FrenzyRumble FOC Grimlock customising class

[M-bot]

Just got my confirmation email - I'm one of 50 people worldwide signed up for FR's next customising class!:D:D:D There may still be some places left, if your interested and sign up fast.

Scheduled to start late March or so, so I'll post up WIP pics in a couple of months.

Even though the particular mould left me a little underwhelmed, I'm very excited to be learning from a highly skilled individual!

[KalEl]

wish i had the money to do this

[SMHFConvoy]

congrats man. Are these classes online or are you going to be in the states when they're on?

[M-bot]

congrats man. Are these classes online or are you going to be in the states when they're on?

Online. FR sends out a kit containing the base figure (disassembled and pre-primed) paints, brushes, and a new custom built head. I've also gone for the option of pre-painted (by FR) weapons. Then, in March, you get sent a code to access the video instructions online which you can do in your own time. There are also a couple of live online chats over a couple of days and times (to encompass different time zones) for questions and help.

[SMHFConvoy]

Ooh, that sounds cool. Is it through procustomizers or is this something Frenzyrumble's doing himself?

[M-bot]

Ooh, that sounds cool. Is it through procustomizers or is this something Frenzyrumble's doing himself?

Just himself. I think it's an area he's branching out into. This is the second class he's running, the first one is Motormaster (animated? Sorry, I don't recall...). There will be more, providing these first ones are successful. Follow FR on Facebook, he posts about them there.:)

[SMHFConvoy]

Just himself...There will be more, providing these first ones are successful. Follow FR on Facebook, he posts about them there.:)

Cool. I hope you post photos of the finished figure! :)

[M-bot]

Cool. I hope you post photos of the finished figure! :)

Absolutely!:) I'll post pics of the kit as soon as I get it and some WIP shots too.

[Trent]

Sounds awesome. Definately keen to hear what you think.

[Omega Metro]

wish i had the money to do this

I wish I had the patience to do this.

[lancalot]

Just got my confirmation email - I'm one of 50 people worldwide signed up for FR's next customising class!:D:D:D There may still be some places left, if your interested and sign up fast.

Scheduled to start late March or so, so I'll post up WIP pics in a couple of months.

Even though the particular mould left me a little underwhelmed, I'm very excited to be learning from a highly skilled individual!

Cool I just got the email as well ! Can't wait to start ! The good thing is that he giving us a custom head for Grimlock as well so it wouldn't be just a repaint .

[M-bot]

Cool I just got the email as well ! Can't wait to start ! The good thing is that he giving us a custom head for Grimlock as well so it wouldn't be just a repaint .

Glad another Ozformer is doing it too!:D

[M-bot]

While I'm still waiting for the base figure and accessories in the mail (due anytime), the first 10 instructional videos are up and are really good - I've already learned a lot. Once I get the figure and start working on it, I'll post up some WIP pics. I hope you too Lancalot!

[lancalot]

yeah forsure ....my still hasnt arrived yet ....

[M-bot]

Got mine in the mail today:) - cant wait to get started but have a ridiculous number of jobs to do around the house first...:mad:

[lancalot]

Yeah..?...mine hasn't came yet :mad:well hopefully tomorrow

[M-bot]

Did you get the pre-painted sword and shield option?

[lancalot]

Did you get the pre-painted sword and shield option?

yeah ...went with the full option ...:)

[M-bot]

Same. Figured there was no point going in half-baked :)
Pics of the kit (for the sake of a WIP record) tomorrow.

[Bidoofdude]

What did the final product look like again? It looks pretty cool.:cool:
Wish I had the skill and money to do that.:D:o

(Liking the look of his Motormaster. I could do that one! For the right price:p)

[M-bot]

Got my kit yesterday...

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8121/8617874675_fc8a565115.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/8617874675/)
DSC_0775 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/8617874675/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/), on Flickr
Paints, brushes, some epoxy putty, and of course the figure, pre-primed a dull grey. The smaller pieces (toes and dino forearms) as well.
I'm missing a toe!! Lancalot, if you get three, do a brother a favour...;) I'll contact FR to see if he has any spares. Making up ~50 of these kits means it's likely that there will be a couple of bits missing somewhere along the line. I guess I was unlucky.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8525/8618982416_3f6a0ffce6.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/8618982416/)
DSC_0776 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/8618982416/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/), on Flickr
Also in the kit are the custom head (front half anyway), and his weapons, partially pre-painted with an airbrush to get that 'glow' effect.

The website where the finished product (hoping mine will come close to looking like it anyway...;)) is at http://www.frenzyrumble.com/customizing/A01/ This is the site for the videos as well, but they're password protected, and no, I'm not sharing.

I'm hoping (against all hope) to get started next week, but I've got a pile of work to do at home and a newborn at home so no sleep and hard to get anything done. WIP photos along the way, of course.

[lancalot]

so jealous didn't get mine one yet ??:confused::(
Your missing a toe :eek: if my come with a spare then it yours..

[Bidoofdude]

Looks awesome in the finished product. Wish I had the money to get this beauty.:p:o
The Takara version is tempting me though.;)

[janda the red]

thanks for sharing this M-bot... i've been curious as to what the kit came with.

i'm really looking forward to seeing your progress!

goodluck

:D

[M-bot]

To heck with the housework! Couldn't wait to get started. Part of the prep work is gap filling - using epoxy putty to fill in and smooth out areas where pins and screws normally go. It may sound silly, but I never realised (or paid attention to) how many holes there are in a figure.

I've filled 46 different gaps (would have been 47 had I all the toes!), ranging from pin holes to gaps in the mould where they have conserved plastic (ie the underside of the toes, the inside of the top of the leg). For these larger gaps, I filled the bulk of them with black plasticine to conserve the valuable epoxy putty.

Pics:

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8527/8626011461_d1ca23e0db.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/8626011461/)
DSC_0776 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/8626011461/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/), on Flickr
Some of these areas still need trimming back/sanding. If they don't come up looking nice, I'll scuff them up as battle damage.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8531/8627120816_5666a8ae61.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/8627120816/)
DSC_0775 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/8627120816/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/), on Flickr
You can see these gaps at the tops of the legs, filled first with plasticine, then the epoxy putty.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8112/8626011989_a92cba64c1.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/8626011989/)
DSC_0780 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/8626011989/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/), on Flickr
My Grimlock has 5 toes. Hoping to get a replacement!

[lancalot]

To heck with the housework! Couldn't wait to get started. Part of the prep work is gap filling - using epoxy putty to fill in and smooth out areas where pins and screws normally go. It may sound silly, but I never realised (or paid attention to) how many holes there are in a figure.

I've filled 46 different gaps (would have been 47 had I all the toes!), ranging from pin holes to gaps in the mould where they have conserved plastic (ie the underside of the toes, the inside of the top of the leg). For these larger gaps, I filled the bulk of them with black plasticine to conserve the valuable epoxy putty.



Cool...that a good tip :) man my still hasn't came...:mad:

[M-bot]

Cool...that a good tip :) man my still hasn't came...:mad:

Surely it has to come soon? Feeling your frustration mate.

[lancalot]

My finally came!! woohooo...no spare toes here man :(

[M-bot]

Glad yours came - update us when you start off, I'm keen to hear how you go, WIP pics too if you are so inclined.:)

Hoping you got my extra toe was a very long shot - I'm emailing FR shortly...

[lancalot]

ill start him tomorrow....filling in the gap right!! ahhaha
If worst case scenario i got a spare FOC grimlock that u can have for cost ..

[SMHFConvoy]

Hi M-bot, how much plasticine goes into the gap and how much epoxy putty goes on top of that? :-)

[M-bot]

I did about 2/3 plasticine and the top 1/3 epoxy putty. Filling all my gaps, I estimate I've only used about 1/3 of the epoxy putty I received in the kit. It goes a deceptively long way, but I did the plasticine thing to make sure I didn't run out. Hopefully I'll be able to use more in the future!

I sourced some of the same stuff on ebay - from a taxidermist in the UK (I'll post a link tomorrow), and I sent a message to see if they ship to Australia, but yet to receive a reply. Their feedback indicates they might ship here though. 2 tubs (one tub of each part) for ~$25 from memory, enough it would seem to last pretty much forever.

[lancalot]

I was checking my kit and I'm missing the wash ink and bright yellow paint :mad: , I saw with u kit that u missing the bight yellow as well m-bot for the sword and shield , lucky I have heap of paint at home any ways ..

[lancalot]

Here my WIP .... just drying the base coat colours.... Im planing to do a gen2/shattered Glass colour scheme as i was thinking everyone else in the class doing the orig colours. Purple chest and dark metallic blue for the body , planning to still keep the glow red



http://imageshack.us/a/img820/8195/img0893mediumr.jpg

[lancalot]

I sourced some of the same stuff on ebay - from a taxidermist in the UK (I'll post a link tomorrow), and I sent a message to see if they ship to Australia, but yet to receive a reply. Their feedback indicates they might ship here though. 2 tubs (one tub of each part) for ~$25 from memory, enough it would seem to last pretty much forever.

Frenzyrumble actually gave us the link of where he get his from...
$20 ...but the shipping killer ! $26...:(
http://www.avesstudio.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=30&category_id=7&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1&vmcchk=1&Itemid=1

[gamblor916]

This Fixit sounds like amazing stuff. I've only used Apoxie sculpt and love it! I bought 1lb of the regular and white a while ago and the tubs still look full.

[lancalot]

This Fixit sounds like amazing stuff. I've only used Apoxie sculpt and love it! I bought 1lb of the regular and white a while ago and the tubs still look full.

yeah it really good stuff....when you mix it up it like blu-tack ....then it harden in like an hour ... then rock hard the next day..!!

[M-bot]

Here my WIP .... just drying the base coat colours.... Im planing to do a gen2/shattered Glass colour scheme as i was thinking everyone else in the class doing the orig colours. Purple chest and dark metallic blue for the body , planning to still keep the glow red



http://imageshack.us/a/img820/8195/img0893mediumr.jpg

Extraordinary! Mine is pretty plain looking compared to yours. I still haven't finished all the base coating yet. Keep us updated!

I sent another message to the eBay seller with the Aves epoxy clay, still no word on shipping yet. Even at the cost you quoted, may be worth it as a little goes a long way, as Gamblor has found.

[bassbot]

Hope it goes well guys, looks like a cool project!

[lancalot]

Hope it goes well guys, looks like a cool project!

It coming along very good ... his video are very informative with heaps of tip, workflow and technique on how he does it .....
Just finished doing the glow effect..always wondered how he did it..and it so simple :D but look amazing .... missed some parts so im going back and doing them now...have to look at his finished figure for reference cause in his video he doesn't show it all ...
here my glow effect and battle damage WIP

http://imageshack.us/a/img707/8554/img0894medium.jpg

[M-bot]

I think FR said at the end of the 19th video that there would be more, finishing up the model, ie the alternate head, etc. my head only has a front, and the back of the model's head doesn't quite line up to the alternate front. Maybe a job for the epoxy clay!

Speaking of which, I found another eBay seller with the Aves product (actually a whole range of them, including smaller quantities and different consistencies and colours): http://www.ebay.com.au/sch/m.html?_odkw=&_osacat=0&_armrs=1&_ssn=history_store&_trksid=p2046732.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0&_nkw=Aves&_sacat=0&_from=R40
I STILL haven't heard from the UK seller re postage. It's like they don't want my business at all.:rolleyes:

But damn! Lancalot, yours is looking very good!:)

[SMHFConvoy]

Got to agree with M there Lancelot, that figure's turning out real nice!

[AJ_Prime]

OMG that is looking freakin' amazing man! Great work! What is the secret to getting the glowing effect?

[Deonasis]

Lancelot, is the glow effect produced by getting a white-ish base dry and then covering it in red and wiping some of it off before the red dries so the white 'shines' through?

[lancalot]

Lancelot, is the glow effect produced by getting a white-ish base dry and then covering it in red and wiping some of it off before the red dries so the white 'shines' through?

Nah that be too hard ,you might wipe eventhing off and it would effect the base layer
....it actually the oppsite ....paint red with little white added as base big circle....then add more white to the red and paint the next layer in a smaller circle(inside the first circle) ...then the next layer add even whiter in a smaller circle then that ... usually up to the third small circle you run out of space ....then run a pure red wash (watery) around the first base outline only...
And that it......:D

[lancalot]

AAARRRAAHHH!!! i just found out something...The rubbing areas!! they chip away the paint !! :eek: m-bot before u do anything else bro...start sanding down all the rubbing areas , i've to start sanding them down now and repainting him :mad: ...
The main area are the tail rubbing in the inside of the leg ....
the two dot on the feet...
and the thighs , i putty to much on the inside !...
and also the claw the one that has two ..the stick in the middle that joins them , there a bump there that you should sand down... it rub against the main arm..

just the pain of repainting!!

[M-bot]

AAARRRAAHHH!!! i just found out something...The rubbing areas!! they chip away the paint !! :eek: m-bot before u do anything else bro...start sanding down all the rubbing areas , i've to start sanding them down now and repainting him :mad: ...
The main area are the tail rubbing in the inside of the leg ....
the two dot on the feet...
and the thighs , i putty to much on the inside !...
and also the claw the one that has two ..the stick in the middle that joins them , there a bump there that you should sand down... it rub against the main arm..

just the pain of repainting!!

Thanks for the tips! I didn't paint the spots on the dino toes, and I sanded down the filler on the inside of the legs. I've only base painted the legs so I'll check those spots extra carefully.

Thanks again!!

[Deonasis]

Nah that be too hard ,you might wipe eventhing off and it would effect the base layer
....it actually the oppsite ....paint red with little white added as base big circle....then add more white to the red and paint the next layer in a smaller circle(inside the first circle) ...then the next layer add even whiter in a smaller circle then that ... usually up to the third small circle you run out of space ....then run a pure red wash (watery) around the first base outline only...
And that it......:DAhhh, nice tip!

[AJ_Prime]

Awesome tips Lancelot, thanks very much for that. Brilliant result, can't wait to see the finished product!

[lancalot]

here my weapons painted ....looks abit dull so im planing to give it a orange clear coat later to lift it up....
http://imageshack.us/a/img689/8590/img0895medium.jpg

[SMHFConvoy]

Lancelot, most customisers recommend priming and reassembling a figure to find the rub spots. Can't believe FR didn't mention that.

[lancalot]

Lancelot, most customisers recommend priming and reassembling a figure to find the rub spots. Can't believe FR didn't mention that.

I never really had that problem until this figure he rub pretty badly! That a good advice SMHFconvoy

[Bidoofdude]

Looking good so far Lancalot. :cool:;)

[lancalot]

man ...he just said to super glue the head together .... :( that abit rushed i think ! that back piece doesn't fit with the new front at all....guess im going to putty and sculpt the back piece myself... And also he didn't have a video to show what the final model in detail should be like.... well we got the picture to reference from... And no mention of how to finish the figure off like a clear coat etc.... ill bring up all these points with him in our last chat session ....

[lancalot]

Looking good so far Lancalot. :cool:;)

thanks man :) just clear coat him today....so waiting tomorrow to assemble him and see how it look in one figure:D Also added glow in the dark paint on the sword and shield , look cool ...but that never be seen :cool: ....it should glow under UV light hey?....have to see about that one...

[Deonasis]

Those weapons look mad, burning white hot mad ness stuff.. here you need to wear these :cool:

[M-bot]

man ...he just said to super glue the head together .... :( that abit rushed i think ! that back piece doesn't fit with the new front at all....guess im going to putty and sculpt the back piece myself... And also he didn't have a video to show what the final model in detail should be like.... well we got the picture to reference from... And no mention of how to finish the figure off like a clear coat etc.... ill bring up all these points with him in our last chat session ....

5 more videos have been uploaded, including some of the things you mentioned - hopefully he covers this! The final chat has also been rescheduled, so we have a chance to ask questions.

[lancalot]

Hey guys...well i finally finished FOC Grimlock in my version of shattered glass and a homage to gen2 with a metallic dark blue .... The dino blue should be a shade darker then his abs ...i put a battle scar on across face as my mold had a little air bubble on his visor to cover it but now he look bad ass :) I love the fixIt putty for blocking all the holes up...and as M-bot said he count like 47 holes:eek: but the biggest one is on the dino right nose and it made a big difference ...
The sword and shield is actually highlighted in glow in the dark paint...so i might try and take dark photo later tonight as see ....Any comment and suggestion are welcome as i like to improve my skills..


Thanks to Frenzyrumble video tutorial it was fun and very informative i cant wait for the next kit to arrive ....


http://imageshack.us/a/img12/2969/transformersfallofcyberk.jpg



http://imageshack.us/a/img42/8772/8mediumm.jpg

http://imageshack.us/a/img39/9500/7mediumn.jpg

http://imageshack.us/a/img715/8269/6mediumn.jpg

http://imageshack.us/a/img580/8370/9mediumd.jpg

http://imageshack.us/a/img39/8093/5medium.jpg


http://imageshack.us/a/img839/5418/img4972medium.jpg

http://imageshack.us/a/img690/2072/img4961medium.jpg

http://imageshack.us/a/img853/2689/img4951medium.jpg

http://imageshack.us/a/img189/9267/4mediums.jpg

http://imageshack.us/a/img21/9826/3mediumnb.jpg

http://imageshack.us/a/img809/1889/img5000medium.jpg

http://imageshack.us/a/img600/9363/img5003medium.jpg

http://imageshack.us/a/img163/9486/2mediumj.jpg

http://imageshack.us/a/img835/6237/img4986medium.jpg

[1AZRAEL1]

That's very cool lance, great paint job.

[iamirondude]

that's sweet dude. that's one kickass paint job.

[M-bot]

That's just awesome!:D Great job Lancalot! You should post this up at procustomizers.com too, your Grimlock deserves to be seen by a wider audience.

Mine's not going to be nearly that good, and certainly coming along a lot slower... But you are right, the class has been really cool to do, well worth it. If anyone gets the opportunity to have a go at a future class should give it a go.

[SMHFConvoy]

Lancelot that's so nice. So very, very nice. Look forward to seeing more customs! :)

[gamblor916]

Nice work!

[i_amtrunks]

Looks great, colours are fantastic and unique, a very fine custom you've made there.

[AJ_Prime]

OMG! Dude, that is one fine piece of art work! You should be proud of that, such a professional looking job. I am absolutely in awe, looks like you've picked up some great painting tips. Wow, simply wow. I can't stop looking at it!

[ILikeSoundwave]

Amazing!!!

[Omega Metro]

Yes, looks great. I would never tackle something like that myself though as I am too picky and too impatient.:o

[janda the red]

that looks superb lancalot... well done!

:)

[lancalot]

Thanks alot for the comments guys.....:) mean alot .. it a lot easier when there someone showing you what to do.... But the hardest thing was doing the battle damage...getting a dremel and cutting into a brand new figure was wrong on so many levels!! :eek::D ahahha

[lancalot]

here the glow in the dark shot :D
http://imageshack.us/a/img5/5346/glowintehdarkmedium.jpg

[Sinnertwin]

A-ma-zing! Glow in the dark looks great too!

[Starscream77]

That looks brilliant !!! Awesome work dude

[M-bot]

Well, I've FINALLY finished my base coats. Full time work plus 3 kids (including one only 13 weeks old) means I'm pretty time poor. But I'm getting there!

I'm also afraid that my efforts are going to be anti-climactic compared to Lancalot's awesome work, but them's the brakes.

All the pieces (except the head, which I still need to fix with epoxy clay):
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8135/8956960895_6f9b410d7e.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/8956960895/)
DSC_0845 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/8956960895/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

Next will be adding the battle damage, and adding effects (such as the glow effect). check back here in a couple of years, should be good!;)

[lancalot]

you got a 13 week old :eek:...man i dont know how you got the time to even look at grimlock... most my friend don't even get enough time to sleep ! really liking the gold :D

[Deonasis]

Nice M-bot! That is some super neat and clean painting there :cool:

[M-bot]

Slowly, slowly, slowly, I'm making some progress. Here is some of the parts after panel lining, adding battle damage, and some dry brushing. I was concerned that the grey I used as a base coat was too dark, but the dry brushing has lightened it up quite a bit.

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5462/9165793828_4fef6296f1.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/9165793828/)
DSC_0853 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/9165793828/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)
The forearms, without panel lining (top) and with panel lining (bottom). Makes a huge difference!

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3682/9165794418_b3d0a6ba1d.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/9165794418/)
DSC_0879 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/9165794418/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)
With battle damage and panel lining on the right, plus dry brushing on the left.

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3700/9163571629_60e5f2b236.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/9163571629/)
DSC_0880 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/9163571629/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)
A (slightly) better shot of the arm, all completed.

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3721/9163572241_b856f8b312.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/9163572241/)
DSC_0881 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/9163572241/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)
As before, both panel lined and with battle damage, but with dry brushing on the left. Not sure if I overdid it a bit...

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5461/9163573569_0ac4a5b561.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/9163573569/)
DSC_0885 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/9163573569/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)
A better shot of some of the battle damage on the leg.

Some torso and dino head shots:
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7342/9165799058_d62e34be54.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/9165799058/)
DSC_0889 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/9165799058/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3828/9165798328_b42d7aeb72.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/9165798328/)
DSC_0887 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/9165798328/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5483/9165799700_fae9e4e119.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/9165799700/)
DSC_0890 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/9165799700/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3774/9163577197_673b4bd83f.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/9163577197/)
DSC_0891 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/9163577197/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

Really happy with the way it's coming out so far. The bit I'm most nervous about is the glow effects, which I'm nearly up to.

I think I'll take a bit more time and effort with the photos when the figure is complete.

Thanks for all the positive feedback so far.:)

[AJ_Prime]

O.M.G! Dude that looks amazing! Fantastic work. Wishing now I'd signed up to that class.

[SMHFConvoy]

Awesome M!

Hey, I'm single and work part-time at the moment and I haven't finished the three customs I started at the beginning of the year, so don't be too upset about not finishing your project yet. Look forward to the updates :)

[lancalot]

that is looking really good man..... with the glow effect...take it slowly and let the first coat to dry fully before you start the second ... it hard not to rush it because of such a small area to do but you have to wait for it to dry... i stuff up a couple of mine for not waiting .... keep it up man....

[i_amtrunks]

You must have some very steady hands to have such perfect lines!

Looking fantastic.

[gamblor916]

Nice. There's some really detailed work there.

[janda the red]

Looking great Mbot... Can't wait to see it finished :)

[M-bot]

Up next in my WIP - the head. The FR kit came with a custom head - or at least the front half of a custom head, which, while a much better looking head than the one the figure comes with, had a few issues:

1. On mine, the custom head was slightly thicker on one side, as if the mould it was cast in was tilted to one side. An easy fix with some sanding.

2. The custom head had no capacity for the light piping on the original head. I cut the light piping eyes away, as I still needed the part of the light piping on the back of the head. (see pics)

3. The front and the back half of the head do not match! They are more or less the same size but don't line up. a job for the epoxy putty!

4. I had no way of telling for sure if the neck ball joint will still work once the halves of the head are together - I used some blu-tak to stick the two halves together prior to working on the head and the ball joint seemed a bit loose. Might have to solve this one later...

Some pics:

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3743/9215867830_a074f91076.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/9215867830/)
DSC_0895 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/9215867830/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)
The front and back halves of the head. I'll be painting the whole thing black later on, and seeing if I can get the glow effect thing happen on the eyes. You'll notice a scratch on the face plate of the custom head, must have come from the casting process. I deepened it slightly, and added an adjacent scratch on the visor section. Voila, battle damage!:)

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2878/9215868718_af02d3f18a.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/9215868718/)
DSC_0897 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/9215868718/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)
This is the 2 sections together - you'll notice the difference between the horns, crest, and side pieces.

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5514/9215869198_7a661a54bc.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/9215869198/)
DSC_0898 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/9215869198/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)
From the front, the back half has corners at the bottom that stick out. Where's that exacto knife?

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3728/9215869618_10b3e8556c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/9215869618/)
DSC_0905 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/9215869618/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)
After some filling in with the epoxy putty and trimming of those bottom corners.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7446/9215870082_2467289f80.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/9215870082/)
DSC_0906 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/9215870082/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)
From the back, with half the filling in of the horns and crest done, as well as the screw holes from the back.

Here's all the trimming, cutting, shaving and filing done. I'll probably sand it down a bit finer before applying paint. I'm pretty happy with the results so far!
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5442/9215871074_490d4c34d0.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/9215871074/)
DSC_0920 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/9215871074/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7308/9215871546_b7a3ac7af7.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/9215871546/)
DSC_0921 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/9215871546/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3828/9215872582_7a6ce5842a.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/9215872582/)
DSC_0927 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/9215872582/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3676/9215873040_5027d48a53.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/9215873040/)
DSC_0930 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/9215873040/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

[lancalot]

cool stuff bro .... heaps better then what FR told us to do `! was kinda disappointed when i saw that video...

[M-bot]

It occured to me today that I never put up pics of the completed custom. It's not all my fault: mostly because it is not entirely complete. My kit from the Frenzyrumble customising class was short one of Grimlock's toes, and I'm awaiting delivery of the extra toe. So you'll notice the missing toe in some of the pics.

I've also included some comparison pics with a 'vanilla' FOC Grimlock for comparison. I'm still not enamoured with the mould, but I entered the class as a learning experience, and the custom model is frankly a hugely better toy for the paint job and weathering.

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2818/11545085585_43948ab5f1.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/11545085585/)
DSC_0401 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/11545085585/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7342/11545230286_7d4c6ccbed.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/11545230286/)
DSC_0403 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/11545230286/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2860/11545132384_b649a2675e.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/11545132384/)
DSC_0404 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/11545132384/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2806/11545104325_e2c6705965.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/11545104325/)
DSC_0415 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/11545104325/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3809/11545237976_cb301b6c4c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/11545237976/)
DSC_0409 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/11545237976/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3711/11545098635_8722d2271a.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/11545098635/)
DSC_0411 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/11545098635/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5548/11545244613_d89a1e6134.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/11545244613/)
DSC_0408 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/11545244613/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

...and the comparison shots...

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5474/11545225416_57113c5d7e.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/11545225416/)
DSC_0399 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/11545225416/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2828/11545224366_0f80891761.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/11545224366/)
DSC_0398 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/11545224366/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7315/11545243326_47fc7c11f5.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/11545243326/)
DSC_0413 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/11545243326/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7357/11545145844_e7a9ae13d0.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/11545145844/)
DSC_0414 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/11545145844/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

[lancalot]

it a huge different over the orig ! nice

[Sinnertwin]

Great work, M :D
I'm especially fond of all the dings and chips on him