Heavyarms - 1

Going back a bit to a different time... I had saved this as a draft and never published it. This may also be happening more often as I try to "get my house in order" so to speak. This is from some time ago... I can't remember when. Anyway it goes into the archives for what I'm doing with this project. I'll explain as I go and probably provide a bit of details into my modeling technique.

I somehow lost both face plates for my 1/100 Heavyarms.  The clown one disappeared years ago and the regular one just fell off in transit sometime and was never seen again.  I tried using a replacement 1/100 F91 face but it didn't quite fit right.  Close.  I decided I'd try some customizing myself.  The type of putty that I use is the one shown above.  Mix the two types when you're ready, mold it into place, wait until it hardens and then do what you want from there.   Here I'm thinking of designing another face plate.

This is after I've applied the putty to the helmet.  I decided to do away with the V-Fin too.  No re-sculpting this time.  Just going for a straight helmet.  I also had problems with the backpack, as in I didn't want the Gatling guns to be facing upwards in their mounted positions.  I preferred the look of them pointing downwards.  Like a cloak or something.  A cloak of giant guns.

There is no way have it that way with the way the pieces are in any configuration so I have to change that configuration by turning the mounts upside down and then re-connect them back to the joints.

While I was at it I decided to re-do the back pack.  I'd tried to fix it years ago in my beginning days with  a different type of modelling glue.  It was messy.

Now on to the arms.  The problem I had with these arms is the fact that they twisted on the elbows.  The elbows are REALLY important on a mech like this since they are being called upon to hold up those huge gats.  The elbows are the only place in the arm that can twist and that just makes the whole situation there terrible when you include the cheap abs plastic that's used in the area.  Just a bad idea all around.

So I decided to make another point of rotation on the arms and strengthen the elbows up.  I really need them to be tight.  I'll customize this part later but for now I'm sure this is what needs to be done.  Probably use some pla plate and piping like I did in the legs of this suit.

I did some seam work on the arms years ago so it's just a question of sanding and painting now.  I really wanted to do something about the hip missiles to make them pop a bit more but I found out that the things are molded incompletely.  There is a slight straight edge on the inside edge.  They are not completely round and don't extend all the way in.  I expected them to be completely round with a bit of free space at the end in the case of full extension.  It was the opposite.  They made a shortcut here and I'm not impressed.  Just do it right!

I had some problems with the joints years ago and tried to stiffen them up with glue.  It may have worked in the beginning but that effect didn't last and just left a mess.

So I decided to crack it open, clean it up and do it right with the tools and skills that I have today.

After I removed the putty you can see the slot that fits into the helmet.  Now it's just a matter of shaping it.

Just a shot of the missile racks on the legs.  Took them apart, re-organized  them (because I think I did them wrong when first built it) and glued.  Ready to be sanded and painted.

Enjoying some Fireball while I work.