Metroplex Custom (pic heavy!)

[M-bot]

As discussed in the EOI/sales thread, I'm attempting a Metroplex custom which I will try and sell once finished. 1st dibs has already been called, but if anyone is interested, but I'll be happy to entertain a second or third in line for interested parties.;)

Step 1: Disassembly.

I only finished taking apart the top half of the figure this afternoon. It's a complex bit of engineering, that's for sure. A few dozen screws and at least as many parts, as well as the internal electronics. I've attached some photos below (the first of many, no doubt) with all the disassembled pieces, but if you head over to my Flikr account (M-bot2011), there are a whole lot more. I'm keeping a fairly extensive photographic record of the disassembly part, so that I have a fair chance of being able to reassemble him at the end!

I took the figure apart to a large degree for 2 reasons: firstly to make painting the pieces manageable (it's such a massive figure!), but also to be able to carefully clean/prep each piece before painting, trimming flash left over from the moulding process and cleaning off the oils and grease from the manufacturing process. Some of the internal moving pieces has a fair bit of lubricant on them, and I've carefully bagged these pieces to maintain the lube so that he moves as well after the custom as he does now. The outer pieces, however, will be entirely washed down before painting.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7456/10113954186_1a41d43058.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10113954186/)
DSC_0055 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10113954186/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3756/10113966596_0ef6458f4e.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10113966596/)
DSC_0063 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10113966596/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5339/10113886984_458de377ec.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10113886984/)
DSC_0067 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10113886984/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2860/10113991366_b006e6e8be.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10113991366/)
DSC_0075 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10113991366/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3733/10113918714_0bcc37ea63.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10113918714/)
DSC_0082 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10113918714/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2860/10113985125_40738b1776.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10113985125/)
DSC_0092 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10113985125/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

I sliced open my thumb during the unboxing, so I've already given the first part of the blood, sweat and tears that this custom is going to take!;)

Comments/thoughts/opinions/constructive criticism/questions welcome.

[Lint]

Wow, I'm impressed by how he comes apart. This toy is gonna be a dream for customers.

Look forward to your updates!

[Paulbot]

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2860/10113985125_40738b1776.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10113985125/)
DSC_0092 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10113985125/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)


Did you kill Metroplex? :p This reminds me of the autopsy scene in MTMTE #9

http://31.media.tumblr.com/1536f9345842ba5d09b3f3da9d51524a/tumblr_mu8vjxf7z01qbguy1o1_500.jpg

[liegeprime]

I sure hope you remember how to put him back together :p

[Spitcurlboy]

i was just going to say that too, have prowl and chromedome overlook the remains

[lancalot]

And that only his top half hey..?.. i was doing only his arm and i gave up ... wished i had more time to get back into him... Well keep it up ...

[janda the red]

I look forward to seeing your progress :)

[pw_sd]

Uh..... no legs?:confused:

[M-bot]

Uh..... no legs?:confused:

Got to 'em tonight. Here they are!

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3740/10153081214_26ecf93e5e.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10153081214/)
DSC_0093 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10153081214/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3750/10153181915_556b4d6bbb.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10153181915/)
DSC_0096 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10153181915/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

My first breakage!!!!:mad: I pulled the red piece the wrong way and >snap<. I'll glue it back together, if that doesn't work, I'll drill through the middle and put a pin in it.
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5518/10153203005_1f7f8a9c69.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10153203005/)
DSC_0108 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10153203005/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7404/10153349583_d8c609d4d2.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10153349583/)
DSC_0114 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10153349583/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

All the hips and legs pieces laid out:

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3670/10153121704_8ce3bc3af6.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10153121704/)
DSC_0115 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10153121704/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)


Did you kill Metroplex? :p This reminds me of the autopsy scene in MTMTE #9...


i was just going to say that too, have prowl and chromedome overlook the remains

Just for Paulbot and Spitcurlboy... :p

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7459/10153303806_690c3558dc.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10153303806/)
DSC_0116 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10153303806/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

[Paulbot]

:D

[lancalot]

:D:D i love that last shot ....

[UltraMarginal]

Just for Paulbot and Spitcurlboy... :p

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7459/10153303806_690c3558dc.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10153303806/)
DSC_0116 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10153303806/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

nice, I too appreciate your life imitation of art.

and seeing the insides of such a standalone toy is very interesting.

[M-bot]

(Request for moderators: Is there any chance you could please change the name of the thread to "Metroplex Custom WIP (pic heavy)"? I just realised that it may be a more accurate description of the thread. Many thanks!)

Step 2: Washing/cleaning the parts. No pics as this was a pretty boring part of the job, yet very important to the final result. Washed every external part with a special formula designed to cut through any grease and oil on the figure's surface.

Step 3: Gap filling. Using a special epoxy clay, I'm filling all the big holes and gaps in the figure. There are a lot of them, some quite deep and large (primarily due to the size of the figure), a necessary element of the construction of the figure, both in conserving plastic and reducing weight, but also in stress to some parts.

While a small amount of the epoxy clay goes a long way, it is very expensive stuff, so to conserve it, I filled the holes mostly to the top with cheap plasticine first:

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5517/10235328115_545c6a9df4.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10235328115/)
DSC_0117 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10235328115/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

The green side is the plasticine, the white is the epoxy clay over the top.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7437/10235231604_d425da0e85.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10235231604/)
DSC_0118 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10235231604/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

Once the epoxy clay has cured, i will file/sand it down so it is more or less seamless. Some of the holes, such as screw hole, will only be able to be filled close to the end of the custom, after reassembly.

The use of the plasticine and the size of the holes lead me to a small problem: it will make the figure heavier, and even if this is only by a couple of hundred grams, it may lead to balance issues in the future. To counter this, I found some plastic cutting board:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7338/10235331855_ed78faf98e.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10235331855/)
DSC_0119 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10235331855/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

It's about 5mm thick, and very light. I cut some of this up to fit into some of the larger holes, underneath the plasticine, to fill space without adding too much weight. You can see some of it here:

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8409/10235238054_d5b9afa549.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10235238054/)
DSC_0120 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10235238054/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

I'm going to be gap filling most of this week I think. It's fiddly and time consuming, but the custom will be a much better result for the work though.

...And seeing the insides of such a standalone toy is very interesting.


http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3740/10153081214_26ecf93e5e.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10153081214/)
DSC_0093 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10153081214/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3750/10153181915_556b4d6bbb.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10153181915/)
DSC_0096 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10153181915/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

Yep, the ratchets were a bit of a revelation to me. Basically, the orange and grey pieces seen in the pictures above are separate and move against each other. They are each held firm in the two sides of the pivot joint and pushed together with a spring inside the joint. As you move the figure's joint, the spring is depressed, allowing movement, while (presumably) causing it to be static without force. I suppose if one wanted to improve the strength of the ratchets, you would just insert a stronger spring.

[drifand]

This is all very relevant to me, as I do model kits such as Gunpla and at the moment Patlabor's Ingram.

I promote this to say all the above so far he said about the epoxy filling is true and is not cheap stuff.

Nice work so far.

[lancalot]

:eek:Wow you going all out and filling all the gaps as well!! great stuff bro... i think who ever get the commission is going to get a bargain!

[1AZRAEL1]

Filling all the gaps is no easy feat. But he will look superb when he is done. Eagerly want to see how this big guy will look.


i think who ever get the commission is going to get a bargain!

:D

[AJ_Prime]

Great work so far! You have the patience of a saint. Really looking forward to seeing how this turns out.

[kup]

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2860/10113985125_40738b1776.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10113985125/)
DSC_0092 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10113985125/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

I sliced open my thumb during the unboxing, so I've already given the first part of the blood, sweat and tears that this custom is going to take!;)

Comments/thoughts/opinions/constructive criticism/questions welcome.

Reminds me of when I pulled apart my Fort Max to restore several years ago:

http://kupscigar.com/tf/fortmaxwaspx.JPG

Who says G1 toys are simple? ;)

[M-bot]

More gap filling...

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7361/10287549453_c560780816.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10287549453/)
DSC_0122 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10287549453/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)


You have the patience of a saint...

You have no idea. :) 19 separate gaps on each big red gun (I'm doing 2 guns), a whopping 27 gaps on each hand!

I've got a few days off work, including a clear 8 hours without the family tomorrow, so I'll be getting plenty done on the custom.

In other custom news, thanks to a generous tax return, I've brought forward a goal I had already set for next year - bought an airbrush! Plenty of Youtube tutorials to watch and practice before I unleash it on Metroplex, but it should improve the results and speed up the painting process when I get to it.

[AJ_Prime]

Fantastic! Well take your time with it, the more meticulous you are the better the result. As much as I am looking forward to the final result, I'm also happy to wait for the awesomeness that will be your Metroplex custom. Loving the progress pics by the way.

[M-bot]

Update!

More gap filing. Pics might be getting a bit boring at this point, but this is an important part of the final result. I fully expect to spend way more time on prep than painting, which will give me a good result in the end. My deadline's about 6 weeks away, so I've been working pretty hard.

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2859/10343430104_df532e8781.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10343430104/)
DSC_0123 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10343430104/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7360/10343450234_6eb3b85e1f.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10343450234/)
DSC_0143 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10343450234/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)
As you can see, when I run out of one colour, I move onto the next. :p

In the legs, I have a slightly different problem to the weight issues I discussed last time. The heavier the legs are, the easier it is going to be to balance the figure, lowering the centre of gravity. The lower legs are largely hollow, and hence, I stuffed as much plasticine low in the legs as I could fit, in areas that wont be seen in the finished product.

In addition, I found a little ridge in the inside of the feet that gave me an idea, and an opportunity for a little kitbashing...

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2890/10343427045_ee1abdcc1e.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10343427045/)
DSC_0127 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10343427045/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

I cut some styrene foam to size and slid it in to the ridge, creating a little compartment in the front of the foot, to add a space for more plasticine.

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5521/10343449586_1a12c7fafb.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10343449586/)
DSC_0128 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10343449586/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7404/10343434214_362e852bd7.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10343434214/)
DSC_0130 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10343434214/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3776/10343638583_5550f78b63.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10343638583/)
DSC_0142 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10343638583/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

More pics of this when it's all the way done.

I've finished with the plasticine filling, I'm about 2/3 of the way through the epoxy putty over the outside. I got the stuff I'm using on eBay, way cheaper than the "Green Stuff" epoxy putty I've used before. On the plus side, the stuff I'm using is white, not green, so I'm expecting it will be easier to paint over in the end. On the downside, it's very very sticky, and not quite as easy to work with.

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3783/10343636873_1db070df0b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10343636873/)
DSC_0141 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10343636873/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

Still need to trim and sand it down, but so far, so good.

The biggest job - once again, it's the hands. Doing my head in! Small and fiddly, but even before the paint job, it looks so much better with nice cylindrical (and not hollow!) fingers.

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5505/10343432515_a377f61fa8.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10343432515/)
DSC_0139 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10343432515/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7390/10343628843_09f11b7a97.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10343628843/)
DSC_0140 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10343628843/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

More updates soon! Many thanks for all the positive comments.

[M-bot]

The foot addition, all finished bar a bit of a clean up. Plasticine added in a newly created pocket to add a small amount of weight to the foot, hopefully giving the figure a bit better balance. If my observations are correct, it shouldn't affect transformation at all.

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3724/10378781293_939c944f8c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10378781293/)
DSC_0150 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10378781293/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)


http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3814/10378585514_fef01ae0c7.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10378585514/)
DSC_0152 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10378585514/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

And with that, all the gap filling is complete. including each and every fiddly digit of both hands.

This week, I'm going to start base coating.

On a side note, I have ordered the Reprolabels set for Metroplex, which I will add some of judiciously, right at the end, keeping in mind that you can't beat a good old fashioned paint app.

[liegeprime]

Goodness me, with all the filler he's getting , it makes me think how much Hasbro kinda gipped us with a very hollow toy :P.

Hmm would it make the toy quite heavy though with all the gaps filled in as such M-bot? You've got a loooot of patience doing this project. :) Can't wait for the final showpiece.

[UltraMarginal]

Great Work so far M-bot. while many of the filler pictures are a little samey, it's still interesting to see where you can and can't fill due to transformation.

you're modification of the foot was a great idea, the only suggestion I might have made was to fill some of the space behind the plasticine with some small ball bearings, magnets or some other denser material to increase the local mass. I guess it's a little late now.

I'm looking forward to your next update.

[M-bot]

Goodness me, with all the filler he's getting , it makes me think how much Hasbro kinda gipped us with a very hollow toy :P.

Hmm would it make the toy quite heavy though with all the gaps filled in as such M-bot? You've got a loooot of patience doing this project. :) Can't wait for the final showpiece.

I guess the "hollowness" is a bit like ads in the newspaper: if it wasn't for them, it would cost $20 to do the crossword and read the sports pages. ;)

As far as I understand, it's partly also a function of the moulding process as well as saving on materials.


Great Work so far M-bot. while many of the filler pictures are a little samey, it's still interesting to see where you can and can't fill due to transformation.

you're modification of the foot was a great idea, the only suggestion I might have made was to fill some of the space behind the plasticine with some small ball bearings, magnets or some other denser material to increase the local mass. I guess it's a little late now.

I'm looking forward to your next update.

You're not wrong about the sameness.:) Once I've started painting, I think the posts will get more interesting.

The beauty of the foot mod is that I can still add things over the top of what I've already put in, to add more weight.

[bassbot]

This is brilliant mate, loving the process. I don't have the patience for it, but watching it come alive through your work here is great!

[Soundwarp]

Awesome!

[M-bot]

How's Melbourne's weather today?:D

So good, in fact, that I decided that an afternoon outside painting with my new airbrush was the go.

STEP 4: PAINTING

First up was Scamper. I decided to try it out on him first, so if I made any major mistakes, I could always keep it and paint the Scamper from my own Metroplex instead.

My set up outside:
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5489/10622300355_9971b9100e.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10622300355/)
DSC_0164 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10622300355/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)
You can see the air compressor in the background. I also bought some alligator clips and stuck them to kebab sticks to hold the pieces of the model when spraying. I stick all the sticks into a polystyrene block. It's a bit of a production line - I pull out each stick one at a time, replacing it as it is painted. Because I'm doing several very thin coats of paint, by the time I get from one side of the polystyrene block to the other, the first piece is already dry, and so it goes. About 5 passes for each piece.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7314/10622346986_50d8cbf731.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10622346986/)
DSC_0169 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10622346986/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)
Blutak masks the ball joints.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7292/10622577723_f6b4ac8a9b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10622577723/)
DSC_0165 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10622577723/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)
I decided to paint Scamper's head black, but keep his face and visor red. Again, I masked out his face with blutak.

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2839/10622330594_c01e466757.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10622330594/)
DSC_0167 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10622330594/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)
I masked the windshield as well. I think I'll paint over the metallic blue with a metallic red instead.

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2847/10622351166_501a92341a.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10622351166/)
DSC_0172 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10622351166/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)
I decided to give Scamper's all-black colour scheme a bit of contrast - the pieces that were grey originally will be a matte black base, very lightly dry brushed to bring out the detail. The rest is a gloss black. Not sure if the difference comes across in the photo too well. The wheels will be matte black too. I think there will be some detailing from the Reprolabels set currently in transit.

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2859/10622335434_a128143e88.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10622335434/)
DSC_0170 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10622335434/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)
I bought one of those cheap storage containers to keep the drying bits in to prevent dust and hair and stuff getting on the drying paint.

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3721/10622349856_12cddd8bf3.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10622349856/)
DSC_0171 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10622349856/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)
In the bottom of the box, you'll see some of the shoulder pieces I've masked and primed, as well as the painted face.

As well as painting, I spent a bit of time sanding down some of the gap-filled pieces. No pictures, as all it would be is the same pieces that I've already shown and me covered in white dust.:)

Lastly, I mixed some custom paint for this guy, based of some colour testing I did a while back - sorry, no pics of this either as they didn't come out clearly. Basically, I took a bottle of gloss white and added some drops of silver. It makes the paint a slightly off-white colour, with some metallic flakes through it. Hopefully the gloss comes out nicely as well on the finished model.

[Deonasis]

M-bot, i think you may have filled where the 2nd gun would attach in city mode. This article May help you identify the grey piece ://www.seibertron.com/transformers/news/new-pics-demonstrating-2nd-gun-for-sdcc-metroplex-in-city-and-battle-station-vehicle-modes/27876/ I am talking about at the swinging arm.


I am using a broken phone and cant edit this post better. Your grey arm piece filled with yellow.. http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10343430104/

[Lint]

Love how well you're documenting all this M-bot, keep it up!

[KalEl]

Dude that thing is gonna be heavy!

[UltraMarginal]

Nice work, thanks for keeping us in the loop still.

[evandouglas86]

Got to 'em tonight. Here they are!

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3740/10153081214_26ecf93e5e.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10153081214/)
DSC_0093 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10153081214/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3750/10153181915_556b4d6bbb.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10153181915/)
DSC_0096 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10153181915/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

My first breakage!!!!:mad: I pulled the red piece the wrong way and >snap<. I'll glue it back together, if that doesn't work, I'll drill through the middle and put a pin in it.
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5518/10153203005_1f7f8a9c69.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10153203005/)
DSC_0108 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10153203005/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7404/10153349583_d8c609d4d2.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10153349583/)
DSC_0114 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10153349583/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

All the hips and legs pieces laid out:

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3670/10153121704_8ce3bc3af6.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10153121704/)
DSC_0115 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10153121704/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)





Just for Paulbot and Spitcurlboy... :p

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7459/10153303806_690c3558dc.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10153303806/)
DSC_0116 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10153303806/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

Hahahaha

[M-bot]

M-bot, i think you may have filled where the 2nd gun would attach in city mode. This article May help you identify the grey piece ://www.seibertron.com/transformers/news/new-pics-demonstrating-2nd-gun-for-sdcc-metroplex-in-city-and-battle-station-vehicle-modes/27876/ I am talking about at the swinging arm.


I am using a broken phone and cant edit this post better. Your grey arm piece filled with yellow.. http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10343430104/

You are right! There is sort-of an explanation for it - since it's the Hasbro version, it only came with 1 red gun, which can fit over the figure's right shoulder in city mode as well as robot mode, so I didn't even realise there needed to be a spot for the second gun. Since then, I've made a deal with my illustrious buyer that will supply Metroplex with a second red gun, so I now need that hole I've plugged up. Out comes the drill...

I've been doing some painting - update to follow tonight if I can stay awake long enough.

Edit: nope, ran out of time and need to sleep. Tomorrow then!

[nexusnixx]

wow.. this is very interesting... thumbs up for showing us the pix!!!

[M-bot]

Big update:

From here on, I'll mostly be posting up more "teaser" type pictures, so we can have a cool reveal at the end of the custom, due now in just a few weeks. In this week's update, there is a bit of process pictures with regards to Scamper, which you'll see at the bottom of the post.

I've painted almost all the red parts, and about half the white pieces. The biggest thing to paint is the lower legs: they need a lot of work. This week will see everything painted (the rest of the white, and the black pieces), then the detailing work commences.

More pics of masking, priming, painting and panel lining:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7414/10901546956_8a716e707e.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10901546956/)
DSC_0187 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10901546956/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5497/10901532046_c7389d1579.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10901532046/)
DSC_0180 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10901532046/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5523/10901533686_e4f9aa1f79.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10901533686/)
DSC_0181 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10901533686/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3669/10901610854_4905264c81.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10901610854/)
DSC_0177 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10901610854/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

Some of the body pieces are going to be silver. I had to spray the silver first, then it will be masked before the 'white' base goes on.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7320/10901537996_29dc4bcc60.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10901537996/)
DSC_0183 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10901537996/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

The 'windows' need a silver base before a colour spray - you'll see below the effect I'm going for.
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5538/10901496795_e17850a5fa.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10901496795/)
DSC_0185 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10901496795/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

The red pieces are painted with a gloss red with a tiny bit of black mixed in, so they've come up a vivid blood red. Really liking the colour, it pops nicely.
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3736/10901774793_ac49330792.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10901774793/)
DSC_0176 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10901774793/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7310/10901790753_33c50d3515.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10901790753/)
DSC_0179 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10901790753/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

Panel lined on the right of the photo, not panel lined on the left. Unfortunately slightly blurry (the camera focussed on the helmet).
http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2879/10901509185_480e18372d.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10901509185/)
DSC_0191 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10901509185/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

I had to stick the guns back together with blutak and respray some of the joining areas, as they were very slightly inconsistent when painted separately. It wasn't noticeable when they were apart, but put together it was there. Now, they blend together perfectly.
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5473/10901544636_8abba20ace.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10901544636/)
DSC_0186 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10901544636/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

Some of the white paired pieces. Not too exciting on their own. The colour I've painted them is a gloss white with a hint of silver. You can't see it from the photos, but the colour is just beautiful.
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3799/10901505925_5af07e2f95.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10901505925/)
DSC_0189 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10901505925/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

Here's a comparison shot with one of the unpainted pieces (on the left) to give a bit of contrast.
http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2814/10901651134_b86b2126b4.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10901651134/)
DSC_0192 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10901651134/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

Now, onto Scamper's windshield, which I wanted red rather than blue. I originally thought I could hand paint it, and this was the disappointing result:
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7345/10901766703_e092479a82.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10901766703/)
DSC_0173 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10901766703/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

So I stripped it back...
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5472/10901461415_ac0ff3d271.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10901461415/)
DSC_0174 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10901461415/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

...spray base coated in silver, which I then sprayed (not hand painted!) with a transparent red...
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5505/10901778713_08b3a9b307.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10901778713/)
DSC_0178 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10901778713/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

...and then finished the top, inside and in-between pieces with a combo of dry-brushed matte black and a gloss black. It turned out like this:
http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2830/10901559476_e7a1eb7dc6.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10901559476/)
DSC_0194 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10901559476/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

Much better, I'm sure you'll agree.

Thanks again for the positive feedback and comments. I'm open to more comments, if you have them!

[UltraMarginal]

I'm really enjoying watching this come together.

You're ideas of mixing the black with the red and prepainting Scampers windows with Silver and mixing the silver with the white have really paid off.

How did you do the panel lining on the "ear" pieces? was it a black wash or something like a gundam marker?

[lancalot]

I'm really enjoying watching this come together.

You're ideas of mixing the black with the red and prepainting Scampers windows with Silver and mixing the silver with the white have really paid off.

How did you do the panel lining on the "ear" pieces? was it a black wash or something like a gundam marker?

Yeah me too...looking good Mbot... :cool:

[M-bot]

I'm really enjoying watching this come together.

You're ideas of mixing the black with the red and prepainting Scampers windows with Silver and mixing the silver with the white have really paid off.

How did you do the panel lining on the "ear" pieces? was it a black wash or something like a gundam marker?

I used a black wash, watered down further, with about 2 layers. I prefer to use a liquid wash as it tends to find the grooves all by itself and if you stuff anything up, a quick wipe and you can do it over.

[UltraMarginal]

NICE!

[Sam]

Your paint skills are legendary.

[M-bot]

Some panel lining. This guy is ridiculously loaded with detail, bringing it all out is a major part of this custom. These pieces took me the best part of 90 minutes to complete. Heaps still to go!

Note that these are unfinished pieces, not quite up to a standard I'd be happy with. They still need a bit more of a tidy up and a bit more detailing.

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2860/10975205186_9d60cbb101.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10975205186/)
DSC_0195 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10975205186/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7348/10975341893_e90e023cb5.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10975341893/)
DSC_0196 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10975341893/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5528/10975121755_23f7e19b06.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10975121755/)
DSC_0197 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10975121755/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3813/10975305244_5bd37e0124.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10975305244/)
DSC_0198 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/10975305244/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

[bassbot]

Woah man, looking epic!

[AJ_Prime]

Wow mate, this is coming along REALLY nicely! The panel lining makes a HUGE difference, like you say there is a LOT of detail in this figure. Loving your idea of silver with gloss white on top. Looks amazing.

And that face! OMG! It just looks so beautiful!!

[M-bot]

Finished the last of the spray painting this weekend, working on finishes the rest of the week before the deadline for completion next weekend. After my buyer sees the commission (only fair if he gets to see it first), I'll be putting up a gallery of the finished piece.

As a teaser, here is the completed Scamper. Enjoy!

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7304/11025385794_65f295a558.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/11025385794/)
DSC_0206 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/11025385794/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3710/11025389514_a29af6ca94.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/11025389514/)
DSC_0208 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/11025389514/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2823/11025229195_6e7959143d.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/11025229195/)
DSC_0209 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/11025229195/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7376/11025241115_8d4d6d452c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/11025241115/)
DSC_0214 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/11025241115/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3786/11025452173_7286261855.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/11025452173/)
DSC_0213 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/11025452173/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7385/11025394414_1d776be763.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/11025394414/)
DSC_0210 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/11025394414/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

[liegeprime]

I used a black wash, watered down further, with about 2 layers. I prefer to use a liquid wash as it tends to find the grooves all by itself and if you stuff anything up, a quick wipe and you can do it over.

ummm, when you say black wash ( pardon me, Im not a customizer hehehe) is it just a watered down paint that you apply so all the grooves get a bit then wipe off the excess to the places you don't want the paint on? what paint do you use?

[M-bot]

ummm, when you say black wash ( pardon me, Im not a customizer hehehe) is it just a watered down paint that you apply so all the grooves get a bit then wipe off the excess to the places you don't want the paint on? what paint do you use?

I actually use a Citadel wash (Badab Black), watered down a little further with acrylic thinners. In this instance, I try to 'hit' all the grooves without smudging any excess on the bits I don't want to, so I don't have to do the wipe down. TFs are a little different to things like the Warhammer miniatures (and the like) because for the most part, they have nice straight defined edges, so it's a bit easier. For those bits that do get some of the wash outside the defined edge, I dry brush with the original colour to clean it up a bit after the wash has dried.

Edit: I guess you could just get a regular paint and water it down as much as you need to, but I'm suspect a dedicated wash is a bit more specifically designed for the job.

[UltraMarginal]

ummm, when you say black wash ( pardon me, Im not a customizer hehehe) is it just a watered down paint that you apply so all the grooves get a bit then wipe off the excess to the places you don't want the paint on? what paint do you use?

From what I've seen of a black wash for panel lining it's watered down so it's very runny and a very small amount is dabbed into the panel line with something fine and the surface tension of the liquid propogates it along the panel line. more is dapped further along to make the line continuous. It's a very elegant method of line definition I think.

[M-bot]

I think some specific washes have another element in them to increase the surface tension to ensure it does as UM suggests. But UM has described the process really well.

[griffin]

http://www.toycollectors.com.au/impressive.jpg

[Deonasis]

I agree. M-bot now that you are finishing the titan up, don't forget to arrange a bazillion high quality photos from a bazillion angles. Pick the best of them to show your wares and help land you more paid customs when you decide.

Look at the quality of pictures of the biggest and best customiser out there. After all, your actual custom ends up with just one person but the pics you choose are what the rest of the internet decides upon.

No doubt you probably already had this under control. :o

[M-bot]

I agree. M-bot now that you are finishing the titan up, don't forget to arrange a bazillion high quality photos from a bazillion angles. Pick the best of them to show your wares and help land you more paid customs when you decide.

Look at the quality of pictures of the biggest and best customiser out there. After all, your actual custom ends up with just one person but the pics you choose are what the rest of the internet decides upon.

No doubt you probably already had this under control. :o

You are absolutely right, I'll be photographing the living suitcase out of this guy when he's done. But...

I'm not the greatest of photographers. I'll be having a good close look at the toy photography thread to get a bit of a handle on what kind of settings I need my camera on, that kind of thing.

Look out for the completed model this Sunday night! Buyer is picking it up in the afternoon. I'm working like a demon to get it done. Plenty of late nights this week!:D

[1AZRAEL1]

We'll have our awesome camera too, we can help take some good photos too :D

[M-bot]

We'll have our awesome camera too, we can help take some good photos too :D

Awesome!:D

[lancalot]

Man can't wait to see the final figure m-bot.... you did a lot of work into him!!

[Kapryiath]

so excited to see the finished product :D everything i've seen so far is amazing

[Wheelie]

Lookin good, can't wait to see the end product

[M-bot]

A few final teasers before tomorrow's reveal...

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2811/11129361226_b9baecb376.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/11129361226/)
DSC_0221 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/11129361226/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5500/11129402084_91c43c68c0.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/11129402084/)
DSC_0222 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/11129402084/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7449/11129405124_0f64b8b90e.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/11129405124/)
DSC_0224 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/11129405124/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7347/11129403384_78514fecab.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/11129403384/)
DSC_0223 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/11129403384/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2882/11129517993_931bf53932.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/11129517993/)
DSC_0225 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/11129517993/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

Final touch ups earlier today before reassembly tonight... Gonna be down to the wire with this one...

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3730/11129359496_a63f5e1e2b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/11129359496/)
DSC_0220 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/11129359496/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

...then the family can go back to eating at the dining table.:)

[bassbot]

Amazing! Huge dedication man and the teaser pictures give me chills for how awesome this is gonna be!

[1AZRAEL1]

Amazing! Huge dedication man and the teaser pictures give me chills for how awesome this is gonna be!

You're getting chills? I damn can't wait until I pick him up tomorrow lol.

Excellent work dude, finished product is gonna be huge.

[AJ_Prime]

I'm getting very excited to see this. Those teaser images aren't helping my already building anticipation much! The hours until the final reveal are going to be VERY long!

[janda the red]

Really looking forward to seeing this too..... :D

[1AZRAEL1]

Omg guys it is fantastic.

Big big thanks to M-bot for making this custom and for your hospitality while we put the figure back together.

More teasers to come until the final reveal on Tuesday (hopefully)

[M-bot]

A couple of things:

It's done now. Finished, and in Azrael's hands. I am relieved beyond belief.

Metroplex was not, despite my best efforts, ready on time for Azrael's visit to pick him up. Az was understanding and ridiculously patient, despite me really putting him out. It wasn't fair and I'm sorry. I underestimated how long certain final tasks would take. I hope to learn from the experience.

Az wasn't the only one put out, my wife has become something of a "Metroplex widow" for the last 2 weeks (when my work on him went from a little almost everyday to eat-sleep-work-Metroplex), and especially the last few days. She's awesome and deserves better than me.:o

I take full responsibility and any negative feedback Azrael's sees fit to give is more than likely richly deserved. He requested (more than fairly) for me to keep the final reveal until he has a chance to get home and put something together himself first. I'll put the last few teaser shots up as soon as I can, and the full reveal will come in a few days. Sorry to all who were expecting it tonight.

[1AZRAEL1]

Argh it's fine dude lol (even though you did try poison us with your Melbourne water :p)

And as for everyone expecting reveals, I too apologise, but I came up with a great idea that will be fantastic once completed, so bear with us on that.

For the time being, enjoy the few teaser shots we took before boxing him up for transport.

[bassbot]

Making us wait!! Nooooo

Totally fine! ;) just adding more tension and anticipation

[lancalot]

yeah I can't wait to see it as well....! there's always the finally touches that pushes the dead line back!! :p
So you know how many hour you put into him? from the quote earlier I think your selling yourself short hey .....

Well bring on the pics!!

[UltraMarginal]

Pictures, I'm excited to see the pictures!!

I'm glad you're happy Az.

[Hursticon]

All good things come to those who wait. ;):)

[M-bot]

yeah I can't wait to see it as well....! there's always the finally touches that pushes the dead line back!! :p
So you know how many hour you put into him? from the quote earlier I think your selling yourself short hey .....

Well bring on the pics!!

I didn't time it, but put in approximately 40 of the last 50 hours before the handover, and at least 20 hours in the week before that. Many more in the weeks before that too, with a full day's work on him some weekends and on my days off work. Loved every minute of it.

Finishing touches were the absolute killer, and putting him back together afterwards took way longer than I imagined (just ask Azrael!!!). I've learned a good many lessons from this custom. Isn't it always the way? The best lessons are sometimes the hardest to learn.:o

[M-bot]

Just two more teaser pics before the big reveal...:)

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3802/11169427285_28a0b9ec8d.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/11169427285/)
DSC_0258 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/11169427285/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7407/11169621623_91cc208d44.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/11169621623/)
DSC_0249 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/11169621623/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

[1orion2many]

I'm old so stop teasing already:p

[TF76]

I can't wait to see it.

[Lint]

Fantastic teaser pics. Make sure the reveal is big so we can give 1orion2many a simulated heart attack :p

[bassbot]

ugh the wait is killing me! ;)

[Deonasis]

Oh for goodness sake.. RELIECE TH PICKS!!!

[Wheelie]

Oh for goodness sake.. RELIECE TH PICKS!!!

Seconded

[1AZRAEL1]

Oh for goodness sake.. RELIECE TH PICKS!!!

Gonna be a riot on our hands if I don't get the reveal happening lol.

Sorry peeps, I've been a bit sick since coming back from Melbs, working on taking shots now, so just be patient and hopefully all will be revealed tonight or tomorrow.

[1AZRAEL1]

Final reveal will be later on tonight. Because it is M-bot's creation, I will let him do the honours when he gets home :)

Hope you're all excited :D

[lancalot]

:eek: still nothing yet :( got my excited for a minute there seeing a new post in here

[1AZRAEL1]

:eek: still nothing yet :( got my excited for a minute there seeing a new post in here

All in good time. Something special is on the way for the reveal, and worth the wait I hope.

[bassbot]

Very excited, thanks for the update and hope you stay well man. Flu's been a bugger this year.

[M-bot]

Here is a link to 1Azrael1's awesome stop-motion video reveal...

http://youtu.be/m-Zrb5Lnx_A

He's done an incredible job of this. I imagine it took a bit of work to complete!

I'll post some more photos (that I have) in another 1/2 hour or so, and invite Az to share any further photos he has.

This thread has had over 2600 views!!!:eek::D I'm extremely gratified that there has been this much interest in this custom. Thanks to everyone for their encouraging words and interest. I'm really really humbled, and I love being a part of this community.

A couple of thank you's:
- 1Azrael1 for being a most generous and patient customer.
- FrenzyRumble for his video classes that I enrolled in to learn some of the craft of customising.
- my awesome wife (and family), who became something of a "Metroplex widow" for the last few weeks of this custom.

I'm grateful to you all.:D

[Starscream77]

Dude that looks brilliant, awesome job

Feels like we have all been on the ride with you and to see it finished ... well I think I need a cigarette now ha ha

[M-bot]

More robot pics:

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3830/11250256954_7257c81e9a.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/11250256954/)
DSC_0226 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/11250256954/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)
Note, the orange tinge to the upper legs is the reflected orange/brown floor boards reflecting in the chrome labels. Most of the detailing is paint apps but there is a fair amount of the Reprolabels set on this sucker as well.

For comparison, we have a 'vanilla' Hasbro Metroplex.

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5494/11250275496_c2caae98ba.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/11250275496/)
DSC_0227 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/11250275496/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5548/11250239345_1f225ef6e9.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/11250239345/)
DSC_0228 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/11250239345/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7418/11250243355_13df629952.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/11250243355/)
DSC_0230 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/11250243355/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3681/11250284714_9b8473c7da.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/11250284714/)
DSC_0234 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/11250284714/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2883/11250348133_fc443f4822.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/11250348133/)
DSC_0235 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/11250348133/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7292/11250289144_f2a4e5832b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/11250289144/)
DSC_0236 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/11250289144/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2847/11250293324_18894a0518.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/11250293324/)
DSC_0238 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/11250293324/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5513/11250280524_5d9983d827.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/11250280524/)
DSC_0232 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/11250280524/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3674/11250262395_06b6d7ee13.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/11250262395/)
DSC_0240 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/11250262395/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)
AAARRRGGGHHHH!!! Blurry!! Took the photos in too much of a rush. My own fault. Az, can you post some better photos of the upper arm paint job when you can?

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7317/11250361123_93c04990ea.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/11250361123/)
DSC_0242 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/11250361123/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7455/11250307546_c72fa28d29.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/11250307546/)
DSC_0243 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/11250307546/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3717/11250312596_1c646359c3.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/11250312596/)
DSC_0246 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/11250312596/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5477/11250320594_30ac9a204e.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/11250320594/)
DSC_0253 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/11250320594/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3671/11250327654_6cb10de9f1.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/11250327654/)
DSC_0261 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/11250327654/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2881/11250328226_ba34754c49.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/11250328226/)
DSC_0254 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-botstransformers/11250328226/) by M-bot2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/m-botstransformers/)

More pics from Az soon, including vehicle and city modes!!

[KalEl]

AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!

[bassbot]

Yup, freakin amazing!

[lancalot]

Nice job detailing him ... like what you did for his face :cool: An amazing video clip as well... break out of the box like that ....! great stuff

[AJ_Prime]

OMG DUDE!! :eek::eek::eek:

That was SO worth the wait. Amazing job man, so much detail. Can't believe how much he pops, and how intricate the mold is. It's easy to see why it's taken so long, and hats off to you for doing so much in such a short space of time.

I reckon to achieve a similar result, this would be at least a year long project for most people!

[Lint]

Thats an impressive stop motion reveal and a great job overall! Now i'm inspired to improve my own Metroplex though I doubt I will get anywhere close to the extend and quality here.

[Wheelie]

Very nice....

The suspence paid off

[Bidoofdude]

Nice! :) Love the little blue windows on the arms and gun. A+ right here. :cool:

[1AZRAEL1]

Nice! :) Love the little blue windows on the arms and gun. A+ right here. :cool:

Those are from the reprolabels sticker set, which I say without a doubt, is worth the money. A number of the stickers, including the chrome legs, make this figure pop. There is also stickers for his control room/button for sounds and lights, which I will put on my other metroplex coz I don't like the hasbro stickers :p

[Wheelie]

Here is a link to 1Azrael1's awesome stop-motion video reveal...

http://youtu.be/m-Zrb5Lnx_A

He's done an incredible job of this. I imagine it took a bit of work to complete!

I'll post some more photos (that I have) in another 1/2 hour or so, and invite Az to share any further photos he has.

This thread has had over 2600 views!!!:eek::D I'm extremely gratified that there has been this much interest in this custom. Thanks to everyone for their encouraging words and interest. I'm really really humbled, and I love being a part of this community.

A couple of thank you's:
- 1Azrael1 for being a most generous and patient customer.
- FrenzyRumble for his video classes that I enrolled in to learn some of the craft of customising.
- my awesome wife (and family), who became something of a "Metroplex widow" for the last few weeks of this custom.

I'm grateful to you all.:D

Love this vid, especially the use of 2 metros

[TF76]

Looks fantastic.

Well done. :D

[UltraMarginal]

great Video Idea Az, and MBot, what a fantastic Custom.

When do we get to see photos of the other modes? Like already mentioned, the Face is spectacular and the windows on the arms are a very nice touch.

[1AZRAEL1]

When do we get to see photos of the other modes? Like already mentioned, the Face is spectacular and the windows on the arms are a very nice touch.

I will get around to taking photos of his other modes tomorrow, as well as some more photos of robot mode too. Time today got away from me :o

[M-bot]

Just to be clear - some of what you see is paint apps and some are stickers (from the Reprolabels set). On the upper arms, the middle piece (that raises up in city mode) is painted (white/silver mix, gloss black, and some gunmetal highlights), but the blue 'windows' are labels.

Despite my best intentions, I was not able to take nearly as many photos as I would have liked - this is my fault and mine alone - but I think Azrael will be (hopefully) taking some more shots and posting when he is able.:) (edit: which he posted while I was writing this!:p)

[Trent]

Great job M-bot!! It looks fantastic. :eek:

[jazzcomp]

Nice video :D

Definitely nice work M-bot! :clapping: