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Post by gravewolf on Nov 19, 2013 12:53:19 GMT -5
I've started this project a few days ago and now working on the arms and legs along with the joint parts. I decided to make my projects the size of SRC's to complement my growing collection. I'll be using ball joints and friction joints, I just hope these joints hold up better than my last project. Every part of this project is hand made and scratch built using brass and copper as my medium.  |
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Post by gravewolf on Nov 19, 2013 12:56:23 GMT -5
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Post by magengar on Nov 19, 2013 13:34:52 GMT -5
Hi Welcome to RJ! Man that Garada's gonna look Badass! You sure have a keen eye for detail, cos even the head and face looks amazingly Tight On Point!  zozo-mag |
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Post by bowhntr66 on Nov 19, 2013 14:57:57 GMT -5
Awesome!! Please keep us up to date sir!! Looking forward to following this thread!
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Post by xiombarg on Nov 19, 2013 15:17:45 GMT -5
Very cool!
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Post by TheMazingerZ on Nov 19, 2013 17:11:23 GMT -5
Wow! Amazing work so far! You are an awesome artist!!! }D |
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Post by gravewolf on Nov 19, 2013 23:48:28 GMT -5
Thanks again guys, I hope I get the articulation and proportions right. I was actually deciding to make a non poseable metal statue but after I started collecting src's I just had to make it poseable. It would have been a faster project if I just made a statue but I love to challenge myself. I doubt Bandai would make baddies like him since he's not a marketable character for today's generation of robot fans. I still have doubts using brass since it gives off toxic fumes while being soldered with a torch. I wanted to use sterling silver since it's a better and easier metal to work with, but I'm unsure how much is needed so I'm also using this project to gauge how much this thing weighs after I finish it. I already have plans for Doublas M2 and Boss Borot, though I wanted to make a Black Getter but I'm still hoping Bandai would release an SRC version of it.
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Post by Mr. Ginrai on Nov 20, 2013 0:00:06 GMT -5
Is brass the only one you prefer to work in? What about stainless steel, or pewter, or even nickel? You could polish the nickel in a tumbler and it would be great!
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Post by gravewolf on Nov 20, 2013 0:22:06 GMT -5
Is brass the only one you prefer to work in? What about stainless steel, or pewter, or even nickel? You could polish the nickel in a tumbler and it would be great! Brass and copper materials are easy to work with and acquire compared to the metals you listed. Nickel would be nice but it's hard to get nickel plates which I could cut into parts and shapes, also melting it and then turning it into plates requires a very high heat torch and lots of labor. Stainless steel would a be a real pain to work on since it's so hard to cut and solder with the tools that I have. Pewter is better for casting projects but I consider it too soft for figures with moving parts. The best material in my opinion is sterling silver for these kind of projects. It's quite harder than than copper and more malleable than brass, also more comfortable to work with since my skin doesn't seem to like copper and my lungs completely disagree with brass  . The only issue I have with sterling silver is that it tarnishes but could be remedied with enamel paint or clear coating. It's far easier and safer to recycle for other projects. I've been saving up to buy some silver since it's gotten cheaper per ounce and it's the best time to stock up. Also my girlfriend is badgering me to finish the bracelet I promised to make her and I won't hear the end of it until it's done  |
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Post by Mr. Ginrai on Nov 20, 2013 9:25:46 GMT -5
Cool. I wouldn't clear coat it though because with sterling there is always silver cleaner, cream or polish and it takes away the tarnish or darkening very quickly. Then just rinse and you could uses one compressed air on the joints after you wipe the figure dry. Most of my jewelry is sterling (bracelet, necklace) as I am not a huge fan of gold.
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Post by gravewolf on Nov 20, 2013 12:23:32 GMT -5
Cool. I wouldn't clear coat it though because with sterling there is always silver cleaner, cream or polish and it takes away the tarnish or darkening very quickly. Then just rinse and you could uses one compressed air on the joints after you wipe the figure dry. Most of my jewelry is sterling (bracelet, necklace) as I am not a huge fan of gold. Silver or rhodium plating would also be a good idea if I decide to leave it bare. Pure silver is actually tarnish resistant since sterling silver tarnishes because of the copper metal mixed with it, while rhodium has a much higher tarnish resistance than silver though it's a more expensive plating process. I can do both types of plating since we have them in my workplace. I use cyanide to clean sterling silver but I don't recommend it for household use, but it is a highly effective tarnish remover. |
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Post by KingboyD on Nov 20, 2013 13:28:48 GMT -5
This is craziness in the absolute best meaning possible! I love the look of the copper. Screw painting - I would keep it as is!
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Post by gravewolf on Nov 21, 2013 12:19:08 GMT -5
I managed to fabricate the proper joint connections for the arms, with this design I can assemble and take apart the arms without the need to rely on screws. The elbow joint here has holes where there are ball bearings with springs which secures the elbow and also gives tension to it. The ring here will be soldered to the upper limb where the elbows will be plugged. ![]()  |
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Post by gravewolf on Nov 21, 2013 12:21:38 GMT -5
This is the whole arm assembly, the elbow design is a bit similar to the SRC line.  |
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Post by gravewolf on Nov 22, 2013 14:32:11 GMT -5
The arms are almost done, I think I'm gonna do the hands after I'm done with the legs. Making the arms almost had me stumped cause it was really hard to get the articulation right.  |
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Post by bowhntr66 on Nov 22, 2013 17:55:22 GMT -5
But it's looking really sweet!!
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Post by gravewolf on Nov 23, 2013 4:44:51 GMT -5
But it's looking really sweet!! Thanks, I still have lot of other parts to make and I have to redesign the leg joints since I've found a flaw with my current design while making the arms. I also wanna hear more clicking while moving the joints I'm thinking of plating this whole figure in silver or gold or do a two tone plating with some parts colored gold and some parts silver. Plating adds some protection to the brass and copper suface since they like to tarnish a lot and I would hate to have to always polish it. I'm gonna do this project properly since the joints for this figure will be the basis for the other robots I'm planning to make. If it takes a while to finish then so be it as long as it comes out great. I've made some mistakes in the past that made me abandon some projects like this mazinger z that I lost interest in finishing.  |
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Post by bowhntr66 on Nov 23, 2013 6:30:07 GMT -5
Wow! I like the Mazinger Z also!!! The details in them are awesome!
You mentioned plating them in silver and gold, do you intend to paint them then?
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Post by gravewolf on Nov 23, 2013 7:52:18 GMT -5
If it looks good with plating then I might not even need to paint it. Eiher way it would still look good painted, if I’m painting it I’m gonna use the type if enamel we use in jewelry that requires baking but hardens really well and gives nice glassy finish.
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Post by bowhntr66 on Nov 23, 2013 8:23:08 GMT -5
That actually sounds great! A baked on glossy finish would really make them look like giant versions of the die casts that I grew up with. Either way, I look forward to watching the progress!
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