Bojazz1

Pack 10 - Stages 69-76 We are getting close to the end a few more packs. This pack is great we will finish another leg. That will give us 2 legs and 2 arms. I cannot wait to see what Pack 11 will do next month. Pack 69 to 74 are the same build that we did earlier. Just follow the directions and take your time. In stages 69 - 74 there will be more magnet work, and get that Stormset ready for use. When mounting the magnets with the STORMSET adhesive. I would suggest clamps to hole the magnets in place for 24 hours. I know this is a bit repetitive, you will have the left leg finished in no time. Something to keep in mind. You might have gotten a little glue exposure on the seams, and added bits. This is normal. There is a simple solution. just get a flat clear-coat paint (Vallejo Mecha Matt Varnish). Simple and water wash up. Simple to use. Just brush it where you see some glue areas and in a few moments (when dry) it is gone. In Stages 74 -76 We are starting the Abdomen. That only means we are getting ready to start securing the leg sections as one. That will be in pack 11. In the meantime, here are some photos of the completed stages in PAck 10 and completed other stages from other packs. See you on Pack 11 shortly.

Pack 9 It has been a bit. Also, let me start by saying Happy New Year and Great Modeling to all. I Took a little time off and back to the build. I will have Pack 10 up in a few days. So, keep an eye out for it. This pack is great we will finish another arm and we start the other leg. In stage 61 we are doing more magnet work and get that Stormset ready for use. When mounting the magnets with the STORMSET adhesive. I would suggest clamps to hole the magnets in place for 24 hours. Before we complete the upper arm skin, on part 60-3 (already installed). This would be the elbow joint area. you will notice a seam on the inner part of the joint. I took some black electrical tape and covered it. Along with covering it a blotted some dart rust color paint to blend it in the joint (see a picture below). On Step 7 of Stage 61; you will see the arm is complete and we are ready to do the left leg. Time to break out that Stormset again. It is time for more skin magnet work........... When mounting the magnets with the STORMSET adhesive. I would suggest clamps to hole the magnets in place for 24 hours. Starting with Step 8, let's get that leg started and hopefully it will be finished by Pack 10 (wink, wink). The rest of Pack 9 is a cut and dry build, just like we did in Packs 5 and 6. Follow what you did, and it will be great. I will see you on Pack 10 shortly. Take your time and enjoy the build.

Pack 8 Something I noticed when opening pack 8 that has not happened in any of the previous packs. Part 53-1 was a bit out of shape. This can be fixed with a hair dryer putting the heat on a low setting and softening the skin area. This was a basic build, just like we did for the right arm in past issues. Again, follow the instructions and do not take any shortcuts for this stage. I will see you on the Pack 9 Build Have a great Holiday Season and mostly a Great New Year's 2024 to follow.

Before we start this build section. I want you to do something really cool. You left the leg off to the side from Pack 6. Now, this is a bit freaky. Pick up the leg. You will notice it is room temperature with a little coolness to it. Feels like flesh. Well now that you got the in your mind the rest of the body will feel the same. Let's get started.............. We are going to work on the right hand, right arm and left hand in this build. If you remember in Pack 6 We started the skull lighting. Now this is something that will not affect me (because I painted the skull and light will not pass through the paint. If you did not paint the skull. Add the lighting and follow Pack 7 for the rest of the lighting. We are going to build and assemble the skins, plastic structure and moveable joints first. Again I cannot stress this enough...........TAKE YOUR TIME!!!!!!!! You have all month to do this pack. Here we go......... Part 45.......You will be working on the right hand, working on the magnets for the skin and installing the 2nd part of the skull lights When mounting the magnets with the STORMSET adhesive. I would suggest clamps to hole the magnets in place for 24 hours. Part 46.......Installing the palm of the hand, it is a "bit wonky" (to quote Wayne Greene). I started with the rear pins, then the palms. The fingers needed a little flexing for the pins to meet in the holes. Trust me.....you WILL NOT need to glue this. This part snaps in and has a firm lock. Look how this is taking shape. You will notice I have not installed the Jaw muscle yet. The reason is you may have to adjust the jaw screws later. Plus, I am trying to come up with a color tint to give these a little more definition. This was mentioned in the start of my build with packs 1 and 2. Part 47 WARNING!!!!!!!!!! DO NOT SECURE THE FOREARM SKIN TO THE FRAME. THIS WILL NEED TO BE REMOVED AND THEN SECURED IN PART 51 STAGE 5 Stage 51 Part 4........The elbow joint. There is a minor seam that will be seen from the inside of the arm. After securing this part to the joint, I used black electrical tape to cover the seam. To blend the seam into the body. I dry brushed a little red brown over the tape are (see picture). Keep this in mind at the end of the build we will be looking for some joints that need process and we will go over them at the end. Everything was done straight for the instructions (no custom work yet). When mounting the magnets with the STORMSET adhesive. I would suggest clamps to hole the magnets in place for 24 hours. Picture note for scale. Each floor tile is 1 foot by 1 foot. This will give you a size of the arm. Along with the leg this will be one big piece..........You are going to need a bigger room!!!!!! See you at pack 8

The Build of Pack 6 Here We Go!!!!!!!!!!! 2 MAJOR parts completed and starting of the skull lights (if you decided not to paint the skull from Packs 1 and 2). Heed this warning........TAKE YOUR TIME. You have a whole month or better to build this stage. Once you do this stage the rest will be easier. We are going to build and assemble the skins, plastic structure and moveable joints first. Again I cannot stress this enough...........TAKE YOUR TIME!!!!!!!! We are going to start the fun at Part 41 of pack 6. This going to require CA glue (aka crazy glue, loc-tite, etc.) You are going to glue the upper and lower ridge portion of the knee can. Let the glue sit and bond properly. Now you will slide this outer skin up the shin into the knee. Line up the side screw holes and secure accordingly. You do not have to worry about the seam from the upper and lower section. They will be covered. We are going the frustrating part of the build. Attaching the outer skins. In step 7 of Pack 41, you will be working with the shin parts. You will be joining the 2 skin parts together. Plot this out and work in sections. Dry fit the seam line and line up the holes. You may need to make them a little larger to accommodate the locator pins. If the line up and you are happy with it start using the CA glue doing 1-3 locator pin section and let fully dry. Do this for the rest of the skin layer. I cannot stress this enough......You have all month to do this. Take your time!!!!!! Fit the shin skin sections over the plastic part of the leg. At this point you will need some finesse and a third hand. The lower part of the shin by the ball joint with will need to glue the lower ridge grooves. Similar to what you did with the front of the shin skin section. Again do not worry about the ridge seam. It will be covered with a rubber boot. The rear metal shin plate snaps in the alignment holes. You will need to add a beaded glue line to secure the skin to the plate. Follow the same pathway and you did for the shin are for the thigh and upper leg section. Finally, you will be attaching the foot (Part 43). Follow the instructions and glue two sections as they are mounted on the foot. THIS WILL BE THE SAME PROCEDURE FOR MAKING THE LEG AND ARM SKINS COMPLETE. You have complete a leg and the rib cage Now time to start the hand and skull lighting. Just follow the instruction guide. That is a simple stage. See some of my picture below. To give you an idea of the length of the leg........Each floor tile is 12 inches by 12 inches (or 30.48 cm). The leg measures 26 inches (66.04cm). This is going to be some big figure!!!!!!!!! SEE YOU ON PACK 7......Till then, happy modeling!!!!!!!!!!

The Build of Pack 5 Everything was done straight for the instructions (no custom work yet). When mounting the magnets with the STORMSET adhesive. I would suggest clamps to hole the magnets in place for 24 hours. You will see the 1st (Left) rib cage completed by stage 30. This also starts the 2nd (right) Rib cage left section. I will see what to do with the gapping on the ribs when that part of the installation process will start. That will be a custom fill in. In the meantime, just build it as is for now. Here are photos of the build. Remember this is not a race to finish quickly. Make sure you secure the magnets to the skin and have no issues. Take your time and all will be a smooth transition. See you on Pack 6.....................

sbjork If you are going to keep the clear skull without the lights. Let us do something a little different in this case......... You could spray paint the inside of the skull a white, light grey color or bone color. This way you will not have to repaint the veins or do recess shadowing. The pant will be on the inside under the black detail work. This way it is quick and easy. Remember this, once you spray the inside of the skull, that will be the color of the skull. This is an easy way to get a different desired effect. I hope this helps with an idea............ Bojazz1

Packs 3 and 4 He we go, and here is a warning!!!!!! Pack 6 and Stage 6 - DO NOT SECURE THE CALF PROTECTORS (Parts 4-6 and 22-1). THIS IS A TEMPORARY FIT ONLY. Personal Note: I do sense the use of a hand-held hair drier to soften the rubber for better wrap around on the shin ball joint area (as well as other rubber parts). I have added some pictures of the gaping. I mentioned a product STORMSURE in the first part of the posting. I will tell you this is a little messy, but it works great for securing the magnets to the rubber skin. YOU WILL NEED TO LET THE MAGNETS CURE FOR 24 HOURS. This way you have a proper bond. I opened the screw cap and put a little on the back of a glass paint bottle. I used a toothpick to apply the STORMSURE into the respective area (MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE MAGNET POLARITY SET RIGHT BEFORE DOING THIS). In a video posted By Wayne Green in Pack 1 Stage 4. He explains what he did for the magnet polarity. So, follow his lead. It is simple and to the point. The Build of Packs 3 and 4 Everything was done straight for the instructions (no custom work yet). When mounting the magnets with the STORMSURE adhesive. I would suggest clamps to hole the magnets in place for 24 hours. This also starts the Right Rib cage. I will see what to do with the gapping on the ribs when that part of the installation process will start. That will be a custom fill in. In the meantime, just build it as is for now. Here are photos of the build...........

To all of my followers.......... There is another builder by the name Wayne Green. Wanye is the face behind the video tutorials for the downloadable instructions (which help with the pdf downloadable for clarity). I have been following Wayne Green since my earlier partwork builds. In his recent video of Pack 3 of Build the Alien he has recommended a glue product called Storm Sure Black Flexible Glue. This product is available through Amazon, ebay, or other hardware stores. When I get this in, I will start with Packs 3 and 4 of the build. So, a big SHOUT OUT to Wayne Green and his great videos....................... This is what the product looks like...........

The Skull Paint Job Before we start this process........ you may ask why is the skull clear? Rumor has it there is a light system that goes into the head and will give the dome a glow effect. I have never seen this in any Alien movie franchise. SO, THE CHOICE WILL BE YOURS! The skull was painted in a Tamiya SKY Color (XF-21) as a base color. I let it dry for a day or two. Now the painstaking chore of repainting the black veins on the skull. I use a black paint marker to do this. at some point it gave me a translucent vein effect. I then waited about another day for this process to dry. To get rid of the harshness and boldness of the veins, I used the chalk pastel method of "softening" the edges. Hence the term I used earlier "the poor man's air brush". The black chalk pastel was grinded into a power form (grind the chalk pastel on sandpaper and use it as a pallet). I then took a chiseled flat brush and dabbed on the black pastel on the veins. As you do this you can see a softness coming about. I WOULD HIGHLY SUGGEST DOING THIS IN SECTIONS. When you have the sections completed, use a flat-coat sealer (my demon of choice is Testor's Dull-Cote). When all the pastel work was done and the clear coat dried. I then applied a light wash of Tamiya Brown Panel Liner. Do this in sections. When applied, take a rag and lightly wipe the wash from a front (mouth) to back (skull base) motion. Do it slowly, this is not a race to finish. You have 10 months to complete this project. After the brown tinting is done. Use a flat clear coat again to seal the project. When full dry you can assemble the upper teeth, gums and motor assembly as well as the other parts needed to complete Stage 2. Personal Side Note: Why did I not secure the right and left jaw plates???????? After to have the skull mounted and aligned. You may have to adjust or release the tension on the jaw screws

Before we start, this is a really cool figure build up and it is open to artistic interpretation. Throughout the Alien movie franchise, we have seen so many versions of the Alien. I the past when I used to build resin garage kits we stay with the Aliens movie color. The figure was black some dry brushed silver areas, with purple tones and then clear coated with a clear purple tint. As the franchise progressed, It was black, tan-brown, grey-purple, and other various color shades related to the "franchised movie" Alien titles. This build in particular is based on the original 1979 Alien movie. The suit was a black rubber, with high-lights of grays, browns and dull silver high-lights (hence H.R. Geiger "bio-mechanical" alien). Most of my build will be modified and will require some additional art supply costs. I will be happy to share some of these ideas with you. I am hoping you will enjoy my ideas and commentaries of the build. From time to time, I will supply a movie reference picture or two assist in my ideas. Please note, there will be times I "will not" follow the instruction path. This will be due to paint modifications (there will be a few). Before I start......A quick shout out to Agora Models for making this kit available in the US market, and the group forum administrators for giving me a chance for expressing my creativity. Final note before starting...........READ ALL THE INSTRUCTIONS AND REVIEW WHAT IS EXPECTED IN STEPS TO FOLLOW THROUGHLY. I am speaking from past builds of other model kits. Here we go................................ I stared building the skull first. The parts required are Stage 1 Part 1-1, Stage 3 Part 3-1, Stage 5 Part 5-1 and 6pcs of 2.3 x 6mm screws. Assemble all 3 parts and screw the together. I painted the entire skull in flat bone color (ivory) paint. The paint will need to dry for a day so the next step can happen. The bone color was washed and wiped with Tamiya Brown Panel Liner. This darkened the bone and added a little texture to the paint. If it is too dark, just dry bush the skull areas (with the bone) for desired effect. Next the veins, eye sockets and nose socket were painted in black. I used a chalk pastel (I'll give instructions in the next paragraph) mix of black and brown to transition the veins, eye and nose sockets into the bone color, then clear coated with Testor's Dull-Cote. Side lesson: Using chalk pastels. Grind the chalk pastel in a powder dust form. The take an angle tip flat brush and get some pastel pigment n the brush. Work it in the vein transition areas to soften the skull line. You will not see the difference until you use the Testor's Dull-Cote to seal it. What we did was create a "poor man's airbrush" finish. Side lesson: Dry brushing technique. Dip the brush in paint and the wipe it on a paper towel. This way most of the paint will come off the brush leaving minor paint pigments. Then high-light the areas of the base paint. In Stage 2 and parts 2.5 and 2.6 (Retractable Jaw 1 and 2) you will need a fine black and brown Sharpie marker to define the gum line of the teeth. THIS IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT AND AN MAJOR SPOILER ALERT!!!!!!! DO NOT glue parts 2.3 and 2.4 (left and right lateral lower jaw) in place. Do this after you fitted the complete lower jaw section into Head and Skull. SEE PACK 2 STAGE 6 parts 1-3, STAGE 8 parts 1-3, and STAGE 12 parts 5-8. JUST FOLLOW AND BUILD PACKS 1 AND 2 WITH MY NOTES........MORE TO FOLLOW AS THE BUILD CONTINUES My next post will be version of the painted skull with a tutorial............