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It's an interesting idea, especially if that Optimus is very 'shellformer'-ey, which I'd guess he is. Another alternative I thought was getting a knockoff oversized Brainstorm and adding some extra parts to change the silhouette (especially the chest part) and maybe find some way to add a new head, irrelevant of the headmaster gimmick (as long as the head can be removed during transformation). Alternatively, I could see myself using a Combiner Wars Scattershot with a new head: I recall the non-Computron is still warming shelves and taking space in online stores. Thoughts on those less intense ideas?

Also next week I'll have the custom Skywarp done. And maybe Thundercracker, depend how well it goes.

Skritz wrote:It's an interesting idea, especially if that Optimus is very 'shellformer'-ey, which I'd guess he is. Another alternative I thought was getting a knockoff oversized Brainstorm and adding some extra parts to change the silhouette (especially the chest part) and maybe find some way to add a new head, irrelevant of the headmaster gimmick (as long as the head can be removed during transformation). Alternatively, I could see myself using a Combiner Wars Scattershot with a new head: I recall the non-Computron is still warming shelves and taking space in online stores. Thoughts on those less intense ideas?

Also next week I'll have the custom Skywarp done. And maybe Thundercracker, depend how well it goes.

It would be way less interesting. Even quite boring. Especially if you don't plan to make a combiner.

Challenge yourself! A better idea is to use the FIRST EDITION AoE Optimus. It is the one to get. Try to find one for dirt cheap. The truck can completely "separate" from the bot so you may build whatever altmode you want around the Optimus "skeleton".



One more trick is to find as much broken TFs as possible for cheap. Check out garage sales and flea markets. I usually buy them from a few cents to less than 5 bucks each. This give you many options to go nut.

I just ain't as ambitious or as confident as you, man. Hell I'm terrified that Skywarp, which is a straight up repaint, will come off all wrong and will ruin the figure.

Skritz wrote:I just ain't as ambitious or as confident as you, man. Hell I'm terrified that Skywarp, which is a straight up repaint, will come off all wrong and will ruin the figure.

You'll just have to start somewhere. The key is to practice on worthless crap. If you fail, try again. My Lab may look impressive, but I tell you that for every shown customs there, there's one failed or incomplete customs. Waiting to be completed or hidden in shame.

Also, I'd be "terrified" too for Skywarp because I suck at painting. That's the one area I need better equipement and more practice on.

Anyway, gather scraps and get your hands dirty. Don't hesitate to part-swaps and cut things off. Saw, glue, screw. Thinking about something stupid? DO IT! It might just work. The only thing you have to lose is scrap you may even have gotten for free.... and a few drops of blood!

-Kanrabat- wrote:

Skritz wrote:I just ain't as ambitious or as confident as you, man. Hell I'm terrified that Skywarp, which is a straight up repaint, will come off all wrong and will ruin the figure.

You'll just have to start somewhere. The key is to practice on worthless crap. If you fail, try again. My Lab may look impressive, but I tell you that for every shown customs there, there's one failed or incomplete customs. Waiting to be completed or hidden in shame.

Also, I'd be "terrified" too for Skywarp because I suck at painting. That's the one area I need better equipement and more practice on.

Anyway, gather scraps and get your hands dirty. Don't hesitate to part-swaps and cut things off. Saw, glue, screw. Thinking about something stupid? DO IT! It might just work. The only thing you have to lose is scrap you may even have gotten for free.... and a few drops of blood!

I know i'm a little late, but i say stick with the CW Siverbolt/Scatershot mold. The G2 Silverbolt is already close. And i have plenty of scrap i'm not one to do things like that. Not everyone likes the style of your Postapocalicons

I only have experience painting miniatures. Not used to dealing with things with moving parts, even if my study of the PotP Starscream transformation scheme leaves me confident that it's relatively doable exactly because it's such a 'bad' transformation. I plan to make use of the fact it has such a simple robot-to-jet conversion where most of the altmode is on the back to my advantage.

Skritz wrote:I only have experience painting miniatures. Not used to dealing with things with moving parts, even if my study of the PotP Starscream transformation scheme leaves me confident that it's relatively doable exactly because it's such a 'bad' transformation. I plan to make use of the fact it has such a simple robot-to-jet conversion where most of the altmode is on the back to my advantage.

Oh and you should. That's another great idea and very doable. You can keep ALL the jet parts. Then all you have to do is to sacrifice the combiner gimmick by changing the clown forearms and boots. You can even give limbs that partly transform for a more streamlined jet. If you have scraps on hand, it may be way easier than you think.

...

You know a mold that make for some nice customs that are relatively easy to do but with completely different looks? The 2007 voyager Starscream mold. He's dirt cheap, and common like roaches.



Just changing the arms and legs, and head create a different spaceship and character! I LOVE that mold and I made several. Just check out my lab for examples... That is, if the image links work.

Right now I plan to remove the big gauntlet and the combiner head on Skywarp and Thundercracker. Starscream is probably getting the same cosmetic touch up, maybe some extra paint and reprolables later but I intended to keep his combiner gimmick intact just in case, leaving it as an option.

It's basic, but I intended to start there.

Skritz wrote:Right now I plan to remove the big gauntlet and the combiner head on Skywarp and Thundercracker. Starscream is probably getting the same cosmetic touch up, maybe some extra paint and reprolables later but I intended to keep his combiner gimmick intact just in case, leaving it as an option.

It's basic, but I intended to start there.

Good idea. They will also look less like clones.

I might also somewhat vary their exact paint apps placement, so even if they share the same mold they won't look completely identical. I'd have to look at different interpretations of the Seekers to be sure, but I'm fairly confident characters this iconic I've seen many small variations.

So I'm planning on making a Flip Sides and Rosanna from Fakebusker's excellent Shapeways Rewind transforming models. Only thing is that he has two available- one disc shaped one (designed to fit into FOC Blaster) and one tablet shaped one (designed to look like his IDW alt mode). Now I'm planning on getting both and making one into Rosanna and the other into Flip Sides, but I'm not sure which one to do as which!

On the one hand, "IDW" Rewind has the Autobot logo on the back which would make him more suited to Rosanna, at least in theory. However, one could argue that being an infiltrator, an Autobranded data pad would be the ideal alt mode for Flip Sides. Likewise, whilst "FoC" Rewind has the factionless alt mode, given that Rosanna is meant to be an idol singer there is something quite appropriate about her turning into a data disc. Though then again the IDW version could be made to look like an MP3 player...

TLDR: Rosanna and Flip Sides, who gets the rectangle and who gets the circle?

i thought of something someone could do, turn the power of the prime optimus prime to motormaster, and make him combiner compatiable for his team, make it look sorta more g1 like

skycutter wrote:i thought of something someone could do, turn the power of the prime optimus prime to motormaster, and make him combiner compatiable for his team, make it look sorta more g1 like

This could be VERY interesting to do.
That would be a LOT of work to do and it would require sacrificing a CW Motormaster and a PotP leader Optimus. If I had those figures, I could try it out. Unfortunately, I do not and I wont be risking destroying 100$+ of figures....

Skritz wrote:What would be the best molds to turn into the Brainmasters? Part of me want to either say some CW Cars but then you get the issue that they lack Brainmaster equivalent and only form limbs, leaving you wonder how the heck you'd even make a Road Caesar. Ditching the combination gimmick does open up Titans Return molds, with Head Titan Masters being a nice stand-in for the Brainmaster gimmick. The problem is, there's only really a single Titans Return 'car' mold and that's Chromedome.

Hmmm. I'm stumped on this idea I initially wanted to post out of boredom.

You could make hotspot into a blacker which includes the combiner mode arms without changing anything other than the head.

Transform the ladder into its backpack mode and unfold the sides. Remove some of the wheels.
Repaint it into blacker. For the combined mode torso form the normal torso mode, twist round the head, unfold the arms, than configure them so the wheels ar pointing in the same direction as the head and the alt mode parts on the forearms are facing that way too, with the hands pointing downwards. Finaly put hotspots guns in his hands and fit the combiner mode hands into the 5mm ports and the end of each gun.
The torso mode can have legs formed by deluxes but arms formed by itself. The end result is a blacker capable of forming the torso of a three OR five part combiner and is able to use groove or other uses of the mold as chestplate armor in five part combiner torso mode.

Hi. So i've got a few questions for customs i'm thinking of doing.

1.a. Can someone who has both Studio Series Stinger and Prime Deluxe Knockout confirm or deny if the ball joints are the same size.
1.b. Can someone swap the heads, take a pic of it, and make sure that it can still transform fully.
1.c. Do Stinger's backpack arm-things come off?

2. Can someone who has Studio Series Blackout check and see how his head is conected?

Thankfull for any help i can get
Hotconvoy

Here is a really, really bonkers one that I dare the most advanced customizer to try! Turning Power of the Primes 'Leader Evolution Optimal Optimus' into a 'Leader Evolution Liege Maximo'. What, you don't know how that could work? Allow me to explain.

The original G2 Liege Maximo looks like this:

Giant, hulking demon-like lump with giant hands who sit on a throne, covered in HR Geiger-esque biomechanical mess of tubes.

Meanwhile his Aligned and (what I call Neo-G1) IDW design looks like this:

A more normal looking Transformers who basically look a lot like Loki.

Okay so how does one turn Optimal Optimus into Liege Maximo? Well, basically do bear in mind this custom wouldn't really have an alt mode. The idea is to turn the small Primal into the smaller, newer Liege Maximo with a new head and maybe torso. This small Liege Maximo exist as part of the 'backpack' on the larger body, as it does with Primal. Meanwhile, the larger 'Optimal' body is cut apart, gutting away as many elmements which make him look like Optimus Primal as possible, using putty and putting tubes and sculpting a new, monstrous demonic form which make use of the overall body shape of Optimal Optimus, retaining the articulation.

Thus, does Liege Maximo live up (finally) to the modern idea that he is a trickster: his monstrous, big handed demon self is a sham, with the real Maximo hiding on his back like a coward, pretending to be this giant demonic figure.

Edit: A very, very VERY crude picture of what I mean.

Skritz wrote:Here is a really, really bonkers one that I dare the most advanced customizer to try! Turning Power of the Primes 'Leader Evolution Optimal Optimus' into a 'Leader Evolution Liege Maximo'. What, you don't know how that could work? Allow me to explain.

The original G2 Liege Maximo looks like this:

Giant, hulking demon-like lump with giant hands who sit on a throne, covered in HR Geiger-esque biomechanical mess of tubes.

Meanwhile his Aligned and (what I call Neo-G1) IDW design looks like this:

A more normal looking Transformers who basically look a lot like Loki.

Okay so how does one turn Optimal Optimus into Liege Maximo? Well, basically do bear in mind this custom wouldn't really have an alt mode. The idea is to turn the small Primal into the smaller, newer Liege Maximo with a new head and maybe torso. This small Liege Maximo exist as part of the 'backpack' on the larger body, as it does with Primal. Meanwhile, the larger 'Optimal' body is cut apart, gutting away as many elmements which make him look like Optimus Primal as possible, using putty and putting tubes and sculpting a new, monstrous demonic form which make use of the overall body shape of Optimal Optimus, retaining the articulation.

Thus, does Liege Maximo live up (finally) to the modern idea that he is a trickster: his monstrous, big handed demon self is a sham, with the real Maximo hiding on his back like a coward, pretending to be this giant demonic figure.

Edit: A very, very VERY crude picture of what I mean.

I accept your dare, and conter dare you!

I DOUBLE-DOG-DARE YOU to send me $60(USD) & 2 of the PotP Optimal Optimus!
(So I can, ya'know do your custom)


If you chose to accept, I will srnd you my completed work...




So, what say you? (PM if you accept my turms)

Here are some ideas I had recently:
Alpha Bravo into Deathcobra (the cartoon-only Breastforce limb helicopter)
Making resin reproductions of the Prime Armor-compatible version of the CW-style combiner peg, and replacing the Combiner Wars Breastforce members' original pegs with those. After all, the Breastforce members are supposed to have extra armor that attaches to their chests.
Heavily bashing PotP Starscream into Leozack. Or if you're really ambitious, into Leozack and Jallguar (probably bringing in an additional figure to supply most of Jallguar's body).

And an older pair of ideas:
Taking Combiner Wars Cyclonus, removing the combiner ports and Galvatronus kibble, and modifying his wings to be set up more like Universe Cyclonus'.
Taking the combiner ports removed from Cyclonus, and attaching them to T30 Metroplex in the same spots the original Metroplex had combiner ports.

Based off a discussion about those who lost the 'Next Prime' vote: I was thinking a few ways to imagine a 'Hound Prime' design but alas no POTP Leader Mold would ever work, even with massive customizing. As such this got me thinking back to simply using a Voyager-sized mold as that's a decent size class for most leaders.

Since Hound is a military Jeep, presumably his upgraded altmode would also be a military vehicle. Which got me thinking about the idea he could have been a tank. Now I know on the surface this seems unfitting for G1 Hound who is a nice guy but it would remain consistent with his previous altmode and would look suitably big and imposing while retaining an identical color scheme of army green. As such, the upcoming Siege Megatron with some customizing, including a new head, would be well-suited to the 'what if' that is 'Hound Prime'.

The other option would be to get a knockoff oversized Rook, give it a new head and paint it green. Still military, still big and leader-like and military but otherwise more friendly than a tank.

Third option would be T30 Roadbuster, again with a new head.

Skritz wrote:Based off a discussion about those who lost the 'Next Prime' vote: I was thinking a few ways to imagine a 'Hound Prime' design but alas no POTP Leader Mold would ever work, even with massive customizing. As such this got me thinking back to simply using a Voyager-sized mold as that's a decent size class for most leaders.

Since Hound is a military Jeep, presumably his upgraded altmode would also be a military vehicle. Which got me thinking about the idea he could have been a tank. Now I know on the surface this seems unfitting for G1 Hound who is a nice guy but it would remain consistent with his previous altmode and would look suitably big and imposing while retaining an identical color scheme of army green. As such, the upcoming Siege Megatron with some customizing, including a new head, would be well-suited to the 'what if' that is 'Hound Prime'.

The other option would be to get a knockoff oversized Rook, give it a new head and paint it green. Still military, still big and leader-like and military but otherwise more friendly than a tank.

Third option would be T30 Roadbuster, again with a new head.

What would you say to Universe (or WFC Siege) Hound, with evolved form armor that transforms into a missile trailer towed by the Jeep?

ZeldaTheSwordsman wrote:

Skritz wrote:Based off a discussion about those who lost the 'Next Prime' vote: I was thinking a few ways to imagine a 'Hound Prime' design but alas no POTP Leader Mold would ever work, even with massive customizing. As such this got me thinking back to simply using a Voyager-sized mold as that's a decent size class for most leaders.

Since Hound is a military Jeep, presumably his upgraded altmode would also be a military vehicle. Which got me thinking about the idea he could have been a tank. Now I know on the surface this seems unfitting for G1 Hound who is a nice guy but it would remain consistent with his previous altmode and would look suitably big and imposing while retaining an identical color scheme of army green. As such, the upcoming Siege Megatron with some customizing, including a new head, would be well-suited to the 'what if' that is 'Hound Prime'.

The other option would be to get a knockoff oversized Rook, give it a new head and paint it green. Still military, still big and leader-like and military but otherwise more friendly than a tank.

Third option would be T30 Roadbuster, again with a new head.

What would you say to Universe (or WFC Siege) Hound, with evolved form armor that transforms into a missile trailer towed by the Jeep?

Would look badass but good luck trying to make that short of a third party upgrade kit nobody would buy!

Well, you could start with a model kit of such a trailer.

Here are some more ideas:
* Taking the Megatronus/Bomb-Burst and Quintus/Bludgeon Prime Masters, and swapping the legs to improve their accuracy (at least when it comes to detail).
And in general, painting up the Prime Masters to look more accurate where possible. Megatronus/Bomb-Burst and Alpha Trion/Landmine would obviously require more work than just paint, which leads into...
* Kitbashing the Megatronus and Alpha Trion Prime Masters so that they actually look like Bomb-Burst/Blood and Landmine/Lander
* Painting the border detail on the Prime Masters' spark emblems to better reflect the Prime they're based on (for example, painting the border detail on Vector Prime's emblem white with some gold and magenta accents) where necessary
* Taking the "Siege On Cybertron" Metalhawk, separating his face from the original "Professor Go" Titan Master, and screwing it to a spare PotP Metalhawk in place of the spark emblem
* A new chest shield for TR Powermaster Optimus Prime (or Legends Super Ginrai) that has a removable PotP Enigma/Matrix Core-type piece based on G1 Hi-Q/Ginrai's engine block. Or, or those using the PC-15 head, a thinner engine block that replaces the face on the "Apex"/Ginrai Titan Master
* An Iguanus shell for Nexus Prime (going off the body details) that turns into a whip weapon (on account of Iguanus' tail)
* Making a shell for Onyx Prime. Since he's an original design that looks more like a cross between G1 Predaking and Cybertron Scourge than any of the Pretenders, I think it would logically follow for him to have a unique shell and that said shell should be animal-themed. I'm considering three possibilities here: 1. A dragon 2. A horse referenced from Bluehorse/Sir Sire Horse 3. A unicorn knight

Some more ideas (apologies if they're duplicates. I looked back through the thread to check and didn't see, but you never know).

* The Universe Sideswipe mold for Lightfoot/Getaway. It's practically tailor-made for him! The most major thing you'd need to do to make the body match up is remount the door kibble so that it becomes the distinctive paldrons.
* Movie 1 Leader Megatron into a Leader-class DOTM Shockwave. He's got the size, the ratchets, and his armor plating and ribcage could potentially be modded into Shockwave's without excessive trouble.
* PotP Slug into Carnivac, because of his transformation scheme

These are all on one theme, that being Fortress Maximus:
* Use the thigh joints from a junked Supreme-class Starscream to give Titans Return Fort Max below-the-knee rotation, which combined with notching where needed (and probably adjusting the calf seam position) would allow for a more accurate city mode.
* New or heavily kitbashed feet that have docks for Siege Gasket and Grommet
* Gun for Siege Cog that matches original Cog's gun
* Extension for central ramp that includes elevator
* Attachments for arm decks that add proper Titans Return-style base ramps to the ends. Long ones.
* Extensions for central tower that bring it up to its proper height and provide a proper cockpit for "Emissary", and also act as storage of abdominal guns. These would add partsforming, admittedly
* Launch rams for the arm decks.
*Modifying the upper right part of the torso so that Cerebros can attach there in communications room mode as per the original

Suddenly... I saw in pink and blue and yellow stripes... and Studio Series Dropkick became Studio Series Rotorstorm!

... and then I realized everybody else had the same idea and I'm just slooooow.

*hides underneath fortress of shame*

Oh dear look what pin I managed to work out
They look slick in their individual modes. Just the pin at Primal’s shoulders and they can still combine and transform. Neat!
Always remember you run a risk working out any pins or making any adjustments to your figures so be careful gang!