{"id":1385,"date":"2023-09-09T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-09-09T17:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/scope-eye.net\/?p=1385"},"modified":"2023-09-11T08:20:57","modified_gmt":"2023-09-11T13:20:57","slug":"50-shades-but-the-1980s-version-not-quite-63-days-to-scgmc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scope-eye.net\/?p=1385","title":{"rendered":"50 Shades, but the 1980s Version (not quite&#8230;  63 days to SCGMC)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>It has been pretty rough of late trying to get motivated to work on my projects for SCGMC. Most of this year my engagement with the hobby has been spotty at best. Early in the year my plan was to start things off with a number of small, quick projects starting with the Zakus in January, but the project dragged into mid February and I started to lose patience with it. I&#8217;ve started a few other projects, like the YF-19s when the Bandai kit came out, or the Strike Valkyrie in the summer, but I&#8217;ve found it tough to stay engaged and keep moving forward with them. I had planned to do another 100 day project for the Zaku Kai, leading up to SCGMC in November, but all through August I found it very difficult just to sit down and work on it with any kind of consistency.<br \/>\nAt this point, 100 days has already diminished to fewer than 70, about 9 weeks. It&#8217;s frustrating, but the best thing I can do now is try to make the most of that time. It stinks to have lost a whole month (to say nothing of the prior months) but 9 weeks is still a significant amount of time if I use it right. I estimate that in the 100 day project last year I only actualy used about half, around 45-50, and in that time I moved mountains, accomplished more on this project than I had in years, maybe more than all the prior work on the project put together. I also got a lot better at making my efforts count, how to work effectively and not get hung up on perfectionist tendencies. The upshot is that I think I&#8217;m finally getting my head in the game again and making steady progress.<br \/>\n<a href=\"model-data\/1_100_Zaku_Kai\/zakufz_20230909_neck_5.jpeg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"model-data\/1_100_Zaku_Kai\/zakufz_20230909_neck_5_thumb.jpeg\" title=\"Poseable, therefore valid\"><\/a><br \/>\n<!--more--><br \/>\nOne of the first significant pieces of work I did with the Zaku after bringing it out again is start work on a neck joint. I often feel like I put too much effort into adding moveable joints to projects like this, but I am a Gundam modeler after all. The neck joint in this case is a bit complicated because the head sits very low against the (concave) top of the chest, and from that position it has little clearance to move unless it&#8217;s raised first. It&#8217;s also nice to have a little ability to make the Zaku look up. But beyond that I&#8217;ve been wanting to get the Zaku to the point where its parts can all be connected and the thing can really stand on its own.<br \/>\n<a href=\"model-data\/1_100_Zaku_Kai\/zakufz_20230909_neck_1.jpeg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"model-data\/1_100_Zaku_Kai\/zakufz_20230909_neck_1_thumb.jpeg\" title=\"The neck joint has an L shape, so the head can be raised by shifting it forward a bit, but there's still space for a neck joint cover part to sit on top of it\"><\/a> <a href=\"model-data\/1_100_Zaku_Kai\/zakufz_20230909_neck_2.jpeg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"model-data\/1_100_Zaku_Kai\/zakufz_20230909_neck_2_thumb.jpeg\" title=\"Opening a hole in the chest for the neck joint\"><\/a> <a href=\"model-data\/1_100_Zaku_Kai\/zakufz_20230909_neck_3.jpeg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"model-data\/1_100_Zaku_Kai\/zakufz_20230909_neck_3_thumb.jpeg\" title=\"Testing the head position sitting on the new neck parts\"><\/a> <a href=\"model-data\/1_100_Zaku_Kai\/zakufz_20230909_neck_4.jpeg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"model-data\/1_100_Zaku_Kai\/zakufz_20230909_neck_4_thumb.jpeg\" title=\"The neck in standard position...\"><\/a> <a href=\"model-data\/1_100_Zaku_Kai\/zakufz_20230909_neck_5.jpeg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"model-data\/1_100_Zaku_Kai\/zakufz_20230909_neck_5_thumb.jpeg\" title=\"And raised. It's not much, really, but it's good enough for now.\"><\/a> <a href=\"model-data\/1_100_Zaku_Kai\/zakufz_20230909_neck_6.jpeg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"model-data\/1_100_Zaku_Kai\/zakufz_20230909_neck_6_thumb.jpeg\" title=\"Front view\"><\/a> <a href=\"model-data\/1_100_Zaku_Kai\/zakufz_20230909_neck_7.jpeg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"model-data\/1_100_Zaku_Kai\/zakufz_20230909_neck_7_thumb.jpeg\" title=\"Head raised - I think it does a good job of giving the Zaku a bit more expressiveness.\"><\/a> <a href=\"model-data\/1_100_Zaku_Kai\/zakufz_20230909_neck_8.jpeg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"model-data\/1_100_Zaku_Kai\/zakufz_20230909_neck_8_thumb.jpeg\" title=\"Low front view\"><\/a> <a href=\"model-data\/1_100_Zaku_Kai\/zakufz_20230909_neck_9.jpeg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"model-data\/1_100_Zaku_Kai\/zakufz_20230909_neck_9_thumb.jpeg\" title=\"I chose this view to get an idea of how the neck extension might look from less-flattering angles.\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p>I also set out to finish the shoulder pauldron. This part has always been a bit of a struggle since it&#8217;s a very free-form curved part but also one that I want to be symmerical, particularly with noticeable details like the position and angle of the spikes. But I think this iteration of the part is generally good enough, and the main thing it needs at this point is some sanding to smooth out some of the irregularities from the sculpting process. The part was in pretty rough shape in terms of these kinds of artifacts, and it was missing some material on the back corner as well. A bit of work made quite a bit of difference here, but it still needs some more attention.<br \/>\n<a href=\"model-data\/1_100_Zaku_Kai\/zakufz_20230909_pauldron_1.jpeg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"model-data\/1_100_Zaku_Kai\/zakufz_20230909_pauldron_1_thumb.jpeg\" title=\"A bit of light sanding here helps to illustrate the generally lumpy nature of the part\"><\/a> <a href=\"model-data\/1_100_Zaku_Kai\/zakufz_20230909_pauldron_2.jpeg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"model-data\/1_100_Zaku_Kai\/zakufz_20230909_pauldron_2_thumb.jpeg\" title=\"On the rear view we can see some areas are very rough, and the edge of the part is missing some material.\"><\/a> <a href=\"model-data\/1_100_Zaku_Kai\/zakufz_20230909_pauldron_5.jpeg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"model-data\/1_100_Zaku_Kai\/zakufz_20230909_pauldron_5_thumb.jpeg\" title=\"In this view it's easier to see the areas, at the bottom right, where the fringe at the edge of the part doesn't extend out far enough to match the template\"><\/a> <a href=\"model-data\/1_100_Zaku_Kai\/zakufz_20230909_pauldron_6.jpeg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"model-data\/1_100_Zaku_Kai\/zakufz_20230909_pauldron_6_thumb.jpeg\" title=\"Front of the pauldron, still looking pretty rough\"><\/a> <a href=\"model-data\/1_100_Zaku_Kai\/zakufz_20230909_pauldron_7.jpeg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"model-data\/1_100_Zaku_Kai\/zakufz_20230909_pauldron_7_thumb.jpeg\" title=\"Starting to get a smoother surface...\"><\/a> <a href=\"model-data\/1_100_Zaku_Kai\/zakufz_20230909_pauldron_8.jpeg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"model-data\/1_100_Zaku_Kai\/zakufz_20230909_pauldron_8_thumb.jpeg\" title=\"After some more sanding, it starts to get a nicer surface\"><\/a> <a href=\"model-data\/1_100_Zaku_Kai\/zakufz_20230909_pauldron_9.jpeg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"model-data\/1_100_Zaku_Kai\/zakufz_20230909_pauldron_9_thumb.jpeg\" title=\"Front surface remains rough at the edges, it needs more work\"><\/a> <a href=\"model-data\/1_100_Zaku_Kai\/zakufz_20230909_pauldron_10.jpeg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"model-data\/1_100_Zaku_Kai\/zakufz_20230909_pauldron_10_thumb.jpeg\" title=\"I did some carving on the rear surface trying to emphasize that groove at the base of the fringe, but the epoxy putty came off in chunks. This area is still rough.\"><\/a> <a href=\"model-data\/1_100_Zaku_Kai\/zakufz_20230909_pauldron_11.jpeg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"model-data\/1_100_Zaku_Kai\/zakufz_20230909_pauldron_11_thumb.jpeg\" title=\"I added more epoxy putty to fill out the edge. New layers of epoxy putty don't bond well to the old stuff, though, so dealing with that will be a challenge.\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Another recent focus has been the knee joint. I felt like it was sitting too high, and I wanted to fix that. However that meant other adjustments to the knee armor and the upper and lower legs were also necessary.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"model-data\/1_100_Zaku_Kai\/zakufz_20230909_knee_1.jpeg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"model-data\/1_100_Zaku_Kai\/zakufz_20230909_knee_1_thumb.jpeg\" title=\"Comparison of scratch-built knee joint to 3D printed version. Note the bottom cylinder of the knee joint sits much lower in the 3D print version. Also the knee armor on the scratchbuild version includes a small extension to make up the difference.\"><\/a> <a href=\"model-data\/1_100_Zaku_Kai\/zakufz_20230909_knee_2.jpeg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"model-data\/1_100_Zaku_Kai\/zakufz_20230909_knee_2_thumb.jpeg\" title=\"After adjustment the knee joint sits lower, as it should, but this introduced problems of the knee armor running into the lower leg\"><\/a> <a href=\"model-data\/1_100_Zaku_Kai\/zakufz_20230909_knee_3.jpeg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"model-data\/1_100_Zaku_Kai\/zakufz_20230909_knee_3_thumb.jpeg\" title=\"To make it easier to get the knee armor into proper alignment I decided to add a second tab to the knee mechanism. I started by gluing on some epoxy putty\"><\/a> <a href=\"model-data\/1_100_Zaku_Kai\/zakufz_20230909_knee_4.jpeg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"model-data\/1_100_Zaku_Kai\/zakufz_20230909_knee_4_thumb.jpeg\" title=\"I then put the knee armor on, in the desired position. This caused the new epoxy putty to conform, so we can press the knee armor against the cured epoxy putty to align the armor.\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p>I also started work on the right-side upper leg. Although the left and right upper legs are made from the same mold, some features differ between the two, so the work I did to add joint parts to the left upper leg have to be repeated for the right. So far I&#8217;ve just begun the process of grinding out some of the excess material in the part, and enlarging the hole for the hip joint<br \/>\n<a href=\"model-data\/1_100_Zaku_Kai\/zakufz_20230909_leg_1.jpeg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"model-data\/1_100_Zaku_Kai\/zakufz_20230909_leg_1_thumb.jpeg\" title=\"The new part, on the left, will ultimately need to me a mirrored version of the other part on the right.\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p>I made some updates to the feet: Originally I&#8217;d planned for the ankle joint to have cylindrical protrusions sticking out the sides, like on the MG Zaku F2, and so cut-outs for those protrusions were incorporated into the foot parts. But I&#8217;ve since decided against the idea, so I&#8217;ve removed those features. Also the original sculpt for the back half of the foot had some problems: it was a bit too boxy and narrow, and so didn&#8217;t fit well with the front part of the foot. I added epoxy putty to give it more of a curved appearance<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"model-data\/1_100_Zaku_Kai\/zakufz_20230909_foot_1.jpeg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"model-data\/1_100_Zaku_Kai\/zakufz_20230909_foot_1_thumb.jpeg\" title=\"At the back of this foot part there was a cylindrical cut-out for the ankle joint. I changed my mind and decided I didn't want the ankle part to stick out the sides of the foot, so I removed the cut-outs as well.\"><\/a> <a href=\"model-data\/1_100_Zaku_Kai\/zakufz_20230909_foot_2.jpeg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"model-data\/1_100_Zaku_Kai\/zakufz_20230909_foot_2_thumb.jpeg\" title=\"I added epoxy putty to the surface of the heel part to widen it and give it more of a curved look\"><\/a> <a href=\"model-data\/1_100_Zaku_Kai\/zakufz_20230909_foot_3.jpeg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"model-data\/1_100_Zaku_Kai\/zakufz_20230909_foot_3_thumb.jpeg\" title=\"View from the bottom of the heel, it makes it a bit clearer where material was added beyond the original styrene frame\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p>And&#8230;  Other stuff. I dunno. Read the captions or something.<br \/>\n<a href=\"model-data\/1_100_Zaku_Kai\/zakufz_20230909_belly_1.jpeg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"model-data\/1_100_Zaku_Kai\/zakufz_20230909_belly_1_thumb.jpeg\" title=\"I started the process of sanding the belly part smooth. As with the pauldron, the start of the sanding process makes it clear just how rough that surface is.\"><\/a> <a href=\"model-data\/1_100_Zaku_Kai\/zakufz_20230909_cockpit_1.jpeg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"model-data\/1_100_Zaku_Kai\/zakufz_20230909_cockpit_1_thumb.jpeg\" title=\"I had to remove the cockpit hatch, I needed access to the panel behind it so I could install the neck joint. I will have to re-attach it later.\"><\/a> <a href=\"model-data\/1_100_Zaku_Kai\/zakufz_20230909_grenade_1.jpeg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"model-data\/1_100_Zaku_Kai\/zakufz_20230909_grenade_1_thumb.jpeg\" title=\"I want to get the skirt armors into a more finished state, which means the grenades which mount onto the right side skirt must be ready as well. I started with some styrene tube, cut to length, and then added epoxy putty to create the taper. I based this part on the grenade in the Blender model, which I updated in preparation for this work.\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p>There is a lot I wanted to do for SCGMC this year, but honestly I might have my hands full just finishing up the Zaku. We&#8217;ll see I guess. For now I need to keep going and keep making headway on the project.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It has been pretty rough of late trying to get motivated to work on my projects for SCGMC. Most of this year my engagement with the hobby has been spotty at best. Early in the year my plan was to start things off with a number of small, quick projects starting with the Zakus in [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[8,68],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/scope-eye.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1385"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/scope-eye.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/scope-eye.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scope-eye.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scope-eye.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1385"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/scope-eye.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1385\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1390,"href":"https:\/\/scope-eye.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1385\/revisions\/1390"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/scope-eye.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1385"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scope-eye.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1385"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scope-eye.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1385"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}