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Christopher Christou

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Posts posted by Christopher Christou

  1. Hey Phil

    Thanks for the feedback,much appreciated.😁

    Like I say its pretty straight forward in you don't have to be perfect with brushing the oil onto the model,its more how it looks when you have brushed it away with tissue and drybrush,then tissue wipe again if required.  I don't think you will have any issue with doing it with your wealth of background/experience  in models 🫡

    Glad you spent some time with the family this weekend,can't beat it👍

    I actually had a spare weekend for once so spent it touching up r2d2 and putting some more of the leopard together.

    Will keep an eye on your profile and see how your other models are coming along.

    You should post some pics of your other non agora models here when you get a chance.like a new thread with the batmobile for instance.im sure people will appreciate seeing how they are coming together.

    Cheers,chris🥃

     

    • Thanks 1
  2. Hi guys,just wanted to post some pics and advice on what I did to weather my r2d2.

    Everyone has their own way and do what suits you best but I found this way to be pretty straight forward and easy to adjust if you make a mistake.

    If This is something you might consider in the future i think it's a nice mod and although r2d2 looks awesome as he is,the weathering gives it something extra and makes him stand out.

     

    Firstly you must aquire these Oilbrushes (ebay,hobby shops) they are relatively cheap around £3-£4 each  and go a long way for the price.i haven't had to buy any more and I have nearly finished weathering the full r2d2.

    16978785548867322050337064824549.thumb.jpg.5caa6c8127f913cf9ba9ab94b90ea48c.jpg

    I prefer the look of black over starship filth so haven't used much of the starship filth.  I mainly used the black and rust.  But you can see what you prefer when you start.

     

    Then get your self some tissue sheets and your ready to give it a try.  

    This is one of the panel weathered so you can see the effect it has and also a panel I haven't touched yet.

    16978794308482705339342062922260.thumb.jpg.e6546a8e34ed2f56d0cd8aff3828967a.jpg

     

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    16978795975765279703199955701441.thumb.jpg.89207644cb33e1a2e743fa6712f1d4ee.jpg

    Not weathered👇

    16978796752182618731469671878496.thumb.jpg.11d59dd8c6abc0604782e097b383cde0.jpg

     

    so first give the oilbrush a good shake (I'm using black first) then apply into the grooves of the plastic.dont worry if it's not neat all the way it's OK if it goes onto the flat plastic as you will be wiping away and blending in the black to your liking.

    16978799432456345892630786507072.thumb.jpg.3d4da034be7bee0322d31f4fa9d78144.jpg

    Then wipe with a tissue over the panel and you can wipe over until your happy with how the oil is sitting.

    16978801666194197704990040420231.thumb.jpg.b33162522f04b34a5f463e6399c7883c.jpg

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    Then using a small paintbrush you can then drybrush the rest of the oil how you like to create the desired effect.(do not wet the brush with water,just dry)you can also wipe off the oil onto tissue if you feel you have too much on the brush.

    16978803972833929278216330573197.thumb.jpg.16ddfc71328141ec4bf92d5d4ac8f81a.jpg

    Then wipe away the oil how you like with tissue after drybrushing and see what your happy with.dont worry about it setting as it takes a good 48 hours to dry fully so if you make a big mistake then you can wet tissue and wipe clean.

    16978806593524504189751054350921.thumb.jpg.94a4611f0c8a96f99de386bdf3c9c51f.jpg

     Don't forget you can dab the drybrush on the plastic or sweep it up and down near the grooves to give effect of more dirt build up on edges or corners.

    Dont be worried to Experiment and see what you like,for instance I will show you more buildup on the edge of the panel for a different effect.this time in rust.

    16978812791677417265730140122410.thumb.jpg.50983416950269af78f3a4695575a58e.jpg

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    Bit more wipe of tissue and light brush strokes and you get a nice thicker looking rust effect👇

    16978818714302537323513173261673.thumb.jpg.de08bc114a4a384d16398d296379d1ff.jpg

    Bear in mind if you leave it on thick it will take longer to dry so i like to do my black weathering first leave for a couple of days so it's dry,then I add my rust effect.

     

    If anyone would like any more advice then please just send message and I will do my best to help.  Hopefully some of are agorians will find this helpful😁

    Chris 

    • Like 2
  3. Hey guys

    Definitely agree Phil,that's a logical step forward for them and so true about clearing their warehouse.  What your saying makes complete sense for them and the customer.🤞

    Sorry to hear about the model space experience ☹️,sounds truly awful leaving you in the lurch so close to finishing the tank.  Waste of time and money and no communication.

    You think they would have sent the last 2 packs to you as a way of saying thanks for the support before they collapsed....

    The Leopard tank story made me chuckle haha😆 I have 2 staffy dogs too and interested to see how they react to the leopard and r2d2 when they are complete.  I'm thinking they will have the same reaction as your brothers Lakeland terrier lol.

    No problem with some guidance on the weathering process for r2. I will post another thread on this section of non agora models on what I did. 

    Have a great weekend guys.

    Cheers👍

     

    • Like 1
  4. On 9/8/2023 at 1:22 PM, Bob Ly. said:

    I have asked Agora several times and always get the same answer, "We expect soon" or the last answer  "

    Hello Robert, we are sorry for the longer than anticipated wait. It is looking like the by the end of July/ early August we will finally have stock available again. An email and social posts will be sent out when the stock is 100% available in our warehouse."

    Thank you,
    Customer Service Team"

     

    Well we are a third through September.  I subscribed, completed last May, and did what was asked. Still no real answer, just "SOON".

     

    Giving up hope. 

    There's one available now!!posted link above.Go!!!go!!go!!!

  5. Hi Bob 

    Just revisited the thread and your reply back in September,don't know if its too late or agora have one in stock/you recieved one but I got lucky and found one on ebay. 

    Please check around from time to time on and see what comes up.  Mine was from a hatchette build and I only paid 52 quid brand new in box with postage.

    I understand its very frustrating and you want it to finish the look of the terminator (I was in the same boat)  

    Keep an eye out and hopefully you will manage to get your hands on one.

    In the meantime if I see any I will post link here.

    Kind regards 

    Chris

  6. Hey guys,  heard back from fanhome and unfortunately no joy.  

    Here is the response from my email regarding buying in bulk.👇

     

    Hi Christopher,
     
    Thank you for contacting Fanhome.
     
    I hope this email finds you well.
     
    We appreciate your interest in our collection and our future ones.
     
    Unfortunately, it is not possible to receive many packages at once, as exciting as it might be, and we also cannot offer that service since each package is managed at the warehouse and shipped at an exact time.
     
    If you have any other questions, please let us know.
     
    Kind regards,
     
    Fanhome Team

    Klejvi
    Customer Service Representative

     

    It is weird and a shame really,surely it's not that much of a issue to send out more? I even said I would pay more shipping if required but not a possibility...

    This is what sets agora apart from other companies,  if I want a 2 year sub I can,1 year sub,buy packs up front and also buy more when I like and they are more than helpful with fulfilling my wish.

    Hopefully other model companies will follow suite to their paying customers. If not, Agora to the rescue 😊

     

     

    • Like 1
  7. Hi Phil

    Thanks for the that😊

    Yeah world of wayne is always worth a watch, I do enjoy his content and he does all the builds from every company!hatchette,agora,fanhome he's doing it lol😅

    Same here, I contacted fanhome at some point to say could I buy more and same response in that they may offer it in the future...

    I might try again and explain I want to buy the last few issues to finish the subscription.  As its so close and if no joy then any update on when they will offer this service.  Since they keep saying they will but are not letting us know when..

    I'll update here if I hear anything back..

    Cheers 👍

     

    • Like 1
  8. On 10/18/2023 at 11:11 AM, notsram said:

    I did the original R2 build, so not sure if any of the components have been changed, but I didn't find the sticky strips much use either. I just used cellotape!

    I absolutely loved the build It was a bit fiddly in places, but a lot of fun. It was my first partwork since the Ultimate Real Robots thing back in the 90s (Yeah, I'm old) which I gave up on half way through.

    My R2 works perfectly, although it won't run on carpet, only smooth floor. And I've since lost the charging cable so need to source another. Fortunately, the batteries last ages!

    Hi notsram

    Glad it works perfectly,eases my nerves for when mine is fully built!glad the batteries last.shame it doesn't run on carpet but smooth floor suits me.

    i have the app on my phone ready to roll! 

    I wish fanhome would let us buy in bulk instead of having to wait every month. So close....😅

    • Like 1
  9. On 10/18/2023 at 8:25 AM, Phil said:

    Chris, I would just like to ask did you having any problems doing R2-D2?

    I found those sticky strips not much use on those pesky panels in his dome, I think I should had cleaned the aluminum inside the dome first, but got past that point eventually and so far so good, everything tests out nice,

    With just 3 months to go I'm itching to see how he works lol.

    Cheers Chris.🍻

    Hi Phil

    Yea I have run Into a quite a few problems with R2D2,firstly the magazines aren't very good with instructions (wrong screw sizes ect)so I use myr2d2build website and can't fault him.  Everything runs smoothly and I dont even read the magazine anymore.

    Secondly the same as you the panel strips were really poor but I sourced some proper screws instead of plastic ones provided to hold them in place and he's solid now.

    The panel for the lightsaber was really bad too,I had to file it down and also put a couple of washers to keep it from catching on the dome.  It seems fine now but slightly annoying it's not perfectly flush with the dome...

    Electrical wise everything seems great at the mo I'm waiting on issues 83-86 now so looking forward to finishing him up and testing him out😃

    Will send some pics so you can see what I have done so far.👇

    • Like 1
  10. 8 hours ago, Phil said:

    Thanks Chris.

    You made a fair statement about ET, because of the size difference the skin might not have the same problems. I really hope that is the case.

    Yes Fanhomes Optimus, the movie version is a little smaller, but still has large enough parts, but I think the build goes on for longer. It is more  say flashy than the the Gen 1, but the Gen 1 from Agora is pure metal heaven IMHO and I'm seeing it in every part of the build so far, as you'll see as I have posted latest pics. I was a young adult when watching the Gen 1 Transformers and loved it from the start and I love the movies too, but I obviously do have more fascination with the Gen 1.

    Hachette I believe will be first to release Avro Lancaster, and maybe Agora will release it too, though I do know they are busy with the classic James Bond cars at this time.

    And I always have time to chat Chris or anyone else here who wishes to, and I like the community I'm in at Agora. It's good to talk.

    Cheers Chris.🍻

    Interesting about optimus,  the agora gen 1 does look really solid and its nice to hear its full of actual metal parts instead of a lot of plastic.ill take a look at your latest pics and progress.

    Hatchette doing the lancaster,thanks for the info 

    Likewise,always good to chat on the forum and hear what everyone is building,interested in ect.

    Cheers Phil 👍

     

    • Like 1
  11. 51 minutes ago, notsram said:

    I'd not seen the ET model. Have to say it does look good.

    I'd be all over C3P0 like a shot if that came out. Would look awesome next to R2-D2!

    I agree C3P0 next to r2d2 would look so good!  Who knows what agora have up their sleeve for next year?  Maybe another company might design a build up C3P0..🤔

    To be fair I think agora focus is the 007 cars at the moment so not sure we will see any movie character builds anytime soon..

  12. 14 hours ago, Phil said:

    Hi Chris, well on top of models I mentioned, I have completed The Leopard A6, FDNY Firetruck, Mitsubishi Zero and like you I have about 3 months to go on R2-D2.

    Yes I was tempted to buy Alien, but also saw problems with it. Maybe I will do it one day, but not over important at moment, E T I will on too because I would like to see if that has any problems too, that will be like a rubbery skin too right.

    Hachette Tumbler at moment is a bit of a boring build at moment, and that's £75 every six weeks, and tbh I think over priced, but standard at today's rate, I may knock that on the head, because in January hopefully the Avro Dambusters Lancaster will be released and really want to do that, but can't afford to do Lancaster and Tumbler together.

    I'm up to issue six of Optimus Prime, I'm building it over a year, now this model is very different, I find it very good value as there is a lot of metal involved and every pack is like a separate build, plus I'm building Fanhomes Movie version Optimus Prime, different to Agora's but interesting build. Hopefully Agora release Megatron from the Decepticons.

    Hence you'll realize I'm a huge fan of Transformers 😆.

    Titanic is coming along nicely, about another year to go and it will be finished. 

    If C3PO came out I would build that to go with R2-D2 and would also like to build the Millennium Falcon, but all of that will be out of my budget, so choices will be difficult. 

    Thanks Chris.

    Wow that's an impressive collection of models you have built!  I really like the FDNY firetruck too,was thinking I might start that build after the leopard.  I love how far the ladders extend out and something a bit different from classic/super cars.

     

    Yeah I think the E.T has rubbery skin but being half the size of alien I believe it won't be as problematic with the magnets and glue.  Time will tell but i will keep you updated on the quality once it arrives...

     

    Ah awesome,what company is doing the build up avro lancaster?

    I was interested in the differences between the agora optimus and the fanhome one?the agora one does look really well built with quality parts but the fanhome one looks more my cup of tea,super stylish! But is the quality as good as agora?what about size?

    Yeah C3P0 would be a dream next to R2D2...

    Thanks for your insight and info on the models your doing Phil,it helps me with what I could build next hearing your experiences with them.

    Chris 👍

    • Thanks 1
  13. 22 hours ago, Phil said:

    Yes I noticed that too Chris, I just hope this is not a case of overkill, because we are all limited on how much we can spend each month.

    Ah I just saw your profile.i see you have the titanic,finished bismark (nice!) Batmobile tumbler and doing optimus too!

    What's the tumbler like?that's a hatchette build right?

    I really like the titanic but can't get it here in the UK agora...

    I was tempted on alien but after seeing world of Wayne and others building it I'm not sure on the look of it.  It looks quite plasticky and also needs a shed ton of special glue to keep it all together.apparently the magnets and rubber skin don't hold very well...

     

    • Like 1
  14. 22 hours ago, Phil said:

    Yes I noticed that too Chris, I just hope this is not a case of overkill, because we are all limited on how much we can spend each month.

    Totally agree Phil,I can't afford 2 subscriptions with them so I narrowed it down to E.T (even though robocop is so awesome) but it's pretty expensive even for e.t.i worked out if you get the premium subscription (led stand and extra gifts through the entire collection)its like £75-£80 a month 🫣

    Thats more than agora and a lot of money over 18 months or so....

    Still I've nearly finished my r2-d2 (3 months left) and 8 packs into my agora leopard so will invest in E.T when those subscriptions finish otherwise its out of budget.

    What you building at the moment?

    I will be a agora master member after leopard so another free pack to start something new but not sure what I will pick..

    • Like 1
  15. Would love to see the iconic mx5 in agoras lineup of build up models.

    The mk1 is classic with the pop up headlights and naturally aspirated engine. Anyone who's owned a mx5 would agree its so responsive and fun down the windy roads.

    Would love to see if agora could produce it with a button to pop headlights up and have a softop or hardtop removable from the car too.

     

    Anyone like to see the mx5 too?

    Screenshot_20231014_104248_Chrome.jpg.9974d81650c13bff6cac62e52cc8a7fb.jpg

  16. Anyone noticed that fanhome are pumping out new models quite a bit this year!

    Saw robocop (excited as wanted this for ages) but now they have announced E.T which looks awesome.

    I think I'm going for ET myself as it looks super detailed and fun to build.

     

    Anyone looking to get any of fanhome models this year?

  17. 11 hours ago, keramh said:

    Hello,
    the figures I have listed are all available on the market.
    I have added this information to the list above.
    Does the vendors have come up with this exact size, why no real scale? I don't know it.

    Yes I see what you mean now. I didn't know altaya do robocop already!!

    Wonder if they do orders to the UK?😃

    All those models you mentioned look awesome.

    The power rangers megazord looks real nice too!

    If robocop was 1:2 scale I would sign up immediately lol

    Maybe agora could make one even better than altaya.real 1:2 scale,lights,sounds and all the bells and whistles.

    Pretty please?....😊

    • Like 1
  18. 14 hours ago, keramh said:

    Hello,

    If you like movie characters, this is certainly not a bad topic.

    I just don't like the different sizes. Here the providers should choose a uniform standard, e.g. e.g. 1:2.

    1. Terminators 1:2
    2. Iron Man 62 cm
    3. R2D2 1:2
    4. Robocop 60 cm
    5. Xenomorph 1:2
    6. Power Rangers Megazord 60cm
    7. Optimus Prime 78 cm
    8. Batman 90 cm
    9. Mazinger Z 75 cm


    For some, the indication in cm could also correspond to the scale 1:2, but I don't think that the Robocop is only 1.20 m tall.

    60cm robocop would be dissapointing...

    it would look so good if it was the same as alien and terminator.1.2m is the sweet spot.

    My dream would be to have all 3 lined up together.😍

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