Protometriks Standard Engagement SEn

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Well to begin with I'm doing a project for my production The Helmos Engine and I needed a mass production type mecha that is not exactly directly from the Gundam Show.  I decided to use my Zaku II frame as I have loads of em and they move quite well.  I'll post the pics in order of the days I worked on them.  I'm up to the LED point right now, but still only halfway finished.  I still have much to do in the way of sculpting parts, adding panel lines, adding external detail and wiring, soldering, finish sanding, and finally painting, but I'll post as I do so.  As I don't like the typical modeling epoxy as it dries way to soft, I decided to try out E400 plumbers apoxy on the recommendation of my friend Brandon and his wife Sarah.  It turns out it is amazing stuff.  Dries harder than the plastic if mixed right, and cures in 15-30 minutes.  The downside is it only has a working time of about 5 minutes before you are S.O.L.  If you screw up you have to cut away or sand away and start over.  Every part on my SEn with the exception of the cylindrical ammo clip on his gun arm are all made using the plumbers apoxy. 

Day 1:  I decided that I wanted the head to look rounded and the snout thing had to go.  I also thought a horn would add to the gargoylish design I wanted.  But I must admit despite my elation at having actually changed the head design, it overwhelmingly reminded me of a hamburger.  I also changed the knee and leg parts to jut out more and square off. 

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Well I'm going to keep posting the days in the order of my pictures.  Sorry if they suck I took them with my phone, as it was handy.  Anyway day two:

The hamburger head was bothering me so after conferring with my wife who surprisingly had input, we came up with the armored head slit.  I love it.  I also decided the the head looked too big and exposed, so instead of making it smaller, I decided to make the chest bigger.  I added the crest.  I forgot to say that on day 1 I added the chest vulcans after rasising up the shoulder armor.  I drilled out two holes, cut two pieces of plastic sprues from the zaku kit, sanded them down and bored out little drill holes for gun nozzles.  Alrighty moving on.

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Ok I still don't know if this is actually going to show up as a post, so I hope I'm not wasting my time.  I can't seem to view the forum postings, I guess if this is a universal problem nobody will be able to read this.  If you can read this someone please PM me so I know it's me!  Anyway day three:

I added the arm cannon basic shape and the clawed feet.  I didn't really know what I wanted, I just didn't want to forget the general idea.  I was really dissatisfied with the work this day.  It looked crappy.  Moving on.

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Day three pics

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Day 4:

I did the left arm, the shoulder pauldron, the left calf, and his shoulder wings.  I drew a stupid little sketch on my phone to remember.  hehe.  I love the beefy arm though.  It was fun making all the keyed parts, and yes they move pretty well together.  All movement is intact with a little loss of range of motion of the forearm flexing towards the bicep area.  Not a problem though.  The O doesn't do backflips so I dont' care if the SEn can't touch his shoulder with that arm.  He is starting to shape up here.  The legs are starting to get beefed out like I wanted.  I sketched a little drawing in the parking lot of my job that will help. 

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day four part two

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day four part three

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day four part four

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Day 5:

It's all about the beefy quads and shoulder pads.  You can quote me.  Well I decided to make the knees keyed so the knee pads fit in the quad.  I like it alot and it's fun to move around.  I also added the other shoulder pad.  This is going to suck to finish sand.

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day five part two

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Day six:

By now I've developed a routine of going out in the garage, turning on the BBC and zoning out.  Seems to work well.  I grumble at the world news and unwittingly end up making neat stuff.  Or at least I think.  I added the gun cylinder from a RX-78-5 spare kit.  It's the only mod part I didn't sculpt so far.  I did cut it though.  Anywho I also evened out the legs and I think this day I evened out his right arm.  Beefy arms.  Oh also to make the shoulder pads lift higher and present the armored closed in head area I had to cut the shoulder armor to allow those little zaku support arms to raise higher.  That was all prior though, when I made the left side.  So I merely repeated. 

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day six part two

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day six part two (this time hopefully it will work.  I can't view what I'm doing so I hope so.

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day six part three

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Day 7:

I hope this is actually showing up on someone's computer.  Ok for this day's work I decided that his crab feet had to be replaced with something less retarded looking.  Thus the blocky feet came about.  I wanted the clawed look in the back and more importantly for support, so it worked well.  I also shaved down the back achilles parts for claw room.  I don't foresee being able to cast these feet parts well.  I should have kept the fee parts separate.  Oh well lesson learned.

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