Progress have a been a bit slow after Arvin and I met to finalize the Hellraiser, as the build comes to its eventual completion. It's no longer a matter of whether I can finish it or not, but when. As of this post, I have completed the feet and ankle modifications which, as Arvin has put, are the small details that define the look of the Deathscythe. And I agree. But more of that much later.
At Arms Length
One of the main problems I've had with this build is the proportions of the PG Wing as compared to that of the MG Deathscythe (for that matter, the MG Wing Zero Custom and Ver Ka). The MG kits have better proportions overall, whereas the PG Wing's proportions are mostly stout looking. So, I told myself, to HELL with proportions, and decided to simply do estimates based on how the MG parts look and make adjustments from there. I could simply follow how the MG DSH looks, but it wouldn't be a MatX version without me adding a few things here and there.
There are a couple things that define the DSH's arms; the arm shields and the elbow joints.
First off, the arm shields also double up as melee weapons. The MG arm shields have rounded points and edges, so I decided to make the Hellraiser's rather sharp, so sharp that I have had a few accidents piercing myself with it while working on it. (If you haven't had an accident working with sharp objects as often as I do, good for you. You're either that lucky, that careful, or that much of a liar). I've used the PG WZC's arm shield as base and hacked and slashed the parts I won't need away, then cemented WHIPS to form the base of the arm shield.
For the shield's top layer, I simply used and modified the red "fin" and attached it to a scratch built part. I've cemented another layer of WHIPS to this to thicken it enough for the beveling. Beveled, this actually is reminiscent of the central part of Exia's shield.
I've also detailed the underside of the shield's "frame," following a few details from the MG. At this point, I've also added a few things to the base layer so the top layer fits to it nicely.
Second, the elbow joint. This type of external joint appears in a few MS designs and simulate elbow "hinges." So far this is the "simplest" modification I've done for this project, but nonetheless challenging since it entailed having to carve out rounded sections from the external armor. I've used Koto round molds (which I rarely use) for the detail.
One of the most annoying "flaws" of the PG WZC is how the arms are constructed. Firstly, the shoulder joints are double articulated, with the secondary articulation simply "extending" the upper arm from the shoulder a few measly millimeters. This secondary articulation is achieved with a very thin "loop" mechanism which is constantly under stress when the shoulder joint is moved. Relatively, since the kit had been in storage for a long time, ABS to ABS joint sections have stuck, and one of the aforementioned loop mechanisms has already cracked when I inspected it. Since I didn't really need the secondary articulation, and needed the albeit short extension, I've sacrificed the former and permanently had the secondary articulation fixed at the extended position. (Pictures later).
Secondly, The lower arm armor is a single-piece part, but you would have to disassemble the entire elbow joint to remove it, which is a hassle in itself since I had to modify it for the joint detail. So, with the armor attached to the frame, I made carefully placed cuts on the front and the back of the armor to separate it into two sections, then added connective modifications.
Next: Waist in Haste...
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