Thanks for the encouragement guys. It's great when other people can see the vision too I'm really happy with the way TB is shaping up. It's tough trying to modify in a way that limits the damage to the figure (I always aim for zero if I can get away with it) and just go for add on parts. It makes trying to achieve a good robot AND alt mode quite tricky. TBs alt mode will look different after these mods. It will actually have a bit more of a G1 look to it. So, I'm curious to see a) how it turns out and b) what you guys think. Because I have tried to integrate the new ankles and feet into the actual transformation, there will be a little kibble on the back end of the vehicle but I have tried to keep it as clean as possible. Also, just to answer 'Sorry if I missed this but are you using a home printer?', I am using a home FDM printer. And, I have to say it has been one of the best investments I have ever made. I tried kitbashing and I liked it but it has its limits unless you're a veteran (and I'm not ) I have total respect for those that still mod that way. It's still an awesome creative release. FOr me though, I had all these ideas that I couldn't do anything with. Then, I got into the 3d print scene and boom. Game changer. That's when I started the FOC seeker upgrade project and then moved on through the others. I have a Lulzbot Mini. It is a fantastic printer. Pretty much good to go right out of the box. And, I use free online design software called Tinkercad. It's basic but it lets you do nearly everything you would want to do for this kind of work. At the end of the day, when you're printing small parts, there isn't a lot of point in going overboard with loads of intricate details. FDM printing (printing tech limits) and Shapeways type prints (material tech limits, unless you pay big money for the newer materials) just won't do it justice. Resin printing...well, there's a thing. That could get interesting with the new Formlabs 2 and beyond. But, I would definitely recommend the Mini. Anyway, thanks again for the support. Once I'm happy with this kit, and if you're still interested, just let me know and we can work something out.
I have another update to share. I have managed to produce a v1 of the roof shell. So, here are some vehicle pics. This arrangement gives TB a bit more of a G1 vibe. The roof is a little larger than I originally wanted but I have tried to incorporate storage for TBs hand cannon and also a way to stow the shoulder cannon through an opening in the shell. There are still alignment and fitting issues to be sorted out, and I need to design and print a removable top panel but I'm happy with the direction it's going in. You can also see the rear end kibble in one pic which, like I said in an earlier post, I have tried to keep it as clean as possible but it is there. It is necessary for the transformation and the overall heigh adjustment in robot mode The feet swing around and over onto the back of the truck for vehicle mode. Anyway, let me know what you think.
Wow, nice work on the alt-mode. Extending the length of the vehicle doesn't just allow room for the enlarged robot mode... it actually just looks better than the original with those proportions. Impressive. zmog
Update... I have finished the roof design. I may still tweak it a little but I was playing around with some different ideas and decided to add an extra feature. I wasn't totally happy with the way the shoulder cannon stowed through the roof shell in the previous design. So, I tried putting clasps on the roof so that the cannon or cannons (if I go ahead and print another one) could be stored along the roofline in vehicle mode and then in robot mode, the same config (if you just flip the cannon 180 degrees) would give the G1 toy 'cannons up the back' look. Here are some pics of the robot mode, with the new roof/backpack and one cannon in the G1 toy style. In these pics, one of the clasps broke when I was handling it though (so I need to strengthen those).
Excellent work! Maybe make the roof piece a tiny bit shorter so that it doesn't tower over the rest of the vehicle, but otherwise you've done a great job with all of these mods.
Few updates. * The roof is now complete. It is still the original height. I haven't decided whether to shorten it yet. I kinda like that it comes up to the height of the antenna thing. But, jury is still out.... * I changed the way the shoulder cannon attaches for more mobility and I think it looks better. The shoulder cannon can be removed and stowed in one of the clasps on the roof. * I have switched out the stock TB hands for my deluxe upgraded version, in black. So, I think it looks closer to where I want to get to with more of a G1 color scheme. I will get some vehicle pics done tomorrow, along with more robot pics showing the current state.
So, the upgrade kit is now done. Everything I wanted to achieve has been achieved. I still need to paint TB but with these mods I believe he has transformed from a decent figure to a great figure. Really happy with the way this turned out. It was a pain trying to get all the tolerances correct on the different interlocking parts but I got there in the end. I kept the high roof because I liked the slotting feature for the radar thing that I designed into it. I also kept the internal storage for the hand laser and the shoulder mount in vehicle mode. And, in addition, I printed another laser so that in vehicle mode, the 2 lasers can be stored on the roof and make kind of a roof rail. Then in robot mode, TB can either have one of the lasers mounted on his shoulder and leave one on the back pack (which can be visible from the front, or hidden, depending on the way you stow it) or have both lasers on his back like the G1 toy. I will update again once I have painted the figure but, here he is...
