When in doubt...

When in doubt, I ask questions.  Everytime I go to unfamiliar place, without a predisposed knowledge of the ins and outs, I normally just ask people nearby; the vendors, the trike drivers, the guards, or, the cops, when there are in the area, for directions.  Most are helpful, some are not, and if it was the latter, I simply ask more people until I get it right.

I've written a few tutorials, some of which might be helpful to some people, or not, depending on the fact if I have written the tutorial well, with enough descriptive pictures supported by descriptive text.  Most of my WIP posts are tutorials within themselves, especially when I include step-by-step photos.  Also, when there's something I can't find online, I go ahead and try it myself.  Even if I find something online, I still go on ahead and try it myself, because, I might not get the same result after all.

I've also started selling a few items that I actually use.  White High Impact Polystyrene Sheets (WHIPS) are cheaper alternatives to Tamiya Plaplate and are of comparable quality.  They are also slightly softer than plaplates and are more pliable and bendable.  My White Sticky Stuff and Clear Sticky Stuff (yes, there's a joke there somewhere, as the names came from a joke in one of the groups) are cheaper alternatives to Tamiya Regular and Extra Thin cement.  I have never kept it a secret; the Sticky Stuff's base formula is Hudson Polyurethane Reducer (PUR).  PUR is available at local and mall hardware stores, usually in 1L and 4L cans, and although I keep telling people that, they prefer to get it at smaller amounts instead of the whole shhh-bang.  You can use pure PUR directly as cement, as I have repetitively mentioned, as well as numerous buyers can attest.



Hence, why the Matx Hobby Stuff Page was born.  My main products are the Sticky Stuff and WHIPS.  As was expected, I get a lot of inquiries regarding the two items, and although current sales are a bit slow, I have recovered my investments a few times over. 

I sell WHIPS at PhP80 for 1mm and PhP40 0.5mm, quite a steal considering Tamiya's 1.0mm plaplates are now at PhP170 a sheet at the same size.  My Sticky Stuff are at PhP80 per 85mL bottle and comes with a free applicator, whereas Tamiya cement are now at PhP180 at 40mL.  So, simply put, that is my main selling point.

I have been using these items even before I decided to market them as MatX "signature products" hence I can guarantee that they work.  Hudson PUR is actually a thinner for Polyurethane Varnishes.  The term "reducer" is a fancy name for thinner.

It's not uncommon for me to get questions regarding my tutorials (even though the inquiry was something I specifically showed on the tutorial, with photos) or about the products I sell.  My Sticky Stuff often get hit.  So, it's quite amusing when I get inquiries like this:

Him: boss you there? one quick question

Xander Xinger: ?

Him: i find one store here that sell one of your suggested alternative for tamiya cement..polyurethane reducer, i can use this as it is?

Xander Xinger: yup

Him: im still cautious on using this it might melt not only the sheet but also the armor part

Xander Xinger: a little should be fine.  also, TEST it on runner slabs

Him: and the clerk said its not a glue its a thinner.  is that okay?

Xander Xinger: dude, I've been using it. who do you believe, the clerk, or me?

Him: you of course. haha. okay..

Xander Xinger: again, it won't really hurt if you try it

Him: ill begin testing

Please note, I am not offended nor annoyed, but rather amused by what transpired above.  It's one thing to ask questions about something that isn't obvious, but quite another to do so when it is too obvious, like on a tutorial.  I don't blame the guy for having doubts, in his position, I would probably have doubts, but I've been into Gunpla long enough to realize no amount of asking questions or getting answers for them will suffice for something I don't do or try myself.  That's how I got to develop most of my tutorials, and discover alternative materials, after all.  My consistent use (and getting consistent results) of the Sticky Stuff should have been enough proof.

Anyways, No WIP update for the Hellraiser yet, but here are a few teaser pics (all of which are either modified or scratch built with WHIPS and Sticky Stuff).

The Hellraiser Part VIII

Death-Defying Dastardly Details Part I

Note: With this post, I've finally caught up my StoryWIP with my PhotoWIP. But the story you're about to read has set me back 2 weeks.

It's been more than 3 weeks since my last update, or blog post, after that Pinoykon event at Magallanes. I make no excuses, but, I wasn't slacking off or anything (though I wish I had been). After the Pinoykon event, I was so heat-stressed (the event was held in a tented open-air spot) that I probably lost a few brain cells that day. I was disoriented and tired, that I led Bryan Mallorca to a long walk along the Magallanes line, only to walk back to EDSA/Osmeña to get a jeep to Waltermart (because there were no empty cabs passing us by). We went to Kitaro and gobbled on Shoyu Ramen, which I craved for after that long day of relatively mild humidity. Humidity has always been mine enemy, not during paint jobs, but, I'm rather sensitive to it. When relative humidity goes up, so does my inability to regulate my body heat. I sweat like a pig, then stop sweating altogether, leaving my skin so uncomfortably sticky, I just feel hotter thinking about it.

After parting ways with Bryan, I still managed to get some groceries.  It was a bit cooler at Waltermart, but not cold enough to relieve my heat-stress. Carrying those groceries, plus two red GTO bags with full kit boxes, I still had to contend with my backpack, which was already heavy by itself. I marched on and got into an Advanza cab (it's relevant), with ALL the things I was carrying at the back. Along the way, the cabbie and I did some chitchat, but I was so tired, I didn't really care nor could remember what we were talking about. It was a short trip from Waltermart to my place, and I couldn't wait to get home, take a shower, slip in into something cool, and fall asleep on the couch while browsing.

When I got down, I got all the bags, except I forgot that I put my backpack on the floor of the cab, right behind the passenger seat, something I wouldn't have done if it was a regular, Sedan-type cab. I didn't realize it until I was next in line to the elevator (which was a good 5 minutes after). I ran as fast as I could to chase the cab, insanity and logic fighting inside my head, because I left ALL my other bags unguarded near the elevator door, but after a few blocks, I realized and have accepted that the cab was long gone the moment I let my guard down.

The loss wasn't tragic. I was over it the moment I left the police precinct (wherein, I already know they weren't going to do anything, and if the cabbie, or whomever got in after I did had any plans of giving my stuff back, they would have already done so, because I have identification documents in that bag), got my spare keys from my (cough) ex-wife (my keys were in the backpack), got home, took a shower, and fell asleep on the couch, after sending a lock command to my iPad, which happened to be in my backpack.

The day after, I realized I lost more than just the backpack, since my trusty old camera was also there, along with my tools. So no work can be done at all that day. I only managed to get new "replacement tools" a few days after since my entire body wain in pain from the heat stress. I got a couple of side cutters, a toothless pair of pliers, three DAFA knives (two as cutting knives, the third, smaller one as a needlepoint scriber), and as a treat, a small cutting mat (which I was planning to get since I work mostly on the couch nowadays).

Still, I couldn't get any Gunpla work done, since I got called into a few afternoon meetings, along with visiting my sister, over the past couple of weeks. I haven't really fully recovered from my heat stress, and the funny thing is, it's not really even that hot yet.

Finally, I was able to start working on a lost detail part (I believe I popped that in into the toolbox I lost along with one of the knee spikes of the Hellraiser), then I realized both my Tamiya pin-vises were in the toolbox, because I needed them while working on the replacements. So, it's off to Lil's tomorrow to get a new one. A week before Pinoykon, my client loaned me one of his dSLR cameras for a project, so that covers that.

Lesson learned: Since I basically have two of each tool, I should NEVER bring all of them with me, especially if I'll be out all day with 99% chance of heat stress ruining my brain cells. I should also NEVER leave my backpack or bag on the floor of the cab behind me, where, in case of burnt brain cells, I could forget.

The Devil in the Details

It might be strange to you if I tell you that losing the iPad and/or the camera wasn't really a big deal and that it didn't affect me as much as it would anyone else. I didn't feel a pang of loss upon realizing that I may never recover those things, but I did feel a bit heavy-hearted when I realized I also lost my tools. The silver-lining of the entire ordeal, also strangely enough, was at least, I didn't lose the Ronin and the Hellraiser. I consider those two irreplaceable, and when I contemplated selling or auctioning off the Ronin to cover for the cost of replacing my tools, I felt a pang of guilt, which is something I rarely feel nowadays when it comes to Gunpla.

Which makes this story actually relevant to my post, about paying attention to details. Well, okay, not so much, but, it sure sounds kewl.

Anyways, a month or so ago, someone lost one of the yellow, skirt detail part (gray for MG DSH) of their MG Deathschythe Hell. Since I'll be building the same part for the Hellraiser, I thought why not make a tutorial for building detail parts from scratch using WHIPS (or plaplates)?  It'll be good practice on my part.

The part is simple and easy enough top build from scratch. I used one of the 4 detail parts from mine own MG DSH as reference (they are all the same anyways), starting with a relevant-sized piece of 1.0mm WHIPS. I simply estimated the shape based on the reference part and filed as needed.





I then used a small strip of WHIPS as the connector, using the skirt base slot as a guide. I then cemented the main shape over the connector (waiting a full 30 minutes for the cement to cure enough to be handled, then added relative details afterward.





The Devil's Advocate

I beveled the lower part of the skirts, then added 0.5mm WHIPS to the main skirts to create the panel line running from top to bottom instead of scribing them, for an even groove.





Next, I cut the top sections of the main skirts to make way for the detail parts, but I decided to change the Hellraiser's skirt detail a bit by skewing the bottom side of the detail part, making them mirror-symmetrical from each other. Using the masking-tape-transfer method, I cut the same shape on a piece of 1.0mm WHIPS, the attached another piece for 2mm, placed that on the skirt groove, and drilled a hole for the peg. The peg is attached to the base of the detail part, and the secondary piece of WHIPS helps hold the peg in place even without cement.





I added more interlocking WHIPS (for a stronger connection), allowed the part to cure for a couple of hours (while in that time, I was doing the other three), before beveling the edges, giving it that gem-like shape.





Next: Scythe Beyond Sight

The Hellraiser Part VII

Breaking a Leg

The phrase "break a leg" actually means "good luck" in stage plays, and is often said to actors about to go on stage on opening night. I theater, as far as acting superstitions are concerned, wishing someone good luck is actually bad luck. In some circles, it could actually mean giving an exceedingly lively and exhaustive performance, to the point of "breaking a leg" in the process.

Similarly, or at least, I'd like to think so, I have still not shed my need to make things complicated, or think of complicated things first, in lieu of its simple counterparts, to the point of breaking some things in the process. It has considerably lessened to the point that, as far as the build time is concerned, I have actually been able to do a lot more work all around unlike before. With this update, I'm about a couple away from catching up and synching my progress.

All "Thigh-ed" Up

Much of the flaws I've encountered with the PG WZC has to deal with how the armor latches on to the frame. The frame itself from head to toe, with exception of the upper arms, is too slender for its armor. Whereas modern kits, like the PG 00 and Astray (which uses the Strike frame) and newer MGs all have frames and armor that have little clearance space in between, the PG WZC have too much clearance for comfort. The frame looks more like a large, misshapen MG when bare.



That's not really an issue altogether, as it does give much leeway for modifications on the frame and inside the armor. But bear with me, those aren't really flaws until you've handled the armor parts, especially the thigh armor, as extensively as I have.

The thigh armor's main and necessary modification is carving out the lower portion just above the knee, to give allowance to the minus mold detail. The front and back parts of the thigh armor also slide when the knee is bent, as they are connected on articulation mechanism on the frame. The front slides down, while the back slides up. The flaw? Since there is a HUGE clearance between the armor and the frame, pressing on the sliding edges tend to bend the armor pieces inward, stressing the plastic. The not-so-strange thing is, both back armor pieces developed the same stress lines at the same relative position.



The first one broke (a clean break, which is a "good" thing) while I was testing the sliding mechanism, which I decided to keep fixed, but later on had to put back because of how it affected the knee articulation with the minus mold in place. The second one developed that fracture earlier on, but since I haven't really worked on it yet, hasn't broken. I fixed the broken part by cementing them together. For the other fracture part, I opened the fracture slightly to reveal a minute gap and brushed it with thin cement to seal the fracture. I then secured the inside of each armor piece with strips of 0.5mm WHIPS.

If you are wondering why both pieces broke (or fractures) at relatively the same position, it has something to do with how the gates are positioned relative to the molded part.  In this case, the hot, liquid plastic coming from either side of the part during molding "met" at that region.  You can clearly see this region on the surface of the plastic as an obvious "swirl".  This swirl or region somewhat affects how paint behaves as well as it cures over plastic.  Maybe the mold-release agent seeped into that region, making the part less able to handle stress at that specific location (the other side did not develop any stress fractures).  This is usually mitigated by putting seemingly useless "detail" inside armor parts.  The bumps and recesses help strengthen sections of the plastic,  like how bars reinforce otherwise "flat" ceilings, in most light-handling stresses.



With that done, I simply added sliding support to the sliding edges of the armor by attaching small "tongues" on one, and slide "slots" on the other.



On Your Knees

This is one of the few things the WZC and the DSH do not have in common. Whereas the WZC's knee armor are slender and "softer," the DSH's are broad and "square." I decided to work around that by using the stock knee armor regardless and modified it by separating it into two sections. At this point, the connective "tongues" on both pieces have already broken away (they were too stuck for me to even carefully pull), and like in the case of the thigh armor, there were too much space between the armor and the knee frame, that wiggling it stressed the thin tongue until broke from the base. I had no other recourse but rebuild the connections later on with pegs.

The larger section basically holds the smaller section in place, which in turn holds the knee blade.





For the knee blades, I initially planned to use sandwiched WHIPS then carving them later on, but decided to make a "skeletal frame" and encapsulate that with WHIPS, giving the part a smoother look on the onset. This technique actually reduced my build time significantly and gave me a far sharper edge than I can achieve by carving sandwiched WHIPS. (This is the same technique I used for the skirt, and as far as chronology is concerned, this was done first).







When I inserted the knee blade into its respective receptacle, I couldn't help but blurt an evil "BWAHAHAHAHA! IT'S ALIVE!" laugh.



Tippy-Toes

This part probably took me as long to do as the Chest and Head modifications, mainly because it was so darned simple, I couldn't help but make it complicated. I initially decided to simply slap on a blade/spike similar to that of the knee blade over the toe and be done with it, but the MG DSH has a slight toe articulation I couldn't ignore. So it took me a while just deciding if I'll go on and punish myself with complicating things.

The masochism wins in the end, but it was ll worth it. I began by cutting the foot armor into sections, making sure I retain most of the connective material for adjustment later on. Again, this could have been simpler by simply treating the base and the top as one piece (as I have with the skirts), but I saw relative difficulty with later modifications, especially when the toe-blades have been mounted. The toe articulation is rather slight and insignificant, but nonetheless kewl in all things modified.





For the articulation, I used a couple of spare "hinge" polycaps from my stash, encapsulated each with WHIPS, and mounted them on the main feet sections. This is the part where being OC about working on the base and the top of the toes separately proved my being OC right, because it allowed me to "see" the modifications and make further adjustments as needed, something I couldn't have done if I have fixed the two sections as one.







Articulation test.



I've also added a few details to match with the MG DSH's.





Ankles Away

This was also a relatively simple modification, but it also took me a while to decide how to do. I wanted to maintain the front detail of the armor and build around it, so I cut the material I thought were unnecessary. I later realized I made a mistake in that department, but somewhat was glad to have made because the part would have been too thick if I simply slapped on WHIPS on top of the material I have cut. I layered WHIPS as needed and filed the surface smooth, so the 0.5mm top layer WHIPS would have a smooth surface to latch on.





Test Fit.



Next: Death-Defying Dastardly Details