Re: Movie Optimus Prime build
 

Hmmm, I've got one of those, and it never dawned on my to try using it for scribing lines. I bought it to cut lexan bodies, back when I had more go fast models, the scale ones.

Re: Movie Optimus Prime build
 

Same here, was perfect for cutting wheel arches in touring car bodies.
I turned the blade basically upside down, so the square end was at the bottom. Scribed perfectly.

Re: Movie Optimus Prime build
 

Courtesy of the public holiday, got a fair bit done today.
Dismantled the whole thing so i could drill mounting holes in the chassis rails for the steps, tanks, and toolboxes. And of course drilled the steps, tank mounts, and boxes themselves. The tanks are only double sided taped on at the moment, couldnt bring myself to put a drill through that bling from Russ!

While dismantled i also sanded and repainted the rails, they had various scratches from where i keep putting bits on for test fittings.

Just finished putting it all back together.

http://members.iinet.net.au/~canison/prime/64.JPG
http://members.iinet.net.au/~canison/prime/66.JPG

Am waiting for a couple of parts for the rear end to arrive before i put the rear light plate on, will have to cut a bit of the rails off for that. Also new bumper, the one i made was too thin.

Next things being worked on are the light bars under the sleeper and cab.
Still a thousand and one little things to do, but he's getting there!

Re: Movie Optimus Prime build
 

Couldnt resist throwing the stacks on briefly :D

http://members.iinet.net.au/~canison/prime/67.JPG

Re: Movie Optimus Prime build
 

the truck is really coming together great. Looks awsome. ya always gotta just throw the stacks on for a quick peek.

Re: Movie Optimus Prime build
 

love that long noooose it has!

Re: Movie Optimus Prime build
 

coming along nicely

Re: Movie Optimus Prime build
 

yes looks great so far!!!

Re: Movie Optimus Prime build
 

I havent made much progress in the last couple of weeks. Unfortunately my dog and best buddy Fred fell ill. After multiple vet visits, and all sorts of tests, turned out he had an advanced thyroid cancer which had spread to his lungs. Was inoperable, and regretably had to put him to sleep this week :(
http://members.iinet.net.au/~canison...redprofile.jpg

In between vet visits, i did start work on a trailer. Picked up a flatbed to use for parts, sourced a bit of ali sheet for the base, and extended it out to 45", which is a scale 53'. Have got some pieces of stainless steel for the top and front, and ali for the frame, but still working on what to do the sides with. I also lowered it a little to match the movie truck. Have to make up some new legs for it.

http://members.iinet.net.au/~canison/prime/68.JPG
http://members.iinet.net.au/~canison/prime/69.JPG
http://members.iinet.net.au/~canison/prime/70.JPG

Re: Movie Optimus Prime build
 

Sorry to hear about the dog...
Truck is looking good! Trailer looks like a good start! Is that the actual ride height of the trailer? Reason I ask is it looks like your fenders are gonna rub some paint off on the trailer... Would hate to see it get messed up.

Re: Movie Optimus Prime build
 

The trailer will sit higher, the 5th wheel isnt fitted in the pic is all.

Re: Movie Optimus Prime build
 

I'm really sorry to hear about your dog. We lost our best friend to that $*** almost exactly two years ago. In our case we caught it early but still no amount of money or Vet visits including a trip to see the cancer specialists at WSU in the States could save him. I still miss him everyday and I don't think I will ever get over it. Keep up the great work on the truck! This hobby was and still is a great distraction from everyday stress for me!

Reg

Re: Movie Optimus Prime build
 

So I did a bit of test painting over the last couple of days. Primed a spare bit of styrene, and laid down some light blue for the pin stripe, then put some 1mm tape over it to form the stripe itself. Did a nice orange to red fade, quite happy with the col ours, and let that dry. After the last liquid mask drama I used a mice fresh new bottle and covered the red areas ready to paint the blue, let it set overnight then did the blue.

I just went to peel the mask, lifted the edge nicely, started to pull it back.... And all the paint came with it!

Lol basically left the styrene untouched, not as speck of paint on it! Had a bit of dry liquid mask with primer one side, red/blue the other!

I had used the wrong base coat, did use a primer, but not a plastic primer!

*face palm*

Re: Movie Optimus Prime build
 

I'm working on the light bars that sit next to the aircleaners at the moment. I want to get anything attached to the body done before i paint in case i have to make holes, cut bits out etc.
This:
http://members.iinet.net.au/~canison/prime/72.JPG

But am in a dilemma. I got a load of bezels which are just awesome little pieces of work, and i'm using them elsewhere so i'd like to use them here. But, because the bezels end up being 6mm across for a 3mm LED, they take up heaps more space when theres 8 in a row. Factoring 1mm gap between each, they come in at 57mm, which makes it taller than the air cleaner. But as you can see in the pic, the group should be smaller. At that length it also puts the lowest 2 below the top of the fender.

If however i use the 3mm LED by itself, i can make it much smaller at 33mm which puts the appearance much closer to the real thing. But then i dont get the look of the bezels. Plus the blue LED's actually have a clear body so wont look right when not lit.

This is a size comparison, i mocked up the full 57mm version in styrene to check.
http://members.iinet.net.au/~canison/prime/71.JPG
http://members.iinet.net.au/~canison/prime/73.JPG

The bezels look so much better, but take up a lot more space.

And to make matters more complicated, compared to the movie truck, the air cleaners i have are actually shorter, they should go down to the bottom edge of the cab, which would make the bar with bezels work better.

Thoughts?

Re: Movie Optimus Prime build
 

looks great so far. I would use the led it's self, it looks more to scale The lenses are too big for that . Buy clear blue leds then paint them with tamiya transparent blue paint . then they will look more to scale.

Re: Movie Optimus Prime build
 

Bob, sorry to hear about your dog, Fred. I know how special the bond can be, between man and animal.

On the breather lights, I say go with the bezels. Yes, they are larger then they should be, but I think the inaccuracies of scale will not really be detracting from the model. The cool factor will win over the scale nit-pickers. :D

I'd also lob off one of the breather lights, so that the length of the light bar matches the breather length. Another little sacrifice, I know, but I would much rather have things looking good.

I like that you decided to mock-up the breather light bars like that. Something I wanted to do myself, to check how it would look on my own trucks. You've saved me some of the work!

Re: Movie Optimus Prime build
 

Bob - after skimming through your build and the jabbing from friends I watched the latest trans. Movie.

I'm lookin forward to you seeing this through.

As for your Fred - we only have pups as kids ourselves - they are more than just family......

Re: Movie Optimus Prime build
 

Thanks for the thoughts for Fred guys.
He really was my best friend and furkid. Had him cremated and got his ashes back yesterday.

He suffered a bit of seperation anxiety if i wasnt around, probably because he was a pound dog. He was lost, gets picked up by the ranger, goes to the pound, gets picked up by a rescue group, gets neutered, goes to a foster home, gets adopted, gets returned, gets adopted, gets returned, gets adopted, gets returned, gets adopted yet again, and gets returned yet again, then finally to me!
Apparently he was returned because he either made too much noise, dribbled too much, kept escaping, and at the last place, stole pizza and a freshly baked cake from the kitchen counter. His carer said she hoped the thievery didnt put me off, and i said any dog that escapes to steal pizza and cake, is my kinda dog! But after 4 failed adoptions and everything else, who can blame him for having some anxiety.

I had just under 5 happy years with him. He had four MAST cell tumors in that time (basically skin cancers), but i caught them all early, and all were removed with clear margins, so he beat them all. The last on his neck was only 9 weeks before all this happened. Thats how fast the thyroid cancer grew. The mass in his throat wasnt there when he had the last one removed. Even the vet said Fred was just stunningly unlucky to have 2 types of unrelated cancers at the same time.

But I have 5 years of memories with him, and his ashes have a spot on a shelf in the lounge now, so he can keep an eye out, and see what i'm up to.

Really miss that little fella, and not ashamed to admit i was a crying mess when i had to put him to sleep.

Re: Movie Optimus Prime build
 

I suggest using the LED lights and coloring them with nail-polish (in the color of your choice).
It's an old modeler's trick that I picked up a while back.

It might be worth a try.

- RCT

Re: Movie Optimus Prime build
 

How about this:
http://members.iinet.net.au/~canison/prime/74.JPG

Thats with a 3mm orange LED for testing. I think once the LEDs are installed, i can put a touch of transparent blue paint on the lens should do the trick.

But, i need to test one first. Photography is another hobby of mine, so i know that putting a clear blue over blue light will act like a filter to the light from under it. If the blue from the LED is a different wavelength than the blue paint, i'll get bugger all light coming through. May have to use a cool white LED with clear lens, and transparent blue paint to get a decent light.

Do i think too much about these things? lol