So, here's the tutorial on how I created my miniRavage. I will not be showing a step by step as I think the basic structure is pretty clear, especially to those who actually owns a Neo shifter. What I would do though, is to highlight the IMPORTANT STEPS which are somewhat indispensable for the success of this figure.

If anyone has any difficulties with the tutorial just holler and I will edit accordingly.

As in my original post, I mentioned that miniRavage was never meant to be movie accurate but to be fun and look good and in scale together with deluxe Soundwave. Other requirements are:
1. He must be reconfigurable into his re-entry mode, the ballish looking thingamajig in the movie.
2. He must be launched from Soundwave, and still look okay when placed into Soundwave's launcher in both bot and satellite modes.
3. (Optional) Have an led eye, powered by a nearly invisible battery.

Hence, those IMPORTANT STEPS I'm gonna highlight ultimately has to accomplish the abovementioned 3 points. Here we go:

IMPORTANT STEP 1
Consolidate your parts. You would need
1. Ravage missile
2. Neo shifter minifig
3. Dremel
4. 2 part epoxy sculpt

For the led eye, you need
1. 3mm id. red led
2. Very thin wire. The one I used is almost 0.5mm thin
3. Copper tape
4. Soldering iron & solder

IMPORTANT STEP 2
Using a dremel sanding disk, chop the missile into these 3 sections.

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You will be using the head and tail. Keep the center piece for posterity.

IMPORTANT STEP 3 - Sculpting the head

I lumped epoxy sculpt onto the missile head, taking care not to hide details such as the neck fins and bolts. Once the epoxy is cured, I used needle files and sandpaper to work out the rough shape. It's important when sculpting at that scale to attempt different portions of the head separately instead of sculpting everything at once. It allows you greater and accuracy and control, although taking a longer time. My timing for the head was about a week. I sculpted these in order:

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Main skull
Dremel neck hole
Cut out rough mouth shape
Dremel eye-hole
Add teeth
Add ears
Add cheek spikes & jaw mandibles

Cut-away view of the head. Notice the space for the neck ball-joint and the back wall behind the led space with the hole for wires to pass through.​

At the end, the head should hold the led comfortably, the neck joint fits, and the head can be rotated downwards to fit within the legs in alt-mode. But be careful, as the walls of the head can get very thin especially at the led area.

Alt-mode. Left legs removed to reveal the head nestled in. The head sculpt cannot get any bigger than that.​

IMPORTANT STEP 4 - The Neo shifter body
The more discerning will realize that Ravage's neck actually sticks out of the Neo shifter's butt, and his front legs were originality the NS's feet. To create a neck joint at the ass, I had to stuff in epoxy sculpt, cure, then dremel a hole for the neck balljoint.

Yes, the neck joint has 2 balls on both ends with corresponding holes in the head and body. This specific joint was obtained from the Neoshifter's head; I simply cut the face off.

At what was the original NS neck area, I stuck a spare balljoint to mount the tail. This one came from a Stikfas fist.
Dremel a hole in the base of the tailpiece to receive the ball.

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IMPORTANT STEP 5 - the led eye

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This part was one of the hardest. To wire the led eye to the battery in the spinal gap, I have to run 2 wires from the back of the head, through the shoulders and onto the 2 pieces of copper tape which rests on the insides of the gap. Solder doesn't seem to work for wire-on-copper tape, but super glue does. Just be sure the glue does not break conductivity between the 2 components.

View of the gap for the battery to slot in. Notice the copper tape lining the inside.​

Make sure there is enough slack in the wire for Ravage to bow his head down from transformation.

And this is mostly it. The other things I did, like serrating the tailpiece and painting is just icing on the cake. Feel free to experiment guys. I'd like to see how you guys would do it!

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Hmmm...your comment made me think though. If I remember correctly, some of those Bakugan balls turn into bird-like creatures?

Movie miniLaserbeak?

Actually with a bit of sculpting, the Neo shifter can make a good laserbeak as well. The posability is there  

 

Thanks very much for the tutorial on what you did, and thoses sketches are very nice. I don't have a Soundwave to it's going to be a case of scratch building the head and tail for me. I am looking forward to getting strated on this one!

 

That's cuuuuuuute, I want to have one.

 

that is just so CUTE!!! I know want to build one. LOL!!

 

Dang it fakebuster, you gave me a reason not to sell my Neo-shifter!  

Anyway, to do this, will I need two of those Neo-shifter guns? The one I bought only came with one.

 

tnx for the tutorial
and tnx for sharing

if had one soundwave i would defenitly do that!!


superb

 

Excellent work. It looks more like ravage, and actually emulates the pod he lands on Earth in.

 

Thanks for looking, guys. Appreciated  

I didn't realise the QC for Neo Shifters can be this bad. I also faced issues with irregular molding and such, but not whole missing parts.

Well, the cannons are just added for taste, so you make the call if you want to add them or no.

All the best for your attempt!

 

Sheer genius. Way better than the official toy!

 

This is like the greatest thing I have ever seen.

- Alty

 

effin FANTASTIC! Great work!

 

Aw! That's so cute.   He reminds me of RH Ravage, but even cooler and transformable! Very nice.

 

Wow never seen such a small TF look so great. Respect man! Could go into production next week and i would buy one of them kitties  

 

That's the funniest and coolest thing I've seen in a while, that made my day.

 

THATS PURE AWESOME DUDE!!! by the way i dont know much bout neo shifters can you tell me a lil about them or what parts to use for the ravage?

 

Thanks guys, you all are too kind. I'm glad this kitty brought you a little holiday cheer...

Well, I just used the little guy that comes with most of those Neo Shifter figures, most of the forum would be familiar with the toyline. It's best if you can find and buy one yourself to have a look and hands on. MiniRavage is a simple enough concept that you would be able to work it out yourself just by handling the Neo shifter minifigure a few minutes.

Hope they are sold in your area though. I sometimes find it hard to find them in mine.

 

wow that is incredible!

 

great work with such small detail

 

Wow, just WOW. Seriously, is there no end to the usefulness of neoshifters? I love it. Yours is my favorite use of the little neoshifter pilots, better than the mini unicrons.