Thanks! The blue gears actually aren't distracting at all. I actually kind of like that they still give a little color breakup from the orange, but it still looks way more screen accurate and cohesive. That looks like what we should have gotten from Hasbro imo. Looks great!

 

Maybe some kind of rubbery, friction mat would help with what you're describing.

 

Thank you  

I can live with the cogs with the closed mouth. It's not G1 accurate, which is a thing for me, but I can live with it. Whereas unpainted there's just too much blue. It does break up the palette a bit. I'd probably havedone the gears though if I wasn't worried about paint scraping off.

Mouth open, though, weirdly I actually prefer it because it gives the maw a sense of depth.

 

Great idea! I don't think that would be quite as stable overall than something more or less permanently affixed to the top of the tv stand, but I think that'd get the job done nicely.

Sorry if this is kinda neither here nor there, but if you're not worried about the effect of thick layers of paint interfering with mechanisms, you can actually use automotive clearcoat to prevent chipping or scraping. This always seemed like toy-customizing's best kept secret, but Spraymax offers a rattlecan 2k (two-component) clearcoat in matte, "semi matte" (satin), and gloss that cures quickly and leaves a bulletproof finish on just about any damn thing.

In this case, there's TONS of slop room between those gears, so you'd have no trouble priming, painting, and top-coating with this Spraymax clear without compromising the gimmick. The only caveat other than the sheer thickness of the coat is that once you break the seal in the can to combine the two components, you really have to use up the whole can within 24 hours or so...otherwise it'll completely solidify inside the can. And ya don't wanna waste any since these cans are damn expensive.

 

Combined with your lazy susan/tv stand idea, not just by itself. If you're able, can you post a small video of what the tv stand is doing? I got inspired this early afternoon with the idea of a turntable built into a display table for Unicron. Maybe even build a motor that spins it very slowly for when guests come over.

 

Oh, combined, for sure. I'm picturing one of those silicone cookie sheets or something like that sandwiched between the top surface of the turntable and the bottom of the Unicron stand.

Here's what the action's like now:

 

This is superb to know - thanks very much! I'll give some serious thought as to whether I'm going to do those gears.

How thick is the coat? Is there any chance it might reduce clearances too much?

 

I downloaded Trunkkey maw attachment and it looks good
now this is a first run prints for me and I'm currently printing a final version @Trunkkey thank you for your hard work and great design

 

W

Where can this be downloaded?

 

Check below:

 

Thank you for posting that, that gives me a really good idea of what's happening.

 

I doubt you'd even be able to notice a difference in the maw's action with a top coat of Spraymax. There's just so much slop to work with. I'd probably do 2 or 3 heavy (wet) coats about 15 minutes apart. The obvious advantage here is that the activator/hardener component causes this stuff to cure quickly to a very hard, non-tacky "dry" finish, so you know those gears won't get gummed up.

I probably shoulda mentioned this before, but I don't own an airbrush. I'm all rattlecans. But if you do have an airbrush and prefer the control it gives you, you may want to go with something like Monster Kolor clear. It's also a two-component clear coat...just formulated specifically for toys. Folks who custom-paint vinyl kaiju toys swear by MK clear. It's cheaper than a can of Spraymax and it'll last a good six months or so on a shelf (which certainly beats Spraymax's 24-48 hours!).

No sweat! Incidentally, I went ahead and picked up a roll of self-adhesive neoprene based on your concept. This is that weatherstripping foam rubber material, just in a big sheet. There's enough there to cover the entire top surface of the Aleratec turntable, which I think will look good. Plus, if I want to display Unicron in robot mode without his display stand, a full-coverage layer of this stuff will provide the ideal grip for his feet, regardless of position or pose.

 

Great, if you get a chance would you post an "after" video snippet?

 

I realized I've been postin in the wrong thread   I've done some more panel lining on the left leg. Still plenty more to go but I removed the panels since I needed em off to paint he legs and we had a crash from the back pack coming loose while painting on the stand (he shakes when you barely touch him).
I also modified the thumb too as far as I think you can go but he has some more "wing span" at the thumb.
Ever wondered why Lithone was taken out and then Cybertron after a slumber? It was a drunken, awoken rage that would consume the cosmos cuz the dwarf planet was a lil too Irish!

 

I have a small paint scuff on the yellow part of the knuckle out of the box. Not a major deal, but does anyone know what kind of paint that matches that I can use to touch it up?

Edit: I ended up using some flat yellow model paint. It will do for now.

Before


After

 

Unicron would have looked better with the animation white instead of silver on his face and other places they used it. Is anyone else not really liking the silver color if they could have changed it?

 

I don't think I would have bought him had Hasbro opted for white. That's hideous in my opinion.

 

What's the over under on the latest preferred silver paint match? Mine's face has a couple of marks on the tip of nose I need to fill in. Maybe a silver Gundam marker?

 

how did this end up working out for you?

 

Yeaahhhh...about that.

I was planning on doing the whole neoprene thing and posting a video like @Automaster had requested...but then I realized this stuff may not be the solution I was hoping for:



The sheer weight of the toy + stand leaves permanent creases in the material. This was 1/8"-thick neoprene, but I also tried a small sample of 1/4", and while the 1/4" fared much better, it still had slightly visible creases that would just multiply over time. Don't get me wrong: functionally, both samples worked PERFECTLY. There's absolutely no fear of the toy sliding around whatsoever with this stuff. Even with Unicron in robot mode without the stand, it would take a roundhouse kick to knock him over. So, yeah, if you don't mind the unsightly creases, then I'd give neoprene a strong recommend.

I'm kinda torn, to be honest. I'm debating on whether to suck it up and just live with the creases or maybe cut small pads of neoprene to place under the stand legs. There are other options as well, I'm sure, like maybe those silicone(?) rubber anti-slip pads people put on their dashboards to rest their cellphones on? I haven't settled on a solution yet...but I'll be sure to post pics of my final setup. Right now, I'm more focused on minor upgrades to the toy itself (I've painted his teeth silver and brushed gloss lacquer onto the front and back surfaces of his eyes to make them nice and clear...and eventually, I'm going to muster up the courage to disassemble the maw and paint it yellow!).

I don't know if you ever settled on a particular paint, but for what it's worth, I just ended up using a silver sharpie for the lower teeth. While the match isn't 100% perfect, it's definitely close enough for the teeth. Of course, I don't know if "close enough" is good enough for touching up an existing paint application on his face...