Although I started preparing myself, the kit and the plans for this build last November, I was only able to start i earnest cutting and hacking the parts as it drew to a close and December started coming in. Eventually, I ditched the plans I had made after assessing the kit, disassembling it and reassembling it so I'd know where things would go with or a without a manual. After making major modifications to make the WCZ head into the Hellraiser, I realized how much more work will go into its transformation from one to the other mainly because of how radically different those two looked.
Hatching a Plan
The main issue was the cockpit placement. The WZC's copckpit is located direct under the neck and deep inside the chest of the kit. The MG DSH has the cockpit at the center of the torso. This posed a problem because the PG WZC's entire torso frame is die cast metal. I will have to compensate for that and sacrifice build space later on, since I want a cockpit hatch.
I began my ordeal by slicing off the top mid front part of the chest. I realized later on that I sliced too much, following the upper slope of the chest which was way too steep. So I rebuilt that section with 1.0 WHIPS, and continue to modify and add volume to the structure to make it as similar as possible to the DSH. This in turn made the chest exaggeratedly too forward and pointy, but, as it turned out later, was a good thing.
I continued to make modifications, like slicing off the front of the chest to make room for the grills and vents.
As I have done in previous builds, I usually employ sandwiches (1.0mm WHIPS cemented over each other) to make some of the parts. For the collar , I made 3 pieces, cemented into a cornered "U" shape, and shaved it to match the stock collar. The mid section is a 3-layer sandwich. Up to this point, I haven't made any ruler-based measurements and have relied strictly on visual estimation. To make the parts as precises as I can when I can't use the connective part itself to make estimates, I usually employ the the "masking tape transfer" method, which is laying masking tape over the part, outlining the "measurements" with a pencil and sticking that over a piece of WHIPS using it as a guide for cutting. It works all the time, with very "minimal" margin for error.
For the grills, I cut 2mm strips of 0.5 WHIPS, stair-stepped them, and mounted them on another piece of 0.5mm.
Venting Out
Initially, I made the vent by cutting a strip of WHIPS and bending it, but I gave up on that method after it failed twice. I had to be creative with how to make it, so instead of just making it one solid part that is bent or sculpted, I decided to combine techniques. I sandwiched 3 pieces of 1.0mm, then shaped it to make the base of the vent, the cemented a piece of 0.5mm on top of it, bending it to form the pointed section. I turned the part over, and cemented another 0.5mm piece and shaped it as I proceeded. I had to make sure that the connections were saturated enough to weld together, but at the same time cure fast. (Side note: I have started working on other parts as other parts cure so I can work faster, but it's rather a bad habit that is hard to break).
As the vent was curing, I sealed the sides of the chest, cut slots for the vents, then laid over WHIPS to encapsulate the slot. The side "seal" also serves as "detail."
Up Next: The Terrifying Truncated Torso
No comments:
Post a Comment