Building the King!

Hi!  Sorry for the late reply, but I've had some issues getting into my e-mail.

At present, King is still in-progress.  I got held up getting the decals made, but other than that he's all done.  One thing that has happened that will be... interesting to fix is that the paint on the inside of his rear window has started to peel off in one large sheet.  Since he's all sealed up, this proves to be a challenge.  I'll see if I can post a picture tomorrow for you to see.

He's on the top of my list of things to finish, so hopefully I can get to him before too long after my life settles a bit.  Nothing bad, just real busy!

Hello!

Did you finished this or is it still in progress?

Hey all!  I know you've been waiting for an update on King, so here it is.  I've been working on him for the past two days trying to get his wheels on & sitting flat.  With the tilt I gave his body to give him a bit of personality, it was actually quite a pain.  I had to do a few mods & add additional parts, but if you don't look too closely, you can't even notice.

So here's my Photobucket link,  Look at the last four pictures.  Enjoy!

http://s239.photobucket.com/albums/ff5/Prince_of_Styrene_II/The%20King/

Lufbery wrote:

Excellent. I can't wait to see the photos. Just don't forget that he's wearing "Lightyear" tires.

Of course!  I'm having custom decals made to cover some of the decals & other things I'll need.

Prince of Styrene II wrote:

I'm also using some tires from a NASCAR kit in the stash, instead of the kit-supplied tires.  It makes for a tighter fit in the wheel well, but they're working well enough.  Of course I'll post pics when I finish up this step.

Excellent. I can't wait to see the photos. Just don't forget that he's wearing "Lightyear" tires.

 Regards, 

Trans Am Erik wrote:

Wow! Great job on the King so far.  I like the sound effects feature, neat idea.  I'm going to keep an eye on this build.  I had an ides of making Lightning McQueen out of a modified Viper GTS Body with a shortened NASCAR chassis. Also, my friend wants to make Snot Rod out of a 'Cuda.

Thanks for the compliment!  Snot Rod would be a great build!  With that huge engine & tires, you could have some real fun!  A Viper would be a good start for Lightning, but there'll be some heavy mods ahead for you!  Good luck!

I'm actually working more on King tonight.  (Yep, it's his day in the rotation.)  I'm working on getting all of his tires to sit level on the ground.  Not so easy when I've got him in a "tilted body" pose with his right rear end angled upward.

I'm also using some tires from a NASCAR kit in the stash, instead of the kit-supplied tires.  It makes for a tighter fit in the wheel well, but they're working well enough.  Of course I'll post pics when I finish up this step.

It's always fun!  Building is my way of decompressing after a tough day at work & a great way to release the creative juices.  And I can never complain that I don't have a variety of things to work on! 

As for the B-52, it's a good build so far.  No major traumas getting anything to go together.  The only thing with my particular build is that the kit is a B-52H & I have to backdate it to a "G".  Not too many things to mod, but they would be totally noticable to someone who flew one, like the gent that I'm building it for.  I think the mod that will be the most fun is creating the four machine guns for the tail!

Prince,

Your plate is indeed full, but it looks like a lot of fun. I've got that B-52 kit. Is it a pretty easy build?

Regards, 

Lufbery wrote:

While you're updating us, I'd like to know how your Bumblebee is coming along.

Wow, good memory!  Bumblebee (or "Goldbug", as he'll be the post "hate virus" version as seen in the classic series) is right about where I left him, with all of the VW Beetle parts cut apart.  He's at the top of my build list though, as I have aquired a lot of the supplies that I need to build his body parts.

My real enemy is all of the cool new kits coming out this year!  I've aquired the new Doctor Who kit & a resin BSG Viper Mk.2 kit.  Then there's the big Seaview coming out, plus the Lost in Space "Chariot" & "Space Pod".  Then there's the trip to WonderFest in Kentucky!  Oh, my poor wallet!

If you don't mind me asking, what sort of commissions are you doing? Is that your full time job, or are you doing it on the side?

Full time?!  I wish it was!  Actually, I almost had a job at a movie studio building models, but it didn't happen.  The real full time gig is a cameraman for CBS/FOX:

http://s239.photobucket.com/albums/ff5/Prince_of_Styrene_II/work/

As for the comissions, I am doing them on the side for a little extra cash.  I love the TV stuff, but it doesn't pay what I'd like.  As for what I'm working on, here's the list.

B-52G

http://s239.photobucket.com/albums/ff5/Prince_of_Styrene_II/B-52G/

Planet Express

http://s239.photobucket.com/albums/ff5/Prince_of_Styrene_II/Planet%20Express/

Star Trek "Dreadnought"

http://s239.photobucket.com/albums/ff5/Prince_of_Styrene_II/TOS%20Dreadnought/

I actually was scratching it, but then I found the resin kit.

http://s239.photobucket.com/albums/ff5/Prince_of_Styrene_II/USS%20Merrimac/

Here's one I just finished a few weeks ago, a Romulan D-7

http://s239.photobucket.com/albums/ff5/Prince_of_Styrene_II/Romulan%20D-7/

I'm also in posession of the Orion Space Clipper from the movie 2001 that will begin to be built shortly.

As for my own builds, here's the list:

Kit Fisto's Jedi Starfighter

http://s239.photobucket.com/albums/ff5/Prince_of_Styrene_II/Kit%20Fisto/

"See you Vader, dude!"  A parody dio I was challenged to build.

http://s239.photobucket.com/albums/ff5/Prince_of_Styrene_II/See%20you%20Vader%20Dude/

Chibi Sky Lynx  ("chibi" means "small" in Japanese)

http://s239.photobucket.com/albums/ff5/Prince_of_Styrene_II/Chibi%20Sky%20Lynx/

And of course there's King.

Soooo, yea, as my Mum says, my plate is pretty full. 

Prince,

While you're updating us, I'd like to know how your Bumblebee is coming along.

If you don't mind me asking, what sort of commissions are you doing? Is that your full time job, or are you doing it on the side?

Regards, 

Summit wrote:

Well since this made it back up in the Top 10 I sure would like to see some more progress on this Fantastic Build. You have captured my Attention !

Ahhh, the peer pressure!!  I can't take it!!!    Okay, looks like I have to put King back into the "build rotation".  Right now, I'm tackling three builds, each one day at a time.  Looks like it'll be a four day rotation now.

Hi, Guilty!

Wow, talk about a bump!

Since the last pics, the only thing I've done is mate the chassis to the body, I have the tires on the rim & sanded them down for a bit of realism.  There's actually not too much to go, but alas I do tend to get distracted by shiney new bits of plastic & the comissions are coming in faster & faster.  (Lots of people out there with not as much talent to build! lol)  I will finish him & hopefully soon.  There's a contest in July that he'd be great to enter in.

It's hard to sit down at the bench & see his eyeless face staring at me every time I do some work.

Thanks for the compliments, Fish!

I'd eventually like to do some of the other characters.  They're not real hard to do, I'm just moving slow because of other projects.  Some of the ones I'd like to do would be Mia & Tia, the Miata twins.  I'd love to do them with wriking headlights with the #95 in their headlights!   And Mater would be one of the ultimate studies in making rust!  Fillmore & Lizzie would be fun, too.

Well, you know how it is sometimes.  You get a thought going in your head & the only way to stop it is to do it.  Plus I'd kick myself if I didn't do it after the build was done.

Thanks for the encouragment on the other builds.  A couple of Star Trek builds (one OOB, one scratch) & a B-52.  Coming along nicely, they are.  Here's the scratch:

http://s239.photobucket.com/albums/ff5/Prince_of_Styrene_II/USS%20Merrimac/

nice one, sound effects added also. You surely know how to make your own life complicated!

Looking forward to the next update already.

 Good luck with your other builds.

Okay, I know it isn't much, but I have a couple new pictures.  With building a couple comissions, I kind of feel guilty sitting down to do my own stuff because I "should be" working on those builds.

Anyway, I got King's sound chip installed & set at the proper angle.  I built a little ramp (for lack of a better term) to set the chip on.

And after I build the gas can (or find one the right size), the metal nozzle of the can will trigger the sound of the engine revving.

Like I said, not much progress, but at least it's progress!  The bad thing is that I have two more comissions coming my way!   I may never get done!

Well, I figure there's more time after the Dutchess is out of the house (in 12 years) that I'll have, & there's always retirement 20 years after that!  Plus, with the way she likes to build, I figure some of it'll be an inheritance!

The blue boxes are the Polar Lights original series Enterprise.  Okay, let me rephrase that.... MOST of the blue boxes are the PL Enterprise.  Some of the are the Klingon D-7 & the NX-01, also from PL.  And all of those are vital, VITAL I TELL YOU, to be able to build all the variants known in Trekdom.  Hmmm... now that I think of it, I think I've actually purchased 10 of the Enterprise, 4 D-7s & 4 NXs. (That should cover me for awhile!)

Most of the size of the stash I blame on "MADS"- Modelers' Attention Deficit Syndrome.  I easily get distracted by shiny new plastic!   That & I also claim to be adding to the National Styrene Reserve... you know, just in case there's a disaster of some kind!

Oh yes..... I know how it goes.

wow, you do not have enough years of life left to complete all these kits!

BTW, I am sure your wife also asked you why you need 8 of the same kits (the blue ones a little to the left, just below the white plastic bags)!

My stash started to become dangerously unstable so I bought severel cuboards to store them and I thought I could keep myself from buying news ones if they are full. The last parts didn't work, there are now many kit in AND on top of the cuboard.......you know how it goes.

Anyway, stop replying to me and get building boy! just kidding!

  Lucky you!  The wife usually doesn't come into the model room often, but when she does she usually just looks at my stash & shakes her head.

http://planetmyhill.com/Modelmaster/PICS/ModelRoom4.JPG 

Hmmm....  That's shot's looking a bit old.  Gotta update that once I get my new kit in the mail.

"When did you get that kit?  And that one?"

"Those?  Oh, I got those a long time ago.  Really!"

Remember: Sept. 19 is "International Talk Like a Pirate Day"!  Arrrrr!!

Oh, the Dutchess isn't any pressure when it comes to building, though she does like to see the progress.  If anything, she's the kick in the pants I need on occasion to start a project!

And building is always fun!  For myself or others, I enjoy it.  Plus I can use comissions as an excuse to sneak stuff for my own stash into the house!   It's all good!

Remember: Sept. 19 is "International Talk Like a Pirate Day"!  Arrrrr!!