Bandai AT-AT

[skahtul]

Weathering can be tricky. I tend to end up over weathering at times.

Agreed, it's the primary reason I switched to oil paints for weathering (that, and I feel they just have a more organic feel/look to them). They are so easy to remove and work with over time. I can let models sit for days and then come back and still mess with them. The only real drawback for me is they take a week or more to dry so you have to let them sit for a time before the final flat coat but for me that is fine, I am not on a schedule

 

[JediMichael]

Sexy legs...

 

[JediMichael]

Raining today so got off work a bit early. Put the body together and so far, this is the only part that didn't quite line up perfectly. Added a little glue and it looks good now.
Top line here, already glued. Maybe not perfect, but better than it was.
I did try and get it apart and it wouldn't come apart and surely didn't want to break it just incase.

 

[JediMichael]

Hit some bigger issues.
Big panel here, and the smaller one to the right do not quite fit. Either the top does, or the bottom with other side popping out. I hope lightly sanding it will fix that.

Then there's this part that the notch between pieces doesn't quite match up.

Haven't tried the other side yet.
Wondering if anyone has had any issues like this.

 

[Fett_Ish]

I have a couple of these and have put one together,just to see the size and will breaking it down to sub assemblies for paint. As with all Bandai kits the tolerances will accept no flash and no,however slight, offsets. I think that the first part that didn’t fit correctly is compounding with further parts. I would give everything that hast go into ody assembly a careful dry fit to see what adjustments are going to be needed since glue has been used, the fixes need to be done going forward may require some sanding and carving. Jut go slow and remove as little as possible, fit, and repeat.

 

[JediMichael]

Yeah, I shave off the extra flash pretty good, but I do see how even a tiny bit can keep a part from fitting.
All the parts that are not fitting are cut/molded like that and not touching other parts that snapped together. Hope that makes since. Not home at the moment, but I'm sure I'll get them to fix, just need to play around with it. But I do see e how Bandai makes their parts fit quite nice.

 

[Toadmeister]

I had Zero fit issues on mine, but I’m very particular about snipping and trimming the parts off the sprues.

 

[Fett_Ish]

Yeah, I have built mostly their figures and would think i got every nub and would have a gap until I found the spot and gave it a sand. The tolerances are great but maddeninto as it is easy to overtrim and end up with a little divot.

 

[JediMichael]

I actually finished building this like 2 weeks ago, but I ordered some super flat spray and it finally came in this last weekend, but then have been busy with stuff.

Still weird how a few of the parts on just the body didn't quit fit. Must have been some probably I guess. But. I got them to work out.

Did this really quick on the phone, but you can see how this piece, once flipped, its suppose to line up with one notch being a tiny bit longer. I thought maybe I had the one for each side mixed up, but because of those notches, they have a left and right side piece, and I had them right and they still didn't line up.

But after sanding and timing, it worked good enough.

Here its all put together.

And mixed in with its siblings....waiting to be clear coated and weathered....whenever I get to it.

 

[SteelDragon]

This is an impressive model. The AT-AT is the absolute best! I need to find one to build myself.

 

[JediMichael]

Finally took the time to spray this with a flat coat. Definitely made it look better. Now whenever I can take the time and weather it a bit.

While I was at it, wanted to touch up the death star, as a few little spots the paint had chipped. Didn't have the same paint, but I mixed some pretty close. My biggest issue was, that I had used a paint that I realized later that was meant for glass and had a bit of a shine to it. You can see in my spinning avatar the light shining off it. So after painting, I put the flat clear coat on it as well, and it did help a lot. Still has a little shine, but much better than before.

And, I had never really put it anywhere, so I hung it under my AT-ATs. Now I need to put the poster back up....needed the frame for Christmas.

 

[Searun]

I actually finished building this like 2 weeks ago, but I ordered some super flat spray and it finally came in this last weekend, but then have been busy with stuff.

Still weird how a few of the parts on just the body didn't quit fit. Must have been some probably I guess. But. I got them to work out.
View attachment 1416143

Did this really quick on the phone, but you can see how this piece, once flipped, its suppose to line up with one notch being a tiny bit longer. I thought maybe I had the one for each side mixed up, but because of those notches, they have a left and right side piece, and I had them right and they still didn't line up.
View attachment 1416144

But after sanding and timing, it worked good enough.
View attachment 1416145

Here its all put together.
View attachment 1416147

And mixed in with its siblings....waiting to be clear coated and weathered....whenever I get to it.
View attachment 1416148

 

[Searun]

Great job JediMichael. This is a fine subject to model. I got a real kick out of your fetish regarding the AT-AT demonstrated by your picture of the “siblings“ collection. The detail, creativity, weathering etc. that Star Wars designers put into their models is just amazing. I am a retired engineer, once aircraft mechanic in the early days, and still can not get over their cleverness in applying knowledge of machines. Maybe these movies were made for kids, but the quality built into these props seen only for seconds on the screen, is awesome. Glad you are reproducing it and sharing with excellent photographs.

Blame my previous reply that said nothing on a fat finger if it shows up.
Searun

 

[JediMichael]

Great job JediMichael. This is a fine subject to model. I got a real kick out of your fetish regarding the AT-AT demonstrated by your picture of the “siblings“ collection. The detail, creativity, weathering etc. that Star Wars designers put into their models is just amazing. I am a retired engineer, once aircraft mechanic in the early days, and still can not get over their cleverness in applying knowledge of machines. Maybe these movies were made for kids, but the quality built into these props seen only for seconds on the screen, is awesome. Glad you are reproducing it and sharing with excellent photographs.

Blame my previous reply that said nothing on a fat finger if it shows up.
Searun

Thank you. Always loved the AT-AT Walkers, as the battle is so perfectly created...and they remind me of giant cats, which I love.

 

[Sym-Cha]

Excellent job sofar and I love that picture of the entire collection. If I'm not mistaken I reckognize an F-toys 1/144 scale and now I can finally compare it to the Bandai, thanks. Did you ever get the 1/350 scale AT-AT's from F-toys. Here's some pictures :

And perhaps you may have seen this vintage metal kit made by Tsukuda :

You can find them on ebay from time to time. I still have a Revell AT-AT to be build ... perhaps getting me a Bandai first ... thanks for posting your progress.

Chaïm

 

[JediMichael]

Excellent job sofar and I love that picture of the entire collection. If I'm not mistaken I reckognize an F-toys 1/144 scale and now I can finally compare it to the Bandai, thanks. Did you ever get the 1/350 scale AT-AT's from F-toys. Here's some pictures :

View attachment 1430869

View attachment 1430870

And perhaps you may have seen this vintage metal kit made by Tsukuda :

View attachment 1430873

View attachment 1430874

You can find them on ebay from time to time. I still have a Revell AT-AT to be build ... perhaps getting me a Bandai first ... thanks for posting your progress.

Chaïm

Thanks. I have not seen that vintage kit before. Heres a comparison of the Bandai next to the F-toys (You were right) if you needed better side by side pics.

I do not have the smaller F-toys one, but I do have a few smaller ones you can see. A few had been given to me many years ago. Theres 2 that are probably around that 1/350 scale. Hot wheels maybe.
Another smaller one is the metal earth models.

And here is a comparison of the F-toys next to the 2005 Titanium series.

 

[Sym-Cha]

Thanks for those additional comparison pictures, the Bandai is much bigger than I anticipated. ... I thought that was a Titanium Die-Cast ... I have the same. There is another Die-Cast made by De Agostiny and I hope they will come out with a larger scale too :

And my repaint of it ... ( I made a thread years ago ) :

Chaïm

 

[JediMichael]

Thanks for those additional comparison pictures, the Bandai is much bigger than I anticipated. ... I thought that was a Titanium Die-Cast ... I have the same. There is another Die-Cast made by De Agostiny and I hope they will come out with a larger scale too :

View attachment 1430958

And my repaint of it ... ( I made a thread years ago ) :

View attachment 1430959

Chaïm

Nice job on that repaint. I really would like to repaint and weather them all....but just finding time now a days is hard. I take on too many things. Just left work a min ago, (6 days in a row today) just to paint some stuff I said I would do in the office.
Now if I could find out how to get full rest without the time to actually sleep.

 

[Sym-Cha]

Did you get the 1/144 scale Snowspeeder from Bandai with this AT-AT? It comes with the 1/48 Snowspeeder or with the 1/144 AT-ST set :

Chaïm

 

[JediMichael]

The snowspeeders came with the model from 1983. I only ever gave them a grey paint coat and the red markings.