more work

Well, I did some cleanup and rework on Proj. H's legs.  I found that I don't like the ankle.  I am wondering if it would be better as a ball-and-pin.. where the ball sits into the ankle of the armored shin, and a pin goes into the top of the foot.  What I have done for this one is just cut the ankle and pinned it for rotation parallel to the ground.   If I were to try casting it for others, that might be what I'd think about, but I'm not sure if I'm willing to go that route yet. 

Even though I beefed up the legs a little, they still have that spindly look that the H is notorious for, so that was a side benefit.  I also re-cast the greeblies for the outside of the hip joint and I'm much happier about that one.

 

 

I was starting to get a bit concerned that it might be a bit out of scale to the 45 ton size of the Hatchetman. So I pulled the lower part of Project V-1 and set it side-by-side with them, and it looks like it just might be right. 

 

Now on to the hip and torso.....

oops

..crap.  I was just going through some of the sketches for the inspiration for Project H, and realized; I forgot the jumpjets. 

Ok.. I can fix this. They're mounted to the legs, so I can make Jumpjet greeblies to add to the thigh or shins. 

Another thing I'm still chewing on is the AC-10 mounted in the right torso.  In almost all the sketches, it's represented as just a hole in the front armor.  Blech.  I think that looks stupid.  But then, just having a tube sticking out of the armor would look just as bad.   I might want to alter it a bit to mount a gun assembly something like the under-slung package that the Atlas carries.  At least that would have a more interesting look to the build. 

The MLs mounted to each arm are simple enough, but that AC-10 definitely needs some design work. 

coupla pix -Project H.

First attempt at the legs.

Given my experience casting.. I'm not entirely unhappy.  

The foot came out ok.. a bit of cleanup and it should be ok.  The lower shin..same.  I'm not very happy with the scribe lines but I think I can clean that up too.  The upper thigh is better, that one I'm actually happy about.  The hip joint is ... meh.   I cast a greeblie for the the outside of it and that I am NOT happy over.  However, I have the greeblie from which I cast it that I can use.  .. I'll try a second run on that. 

the molds

The first set of casts

 First set of casts with the original pieces. The thigh piece lost the center detail strip in the de-molding, but it shows clearly on the cast pieces.

It begins.

So, Project H and Project V-1 are underway.  I do not expect P-H to be up to the standards of followers of guys like Fusco or MessyDesk, but hopefully it'll be good enough for the son of he-who-shall-not-be-named.  The intent is to make the pieces such that I can pseudo-cast them.  In essence, I'd like to be able to replicate them a couple of times, but the expectations I have on the casting are not high.  I don't own a de-gasser or a pressure caster, both items I would like to acquire at some point.  However, I did pick up some Mold-star 20-t and a some big ol' jugs of smooth-cast 300.  At the least, the parts should come out serviceable and give a decent base shape upon which to build up the details and final structures for it.

So, to start off project H... the foot. 

The 'Mech's design, as shows in the TRO, looks crappy.  It's just waaaay to spindly to be functional to my engineering brain.  So the build I'm making is going to have a much more MWO feel to it, and while it'll still have the curves and main shapes that the H is famous for, the legs and arms are going to be a bit beefier and more armored.  I have a concept in mind for the hip joint that'll allow for it to open its stance, and that should allow for some dynamic poses.  As I write this, it comes to me that also changes the way I'm going to do the hip-torso parts, making it as a 3-part linkage rather than a ball/socket or Pin. 

(I love it when my engineer brain can play) 

This is my first use of the Moldstar 20-t.  it's basically the same as 16-T as far as setup time and cure time.  The big difference I see is the color.  16-t A & B are blue and white, giving an off-blue color when mixed and you can see the unmixed "a" part.   This stuff is all translucent, so it's harder for me to tell if it's fully mixed.  The benefit is that I can see the airbubbles that are in the matrix as it's mixed.  (hence the desire for a de-gasser.)  I don't think that there are MORE bubbles in this than in the 16-T, just that I can actually see them, so now I'm aware of them.  However, I have been happy with the 2 test molds I've made with this stuff so far. 

The first castings of the Proj H feet came out and they're up to the standard I expected.  They're decent if a bit rough, but the general shape now is good compared to having to build them each up from stock. 

Project V-1 has my hands shaking.  I commissioned Mr Fusco for the V and that was no small request.  The kit is absolutely superb and I love this machine.  The catch is..now it's time to cut into it.  Yep, building up the cockpit and lighting the thing, which means taking the dremel to the head and torso.  That's the part that I am just a-skeered to do. Yeah, it'll be fine once the blade hits resin, but it's that first dig that's hard.   I have blue 1.8mm leds to hook up for the lighting and I'll put that in the forward upper part of the cockpit head and since it'll be a closed cockpit, I only really have to detail the pilot, seat and the back of the compartment.  I'm thinking of giving it a bit of a Millennium falcon look, with glowy switches in the back, but then I think that's a bit out of character for the machine.  It really should have more of a fighter/bomber look, with the controls easily accessable for a single pilot.  So I have to find a good mix of "looking cool" and "looking functional." 

Oh yeah.. Neurohelmet.  This one has to have the old-school Inner-sphere neuro helmet.  It IS an old-school Inner Sphere Merc 'Mech, after all. 

I want to build this up with as much a realistic look as possible.  I have to determine the battle damage level, paint scarring, and the general stance.  The ankles and knees for this will need to be set.  The hip and shoulders are likely more posable, and can be left movable.  I am considering pinning the elbows so they can be posable as well, but that may be more effort than it's worth.  It may just make sense to set the whole machine in a threatening pose with the AC-20 raised. 

Also, the SRM-4 launcher on the front torso is another point for detail.  I'd like to drill them out a bit more and drop in "missile tips" so it has the loaded launcher look.  I haven't figured out what to use to make those tips yet, but I'll come up with something.  

This one will definitely be battle damaged. I'm contemplating having a couple parts have the "salvaged from the battlefield" look with either a different paintjob or alternatively a "very very brand new" paint scheme to it, complete with missmatched colors and so on.  ..

Here goes......

Construction season soon..

So, sadly the workbench has seen a lot more "bench" than "work" of late. 

For the most part, July thru August sees an annual prioritization of a different pursuit, and I've not had much opportunity to attack the workbench.  That is not to say that the mental wheels have not been spinning, because they have.  Primarily on two fronts.

First, how to do the color scheme.   The Paint job for Project V is for someone who ran a merc company "back in the day."  That is to say, a while ago.  His Victor was "Black with gold trim."  So, ok.. Merc, which means "running on salvage."  Basic color scheme of black. I've seen some tutorials on non-metallic metals in black, and I think I can do those.  Since it'll be a Merc 'mech, there'll varied levels of weathering, coloration fading, etc.   The 'gold' is probably going to be more brass/bronze than gold.. depends.  I need to look at the overall silhouette and figure good places, locations for that coloration, and then weather those accordingly.

A challenge?  You bet.  But I think I can.. I think I can..

The second challenge is, of course, the cockpit. The TimberWolf had a very wide open viewscreen, and much of the cockpit detail was visible. Not so much with the Victor.  Te Victor's forward window is small, so there doesn't "need" to be a lot of detail.  Which means, I think I need to put an open-able hatch on it so all the cool cockpitty-stuff can be seen.  (?)  Or, you know, cheat and just do enough to make it look cool on the outside.  Yeah, that's not likely.  The thing I haven't figured out yet is just where said hatch should go.  I could have the head just lay back, opening up the whole tub, but that doesn't work with my engineer brain.  If *I* was building a mech for combat, that kind of vulnerability is the LAST thing I'd design into it.  I'm thinking that I need to find a good spot somewhere on the cranium to put a hatch. 

I also would like to pin-and-magnetize the main joints, so the client can play with poses.  That's minor stuff tho.   

Mad Mad Mad

As in..Maddog.  Mk IV, that is. 

The link to the unboxing of awsomeness.

I have more work in the pipeline.  Yaay!

Tooling up.

It. Is. Here. 

Project “V” has arrived in the receiving department and is moving to the assembly line.    This is to reinforce the deployment for He-who-must-not-be-named, but it's a surprise.   HWMNBN isn't a follower of this blog, so if any of yawl know  him, shhhhhh.  :)   This one won't be quick, as there is a ton of work to do on it.    Or rather, 80 tons of work. 

The base kit is amazing.  I video'd the actual opening and first-look, and you can see this machine at the link here:.

Yinztube Link

HWMNBN is used to a standard loadout of  AC20, twin ML's and SRM4.   With the maneuverability of jumpjets and the massive punch of the AC20, it's a brawler's dream, being able to use cover to close the distance and then emerging to open up with a massive fusillade for an Alpha strike. 

He is partial to the paintscheme he had when he ran with the Merc company; one that is black with red highlights.  Black is always a bit of a challenge to get right on scale, and it also means that the weathering techniques have to be more in the reverse from normal.  Instead of darkening up shadows and pits, it'll be the highlights of caked on mud, and flaked paint showing the bare metal and rust underneath that'll be needed.    The trick with all of it is coming up with the paint scheme ahead of time, and making it work with the weathering and damage techniques. 

The major work is going to be the cockpit.   HWMNBN needs an appropriate pilot and internal cockpit build, and I have recently gotten my paws on a set of decent 1mm lights.    The angle of the  screen and the shrouds around the head limit what you're going to be able to view, so the real work is going to be on the pilot himself and the back of the cockpit.  Instrumentation and controls will have to be limited to what can be seen on the side.    The  Maddog and the Timberwolf both  have "above" and "behind" windows that allow the main instrumentation to be seen, but the Victor just doesn't.  Neither does the Warhammer and norr will the Steiner Recon Mech when it arrives.   So the trick here is to merge the "interesting aesthetic" with the "that's a reasonable and expected place for switches/knobs/dials…" look.    The millennium falcon has lights and switches all along the back of the cockpit.   None of them are reachable during the frenetic activity of flight or fight, but they are reasonable pre-flight systems controls or usable by a flight engineer.  Battlemechs are mostly single-pilot and the controls need to be ergonomic and forward.   

Now, as to the "how".. I can see there will be a lot of grinding in my future.  I'll need to hollow out the torso and head, and then build the cockpit and support electronics into it.   I'm wondering if I want to put lights in the jump jets, but that may not.  I'll definitely hollow out the SRM tubes and put in missile tips.   At first blush, I think the best way to build the cockpit will be to just create a tub that sits under the head, and attached to the head so it will track as the head is rotated. 

Oh.. Just had a thought, and I hate myself for it:  I could light the ML's too.  These leds are small enough that they could go behind a lens..   Ok, that might be overkill.

So, back to the cockpit.   Another option I could do would be to make an access hatch.. That'd open up the build to more viewing, and will  rely on heavily modifying the head.   I'll let that bounce around my head. 

Right now, I have my Timberwolf built to be staged for battle.  I could take it out and play battletech on the tables down at Legions.  I'm contemplating making a diorama for the Victor.   If so, what kind?  Battle?  Refit?  Repair?  Battle-aftermath?  All of the above?  Any of the above?  .. Decisions..decisions..   At the very least, I should make an appropriately-sized Hex base to deliver it with…

Of course.. Now *I* want one too.   (But I still need to get through the JR7-D, the WHM-6R, the AS7-FCY , AS7-DDC and the MkIV Mad Dog. )