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So my first transformer as a new collector back in 2011 was Night Ops Ratchet... because my choices for voyager size figures were limited at the time to him or Seaspray. Now I'm looking to customize him, and the first order of business I'm looking into is those hands. Or at least, the useless claws he calls hands. They're not particularly useful except for making him look like he's laughing maniacally... So yeah, the hands have to go. Anyone have some suggestions?

have you tried looking about on shapeways?

Yeah, there are hands for deluxe ratchet for an ironfist mod, but I'm working with voyager ratchet, who I am failing to get results for.

all the best hands I can think of are for Leader class sized figures... :/

Only other think I can think of (and this might be a an over priced way of doing it) is to cannibalize Gundam kit.

Yeah, it might be easiest to model up my own or something considering how screwy this hand design is. Instead of a ball joint or anything it's slotted on a 5mm rod built into the forearm, because hey, mechtech size holes are convenient for everything.

I suppose that gives you the chance to go w/ custom weapons and tools for Ratchet...

the thought of drilling a 5mm hole in a weapon and replacing ratchet's hand with it is tempting, believe me.

Come to think of it, making 5mm holes for something might be my solution for the axe-which-is-a-really-crappy-axe as well

Right. So while I puzzle the hand issue out and/or model new hands in lightwave and see about getting them built on shapeways, I've decided to convert the "axe" into a weapon mount and build a weapon for ratchet, which will also prooooooobably be able to attach under his front bumper if I can pull off a peg that can swivel up. (because there's a 5mm hole there where the claw/shield/roof rack can attach to his back in robot mode.) The weapon mount wont be able to hold anything particularly large like leader class ironhide's FWI upgrade swords because the axe joint won't support their weight, but things like swords and maces etc should slot fine. The gun is currently working name "Tezlacore"... because so far the plan has it mostly made of the lower torso of the Tezlacore figure from Wizkids' Mageknight and the arm barrel from a steam golem from same.

I can honestly state that I would never think to use a torso as a cannon.. lol

Aside from weapons you could also incorporate things like Prime Ratchet's scalpels or welder. Scanners and EMPs would also not be out of place.

yeah, I haven't seen prime though so I don't have a reference for the welder or scalpel.