Updated, page 3! Hey everyone....long time since I posted in here. This is most likely my final commission. It's been an amazing journey, but I've been pretty burnt out the last couple years. I still tinker here and there, some touch-ups, minor fixes, that kind of stuff. I've got a few personal projects to finish up (G1 Ironhide and Ratchet, gah!), and I'll probably do a few simple things once in a while...but this is pretty much my unofficial retirement from the custom game. Only fitting its an Alternator....... Anyway, Plowking here is for, well, Plowking, who's been incredibly patient, and really helped convince me I needed one last big project. And it's been great (and a little tough) to get back into some heavy mods, scratchbuilding, and frankensteining random parts together. I decided early on I wanted the Jeep fenders to sit on top of his shoulders like Animated Sentinel Prime (and like Animated Plowking), and originally planned to reshell a Jeep model over Alt Mirage. I didn't really like that idea in person, so I decided to use Alt Hound instead of the kit. Reshell an Alt with an Alt? Sure why not. So, I started cutting up Hound. I fitted Hound's hip ball joints into Mirage's waist. After removed Hound's hood, I attached it to what was left of Mirage's hood. Starting to get the basic layout with parts just set together: But I really didn't like upper legs. They were so restrictive, no thigh swivel, and I'd already decided on an new way to attach the lower legs. So I gutted the waist, and spliced in bits from Alt Skids, so I could use his upper legs. I also added the shoulder fenders, using some styrene to built new walls for them to attach to Mirage's existing engineering. The arms, legs and chest fully transform at this point. The legs transform by rotating on the large washered screw visible below the knee joint. Next up, adding the feet. I continued using Skids parts, cutting out a chunk of his lower leg, so I could use the rotating ankle ball joint. The feet fold into the bed of the Jeep. Space is tight back there, but the feet JUST fit. I also added the front wheels. I built supports from more styrene, the working shocks are gone. He ended up being a stout robot, nearly as wide as he is tall. He's shorter than most Alts, in fact, just a CM or so taller than the average MP carbot. Crossover custom perhaps! More in a moment!
Test fitting the hardtop. It's close, too wide, and the doors aren't quite the right shape. But after it's all cut up, it'll be easy to fix. The front portion of the roof stays put. The rear is split in half after removing the rear hatch section. The two halves are attached to the legs, and fold over to fill in the lower legs. Also, testing the head base, from a Hasegawa VF-0A from Macross Zero. Getting the rear hatch, tailgate, and rear bumper was tricky, but finally got it to where I wanted wanted. I used a few pins and joints from some junkers I had laying around. The panel game from that first Movie dune buggy guy that was a recolor from the Cybertron mold (the purple and blue guy with the long rifle, kind looked like Beachcomber). The whole thing folds up onto his already large backpack. I also used some styrene to build some locks to attach the removable front bumper. The plow will be attached to the bumper, and the whole thing will attach to the left arm, in theory. That's it for now. Hopefully updates will happen on a regular basis...and soonish
I don't have words to describe this. Love the figure! Also am I the only one who sees Trailbreaker in this? Can't wait to see it finished!
I love seeing work from someone who genuinely knows what they are doing. This is fantastic! I love the engineering of the transformation, especially the legs
Say it ain't so oh Alternator Basher Master. At least you are going out with a bang, and a Radicon fav fan character (and fav forum buddy) too boot. Your engineering is a level I have yet to achieve even after almost 10 years of TF bashing.
Very, VERY good looking. And a brilliant idea to reshell an alt with an alt. I see some ideas that I will copy...one day... (really got to get of a my arse and start painting/bashing again)
I really hope that something comes along and resparks your interest. You have become one of my favorite artists here. This thread is proof of exactly why. That roof transformation just got me all excited. This is really looking great.
Thanks! The legs are my favorite too. Yeah...there's a lot involved in my bowing out/drastic cut down on pieces. The short of it is, for pretty much 10 years, I had a constant flow of pieces on my workbench, 80% commissions that I didn't even get to keep. Eventually the "fun" and "hobby" part of it wore off, and it became a job, which more or less took the enjoyment out of it. I'm grateful to all my buyers (some of whom helped pay for my wedding!), since they helped me challenge myself to make new and better stuff, but when I stopped enjoying it, it was time. That said, I AM excited to finish this one. I'm at the point where I want to keep working, but things like a job and wife/social life keep getting in the way
Say Hello to the Plow King! The sweetness of this bash... It brings me back to the glory days of Alternator customs.
Time to build and mount that plow! I'm using one of RTS Jazz's speakers thanks to its flexible arm and C-clip. The speaker part has been cut down significantly. I'm building my own mounts with 3mm styrene rod, and attach it to underneath the grill And now, with the c-clip and the mounting blocks from earlier, the bumper connects solidly and holds the whole front end together. To build the plow, I'm using some grooved styrene. This makes curving it very easy. I've cut out 4 ribs to give the plow some solidity, while keeping it mostly hollow for weight. After all the parts are glued together, I fill in the top and bottom with more styrene panels. Further details will be adding on later. I wanted the plow to have plenty of articulation in all directions, plus the ability to raise and lower. The main arms came from Alt Mirage's knee pads/tail lights. Then I added in a Gundam ankle joint for side to side movement. And all attached. The plow has plenty of side to side movement, for....realistic plowing action....? Now, here's the real reason for using the C-clip with a jointed arm. I mounted a second 3mm rod into the back of the left arm, allowing the whole bumper/plow assembly to be attached as a massive shield. There's plenty of articulation in the whole thing, allowing for a variety of poses, including using the plow as a giant battering fist thing. And thats all for now. Next up, attaching the head, and starting to fill out the details and stuff.