The Energon Pub

[Tramp]

thats part of what looks the most off, the bright brand new shiny smooth plastic tip. if you were going to go with battle scarred why not physically scar the figure, those scars and pits you are talking about. there are dozens of ways to age and weather a piece without just making it look dirty. check out some gundam websites and use some of those techniques. weapons straffing, inpact points, laser burns, sword slashes, denting, that kind of thing.

Because phyisically scarring the model isn‘t necessary, and can negatively effect the structural integrity of the model. If US law didn’t require toy guns to have the orange tip, I would have no problem painting over it, because, yes, it does have an effect on the model, but the law requires that bright, shiny, orange tip for a reason, and I agree with that reason, which is why I kept it. Otherwise, I would have painted over that too.

[tentagil]

The orange tip is only there to legally purchase or sell it, you can own it without the tip. Otherwise every toy gun thats in a persons attic, basement, or garage, or those in toy museums that predate the law would be illegal.

And me personally, I don't like that look, it doesn't look old and weatherd to me, it looks cheap. In the closeup shots he just looks like he's made of cheap peweter. And the orange tip and the orange in the joints jsut adds to that feel for me. I give you props for the fact that he looks nothing like a plastic toy anymore, he looks like metal, but he looks like cheap metal thats about to fall apart.

Thats jsut my personal opinion of course, I like weathering, I jsut think you went overboard on him. I agree with TFmaster, the figure looks nice from afar, but up close its too much.

[fromwednesday747]

seems like most everyone is being a little harsh here. It looks far from bad. Alittle weird to keep the orange tip and all, but oh well.

[Tramp]

The orange tip is there for safety, not for aesthetics. The law states sale or importation, but the purpose is to prevent kids from being accidently shot because their toy guns were mistaken for real ones. It isn’t just for sale or importation, but for meant for ownership and play as well because removal or painting over of it defeats the whole purpose of it. As for those toys which predate the law, They are exempt under a “grandfather clause” The law only covers new toys created after the law went into effect.
As for the rest, Everyone has their own opinions, and I can accept that. To each his own. I’m just giving the reasons for why he is the way his is. If you like the heavily weathered look, great; if not, that is fine too.
As for the orange joints. I took care of that last night. They aren't orange anymore. They’re black. I used a black Sharpie on them rahter than paint because paint would certainly chip off given the fact that the hip joints are ratcheted and thus heavy wear.

[Greyryder]

I'm pretty sure it's legal to remove the orange tip, on your own property. Not that I really much care. Both orange caps have been painted over, on mine. I'm not dumb enough to go waving it at cops. It's not like the gun mode looks even remotely like a real gun, in any condition where the orange would be visible.

[Tramp]

I'm pretty sure it's legal to remove the orange tip, on your own property. Not that I really much care. Both orange caps have been painted over, on mine. I'm not dumb enough to go waving it at cops. It's not like the gun mode looks even remotely like a real gun, in any condition where the orange would be visible.

it is always better to be safe than sorry with a toy like this. That is probably why it took Hasbro so long to make a new Megatron with a gun mode, and why they designed him the way they did. Though they went overboard. That is why I am keeping the orange tip; not because I like the aesthetics, I don't. I’m keeping it for the safety factor alone. I wouldn't be dumb enough to go waving it at cops either, but the incidents where kids have been shot, most weren't waving them at the cops either, they had been playing and the cops, who had happened by on patrol, mistook the toys for the real thing. They yelled at the kids for them to freeze and when the kids turned, they fired simply because they thought the kid was armed and was going to shoot. They couldn't tell that the kids had toy guns, not real ones.

As far as the gun mode looking even remotely realistic goes? I would have to disagree with you on that. I have seen plenty of modern guns with simialr aesthetics, though not identical. Given the right paint-job or metalizing, and without that orange tip, it could indeed be mistaken for the real thing if viewed from even a relatively short distance of 10 meters, possibly less. I would not want to take that chance. In fact, a lot of the paint jobs I have seen here make the gun mode look like it could be real, particularly Jin Saotome’s.

[REDLINE]

Redline... d'you mind if I half-inch some of your paint mods for Prime? I'm loving the mould to bits as is, but a lot of what you did to it just makes it about as perfect as it can be.

pardon me for letting any ignorance show through, but do you mean copy them for your own prime? :lol If that's what you mean, then sure by all means!

[Broadblasts short shorts]

I'm pretty sure it's legal to remove the orange tip, on your own property. Not that I really much care. Both orange caps have been painted over, on mine. I'm not dumb enough to go waving it at cops. It's not like the gun mode looks even remotely like a real gun, in any condition where the orange would be visible.

Its a little known movie fact, but during the filming of Transformers the movie all those years ago a serious blooper occured during the filming of the scene where the Decepticons attack the Autobot shuttle. Megatron transformed into his gun mode so that Starscream could fire upon the Autobots, but as soon as old 'screamer touched him, two over zealous american police officers fired 250 rounds into the Decepticon aerospace commander. The scene was only reshot after Megatron had been fitted with a garish dayglow orange barrel. They all deny this of course, but I was there and swear it happened.

[Captain Crooks]

^^^ It was fortunate that Starscream was wearing his bullet-proof vest that day - although, he was known to do that on ALL the action shoots, due to his mistrust of the effects technicians, and general paranoia, particularly after that incident with the magma in season 1...

[RavageX-9]

I'm pretty sure it's legal to remove the orange tip, on your own property. Not that I really much care. Both orange caps have been painted over, on mine. I'm not dumb enough to go waving it at cops. It's not like the gun mode looks even remotely like a real gun, in any condition where the orange would be visible.

it is always better to be safe than sorry with a toy like this. That is probably why it took Hasbro so long to make a new Megatron with a gun mode, and why they designed him the way they did. Though they went overboard. That is why I am keeping the orange tip; not because I like the aesthetics, I don't. I’m keeping it for the safety factor alone. I wouldn't be dumb enough to go waving it at cops either, but the incidents where kids have been shot, most weren't waving them at the cops either, they had been playing and the cops, who had happened by on patrol, mistook the toys for the real thing. They yelled at the kids for them to freeze and when the kids turned, they fired simply because they thought the kid was armed and was going to shoot. They couldn't tell that the kids had toy guns, not real ones.

As far as the gun mode looking even remotely realistic goes? I would have to disagree with you on that. I have seen plenty of modern guns with simialr aesthetics, though not identical. Given the right paint-job or metalizing, and without that orange tip, it could indeed be mistaken for the real thing if viewed from even a relatively short distance of 10 meters, possibly less. I would not want to take that chance. In fact, a lot of the paint jobs I have seen here make the gun mode look like it could be real, particularly Jin Saotome’s.

Uhm... but what are the odds of this thing actually being taken outside, in gun mode, or being carried away by children? Do you have children visiting your house regularly? Clearly it's not for asthetics, but you're sacrificing a lot based on and impractical overestimation of the law. if this thing is sitting in a display case forever, especially in robot mode, that law's got nothing on it. the very fact that we can repaint toys to look like nothing Hasbro could ever do shows that most of this is a restriction on Hasbro, not an owner. (it's not logical proof, I'm just saying just because Hasbro can't do it has absolutely nothing to do with what we can't do)
you cold always do what Jin did, and make a new part for the cap of the gun, that way you could keep the old one for uh... safe transportation? paranoia? I dunno.

I won't comment on the weathering paintjob on the silver, but I do think the red parts having the same texture as the silver parts doesn't look right. maybe if it wasn't so shiney at the same time as being dark and shaded. I don't know.
and I just noticed the unpainted orange hip joints. maybe a red dye job on those?

[Tramp]

Uhm... but what are the odds of this thing actually being taken outside, in gun mode, or being carried away by children? Do you have children visiting your house regularly? Clearly it's not for asthetics, but you're sacrificing a lot based on and impractical overestimation of the law. if this thing is sitting in a display case forever, especially in robot mode, that law's got nothing on it. the very fact that we can repaint toys to look like nothing Hasbro could ever do shows that most of this is a restriction on Hasbro, not an owner. (it's not logical proof, I'm just saying just because Hasbro can't do it has absolutely nothing to do with what we can't do)
you cold always do what Jin did, and make a new part for the cap of the gun, that way you could keep the old one for uh... safe transportation? paranoia? I dunno.

I won't comment on the weathering paintjob on the silver, but I do think the red parts having the same texture as the silver parts doesn't look right. maybe if it wasn't so shiney at the same time as being dark and shaded. I don't know.
and I just noticed the unpainted orange hip joints. maybe a red dye job on those?

Well, the red parts, as I did with my custom Megatron and Alpha Trion, are red clearcoat over the sivler drybrushing. As for the joints, I already took care of that as stated in a previous post.

As far as the orange tip goes, I said from the get-go that I would be keeping it, regardless of the aesthetics, because I want to keep it legal. And, I don’t feel like it is sacrificing all that much. It’s one relatively small part.

[ptitvite]

[tentagil]

love those Ptitvite, I hope we get an official Thundercracker release, but if not at least I know how good a custom repaint can look.

[tintin]

love those Ptitvite, I hope we get an official Thundercracker release, but if not at least I know how good a custom repaint can look.

Thanks but I doubt we will ever see a Thundercracker released.
Same thing for Dirge and Thrust....Will have to buy 3 Ramjets and mod/repaint.

[ptitvite]

love those Ptitvite, I hope we get an official Thundercracker release, but if not at least I know how good a custom repaint can look.

Thanks but I doubt we will ever see a Thundercracker released.
Same thing for Dirge and Thrust....Will have to buy 3 Ramjets and mod/repaint.

Awwwww sh...... forgot to log in

[johndillinga2003]

Well, I kept the orange tip to keep it “legal”, if you know what I mean.

And Im guessing you don't rip the tags off your bed and pillows too?
I doubt any of us on here are gonna go running outside and waving a toy gun around going "Pue Pue" (Laser gun noise) at people we'ed look like idiots

But regardless of that I painted that sucker as soon as I got him out the package as well as everything else on Megatron, Screw legal reasons... Like im gonna give a dam about an orange tip, the government can't sue me or stop me from repainting it.


Anyway back to the customs:

Got Grimlock last night, first thing I did was repaint the sword on the gun it was solid black instead of the clear red it should have been.
Hasbro assembled the arms the wrong way but i don't fell like pulling pins out to fix the arms.

[Tramp]

Well, I kept the orange tip to keep it “legal”, if you know what I mean.

And Im guessing you don't rip the tags off your bed and pillows too?
<snip>

Youre right, I don’t.

[TM Devastator]

Well, I kept the orange tip to keep it “legal”, if you know what I mean.

And Im guessing you don't rip the tags off your bed and pillows too?
<snip>

Youre right, I don’t.

You guys are so silly. Besides, it's only illegal to remove those tags on items you have not purchased. After you've purchased them, you can do whatever you want to the tags.

[tintin]

I know

[MacrossFA19]

I think I figured out grimlocks shoulder problem. I was fiddling with him last night and noticed that the 2 black tabs that fold down on to the top of the shoulders each have 2 tabs that are supposed to lock onto 2 notches on the tops of the shoulders. If the 2 black black tabs were to be reversed, then grimlocks shoulders would lock in place. I'll take some pics when I am done screwing with him.

[RavageX-9]

I think I figured out grimlocks shoulder problem. I was fiddling with him last night and noticed that the 2 black tabs that fold down on to the top of the shoulders each have 2 tabs that are supposed to lock onto 2 notches on the tops of the shoulders. If the 2 black black tabs were to be reversed, then grimlocks shoulders would lock in place. I'll take some pics when I am done screwing with him.

I read people posting about that on AllSpark, but they said the tabs would be exactly the same if they were reversed, and that there was nothing to clip onto it or something...

[TM 1987olds442]

I just got Grimlock in the mail today and the backwards shoulders bothered me, so I knocked out the pins and swapped them. I also reversed the black tabs and they do keep the shoulders in place better now...


http://www.ecorridors.vt.edu/images/sjr ... ock-01.jpg
Sorry about the crappy picture

Oh and I noticed when doing this mod... The screws where really tight and harder to remove than normal, and when I re-assembled it on the correct side the screws went easily. So I believe this is how it was intended to be in the first place.

[TM 1987olds442]

For those interested a little more indepth Instructions...

1. I unscrewed the the two screws in the back of the upper torso.
2. Take the srews out of the shoulders.
3. Remove Shoulder covers & slide arms off.
4. Knock out the pins that hold the shoulders in place.
5. Swap the should base assemblies.
6. Swap the upper arm pieces.
7. Re-assemble.

The black tabs are easy, but also a pain..

1. Knock the pin out of the back piece then remove.
2. Knock the pins out of the tabs (the pain part).
3. Swap tabs.
4. Re-assemble.


http://www.ecorridors.vt.edu/images/sjr ... ock-03.jpg

Dino Mode

http://www.ecorridors.vt.edu/images/sjr ... ock-02.jpg

[MacrossFA19]

I did a few days ago just never posted pics like I said I would. I am glad someone else figured it though. Looks much better now.

[TM 1987olds442]

I did a few days ago just never posted pics like I said I would. I am glad someone else figured it though. Looks much better now.

Glad to know I'm not alone also "notpicard" over at TFW2005 has done it as well that is at least three of us... LOL