VF-1 Valkyrie

[Getter 1]

Onions,

Lookin mighty sweet so far. Starting with a mostly white model is a good move as you have very little in edge coloring to do

Build looks good so no ~noob~ bashin on yourself We ALL were ~noobs~ at some point and it looks as if you're off to a good start.

I did spot a mistake on your model. The rear most parts of the top deck are bent down. I know the "real" design has that but the paper model is not intended to do that. Janx wanted to do a lot more for accuracy to the model but I didn't want Shunihi's design to be altered too much. My original goal was to make the missing modes and variants. Janx did all the weapons, armor, and super parts. Shunichi's design is bout 90% intact. We mainly added parts to the design and very few parts were altered out of respect to the original designer

On that note before I got into my next VF-1 build (a Christmas present for a buddy of mine) I had an idea to make the nose section look better on the top deck. Minor modifications was done on a fast test of the theory. I used some "bad prints" to slap (sorry for such a sloppy build) the section needed for the test. I'm very pleased with the results. I took the opportunity to test a theory on the wing supports to and the results were agian good.

All I did was change the location of the nose's slot for mounting to the deck. I raised it on the cockpit section to lower the nose making the "spine" shorter also. It always bugged me a tad as high as it was. This also allows for the use of the full size heads on the Battroid sheets. This will mean the front gear will need to be shortened by the same length the slot was moved but that's minor.

I will document the modification if anyone wants me to but for now tere are some quick shots of the results. I made the more difficult VF-1D and an interchangable VF-1S to see how the single seater would turn out with the same mod. I didn't complete the wing support with a pivot pin but will document that furether later on. I already know it will work from what I did do.

G1

[Getter 1]

Here's the wing support run pix.

G1

[onions22]

Originally Posted by marksolo

Nice clean build Onion. Not all of us are natural born modlers like Getter1. But I find that with patience and zen, any one can do a decent job.

(my usual fault of course is trying to rush things, which usually led to more time wasted with messy results )

I think glossy finshes can be very appropriate for this vehicle. I usually coat my models with future floor wax anyway to get a glossy finish.

You cell phone acutally takes better pics than my digi cam, LOL

are you building the cockpit with the detail parts or opage windshield?

Thanks. I think I'll go with the normal opaque canopy for now, but I do wanna build the cockpit later on, and maybe some other detail parts. I saw the pic of the 1S fighter at 50% scale you posted earlier, you seem to be very skilled in handling those tiny parts. I don't think I could do that with this type of paper. Any advice you can give me as of what type of paper to use (the brand) to build the cockpit and how to make that awesome looking clear canopy?

[onions22]

Thanks for the explanation Getter1, those pictures really help explain what you mean.
The step from coming up with an idea of how to improve something like this to the actual execution sounds like a very difficult task to me, but you seem to handle it extremely well. I'm impressed.
And thanks for letting me know of that mistake on my build, I really thought those were supposed to be bent down a bit. As for wing supports I actually used toothpicks and scotch tape, not very professional but it worked for me lol.

[Getter 1]

Onions, Thanks :D I can see something and break it down in my head. I then make sketches and plan out the parts and even their layout and un-fold before ever making any of them. I do things Old Skool by hand most of the time. I'm too cheap to buy Photoshop or anything so I use MS Paint and a lot of geometry :P That's why it took me so long to get this project done on my parts and Janx using 3D sofgtware can crank em out 100x faster than I can :P His skills and software made the parts sheets so much nicer to when he did the re-draws. Not to mention the BMP files I made were huge in file size compared to his re-drawn files :P

I am starting on planning on another new design but I'm keeping it under wraps for now. Trying to get some things caught up before getting involved in another project

I will be doing a build thread real soon so I will be able to give more detailed tips on the above mods as well as a type of tutorial of the VF-1's construction.

G1

[ltla9000311]

Hey Getter, very clever idea on the wing support! My only question is, what are you using for the pivot point?

[Getter 1]

Ltla, The wing support is the one Janx did and is avalible in the DL section.

For the pin I plan on a simple tube and end caps just like the joints for the Battroid. Simple and it will give an attachment point on the top and bottom. The original pivots will not be used. They are a very clever idea but they produce 3 layers of height and do not hold up well over time. My VF-1A Max type's wings are now drooping with the missile weight on them.

G1

[ltla9000311]

Gotcha, KISS simple. (Keep It Simple, Stupid):D

[marksolo]

Onion:

On really small parts, I cut off all glue tabs and add pieces of cardboards here and there until the pieces fit together like plastic models. This especially made the head of VF1S easy to make, in fact, I dont understand how people can put them together using glue tabs

The cockit details, however, I did not do so well, but at 1/144 it does not have to be.

G1 gave a detailed instruction on how to build the clear canopy, but I dont recall where it is, could be at the old thread in Zealot. Basically you fill the paper windshield with epoxy putty. (I got the cheap kind roughly $10.00 for 3 hugh tubes). Soak of the paper. Heat clear plastic packaging material (use thick sheets, because they will stretch thin) using a candle and quickly pull it over the mold. To do a perfect job you might have to sand and fill the mold a bit, but I did not bother with that
and finally, I use Future Floor Wax to add the frames and attach it to the fueselage. Future is amazing, it is adhesive and hides all the imperfections. G1 can fill the rest in if i miss anything. Achieving symmetry was pretty difficult. In the end I opted for balance of assymetries, if that make any sense.

Getter1: You did all the battroid parts using geometries alone? Dang! That is so hard core.

[Getter 1]

At 1/72 this model is very tab friendly. At 1/144 perhaps not so but I've yet to try a 1/144 build :P MS I applaud you on those

On cockpit parts like the head rest I like MS remove tabs and "edge glue", but on the seat I leave most of the tabs there.

I've given the tips on canopies in several places. I will show it in the up-coming build (most likely a new thread entirely). I need to make a new mold anyway and the D canopy has yet to be made also.

MS, yep I design in MS Paint using geometry. For odd parts I tend to hand draw it (all but the S heads were done this way), test it, and when satisfied I scan it in and clean up in MS Paint. A very long and sometimes painful process :P I have the ability to understand 3D programs but I need to learn how to achieve the various things in the programs. I don't have the time to build and do the small designs I do and learn another program so I choose the more important of the 2 :P Perhaps it's laziness on my part but I tend to stick with the methods I know.

G1