The Energon Pub

Hello,

I've decided to take a break from lurking and show you my first attempts at kitbashing. My attempts at kitbashing can be found at http://picasaweb.google.com/rdp837/TransformerKitbashes. I'm afraid they aren't very original. If I've copied your bash I'm sorry but I liked it that much I had to make one myself They are also relatively simple bashes, mainly repaints and head swaps. Hopefully the comments on the photos should tell you what is what. Picasa also seems to have an interesting zoom feature which will allow you to better see my mistakes.

Thanks,

Richard

Pretty good from what I see. You should have them added to the gallery. Are you planning any more indepth bashes? It looks like you have no problems with toy mods at all. The paint is my enemy also. When I drop something it doesn't just chip the paint though, I dropped a Alt Skids Scion backdoor and it broke in half. I glued it back resanded and repainted it. I thought I was done, put the whole thing back together and somehow lost a backseat, while searching for it I broke the locking peg off the other door and then broke the first door again. This all after my first paint job ran and crackled all over and I had to re-repaint it. Anyway, I know how you feel. Good luck with the next ones. I hope you have as much fun modding as we all do talking about them.

rdp837 wrote:Hello,

I've decided to take a break from lurking and show you my first attempts at kitbashing. My attempts at kitbashing can be found at http://picasaweb.google.com/rdp837/TransformerKitbashes. I'm afraid they aren't very original. If I've copied your bash I'm sorry but I liked it that much I had to make one myself They are also relatively simple bashes, mainly repaints and head swaps. Hopefully the comments on the photos should tell you what is what. Picasa also seems to have an interesting zoom feature which will allow you to better see my mistakes.

Thanks,

Richard

Looks good Rick. I'd say that I don't mind if you copied a kitbash but if it's a totally original idea that you copied then I suggest you remember who and give proper credit. That's all anyone can ask.

I kinda like your takes on some of them. Well exicuted and nicely painted.

Keep up the good work. I know I can't wait to see more of them.

TFM

your Hotrod looks kinda familiar...

Looks like you've got some really good work there - I especially like the resculpt on Perceptor's face. And while I'm not sure what the idea is behind Deathwatch's split rear windscreen, you've done a really smooth job on it.
It'll be interesting to see what you come out with next...

Thanks for the feedback its much appreciated.

I've scoured my hard drive to find out where I got the ideas from. Apparently the Perceptor mod was pilfered from a Yahoo Japan auction via the 2005 boards, the original pages seem to have dropped off the web (Google cached at http://64.233.183.104/search?q=cache:wlsQNfZnIzgJ:www.tfw2005.com/boards/showthread.php%3Ft%3D77565+1120145735pp013&hl=en&gl=uk&ct=clnk&cd=1 ).
If I've done this right the mod that I copied looked like:





Sadly I don't know who was selling the original.

The Hot Rod mod I think is very common. I can't remember who specifically I nicked it off as I didn't save the post to my HDD (doh). I had a quick search for it on the boards yesterday but I was unsuccessful (if it was your bash originally, BasherDrake, then I hope you don't mind that I copied some/all of it). The main feature I seem to remember was that they trimmed down the orange bit behind the head which I thought improved it a lot. I may turn the spare Clocker into Sunstreaker (simple paint strip and application of orange paint may do it) but the ears may be a problem.

Trailbreaker is thanks to ReproLabels and Alyoshas Corner. I'm not sure who originated the idea though (I seem to have saved Viagra Prime's Bash from the TFans board though http://www.tfans.com/talk/index.php?showtopic=51431 ) and the paint apps I just made up on the day. I'm planning to alter the box for Trailbreaker weither this makes the transition from my computer to real life is another matter. That aside I'm enjoying learning how to use Paint Shop Pro to do the alterations.



As for Deathwatch. Early beetles (sorry I'm not sure on the dates) had a split screen at the back.



And he is two tone as an all black beetle would have been dull (plus I could have easily eBayed one). I was actually dreading posting him as I was certain someone would pipe up and tell me that the were no two tone split screen beetles. Incidentally when Bumblebee first appeared in the G1 comics he had a split screen.



I've got an Alt Red Alert (with a modified Jazz head a-la Pun-3x http://www.tfmaster.com/gallery_kb0184.php) and Nightbeat on the go (also derived from the Prowl mold) but I've got to replace some of Nightbeats parts that I warped while dyeing them. I'm trying to assemble a JP (?) War within Bumblebee kit with very limited success (the ball joints strip the paint off despite lacquering with super glue and the Tamiya Yellow acrylic paint doesn't seem to dry thoroughly so I tend to leave fingerprints when I apply any preasure to the paint). I've got a bag of bits that may eventually become an Alt Jazz (it was the cheapest Alt I could get at the time) re-shelled to be Bumblebee but it just seems to have one problem after another. A runny, detailed filled powerlinx towline to Ratchet bash. And various TFs in differing states of repair.
I'm also planning to repaint another Wheeljack but that may be over a year away (due to work commitments in the new year). I saw this at a Classic Car show and I thought it would do for a Wheeljack that I've got who is missing his spoiler and the lugs to hold them on (if you want to beat me to it the photos of the other side and back are at http://picasaweb.google.com/rdp837/Random).


Oh and another stupid thing I've learned. When you've stripped a die cast part and washed it don't put it in the oven to dry. It was only ~100?C yet the metal distorted. Luckily I had a spare.

Once again thanks for you feedback,

Richard

Hello,

I finally finished the box art for Trailbreaker. I've posted some pictures below (the links will take you to a larger version of the image).


http://picasaweb.google.com/rdp837/TransformerKitbashes/photo#5017676047497659778


http://picasaweb.google.com/rdp837/TransformerKitbashes/photo#5017679260133197218


http://picasaweb.google.com/rdp837/TransformerKitbashes/photo#4996605510568443922


http://picasaweb.google.com/rdp837/TransformerKitbashes/photo#5017676047497659794

Thanks for all of your kind remarks,

Richard

Hehe. Yeah, you're Red Alert looks good. And I think I'll always be a sucker for an Alt Trailbreaker. Great work on both, and good luck on the rest of your work.

Hello again,

Its been almost a year. With work and all I've not had much time for kitbashing. It doesn't help that my tools are in the UK and I've been in the US (but at least I got to find Future polish).

So only a relatively small number of repaints and minor head alterations (Alt Bumblebee will probably still like languishing in his box in the UK). Anyway enough talk time to show. As before there are more images at http://picasaweb.google.com/rdp837/TransformerKitbashes.

Bonecrusher got a little green paint. Boy did I hate that paint, the colour match was good but it was far too runny (i.e. I messed up and bought the wrong stuff).


http://picasaweb.google.com/rdp837/TransformerKitbashes/photo#5135136776708876050

Scavenger got the mouth guard from Classic Devastator (more on that later).


http://picasaweb.google.com/rdp837/TransformerKitbashes/photo#5135136750939072178

Hook got a new arm and a head swap with "Bonecrusher". The crane arm was not designed to fit on the shoulder it just rests there nicely. Close up photos are also available through Picasa. The carving is a little rough and the cast hand probably needed a little more sanding but it was the best I could do with the tools I had at hand.


http://picasaweb.google.com/rdp837/TransformerKitbashes/photo#5135136789593777986

Scrapper got Hook's old head and a mouth guard. Nice and simple.


http://picasaweb.google.com/rdp837/TransformerKitbashes/photo#5135136811068614562

And as a butchered it to fix Scavenger, Devastator gets a new G1 style head (you can zoom in using the link).


http://picasaweb.google.com/rdp837/TransformerKitbashes/photo#5135136815363581874

Sorry no Mixmaster or Long Haul maybe next year.



Cliffjumper got toned down and his head fattened up. Future polish made the chest look better than it is.


http://picasaweb.google.com/rdp837/TransformerKitbashes/photo#5135136823953516498


http://picasaweb.google.com/rdp837/TransformerKitbashes/photo#5135136828248483810


http://picasaweb.google.com/rdp837/TransformerKitbashes/photo#5135136832543451122

Classics Mirage gets "ReproLabeled".


http://picasaweb.google.com/rdp837/TransformerKitbashes/photo#5135136836838418434

Titanium Soundwave almost becomes Blaster. I think I've still got a lot of work to and not enough time or tools (a hammer and a nail would help). The head sculpt doesn't look quite right, maybe thats why I don't want to finish him. If someone else wants to beat me to the finish please do, I'd like to see this one made properly.


http://picasaweb.google.com/rdp837/TransformerKitbashes/photo#5135136841133385762

Finally Bt Nightbeat which I started the same time as I made Red Alert. In fact I bought Red Alert so I could cast the lims to replace the ones I melted while trying to dye them for Nightbeat. The hands and the joins took up the fabric dye but the upper arms and the thighs didn't and I ended up warping them by leaving them in too long. And to top it off my casts became bloated. (I think next time I'll make thicker moulds.) So I ended up eBaying another BT Prowl and using his limbs painted gold. So Finally I could finish Nightbeat.


http://picasaweb.google.com/rdp837/TransformerKitbashes/photo#5135136755234039490

The forehead thing was scratch built from polystyrene sheet, glue and a lot of swearing.


http://picasaweb.google.com/rdp837/TransformerKitbashes/photo#5135136759529006802


http://picasaweb.google.com/rdp837/TransformerKitbashes/photo#5135136768118941426

More ReproLabels goodness for the flames and Autobot logo. Wheels and skirt painted with Tamiya gold acrylic paint.


http://picasaweb.google.com/rdp837/TransformerKitbashes/photo#5135136772413908738

The licence plate is definitely the wrong era for the car but it looks good.

Anyway I hope you've enjoyed them. I'll try not to keep it so long between posts.

I look forward to your comments,

Richard

Must remember to read the forum before posting.
RE http://www.tfmaster.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=8066
Puts my efforts to shame.


R.

rdp837 wrote:Must remember to read the forum before posting.
RE http://www.tfmaster.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=8066
Puts my efforts to shame.


R.

Holy cow, you posted this Blaster last year
Well, I think your head sculp is fine. The head is pretty small and yet, you sculpted something very truthful and looking at it, it's Blaster all the way.
You even took the KO Kabaya kit parts (buttons and speakers) to do it...
And to think I was the first to do it.... Thanks to bring it up!

Nah, Blaster was this year (hmmm should have been clearer in my post, maybe I should have started a new topic). But he's been slowly painted and I won't be able to finish him for a bit. So I'd say you're the first to finish it. And really I only posted the half finished version hoping for someone else to take the idea and run with it. I'd rather see an idea well executed than kept to myself. Besides its about the challenge of making something more than anything else.

You might be able to get a Perceptor out of the same mould but it would take a bit of work, a change in the transformation and then you'd need to work out how to attach the microscope barrel.

No Kabaya parts were used, the speaker grills are cut styrene with the holes manually drilled through (I love my pin vice, it is probably one of the most useful tools I've ever bought). The old trick of printing a plan on paper and sticking in on the plastic is really useful (helped with Blaster and Nightbeat's head). The buttons are putty as well and the chest was actually a plastic bus pass stuck over a ground down Soundwave chest although I need to polish out some scratches (maybe a different toothpaste brand) or try a layer of clear coat to hide them. I have a slight aversion to using more than one TF in a bash as I wouldn't know what to do with the spare parts

I must admit I prefer your version as at least you've got him out of nappies and the AM head looks good. How do you manage to get the head up out of the hole? I've still go the tag that was on top of Titanium Soundwave's head for that although I recessed it about a third the way down so it can't be seen from the front. That rubber head was a strange thing to cut.

Thanks for your comments,

Richard

Yo rdp837, I must say I really love what you did to Classics Devastator, giving him a proper face. I also love your Blaster ^_^