So here's the first custom I'm gonna post. Let us pretend it's animated Snarl and call the "other animated Snarl" Slag. Just to save me headaches. Obviousl Grimlock is king (Duh). Animated Slag was always felt like a dwarf to me and Swoop certainly has a elfish look to him. Which is why I wanted Slag (whom I think of as second in command) to look more like a knight (Incidentally the Stegosaurus is also sometimes called the armored knight dinosaur). I wanted to give him extra thighs, like big hank did and stuck on an extra set of legs to see how big he would be. Once I saw how he looked like that I much preferred how this fit more with the animated look. I then made his plates trying to stay close to the plate design on elbow and hip shields. The big and middle sized plates are attached via lego pieces. I used Slags horns as tail spikes to stay with the animated feel. The head was totally dismantled and the nose sanded down. I had oven hardening putty in the cracks at one point. Kinda fell asleep while it cured in the oven. So the head was in there for 2 hours. It's only 2/3 of the length it used to be and is a lot pudgier than before. This actually makes the Stegosaur look even less than a Triceratops wannabe, which proves that sleep is good for you. I know that a lot of people don't like the crotch in the head look. Me neither actually. I had a torso, where the front plates turned and hid the head in his hollow chest. After seeing Slag laying around with his head between his knees I noticed how much more triangular this made his torso look. This actually matched the muscled tall look I was going for, more than with the head hidden. Before I can paint him though, I'll either have to wait for my basement warms up (It's like 3°C colder than outside) or wait until I build a spray booth. Here you can see my custom weapons for the dinobots Slag and Swoop. Snarl's going to get a big ole flaming axe and Swoop's getting a bow. The bow in the picture was my first attempt. It didn't look too bad. That is until my wife decided to test how flexible the bow was. "But John, bows have to be flexible! That's how they shoot arrows." Big thanks goes to every basher around here, without your constant bragging I wouldn't have felt irked enough to start myself. Special thanks go to big hank, whose Snarl inspired mine to be more than it could be. Special thanks also go to my wife whose constant nagging ... I mean encouragement made me post this.
Love this!!! Really like what you did with the leg lengthening, just wish it could be better compacted in dino-mode. Great job using the Tri-horns as Steg-tail spikes! And the plates look fantastic! Paint that bad-boy up!!!
I really like how you approached the design aspect. Coming out perfectly dude! Can't wait to see it done.
NICE! I like what you did, but as far as transformation goes I hope you left those tail spikes possible.. Cause they NEED to point upward in bot mode, that would make all kinds of epic! Although as far as weapons are concerned I think Snarl DESERVES either a shield OR Swoops ball-n-chain, and give the bow-arrow to Swoop (thin and slender gets fast an agile weapons, while big and formidable gets something that says the same thing)
That is very cool! There are sooo many characters that need to get the Animated treatment even though they weren't in the show and this is a fine example.
i love it but one comment swoops really miss-transformed u need to pull his neck up and move his wing assembly up and lock it into his shoulders.
Just re-read your bit at the top and noticed something that I missed before, you say you left the head in the oven and it shrank? Could you tell me what temperature and for how long please, I may do the same thing myself
This is wonderful! The fact that the dinosaur mode looks so wonderful nails it... he matches style with Slag very well, while still looking like a totally different beast. However, unlike "Slag", his robot mode looks great too! The extra leg joints make a huge difference. I like the Road-Bot head too... I have the same one, and I'm planning on using it for Sludge actually! Props! zmog
Thanks for all the encouragement guys. This got more interest than I expected. I'll paint him eventually, but I'll have to figure out where/when. Right now I'm working on two more customs, but they're gonna take a while, since I don't have everything I need at hand. The tail-spikes are screwed on, so they actually can rotate. If I rotate them up though, he looks like he's hiding a rake and he seems taller than Grimlock. That's why I didn't rotate them. The bow was meant for Swoop. Either I'll give Snarl a sword (but Grimlock already has one) or I'll give him a lance and a shield. Grimlock and Slag aren't transformed correctly either. I was trying to show off Snarl not the others. I must agree though, I should have paid more attention to it. If only because mistransformed TF are photobombers. It's pliable at around 210°F/100°C. That is how I removed the pins, as well. If you don't leave it in for too long you can work it without it deforming by itself. Anyway I preheated the oven to 230°F/110°C (Because of the putty) and put the head in, snout pointing up. I must have left it in for like 1 hour 45 min, I'm not exactly sure since I fell asleep. Gravity did the rest. WARNING! I'm not taking any responsibility! The tip of the snout not only moved down, but it also opened a little. I had also removed the pin in his jaw, but could not open the head (I could afterwards), so one side of the jaw drooped, which made the jaw inopperable. I had to reheat the head to reset it. Yep. Roadbot head. From the Mitsubishi Pajero 1/32 scale Roadbot, to be precise. It wasn't my first choice. I actually wanted to use a Sentinel prime head to keep him in the animated aehstetics, but couldn't find one. Looking forward to see your Sludge. When will you reveal it? Gestalt
