Started this one a few weeks ago and left it whilst I was working on fellow Scavengers Crankcase and Spinister. The head I've ordered from Shapeways is arriving tomorrow so I've resumed work in preparation.
For those unfamiliar with the character, Fulcrum is a bit of a Genericon and literal cannon-fodder - he's a K-Class suicide bomber that failed to explode and was found and, reluctantly, salvaged by Decepticon Scavengers Crankcase, Flywheels, Krok, Misfire and Spinister. If you feel compelled to know more, use the Wiki or read Volume 2 of the More Than Meets The Eye TPBs.




He's highly unlikely to ever receive an official toy owing to the 'suicide bomb' angle of his alt-mode, hence this custom.



Looking at his general frame and the shape of his alt-mode the most sensible figure to use for this custom, to me, anyway, is Titans Return Scourge.



Sure, he's a bit beefier than Fulcrum, but the way his alt-mode looks and works when transformed made it a no-brainer for me to use him. Repaint aside the only physical changes I'll be making are to reverse his lower legs so the back becomes the front - totally aesthetic for me as the sleeker shins on the back and bigger feet, heel spurs in normal mode, just look better for this character to me - and to replace his head with a ball joint adapter and the Shapeways 'Whiny Hauler' head that @SteamShield makes -



I'll just add a chinstrap and slightly more prominent chin using Green Stuff - there's a running gag in the comic about his big chin - and repaint, obvs.

His alt mode colours I'll be basing on this MTMTE cover -



- mixed with what little of the actual alt-mode we see in the comics (so, basically, the 'nose cone' section will be that tan/beige colour that his head, chest and lower legs are), I'll be removing the 'Con tower/cockpit' and filling it in and I may add a few extra fins to the original 'space hovercraft' alt-mode that we know and love -



Anyway, now I've explained my masterplan to you, here's my work in progress thus far -



The dark grey went on the back wings beautifully, but that orange was an absolute BASTARD to apply. There's about five coats in there and I can still see the blue bleeding through.

 

Yet again you're doing something I want to do  

 

Cool. Great idea.

As for the orange paint, I find a nice neutral primer color helps with that on bright/light end colors.

 

I tried putting primer on but the plastic just didn't want to take it. I've just put many layers on in the end. I've found a few plastics don't like certain types of paint, but then others go on fine and dandy. The dark grey I'm using on this guy goes on great to everything I've tried it on but is too dark to use as undercoat. Grrrr.

 

Awesome!I'm in.

 

Looking forward to seeing the finished figure on this one.

 

Very cool concept. gonna hafta keep an eye on this one..

 

Noggin arrived this afternoon, so chinstrap and chin extension added. Leaving this to cure for a day or two now.

 

....and this is the current state of play -



Everything blue, bar the tops of his legs, and including the silver sticker on his chest, is going to be a desert sandy beige colour - only dawned on me this morning that I forgot to order it in already, so that bit of painting will be delayed until I can find some money for more paint (I lost my job a few weeks ago and am tapped out for the foreseeable future) - but the rest just needs a touch up. A few more coats of orange on the legs, touch up a few blemishes on the silver and grey parts and add the TR head plug, which I realised this afternoon has the wrong sized ball on it so I'll have to do a few layers of clear nail varnish. Tsk.

The disc around his sternum I made using part of the ring pull off a bottle of Ribena (!!) and some Green Stuff. Leaving that to cure with the head and then I'll paint the surround in dark grey and the semicircle in bright yellow and white. Thankfully two colours I DO have left  

Regarding the legs, I did think about reversing them so the back is the front and vice versa, but tbh, looking at it now, I won't bother. It looks better than I thought it would, plus it saves me having to transplant the kneepads. ;-)



See what I mean? That looked better in my head than it does in front of me, but once they're painted up I may change my mind again. We'll see.

 

Paintwork in progress!

 

Nice!

 

Had this exact same idea a while back, awesome to see it in execution. Looking forward to the finished piece!

 

I cant afford any more paints atm so rather than wait to get a light tan paint, I thought I'd see what this light orangey rust brown paint I already had looked like. Turns out I like it a lot. I think it looks more....'military' than the lighter tan colour Fulcrum is usually pictured with. I mean, I may change my mind yet, but as it stands I think it will stay.

 

Nice.

 

Looking real nice so far

 

Dang! That is a genius idea.

 

Soooooo, bit of a problem, his head's too bloody small!!

 

Aww...that sucks.I guess maybe paint a Titan Master?Man that sucks. 

But the body looks great! 

 

Is it really though? He has a kinda small head in the comics

 

I'll either get the Voyager head or ask @SteamShield to do a resize for me. It'll have to wait though. Tsk.