Heavy/Scratch: Sup. Devs: More movie accurate...and closer to SCALE

Discussion in 'Radicons Customs' started by Janeails22x, Oct 8, 2009.

  1. Janeails22x

    Janeails22x Collector & Customizer

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    Sup. Devs: Movie accurate...and closer to SCALE (100% COMPLETE) Last Update 5/31/11

    FINAL UPDATE May 31, 2011! ROTF SUPREME CLASS DEVASTATOR!!!! NOTE: If you can't see the photos because the "bandwidth exceeded", the check page 82 and/or the attachments of this first post for thumbnails (they are different, so check them both!). OR check out my YouTube video review part 10 for a slides listed below. Pictures will unlock on June 19 .

    Added 6/13/11: Wallpaper photo courtesy of fakebusker83!! Just stunning work! To take my crappy photography and transform it into a piece of art is amazing! Thank you so much, dude. For those of you who wish to check out some his work, head over to his profile and check out his Radicon Threads! True Artist.

    Finally. 597 days after making my first cut on a custom transformer ever….. 427 days since shooting my first paint on a transformer….ever…… 280 hours minimum actual confirmed time spent working on project (calculated based on how many times through I went through “Friends”, “The Office”, and Arrested Development” series on DVD in the background, straight through, +movies). Estimated total time on project: Around 500 hours.

    I am finally ready, and able, to reveal to you my take on:

    Transformer: Revenge of the Fallen Supreme (Masterpiece?) Class DEVASTATOR!

    First of all, I would like to thank the following people that directly (or indirectly) influenced (or inspired) the completion of this project:

    ~My Wife, Janea. She has been one heck of a sport during this whole ordeal. From the money wrapped up in it, to the “stinky plastics and paints”. She has been very understanding of this project especially considering the days when I completely took over the living room in the early stages of the build, or the dining room when I began painting, and the basement for my airbrushing shop. What a trooper. There were days when she was pissed that I was not done, primarily because I would punk out on activities or weekends “because I needed to work on my project”. Those were few and far between, but the encouragement she gave me after each vehicle completed was enough to inspire me to keep going. Even though you are probably not going to read this, I love you, Sweetheart. And I’m sorry I ruined so many of our nights because of this. Now that it is finished, and with little Jovie Lynnelle on the way, I can’t wait to get back to normal life.

    ~Frenzy_Rumble. He printed my decals for me. He endured many phone calls from me, and perhaps a too detailed decal spec matrix. But, in the end, they all came out beautifully, and he even through in some extras in case I screwed up. Stand up guy. Thanks, Mike!

    ~NCStrascream. The tribute on Crumblezone says it all. He came through for me in my hour of need when Crumblezone fell off the table and broke. He sold me some extra Rampage treads and helped get my project back on track. (Also, trex5000. If NCSs didn’t come through, trex would have been right in line.)

    ~Spoiler: I remembered you! Been so long since we talked. Thanks for going in halvsies with me for extra parts! What a blessing!

    ~All of TFW2005 Radicon members and supporters alike. So much talent. So much inspiration. So much information that I have taken from these boards since I joined in ’08. I could name so many people here that I incorporated a little idea I got from them here and there. And to play it safe, to make sure I don’t leave someone out (especially someone who pioneered a mod), I thank all of you publicly for contributing to my first, and likely last, combiner custom.

    Without further adieu, here he is, pictures and videos. Please enjoy. I have had both a blast, and a miserable time working on this monstrosity. I loved building it. There is now way around that. Painting on the other hand was hit or miss. Some days it was fun, but most I loathed. It felt like a chore to me. Maybe it’s because I know that my technique/paints I used was not conducive to protecting it from chipping. I washed, primered, lacquered, etc. and nothing seemed to have had a positive effect on the durability of the paint. With each new vehicle, the paint acted differently, or there was some obstacle I had to overcome. I think Long Haul was the smoothest painting operation that I did. Don’t know why. The primer and paint went down quick, even, and durable. Long Haul has very minor chipping. If I could build all day and leave the painting to a pro, I would do that in a heartbeat. I would go into business with somebody so long as I did not have to do the painting. Argh! But, thankfully, the final results came out successfully.

    There are several key differences you will see from the prototype/initial build to final product.

    1.) Grappling hook weapons. The original plan…..well….I use the term “original” loosely because the first thing that came out was sort of last minute, not using my whole brain. In order to be movie accurate, I wanted three separate grappling hooks on each arm. Which toy had three missiles in one contained location? That I had? Movie Starscream. And Bonus, there were two sets! So, built them, and even took pictures with them installed. But I was never completely sold on them. If you remember, a while back, I even indicated that I was on the fence. I was not happy with them. They were big, gaudy, looked out of place…and worse, they looked like an after thought…which they were. It was a failure on my end and I recognized it. Plus the reduced weight on each arm can only help. Plus, the originals did not fit with my “serve two functions” strategy. While the concept worked, the execution was poor.

    So, going back to the drawing board, I wanted to find something smaller, more compact that I could make a three prong grapple with only one chain. I decided that sacrificing movie accuracy in this case would work to my advantage. Looking into my “inventory” I found the perfect replacements (that I was willing to repurpose). Movie Classic Camaro Bumblebee’s weapons. I built the grapples using…you guess it, ROTF Ravage tails! They were a part of the double your action giveaway return that I got. Perfect usage. Now, they fit. They look right. They are not obtrusive or distracting.

    2.) Staying with the weapons motif, you will notice that the missile battery over his right shoulder is different than the prototype. This is both a gain and a loss for me. First, I hand built the original battery. It looked great, and had the movie accurate 12 missiles. However, since I had decide to go with the 2-missile battery over the left shoulder, I was already throwing movie accuracy to the wind. So, in order to add “play value” even though it is just going to sit on a shelf (another detail I should not have cared about), I went with a functional 8-missile battery donated from a HFTD Hailstorm. Still looks great and serves its purpose.

    3.) Shoulder Metal. I had two left over sets of Mixmaster drum flaps that were just screaming at me to get onto this custom. I hated wasting them. I knew there was potential there. As you can see, I found their potential. :)  Devastator had a lot of “neck frills” that were just not getting done with the shoulder pads from Scavenger, or the Trailer halves from Overload. It needed something more. I’m pleased with the results, and it gave me another opportunity for Cybertronian symbols! Yes, they are bigger….. but picture them saying, “Suck on THIS!” His victims needed to read it from far away! :)  Lame excuse, I know. Who cares. ;-)

    4.) Mixmaster’s grille. In the movie, you can see Mixmaster’s grille at the back of Devastator’s neck, if only briefly. Well, I had originally achieved this but having MM’s cab sticking up behind the drum. While it was okay initially, I was not happy with it. It too looked “slapped on. So, I started toying with MM and found that I could disconnect the grille AND turn it 180 degrees to lay on top of the drum. Yes, this did disconnect the cab, but I found that worked to my advantage. I now had means to further utilize the cab to look more transformed rather than a “cement truck glued to the back of the neck”.

    5.) The back. Lucky for most of you, you either saw only a few photos posted over a year ago and don’t remember it, or never saw it all to know what it looked like before. Let’s just say that the following changed: Overload trailer wheels location, Scavenger shovel positioning, Wrecking Balls connection points, and Piping. The initial build was mediocre at best. I was never completely happy with it. (Can you sense a theme? Not completely happy= CHANGE IT until is). Now I am very happy. Half the problem is lack of options with the robot mode. Considering I added 3 (!!!!) vehicles, one of them is the second largest of the group, and you don’t want to sacrifice the aesthetics of the display side, you run out of options fast. I will go over these things in the videos.

    Please enjoy the photos! I hope you love them as much as I love the final results. As always, comments and criticisms are welcome.

    YouTube Review Part 1 of 10 (!!!). Yikes, I know.
    YouTube - ‪Custom ROTF Devastator Review- Part 1 of 10‬‏

    YouTube review Part 2 of 10:
    YouTube - ‪Custom ROTF Devastator Review- Part 2 of 10‬‏

    YouTube video review Parts 3 of 10:

    YouTube - ‪Custom ROTF Devastator Review- Part 3 of 10‬‏

    YouTube video review Parts 4 of 10:

    YouTube - ‪Custom ROTF Devastator Review- Part 4 of 10‬‏

    YouTube video review Parts 5 of 10:
    YouTube - ‪Custom ROTF Devastator Review- Part 5 of 10‬‏

    YouTube Video review Part 6 of 10:
    YouTube - ‪Custom ROTF Devastator Review- Part 6 of 10‬‏

    YouTube Video review Part 7 of 10:
    YouTube - ‪Custom ROTF Devastator Review- Part 7 of 10‬‏

    YouTube Video Review Part 8 of 10:
    YouTube - ‪Custom ROTF Devastator Review- Part 8 of 10‬‏

    YouTube Video Review Part 9 of 10
    YouTube - ‪Custom ROTF Devastator Review- Part 9 of 10‬‏

    YouTube Video Review- Part 10 of 10 (slideshow to make up to YouTubers for the lousy video quality)

    YouTube - ‪Custom ROTF Devastator- Part 10 of 10‬‏
    MORE to COME!!

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    WIP Write-ups and Individual Pictures below:

    That's right. I have ventured into the realm of customizing...and this is my FIRST attempt. Inspired so many gifted radicons and artists, I decided that I would take a crack at this stuff...and I have tackled a Biggy!

    Disclaimer: This is in the very EARLY stages of a WIP. I am testing, fitting, constructing, starting over, planning, guessing, dremeling, squirming, etc. There are still TONS of stuff to do. All of the cuts, and gaps, and rough edges that you see will be cleaned up, prepped, finessed, and finished prior to painting. Plus, I havenn't even started on Hightower or Scraps yet.

    My Goal: A more movie accurate figure AND transformation than it's current state.

    Voyager Longhaul
    Voyager Mixmaster (ditch the Supreme, Monsterous, un-earthly out of scale Mix M.)
    Hightower's Wheel Loader Hand
    Extend Scrapper to "walk on all fours"
    Dev's Grinder vortex INSIDE Scavenger
    Shoulder pads
    Two Bulldozers for the left leg
    Plus so much more that has yet to be finalized in design.

    I will leave some of the details to the imagination, but I will say that Voyager Long Haul was completely dismantled and shelled over the tiny Long Haul from the supreme set, and transforms exactly like the tiny guy (no detatching and reattaching anything). Supreme Mix's drum is stored underneath the retooled Scavenger and will be completely hidden. The Vortex gimmick STILL WORKS even though I completely tore apart the truck and operating system.

    Best of all, everything will be stored or transformed within these figures. There will be NO outside items that I have to get out of a drawer to make this work.

    Sure, I know that most of you may be saying, "This HAS to be a SERIOUS parts-former" and I would have to say that for the most part, you're right. But, this was the best, most accurate and economical way I went about doing it. I'm not ashamed. :) 

    Let me know what you all think so far. Thanks for looking!

    **UPDATE 2/4/2010.... Newer pictures added. Not many. More this weekend (Scrapper, Scavenger mods, etc.)

    Sorry it's been so long (zombie thread...hehe), but I got REALLY discouraged with the whole left hand ordeal and I hung up the project to clear my head and begin planning for a reconstruction. I have been back at it for about a week and am making great progress.

    I have found a better camera, and will be using it for my photography, and I will find better lighting.

    This is what has been done so far...

    ~Hightower's hand is now a Dozer/Bucket combo....just like the movie....whew
    ~Hightower's Fingers have been completely reconstructed (6 points of articulation, the pictures on the front page are NOT these). I will replace with new photos this weekend.
    ~Scrapper's loader arms and buckets have been extended for Devastator Mode, retracted for vehicle.
    ~The Vortex Drum stores underneathe Scavenger (Scavenger has been elevated, Scoop arm modified to reach ground)
    ~During Transformation, Drum detatches from underneathe, combines with drum gimmick support (supreme mixmaster's frame, which is stored on rear of Scavenger in vehicle mode) and functions (no lights or sounds, they were ANNOYING).
    ~Voyager Long Haul has been shelled over the supreme version, and transforms just the same.
    ~Deluxe Yellow Rampage is combined with supreme Rampage, but detaches and transforms back into a bulldozer.
    ~Voyager Mixmaster replaces Supreme Mixmaster as part of the team. His drum shell combines with the vortex grinder and the cab/frame folds up and stores on the back of the drum. There is concept art out there showing the front end cab of Mixmaster peeking out from the back of the grinder.

    Left to do for construction….

    ~Voyager Overload…..He will combine with the team. I have preliminary plans on how he will trasform and combine with Devastator. More than likely, Devy's face will be stored somewhere in this toy to give it more of a "this is where the red face comes from" feel. This will be my second BIGGEST challenge. Storing the drum underneathe was tough enough. No idea how this will turn out.
    ~Ball jointed, Devastator Head extension.
    ~possible sculpting to enhance some areas.
    ~Add aesthethic wiring, tubing, piping, etc.
    ~clean up, sand, beautify….then wreck with scratches dents, holes, etc. You know, the fun stuff.

    ~Prep and Paint….

    ~Share with the fans.


    So that's it. My "to do" is a lot smaller that the completed list, but it will take a very long time. I will be posting photos very soon. So excited!!

    (NOTE: Poor Long Haul. His Toys have been ravaged for this custom.)


    UPDATE 2/6/2010: Pics of WIP Overload and Finished Scrapper in Gestalt!! The photo of Overload is VERY early in the WIP stage, a preview picture if you will. Still have a lot of critical work, details, cosmetics. If you will notice, The Trailer's wheels are larger on this custom, just like the movie vehicle. I'm building the tandum, hitch post, etc. And, when combined with Devastator, he will be split up the best I can and scatter his parts around the torso, which is the reason for the missing leg guts from Long Haul. Coming along nicely.

    UPDATE 2/11/10: Principal Construction near completion. Teaser photo of Devastator in ALMOST his full gestalt. Overload Trailer to be added. Devy's face now stores inside Overload and appears upon transformation. His tractor portion wraps around the rear torso (over Scavenger's shovel) and his front grill/bumper assembly now attaches to the front chest/torso to fill in dead space. Mixmaster's rear wheel assemblies finally have a home right below the neck of Devs. Made a modification to the Long Haul Toes. Devy's face is now on a Ball Joint (what a HUGE difference) And Scavenger's Shovel now splits and will combine with Overload's Trailer.

    Think that's it for now. More pics this weekend. I couldn't wait to show this preliminary shot, though.

    I can't even imagine how this thing will look with the cosmetic stuff (paint, battle damage, hoses, wires, piping, etc)....all this and is still fully 100% transformable. I am having a blast!


    UPDATE 2/14/10: PRINCIPLE Construction COMPLETE!!!!!

    Every MAJOR modification is complete and is ready for detail work, sanding, cleaning, (grappling hook...maybe :) , prepping, "finessing" everything to be ready for paint. Will be taking that one day at a time.

    As you can see the biggest, most appropriate addition to the team is OVERLOAD!!! Clearly, it is not finished, but you can get a very strong idea of where it is headed. I utilized the only photos I could find of him and countless viewings of the IMAX film. The tractor is not entirely screen accurate, but pretty darn close. The trailer, on the other hand, is VERY close.

    I will let everyone pick through the details of what has been done in the photos for now. I will type it all out later. Hope everyone enjoys the pictures as much as I have had in building it!!!

    Can't wait until I start creating battle damage and painting this baddy!

    (PS: I have not weighed it yet, but holy crap is this thing heavy.....)

    UPDATE: 2/19/10 Shooting Grappling Hooks added. Salvaged TFTM Starscream Nonhands to acheive the three separate grappling hooks per arm. Still not convinced of their necessity. Jury is still out. Chains will of course be rust/black when painted. Also added were the pipes over his shoulder armor. Really adds a lot to the look. I am very pleased with that portion.

    UPDATE 3/29/10: Very small update, but a fun one! Scrapper Teaser photo posted. This is PRE assembly, decals, 3D rusting/paint bubbling effects to enhanced painted rust, and of course, the final "dusting" effects by airbrush. Scrapper is near completion. Frenzy_Rumble is hard at work on the decals! I am looking forward to seeing the first official sheets and of course, putting them on. Going slowly, but coming along at a decent pace.

    Devastator Bottom "lip" as seen in the movie... Yes, I know it sort of looks like a "tongue" right now, but I assure you, with Black, weathered metallic, paint, we won't think that for a second... (hopefully :-/)

    Ready to rock!!! Time to clean, prep, detail, paint...
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    Scrapper Teaser Photo....Pre assembly, decals, "dusting", and finer details.
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    UPDATE 4/9/10: Well, Scrapper is 95% complete! The only things he is missing are the decals (CAT, B430, Decepticon logo, and CATERPILLAR) and a conservative "dusting" with airbrush OR spritz bottle. Undecided yet. But, this is very very close to what it will look like when finished. I have mapped out my plans for the "wiring" and hoses. I have not painted his robot "fingers", grappling hooks, or turret yet, but that won't take too long. I would like to point out a couple interesting bits... You will notice the red on the connector port to Scavenger. This will help bridge the immediate color transition that plagues most combiners. I want to make my Devastator look integrated. Likewise, there will be yellow bits on Scavengers port to further the effect. I also wanted my Scrapper to look worn and worked. I tried damaging him in the more likely spots a real wheel loader would. I also tried to show a worn paint effect on the walking deck and stairs where people would walk constantly.

    To be clear, this has officially been my FIRST repaint of a Transformer in my life. I have a lot of improvement to do, and I can't thank all of you enough for all of the inspiration and tips that I have earned over the years following the radicons. Pictures below

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    Scrapper Complete- Decals (by Frenzy_Rumble) Added!!!
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    Here's Whiplash in vehicle form!!! It's 99% complete because stupid me went and forgot to put his blade hydraulics back on before the photos... D'oh! Anyway, please enjoy! I'm starting to get more of a knack for the base, wash, dry, wash, dry, wash, dry techniques, as evident in the tracks (my personal favorite part). Up next.... ??? Probably Skipjack.
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    Skipjack...Check.
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    3 down.... 6 to go.... UGH! Also... the camera dulled the yellow during this round of photos. No consistency stems for no talent photography... :) . The Yellow is very close to the deep yellow of the Caterpillars in real life. Sorry about the "filter".
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    Devastator Left Leg Gestalt... CHECK CHECK!
    Take note of the Cybertronian Symbols. No real reason, except that I dig them. Love that about the Movie Designs.
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    Added February 21, 2011...Crumblezone with and without his Caterpillar cohorts. As you can kind of see, I tried doing things a little different with the Scoop weathering and style. I also wanted to differentiate the tracks gears than the previous two bulldozers. Devastator's left hand in the movie is this tracked front end loader hybrid. Also, as I am sure you may tell (tough it may be difficult being that pictures came out slightly blurry... I have got to get that fixed), my technique has been improving. Maybe you can't tell, but I can already see a big different in Scrapper's scoop vs. Crumblezone's. Enjoy!
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    And here's my Thank You shout out to NCStarscream who came to my rescue the quickest and provided the additional parts I needed after Crumblezone fell off my table and...well...crumbled. Ironic! (Special mention goes out to trex5000 who also had them ready for me i case my deal with NCSs did not work out). Thanks guys!
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    UPDATE 3/2/11: I give you....LONG HAUL! I know, I know... "He's a lot darker than the movie!" Yes, he is darker... but I LOVE it!!! It's just so....real, you know? Less cartoon-y color. Though it was not my intention to go so dark, I love how he turned out. The dirt is also a lot less "yellow" in person, but not by much to be honest. I am just ecstatic at how he turned out. Could not be happier, I don't think. Vehicle Mode:
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    ...and Gestalt mode:
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    Did you catch it?? More Cybertronian Glyphs and a Robo-wound with DARK ENERGON (HA!) flowing out! Thanks to those who suggested purple for the "blood". Looks great!
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    UPDATE 3/13/11: OVERLOAD!
    Here he is, as promised. Hope everyone likes it! I sure do and I was so excited to see a toy of this elusive character come to life.

    Overload is a figure that not too many people have tackled. IMHO, it came out great. I'm happy with it. Like I said before, I did have paint issues with him, but I made it work. Though, because of some of those issues, Overload here is what will probably convince me never to sell it because I'm not sure someone else would be happy with the detail issues.

    Again, like Long Haul, he came out a little darker than I had planned, but Devastator will be better off for it! I have decided that the same color red for the both sets of shoulder pads would have been a sea of red and may have looked...weird.

    I have also attached some "reference" photos to jog memories of what he looked like in concept and in the movie.

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    "J605" is on the front, and for a split second in the movie, it appears on the trailer. I did not include the bed emptying hydraulics for specific reasons (namely clutter), which is why my version is a little more center and visible.
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    For some reason the "braces" on the sides of the trailer came out purplish is in the photos...but I assure you, they are the same red as everything else.
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    You like the hoses/wires?
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    How about the Mud caked underneath and the smoke stack?
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    All apart of the movie...
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    Some sneak peaks...
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    Please excuse the unpainted Devastator head...that will be the LAST part revealed... again, for good reason.
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    I tried differentiating Long Haul and Overload slightly to give them a different feel. The fencing was the "big" change. I neglected to cut his bumper sections down to match the movie, which now I kind of wish I did because it would further set the two apart. I still might do that. Depends on Gestalt aesthetics.
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    And finally.... the Team...minus 3.
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    UPDATE 4/9/11: HIGHTOWER!!
    Oh boy, this is a fun one. You will notice several key highlights on Hightower, here. First, the ever important crane boom had been extended. It also comes completely apart, collapses back to original toy height, and the left overs attach to either side of the arm in gestalt. Pretty nifty. And what is a crane without functionality! I have added some finger controls on the back to not only control the height of the boom, but the actual cables are operated independently from the boom! Or, if you like, you can control both simultaneously because of the gearing (don't know why I would, but whatever). The controls lock and unlock using a pin and gear engagement. Full control at my fingertips. WHy did I go through so much trouble for something that is just going to sit in gestalt? Because I could...that's why. :)  I thought, Hightower is awfully boring and he needs something a little more to spice him up. Then the controls and cables were born. Next, you'll see one of Devastator's wrecking balls in the photos, the gold one with the hook. I have the other plain steel wrecking ball too, and they are clearly interchangeable, but I didn't think it was necessary to take up a photo just for it. I have also included a "pipe bundle" to add some weight and "playability". No other reason other than to show it off. Also, Those with a sharp eye will see that the gestalt fingers hiding underneath the crane are a darker yellow....Caterpillar Yellow, if you will. Yes, I have continued the effect of blending the robot bits together and there is a transition of color from Crumblezone's CAT yellow into Hightower's Kobelco yellow. You'll see more when Devastator is finished. Also, real quick, the chains were added for a "safety factor dead stop" if the boom is lowered too far, because if the boom went too far down, you lose the moment arm on the controls and you would never get it back up using the controls. You'll also see the cables attache to the spools, and the windshield wiped paint detailing. Silly I know, but it was hard to ignore the wiper on this mold.

    So there you go... Hightower in all of its glory. Down to the LAST TWO VEHICLES!! Mixmaster is on deck!!!! Stay tuned.

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    And of course, the updated Team shot. Oh so sweet.
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    UPDATE 4/29/2011: I present to you: MIXMASTER!! I know this is a long write-up, but bear with me. I'm sure most of you won't even make it to this sentence and blow right to the pictures. :)  But I am writing this any way. I know I am little early on my update, but I don't think you'll fault me for it...

    A lot more went into this figure than you may think. Little things that added up to a pretty big payoff to be the most movie accurate Mixmaster that I wanted to go.

    First off, and probably the biggest aesthetic modification you will see, is the grille. It's actually Movie '07 Payload's center grille modified to fit the existing MM voyager toy. I removed a bar and replaced it with a wider black piece in order to get the MACK logo in there. The logo for the grille was hand painted because stupid me asked Frenzy_Rumble to put this decal on clear rather than black background. Though, to be fair, I had an entirely different plan a year ago. The MACK logo on the on the grille is in the correct location for the truck used in the movie. Some trucks have the logo higher, others lower. Mixmaster's was of the higher variety.

    Next you'll see that I took those stupid upper purple lights off the fenders. The toy itself has MACK accurate headlights behind the grille guard as it is, which made it an easy decision for me to remove them. To me, this small change had one of the biggest impacts. If I kept those lights, and added the grille only, it would not look right. The grille would have been a waste of time. I also added chrome horns to the roof of the cab for more of an accurate MACK truck portrayal. And yes, for those with a keen eye, there is only ONE smokestack. Why? Because it is movie accurate, AND because there isn't one MACK Granite series truck with two smokestacks….here, look for yourselves: Mack Granite

    Also, I absolutely hated how far inset the front wheels were on the original MM toy. MACK trucks are known for their large front wheels than extend beyond the fenders. So, I removed them, added a spacer, and reattached. I pondered for a good half hour whether I wanted to make them functional because I (earlier) made the rear wheels functional, but I decided this detail was not worth the effort. I did not want them to sag, or skew out with weight applied. SO, I decided to lock them in place. I then opted to lock the rear wheels in place for the same reason. No one is going to be touching this toy, and rolling is not a feature I care about. I went for aesthetic over function in this case. Rare on this build, though.

    Then, perhaps you will notice all of the other decals loaded all over the figure. There were, in the end, 8 decals that I put on this guy, all movie accurate. Fun times. Unfortunately, the Decepticon symbol on the drum looks a lot more purple than the gray it actually is on the decal paper. It's a different shade of gray, which is why it looks dark purple. I was initially pretty bummed about it. It's color is not movie accurate. However, when I asked my wife, she said it actually works just as nice, if not nicer, then the cab matching gray because "Aren't the Decepticons purlple anyway?" She said the purple color was very subdued and gives the drum a little something different than the rest of the figure's "gray all over" motif. I agreed and let it go. Hopefully everyone likes it.

    As we move our way back, you'll notice the next most obvious change: The addition of the third axle. I was originally worried about the space that would be needed for this modification because scale wise, this toy is MUCH shorter than it should be. I did not want it to look overly cramped. Plus, I also liked the details of the molded features on the original MM. And to top it off, I was concerned about wheel sizes and matching. But, truth be told, Moy here from these boards asked whether I was going to do because it would be movie accurate. I eventually found another thread of his where it seems that this feature was a big deal for movie accuracy. I conceded and got to work. Took some planning because the wheel need to be slightly higher than the rest, and clear both the fuel tanks, be set back deeper, and the 2nd wheels. I also ended up taking the wheels from the cab of the Fast Lane semi truck toy I bought for a cheap Optimus Trailer. In the end, success. And it doesn't look nearly as crowded as I thought it could. Hopefully I was able to pull it off for you, Moy!!

    And finally, coming to the cement drum, hopper, and chute…. These have some of my favorite details with the concrete remnants in these features. For the packed up concrete, I just glued some sand balast down, laquered it for additional binding, put more watered down wood glue into it to fill some of the gaps, and painted it gray. I loved working on this part. My wife was blown away when I showed her. Next, You'll notice that the concrete leaks actually drip in a curved pattern on the drum to higlight the concept of a rotating drum. This is what would happen in real life. If the drum was rotating slowly, the drips would work their way down the drum in both the axial and verticle directions, all the while fighting against the rotation of the drum. So, just by sitting still, it looks as if the drum is/can rotate. And yes, the faction symbols appear offset (one higher, and one lower) on either side of the drum…but that's because I wanted them 180 degrees apart, and not on a seam. Plus, it gives it more of a realistic "this is where you caught the drum in it's rotation for the photo" look. You'll also see what I have done to simulate concrete splatters on the back of the truck. I lightly dipped my brush in paint, dabbed it a bit on a towel, dunked it in water (acryllics is water based) and flicked the shaft of the brush to get splatters. The technique is not new, but thought I would share.

    [​IMG]
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    And, as added bonus this time, I have updated Overload with a new look bumper (photos tonight). After I took the photos of Overload, I realized that I overlooked the shortened bumper and exposed wheels in the movie. How could I build that trailer and MISS the bumper? No idea. However, I have ammended it, and I could not be more pleased. This further separates Long Haul and Overload. Hopefully you all like it!

    [​IMG]

    And for the second to last time. Here is the team. With Vehicle 8 of 9 now complete, that leaves one more on my plate (plus robot bits)!!!!!! So close! SCAVENGER is next!

    [​IMG]

    UPDATE 5/31/11: Last, but not least, vehicle 9 of 9…. SCAVENGER!

    First of all, let’s address the two elephants in the room.

    1.) My Scavenger here is in fact taller than the original Supreme Devastator Scavenger. If you haven’t been following my progress write-ups thus far, there is a functional reason for this. In order to be somewhat movie accurate (and due to a lack of options), I have raised the body to store the vortex drum underneath. I have also hand built the extension covers (that also double as Devastator’s shoulder pads). Does this make Scavenger a little less like a Terex RH400? Perhaps. Does it make Scavenger look any less like a monstrous piece of excavation equipment? Not to me. The multi-functionality that this one mod (and very large and labor intensive one at that) does for this custom is astronomical. I will go into a lot more detail about this, along with everything else, in my videos. And if that doesn’t work, I will try to tell the story through photos. I did have to alter the excavation arm in order to reach the ground, which is another unnecessary detail I spent too much time working on when it really didn’t need it. But, I would know, and it would bug me.

    [​IMG]

    2.) Yes, he has a “kibble back-pack” in vehicle mode. This will be thoroughly explained as well in the videos. But as a brief overview, you will see that it is neatly compact, and contains 8 (!) pieces of necessary robot bits or connectors that are either aesthic, or functional, or both. Rather than just dumping these bits into Overload’s trailer or into the vortex drum (original plan *cough*), I thought it would be better to incorporate a backpack. Plus, if you use your imagination, it sort of doubles as a ladder, or mechanical equipment. It does a nice job of hiding the Devastator shoulders as well. The yellow can be a little distracting, but not too bad considering I decided to made the lights yellow, the signs yellow, and the left leg connector port. This backpack, while it may not be everyone’s cup of tea, was really the only sacrifice I had to make in order make this custom work. Overall, I am extremely pleased with how it came out.

    [​IMG]

    Now that those are out of the way, onto the rest of Scavenger’s details. As you can most likely see right away, the hoses and hydraulics are custom added. Every hose and hydraulic you see (sans the molded one on the arm) are functional for BOTH Scavenger and Devastator. Not only do they look good (IMO), but they serve two purposes. Some of the hoses plug into the legs, while the hydraulic rams serve as connecting points for Overload’s trailer base, and the shovel to the back of Devastator. You will see this in the video :) . It was a lot of fun creating these details. One part that I very proud of is the continuation of the molded hoses into the actual hoses. Love those parts.

    Another detail you may notice was another SMALL sacrifice I made for the aesthetics of the robot mode. I added yellow and green details to the connector ports for the legs. It was something I struggled with for 3 days before deciding to do it. I was not concerned about the yellow. The yellow, though bright, was easy because it is also on the lights and signs around the figure. It was the green I was worried about. A splash of green in a random location may through it off. In the end, I thought, “well, this is going to be displayed in robot mode, and the yellow is matched throughout the figure. The green is dark enough not to stand out in vehicle mode TOO bad.” Does it work? Yeah. Should I have gone a different route? Maybe. Can I still change it? Yep. And pretty easily too.

    For those with a keen eye, you will also see the front cover piece below the shovel arm is actually a modified version of the supreme Mixmaster “rear of the truck which covers devastator’s face” piece. This is one of the parts that I was nervous that could look out of place. While it sort of does, it’s not too terribly bad, and it serves two functions, like most everything on this custom. It serves as the vortex cover, as seen here, and as the base connector for the drum in robot mode. By making everything serve two purposes, it helps reduce the amount of “extra stuff” in both modes that amount to be kibble, or worse yet: drawer pieces a la G1 combiner stuff.

    [​IMG]

    See, shovel touches.
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    SNEAK PEEK!
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    And finally, for the last time.... The full Constructicon Team, 9 of 9.
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    There is SOOOO much more to Scavenger, and this custom as a whole, than any write up could hope to communicate. I will have to let the videos do the talking later, when I post them.

    So, you may be asking yourselves, “So what in the heck does this thing look like in Devastator mode? We waited 1 year and 8 months to see this finished! GET TO IT ALREADY!!!!”

    And to that I say…. Patience. HAHAHA! No, but seriously, I should have the videos and photos up by the end of the night.
     

    Attached Files:

    Last edited: Sep 11, 2010
    • Like Like x 2
  2. a person

    a person Well-Known Member

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    If you can pull this off, wow.
     
  3. Haven't a Clue

    Haven't a Clue Well-Known Member

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    Damn we might have the best Devs yet. Good on you.
     
  4. Superquad7

    Superquad7 OCP Police Crime Prevention Unit 001 Super Content Contributor

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    So far, this is looking great! I can't wait to see you finish this :) 

    For $100+, this is what we should have gotten, but I think we all know that by now.
     
  5. Ryotaro

    Ryotaro FALCON PUNCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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    SUCCSES :bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown: 
     
  6. Janeails22x

    Janeails22x Collector & Customizer

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    I'm trying the best I can. Hopefully things continue to go well.

    This would be a HUGE honor. Thanks! However, I still have the ominous task of painting the darn thing which will truly make or break this custom. Maybe one of the veteran painters wouldn't mind offering up their skills for assistance? J/K

    Agreed.

    Thanks!
     
  7. Ra88

    Ra88 Dutchman!

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    ...Dude. You really have something going here. I can't wait for you to finish this!

    Will you include the exit hole on his back? As for Overload: You could cheat a little and have a red Long Haul represent him, maybe modified to have a more accurate cab. Then you could use him to fill out the chest a bit as well. :) 
     
  8. ORIO

    ORIO Team Sentinel Prime Moderator News Staff

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    Wow. You have your work cut out for you! Looks good so far! Keep it up!
     
  9. encline

    encline customizer of love TFW2005 Supporter

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    Wow!! I am waiting to see this done. Are you going to extend the arms?
     
  10. Janeails22x

    Janeails22x Collector & Customizer

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    I am still hunting for the perfect Articulated Dump trailer for Overload...if possible. I will be using a Voyager Long Haul modified if I can think of a way to make it work with out kibbling Devs up too bad. I'm conceding the fact that Overload may not be included in this team. Heck, we only see him drive into the picture in the movie. I never really saw him transform or attach to Devs back at all during the scene. So, I guess I woul not feel entirely bad if he was left out. It would be a shame, but not the end of the world to me.


    From you, this means a lot! I have been working on this non-stop for 4 weeks now. I can't wait to be done either.

    And yes, the arms will be extended. Hightower's by adding the wheel loader and separating the bucket (just like in the movie) and Scrapper will be extended, but I have not decided how yet. There was no other component that combined with him in the transformation, which makes it a bit more challenging. I have a couple avenues that I may try out, but I will be saving him for last since I have not finalized my approach with him yet.

    FYI, I am still debating on whether to pull an encline and put his face on a ball joint. Still on the fence about it. I LOVED yours.
     
  11. the (H)i(GH)con

    the (H)i(GH)con raver-in-diguise

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    You're off to a great start! I agree, if you pull this off, it might be the best Dev's yet. Welcome aboard btw. You don't live too far from me, maybe we can colaborate on something in the future. Shoot me a pm sometime and we'll talk.
     
  12. mampy

    mampy Movie-Accurate Mampy

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    Wow! Good luck with this one, dude. Can't wait to see it finished! :thumb 
     
  13. Janeails22x

    Janeails22x Collector & Customizer

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    Thanks! Hope it turns out the way I am picturing it (piping, wires, airbrush, +more detail and "mech alives")

    I will be posting more pics as it moves along, hopefully a new pic every 4-5 days with something new. And trust me, I will be investing in the appropriate photo backgrounds (a la Frenzy_Rumble's signature technique) very soon. My breakfast bar just will not cut it.



    Also, as an FYI, I plan to do something very big in relation to this custom when it is complete. I plan to put together the most movie accurate stop motion transformation I can with the correct sound bytes from the movie. I plan to acquire a stopmotion software soon. Samus_Ng's video was my inspiration, and I want to put something together that will be spectacular. Stay tuned!
     
  14. the (H)i(GH)con

    the (H)i(GH)con raver-in-diguise

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    Stop motion huh? That's cool. If you need an assistant, let me know. I'd be happy to help.
     
  15. Janeails22x

    Janeails22x Collector & Customizer

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    Will do. But, plans may be very different than reality. :eek:  We'll see. First I have to finish building it.

    Where in the arm-pit of Ohio, I mean Cleveland, do you live?
     
  16. SPLIT LIP

    SPLIT LIP Be strong enough to be gentle

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    I want this...


    That is how a Dev custom should be, way more than just six guys.
     
  17. the (H)i(GH)con

    the (H)i(GH)con raver-in-diguise

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    I live on the east side of Cleveland. Right in the middle of the warzone called Slavic Village. I'm only about 5 minutes from downtown. You don't even have to take the freeway. Now, if only there was a good reason to go downtown... lol
    Your armpit description is a good one, but I think what I wrote in my location box sums it up a bit better!
     
  18. Solrac333

    Solrac333 G1 got it right!

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    Awesome. Cannot wait to see how he turns out.
     
  19. blunghole

    blunghole The Tapeworm of Unicron!

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    Amazing work...this is the best RotF Dev custom I've seen yet. Keep at it, and I'm sure you'll get this bad boy figured out!
     
  20. spoonman

    spoonman I make bots.

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    Sweet! Loves me nothin' more than "in scale" Transformers! Can't wait to see the finished product!