Couldn't help but fix up my favorite transformer of all time, especially since the toy was such a let down. I decided to rebuild the neck with ball joints (original idea, I know!) and add an LED eye (another innovation!). I also started adding missing spines and improving clearance on joints. Mainly by allowing the legs to collapse in on themselves so that he can creep a little closer to the ground. I probably won't replace the teeth since these really don't bother me. I'll decide once all of the painting is done though. The next project is to build him a new tail. This one will probably take a little while as I have no way of casting the ribs/vertebra sections and will either have to come up with a way to mass produce the parts and then feed them onto a wire core, or build each one on the wire one at a time. Should be a nice effect either way just time consuming. anyway, I thought I would post a couple of pics just to A: celebrate getting my good camera back and B: see what you guys think so far. On to the pics! (second pic is a request by a friend. Soundwave is next on the modding blocks!) [UPDATE] Started working on the tail! First attempts at casting are working moderately well, I just need to find a way to prevent bubbles forming down in the spine tips. Any tips from all the casting genii? I might have to try making my mold differently, but I'm not sure how to go about that. If I had more than 90 seconds to work with the plastic before it goes off I thought about using a pipet to feed the resin into the spines and then the main body. Sort of a one shot deal though. Let me know what you guys think! [UPDATE 7-15-09] Tail is done! Teaser/demo shot now, full gallery shoot tomorrow once I'm sure I've gotten all of the droopy tail syndrome taken care of. Link to finished pics thread
two things... You could make the tail using "yellow sub ball joints". They are sold at hobby link japan. You make a "chain" of them as long as you wish (i had the same idea myself). And the row of spikes on his spine make him look like that gremlin spike/stripe. More of an observation than a critique. Where is the switch for the eye? And can you take better pics of the balljoint neck? Thanks. mac
I thought about using tiny balljoints as well, but am worried that it might get a little bit on the fragile side as the figure gets messed with and with the weight of the tail itself. Having something like a copper wire as the actual moving part would seem to wear less and wouldn't end up popping off or sagging with the weight of the grapple/weapon tail end but would limit flexibility and be more of a pain to build. So it's a toss up. I've already had to build up the joint to keep his factory tail from sagging so that doesn't bode well for something with dozens of joints. lol. I kinda agree about the spikes, but removing them looks worse (removing the side spikes helped though). I thought about trimming them down to be shorter like the CG shots, and probably will before paint. Switch is on the small of the back where the old pac-man gimmick lever was. Ill take a quick pic and show it. I'll also grab a shot of the neck. [update] pics: Here is the button. The image makes it look a bit higher than it really is. Once everything is uniform in color it will blend in enough for my taste. and here is the neck. When I break down the guy for paint I'll show the neck piece better, but basically I built the neck so that it could fit into the slots left by the piston detail on the old neck. This allowed me to keep the head closer to the body and still have a good 70ish degrees of left to right movement, and the gobs of space left by the old neck gives a good bit of up and down. I thought about running the wires through a tube in the neck, but I actually like the look of them. Once painted they should look like some kind of tube.
I should probably clarify. By that I mean just fold up a little tighter allowing ravage to get closer to the ground in more of a creeping pose. Here is a pic to show how far I've gotten him to crouch. It doesn't take much. Basically trimming back around the joints to give them a little more range of motion. It ended up lowering the front by about a half inch, and the rear about 3/8 inch. Not a great amount, but enough that he actually looks like he could be stalking instead of casually strolling.
Update! I think I will call this guy finished. At least until I get some casting supplies and try to make a new tail. I'll submit a gallery after the clear fully dried and I can do a full photoshoot. For now, here are a couple of shots I did today.
No, no, no.... I will not like this mold. I refuse... must... not... pick up... non-transforming... robot.... "But he transforms into a chocobo!" --silence!! Must... buy... ravage...
lol. You must give in! He really is one of the best ravage toys we've ever gotten. More articulated than even the alternators version. Plus you can make him transform just like he does in the movie. Just crunch him up into a ball, throw him at a hard surface, and if he lands on his feet... Success! you've transformed ravage correctly. (and I will admit that I'll have to take at least one shot of him as a chocobo...)
Looks quite impressive. It would make a great addition if you some how managed to the guns on his hips rotate like in the movie.
Hey sorry I missed your post. Adding balljoints to his guns is a good idea! wish I had thought of it. lol. Anyway, update. Last week I picked up a casting kit, and decided to give the tail a go and just cast my prototype link. It ended up being a little bit larger than the links in the figures official tail due to the size of the balljoint I had on hand but not so much that it will look out of place I hope. I don't expect this to turn out anywhere close to right (first time casting anything, and I tried for a one piece mold) so I'll probably have to try again, and might even scrap this attempt and try again when I have smaller balljoints or different techniques. Just thought I would post for those that might be interrested, and get a free shameless bump while I'm at it. Will post pics of the first cast piece if they turn out.
hole I love this guy, but someone needs to putty up the big screw hole, the head looks great, but that big hole makes it look like he has an eye on the side, all these great customs of Ravage and he still has that gapping hole.
Some of us are too worried that the minute we putty the screwhole closed the led will burn out, or snap a lead, or the jaw will randomly get stuck. and of course by some of us, I mean me.
Updated with pic of casting attempts so far. At least they don't take long to make. Just about 10 minutes per segment.
Never thought about that hole before, but... wadda bout those grommet pieces you get on some electronics that are designed to cover screw holes... couldn't you improvise one out of a black pencil eraser that was filed down to fit?
Very nice! I want to try to give mine a neck too. I swear, gimmicks ruin figures. I want my Ravage to have a neck instead of that chomping gimmick. Anyway, cool pics.
