, which needs to be addressed. The lower cover dips downwards and inwards to provide clearance for the neck assembly. The purpose for this mechanism is to allow for a curved and molded shape to fill in the gap. Due to the nature of how I designed the neck base to bend in two sections with hard stops to prevent overtravel, a static section was not feasible. I needed something that would move to allow for clearance of the second neck joint that connected the accordion structure to the body.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGwQeYPa9HINNIDa2ongeyPun_MCjfyIkwCz96ntK2gMfLSbo50AKol6Rmih9Uo32ix4exEIW8jQda8KAI9kF451GNclXXIaJf0tTVufRQRD6hGlIII8USbqFroEqMa2JLWqdjcg/s1600/100_3433.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGwQeYPa9HINNIDa2ongeyPun_MCjfyIkwCz96ntK2gMfLSbo50AKol6Rmih9Uo32ix4exEIW8jQda8KAI9kF451GNclXXIaJf0tTVufRQRD6hGlIII8USbqFroEqMa2JLWqdjcg/s320/100_3433.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The neck assembly, removed for detail, shows the general layout. A notched portion inside the lower cover prevents the cover from falling out the gap when the neck is fully upright. It acts as a hard stop around one of the structural tubes inside the body. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE8yfOeM0KdGU6RHvgGG6UFJHfamX8rRPwazbgz3IXgOE-C0LjPlIdu7ncw7a_ah2kU8K0rjxUzMJUv-kJMPCT1-8M-hAZ_S4j00swfGfISb70mYI3GhmXmEifPwSypNdlU2WFEA/s1600/100_3431.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE8yfOeM0KdGU6RHvgGG6UFJHfamX8rRPwazbgz3IXgOE-C0LjPlIdu7ncw7a_ah2kU8K0rjxUzMJUv-kJMPCT1-8M-hAZ_S4j00swfGfISb70mYI3GhmXmEifPwSypNdlU2WFEA/s320/100_3431.JPG" width="268" /></a></div>Here, the two hinges required to create the movement needed for the lower cover are visible. The hinge base also serves to strengthen the neck base against buckling. Also visible are the wire assemblies that hold the neck sections in place and limit rotation. The yellow wire section has less stiffness than the middle and lower portions. The assembly was too stiff with all three supports being made of stranded wire. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHzvltf2E-qxQjmQFwL6YSp7GHSs0hEfabvvDN6Xn2BumT_YEvd9xGChzplXOgAft0-aSlnVBMNVuEOBv9GhfomeHW6kKP65SOUvEVR6zTZgwDXCsuhvWkpQ4t2Bs97eRcKNOxgg/s1600/100_3427.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHzvltf2E-qxQjmQFwL6YSp7GHSs0hEfabvvDN6Xn2BumT_YEvd9xGChzplXOgAft0-aSlnVBMNVuEOBv9GhfomeHW6kKP65SOUvEVR6zTZgwDXCsuhvWkpQ4t2Bs97eRcKNOxgg/s320/100_3427.JPG" width="240" /></a></div> So right now, the horse has a semi-finalized neck and the rough outline for the body. Remaining tasks involve stiffening the rear legs and fleshing out the rest of the body. I'll also need to adjust the center of mass, as it's currently front heavy due to all the neck structures.JNORADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06468066058550857963noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8885410.post-34805559321115446782011-06-19T19:38:00.000-06:002011-06-19T19:38:16.383-06:00J.Norad Reviews: 1:6 scale Dragon Browning M2 Model Kit<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcX8JxP8mB5S2gkmn0-0Saw6N-8cSdJPgcg6a6SAR-f33Q0ybA1hY4-GlFScCoBzdeH0AJVo5HsL0TEVhkxZyojz1XVVUgz1Ck3zpIlEXWAM1Nj2MqR3NxEs1fnHCGFtUrwoxj-A/s1600/100_3416.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcX8JxP8mB5S2gkmn0-0Saw6N-8cSdJPgcg6a6SAR-f33Q0ybA1hY4-GlFScCoBzdeH0AJVo5HsL0TEVhkxZyojz1XVVUgz1Ck3zpIlEXWAM1Nj2MqR3NxEs1fnHCGFtUrwoxj-A/s320/100_3416.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Went to Brickworld 2011. Ended up browsing the local shops after lunch and I picked up this: a 2008 <a href="http://www.dragonmodelsusa.com/dmlusa/prodd.asp?pid=DRA75012">Dragon 1:6 scale Browning M2 Heavy Machine Gun model kit</a>. I wanted to add this to the collection for some time (an M2, not particularly this one), and here was my chance. Not quite the best decision I've made regarding model kits, unfortunately.<br />
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I've seen one review of this model kit floating around. Not too surprising since not a lot of people review model kits, especially model kits of infantry weaponry. However, I've gone through the <strike>joy</strike> horror of building this kit to tell you how it really is. <br />
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<b>Phase 1: Misinformation </b><br />
I picked this up at the cost of under $19 at a hobby shop, all ready to get me a heavy machine gun. I opened up the box and beheld the presence of a foul and unholy mass of injection molded plastic and metal. Yes, there's metal. Is it <i>awesome</i> metal, as in "metal barrel and other assorted parts to enhance the flavor and detail"? Hell no! It's the "purely decorative but essential to make the kit annoying to build properly" type. We'll get to that in a bit. First, let's look at the biggest problems with this kit: the instructions.<b><i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZsvz0j5O3MGd18rd-OjqR4hc0C4QSWSEqhmYi9Ig0wlXv8LRx46lladGaZiWG2crC3CFnZy9jQleP_sLWJ_Kf-pVHRF-cFDBTtMkUemx2IKDxW9A0UXskx71YPcYhTILBWmC3TQ/s1600/m2_instructions_sheet1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZsvz0j5O3MGd18rd-OjqR4hc0C4QSWSEqhmYi9Ig0wlXv8LRx46lladGaZiWG2crC3CFnZy9jQleP_sLWJ_Kf-pVHRF-cFDBTtMkUemx2IKDxW9A0UXskx71YPcYhTILBWmC3TQ/s320/m2_instructions_sheet1.jpg" width="232" /></a></div> Here's the first sheet. Top gives you an overview of the model, same as the box cover. Middle covers the runners and what each part is, in case you cut them all loose and have no idea what they're called afterwards. The bottom covers a painting color guide, which luckily is composed of 5 colors, and only two are essential to the gun. Take note at the grey section on runner set A. That designates parts that are not used in this model. My first question is, "why do you even include parts on the runners if this model doesn't use them?" Second, "what set does this get packaged with that uses these parts?" And lastly, "why the hell are these spare parts not duplicates of essential but potentially fragile parts?"<br />
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The answer to these questions is "<i>they're actually used in this model kit, but the instructions writer decided to troll the kit builders who actually bother to look at the sheet</i>". Because, who reads the instructions anyways? Certainly not the 4-13 year olds who buy this model, since this package certainly says that it's for 14 years+ only. We all know that getting a 14 year old to read a book is not particularly easy, so they added a visual instruction sheet with numbers on it. That's what the back side is for!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCG5BdoOPWYaPPSMGhT69ANC-tCinoYYkxvhqO3AegwAhKWypm37t98rl7-69rFW9zTtLhZJrs_xRLbFj5-T7MOwAnAwhRAgA02mZFsjbucWlYK1M-Xtz0GAoDPLWtDul1z-jV3w/s1600/m2_instructions_sheet2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCG5BdoOPWYaPPSMGhT69ANC-tCinoYYkxvhqO3AegwAhKWypm37t98rl7-69rFW9zTtLhZJrs_xRLbFj5-T7MOwAnAwhRAgA02mZFsjbucWlYK1M-Xtz0GAoDPLWtDul1z-jV3w/s320/m2_instructions_sheet2.jpg" width="232" /></a></div><b>Phase 2: Deception </b><br />
Side 2 of the instructions is where Dragon likes to whip out the middle finger and also take the time to poke you in the eye. I don't know if they fixed this for subsequent releases, but there's numerous errors with the instructions. I've handily corrected them in <span style="color: red;">red</span>. Notably, I've labeled where the "unused" pieces actually go on the model. Part A19 corresponds to the swivel tripod lever handle. Optional parts A29 and A30 turn out to form the "integral" leg clamp assembly for the right side of the tripod. Of course, you could have figured that out without the drawing by looking at the spot at the end of the leg and then at the runners. The handle isn't integral, but it's actually depicted on the cover photo, if you notice.<br />
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Per the numbers, you're supposed to be issued three B17s which correspond to the gun's firing mechanism assembly, and are supposed to glue them into the tripod legs. Great! I always wanted my tripod to shoot holes into the ground so I can have an easier time digging them into the ground. In a pinch, they will also serve to provide a last point of defense for the tripod carrying guy, so he can at least get some shots off. Dragon thought of everything. <br />
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Lastly, the instructions conflict with the product photo. The tripod feet per the instructions have the feet one way, and the photo has them the other. Which is correct? The product photo, apparently. I checked with what the actual M3 bipod looks like and it matches the photo, with the spades pointing all the same direction.<br />
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<b>Phase 3: Lack of Information </b><br />
At this point, you can argue that I'm being nit picky and deliberately bashing a decently designed kit for the sake of your entertainment. Now here's the point where Dragon takes their other hand and gives you the finger, and also jams it into your other eye. The METAL PARTS. Nowhere on the kit does it say that you need to have needle nose pliers for this kit. YES you need them. Why? Because the metal parts can't be assembled onto the other parts otherwise. And they're tedious.<br />
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The metal parts are all confined to the ammo box lid and a carrying handle on the barrel. The barrel requires you to clamp the loops tight otherwise they'll come off. Not too bad. Next part are the lid handle hinges. You'll need to pry them apart to fit them around the lid loops, then close them while the strap is in the hinges. I have decent dexterity and I had issues keeping the parts aligned while I clamped the loops closed. <br />
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Last is this little gem here.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYd7C9POco-ZNvic27r25k2mIlx-ap48B8xZkeSj32wVnf-GhziDMzz0DQzFhxb_StaW63-_ynkqOE1Rp2dMapXCtBvAlexDEMOOfvXaXwa3qQcAE0H_iYdXEKLxwGr_SkdRaNIg/s1600/100_3422.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYd7C9POco-ZNvic27r25k2mIlx-ap48B8xZkeSj32wVnf-GhziDMzz0DQzFhxb_StaW63-_ynkqOE1Rp2dMapXCtBvAlexDEMOOfvXaXwa3qQcAE0H_iYdXEKLxwGr_SkdRaNIg/s320/100_3422.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> The ammo box locking plate. It's a metal plate with a metal C that goes through it. They come separated and must be assembled together as shown above. Keep in mind the C hinge piece comes bent as a C and not straight. In order to get the part through the holes in the plate, you must unbend the part, thread it through and re-bend it. It's like unbending a paperclip and trying to bend it back so it looks the same. Doesn't happen, unless you're good. Mine still came out semi crooked.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCe6CzD8-UQYuu0WStj7XlNd9_tEhqh0yUfTJEBjsEx_kYFNOqCA8uotASPPrGuVQ1J45zRffAblUtm2vc6es2k5fGGWo4MpwJL7ML4awWA56bqR6OUIW54Paf0N7-g-N3khFioA/s1600/100_3420.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCe6CzD8-UQYuu0WStj7XlNd9_tEhqh0yUfTJEBjsEx_kYFNOqCA8uotASPPrGuVQ1J45zRffAblUtm2vc6es2k5fGGWo4MpwJL7ML4awWA56bqR6OUIW54Paf0N7-g-N3khFioA/s320/100_3420.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>My last point of the model kit is the plastic itself. You clearly need to paint this. The tolerances are tight without painting. A bit of sanding is needed to get the tripod legs to even slide. It felt like the model I got was late down the line where the mold had gotten sloppy. The ammo insert in the ammo box is wider than the ammo box inside, and requires trimming. The halves of some parts (legs, receiver, part of the barrel shroud) didn't meet up flat. As a side effect, the barrel came out crooked when assembled as is. Noticeably crooked.<br />
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<b>Overall</b><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFEyleHBjJzHPSDACSU3aaoWQrRJTY9A2Fo_gIcwUdUQJ73GoRMB5tD3tkJfhygv7i9ZWTKPNwxhIYrtB5mMaJNgs_AuBYboe2QdQFXErdeHyoQzchCEb2qT5UzvFE5IJyRALw-Q/s1600/100_3417.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFEyleHBjJzHPSDACSU3aaoWQrRJTY9A2Fo_gIcwUdUQJ73GoRMB5tD3tkJfhygv7i9ZWTKPNwxhIYrtB5mMaJNgs_AuBYboe2QdQFXErdeHyoQzchCEb2qT5UzvFE5IJyRALw-Q/s320/100_3417.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Griping aside, the model's not bad. You just need to know what you're getting into. There's a lot of moving parts. Some of the movement can be nullified by bad handiwork or too thick of a paint job, however. I honestly don't think it's worth buying the kit if your skill isn't great and all you want is an M2. However, I don't think they sell the M2 pre assembled, at least not anywhere convenient. There's a limited number of M2's from other manufacturers, and none are common. So if you're in the market for one, you're forced to go the Dragon route if you're unable to find pre-built ones. If you're absolutely rubbish at painting like I am, you'll hate this option. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLvd7E4jIwY6KCXETezVAXR5V57CfTNdL1ObsT9Vx7pyjb4np4ubBcIlHiyDz83_7lbFqmWODh99mNNSWO3NY1PcguO2DEj4DfgjIHQt_xNEYMA9aA-VdFVJnbE2ZzSzU8Bx729w/s1600/100_3412.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLvd7E4jIwY6KCXETezVAXR5V57CfTNdL1ObsT9Vx7pyjb4np4ubBcIlHiyDz83_7lbFqmWODh99mNNSWO3NY1PcguO2DEj4DfgjIHQt_xNEYMA9aA-VdFVJnbE2ZzSzU8Bx729w/s320/100_3412.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> On a last note: the ammo links are too rigid. You can sort of bend them. They'll snap and disintegrate though. You'll be limiting it to just dioramas and not much else.JNORADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06468066058550857963noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8885410.post-50846191706587873702011-05-22T18:09:00.001-06:002011-08-07T07:12:15.843-06:00This Week's Project:: Conduit and CardsWith the head completed, I can judge how much mass I'll be dealing with for the head. The neck is identical in concept to those <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Artists-Wooden-Horse-Model/dp/B003XXR11M">wooden art horse models</a> that you may have seen: three cables threaded through multiple cutaway sections. It allows for the neck to bend in all sorts of fun directions while resembling a a knife rack. I opted to go with this design over any others since there's not much else that works and looks any better. Also, it works, period.<br />
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I split the neck into 20 minor sections composed of 5mm thick sections, and one large 30mm long section. From my understanding, the three bones near the head don't have much movement and the head will likely block the movement when angled down, so there's no point adding articulation that won't be utilized. I originally thought of making the sections 10mm thick, but it would look terrible and have poor movement. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghNFh0t4mymGKRHA9dSI4D0KBv6E3e_cl5IUdWR_Y5xrI_v9_uMvBIl-Oz386PatS90X_d_e8zFoKajTM4naW-r8PMdGY6-FeG0ZWSVbsGPvv2F5V8-3x_58N3-cUS8cYtmCxkcg/s1600/100_3350.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghNFh0t4mymGKRHA9dSI4D0KBv6E3e_cl5IUdWR_Y5xrI_v9_uMvBIl-Oz386PatS90X_d_e8zFoKajTM4naW-r8PMdGY6-FeG0ZWSVbsGPvv2F5V8-3x_58N3-cUS8cYtmCxkcg/s320/100_3350.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Each section is composed of four cards thickness, so they're stiff enough for shape but not entirely rigid as an eight card thick layer. They taper from 30mm wide x 55mm long to 38mm wide x 80mm long. Approximately 10 stacks were used, so 40 cards total. The neck pivot required its own special assembly, which took 3 stacks, or 12 cards.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpUa7p1A8uvn2TWAb-KVSN5Qud2wPRAmQ8OAYYP6Zc45dt1agq4R_v-n0UIsIHNdzQoxbUYK6yiwPUREznig16Udp09uiRpDJy5yQs6AXhhTzjSCIJ6dQ0Zh8ccaDlaCQCkJyMZw/s1600/100_3348.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpUa7p1A8uvn2TWAb-KVSN5Qud2wPRAmQ8OAYYP6Zc45dt1agq4R_v-n0UIsIHNdzQoxbUYK6yiwPUREznig16Udp09uiRpDJy5yQs6AXhhTzjSCIJ6dQ0Zh8ccaDlaCQCkJyMZw/s320/100_3348.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>In order to get the neck to retain a pose, I selected some conduit that I happened to have lying around. Why do I have conduit lying around, you ask? Who doesn't have conduit lying around, I say! It's one of the fundamental building tools for paper modeling, next to sheet metal and and epoxy. Anyone who says otherwise still uses glue sticks and 100% post consumer content paper to make model La Pietàs. I originally chose three bundles, but that proved difficult to bend. The top and bottom rows need to slide within the 3.175mm diameter holes I made, and the conduit was just enough to not allow for smooth movement. For now, I made the center wire a conduit bundle, and opted for a twisted pair of two regular 20 gauge electrical wires for the top and bottom. I'll probably add a third after some more testing.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgmoLB40Rmn2BuWjACmplHHQlZqyVg9OXUTXUa_y85Z0Imtt5xrDuwHxIhgphvBWpc19xF8h2bCx7Hod-C3bbg5vz0hPVpR2JIpcnxOwMOmz02iNyTQEAGnP_Yv__bgBmUc1aoOw/s1600/100_3387.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgmoLB40Rmn2BuWjACmplHHQlZqyVg9OXUTXUa_y85Z0Imtt5xrDuwHxIhgphvBWpc19xF8h2bCx7Hod-C3bbg5vz0hPVpR2JIpcnxOwMOmz02iNyTQEAGnP_Yv__bgBmUc1aoOw/s320/100_3387.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> The head-neck assembly will be done with a hinge, secured by a nut and bolt. I needed to make an assembly to interface with the hollow head, so I made a partial bucket shaped thing and glued it to the hinge top. Not much to say about my lack of planning here, except that it worked out fine. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh48_e4Riy9cu0Qf0qXGljNjC9vXUhaoDvvI3uXqRo5LC1fdr3tM-TIljSbyE0pvbAc0Yb2aOb664_5XzHJhAghkd1a1VFz7h3sLy4vADENFW2Ded73qN988KjWHGhwb_oCfciyeg/s1600/100_3388.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh48_e4Riy9cu0Qf0qXGljNjC9vXUhaoDvvI3uXqRo5LC1fdr3tM-TIljSbyE0pvbAc0Yb2aOb664_5XzHJhAghkd1a1VFz7h3sLy4vADENFW2Ded73qN988KjWHGhwb_oCfciyeg/s320/100_3388.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The head adapter fits inside the hollow head. I had to modify the head to allow for the adapter to fit in properly. That meant reducing material in the front of the neck and about 10mm from the back, shaped to adapt to the curvature of the adapter and neck. There's some part of the adapter still showing, but that will be trimmed to fit. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFU78VKf3pTH0a6Nte7DpE3xq4MhT9ZY5a7iaBHS1rW1ZTPtUxmc-wFpAqBFHXptta-55Sr9XQb8DjCybi2XVRUmI7-eBNQCHv_asUpvT-xaNXL5kxYeloY7VepB9s27Uvn0rklw/s1600/100_3389.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFU78VKf3pTH0a6Nte7DpE3xq4MhT9ZY5a7iaBHS1rW1ZTPtUxmc-wFpAqBFHXptta-55Sr9XQb8DjCybi2XVRUmI7-eBNQCHv_asUpvT-xaNXL5kxYeloY7VepB9s27Uvn0rklw/s320/100_3389.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Here's the inside of the head. Looks a bit more professional than sanded Hand of Emrakuls bonded together with printer paper. <br />
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To attach the neck to the body, I used another 4 card stack to make a mounting plate. Right now, I jammed in the conduit end and it's being held in place by that alone. I'll need to make some stabilizer structures to keep it from wobbling. I'll also need a more permanent and sturdy means of providing neck articulation for the top and bottom wires. For now, the neck can do some decent poses, but can't do a straight extend. The weight tends to make it curve.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPw2yD2jep6xVRL5HzU7UIj5B1GFPLae95lh0pcQLcgUtV9H66r2wc3toGzN7zDzwYRaG1fFrsmBqKZOBJYJ1GypJYVg16gmbL8iOkjTYXb0mWxS582yX35Tl5VTOd_QiNedIu3g/s1600/100_3390.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPw2yD2jep6xVRL5HzU7UIj5B1GFPLae95lh0pcQLcgUtV9H66r2wc3toGzN7zDzwYRaG1fFrsmBqKZOBJYJ1GypJYVg16gmbL8iOkjTYXb0mWxS582yX35Tl5VTOd_QiNedIu3g/s320/100_3390.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-2VenSpVAecKNKGsSZTkMk8p_908288-sjYqqrQn_VLJqVMxdxhQlOGh_Tpd5wK4JXGvr300W8z9bVSXtZ_RsRnxS8tI24-2nk1B_kJMBBJiBxXNBTiOUChnn7hdg3tcQTnRc4g/s1600/100_3391.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-2VenSpVAecKNKGsSZTkMk8p_908288-sjYqqrQn_VLJqVMxdxhQlOGh_Tpd5wK4JXGvr300W8z9bVSXtZ_RsRnxS8tI24-2nk1B_kJMBBJiBxXNBTiOUChnn7hdg3tcQTnRc4g/s320/100_3391.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSOqZmmCGfavJBkPZI2TP-44vWgqDwIfWvdM7mBzj4Igu7tOdIYsa1BHaDN7HWumG-f88MLfvcBkaEXr6uAgr2UnC8-tTBVpXBjM0UgGLsejAGyxjrPWO07x0spuGzA6OWMbNqEQ/s1600/100_3392.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSOqZmmCGfavJBkPZI2TP-44vWgqDwIfWvdM7mBzj4Igu7tOdIYsa1BHaDN7HWumG-f88MLfvcBkaEXr6uAgr2UnC8-tTBVpXBjM0UgGLsejAGyxjrPWO07x0spuGzA6OWMbNqEQ/s320/100_3392.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Total costs so far: 124 cards on the neck assembly + 122 cards on the head and body= 246 cards. It's looking unlikely that I'll hit the under 300 mark with the remaining parts left. Then again, a smaller scale horse still costs more than the equivalent of 300 commons. If I increase my budget to 400 cards, it'll be about $100 at the rate of $0.25 a common (or $40 at $0.10 a common), which is still better than what they'd fetch if I tried to sell someone a stack of <a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=45165">Kurgadons</a> or <a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=21043">Ingenious Thiefs</a>.JNORADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06468066058550857963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8885410.post-56464205392848346752011-05-19T21:28:00.000-06:002011-05-19T21:28:39.431-06:00I Have Chunks of Hands of Emrakul Everywhere I'm finally at a stage where I can put a meaningful post on progress. Work has been started on the horse's head, since there's no point building something with the body of a horse and the head that resembles a pile of mutilated <a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=29800">Centaur Veterans</a>.After some load testing on a mock up neck mechanism, I decided that the best option is to reduce as much weight as possible and go for a hollow head. A solid one would be too massive to support using wire bundles. Since I plan on having the skin be the backing of Magic: the Gathering cards, I'll need to make it without carving out details. Papercraft to the rescue!<br />
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I could be progressive and use modern methods like drawing a terrible rendition of a horse using Sketchup and importing it into Pepakura, then turning it into a paper model. That method's not very fun. I'll go at it the more archaic way that uses simultaneously less and more effort.We'll be making the head using a casting!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3ZoY6f_ira-QiEmpMu0oG2F7aml4i4CGD1DXnTZ-calYlmjllmkZhlWzRdi1nhx24HbNqgAEF3HuzohrDRoyn9QHji6Vjyd2fmEtJ-nDQd3GSdRZOCoalg8SAEWIyB-4AcLv2Kg/s1600/100_3342.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3ZoY6f_ira-QiEmpMu0oG2F7aml4i4CGD1DXnTZ-calYlmjllmkZhlWzRdi1nhx24HbNqgAEF3HuzohrDRoyn9QHji6Vjyd2fmEtJ-nDQd3GSdRZOCoalg8SAEWIyB-4AcLv2Kg/s320/100_3342.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Starting off with a base of LEGO bricks, I form the rough shape of the head, so I don't have to expend extra resources shaping a mock up horse head. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkQJmiMbJ7c6JSQqFPRzJpJmlGiCpsCUOrNFkx5cpHQzuQ3rDdmiY9_7nO8l3p_e2TMWC2pSyKUNAORYcT05kIUQ0s9_AyIiPZ2Mq59R8HXYY-r9kLrxILvqVRUv3dhq_-_pclsw/s1600/100_3341.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkQJmiMbJ7c6JSQqFPRzJpJmlGiCpsCUOrNFkx5cpHQzuQ3rDdmiY9_7nO8l3p_e2TMWC2pSyKUNAORYcT05kIUQ0s9_AyIiPZ2Mq59R8HXYY-r9kLrxILvqVRUv3dhq_-_pclsw/s320/100_3341.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> After some quick work piling on kneaded eraser, I end up with half a horse's head. Just a half, since it's symmetrical and I can mirror the pattern for the other half. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWWkXqU8rKz4_53Wg5J8Dcl8ZyMeNeiRDiZfd9heRU9Ri8qIsKrzauXR6MUULTBZOTPCSGkkfB7ivIubUZp1SXtEJk_w3IHfeDRmThyphenhyphentqVjzB7O4FW0gLgnKZ39oCnLHRCwT-ang/s1600/100_3343.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWWkXqU8rKz4_53Wg5J8Dcl8ZyMeNeiRDiZfd9heRU9Ri8qIsKrzauXR6MUULTBZOTPCSGkkfB7ivIubUZp1SXtEJk_w3IHfeDRmThyphenhyphentqVjzB7O4FW0gLgnKZ39oCnLHRCwT-ang/s320/100_3343.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>We bust out the stripchart thermal paper and form a mold. Why stripchart thermal paper? I have rolls of it from work and no stripchart to use them in. The step is just like making a papier-mâché mask: layer strips of paper and glue it together over the object in question with reckless abandon to actual sculpting skill. The shape still needs to be close to the original sculpt, otherwise the next step is worthless. The goal is to make a thin shell of the original. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikOuQcAx4IaMHYbcvL7vo_ss6DUH4oB8i99Kkat-n95DB97CFKvRZgo9-WxgOHFoc6YoQ_UCPcazl5YYKnKhXKMcvDaq3RwMMeY1r5zIBK-lz6-WDHVj2O3zBQVfLUtJigDngO0A/s1600/100_3344.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikOuQcAx4IaMHYbcvL7vo_ss6DUH4oB8i99Kkat-n95DB97CFKvRZgo9-WxgOHFoc6YoQ_UCPcazl5YYKnKhXKMcvDaq3RwMMeY1r5zIBK-lz6-WDHVj2O3zBQVfLUtJigDngO0A/s320/100_3344.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>With the shell removed off the kneaded eraser sculpt, you'll have the negative to cut and flatten to form a template. The trick is to understand how paper behaves and where the folds would likely happen. It's like peeling an orange and keeping the peel in one part. Useless for the majority of you, since you won't be making castings with playing cards. This technique is going to be the core of all the horse's construction from here on out. The resulting template gets tested out on cardstock before the final build with actual cards. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6GJvDKwZKZBIywwMNlZPXX_awQRi1q7kEj_7cNShZCPwR1bTWlLrP36H7RxEfzweOebRYuIR04NxLrQC5rGMxf55D4ensyoDZIbfJikez8p4OoDtXOUGKiCW6p_MRQRwgBp-Bhw/s1600/100_3345.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6GJvDKwZKZBIywwMNlZPXX_awQRi1q7kEj_7cNShZCPwR1bTWlLrP36H7RxEfzweOebRYuIR04NxLrQC5rGMxf55D4ensyoDZIbfJikez8p4OoDtXOUGKiCW6p_MRQRwgBp-Bhw/s320/100_3345.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Behold, a horse's head, made out of <a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=193616">Hand of Emrakuls</a>. There's still slivers of them near the base. Took me five of them and a <a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=48595">Predator's Strike</a> to form a head, or a converted mana cost of 47! They were quite playable in retrospect, but I hate Timmy creatures. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEKQWeM7KojPHRJCRX0IcNYt23qeu2ASS6qyfXV3Wh-cnrFzQDAkKYRDJQu9o9O41DBTqqsT6r5B3ZxbwmLumtQlcKlgL479zlTviat17KDvlWhVwR3dtQmuAdETJieE3_K_lbIQ/s1600/100_3347.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEKQWeM7KojPHRJCRX0IcNYt23qeu2ASS6qyfXV3Wh-cnrFzQDAkKYRDJQu9o9O41DBTqqsT6r5B3ZxbwmLumtQlcKlgL479zlTviat17KDvlWhVwR3dtQmuAdETJieE3_K_lbIQ/s320/100_3347.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>I'm mildly happy with the results. I achieved the goal of forming a hollow horse's head. Just need to form a mount for the rest of the structure. Total costs incurred so far: 122 (6 cards used on the head) Now for some fun with a hollow horse's head, non-Godfather style.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSPOHsHWu6tMMOrgNGMFkgwM4UuyqfqPxGXVuWIFcGB95EifL1q5DDetUrbYOACnvfNX8MnT7O900QBy1HOvnWyFyxS9P8a9jxGlOtzcuEf5As43F04fuKSQyuOd9GWrmCIqc6Xg/s1600/100_3349.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSPOHsHWu6tMMOrgNGMFkgwM4UuyqfqPxGXVuWIFcGB95EifL1q5DDetUrbYOACnvfNX8MnT7O900QBy1HOvnWyFyxS9P8a9jxGlOtzcuEf5As43F04fuKSQyuOd9GWrmCIqc6Xg/s320/100_3349.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">I am Heavy Weapons Horse!</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuKHqsoe1egNVSdrMRYHftjBK0N8qh5SqoH1jz0aT23B0bOc9U0ubH8HW_A1geJ177a-ykW5zm6ymEtJyXBiJjIg9hxqW2xXbAA4rwBw1PZj_FW8fMyumPZPyM0ek13NYiu82inQ/s1600/100_3351.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuKHqsoe1egNVSdrMRYHftjBK0N8qh5SqoH1jz0aT23B0bOc9U0ubH8HW_A1geJ177a-ykW5zm6ymEtJyXBiJjIg9hxqW2xXbAA4rwBw1PZj_FW8fMyumPZPyM0ek13NYiu82inQ/s320/100_3351.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Heavy Weapons Horse is hungry!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I'm almost finished with the neck mechanism. Hopefully, by the weekend, I'll have attached the head to the neck. Or I may end up stabbing horses in <i>Mount and Blade</i>.</div>JNORADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06468066058550857963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8885410.post-41737599852611423402011-05-01T15:32:00.000-06:002011-05-01T15:32:28.891-06:00This Month's Project: Horse Legs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div> Been about a two months since I decided to build a horse. After much time of not trying, I made some progress. I've finished drafting up plans for the legs and am happy with the overall status. No point posting plans since you will never want to build these. I also still have no plans for the neck and head so far. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmQ9nTg8L_CJDUOHo8UqcN7xLTrymF2TkPMR6Sj4KjOrVAvGC45pfmw-aq8S3PMvkWUj-vDFpR0jGH0LXD5nPF1etVmknwnmhnZ-rrTDsqd9VmaLypR9EqiYTjYlgd-0gJmE6B8A/s1600/100_3323.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmQ9nTg8L_CJDUOHo8UqcN7xLTrymF2TkPMR6Sj4KjOrVAvGC45pfmw-aq8S3PMvkWUj-vDFpR0jGH0LXD5nPF1etVmknwnmhnZ-rrTDsqd9VmaLypR9EqiYTjYlgd-0gJmE6B8A/s320/100_3323.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The leg system is largely unchanged from other endeavors: 16 card thick hinge pieces with screws.I should be using larger fasteners, but I still have a good stockpile of parts remaining. Only difference is the overall larger size of each component, and less modular nature. What you see here is a sense of how many cards were destroyed to build the horse's legs. Quite a bit this time. A set of forelegs and hind legs used 22 sheets of 4 card stacks, for a total of 88 cards. Already close to my original arbitrary goal of 300 cards. I ruined one part due to drawing errors, adding eight more cards to development costs. Sixteen cards were used to build the templates, with four being scrapped. That brings up the total expenditure (including the four used in development two months ago) to 116 cards used. In case there's any doubters that I am not using basic lands, and am, in fact, using crap commons, here's some of the templates used to build the legs:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh4g_eYqMtEdmr8ac_ZC7yYmDgzOiNxXtTAaSUHgUnf_6o22UvliTq69puMnxgfzF2JTiznKc4nRlDGDR20d-M0WqeXiml4sM6H6od6PydeLIJWR2lTG4K6xFkZsmosaOVBsxbpA/s1600/100_3327.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh4g_eYqMtEdmr8ac_ZC7yYmDgzOiNxXtTAaSUHgUnf_6o22UvliTq69puMnxgfzF2JTiznKc4nRlDGDR20d-M0WqeXiml4sM6H6od6PydeLIJWR2lTG4K6xFkZsmosaOVBsxbpA/s320/100_3327.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Good old crappy Ice Age. Seems that I accumulated a stack of oddly glossier Ice Age cards. I never liked them due to their odd finish that ruined and came off easier than the regular coat and used them for templates. Turns out that they were sort of uncommon in print run, but nothing worth celebrating about. A glossy Pyknite is still useless.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_5fOUnLlEZ8pGFDyV3E9ZUX4XApGUO72hoOKSGhARKrYxv1w-srVeXLu-VXtyH61uvuyjreK-vSH-obobxmjrLHGjttbMokjOQLb47EyW7XQU74OtxO6i4UQORnppD2D3vp9v5Q/s1600/100_3326.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_5fOUnLlEZ8pGFDyV3E9ZUX4XApGUO72hoOKSGhARKrYxv1w-srVeXLu-VXtyH61uvuyjreK-vSH-obobxmjrLHGjttbMokjOQLb47EyW7XQU74OtxO6i4UQORnppD2D3vp9v5Q/s320/100_3326.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>I spent some time figuring out the leg range of motion for each part using various photos and references. I'm probably off by a good margin, but I have the general movement mapped out. If you're interested, you're better off buying a book on horse anatomy (which I didn't), or studying one properly (which I didn't). My measurements aren't the most reliable. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTzgepCWyWizX7Mkc41j6G5tUw9pjIpCcjtxM-j_QJ84jCXcg0ZDmhZRr6Eta9Qc9vsBe2RzCUERMUnkdutErU9NTZgZDyGKqzI1qNLCAPp926dw8Q7Ll27obD1878N-ItmcN4cw/s1600/100_3325.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTzgepCWyWizX7Mkc41j6G5tUw9pjIpCcjtxM-j_QJ84jCXcg0ZDmhZRr6Eta9Qc9vsBe2RzCUERMUnkdutErU9NTZgZDyGKqzI1qNLCAPp926dw8Q7Ll27obD1878N-ItmcN4cw/s320/100_3325.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The most important parts of the project are the legs, neck, head and, for a lack of a better term, chassis. Everything else will be freehanded like the camel, and skinned with a coat of card, hopefully. Right now, it's going to be a horse made of scaffolding. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMpoXtSqlku3jL9a4zjs5k_ymnFJzGg7waCnotC8TceZZWeUPk1mCKemt_BOqw-A5vO0SgiO94gBwejl1pFH2_D1oiZi4GSHV1S9KotP7Qvg6dVfA6r6DlwAii9mZr76rI2TYAnA/s1600/100_3324.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMpoXtSqlku3jL9a4zjs5k_ymnFJzGg7waCnotC8TceZZWeUPk1mCKemt_BOqw-A5vO0SgiO94gBwejl1pFH2_D1oiZi4GSHV1S9KotP7Qvg6dVfA6r6DlwAii9mZr76rI2TYAnA/s320/100_3324.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>This is where the horse currently stands. The joints can be tightened enough to allow me to do this, and hopefully retain this pose with additional weight from the rest of the horse's body. As a test of joint strength, I added some test mass to the neck region to give a good estimate on what to expect. What better to simulate the mass of 60 more magic cards than someone made of about 60 Magic cards?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIWki17DuvIcYtvAjyMwzAO4a0qW9en2wx_Fh1kwRXqLZZQq6K_frpBtnl1x6P5CeSR8GwWbmPYFSeMaVyuOXzVcbK2jrHW5OBKAlc936Vq5dO_qn_IfinH_aaAI_eka4q0e4Qjw/s1600/100_3329.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIWki17DuvIcYtvAjyMwzAO4a0qW9en2wx_Fh1kwRXqLZZQq6K_frpBtnl1x6P5CeSR8GwWbmPYFSeMaVyuOXzVcbK2jrHW5OBKAlc936Vq5dO_qn_IfinH_aaAI_eka4q0e4Qjw/s320/100_3329.JPG" width="169" /></a></div>Hotaru proved that the hinges need a lot of tightening. I could stack the Heavy on the front and provide a more rigorous test. I had some difficulty keeping the rear legs angled correctly with just Hotaru, and it will be trickier once there's more mass to work with. I'll have to readjust the center of mass once I develop the head, much like the camel. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiENcLB2QShGu7Rwg9ilyCH5Rfa83IAIdgV_djNsZq2l1Mbl7Be63SJfvZG9e-mTvjzV-rmik7SxAlsYlRlOK3DFz2WblohyXDhRlWZZY8fXjQG2F3h_vzyW66uqn-1y6APDQHDqQ/s1600/100_3333.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiENcLB2QShGu7Rwg9ilyCH5Rfa83IAIdgV_djNsZq2l1Mbl7Be63SJfvZG9e-mTvjzV-rmik7SxAlsYlRlOK3DFz2WblohyXDhRlWZZY8fXjQG2F3h_vzyW66uqn-1y6APDQHDqQ/s320/100_3333.JPG" width="215" /></a></div>It'll probably be a while before I figure out the neck and head components. Until now, it's a glorified barricade horse. I now have a good idea of how crazy of a size this thing is going to be, fully built.JNORADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06468066058550857963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8885410.post-924434377605816452011-04-09T18:53:00.000-06:002011-04-09T18:53:05.367-06:00This Weekend's Project: Cleanup Never officially finished the Demoman and posted any of the results on this blog. Been overdue for two years. Wasn't entirely happy with how it came out, but I had a chance to redo some of the problems I really didn't like about the first attempt. It's a good opportunity to share what I've learned during the process.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifH2Tull9EOTvxrAtmgGWoaWn4fWhDDAgyGdNkchRo3LyyDsSAf80kSqddpS0aMznKUp51hNpltzUuU3QvApbjq0N1ewZWvbpZG2WdUNWYpvg3OpF6fuNnYmTShZ5bSHtD4yAPOQ/s1600/100_3315.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifH2Tull9EOTvxrAtmgGWoaWn4fWhDDAgyGdNkchRo3LyyDsSAf80kSqddpS0aMznKUp51hNpltzUuU3QvApbjq0N1ewZWvbpZG2WdUNWYpvg3OpF6fuNnYmTShZ5bSHtD4yAPOQ/s320/100_3315.JPG" width="320" /> </a></div>First, I didn't like how I did the head. Plain generic expression. I carved a slight grin to his face. Can't say it's my best work, but it helps a lot. Not bothering to completely redo the head this time. It wasn't as bad as the first Medic's head. That was horrible. This was one of the later sculpts that wasn't entirely made of suck.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> When I started out, I was still using some lackluster materials to accomplish the job. Notably belts made of black construction paper fastened together with a wire hook that was neither strong or pleasant to look at. Had a chance to correct that by making some fake leather belts. Picked up an imitation leather wallet and stripped it apart for materials. They're just long enough to make a belt, with some extra length to it. In this case, they were enough to go from the Y shape fork in the back to the front belt. It being vinyl, it was easier to assemble than regular cloth. I had the lovely option of either sewing the belt straps together, or just using hot glue to get them into place. Either method provided a satisfactory result. If you're trying to avoid seamwork, a thin application of hot glue will work. Just don't expect stellar results in extreme heat. Or leave him out in the sun. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_-NqSRbh37LhAmKdUcMBY-gcabL7xIMddCnEH488rJwXI0AiqQfEPKDwwE6TKJ4RqDiFV9LSLBZZgKCqJMfoCRNdvQmbUlzOg5CBu82w4iKWPE0eZWKYQ6f6VnacuCU3-1zp3NA/s1600/demoman.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_-NqSRbh37LhAmKdUcMBY-gcabL7xIMddCnEH488rJwXI0AiqQfEPKDwwE6TKJ4RqDiFV9LSLBZZgKCqJMfoCRNdvQmbUlzOg5CBu82w4iKWPE0eZWKYQ6f6VnacuCU3-1zp3NA/s320/demoman.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> The grenades on his vest were made of Sculpey. Bad idea. They were heavy, and not to mention, didn't glue well to anything. I had made sleeves around the thick middle section, and glued those to the straps. Now with better tech, I made the grenades out of 110lb cardstock rolls that are much lighter and more willing to be hot glued into place. I did experiment with fabric glue, but that wasn't strong enough to hold that into place. It may have been if I had let the fabric glue cure for more than an hour. I wasn't taking any chances.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiQbTd0RjLMWIz0wKExEcFCGxcQCQTjtThC-TsnuPLbK5qJU3R92MjvOyDk70M9pP1HrR7C0Umgq5eEwW1S2gOZjHFNqfAjIwEcKWy8-njz6fwvHtofnq2xC-7zxRDEVzWIYoCFQ/s1600/100_3303.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiQbTd0RjLMWIz0wKExEcFCGxcQCQTjtThC-TsnuPLbK5qJU3R92MjvOyDk70M9pP1HrR7C0Umgq5eEwW1S2gOZjHFNqfAjIwEcKWy8-njz6fwvHtofnq2xC-7zxRDEVzWIYoCFQ/s320/100_3303.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>The smiley face was originally paper taped to his crotch. I guess that's how it's supposed to be. It doesn't provide a good result though in 1:6 scale as the tape degrades. For a permanent solution, I glued the paper drawing to a small piece of white cloth, left 2-3mm of cloth over the top, and sewed it to the pants. Fabric glue in this case worked wonders. Don't even bother trying using regular glue with fabric.<br />
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The pants themselves, I altered so they weren't as loose at the waist. Not sure what I was thinking at the time, but they were obscenely baggy. As a result, he had loose rapper pants that constantly needed pulling up. Unfortunately, unlike rappers, he didn't have underwear. That was a dead giveaway that his body wasn't actually black either... I added velcro to his fly and narrowed the waist to allow for less mishaps involving pants. Because a drunken man and pants never tend to be good friends.<br />
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I learned long ago that you cannot paint directly on rubber. Well, you can, but it doesn't stick. It rubs off easily and does nothing useful for something that will receive heavy play. However, I did learn that if you put kneadatite over rubber, you can cheat and make it paintable. It does add a ridiculous amount of thickness to the medium, which in the case of a flexible rubber hand, any thickness is ridiculous. The hands were immobile and not even worth trying to use to hold anything. Method #2 to the rescue! With the power of enamel paint, you can paint rubber, just not well. If you cover it with a layer of Loc-tite or super glue of any sort, it'll form a nice solid layer that's thin but still somewhat ok. I haven't fully tested the durability of it, but it's an improvement. You may ask "why not just buy a body of the correct skin color?" I'll reply with "This body cost $5 and the correct one costs $30." That body also requires a totally different head. I'm not making another head. Inverse Michael Jackson it is!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWbFsgpGaPT13qIG2NispgjfTstbRea5g5F2dZ38uo73crG78DKJ4AL3Iuz5cUNl09I_Tvd-JSs5eu7TBrMvvGRfRJrMSOMFqjKH0XV_YCdQHlU4UQ5_MNsYyCZYDmrdFSmkw2nw/s1600/100_3314.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWbFsgpGaPT13qIG2NispgjfTstbRea5g5F2dZ38uo73crG78DKJ4AL3Iuz5cUNl09I_Tvd-JSs5eu7TBrMvvGRfRJrMSOMFqjKH0XV_YCdQHlU4UQ5_MNsYyCZYDmrdFSmkw2nw/s320/100_3314.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>Now that the Demoman's officially done, I'm liking him a little better than how it was originally. I didn't make many photos with him in it due to his hands being a liability in holding props. And that he looked mediocre. Now, I can close the project also officially get rid of it for extra shelf space. It's finally in a state that I'd consider "presentable" and safe for someone to handle.JNORADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06468066058550857963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8885410.post-84460218493002697342011-03-26T07:48:00.000-06:002011-03-26T07:48:34.659-06:00Loot Haul: C2E2Haven't made much progress on the horse yet. Neck's a big issue. I did however get a chance to examine a wooden artist's reference model at this year's C2E2. Figured out what I needed to be able to replicate. Those wooden horses cost $99, which surprised me.<br />
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I did browse the stalls for some 1:6 scale loot to haul back with me. I didn't find a cache of guns like I did at Wizard World '07, but I did find something unexpected...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwQ9QV1LQkP24NJTOsNpHAqhB2ByFzczAc-ZwGK8tR9tZw-HUW35DeA8eY9XtcHqTbY4CV8YkdYu-9rVjBHjJL0olRopmuNmJ6rYyH80SVYIAur9VYLW_rbmM2gcDotqfUTMzvOg/s1600/100_3297.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwQ9QV1LQkP24NJTOsNpHAqhB2ByFzczAc-ZwGK8tR9tZw-HUW35DeA8eY9XtcHqTbY4CV8YkdYu-9rVjBHjJL0olRopmuNmJ6rYyH80SVYIAur9VYLW_rbmM2gcDotqfUTMzvOg/s320/100_3297.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>Why, it's a 2004 Donald Trump talking doll from <i>The Apprentice</i>! After about seven years, the battery works still. You can probably pick this up on purpose for under $5 at the right places, but I found this for $10. I didn't care much about picking him up for comedic purposes, but more for a $10 suit. <br />
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<b>The Man</b><br />
Donald Trump's a solid guy. He's actually designed with hard stops in his neck to prevent you from spinning his head 360°, <i>Exorcist </i>style. That was unexpected. His hands are massively rigid and can't do anything short of karate poses and breakdances.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCzGN3Pnk1ub5iAmHtjCtoVIRH6nQekgK6KtNofgNmEUUvhigo7YoXpJf7FXBnZ96ooVXfWTWax94RIZdFSGCkdaFrKAbe1crT6im7xPD-Zxawkqks-MRypeiKuWDWqFJAvdJG3g/s1600/100_3296.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCzGN3Pnk1ub5iAmHtjCtoVIRH6nQekgK6KtNofgNmEUUvhigo7YoXpJf7FXBnZ96ooVXfWTWax94RIZdFSGCkdaFrKAbe1crT6im7xPD-Zxawkqks-MRypeiKuWDWqFJAvdJG3g/s320/100_3296.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>He has no waist articulation due to the electronics, but that's fine. You won't be buying this for poseability. In fact, you won't be buying this at all because it's pretty useless outside of the suit. Last week, his joints were still stiff, but now, his left leg is loose and swings around by gravity. The doll has the same hip strength as the real one. Their party days are all over.<br />
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His feet are painted on, and the shoes are integral to his legs. Not bad shoes either. Just a shame I can't move them around. The paint comes off after a few poses, but in most cases, he'll have pants on to hide that problem. The shoes do scuff off the paint easily, so you'll end up with flesh colored shoes after a while. Definitely not something that was meant to be played with roughly. Guess we'll leave the manhandling to Ivana. <br />
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<b>The Suit</b><br />
I did find some issues with the suit, but that's to be expected for a $10 suit. I had a suit for $10 once and it was terrible, but acceptable considering the cost. You don't complain when you spent less than the cost of lunch on a suit.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHoyBRuKzPLHY0rTBd3fNv_Ez6IEcnE2i4JcCdn-HqF1C0SaLxeLxmdrMQ7QFx-RhZUY63ZjmLcQomGVgGcJCfPRD7vO9T6iVVpSGRmhChGr1EBSGDBdM_f2un-gPi1TGxHIxeQA/s1600/100_3298.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHoyBRuKzPLHY0rTBd3fNv_Ez6IEcnE2i4JcCdn-HqF1C0SaLxeLxmdrMQ7QFx-RhZUY63ZjmLcQomGVgGcJCfPRD7vO9T6iVVpSGRmhChGr1EBSGDBdM_f2un-gPi1TGxHIxeQA/s320/100_3298.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <i>Wet Willy be dammed, your suit is coming off!</i></div><br />
The suit itself was nice. Had a inner lining, which was surprising. I was expecting just the outer side being done neatly. However, the pockets are rubbish and non functional, which is acceptable. They were sewn on with less skill than the rest of the suit though, with loose threads coming out. Makes it look like Trump is on hard times in 1:1 scale and 1:6 scale.<br />
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The shirt was flawless for what it was. I had to separate the collar from the shirt, as it was sewn down to hold the tie in place. It did have cuffs that could be buttoned (or snapped together), which was a nice touch, considering most people won't be stripping Donald naked routinely (unless that's your thing).<br />
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The tie was very low quality. It's held in place by an elastic string. The string's conveniently short enough just to not fit around Donald's fat, solid, unyielding head that you need to cut off the string to liberate him from his clothes. I made the mistake of trying to untie the tie and now it needs some help to get back to operational status. It'll make a good modified clip on tie...perfect for a budget Trump.<br />
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The pants have no belt loops, but that's fine. They do have leg cuffs, and the legs also are WIDE. They were sewn with a generous allowance for even the fattest of Elvis impersonators. Actually, all his clothes are done with rather wide arm and leg openings. The pants do fit other figures fine without any problems. Just need to make sure nothing snags on the seams while you put them on.<br />
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<b>Overall</b><br />
Make no mistake, I did buy the Trump doll just for one person, and one person only. Perhaps the silliest $10 spent. Considering what I spent for Golgo 13's other suit, this is fairly acceptable.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJppI79mUQj-_4qS0vnRtu_cIHE2ualsjJ8d9uwG7EFOTT7SINpTyHmqJNZP5_1RoR3rGMZq0qM1zGRwigJ18Uw2DVSYPECmDr9GFJk0935aOxhAF3Rg8FjpxcTQoU5mAB_ma2iA/s1600/100_3299.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJppI79mUQj-_4qS0vnRtu_cIHE2ualsjJ8d9uwG7EFOTT7SINpTyHmqJNZP5_1RoR3rGMZq0qM1zGRwigJ18Uw2DVSYPECmDr9GFJk0935aOxhAF3Rg8FjpxcTQoU5mAB_ma2iA/s320/100_3299.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
As for what to do with a naked Donald Trump...JNORADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06468066058550857963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8885410.post-34087177299987602632011-02-26T19:39:00.001-06:002011-08-07T07:02:15.746-06:00J.Norad Reviews: Hot Toys Modern Firearms Set 4<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHWBvF3bLbNpNREojreEMYcyHhiZeBZ39L5YEwa_DiJbIqoLMXSwC1ZlbZgFBCQvnN9MxzvpK3ltalbm7k0sgqkEV_TxVpHJZxsTmkPfYGfbykDQ3o0mQjpAuS1HMzk6Kadm6S3Q/s1600/100_3252.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHWBvF3bLbNpNREojreEMYcyHhiZeBZ39L5YEwa_DiJbIqoLMXSwC1ZlbZgFBCQvnN9MxzvpK3ltalbm7k0sgqkEV_TxVpHJZxsTmkPfYGfbykDQ3o0mQjpAuS1HMzk6Kadm6S3Q/s320/100_3252.JPG" width="240" /></a></div> Picked up a box of Hot Toys 1:6 Scale Modern Firearms, Series 4. They were still selling them at <a href="http://hobbygen.com/">HobbyGen.com</a> for $119 a box. There's a few other places that still stock them if you want to pick up the entire set, but before you do that, let's find out whether it's worth the bother.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUPv73u5LM1aVf7RIpaTm81D3ggIWfdLeHg-VHXkk6k4fPzaqN4Uh-MDzGqnlG07vrBTz3TW8WJ7iFYUnRhYtVx7WU2AHdo2eqFgUDOEr77Ecrma1BEACdUp2FyIUy9MYaW1wcyg/s1600/100_3253.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUPv73u5LM1aVf7RIpaTm81D3ggIWfdLeHg-VHXkk6k4fPzaqN4Uh-MDzGqnlG07vrBTz3TW8WJ7iFYUnRhYtVx7WU2AHdo2eqFgUDOEr77Ecrma1BEACdUp2FyIUy9MYaW1wcyg/s320/100_3253.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>They come 12 to a pack, and take up as much volume as other blind boxed trading figure sets. I was quite surprised when I opened the first one, with how loosely secured the box was. Seemed like they used hot glue to close the packages and did a poor job with it. There were no descriptive cards with any of the weapons, unlike Furuta and Zacca. Just plain old $12 of gun. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxFJp-7mw_Kys-vZe6kKPHmH7dcC2K1ITm0k2wc5aqtPXOCLH_3x7qpW6cm-4vNCBFcuoux4Rq20v0PYP-PZH23Gqj1TLQWIZWpgTyofoJJDyx4xo7BLRo3rp1sRkRKD3X7-XcUw/s1600/100_3256.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxFJp-7mw_Kys-vZe6kKPHmH7dcC2K1ITm0k2wc5aqtPXOCLH_3x7qpW6cm-4vNCBFcuoux4Rq20v0PYP-PZH23Gqj1TLQWIZWpgTyofoJJDyx4xo7BLRo3rp1sRkRKD3X7-XcUw/s320/100_3256.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>What struck me as odd was that each of the packs were labeled to what gun was inside with a stamped checkmark (see photo). It didn't look like the seller had opened it and taken the time to give me a full set of guns, which led to one conclusion: These sets aren't blind boxed, meaning they're not randomly packed. Buying a full box gives you a guaranteed set. Not sure if this was the same as Series 1-3. If you guys happen to know how those were packed, let me know via the comments. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl5gsMSrwMEUkDTv3Mpx1kx7gkYp2ZG1u6P7yEnZUFuHbQQ71Y5lNsWTorbgazez-L5LcZxq2vl0NGr5_L9jeDEoZhMaHT6MbdXI3nGKAykbTeUGLDPuSxOSblzy0ZAgp0gzOSmQ/s1600/100_3257.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl5gsMSrwMEUkDTv3Mpx1kx7gkYp2ZG1u6P7yEnZUFuHbQQ71Y5lNsWTorbgazez-L5LcZxq2vl0NGr5_L9jeDEoZhMaHT6MbdXI3nGKAykbTeUGLDPuSxOSblzy0ZAgp0gzOSmQ/s320/100_3257.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Sadly, they don't come with a display stand. I'm still using the display board that came with my 1:6 scale bazooka sets. It's fine though, but it would have been extra cool if they did. <br />
<br />
<b>The AKM</b><br />
Not going to bother covering this. You either want this or you don't. Has a drum mag and a folding wire stock. <b> </b> <br />
<br />
<b>The SCARs</b><br />
There's absolutely no reason why any of you need four FN SCARs. Seriously. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqAzZvVbn-KPmSa9QxPeVQ9HBuAJ7R00KOj81iON0zZFS2LvJmpsAVq7oQHOct2j6Hs4EKL89QG63sFCiHLJRiVCDpCD53o7J2t9Gyy2BzwzWdlDmtdWkaRm0XharQhVLvqa393w/s1600/100_3283.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqAzZvVbn-KPmSa9QxPeVQ9HBuAJ7R00KOj81iON0zZFS2LvJmpsAVq7oQHOct2j6Hs4EKL89QG63sFCiHLJRiVCDpCD53o7J2t9Gyy2BzwzWdlDmtdWkaRm0XharQhVLvqa393w/s320/100_3283.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i> From top to bottom: SCAR-L STD (tan and black), SCAR-L CQC, SCAR-H-LB</i></div><br />
<br />
For those of you who do, here's the lowdown:<br />
<ul><li> All four have extendable stocks and can be folded to the right</li>
<li>Silencer on the SCAR-H LB is removable</li>
<li>Bipod on the SCAR-H-LB is removable, and swivels</li>
<li>Scopes are glued on except for the SCAR-H LB. Rear sight can move along the rail. Iron sights can be folded down or propped up.</li>
<li>SCAR-L STDs have a bipod stored in the fore grip that can be pulled out. which is nice</li>
<li>The SCAR-H LB is properly stamped as being 7.62mm cal on the side</li>
</ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkIaaADbeiuHCLskh_DLVGpbU0YnRLlH4PRpZtE2nrT0nHDEyKs4fZADfW4JcbdL3OMIV66vICeWAv8Mo5yAzooVOKAfWc-ngOzRl2QAN3uiSNGnI-I4kzXfuUOhOwPbu7vzspNg/s1600/100_3265.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="143" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkIaaADbeiuHCLskh_DLVGpbU0YnRLlH4PRpZtE2nrT0nHDEyKs4fZADfW4JcbdL3OMIV66vICeWAv8Mo5yAzooVOKAfWc-ngOzRl2QAN3uiSNGnI-I4kzXfuUOhOwPbu7vzspNg/s320/100_3265.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Unfortunately, while the details are well done, they had an issue with the text. Apparently, this gun's made by FN Heatsel, Belgium. It shows up on all four rifles. The text on the scopes does read "For law enforcement/Military use", which was nice. Wondering if the typo was a usual engrish copy error, or a deliberate typo to not get in trouble for copyrights. Then I noticed that they had the brands for all the scopes labeled correctly. Guessing it's engrish. All four SCARs are about the same to me but I'd have to pick the LB variant. <br />
<br />
<b>The M4A1's</b><br />
<br />
There's honestly only one of these you'd want. You do not need all three M4A1's. You probably have tons of these already.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyFBhcy5DnvYp-5M_Y9_YQiyrPiRaOYhI9eV6-u1FvB-lEl3fRdGeKQGi0PcOv6NXRJM0T4nVTFfhkr-e1HA8wk9TS-xYNU9wDoDniXLLcjiYmhSW2kTc7EQYgNy7VDzjPGRr-Gw/s1600/100_3284.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyFBhcy5DnvYp-5M_Y9_YQiyrPiRaOYhI9eV6-u1FvB-lEl3fRdGeKQGi0PcOv6NXRJM0T4nVTFfhkr-e1HA8wk9TS-xYNU9wDoDniXLLcjiYmhSW2kTc7EQYgNy7VDzjPGRr-Gw/s320/100_3284.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <i>From top to bottom: M4A1 with XM26 LSS, and two M4A1's with M93 stocks</i></div><br />
Stoner's properly spelled right on these... so wondering what the deal with the Heatsel was for the SCARs. My tan M4A1 looked warped. Came out of the pack with the front barrel section misaligned by ~5-10 degrees to the left. The stock and barrel were curved upwards slightly. My magazine for the XM26 LSS was loose fitting and does not stay in securely. The clear magazines have issues from assembly, where the adhesive fogged up the inner section, making the magazine not perfectly clear.<br />
<br />
Here's the finer details of the M4A1's.<br />
<ul><li>Flippable dust caps for the scopes</li>
<li>Scope for the black M4A1 was glued on, while the tan was not. </li>
<li>Foregrip and flashlight assembly can be forcibly removed if desired; weren't glued on.</li>
<li>Extendable stocks</li>
<li>XM26 LSS has a spring loaded cocking lever and the barrel shroud extends out (presumably to minimize transport damage)</li>
<li>Moving dust covers! </li>
</ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgad3TLRLYkYjb-KlBy814r2pwSB8XjA4Zd18iOtIvYcQVeqw5hd_2FCxg6cdXtmqmR0uZExKPEqzgZM5pRrKw3ngg2lrxZJpLR7Re7XQ1p752H4OKSAzzMvFVHgu6znlEtMHZuEw/s1600/100_3280.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgad3TLRLYkYjb-KlBy814r2pwSB8XjA4Zd18iOtIvYcQVeqw5hd_2FCxg6cdXtmqmR0uZExKPEqzgZM5pRrKw3ngg2lrxZJpLR7Re7XQ1p752H4OKSAzzMvFVHgu6znlEtMHZuEw/s320/100_3280.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><b> </b>Pretty obvious what you'd want to pick up, because few manufacturers make XM26's.<b><br />
</b><br />
<b> </b><br />
<b>The M-14's</b><br />
<br />
These things are massive. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY-VNUir6Jv9tMbCjjqKUpjtPDVWyLpAnAvocL7EgXKPbgRObDtX1vUAjxk5HqIOuzOhv33k76Ci3wiqTknF1LnewzdBfQpw4EnB2750mx4uftLXpr-6ZthiVhl6nUPZ4diIgA3Q/s1600/100_3285.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY-VNUir6Jv9tMbCjjqKUpjtPDVWyLpAnAvocL7EgXKPbgRObDtX1vUAjxk5HqIOuzOhv33k76Ci3wiqTknF1LnewzdBfQpw4EnB2750mx4uftLXpr-6ZthiVhl6nUPZ4diIgA3Q/s320/100_3285.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>From top to bottom: SOCOM II, EBR with M4 stock, and EBR long barrel</i>.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">The magazines are very loose. The magazine wells for the EBRs were a thousandth of an inch wider than the magazines.You can fix that by applying some super glue to the sides of the magazine wells and letting them harden to fill in the gap. Just don't stick in a magazine before it dries. One of my magazines looked like it was covered in excess glue residue. My EBR long stock came with a scope latch missing. Not noticeable, but annoying knowing it's missing. The only fun features are the spring loaded cocking levers for the EBRs and the extendable stock for the EBR long barrel. However, there's one little surprise for the SOCOM II.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWH92n9oGFrRMNoglRj3ZP8mxEiB-bk16RHZILE7iQIY6MQwvO2TsmpdG7UPYTLsp8EquxION8wSZ4FZHcAizvW-z4cGfGPLpedyHEd0FSTDPBpVfk1XxIJCjGNrpG4LNDG9o_Yw/s1600/100_3273.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWH92n9oGFrRMNoglRj3ZP8mxEiB-bk16RHZILE7iQIY6MQwvO2TsmpdG7UPYTLsp8EquxION8wSZ4FZHcAizvW-z4cGfGPLpedyHEd0FSTDPBpVfk1XxIJCjGNrpG4LNDG9o_Yw/s320/100_3273.JPG" width="210" /></a></div>The rubber butt guard lifts up to reveal a hinged panel for where the cleaning kit goes! It seems to go in 3.5cm deep if you want to stash a cleaning kit in there, if you are that bored to build one. It's difficult to open without tools, so be warned. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHUzOmBitUvvgOEjahWMibS4h6FjZ3jssv2fRbwpjAb9VvYbGNq3AhfZ4goY5UiA2AKJQqetfRqFcs65GHSCS4pJt-lYpMp02h47CE60CZR8BYFmFfy1U-hsl3yKgNaMkJ3ucDmA/s1600/100_3278.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHUzOmBitUvvgOEjahWMibS4h6FjZ3jssv2fRbwpjAb9VvYbGNq3AhfZ4goY5UiA2AKJQqetfRqFcs65GHSCS4pJt-lYpMp02h47CE60CZR8BYFmFfy1U-hsl3yKgNaMkJ3ucDmA/s320/100_3278.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The SOCOM II's the best of the batch, with its appearance, properly molded magazine (which curiously does not fit in the EBRs) and detachable suppressor. <br />
<br />
<b>The HK-417</b><br />
I think if this set was blind boxed, the HK-417 is the best model of this series. Thing is loaded with little details that make it so much better than the other models.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfhNwkbvyw2GZq57aMciNacJ8pE4y0w9bY3dAyKu6DYMbOlUUWY8BRyqzXkJI_pJJ7g4x3H5lFqU6K9_Lq-uXN7iQILaB372bkJfVIBp0P4_ZF2Gd2CqX9YClMCU1fNOMMqPwu0g/s1600/100_3274.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfhNwkbvyw2GZq57aMciNacJ8pE4y0w9bY3dAyKu6DYMbOlUUWY8BRyqzXkJI_pJJ7g4x3H5lFqU6K9_Lq-uXN7iQILaB372bkJfVIBp0P4_ZF2Gd2CqX9YClMCU1fNOMMqPwu0g/s320/100_3274.JPG" width="263" /></a></div> First, the biggest thing to note is that you can separate the upper receiver. It's the only model of the set that can do this. None of the M4A1s were given this feature. It has flippable dust covers for the scope lenses and the ejector port. The front iron sight can be moved. the bipod is adjustable and is spring loaded. The stock extends. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_HPWNcbVSQAgF_DTJtRQ0DdFXc_GerZJLCqAuoz9i1csBPXBSF_4U3q2zrJttSjFebB3lTk_Fz5_MN3jg2w9XgywQmfC-KsuH5ZLSymeu3bqT6nlMmPUT_u2jOI1T7qBYUcEfkw/s1600/100_3277.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_HPWNcbVSQAgF_DTJtRQ0DdFXc_GerZJLCqAuoz9i1csBPXBSF_4U3q2zrJttSjFebB3lTk_Fz5_MN3jg2w9XgywQmfC-KsuH5ZLSymeu3bqT6nlMmPUT_u2jOI1T7qBYUcEfkw/s320/100_3277.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> The most overlooked feature is the charging handle. This was surprising as none of the M4's had this. <br />
<br />
I did find some short comings with this model. The magazine is near impossible to remove. I fought hard to remove the magazine after jamming it in there. Measured the difference with my micrometer and found the well was 3 thousandths of an inch too small for the magazine. The magazine could have been given a chamfer to help guide it in the magazine well too. I had to shave the inner walls to get the magazine to not be permanently stuck in there. <br />
<br />
The markings were fairly good, until you look at the right side. You really need to have good eyes to catch this, because at a fair distance, it looks fine. Odd how it has the HK logo on the reverse but has this misspelled.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitpCHyEjEkxHQbjIBCwTLXGpQE0KVJ3gXLAbP-VVE4itGRF3D5cNJ_rg5c6gsq17HwQI4Q7hT02WEawOQgyaSg2vmRKJ1T2f01WU2ZEBTQHy5HTa-itabVi1KZ4Vxy9JGvuu3SxA/s1600/100_3268.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitpCHyEjEkxHQbjIBCwTLXGpQE0KVJ3gXLAbP-VVE4itGRF3D5cNJ_rg5c6gsq17HwQI4Q7hT02WEawOQgyaSg2vmRKJ1T2f01WU2ZEBTQHy5HTa-itabVi1KZ4Vxy9JGvuu3SxA/s320/100_3268.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> "<i>Heeklor and Keeh GmbH</i>". At least they spelled "Sterling VA" right.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>The Verdict</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYvDovxwnvUAbcgwf2SMDhX6cDR1gfItSA1Ue73jeE40jdnrAMvexdCppBhsTJn1OsV21n92xxarF9nTBKOJRau5vZdPxlD-ei8gzIrWYdu_PzGqI6mu2sirrhrYxaey0brp-yDg/s1600/100_3282.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYvDovxwnvUAbcgwf2SMDhX6cDR1gfItSA1Ue73jeE40jdnrAMvexdCppBhsTJn1OsV21n92xxarF9nTBKOJRau5vZdPxlD-ei8gzIrWYdu_PzGqI6mu2sirrhrYxaey0brp-yDg/s320/100_3282.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
If you want a highly detailed model of any of the reviewed firearms, Hot Toys does not disappoint. It's pricey at $13 apiece minimum compared to the lower quality Zacca P.A.P. models but you get what you pay for. They can be had for about $15 from most 1:6 scale hobby shops online, or e-bay. The redundancy of some of the models makes picking up the set a bad idea, so I highly suggest only picking the ones you like. You seriously do not need 4 SCARs.JNORADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06468066058550857963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8885410.post-12280286542576939522011-02-24T22:16:00.000-06:002011-02-24T22:16:48.285-06:00J.Norad Attempts Resuming Useless Projects<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8XIdwee6CxbI-OvKUEcLgh4PhWGJoq9UzvGxFP6Z7f7V9iDCc0TR9fCOWrF919OaVekvsnpuSIx7VY8Mcq23Wwc2eKcSJKV6UnzLbR5lnxi7-cWu6qWtFCsxGSCUh1iLH_dJ-0w/s1600/100_3247.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8XIdwee6CxbI-OvKUEcLgh4PhWGJoq9UzvGxFP6Z7f7V9iDCc0TR9fCOWrF919OaVekvsnpuSIx7VY8Mcq23Wwc2eKcSJKV6UnzLbR5lnxi7-cWu6qWtFCsxGSCUh1iLH_dJ-0w/s320/100_3247.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>It's about time I set my sights on a big target again. The past month has been spent doing retrofit work on the girls, and before that, custom jobs. Actually, most of it was spent playing older games. Finished <i>STALKER: Call of Pripyat</i> and working on <i>Hitman: Contracts</i>. Haven't found anything from those two games that I'd want to replicate so far. They were a nice change of pace from manufacturing rifles in a small dark room.<br />
<br />
Going to start drafting plans for a 1:6 scale horse. May decide to skin the horse like <a href="http://jnorad.blogspot.com/2011/02/this-fortnights-project-camel.html">the camel</a> and have it visibly be made of Magic cards. Seems like a 1:6 scale horse runs about $200-$300 for a good one. Since this is the Vortex of Suck, I'm going to try to make an articulated 1:6 scale horse for under 300 Magic cards. With a common being about $0.10-0.25, that should put my budget (including prototpying and development work) at $30-$75. Tenth of the cost and maybe a tenth of the quality! How will this endeavor turn out? Probably with massive failure!<br />
<br />
I'll be trying my best to post updates for once and track the total costs incurred so far. However, Agent 47 may derailing my plans. <b><br />
</b><br />
<br />
<b>This week's expenditures:</b><br />
4 Magic cards used (development work on the neck mechanism)JNORADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06468066058550857963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8885410.post-58202557496809662002011-02-13T14:30:00.000-06:002011-02-13T14:30:44.589-06:00This Fortnight's Project: Camel ExpeditionTrying to get better at sculpting organic models again. Built some mediocre ones back in 2004 out of masking tape and paper and they were mildly decent, albeit not very pretty. This time, I attempted to apply new materials with old technology. Per request, I tried working on a camel. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGw30rai3SV1SLZBD-d-TSH7aJ_BQ9CGOZuRf80f8P5gfXOaxYeYA2z2nWAF6TDXw5xBZnTBW0HrRQ3RXH-6Hq6EgUAE_dNIumfBP8PxZW__hl_b2hhUNbinzc2z9t5e5kQrwLHA/s1600/100_3245.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGw30rai3SV1SLZBD-d-TSH7aJ_BQ9CGOZuRf80f8P5gfXOaxYeYA2z2nWAF6TDXw5xBZnTBW0HrRQ3RXH-6Hq6EgUAE_dNIumfBP8PxZW__hl_b2hhUNbinzc2z9t5e5kQrwLHA/s320/100_3245.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The hardest part was to make a decent head. To do this, I bust out some 8 year old kneaded eraser and molded my attempt at a camel head. I used the same techniques used to build <a href="http://jnorad.blogspot.com/2009/05/aluminum-green-metal-flake-thinner.html">Aelia's</a> <a href="http://jnorad.blogspot.com/2009/04/this-weekends-project-shoulder-armor.html">armor</a> (along with general clothing) to create a paper cast of the camel head. From there, I transferred the cast to a papercraft pattern, which eventually became a model made of Magic: the Gathering cards.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsxOYjXY-SXrt2jE9hbIjuQb1UZdwF3ozS5QvZdGqOS2ciukfxNXAIx4l0_p9tps4RV_sK50sKbEN4Cvy0L1kig7jnt-rjqEuUAUoEfyJqXXvhJuavJi0H6xLIPHCX9wdbNToodA/s1600/100_3229.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsxOYjXY-SXrt2jE9hbIjuQb1UZdwF3ozS5QvZdGqOS2ciukfxNXAIx4l0_p9tps4RV_sK50sKbEN4Cvy0L1kig7jnt-rjqEuUAUoEfyJqXXvhJuavJi0H6xLIPHCX9wdbNToodA/s320/100_3229.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> The body was largely done in this manner. The internal structure of the camel was built first using an arrangement of tubes, then the camel's hide was molded around it. That hide was then flayed off and converted to another pattern that was transferred to Magic cards. The card layer is one thick and connected on the edges underneath by another thickness of card.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0K43w2amEebIfgLFk-zYDOIrRDnbbWENy386VfP9VtLjtU2ODbaDnLRlMp9B2C-ci5pVUkOjgZPkJeqItlpt0s0ZGx9cTSVcpevqtBCD0W9Q1k1-evqgEczqtvzUwr0HTteGD-g/s1600/100_3242.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0K43w2amEebIfgLFk-zYDOIrRDnbbWENy386VfP9VtLjtU2ODbaDnLRlMp9B2C-ci5pVUkOjgZPkJeqItlpt0s0ZGx9cTSVcpevqtBCD0W9Q1k1-evqgEczqtvzUwr0HTteGD-g/s320/100_3242.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> And here's the finished result. Not my best work, but not bad for a first foray into static animal models out of card.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl3EH6D4d54HYVsN3oVesbxz1eh9E91-o5Vcz9xMVysbuBXxQQ_DJK7C2e1Oyp7VuHRTP4JifjfhyYFSTTowoMrX3s2hJXumsGyXAeInCy217YFPdL2RvSNgS-zE8grQkBxrzweg/s1600/100_3239.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl3EH6D4d54HYVsN3oVesbxz1eh9E91-o5Vcz9xMVysbuBXxQQ_DJK7C2e1Oyp7VuHRTP4JifjfhyYFSTTowoMrX3s2hJXumsGyXAeInCy217YFPdL2RvSNgS-zE8grQkBxrzweg/s320/100_3239.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Will be returning back to regular projects after some more tech research. Until then, time to explore the barren wastelands of the living room.JNORADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06468066058550857963noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8885410.post-68886787405861925862011-01-31T22:18:00.000-06:002011-01-31T22:18:22.177-06:00Miscellaneous Updates for January 2011Time for some much needed updates. I've previously showcased unpainted models of the <a href="http://jnorad.blogspot.com/2010/11/this-fortnights-project-sticky-launcher.html">Sticky Launcher </a>and the <a href="http://jnorad.blogspot.com/2010/10/this-weekends-project-16-scale-pancor.html">Pancor Jackhammer</a>, in unpainted states. I finally got around to painting them.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFgx_z2jzW_2eRH-C0fawqB9KBK58rDPu-FTXOGKUN_pwC6t8xRHKBemW9P8Eg5VcIB8V0Xiti8kgJDyEbM7EdXEdH0LS7tjJpxIxh64La6LM969E2DMAjjS5PhowAxadifoqJLA/s1600/100_3162.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFgx_z2jzW_2eRH-C0fawqB9KBK58rDPu-FTXOGKUN_pwC6t8xRHKBemW9P8Eg5VcIB8V0Xiti8kgJDyEbM7EdXEdH0LS7tjJpxIxh64La6LM969E2DMAjjS5PhowAxadifoqJLA/s320/100_3162.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Not the most exciting model I've done, visually. The wood color was done using a dash of Dark Red, liberal use of Flat Brown, and some Rubber enamel paints. The green was done with a mix of Dark Tan and Dark Green. The rest are standard Greys and Flat Black/Grey mixes. Figured I'd post what I used so I'd remember if I ever needed to make another one of these things. I coated the trigger button with Loc-tite to improve durability and reduce the paint from rubbing off after repeated firings.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSoAy-aLm-yvZpnglgwAjAOO8C39lZhyzCIX48FNSiZmdOTw4Cd6gtd21HbfEzACP3EgJPbX8XP2JTq9jfC0AOuqgNlXOtgy7xVDb_sFG5T3TciFNa1soH5nHGtdq8RKM_U-MV2A/s1600/jackhammer.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSoAy-aLm-yvZpnglgwAjAOO8C39lZhyzCIX48FNSiZmdOTw4Cd6gtd21HbfEzACP3EgJPbX8XP2JTq9jfC0AOuqgNlXOtgy7xVDb_sFG5T3TciFNa1soH5nHGtdq8RKM_U-MV2A/s320/jackhammer.JPG" width="238" /></a></div>I hesitated in painting the Jackhammer because I was certain it would look like rubbish after I painted it. It looked partly like rubbish, so I think I succeeded. I covered it with a thin coat of black acrylic as a base, then used Flat Black enamels to finish it off. I chose to paint the barrel aluminum to reflect the last prototype photos of the MK3A1 I used as reference. Gave it a good contrast. The barrel was coated with a layer of Loc-tite glue to help reduce wear on the sliding pump.<br />
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With older jobs out of the way, time to showcase some loot. The <a href="http://jnorad.blogspot.com/2011/01/this-weeks-project-weight-loss-program.html">second Minigun, S/N 0002</a>, was successfully bartered for foodstuffs with someone with way more skill than I do. Feel free to visit her <a href="http://chocodecadence.livejournal.com/">livejournal</a>, since unlike me, she actually sells stuff because her stuff is made with quality and not with freakin Magic cards.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpfWVS9FzT1HuEdFBoIBreV1JQJbQFshaCBPY-o4ji2IESXlJlyw7v1GeAb7LeAlk-OE7nbD6m7EUBbAZOEX9yGw8CeL5xlCxzj1nQyUmVNgpr7LjtDIoWAAIIUlsNFPgdbE6vRA/s1600/100_3228.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpfWVS9FzT1HuEdFBoIBreV1JQJbQFshaCBPY-o4ji2IESXlJlyw7v1GeAb7LeAlk-OE7nbD6m7EUBbAZOEX9yGw8CeL5xlCxzj1nQyUmVNgpr7LjtDIoWAAIIUlsNFPgdbE6vRA/s320/100_3228.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> So I got a ramen bowl, a submarine sandwich, cookies, a chocolate heart, a chocolate bar, and the Cake from Portal. Also received a bunch of extras like a soy sauce bottle and what suspiciously looks like a package of either dried fungus or chinese herbal tea. The craftsmanship is obscene for the ramen and sandwich. I probably could have gotten more from the trade, but I'm pleased with the goods. I did trade about 12 Tenth Edition commons and 10 sheets of cardstock for it all....also considering I'm terrible at making anything other than firearms or furniture. <br />
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Now, for some post-loot trophy photos. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1pCQA2NfxVi3TNe7t-89WvCcvl3ZjboFWnCnHrCs9lXR_fZCwB_SiPQJeGM5xiwoeSGViGBO_HG7Fq9cFrqCjA_khMEjimeVAdwfiHizcNkzrX3ufQTu2Fzvbazyo1Zy07mHC4A/s1600/100_3222.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1pCQA2NfxVi3TNe7t-89WvCcvl3ZjboFWnCnHrCs9lXR_fZCwB_SiPQJeGM5xiwoeSGViGBO_HG7Fq9cFrqCjA_khMEjimeVAdwfiHizcNkzrX3ufQTu2Fzvbazyo1Zy07mHC4A/s320/100_3222.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">It's so moist and delicious! </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTOegfU3cCUW6uGpuOIBVP3OVaKm_bcjKdheERXDeCXy5rgfgbZyzly10CXbkFDgBAwl5zl5gPn6U1UXuvH4a_wuVbZy8Ev0RRu0xGReHeatzWOYNTFsspL330cCUC67oY62IcFg/s1600/100_3224.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTOegfU3cCUW6uGpuOIBVP3OVaKm_bcjKdheERXDeCXy5rgfgbZyzly10CXbkFDgBAwl5zl5gPn6U1UXuvH4a_wuVbZy8Ev0RRu0xGReHeatzWOYNTFsspL330cCUC67oY62IcFg/s320/100_3224.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">"No." </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrhsfmg7U9Gew0klPR4ZyXihSL3Gg6V3cf921baVA_Hf8A9RO5zL8-rlmN5lt0Cr82vULzDEzfnK3JqONALOphApYVGlW5ge9pTVS_OTWf1Si8I0JG23kbmNV30O5fUpgIhZAneQ/s1600/100_3225.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrhsfmg7U9Gew0klPR4ZyXihSL3Gg6V3cf921baVA_Hf8A9RO5zL8-rlmN5lt0Cr82vULzDEzfnK3JqONALOphApYVGlW5ge9pTVS_OTWf1Si8I0JG23kbmNV30O5fUpgIhZAneQ/s320/100_3225.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">"WAAAH! Your sandvich is longer than mine!" </div><br />
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There's also one last item that I received that I shall treasure very much. A Hello Kitty cup. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA8KVx0d0m6tH76AMNvZTmK_WrWsr5rQXuJVGJ7XchGH7cDXiobbywOv1kK7l15Ix1kLExL9JkxltVDq02Qix-Ixdx28h5hDuSTGktT4KQkBT9aY_voNaC-I52fVw-hjwLebTsUQ/s1600/100_3226.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA8KVx0d0m6tH76AMNvZTmK_WrWsr5rQXuJVGJ7XchGH7cDXiobbywOv1kK7l15Ix1kLExL9JkxltVDq02Qix-Ixdx28h5hDuSTGktT4KQkBT9aY_voNaC-I52fVw-hjwLebTsUQ/s320/100_3226.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Golgo 13 is extra manly now.</div>JNORADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06468066058550857963noreply@blogger.com1