Tools Hobby Knife/X-Acto Knife Jewelers Screwdriver set Tutorial Link to my other WJ Tutorial: http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/radicons-customs/388905-generations-wheeljack-height-tutorial-leg-mods.html Link to my Tracks WIP thread (which shows the waist mod): http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/radicons-customs/351193-generations-tracks-wip.html For those interested in sliding Wheeljack's arms in, while keeping the chest in place. This helps the shoulders look less wide and helps the wheels not stick out as far. This is pretty much a cosmetic mod, but this mod also allows you to pull the arms back out and put them in their original position. 1) Using a small phillips head screwdriver, unscrew the screws in his back. 2) You will see the track that the arms slide in and out on. This track will help hold the arms in place once we cut the small areas out to allow this arm mod to work. 3) Take the front half of the chest and look at the inside. You will see the upside down "V" shaped gray piece that he arm pegs slide into. This is the automorph feature that allows the head and chest to pop up into place when the arms are pulled out. 4) In the pictures below, note that the bottom of the gray piece has been cut in two small areas on the insides. These areas need to be cut just enough to allow those arm pegs to fit through the cut openings. This can be cut with your hobby knife (be patient and do small, careful cuts). 5) Once you have the areas cut out, simply replace the arms on the back half of the chest piece, push them all the way in (like they would be when transformed into alt mode), pop the front half of the chest onto it, and screw the chest back together. This is tricky due to Wheeljack's head and "ears" that want to get in the way. Again, be patient and don't force anything. 6) Now that you have the chest screwed together again, pull the arms out like you would during his normal transformation. The head and chest should come up like usual and his arms should be full extended out to the sides. 7) Now, grabbing both arms, push inward to slide the arms back into the chest some. The arms will slide easily and stay on the tracks you saw earlier. The small areas you cut out on the gray piece inside the chest, now allow the arm pegs to slide into those openings and allow the arms to slide on the tracks into the chest. This helps Wheeljack to have a less wide-shouldered look and helps him look more lean and not as wide and bulky. This can also be done with Tracks. I wanted to do this mod once I saw mx-01 archon's arm mod thread here: http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/radicons-customs/373048-rts-united-tracks-mod.html I liked what I saw and he did a great job with it, but after studying the insides of Tracks and Wheeljack and seeing how the parts moved and connected, I realized it could be done easier and without the need for any sort of sculpting/filling material or even glue. Just a couple of simple cuts and it's ready to go. It literally took all of about 5 minutes, if that. Now if you guys want to do the waist mod, it's been laid out in my previous Tracks WIP thread and I mentioned it in my leg mod thread for Wheeljack a couple of days back. If anyone runs into any questions or need some help with this, hit me up here or through PM and I'll be glad to help out. The attached pictures should be self explanatory after reading this, but I'm around if you guys run into an issue with this.
So this mod allows the shoulders to stay in either position securely? Hmm, that might finally rid me of my hesitancy to open Tracks up, if I don't like how it looks I could just put it back the other way. =D Thanks for this, dude!
I like the look of that actually, looks far more proportional, any chance of a shot with the hips and legs in their default transformation?
I think it would REALLY help the overall look if you could hide the post on the waist by painting behind the windshield, tinting it dark enough so that you couldn't see behind it. I like this mod though and I think I PMed you about it but I never heard back from you.
I just did this simple yet effective mod to my Generations and United Wheeljack. WOW What a difference! Thank you so much for the info! - Gregg
I just performed this mod to my Timelines/ SG Tracks (aka Road Rage). Took me less than five minutes, and it works like a charm. Thank you for such a helpful tutorial~
I've been meaning to figure out how to do this for a long while now... but you've just made it as simple as possible... wow! I should have seen this mod 4 years ago when you posted it! zmog
*UPDATE* Just did this to my old Tracks. Works like a charm. All I needed was a pair of small wire-cutters. REALLY easy! Awesome! Now I just have to hit every other version of this mold that I own. zmog
After doing this mod, I just find myself wondering: Should I cut the posts off the sliders on the shoulders and just glue them in place inside the chest? It wouldn't affect the head transformation, but I wouldn't have to slide the shoulders down whenever I transform my Tracks into robot mode.
Suddenly, I'm asking myself the same thing... would it be even easier to just cut the posts off, rather than cutting a path for them in the other piece? Or... would that mean that the arms would just pull right out of the torso? Without the posts, wouldn't the arms just come right off the rail and off the body? I think the post keeps them anchored to the body. Don't have it in front of me, but that sounds right. zmog
Well, not if you glue the inner arm parts to the rails, right? I really want to try this but I'm worried about screwing up my figure...... then again, nothing ventured, nothing gained, right? Hell with it: I'm gonna do it. Wish me luck guys. EDIT: Well, it was a resounding success! The only thing is I had to trim some plastic on the part where Tracks' head sits, and part of the sliding shoulder pieces. Other than that, it works perfectly.
Wow, talk about a blast from the past! haha Glad you guys are still enjoying this. I still have mine & still have some ideas kicking on a filler to help with the height part of the tutorial. I still collect & enjoy Classics/Generations stuff, but I've gradually moved toward MP lately, so I'll soon pick up MP Wheeljack (or the KO). This is still a great figure & one I always go back to to enjoy & transform. Share some pics of yours, guys! I still do customs, just been hanging out more on FB lately, what with work, home stuff, & our 8 month old daughter. I'll be sharing more soon though, if all goes as planned.
Thanks for being the one who inspired me to try this, dude! I posted a pic of my custom SG Tracks to Road Rage, which shows off the results of the mod (plus my own touches). Go check it out
Will do! And no problem at all. I enjoy sharing tips on how to do the things I do. Glad you guys all dig it!
