Rhal Kutrie Rifle 3D Print: It's gonna look great methinks

Hey all,
    yesterday I made up my 3d version of my rifle design for the Rhal Kutrie, and I gotta say I'm pretty psyched about it.  I don't think this will count as us starting the build early as I'm not working on it really until I get the print (and it's only the rifle) but either way I'm still excited about it.  I ordered the part to be 3D printed by shapeways.com, for those of you interested in getting some 3d parts printed for cheap they are a good site.  Again it is my design that I created and then made into a simple 3d model (or 2.5d for those of you who are professionals in this field more experienced than myself) and I sent the model to their website and chose a material to have the part printed in.  Here is what the part looks like with neat sketchy line art in sketchup.

  The idea with the clip is that it used plasma cells that are inserted vertically into the igniter shaft which then shoots flaming plasma out into the wide world of destructible mecha.  the clip theoretically would eject by the pivot cylinder which would make the magazine face down like a normal clip and eject that way.  The grip will also look like it pivots, though it will probably be fixed position to make it easier for me to cast, and to improve the detail quality of the piece.  I had to shorten the barrel a hair to make the part fit into the bound box of the printer that uses my chosen material.  I will probably have to cast this gun at least twice, one for the prototype, one for a cleaned up version.  Hopefully that will be all on the casting for the rifle.  I also plan to add more details to the cleaned up version when I am satisfied with the surface quality.  The more details I add in the printing stage though the more headache I will have cleaning it up.  Better to add that stuff later.  Here is the gun to scale on a Zaku Cannon MG:

2012 Mecha Contest: The perfect way to end the world.

Hey all,
   I just wanted to take a few minutes to fill in anybody who reads this (you select few people you) on the 2012 Mecha Contest that Kamm and Sneeper1980 are hosting on MAC forums.  HERE is the youtube video showing some of the contest sponsors and categories. 

    The contest is looking to be somewhat amazing compared to any modeling contest I've seen, and to be quite honest it's probably gonna be amazing both in the talented people who enter pieces, and the prizes being given to both winners and many just for people entering at all.  Yep that's right, we could win prizes just for entering the contest at all, not to mention prizes being given out for loads of categories and some as judge picks, sponsor picks, and popular vote picks.  There are over 50 prizes being given out, which is better than most contests by multiples, and the prizes are awesome prizes too.  Like PG gundam kits, five star stories full resin kits, some rare kits like the tachikomas from ghost in the shell, and loads more I can't even remember.  You can click HERE for the full page of prizes being given out.  Seriously it's around a full page.  For those of you who love mecha of all kinds, Gundam, FSS, Amored Core, hell any mecha models at all you should not only enter this contest, but get your friends to enter it.  Spread the word mechaholics, and lets have fun.  Can't think of a better way for the world to end.  Stay tuned as well mechaholics, I'll be getting back into the building here soon, and thanks for sticking with the blog.

To enter the contest, read the rules, read the incredibly long list of prizes, or just check out what the fuss is about click HERE

Rhal Kutrie: Heavy Particle Battery Rifle....but better!

Hey all,
  I have been playing skyrim obsessively for the last week, I think I've maybe played about 75 hours in a week.  So obviously I haven't done much in the way of modeling or sketching.  I did decide to make a line drawing of a sketch I did the other day, and I think it looks much cooler than the crappy one I sketched up before.  It's gonna be a kinda big cannon, and in the image with the Rhal Kutrie in it, the cannon is to scale I believe.  It should look pretty big, as that was the effect I wanted.  I may decide to get this cannon 3d printed, even though I told myself I wouldn't do that again because of all the cleanup required.  I just think I like the idea of it looking exactly like what I sketch up without any distortion.  I just will have to make sure I do a ton of cleanup, and I may have to cast it twice.  The first time just to make sure I still have something to go back to in case I damage it, and the second time just to make a perfect copy. 

 

Heavy Particle Battery Rifle in the picture is to scale with the mecha, yeah I know it's gonna be kinda big.  Yay!

The ammo clip under the gun is on a pivot so the clip comes down to eject and reload.  I think it will probably just be a battery pack, not actual munitions, despite the shape.  The gun itself won't actually have any moving parts on it as that would just make it much more difficult to cast, but I will make the mechanisms look realistic enough to look functional.  This does fit way better with the heavy armament feel IMO.  Ugggh  I just ate my second lemon poppyseed muffin and I feel icky.  That is all mechoholics, stay tuned for the build soon.

Rhal Kutrie: Heavy Particle Battery Rifle

Hey all,
  I sketched up a rifle idea today based somewhat loosely on an idea on saw on some random internet photo that looked cool.  Typically on things that inspire me I sought to make my own version of it, and ended up with something totally different but something I like.  Here is my idea of the rifle for the Rhal Kutrie.

I may adjust the sizing of certain parts to suit my mood when I build it, but you get the idea.  Nothing complex goin on really.  I also made a silly hodgepodge of all the sketch ideas so far.  Yep I crammed it all in.  haha.  Looky!

Just letting everyone know, I may disappear tomorrow if all goes well and Skyrim doesn't have any problems like driver issues, or the inability to recognize multiple cores, or any other issues Bethesda should resolve in QA.  So if you don't hear from me and you find my corpse deparately clutching my mouse and keypad with Skyrim on my monitor, don't be surprised.  I was probably killed by a boredom eating virus known as fun. 

Zaku Group Build: Rhal Kutrie Backpack Idea

Alright fellow mechanerds,
    I've been thinking on the backpack and peripherals idea, and what Aulon suggested resonated with me, so I drew up a sketch and am deciding to run with it.  Aulon suggested why not have remote controlled shields that connected to the backpack.  Well mate, brilliant idea and I'm gonna add to it.  I remembered looking at the deep striker and that it had a large array that looked like either a shield generator or a ladar jammer.  For my purposes I'm gonna make one similar (in that it will have three large fins on a large disk shaped object) but there will be two of them that launch from the backpack, and are energy shields like on the F-91.  (Or like the Drehksturm Assault Type shield.)  The disks will have bell thrusters that will retract into the backpack, and will be controlled via laser transmission.  The shield idea is basically a large EM field protects the Rhal Kutrie from damage via munitions or lasers that can be disrupted via EM.  Plasma will still melt em though.  (Gotta have some nerd food right?  I would eat it.)  Anyhow here is my goofy line drawing sketch.  I'm sure you probably get the idea.

The large rectangular afterburners are for thrust obviously, and I'm sure I will add a small extra bit of details when I actually make it.  I don't think I'll make the pack huge otherwise, as I really want to show off the idea of the deployable energy shields.  (Aulon gets smarty pants good idea points.  Love ya bro!)  I am really looking forward to this build.  Stay tuned mechaholics.  (Or don't and you won't get nerdfood.)

Again here is also the mech idea that this backpack is going to go on, just in case you missed it.

And here is the sketch I made originally so you can laugh at my art skillz.  haha.

The Zaku Group Build: Rhal Kutrie

Hey All,

  In light of Aulon's Zaku Group Build coming up soon, (Check out the MAC forums for more info Zaku Group Build Thread) I've decided to get into the planning stages of my part of the build.  To start off, the build allows partnerships, so I am working with Kamm, and my part is the sculpt.  Kamm is doing the clean up, painting, and presentation.  Kamm may decide he wants to scratchbuild some for the build, but that is up to him and I will post his work here too if he decides to do that, and if/when he says it's cool to share.  I am going to basically make a conversion kit, as I did for the Drehksturm Assault Type.  This one I am calling the Rhal Kutrie.  Here is my concept, which I made by doing this crappy line are on top of a stock Zaku 2 version 2.0 photo so I know the parts will fit on the frame.

 I have taken inspiration from some of my favorite kits and just made what I think will be a sweet looking Zeon-esque heavy armament type mecha.  The toes on the feet I did pretty much just take from ZLucas Garbaldy (an amazingly beautiful sculpted kit), but the rest of the foot and the rest of the body is pretty much all stuff I just drew out today on my own.  the hip skirts are similar to those on a kit a friend of mine has made, or at least inspired by them.  The cockpit area is supposed to look like it has plated steel that reinforces the cockpit hatch underneath it.  The shoulders have large verniers for lift.  The forearms have heavy cannons with large clips extending out the elbows, most of my designs have guns on the forearms as I think it is a proper use of space.  Also typical to my designs the calves will have large thrusters and intakes on the shins and calves.  The two large white vents on the chest are laser cannons.  I was gonna do away with the cables on the waist but I thought they might be neat to leave, although I may remake them.  I want the weapon to be a huge mega particle cannon, which either Kamm or I will design, and the backpack I will design later will have a large battery pack on it probably.  I'm still thinking that I want the kit to also have some large wing-like structures like the shields on the Kshatriya, but I still haven't figured out how I want to go about that yet.  I will keep everyone up to date as I can.  I can't actually start building until December though, as the contest doesn't start until then.  It's actually fine by me, gives me more time to veg out and play video games.  Skyrim comes out in four days! woot!  Anyway though I will post WIP photos of this as I make it when I actually start the build.  And yes, this kit will also be a kit that I cast and will probably sell the casts once my partners half is done.  Stay tuned mechaholics.  (Again I know that only maybe 2 of you read this but it makes me feel important.  haha)

p.s. here is my silly lil' sketch without the shadows n such: