So previously I was using sanding disc that breaks easily and sometimes mounted on a more solid piece to sand my plastic to give me rounded corners. I purchased a while ago some diamond vented cutting discs. The plan was to somehow mount the Dremel so I could make better straight cuts in my rods. However it's turned out to be also a good solid sanding tool. So good I've been using |
it a lot on my recent Riptide. Now I can sand the ends of my rods to correct the slant cuts rather than try and trim them or just live with the inaccurate cut. However although a blessing, its a curse too as I find that I can do a lot more; curved corners, sharpen edges, smooth surfaces and thin out pieces that I would not have been able to previously. I find myself spending a lot more time on the minor detail than completing the model itself :(
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was just not worth it. I didn't make any size reduction, so hopefully when fitted on the smaller version, it won't be too big. So Version 1.1's waist was beefed up with a belt, but the gap around the stomach still looks too big even though with the jet pack, it's less noticeable. Version 2.0's body is shorter and thighs 1 mm longer, although the pose of the legs doesn't make it look any difference to the first version. Overall it looks better, but something still looks wrong. Although that could just be the design of the Tau Riptide's humorously small head. I'd welcome any comments and thoughts as the Forum I usually post on has been down for the last two months :(
First for the year, although the amount of detail I went into set the standard high for the rest of the year :( Rather than work with precision, I ended up using the melting plastic approach to fill in the gaps and smooth out corner joins. The proportion of the legs compared to the body needs a bit of work, but at least it free stands... but hopefully will as the torso isn't actually glued together yet. So on to painting it? Possibly not as I'll want to make several more. I learnt from previous Battlesuits, I tend to use existing model for comparison and end up breaking the original. Also while typing this entry, I realised I missed out the additional shoulder armour pad. So technically not quite complete. Unfortunately I got too much house DIY to do, so potentially go quiet for a while.
So I have new hardware (first category), however the new rods are made from a super styrene that doesn't melt like the other plastic I have. Hence if I do use them, I'll need an alternative glue. The jetpack came off the model as I decided to go the extra layer (concept category) to match the design on the existing Riptide model. Luckily the left over small bottle of glue from a model kit my son did helped. The old bottle's tip was gone and I get the glue coming out in splodges. This small bottle seems far easier to use than the standard size ones. Also my templates that I started making for this model is increasing, they don't work all the time, but far easier than trying to jot down the measurements. I just need to remember which template is for which part of the model. So the majority of the model has numerous details added (WIP and Tau Category), I just need to find a way to mount the circular discs with some new glue and put it all together... again.
complicate things. I didn't bother getting the Demel out, so using a screwdriver to put a hole in the shield and started chiselling the hole out. Hopefully when I get the new batch of new rods, it will replace the grey epic circle base that I currently used in the centre of the shield. Even the scope of the weapon, I sanded the corners so it was rounded. Luckily I managed to use more scrap pieces as the weapon was made from four layers of plastic card. After all the hassle of the aligning the rods on the Battlesuit cannon's, the rod at the bottom of this weapon is one full length and I took the effort of boxing it in instead. This was a bit harder as I had to cut out three shapes and glue it around the rod, but the result was far better than miss-aligned rods. I just need my new order and I can start adding the final details.
The feet will likely be the only change I make in the design and follow the simple three toe flat with a heel as I did with the Battlesuits. Overall it is probably 2mm taller than I would like, but not so bad that I need to re-make the whole body. However will be something considered for any further ones.
While attempting to modify the body, I squashed it flat so I had to start again. Instead I googled for the Riptide sprue to make a template instead (only later realising I missed the small flat side where the head mounts). I used the original body pieces, but this turned out to be too thick to work with, so used the thinner plastic on the second attempt. A piece of square rod was perfect tool for getting side panels to stay at the right angle. Even though I wasn't sure about the overall model yet, I went to town with all the details, including small panels for the head guard. Even though I enjoyed eyeballing the size of these pieces and seeing it fit together, I'm not sure if the required effort would dim the enthusiasm as I intend to make five more of these for my Tau army! Worse yet, I was hoping this would pave the way to do a lot of Gundam style models.
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