The Energon Pub

Autobot032 wrote:

Arctorro wrote:

RK_Striker_JK_5 wrote:

Autobot032 wrote:Robot with multiplexer kit. It's quite a pain to form according to reviews.

I'm gonna guess the 'multiplexer kit' ios the one with all the guns attached? Probably wrong, admittedly.

That's the one. There are quite a few people on tfw2005 that have him in hand and all say the same thing, he is a bitch to transform. Also need to be very careful, like with the others, to avoid breaking tabs or his hips.

His hips?!

As I understand it, there are three(?) joints in his waist (sorry, meant that instead of hips ) and they are very tight and the plastic a little thin, so care is required with them. So far no one has had any problems, but the general consensus is to take it slow when transforming. The instructions are a little vague as well, so having Peaugh's video review playing the first time you transform him will help a lot.

Then there was this post...

tomboland wrote:Diesel has arrived! but i advise caution to everyone reading this. be careful with the tiny tabs that keep the trailer together, one of the tiny tiny ones that end up on the bottom of his combined mode foot snapped off on mine. superglue has fixed it for the moment and the tab seems pretty much insignificant so long as the others are ok, but just be very carefull. Also, am i the only one seeing stress marks on Not-Dragstrip where the connector piece plugs into his chest/vehicle underside for combined mode?

Soooo... business as usual QC wise with these guys

Dang.

So how much did you guys pay for these?

njb902 wrote:So how much did you guys pay for these?

$120.00, here.

Arctorro wrote:Soooo... business as usual QC wise with these guys

God darn it.

Autobot032 wrote:

njb902 wrote:So how much did you guys pay for these?

$120.00, here.

Same. Early bird special!

Autobot032 wrote:Dang.

Yep...

megatronus wrote:

Arctorro wrote:Soooo... business as usual QC wise with these guys

God darn it.

Yep...

megatronus wrote:

Autobot032 wrote:

njb902 wrote:So how much did you guys pay for these?

$120.00, here.

Same. Early bird special!

Same here. Even with the discount I still feel this set cost too much.

He is some more helpful info for those of us who don't have Diesel yet.

clintfca wrote:No excessive force is necessary with the exception of plugging one of his arm connectors (dragstrip for me). But make sure male/female alignment is correct before apply force.

Regarding the tabs in cab mode, with UTMOST respect to Peaugh and his video, I would NOT recommend being so liberal in pulling the cab apart or unfolding the panels as quickly as he did in the video - especially during the first transformation (Note his Diesel was a demo that already has gone through multiple transformations before him so it has loosened up already). Gently un-tab as many tabs as possible along the cab before pulling him apart/unfolding any panels.

Second recommendation when forming Menasor would be to NOT rotate his waist the way Peaugh did (holding the upper torso and lower torso and rotating). Firmly hold the swivel at the joint with both hands instead and carefully rotate to take less weight/stress off of it.

I have a feeling more and more posts are going to pop up with broken tabs and or stress marks. For all of us who already have him we can only recommend you take your time and be gentle the first time around. That's not to say that AFTER he's transformed he's fragile. Once transformed he has good weight and is rock solid for posing and whatnot.

Cheers!

Arctorro wrote:He is some more helpful info for those of us who don't have Diesel yet.

clintfca wrote:yadda yadda yadda helpful tips yadda yadda yadda

I have a feeling more and more posts are going to pop up with broken tabs and or stress marks. For all of us who already have him we can only recommend you take your time and be gentle the first time around. That's not to say that AFTER he's transformed he's fragile. Once transformed he has good weight and is rock solid for posing and whatnot.

Cheers!

I can live with that

megatronus wrote:

Arctorro wrote:He is some more helpful info for those of us who don't have Diesel yet.

clintfca wrote:yadda yadda yadda helpful tips yadda yadda yadda

I have a feeling more and more posts are going to pop up with broken tabs and or stress marks. For all of us who already have him we can only recommend you take your time and be gentle the first time around. That's not to say that AFTER he's transformed he's fragile. Once transformed he has good weight and is rock solid for posing and whatnot.

Cheers!

I can live with that

Same, mine will be spending 99.99% of his time combined

Totally agree regarding waist rotation. There is a tiny connector piece which flexes enormously and is on a very tight joint, so tight I didnt think it existed. I rotate the waist by holding this piece in hand - it takes far more strength to do because you do not get the benefit of the lever effect of grabbing the whole torso but I think you could shear this whole piece in 2 easily. I also agree that when this is actually transformed it is extremely robust, and the most poseable combiner I have seen. I mean it wouldn't be fansproject were there not a way to break it horribly.

The anticipation is killing me haha

I'm thinking ahead to transformation and i keep repeating under my breath, just get it to gestalt mode, just get it to gestalt mode. everything will be fine, just get it to gestalt mode.

So which is the most informative review to safely transform it ? Everyone is saying in peaughs review He does things you shouldnt. Who does it the safe way ? Tj ducket ? Baltmatrix ? Vangelus ? Which video should I study and use as a bible for transforming this guy ? Any current videos up that arent advance samples from a month ago ?

BBTS just updated the release date to January 22 (tomorrow). Cool!

necr0blivion wrote:BBTS just updated the release date to January 22 (tomorrow). Cool!

AHH one more day!!

mooncake623 wrote:

necr0blivion wrote:BBTS just updated the release date to January 22 (tomorrow). Cool!

AHH one more day!!

We've had some weather up here lately. It was 12 below zero this morning when I got up. Three of the last four comic book shipments to my favorite comic book store have been delayed due to weather. So, it wouldn't surprise me if there is a day delay in the shipping. (I live like 10-15 miles from BBTS.)

Besides with a few other Late Jan shipments expected, I may wait a week to ship my POL.

Agamemnon wrote:

mooncake623 wrote:

necr0blivion wrote:BBTS just updated the release date to January 22 (tomorrow). Cool!

AHH one more day!!

We've had some weather up here lately. It was 12 below zero this morning when I got up. Three of the last four comic book shipments to my favorite comic book store have been delayed due to weather. So, it wouldn't surprise me if there is a day delay in the shipping. (I live like 10-15 miles from BBTS.)

Besides with a few other Late Jan shipments expected, I may wait a week to ship my POL.

Ohhh okay that makes sense. It's really storming hard here in the east cost too right now. It makes no difference to me as well still waiting on other end of January items.

OfFtopic: since you live so close to BBTS can you go there to pick up your POL? lol it'll be pretty neat to go check out their warehouse and just see mountains and mountains of toys. have you ever taken a peak?

mooncake623 wrote:OfFtopic: since you live so close to BBTS can you go there to pick up your POL? lol it'll be pretty neat to go check out their warehouse and just see mountains and mountains of toys. have you ever taken a peak?

I have not tried yet. They are just far enough away to not be convenient on my usual travel. But, I have often thought about this aspect. I quite agree it would be cool to see their place. I don't think they have a traditional store front.

If I do ever go there, I'll post about my experience.

Agamemnon wrote:

mooncake623 wrote:OfFtopic: since you live so close to BBTS can you go there to pick up your POL? lol it'll be pretty neat to go check out their warehouse and just see mountains and mountains of toys. have you ever taken a peak?

I have not tried yet. They are just far enough away to not be convenient on my usual travel. But, I have often thought about this aspect. I quite agree it would be cool to see their place. I don't think they have a traditional store front.

If I do ever go there, I'll post about my experience.

Yes Please do if you ever get the chance!

Agamemnon wrote:

mooncake623 wrote:

necr0blivion wrote:BBTS just updated the release date to January 22 (tomorrow). Cool!

AHH one more day!!

We've had some weather up here lately. It was 12 below zero this morning when I got up. Three of the last four comic book shipments to my favorite comic book store have been delayed due to weather. So, it wouldn't surprise me if there is a day delay in the shipping. (I live like 10-15 miles from BBTS.)

Besides with a few other Late Jan shipments expected, I may wait a week to ship my POL.

Mildly off-topic, but please stay safe.

And yeah, that does make quite a bit of sense. Ah, well. I have no desire to ship out my own POL for some time.

From BBTS @ TFW

Hi Everyone - Joel here from BBTS. I apologize for the delivery delay of our CA-13 shipment from Fansproject. They were due here today, but the trucking company just called and said they were hung up due to weather and the shipment will now arrive tomorrow. I realize our shipment ran about a week behind some other companies. Moving forward, we are going to use a different freight company bringing the loads out of Asia. I believe that there were a few delays in the initial ocean freight pickup of this load in late December and that is what caused the main portion of this delay. Please be assured that we will process your orders as soon as the stock arrives tomorrow and there will not be any further delays barring something extraordinary happening with the trucking company.

Thanks
Joel Boblit

mooncake623 wrote:From BBTS @ TFW

Hi Everyone - Joel here from BBTS. I apologize for the delivery delay of our CA-13 shipment from Fansproject. They were due here today, but the trucking company just called and said they were hung up due to weather and the shipment will now arrive tomorrow. I realize our shipment ran about a week behind some other companies. Moving forward, we are going to use a different freight company bringing the loads out of Asia. I believe that there were a few delays in the initial ocean freight pickup of this load in late December and that is what caused the main portion of this delay. Please be assured that we will process your orders as soon as the stock arrives tomorrow and there will not be any further delays barring something extraordinary happening with the trucking company.

Thanks
Joel Boblit

And this is why, barring exclusives and the like, is why I use BBTS.

From Peaugh.

Diesel has arrived!!!

I have some work to do before I open my Stunticons (they're still sealed), but I'll post back with my thoughts later tonight, once I've had a chance to fiddle. From what I understand, there is A LOT of fiddling to be done.

megatronus wrote:Diesel has arrived!!!

I have some work to do before I open my Stunticons (they're still sealed), but I'll post back with my thoughts later tonight, once I've had a chance to fiddle. From what I understand, there is A LOT of fiddling to be done.

Nice! Hope you have fun, and 2+ hours of available time

Arctorro wrote:

megatronus wrote:Diesel has arrived!!!

I have some work to do before I open my Stunticons (they're still sealed), but I'll post back with my thoughts later tonight, once I've had a chance to fiddle. From what I understand, there is A LOT of fiddling to be done.

Nice! Hope you have fun, and 2+ hours of available time

2+ hours try 3+ . FP instructions i hate them so much after trying to get to robot mode in sheer panic of snapping those knee ratchets i eventually give up as i couldn't work out the leg transformation and left it to move on to combined mode.

Wow! what a pain in the arse this figure turned out to be FP instruction killed all of the fun for me , so i turned to peaugh for help and eventually got this done in just over 3 hours .

It's a handsome fella but not with out flaw . I only had issue with one tab but that was my fault and it only stressed a bit .

I don't like how loose/floppy the wrist is on the drag strip arm due to being between two wheels .

Drag strip wants to come off the shoulder a bit easier than i like but only if i move the car and not the shoulder joint .

The right thigh seems to catch when moving breakdown around .

I think that's it for bad points on my behalf ...... No wait i literally pulled off dragstrips foot not from the ball joint but some of the yellow plastic as well, again that was my fault putting him in limb mode but luckily it slots back in place and is pretty solid , still need a new one though .

Autobot Genocide wrote:

Arctorro wrote:

megatronus wrote:Diesel has arrived!!!

I have some work to do before I open my Stunticons (they're still sealed), but I'll post back with my thoughts later tonight, once I've had a chance to fiddle. From what I understand, there is A LOT of fiddling to be done.

Nice! Hope you have fun, and 2+ hours of available time

2+ hours try 3+

3 hours? Try 5! I began at midnight my time, and finished a few moments ago, just after 5:00am. Ugh. Most of that is because I was transforming ALL of FP's Stunticons for the first time. For the cars I went from robot to vehicle to limbs, and with Diesel from vehicle to robot to body. But man... that took a long time. Thank goodness I don't have work tomorrow.

Autobot Genocide wrote:I don't like how loose/floppy the wrist is on the drag strip arm due to being between two wheels.

The little black pieces Dragstrip's feet connect to have a little tab coming out. You'll notice also there's a little rivet in each of Dragstrip's hind wheels. The wheels' rivets are meant to align with the little black tab, and shift (just takes a little push) to lock into place. That should more or less solve your floppy hand issue.


Initial Takeaways:

-Love the aesthetics, hate the needless complication. Even so, the combined mode is 100% worth it.
-Apparently, "Intimidator" is what FP calls Diesel's armed-to-the-teeth mode. So that's where that came from.
-The assembly that connects Diesel's upper and lower bodies is thin as anything, and scary as all hell. But it holds.
-M3's chest & beneath the head is all empty - I wasn't expecting that. Thankfully, the chest shield hides it.
-The gaps between Dragstrip & Dead End's legs aren't nearly as bothersome as I thought they'd be.

Hope you all get yours soon!