Author Topic: The Jin-Roh Patlabor: a kitbash of the MG Gundam Spiegel (Read 12657 times)

Funaka · November 26, 2006, 08:51:15 PM

It's been a few weeks, but I finally have significant enough progress to post... PHEW!

This is the part that I got stuck on the first time, and it almost stopped me again this time. This is the chest plate armor. Cutting out the shapes and then making the vent slits and the panel line took a lot of tries and a lot of making and remaking the chest plate shape in MS paint (and resizing it in MS Publisher) until I got it right.

Here's the most recent test fit:

Whaddayall think? I'm thinking it's time to start really cleaning this thing up and primer it. We'll see which way the project meanders next...

braxat2000 · November 26, 2006, 09:41:18 PM

It looks fantastic. Very menacing.

I like the scratchbuilding, I can learn a lot from your post, so thanks!

Chopper Dave · November 26, 2006, 11:04:58 PM

I think it looks great! You solved the chest problem very nicely! However are you planning anything for the ankles? They seem kinda bare... :ph34r:

Major Blah · November 27, 2006, 06:53:34 AM

Now it's definitely Jin Roh. Very nice work on the chest there, takes lots of patience and it shows. :wink:

Now onto the head! I want to see how to tackle the mask.

Funaka · November 27, 2006, 09:53:54 AM

Dave-

I think I'm gonna leave the ankles more-or less as-is, except to cut down the posts that would hold the stock ankle armor on and add some Mechaskunk bits to add detail.

People have given me ideas on what I might put there (EZ-8 type hinged plates, Patlabor type cloth covers, a simplified version of the typical Gundam armor), but I can't think of one that would really match the look of the model, fit in such a small area, and not reduce mobility. The model is meant to look human-shaped, and people have small little ankles. We'll just hope those red riding hood bombers don't stuff a satchel charge in there as he walks by...

Maybe on the outer sides of the legs I could lengthen the calf armor to at least make the gap smaller... but then it might stick out sideways too far. I'll look into it when other parts are done and I go back to the feet to make them the right size. Nothing on this kit is done. I'm going for general shape first, then I'm going to clean up and detail the whole thing at once so that my detailing looks uniform over the whole model.

Chopper Dave · November 27, 2006, 12:43:10 PM

Yea, I can see your reasoning. I guess im just used to seeing something there on a mech!

But I think you can make it work! cant wait to see the finished model as always!

Oliphont · December 01, 2006, 07:39:38 PM

Ive read it all from start to finish, this is absolutely amazing! Can't wait to see the rest

Funaka · December 06, 2006, 10:19:00 PM

Nothing beautiful to show this time. I knew it would be wise to do some puttyng and sanding on the torso before I glued on my newly-made chest pieces. I then decided to clean up everything I had built so far by brushing Mr. Surfacer 500 over everything that had been modded and sanding it all down to remove uneven surfaces and scrathes.

While I was at it, I ground down the feet to a more appropriate size and decided that the shoulder armor had to be lengthened. I made a rough shape from plaplate and then rounded it with MS.

This weekend I hope to finish the current touch-up round of sanding and prime it all so that I can put it back together with the new chest parts, smaller feet and bigger shoulders and see it all in one color to judge how it all "works". Of course, I'll spot more problems once I do and it'll be time for Mr. Surfacer, round 3.

I've also cleaned up a set of hands from my old green Zaku to use on the JRP and in spare time I've begun to sub-assemble the chasis of the Quad Gun Tractor.

I hope in a few days to have some nearly-ready-to-paint pictures of 90% of the JRP. Then I'll get to the face and backpack, which I've put for last because they'll involve some pretty fine scratch-building and will house the LED system, if I decide to use one. Then I need 2 guns, a shoulder mortar and a shield, so just finishing the JRP itself should take me well into 2007 at my snail's pace. Then there's the dio...

Chopper Dave · December 07, 2006, 12:43:08 PM

Hey man, you cant rush art! This thing is looking better and better! I agree with your decision to lenghthen the shoulders a bit, it looks better.

Funaka · December 14, 2006, 10:09:14 AM

Okay, there's finally enough done for a major update:

The obvious improvement is that everything is primered, and looks much more uniform, however I've tied up a lot of messy loose ends to bring this model closer to finished. Unlike previous pictures, everything on this model is now attached by glue, screws or polycaps. No more cheating with sticjy-tack! Some of the improvements were discussed in my last post, but I'm going to quickly summarize it all since the last time this beast was all put togeher:

Here are pics of the recent progress:

http://home.roadrunner.com/~funaka/images/JRP_Feet5.JPG
http://home.roadrunner.com/~funaka/images/JRP_Shoulders3.JPG
http://home.roadrunner.com/~funaka/images/JRP_Shoulders4.JPG

Now it needs more Mr. Surfacer and sanding, a face, a backpack, a shield, 2 guns, a battering ram thing and final detailing. Then I can get to work on the Quad Gun Tractor and Wolf Brigade. So, now I think I can say I'm actually gonna finish this thing!!!

Major Blah · December 14, 2006, 10:25:03 AM

Looks great man, much better with the primer. I think my favorite part of your scratch-build is the helmet. Couple of questions:

1) Do you intend to detail up the inside of shoulder armor? Looks pretty empty right now.
2) What's going to attach to the backpack? Some sort of crazy wing design with bits flying everywhere?

3) The face plate!! I want to see your face plate.

What's that battering ram you mentioned? I don't know what it is but sounds good to me!

Funaka · December 14, 2006, 11:35:03 AM

Quote from: "Major Blah"

Looks great man, much better with the primer. I think my favorite part of your scratch-build is the helmet.

Bandai gets most of the credit for the helmet, I just took off the Gundam trademarks and filled the holes with MS!

Quote from: "Major Blah"

1) Do you intend to detail up the inside of shoulder armor? Looks pretty empty right now.

Yeah, the thought occurred to me. The hard part is that the insides have irregular concave shapes. I put some MS in there to smooth it out. I'll probably try to insert some Kotobukiya option parts.

Quote from: "Major Blah"

2) What's going to attach to the backpack? Some sort of crazy wing design with bits flying everywhere?

Just a simplified version of the original backpack with an ammo drum for the gatling, some antenna and possibly an over-the shoulder grenade launcher/mortar for shooting HE and teargas.

Quote from: "Major Blah"

3) The face plate!! I want to see your face plate.

That makes 2 of us! :o

I'm stalling for 2 reasons. First, it's gonna be very small but very important I get it right, so I wanted to build up my experience in other places. Second, if I do the LED, then the batteries will be in the backpack, and that means running wires between them (which will double as the tubes that come out of the mask). They'll probably have to be permanently attahced to each other (the backpack and face), so I don't want these delicate parts getting trashed while I'm sanding and hacking other parts. They kinda have to go last. Unless I could find some tiny tiny electrical plugs!

Quote from: "Major Blah"

What's that battering ram you mentioned? I don't know what it is but sounds good to me!

The original Spiegel has places on each lower forearm to attach each of the long blades. The right one will be used to mount a gatling gun. The left one could be used to mount a kind of flip out and extend battering ram for knocking down walls. Then again, it could probably just use its feet for this. Maybe I'll keep the left blade??? I also have to look at what will fit around the signature Jin-Roh shield, which is very similar to the Patlabor shields.

I have general ideas for the JRP, but I'm making a lot of this up as I go. In part because as I become more confident with my scratchbuilding ability, I end up doing more challenging things, and because while I'm doing part Y, I just can't put my full brainpower on part X in the future. When I get to part X, I find that my decision-making becomes pretty clear. My favorite is when I wake up and an obvious solution hits me! Nothing beats sleeping on a problem...

Chopper Dave · December 14, 2006, 12:33:35 PM

looks absolutely beautiful with the primer on there! Looks great, I cant wait to see all the weapons and such!

braxat2000 · December 16, 2006, 12:03:10 AM

Amazing, I love it :).

I am reading and learning, thanks!

eien · December 21, 2006, 02:36:14 AM

I dunno, but isnt' Jin-Roh's chest armor supposed to be rounded like it's buffed? Right whenever I look at the chest it just reminds of Heavyarms

Funaka · December 22, 2006, 10:19:48 AM

I've thought of beveling the edges, but otherwise, I'm happy with the shape. It is a robot inspired by the Wolf Brigade armor, not the Wolf Brigade armor.

Anyway, this project is on hold for a while because I've ordered some parts from Fulcy, but being the holidays, I don't expect them for a week or two. I've done a bit of preliminary work on the face, but that's all I can do until I get the parts. I've also begun to worry about whether I'll need some Capital Police decals, and how to go about making them.

Anyway, in the meantime I'm working on a HG 1/144 Astray Red Frame. I'm planning a custom backpack based on the B-Club weapons pack that's meant for the Blue Frame.

http://www.hlj.com/product/BCL2354

I don't plan on doing an in-prog, though... It's pretty small mods (I hope! :? ).

eien · December 23, 2006, 03:32:11 AM

Quote from: "Funaka"

I've thought of beveling the edges, but otherwise, I'm happy with the shape. It is a robot inspired by the Wolf Brigade armor, not the Wolf Brigade armor.

Anyway, this project is on hold for a while because I've ordered some parts from Fulcy, but being the holidays, I don't expect them for a week or two. I've done a bit of preliminary work on the face, but that's all I can do until I get the parts. I've also begun to worry about whether I'll need some Capital Police decals, and how to go about making them.

Anyway, in the meantime I'm working on a HG 1/144 Astray Red Frame. I'm planning a custom backpack based on the B-Club weapons pack that's meant for the Blue Frame.

http://www.hlj.com/product/BCL2354

I don't plan on doing an in-prog, though... It's pretty small mods (I hope! :? ).

sorry, missed the "inspired" part, got hyped up when I saw the wolf brigade design