Ketchup Posted November 11, 2014 Share Posted November 11, 2014 It has finally begun... I picked this up last week, but haven't had the opportunity to mess with it until now, thanks to the flu. Lol. This thread will detail my journey with my new MC kit and MLC v3 helmet. I do intend to build this kit for future Lancer submission, and will be looking for constant advice, maybe to the point of being annoying. I'm really freaking excited about this build... The costume has been my favorite ever since I was a kid, and I'm really passionate about it. I don't know how many hours of sleep I've lost from falling down the rabbit hole here on the BS.N, researching build threads and Lancer requirements. The tank is already assembled with decals and everything, and I'm going to start by painting up the helmet. So stay tuned... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chex Posted November 11, 2014 Share Posted November 11, 2014 Hah, look forward to seeing your Lancer build. If you have any questions, please ask. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spookymufu Posted November 11, 2014 Share Posted November 11, 2014 Can a MLC helmet clear Lancer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southscout Posted November 11, 2014 Share Posted November 11, 2014 Can a MLC helmet clear Lancer? Well, it depends on how it's done. If done correctly there's no problem. Skickat från min LG-D802 via Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ketchup Posted November 12, 2014 Author Share Posted November 12, 2014 From what I understand, the only helmets that have trouble clearing Lancer are Rubies/DP and KS if it's not constructed properly. There are a couple things about the MLC that aren't accurate (the number of indents on the back being the main one I'm thinking of), but I don't think that's a concern, they just need to have the right bolt covers, decals, and greeblie. (Please, PLEASE correct me if I'm wrong there...I'd rather make mods before I start painting than after. Lol!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ketchup Posted November 12, 2014 Author Share Posted November 12, 2014 Brrrr! It's as cold as Echo Base in the studio right now! Here in Denver, we've got a high of 1*F. Need to borrow some gear from the snow scouts... Anyway, I wanted to share some pictures I took of my tank. I had MC handle the assembly and decal application. Decals are the #1 point of anxiety for me on any build, so watch for the fun to ensue when I get to it on my lid. Lol! And here's a bit of a closer look at the lid. I'd like to get a set of accurate 3M bolts/covers for it, and I think someone was selling them several months back, but I haven't been able to find the FS thread. As you can probably see (couldn't get a good picture of the inside, but you get the idea), it's just a standard bolt and wingnut that's currently in there. Some other mods I'd like to do with the helmet: - Removable chin cup. I'm thinking I might install the straps with rare earth magnets so that I can take the chin cup out if I want to. I'd imagine it might get annoying for general trooping purposes, but I'd like to have it for photoshoots. - Magnetic closure, so the lid stays shut nicely. Probably with a low-grade magnet, since rare earth magnets are very strong and I don't want to consistently put a lot of strain on the lid by prying the magnets apart. Today I'm working on the chest/back armor, just getting it fitted correctly and doing some heat shaping, if needed. I still need to go out and get some supplies like rivets and velcro, but I'm not going outside until it warms up a bit. Haha! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spookymufu Posted November 13, 2014 Share Posted November 13, 2014 From what I understand, the only helmets that have trouble clearing Lancer are Rubies/DP and KS if it's not constructed properly. There are a couple things about the MLC that aren't accurate (the number of indents on the back being the main one I'm thinking of), but I don't think that's a concern, they just need to have the right bolt covers, decals, and greeblie. (Please, PLEASE correct me if I'm wrong there...I'd rather make mods before I start painting than after. Lol!) I love my MLC, my only real complaint it the flat visor, I would prefer it to have a more accurate curved visor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ketchup Posted November 13, 2014 Author Share Posted November 13, 2014 The flat visor is easier to see out of, at least. The MLC has several stylistic differences from the screen-used helmet that make it not the most accurate one, but it looks great and sharp. Although, one of these days, I'd love to get my hands on a LoneWolf... (As I think everyone here would. Ha!) Speaking of visors, I'm thinking I'm going to install a clip system into my lid, so the visor can easily be removed and swapped out/cleaned. Has anyone done this before? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ketchup Posted November 15, 2014 Author Share Posted November 15, 2014 Alright, a bit of a progress update: With the help of my awesome fellow scouts (incl. Chex, Chunk, and mlbukowski THANK YOU!), I ordered my coveralls. I also ordered a ton of supplies like webbing, velcro, and elastic. I've got an armor party on Sunday, so I will post some progress pictures after that. I do need help on one thing, though. The under the arm straps are supposed to be 1 3/4"/45 mm cotton webbing, and I can't seem to find any. I've had a search tab open all day, and nothing. :/ (Although, the Lancer CRL says "around" 1 3/4", so maybe 1 1/2" will suffice?) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spookymufu Posted November 16, 2014 Share Posted November 16, 2014 The flat visor is easier to see out of, at least. The MLC has several stylistic differences from the screen-used helmet that make it not the most accurate one, but it looks great and sharp. Although, one of these days, I'd love to get my hands on a LoneWolf... (As I think everyone here would. Ha!) Speaking of visors, I'm thinking I'm going to install a clip system into my lid, so the visor can easily be removed and swapped out/cleaned. Has anyone done this before? sorry, by curved visor I meant the part that goes over the "goggles" on the actual helmet faceplate, it's too flat for my taste and would have preferred a bit more of a curve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ketchup Posted November 22, 2014 Author Share Posted November 22, 2014 Ah, I gotcha. Yeah, it is a bit flat... I hadn't noticed that before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ketchup Posted December 18, 2014 Author Share Posted December 18, 2014 Been neglecting this thread a bit, but I thought I'd share some updates. (I blame Dragon Age Inquisition. XD) I got my cummerbund from MC. No pictures of it on me because it doesn't actually fit...it's an inch too small around the waist. Around my chest, it's fine, but somehow my lower measurement was off by a whole inch. I can get it on with help, but there is no way in Hades I can sit in it without busting out of the velcro. (I hate velcro with a passion, ugh...) I decided to try and make some alterations to it before giving up on it entirely and having them re-make me a new one. (I'm already planning on adding shoulder straps to it, as well as modding the cod to prevent camel toe, so what's another alteration? Lol) So my idea is this: I know that a 2-inch velcro closure is required, but I need the extra material to let out the bund, so I'm going to remove the velcro on the bund closure, and zipper the edges together. I'll sew on an extra velcro flap, so that it covers the zipper and gives the illusion that it secures the bund in the back, per the CRL. If I'm allowed to do that, I think it will be a better solution in the long run than a dedicated velcro closure. While I mentally wrestle with the space diaper problem, I've removed the external pockets from my RedKap coverall and am prepping it for tailoring and riding patch/buttflap installation. The size I ordered is enormous on me (That's what you get when the reviews tell you to order a few sizes up...), so the tailoring will be more extensive than I anticipated, but at least I know it will fit me well once it's done. Onto the bucket... Now these I have pictures for. I got my 3M bolt set from KW Designs, and they were clearly not meant for the MLC. Lol. For starters, the shank is not nearly long enough to serve as a proper, functioning bolt for the lid. Here it is next to the bolt that came standard on my MLC: It doesn't exactly sit flush against the side, either... Luckily, the other side of the bolt fits the stock MLC bolt just fine. A little loose, but not too bad. Am I correct in assuming I could just cut the bolt cover off and attach it to the bolt that came with the helmet? It certainly isn't usable as-is. That's all I have for now. My Garrison is having a huge armor party on back-to-back weekends just after New Year's, so that's when I hope to make all sorts of progress. And it will be indoors, so we don't have to pack up an hour in because it's too cold for the plastic... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ketchup Posted February 11, 2015 Author Share Posted February 11, 2015 Thanks to our fearless leader, I now have boots! Didn't get much done on my own kit at the aforementioned armor party, unfortunately. However, I did help out TWO fellow potential bikers, so all was not in vain. (I also re-strapped an entire TK that was held together with a decade's worth of duct tape/hopes and dreams.) But there is another armor party in two weeks, and I'm gonna cash in a few favors to help get my kit together. My goal is to have it wearable for the St. Patrick's Day parade, and approved by Celebration. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ketchup Posted July 15, 2015 Author Share Posted July 15, 2015 Been too long since I've been on, but I *have* been working! Put a good four or five coats on my lid, it still needs a couple of good coats before I can call the main coat done. Gotta work fast, though. The dome is starting to spread such that it's hard to close the faceplate over it. I also painted the snout, but didn't manage to get a picture of it. Woke up to a setback this morning, though. My belt has yellowed, and it's never seen the sun. :/ Pretty disheartening, and I'm still not sure what I'm going to do about it. I can reverse the chemical reaction using retrobright and a UV lamp, but it'll only be a matter of time before the belt yellows again, especially under trooping conditions. I'm really hoping that the rest of the kit didn't get pulled from this batch of plastic, or else I'm going to have some serious issues. I just want to get this thing done. *Groan* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Obey Wann Posted July 19, 2015 Share Posted July 19, 2015 Well.... Git RDone! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ketchup Posted July 21, 2015 Author Share Posted July 21, 2015 I'm seeing what I can do about the yellowing before I go too much further. If the kit is going to keep yellowing at this alarming rate, I'm going to get a new one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abe Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 great work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plushie Posted September 3, 2015 Share Posted September 3, 2015 I hope the vendor makes it right. Kits should not yellow so alarmingly fast. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jello Posted September 8, 2015 Share Posted September 8, 2015 Word Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ketchup Posted September 9, 2015 Author Share Posted September 9, 2015 Busting my hump to get this together for a ton of events coming up this month and the next! If I'm lucky, I may have it together for a dry run this weekend. (Sans flak vest and suit alterations, because I don't have time for that this week.) Working on it has helped soothe some professional disappointments for me the past week and a half, so progress has been steady. Sent an email to MC early last week about the yellowing on my kit (as I feared, it has affected almost all the parts). No response yet, but in the meantime I decided to paint it using the same Krylon Fusion gloss white I'm using on the helmet. This paint is awesome, very little prep work needed and it is sticking really well to the ABS. Overall, I'm pleased with the look I'm getting with it, even though it has meant extra hours on the build. The knee on the bottom was significantly yellow. The knee on top was nested under it and only has yellowing on the edges (for now). I didn't take a lot of pictures to document the before/after paint progress, unfortunately, as I tend to get into building mode and don't stop to take many pictures. The picture below shows the knees after a coat of paint. The pictures really don't do the yellow justice, thanks to lighting. But all the pieces had yellowing about as bad as the belt picture I posted above, which does illustrate the drastic difference pretty well. The biceps were just as bad as the belt. I masked off where I glued on the T-bits so the JB Weld would have more purchase, and you can kind of see the difference in this picture: With T-bits installed: So yeah, it has been a chore, but now I've painted pretty much everything except the chest and back/tank. Those I will paint once I dial in the chest straps. At least my belt is looking a lot better: I installed the boot holster, Panda-style, so the holster straps to my leg and has extra ABS shims to support it on the side of the boot. The boot stands up perfectly straight on its own thanks to this! I am very pleased with how it has turned out. Four silver rivets in the corners, 1/8" in diameter, with 1/4" grip. Lancer spec. Rubber Kenner recast...not Lancer spec. LOL. Although, I found a nice little resin blaster from Hole In The Ground for $45, which was recommended to me by a local Garrison member. I think I will keep the Kenner recast for general trooping purposes because it will be easier to hold and more durable. (The scale one for LFL troops, of course!) My goals for today are to get as much of the TD built as I can (my left side greeblie and TD clips are around here somewhere, I just don't know where...), and get the chest and back strapped together. I still need to find 1 3/4" cotton webbing, though. :/ Any help there would be appreciated. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ketchup Posted September 9, 2015 Author Share Posted September 9, 2015 I found some 45 mm / 1 3/4" webbing on etsy! Ordered some and it should be in soon... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ketchup Posted September 21, 2015 Author Share Posted September 21, 2015 Got my little Hole in the Ground resin blaster this weekend! I've started doing the cleanup work, and I'm quite pleased with it. Some bubbles and such, but that's par for the course with resin casts. Here you can see the scale difference between it and my rubber Kenner. It may be heavier than, say, a hyperfirm, but it's a heck of a lot lighter than the Kenner! Hopefully it'll last me a while until I can invest in a hyperfirm. (I have one of their E-11s and it ROCKS) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plushie Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 Jello likes his Hole in the Ground blaster. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jello Posted September 24, 2015 Share Posted September 24, 2015 Hole in the Ground FTW!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ketchup Posted August 12, 2018 Author Share Posted August 12, 2018 Bumping this thread up so I can find it and upload pictures later. After a long hiatus, I have continued my scout build! I acquired a SC chest/back set because I messed up my MC one, and it's almost done, just need to add the side strapping and mount the tank. Then I will get to the belt assembly. After that, I just need to strap up the biceps, forearms, and knees. Then she'll be ready to wear! I plan to do some test runs at Dragon Con at the end of the month to see what's going to work for the build. Then it will be adding the final details like the riding patch and butt flap, and making sure all is well for application! Really excited to be back in the saddle. Can't wait to get home and post some pictures for you guys. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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