I work on custom projects at a glacial rate nowadays. Back in the halcyon days of new Alternator releases, I would crank out a custom over a weekend instead twice a year. I realized, via conversation with Mr. Warcry, that part of my problem is that I plateaued with paintwork with this thing back in 2008. Ever since then, most of the projects I've started have failed to kindle the excitement of seeing something come together, not knowing whether I could pull it off. After Halfshell, I knew darn well I could, so the driving force of seeing something realized had been mitigated. It's really only been twice since then that I actually stuck with a project to completion, first in making a Sidearm Sideswipe for Cliffy, and second in making a Generations Treadshot. Yep, I count two proper custom jobs in something like six years. It's a waste considering all of the stuff I've learned how to do! So, going forward, I think the best way to keep on task is to just post in the forum everything that I'm working on, hoping that either: 1) people will see things that they like and will nag me until I finish them; 2) people will get inspired and work on their own versions, probably far outpacing me. Either way, I hope this'll lead to completion in some form or another. First up is a Generations Alternator Shockwave. I actually had this idea immediately upon Jazz's release in 2010, but I am in fact so slow to do anything that a third party group made a conversion kit before I ever even got around to making a head. He's being painted in Arctic Blue Metallic, which is a near perfect match for the Binaltech version (the Alternator is ever-so-slightly more purple). It is an extremely thin paint, and the work on the hood and roof have taken something 1731 coats with an airbrush to get that pretty shine they have now. It is... a tedious process. Next project is one that I haven't actually started yet as I'm still acquiring parts. After getting Generations Rhinox, I had the epiphany that he (and the original Beast Wars toy) work nearly the same as Torca. The animal head, lower jaw, and back need to be replaced, but it's a viable "remold" that has the potential to work well. I need to get another Torca to use for parts, but as I need the whale parts in blue plastic (and not the brittle gold plastic parts), it shouldn't be too hard to find a junker. I'm thinking the feet can remain unchanged, although I don't know what impact it would have on the beast mode to have the less aggressive stance. Here's one that's been on the back burner since 2012, Hiss Tank Shockwave! I bought several Hiss Tanks when they went on clearance knowing that Shockwave turns into one in some crossover comic, but I didn't know what to use as a base for the robot. A few months later, I found a couple of junker Unicrons at a local flea market, and they measured up nicely. Unicron's lower legs, pegged together, are almost exactly the same width as the assemblage that the treads connect to. For a while I couldn't get any farther as I didn't know where the arms would go, but one day I had a stroke of brilliance and just took a hacksaw to the torso. The torso, from the chest up, is separated and rotated 180 degrees allowing the arms to fold back into the rear of the tank. I've also cut up half the chassis of the tank to lay over the folded up body, but haven't worked on it much past that. The proportions are good and everything has a place to go, so the idea is sound. It's just a matter of finding the motivation. A silly idea: use the base treads from an old Hiss Tank and a Nerf gun to make Actionmaster Grimlock's Anti-Tank Cannon for the Masterpiece version. After noticing that Tomahawk has numerous things in common with Blackout (the rear rotor on the arm being the most important), I had the idea to make a Generations Blackout. Haven't found a head for him that I like, though. Here's Toyworld's Hardbone with Junkion Blacksmith's Headmaster Megatron. Picked up an extra Hardbone when they went on clearance to have one to paint gray. I'd call it... Generation 1.5 Megatron? And in this pile of parts we have a DOTM voyager Megatron for the ever-patient numbat. It'll hopefully look like Paul's when it's done.
Fun fact: clay and I constantly joke around who will finish their yellow Dodge Ram SRT-10 Alt first. We bet the other will if that says anything. Yeah, I feel your pain, bud. This is a great thread, and I've thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Keep it updated and make some "wip" threads Most of all, have fun!
Thanks guys! Thanks Allen! You'll notice the yellow Ram was conspicuously absent from the list . I'll deal with that one... later... I've ended up completely rearranging all the furniture in my apartment, and my work table has ended up next to my computer desk. We'll see if this results in more painting productivity. I've mostly finished getting the black base coat on DOTM Megatron. As that's for someone else, it's on the top of the list. Doesn't look like much yet, but it will... Also, the cat helped:
A minor update: here's a junior-level articulation project I took on back in 2010 or so. I never thought he was worth a thread of his own, so this seems to be the ideal place to share him. The lack of rotation in the arms of Legends class Rampage (the second mold that didn't combine) always bugged me. He couldn't do a proper leaping attack stance with claws pointed down! So I hammered out the pins holding his arms on and opened up the inside cavity, filling it with epoxy putty. Then I attached some ball joints from... somewhere (Mudflap's ankles, maybe?), and presto! Rotating arms! I also cut a space out below his head so he stand up a bit straighter. The arms don't quite sit together flush in the bulldozer mode, but hey, it was my first try! I really should have bought a third Rampage when they widely available, but oh well.
These are great! I am specially interested in that Unicron Hiss Tank. Will it fit figures? It looks amazing man!
If at all possible, I hope to keep the cockpit open enough to accommodate the pilot. It may not happen since that's where the waist is going to go, but we'll see. A couple of new projects this time: I have the Takara Buster Prime which has a mouth, and that's fine, but I want him to wear the Jetfire suit, so he needs a faceplate. So... enter the first Prime and the Battle Hook Prime. More specifically, their heads: The idea is to make a mold of Prime's head with the face plate, then place the head with the open mouth into the mold and pour some resin in. The resin should fill in the small open space and should make a perfectly fitting, removable faceplate. Here's a brief mockup with some sticky-putty: And here's the mold sitting: Won't know for a few days if it works or not because that stuff has a long cure time. Cross your fingers! The other project is a simple head swap. I took the head from TFP Dead End and put it on Beast Hunters Wheeljack. I call him... WEREJACK .
Well, file this one with "error" under "trial and error". The silicone expired, so I had to buy more. I made a mold of the face-plated head on the third try, having to scrub off gunky silicone-goo with a toothbrush. Then I plopped the battle hook Prime's mouthed-head into the mold and poured resin into the gap, thinking that it would make a perfect, form fitting faceplate. But while the resin doesn't bond to the silicone, it does bond to the plastic used to make the head! Whoops! So now battle hook Prime's head is basically ruined... I've been scraping off resin, and it does come off, but by the time I get it all off the head is gonna be pretty scratched up. DO NOT WORRY BUSTER PRIME'S HEAD IS OKAY! But anyway! I cut the mold in half and poured resin into the front, and out this came. Behold the face of Prime! So I commenced to sanding and filing, and came out with a pretty good fit: As you can tell, it has a gap on the right cheek, so I'll have to make another cast and try again, but now that I have a rough copy, I know how much to remove from the cast. Oh, and he is Optimus Prime, just so you know. He's been telling me that all afternoon.
