Couple of months back I was commissioned to make a QT Transformers version of Cyclonus A friend of mine put the idea in my head that it'd be cute to see a QT styled MTMTE Tailgate alongside it, but about half the size of Cyclonus.. and it's dangerous putting ideas in my head like that >_>" A very quick doodle later pretty much sealed it.. I ransacked my parts bins for Mini-Cons and other small bots who could be used for small joints. Of my junkers I ended up using Mini-Cons Makeshift, Knockdown and an Arms Micron Optimus Prime Blaster for their ball joints and sockets. A, BUNCH, of grinding and sheet Styrene cutting later and I had the basic shape down in under a couple hours. I realised quickly that the shoulders would be WAY too big.. so swapped them out for the sockets from Knockdowns shoulders.. giving me more room to work with and space to add the wheels. Another day and a load more styrene.. the arms were added (with fists transplanted from a Mini-Con who I forget now) and the hood/shoulders were more defined. I also made a start on the head the same day, using a small ball and socket from a Gunpla "Balden Arm Arms" option set (seriously, SO useful.. I could buy 100 of them and still run out) (Also a 2 pence piece to give you an idea of how small some of these parts were) ..And also started finishing up the tips of the shoulders.. A day later, and save for a chest plate and some sanding/polishing.. Tailgate was pretty much built! A quick splash of grey basecoat and black ink to check the sculpt and I finished up the chest plate, using two pieces of thin styrene, layered together for the recessed detail. Here's a (bad) picture of him next to QT Cyclonus for size comparison (Cyclonus just uses a QT Seeker as a base) Also added the back end of his Alt Mode to fill it all out nicely A grey basecoat and he's ready for proper paints Few more days and I should have finished pics for you all (seriously, painting white smoothly takes lots of very thin coats.. and it's humid as hell here at the moment) ~ZK
Mighty fine work there my good friend. And I thought with Maketoy's Rear End there couldn't be a cuter version of good old Tailgate...boy I was wrong!
Me either tbh! I'm pretty excited to get as many pics as I can on him side-by-side with QT Cyclonus before they go to their new home :3 Thank you! I was VERY happy the first time I got him next to Cyclonus like "yep!! this is what I had in mind!" Thanks! The head was entirely done in sheet styrene, all cut and sanded to shape and size by hand.. really tiring work but it was worth all the cramp and effort :3 High praise indeed Chuck! :O cuter than MT Rear End?! ..oh you~ Thanks though man Appreciated!
Thanks The Kup! Would've had some finished paint pics to post today but had a bit of a mishap with the primer on the front bumper.. so I've reapplied it and will give it much longer to fully cure before I carry on. I also forgot to mention that whilst I started this as a "someone put the idea in my head and it might be a laugh" custom.. the QT Cyclonus commissioner loved it so much they offered to buy Tailgate off me to go with it :O
Kept you waitin' huh? ...no really, I'm sorry about that :x Illness and a struggle to get going again on a couple projects delayed this lil fella.. but he's finished! (besides the seal coat currently curing, and proper pictures) Posted it earlier on to my Twitter and it's kinda been going nuts over there >_>" Oh, and the commissioner loves it :3 (as does Sara Pitre-Durocher coincidentally! :|) ....today has been, a weird day, a weird humbling day. Big thanks to everyone who's been following this one :3 ~ZK
Hah! thanks man, and yeah they're so adorable side by side huh? Too kind! Thank you! - A lot of people have been asking where they can get one and, just a reminder, I am taking commissions at the moment! ~ZK
OR... you could commission one from me Thank you though! Don't they? ^_^ thanks Rafael! Thanks Nemi! Much appreciated
