So... I was at a toy show a few months ago, looking for bits for the plethora of WIP projects I have going, when I came across a complete set of Constructicons that turned out to be about 2/3 the size of the originals. Never saw them before, so perhaps someone out there knows if they're KO's or some odd japanese exclusive I've never seen before. Anyhow, I'd already done a mixmaster custom which I was pretty happy with... Heavy/Scratch: - Gericault's "perfect" Mixmaster! BUT now I had an EVEN SMALLER mixmaster to mess with! And since I'm a glutton for punishment, here's the WIP!!! (and no, like my other custom combiner figures, he won't combine. Just cause it's hard enough to make these look the way I want them to as it is ) So here's what this mini-mixmaster looks like next to the custom I already made. And next to an actual G1 Constructicon Scrapper. Unfortunately, I don't have a G1 Mixmaster on hand (cause I cut the one I had into bits for my first Mixmaster custom!), so this comparison will have to do. Just want to give an idea of the scale... Update coming soon, as I've been working on this for a few weeks now as I wait for my wife to give birth to our first child! (and I fear my free time is about to shrink quicker than a fanboy's bank account at TFCon!!!)
There are actually two tiny KO sets. And those two are not even the same size! One set is smaller than the other!
Hmm..yeah, I was wondering if it was a KO or some sort of Kabiya combiner set... Also, I discovered that the plastic this set is made of is VERY brittle! Several of the tiny hinges have broken on Scavenger and Scrapper after a single transformation Worse still, parts of Mixmaster have broken as I've been working as well, which makes my life just a bit more difficult on this project
I can't recall which set I bought long ago, but I've never had a problem with brittleness. It doesn't stay pegged together very well, though.
Just a quick update on this: for the legs/cab of Mixmaster, I went through my junker box the other day and found this idea. It's legion class RID Ratchet; the back of his alt mode turns into his legs, and has a perfect box shape for Mixmaster's legs! It'll just be a matter of re-shelling it with the cab from my mini-mixmaster. And to top it off, it means he'll have great little feet! Talk about a happy find!
Forgot to post a pic of the lil guy before he got cut to shreds! For some reason the pic is sideways, but you get the idea; cute baby mixmaster!!
And now an actual update, as the legs are pretty much finished...Though for some reason the pics are being uploaded sideways...never happened before, but I'm not one for computers (I'm a hands on type of guy, if that isn't obvious! ) Reshelled Ratchet's legs with the mini-mixmaster cab. Unfortunately, theres was a lot of breakage from the very very brittle old plastic, so that added a bit of work. Basically, the whole front of the cab disintegrated and I rebuilt it from various bits and pieces. Once that was done, I found that Ratchet's thighs were really kind of long and lanky, and that didn't look great with MM's torso, so I sliced them up, shortened them and filled them in with putty to bulk them up a bit and make them less obviously long. Also used a little bit of lego to serve as an attachment point between the two halves of the cab in alt mode. Crit, comments and questions welcome as I try and get this finished before my daughter is born!
Short update...discovered a lego building block in my bits box that has an led and battery in it. Then discovered that it's just the right size to replace the section of Mixmaster's alt mode that sits behind the drum... Let's just say that I've spent a bit longer than I'd planned on this project! On a side note: anyone know how to get their uploaded pics to stay the right way up? I've tried loading them turned around, but they end up sideways anyway...?
Saw the green,smaller of the two KO sets at a Stage store a couple of years back. Devastator was assembled, on a single blister card back. combined size was about as tall as Classics Jetfire, if I remember correctly. The set was made in China.
Update as he's been primed, painted and curing! Lots of bits and pieces cobbled together, including the led Lego brick at the back to give him evil light-up eyes! Can't wait to post the final result
Thanks man! When I was a kid I started painting those little lead gaming miniatures like Games Workshop etc. I got really good at it and ended up doing more and more elaborate little mods using putty. Those skills are paying off as I've been doing smaller custom TFs recently. They take up less space and actually remind me more of the original G1 toys, especially the combiners! Though I love some of the 3P stuff being made, some are just too damned fiddly and complicated (I'm looking at you, Badcube's Wardog!) and I just don't care enough about MP scale to warrant the cost! I could go on one of my favourite rants concerning the ridiculous prices of some 3P offerings (especially when, in other cases, the prices are relatively more reasonable), but this isn't the place for it On another note, the paintjob on this guy is almost finished, and my daughter was born a couple of days ago!!! Guess Mixmaster will be her official guardian
