] No worries at all! Thanks for the answer, though. I will look into both of them. I mostly need it for stabilizing joints and other attachments that don't sit flush and for sculpting detail on the chest, arms, and legs if I decide to do away with what the Leader already has. Looks like I'm reading good stuff about this Aves sculpt. I may have to try it. As an update, I know it's only been 1 day, but I've been working hard on the alt mode. The alt mode has been cleaned up with tabs keeping everything in place so far. I'm also redoing the neck region to lower it just a bit and close the gap. Plus, best of all, I've transformed my Leader Jetfire into alt mode and compared them so far. It's ridiculous how much close to the ground the plane sits now! It's only half as tall now. I can't wait to get good comparison photos of it for you guys!
Fixit is another good one! It's very solid and not as brittle as Apoxie Sculpt. As for joints I would say this would be the best break down: Greenstuff: great for thin joint anchors that need to be sticking out. (Great if you need to sculpt some 'whiskers' for JF) would recommend that this be used as a limb or digit based sculpt. Apoxie Sculpt: great for 'inside' set anchoring. I mean this as such: you have a void but need a solid filling of said void but need to place a joint into the spot you are filling. Fixit: great for thin 'wall based' anchors. Such as panels with joints. Its super hard cure allows for more of a solid connection with less material (good because it can get expensive) Milliput: I prefer to use this for just filler or for some sculpted details. I don't know if I trust it to be a solid anchor. My personal method for most of my projects is to use a solid curing 2 part 1A:1B ratio epoxy like JB Weld for gluing the pieces together. Then after that has cured I go back in and file the excess away and then I reinforce the joints with a sculpting putty. Let that cure and file to clean up.
Well, I've been having issues with the joints snapping off lately. The good news is my Apoxie Sculpt will be here tomorrow so hopefully I'll be able to anchor those down more permanently and start filling in the gaps. The neck was also changed slightly so it sits a bit lower. Next step is adding the head and finding a place to put the nose of the plane in robot mode. The entire neck of the plane should be done in the next month.
Have the nose split and fold back into the sides of the torso? You know, split side out to hide em. You could add little details or something akin to the concept. Just a thought. Really enjoy watching this one!
I've thought about that, but the torso is just so far from the nose of the plane that I don't think I can get that to work. My idea is to put the cockpit area (not the head of course) on the arms and the nose folds under the neck. If I can't get the nose to do that, I'll probably put that on the arms as well. I'm trying not to put too much on the arms, but it won't be anywhere near as much kibble as the official leader.
Thanks for the advice guys! The Apoxie Sculpt really did the trick. My joints and hinges feel much more secure. And here is a little comparison with the leader class. I've also attached the head which now acts as the cockpit. I had to alter the headculpt a bit so it fits better in alt mode. Unfortunately, it's not as nice in robot mode, but it's a small price to pay. I'll also need to get articulated hands. Any suggestions? I also promise to take better pictures eventually!
The front half of the plane is near completion. There are a few small additions that I need to add as well as articulated hands. Then I'll secure everything in both modes so pieces aren't flopping around. After that, I'll be taking a break for a while. Here are a few more pictures, this time highlighting the forearms. I did have to put more plane kibble there than I wanted, but I'm really not too bothered by it. Especially compared to the original leader and the fact that it's obscured when looking head-on. In alt mode, I added a small strip of plastic to better hide the undercarriage. It's minor, but it makes a huge difference in my opinion.
I just finished adding The tail of the plane today. The tail was a lot of fun and relatively easy to build. It will collapse onto the back and will be accurate to the model. Actually, everything you see right now forms the torso, arms, and head, and there are still pieces to add. Most of the panels on the plane dont have anywhere to plug into yet, so they dont look as neat as they should. That will be the next thing I work on. Also, I hope to get some new hands soon. Still trying to figure out what to use... Oh, and my custom is actually the exact length as the Leader, it just looks smaller here due to the Leader being closer to the camera. Mine sits much lower due to the lack of undercarriage kibble. Edit: added the transformed picture to show just how much it compresses.
I don't know if you have seen this or if you're even interested, but it could save some molding work in bot mode. ROTF Leader Jetfire Upgrade set
Yeah, I saw that! It looks really good, but I don't think there is anything I can use there. The feather pieces on the back look much nicer, but mine are made from the plane exterior, so I can't replace them now. I may try to reposition them, though.
Thanks! I hope so too! Thank you! I'm dreading the legs to be honest... I'm finishing up the torso and then taking a break lol
Looks like I'll be taking my break now. I've run into an obstacle that will take some time to fix and I'm just realizing how behind I am in school! I'll be taking the rest of the semester off to focus on my school work before starting the project up again sometime in mid summer. Plus some time off will give me an opportunity to cone back with fresh ideas. Thanks for watching and for the positive feedback so far!
Couldn't stay away from it for long... here is a sneak peak of the final piece of the torso. I'm hoping it works out. This is an unfinished test part, but I think I have the concept down pretty well. Can you guess what it is?
I spent a few hours yesterday and today adding tabs and connection ports to keep everything together and now the plane is pretty solid. I also added a few small details and cut off excess pieces. I'd like your opinion on something. Part of the arm is still visible under the plane and I'm considering shaving most of that off. The problem is, I'd lose the detail on the inner arm. It won't be showing much while in robot mode and it will clean up the undercarriage a little more, but I'm unsure if I should do it. The hand will still stuck out, though. Nothing I can do about that. What do you think?
