"BATHALA" - PMX-003 MG The O vMatX Part III

Leg up! Modifications are tricky. Sometimes, I get to modify a lot of parts in a couple of days or so, sometimes, It takes several to modify just one part, especially when I have to get back to it to make repairs and additional modifications. This rarely happens when marrying PS to PS plastic, but often when marrying PS and ABS. In my experience so far, not all ABS plastics are created equal when it comes to combining them with polystyrene in modifications. The toughness of ABS when it comes to cutting and bonding it with cement varies with the color it comes in. The gold ABS frame of the MG Strike Freedom is rather soft, whereas the grey ABS frames of both the Sinanju and the Unicorn are indeed tough, but, since there are no polycaps for the joints, are susceptible to humidity and temperature change, that, when left posed for a long time, tend to stick. The upside of that is that they are also easy to bond to PS with cement, though, I have learned it's always best to reinforce joins. Next on the list is the PG RFA's red ABS frame. Though it melts upon contact with cement, and oozes when it undergoes pressure during bonding, it also tends to grow brittle over time.

The toughest so far (and you can test this yourself) is the black (or dark)-colored ABS frames (PG 00, MG Wing EW series, The O). Though similar to the red ABS in toughness, this one barely melts on contact with cement, unless I really rub the surfaces together. When the bonded surface dries, the ABS quickly lets go when stress is applied. Since I have the habit of modifying high-stress parts like joints, this is a major issue that I have to contend with, especially since for such a huge kit, the MG The O manages to have too small a part to modify easily.

So, after the nth test fit and it giving way (slightly, if I may add. The beam modification actually holds, but the external HIPS/ABS join is stubborn), I decided on applying the reinforcement mod I have been trying to avoid.

I shaved off about 0.5mm from the surface of the ABS/HIPS on the modified leg section (red area) and leveled it with a file. Using the 0.5mm WHIPS (White High Impact PolyStyrene) I recently acquired, I cemented a piece to merge the problematic joins together. I then encapsulated the edge with the same, saturating the joins with extra thin cement and applied pressure, especially on the radial part.



In this case, I waited for 12 hours before re-beveling the edges with a file and smoothing it with a 600-grit sandpaper. The one on the left is untouched, the one on the right has already been re-beveled.



Spared Parts. I have a LOT of spare parts, from various kits and stuff. Some, I've used to build the X-Walker, some, still waiting to be part of something else. In some cases when I do modifications, I do cut certain sections that have promising use, so I keep them whenever I can. Care to venture a guess which kit/s I got these from, and what will become of the parts on the second picture?



Footloose! The O is a HUGE kit. As such, it's not really strange that it has big feet. Nevertheless, that logic didn't stop me from stripping the side sections off because I think they look silly anyways (whatever practical use it may have). This one took the better part of 4-5 days to complete, from cutting, filing, attaching the new surface (using the 1.0mm WHIPS) and waiting for it to cure for 24 hours, then finally cutting away the excess and filing it again for good measure to make it seamless. I also cut the midsection for that "Kampfer" look.



With the lower shine/ankle extension looking too thin compares to the overall kit, adding volume to it is essential. I cut several 8mm clear tubes (with a pipe cutter), and made a pair of this nifty little bugger.



This slips into the remodified ankle to simply add volume and detail.

   

"BATHALA" - PMX-003 MG The O vMatX Part II

Shin/Ankle extension. As I looked at the test fit (see previous post), I felt that the lower shin was a tad "pudgy" especially with the armor attached. So I decided to add another 2cm. The cut was fairly simple, but, like the rest of the O's joints and parts, the leeway for attaching modifications is a bit limited, especially since ABS and PS plastics are rather incompatible when it comes to bonding the two together even with my homemade cement. The upper portion was easy to reinforce, but,



one of the the ball joints gave way a few times, mainly because I was too impatient to wait for the modification to fully cure before test fitting it. After adding beam reinforcement and waiting 48 hours, the ball joint was finally sturdy enough to be inserted into it's polycap partner.



The Wrist Joint. For such a huge kit, everything in it seems too small for any easy modifications. What's more, this joint also comes in two pieces, making the modification more difficult since the cut and extension mods should be precise. This type of ABS plastic also need a fair amount of cement saturation to "melt" with the PS so it comes off when I let it cure without enough applied pressure to weld the joins together.



The Rear Skirt Adapter. With the exception of the Wave ball joints, this one is scratchbuilt with 1.0mm HIPS and plaplates. I added grooves on the top part so it locks into place.



The Head. To accommodate the new head, I added detail to the neck. The trickiest part of this modification is cutting the "diamond-shaped" side detail as cleanly as I can since I'm going to use those as Vfin-like enhancements. This took a few hours to accomplish, using a combination of needlepoint, blunt and sharp knives, and finally a microsaw.







I then cut the "cheeks" and attached each to shaped 1.0mm white HIPS (I started testing the samples I procured which I plan to sell later on, I'm quite happy with the material), and wrapped it around the base of the head. I added another layer of plastic flush to the modified cheeks. This modification increased the heads lateral diameter significantly, making it look rather empty when the face is mounted. So I added shaped 1.0mm white PS to add detail, at the same time, these served as slots for the enhancements made from the side detail. I then shaved off excess material at the back of the head to give it a better shape overall.

This is the "face" of BATHALA.

"BATHALA" - PMX-003 MG The O vMatX Part I

I started modifying this kit after taking a break from the Raptor (which burnt me out).  Thus begins my cycle of unfinished builds (which will later be revisited and finished) and a finished one. 

Overview of initial modifications done:

1) Neck lengthened. Cap/cone is cut, reversed and swept back.

2) Collars are cut from the front and back piece, then cemented together to remove the seam. The Chest piece is cut out on certain sections to reveal the inner frame.

3) Shoulder armor is cut to reveal inner frame. The top part is cut from the spherical part, then cemented together, then cut into two sections for easier insertion. The circular parts are also cut away to give the section more depth, revealing the inner frame as well.

4) The abdominal section is lengthened by 12mm. The peg on the base of the waist is cut, then lengthened at the core with 5mm round beam and reinforced with beams.

5) The wrist is lengthened by 5mm to compensate for the abdomen's added length. This one is tricky because the wrist joint is made of two very small pieces, with almost no leeway for cutting and lengthening.

6) The Thighs and Lower legs are also lengthened by 20mm each. These are also tricky because of how the parts are designed. Cutting them is relatively easy, lengthening them is a bit difficult, especially since the cement takes time to "melt" the ABS plastic of the frame.

7) The back skirt armor is cut in the middle, while the inner frame's inner shape is cut around that section then reversed. The peg that the skirt attaches to is also lengthened significantly, and an adapter was made to connect the now separated back skirts.








The Shoulder Armor. I challenged myself with this one by cutting the unneeded parts (the ones that look like a pi) as cleanly as possible, because at the time, I wanted to be sure I have them intact just in case I'll be using them for something else later on.



The Main Body Armor. This is more cosmetic modifications, just to show parts of the inner frame. The pencil marks are planned panel lines and/or plaplate detailing. The functional modification in this are the collars, mainly for seamline removal.



The Lengthened Abdomen. The stock part came in two pieces, which sandwiched a double-end polycap that connects to the chest and waist. This is barely visible when assembled. I cemented the parts together, then drilled 2.8mm~ holes on the "corners" of the completed part, enlarging the holes enough to fit 3mm round beams. These beams extend all the way down to an extension base made from 2 pieces of 1.0mm HIPS, sandwiched together to firmly hold the beam posts. I then slowly bent a 10mm strip of 1.0mm HIPS, the wrapped it around the posts, making sure that the ends meet exactly on the back part.



The Waist/Groin Assembly. This is a straightforward lengthening, though I did have a few problems with the stability of the waist extension initially since the polycap hugs the peg very tightly, twisting the upper body loosened the modification. So, I reinforced the modification with 3mm square and round beams, with the round ones boring into the base of the waist, saturating it later on with thin cement and letting it cure for 48 hours before attempting another test fit. For the rear skirt peg, it's a simple extension with very little reinforcement needed.



The Rear Skirt. Like I mentioned earlier, I've cut around the mid part of the frame (very tricky if you want to cut it clean), and reversed it so that the detailed part is outside. I'll be lengthening and the skirts and will narrow them down to make the waist look "slimmer" from behind.



The Leg. Cutting these was the easy part, since I basically cut across the length of the parts. For the thigh (where the polycap is placed, there is very little space left for the lengthening beams to hold on to, so I had to saturate the joins with cement. I then cemented a strip of 1.0mmHIPS on the outside which serves as the lengthening part of the outside of the frame. It gave way even after 24 hours of curing, so I re-reinforced the joins with strips of 0.5mm HIPS, then re-saturating the joins.



TOTAL HEIGHT SO FAR: 30 CM

1/20 FSB: RMX-000X Raptor X Part 7

Take a Seat

With the relative size of this build, I had to decide whether to leave the cockpit empty, or detail it with a fully-functioning hatch. It got the better of me so I decided on the latter. So, first off, the pilot seat.

The seat assembly will comprise of several parts mainly because of casting considerations. I used a few references for form, but this is basically my design. Using my foot metal ruler as width guide, I cut several slabs of HIPS, then using my smaller ruler centered on the slab, scored parallel lines, and made v-grooves halfway through. Using the same technique on my previous post re: the Shin Saga, I bent the HIPS along the grooves far enough to make a slight angle to simulate the seat form. These will become the seat, back and head rest. Conversely, I made a control module where the HUD, handle bars and pedals will be mounted on. This slide locks onto the seat.


I didn't have my camera with me at the time, so I was unable to take pictures of the other parts as I was building them, so I'm jumping ahead a bit. If this was a simple build, I would have made this as a single unit. Since that is not the case, I made connective parts that joins the main seat assembly.


As always, these parts are modular connect in sequence and partially interlock.




And viola! I'll be adding the control panels, HUD and miscellaneous details later on, and this will swing 90 degrees forward in flight mode.


That's it for now.

Skin Deep...

A HUGE BIG NOTE:  If you try to comment anonymously, it's automatically regarded as SPAM.  I only value informed opinions from people who don't post anonymously.  

Why do I say no to bootlegs?

Forget the legal stuff.  Forget that when one buys bootlegs, one is actually violating several copyright laws, infringing IP rights, and not to mention, promoting piracy. 

Let's stick to the juicy, technical stuff. 

For one, the quality of the plastic is SUBSTANDARD, regardless of the argument that some of them look close to the original.  I for one have touted I can make a bootleg look good, but that's not because of the bootleg, it's because I have skills.  Anyone with skills can make a bootleg look good.  We often hear people complain about original kits being flawed, like I have.  Guess what, those flaws are magnified n-fold with bootlegs.

No, they're not identical twins...

And, if I had made that bootleg look good, then what?  It's still a bootleg.  People will still commend the skill in working on that kit, NOT the kit.  It will look good outside, but it's still a bootleg inside.

Practice?  Sure.  One can practice on bootlegs. Then what?  There's no difference in mangling a bootleg and mangling an original, because one is still merely mangling it, at least, that is true in my case.

Okay.  Sure.  Mangling a bootleg is practical.  Then what?  What benefit would I get, except that when I mangle a bootleg, it's still a bootleg?  It's still a piece of crap.  I often complain about an original having flaws, but, guess what, those flaws are mere challenges to people who see them as such.  When one has skills, one can actually practice on original kits without fear.  When one accidentally mangles a piece, one's skill should be enough to fix it, if not, transform it into something new, something unique.  Some would even use bootlegs for spare parts, either to replace broken or lost parts from original kits, or for kit-bashing.  But that, to me, is tantamount to replacing parts of a Ferrari with substandard aftermarket parts.

When I said before, "If one is afraid to cut plastic with a knife, one will never grow as a modeler," I was talking about original kits.  Since people buy bootlegs because they're cheap and justify mangling them, the above does not apply.

The price you say?  It's economical to mangle a bootleg.  Because they're cheap.  We'll, at the end of the day, that's the only reason why people buy bootlegs.  They're CHEAP.  They can afford to mangle them cheap plastic, hence why they practice on it.  They can buy three bootlegs for the price of one original MG.

Then what?

If one decides to compete, and the build is good, can one really justify entering a bootleg in a competition?  Sure, you can enter it, probably even ask a non-competing "friend" for his box, or buy one, as the case may be, but, there goes one important facet of competition; honesty.

Sure.  Maybe a bootleg kit can win because of the skill of the competitor, but, at the end of the day, he's a cheat.  A cheap cheat.  I'm pretty sure someone has already done this.   

Not to mention, that since these bootlegs are made from substandard plastic, they do not go under the same rigorous quality control original kits undergo.  The plastic's toxicity level is unknown, and who knows what other unregulated chemicals are added to that plastic for them to economize.  It kinda redefines the adage "more bang for your buck."

Don't get me wrong.  I'm not an elitist.  I don't discriminate against people who buy bootlegs to "practice" on.  I don't judge people's kits, but I commend their skills.  I even bought a couple of bootleg HGs just to see what the fuss is about, but I'm saying now as I have then, it's a TOTAL WASTE of my hard-earned cash (to which, I could have splurged on famous and tasty Binondo Lamien and dumplings). That's why we at least allow links of (bootleg) works to be posted at the Forums, because I for one appreciate the skills behind it.  But the end of the day, it's still a bootleg. If one openly supports bootlegs, it's STILL A BOOTLEG, regardless of his skill.

I champion the use of alternative tools and cheap materials, just so newbie's who live on meager allowances can learn the skills needed for the hobby.  I even openly admit to buying second-hand, built kits, some of which have missing parts (which is not an issue, since I can basically build anything from scratch now, if you allow me to boast a bit), and am constantly in the lookout for kits on sale, just so I can get my money's worth.  That's more bang for my buck.

But if I can't afford it, if my own budget will suffer, I'd rather wait it out and get what I want later on.

This hobby is a WANT, not a need.  Most if not all hobbies are.  There's no other reason for one to go into a hobby except that it is a want that needs to be satisfied, if you can  appreciate the irony in that.  I'm not saying you can't go into this hobby if you can't afford it, but even bootlegs cost money.  The hobby itself costs money. 

All in all, personally, I won't waste my time and skill working on something that remains worthless inside.  Beauty is after all, skin-deep.

Note: 

I wrote Skin Deep as a result of a discussion with MP admin/co-founder Richard Leo Borromeo Ramos, because he and I share similar views on the matter and how certain people go out of their way to justify why they purchase bootlegs.  I have also been very vocal about bootlegs, even before the MAC Forums was born.

Addendum:  Somebody tried to comment anonymously that he has won 2nd place in a contest with a bootleg.  No DUH!  As If I didn't already know that.  I'm not rich either.  Each peso I spend on these kits are hard-earned though projects I get as a freelancer, and I only get them AFTER my bills have been balanced.  This is NOT a cheap hobby.

1/20 FSB: RMX-000X Raptor X Part 6

Power to the Pistons

I'm currently working on the fuselage and cockpit designs, letting them run in my head for a while mainly to incorporate how the hip will connect to the fuselage. With it was an incessant itch (that I have had since the initial build) to add a dual opposing piston that will run and connect the back of the thigh to the front of the knee in between the knee intermediary. This serves both as void filler, as well as functional mobility to the leg, which theoretically speaking, gives the leg more hydraulic power and support.

Instead of the usual exposed piston barrels like what I have done previously, I decided to encapsulate these in a plaplate "box." On very rare occasions, I do use superglue for quick bonding work, as well as the fact that these tubes are unaffected by cement. I glued the pistons on a slab of 1mm HIPS, cut it to size, and glued the other side. I then cemented a small piece of HIPS on each end, boring holes aligned to the tubes. I then cemented 0.5mm HIPS on the sides.


I drilled holes 1mm + 0.5mm deep on the wider side of the box, rounded the tips of 3mm round beams, and cemented them into place. I made the usual T-shaped beams for the shafts.


This box piston will be held in place by the side pegs, which in turn will move freely along the length of the knee intermediaries. I ran this scenario over my head quite a few times as I was doing the foot and the shin armor when I realized that that section will look rather empty.


I modified the thigh and shin frames to fit the box piston by cutting away a bit of material from each that come into contact when the leg is folded. I also added a few strips on the calf section of the leg, both to reinforce the part and as detail prep. The thigh and shin "cheek" frame intermediaries were also "slightly" modified to hold the T-shafts of the pistons. Though the modifications were simple enough, I made a few mistakes aligning the holes, so I had to plug and re-drill a few times, which took a lot of time just waiting for the cemented plugs to cure.


Without actual measurements and just basing it on visual estimates, the box piston fits perfectly inside the void of the legs (which I had to modify) when the assembly is folded.


In order for this to work, the intermediaries had to be modified as well. I drilled 1mm holes 2cm apart and drew a straight line between them, drilled a few more holes, and progressively enlarged the holes to 3mm to fit the box piston pegs. I shaved of the excess plastic with a knife, then filed the surface smooth.


Test fit. I wasn't sure if this will work, or will lock the entire knee assembly, ruining hours upon hours of work and imagination, but sometimes, I do amaze myself when something this random actually works the first time I do it.



Up next:


Trivia: This is one of the rare posts wherein I didn't need to include a thumbnail...

1/20 FSB: RMX-000X Raptor X Part 5

The Shin Saga

I've had a few sketches as well as a few more bad dreams and nightmares as to how the shin armor would eventually look like, but not of them quite made the cut. I had about 4 or 5 cardboard prototypes of the shin armor, and posted the last two in my previous post.

Even in my initial fittings, I deliberately made the armor over-sized since it's easier to remove than it is to add later on. Using the cardboard prototype, I cut whole sections of 1.0mm HIPS for the side and mid sections of the armor.





To fold the HIPS (or plaplate, as the case may be), I scored the underside of the slab twice, 0.5mm apart, and at most 0.5mm deep. I then carefully ran my knife along one of the score lines at an angle to create a V-shaped groove. This can also be achieved with a V-shaped scriber, but it'll take a lot more control as opposed to a knife. I also used a very blunt knife for a more controlled cut, and as you may well see, even a blunt knife can cut deep.

Using a ruler placed along the groove, I carefully folded the slab into the groove to the angle I needed. This is the same method I used to fold the shin armor's main sections.





At this point, I've double-layered all the parts (making them 2.0mm thick), including the intermediaries that will hold the three main sections. Like in previous updates, pegs, along with tension between parts, will hold the entire assembly together.





With that done, the shin armor connects to the leg frame via slots. This was a bit of a challenge since the sides are angled, so I had to cut identical angled slabs 3mm thick, attached two of them to either side of the prepped leg frame and aligned them with each other with slight difficulty. This locks the leg parts that hold the calf pistons, and the opposing action also partially locks the shin assembly as well. Regardless, The peg assembly is employed in consideration of part casting (and painting, for that matter). The shin armor, ultimately, will be glued together as one part.





Test fit. Further detailing will be made, and I might trim the shin armor. I've been itching to make the front of the foot larger, and this just made the itch a rash.