Modellers Without Borders

I had no idea this project had started after seeing Attack of the Clones the first time in 2002, but it sat like a cist somewhere deep in the fuzz of parts and designs that constitutes my brain. It festered, waited, painless and hidden. Some 15 years later, I built a model by Bandai called the MG, (Master Grade), Ball. Trust me. If you like models, build this kit, it’s damn near perfect, even w/o paint lol. I enjoyed it immensely, so much so, I really wanted a PG, (Perfect Grade), BALL. Unfortunately, Bandai has not seen fit to create one. As some part of my brain was working on this, I came across Randy Cooper’s MLEV-5 by Pegasus Models and I knew I had to build it, A PG BALL! Somewhere online, around the time I ordered the MLEV, I saw an ad for a 1:100 Kshatria pre-built, half diecast, figure? by a company called Steel Legends. The Star Wars cist, waiting since seeing a few seconds of some ball walking across a battlefield, went off in my head. I instantly saw an outline, a silhouette, er something, much stronger and scarier. That vision, it had to come out of there or it would kill me. I ordered the Kshatria without thinking, putting myself in debt at the time. Things kinda snowballed from there. I don’t remember how the Y-Wing got incorporated, other than I needed some big guns, and spaceship engines might be turned into great guns by a good…Scavenger 😉 

At some point I decided the whole top half should spin like a turret. This decision complicated a lot of things. The pillar in the center that holds up the top half? Yes, Legos. I mounted a magnet on top and one on the bottom of the floor. The cut was made with a soldering iron as if done by some insane creature with a torch. The back door was blown in by said creature when it entered and still lies across the room on the floor. The damage to it was done with a hot air solder removal tool. The floor was so much fun. The cracks were made w the iron, the orange fleshy-looking stuff are thick twisted silicone wires w red ink. The arm came from the MLEV kit. There is lighting on the ceiling, except for the burned-out section. I routed all wiring easily behind the walls. The front windows had to be broken out to allow the guns to be mounted in.

If you made it this far, I guess I haven’t bored you too badly. It is harder to tell how I build than build lol. I have never thought about trying before. Things just kind of go together. I use an amazing amount of superglue, (CA). I even use it instead of plastic putty in most cases these days. I keep copious amounts of styrene tubes/rods/sheet around, though I am starting to recycle parts trees for raw materials wherever possible. Though the metals are applied via airbrush, most of the paint is rattle can over enough tape to ship a cat. I prefer the large cans by Vallejo that have come out since this model was built. The grays are Tamiya cans; gray primer, rubber black, and some other one I forget. All weathering/steaking is done with India Ink. Top coats are Mr Super Clear. Aside from a set of punches, an excellent set of tweezers, and a pair of GodHand nippers I use inexpensive old-school tools.