I finally did it!

Minor/Repaint: - Bonecrusher/Bruder repaint

...6 years later.  

So yeah, that's when the dream started, and it took quite some time until I stumbled upon the missing piece...a suitably large Long Haul. Before I found it, all others were either the wrong type of dumper or too small. And you know me, I was NOT going to tolerate an anorexic Devastator.   After I found him, it was another year or so until I actually got around to starting the project. Slacker!

I started working last October, so almost a year to complete. MUCH longer than expected. Every detail just took much longer than I anticipated. Winter hit and all painting was halted until spring. Fortunately, though, most everything turned out the way I planned. Some things turned out better. A couple things "good enough", haha.

But anyway, it's done and I'm happy with the results. I've had this vision for at least 6 years (can't recall exactly when I got my first Bruder vehicle), but possibly even longer. I mean, I've been a fan of the 1:18th scale and construction equipment/Devastator my whole life so I've long dreamed of a Devastator in that scale (or close to it). I just can't remember if I ever imagined making one myself before that Bruder bulldozer.

I took design and/or proportion influences from multiple sources. IDW All Hail Megatron Devastator, Maketoys Giant, Toyworld Constructor and Generation Toys Gravity Builder. Some things (thigh covers, forearms, elbows, crotch flaps, chest shield) being straight up copies. The great thing about making my own version, though, was that some of the things I dislike about retail/etail Devastators, I was able to do how I like. That means very little purple. Black treads with green insides. A big beefy waist. Arms and legs that aren't massively out of proportion with the body.

Enough jibber-jabber.

All vehicles except the mentioned dump truck (Costco score...$20!) are Bruder vehicles. They are ALL the same 1:16th scale! I even modified the cab and step/ladder system on Long Haul to 1:16th scale.

All joints and structural parts are made of wood (mostly maple). Nuts and bolts at the joints. Arm and leg connections are 2" dowel rod. He has nearly the same points of articulation as a modern combiner, only lacking a waist swivel.

To keep weight down, I made the elbows, forearms, hands, thigh covers, chest shield, crotch flaps, Scrapers larger bucket and a few other odds and ends out of EVA foam (cosplayers use it to great success). It was a new material for me, but once I got the hang of it, it was quite useful.

It's something subtle (just the way I like it!), but the decals were all custom made by Marto6. They are fantastic! The adhesion is good, almost too good, haha. A stress point for me most of the project was how I was going to do the striping and numbering/lettering until he said "no problem". Originally I though that I was going to have to hand paint the hazard striping!  

My favorite part, and the part that I think was the make or break of this project, is the head. My original plan was to try the EVA or wood or a combo. But a good friend of mine, echotransformer, who's brain I was picking for the entire length of the project, had a better idea. He offered to upscale a head design he was working on for a project of his own that I could print out with Shapeways! It gave the project a much more "factory" like look. Cliche as it sounds, it was/is the icing on the cake. He even went the extra mile for me and made the visor a separate piece so that I could print it in clear and light it up. Again, thank you Steve. I wouldn't be as happy as I am with "Bruderstator" without you.

On to the pics! These are only a small sample of what will come. This guy is HUGE, so I didn't have a large enough backdrop or proper lighting until today. It'll probably be next week before I get "studio" type photos up. Even then they won't be nearly as awesome as the photos some of the amazing photographers on this site take. Until then, I hope you can enjoy the humor in the fun ones I did take. Maybe some WIP pics too.

Critiques are welcomed. I won't be changing anything, but they are welcomed.   I'll start. The forearms and hands are larger than I'd prefer. By the time I realized it, there was no starting over. Tough titties Popeyestator!

 

Be proud of this man! Excellent work.

 

Well done.

Of course, now you'll need that 18" Optimus Prime to go along with this.

 

OMG! That picture with the couch completely caught me off guard!

THAT's one huge custom man! Well executed too!

 

So you're handsome, very artistically talented, and you build giant Transformers? Marry me dude!

 

Very impressive. Fantastic work dude!

 

Whoa. That's amazing

 

Insane and spectacular! The scratchbuilt parts look just as factory as the vehicles. Building something this massive is impressive enough, but with full articulation too? Wow.

 

Jaw dropping the toilet shot I,m still laughing.

 

This is phenomenal!!!
Wow!

 

I have to ask.

Did you use the famous line to introduce this creative piece to the wife before you laid it on her couch?

"Prepare for Devastation, my beloved!"

 

Well that looks freakin AMAZING man, WOW!!! No critiques here, only compliments on a beautiful job all-around!

 

That is one truly amazing piece of work.

 

.....truly astounding. I love the 'playing with toys' shot

 

What. The. HELL.

That is... mental. MY brain can't quite process the size... thats a normal MP Prowl right?

 

!!!!! That is insane! Awesome work. You mentioned keeping the weight down, how much does he actually weigh?

 

That is extraordinary!!! Absolutely incredible project and outcome!!!!!

All the best
Maz

 

Eddie, I'm floored by this...

Simply put, I want it,  

Congrats man.

 

Those toilet shots really surprised me. He looked big but I didn't think he was THAT big. Insane job, well executed. Just incredible.

 

Jesus, I still haven't gotten over how big this thing is