Metal Gear Rex - Kotobukiya model

[JediMichael]

Well, can't believe I haven't touched this since last November. Getting through Christmas, then finding the leak in the Kitchen, losing my job and having surgery....its been a long year.
Kitchen is still not quite finished and therefore all the stuff is still piled on my desk for building models, which is one reason I hadn't touched this.
But I decided, might as well carefully dig it all out and work on it here at the computer, which has way less space to work with. But, I really want to finish it.
So heres where I'm at.
I thankfully found where I left off.

Just got this whole part built on the left.

On page 12 and have 5 more to go.
Then figure out the painting part.
Once finished, Ill put it on this little stand I bought to go under the painting.
(The camera flash hit his sword just perfectly)

 

[JediMichael]

Got all the main big parts together, but its super fragile. Trying to pop the joints together, other parts pop off, and one part here by the feet broke off. Gluing that back on now.
I think they made to many moving parts and compromised the sturdiness of it.

 

[JediMichael]

By 5 in the morning, couldn't sleep anymore. My schedule has been all over the place all these months.
So I've been putting Rex's rail gun together.

 

[JediMichael]

Wasn't sure when I was going to figure out the paint....but the family invited me to dinner at Applebee's, which is next door to the Hobby shop.
So 15 mins before they closed, picked iut the colors I think would look best. The base color is pretty much the same as the model is already, but a nice flat coat like this will look better than the plastic.
I wonder if I can get away without priming it, as that would require covering a lot of parts that won't need paint, like some clear parts.
Guess I'll test it on extra parts.

Just glad this is going pretty well.

 

[JediMichael]

Its all together now. So just to figure out the painting.
The clear base I bought for it to stand on, WAY to small, so I ordered a bigger one.
Even though the model is fairly small, the legs do have to spread out to stand correctly. I didn't account for that part. Oops.
To stand up more straight, which I like, your suppose to use this clear plastic part to hold it up, but I feel, even being clear, its too big and noticeable. Like its got a tail.
I have some much thinner metal wire that I'll see if I can make work. Hopefully try to hide it behind the leg and still hold it up on the stand. We'll see.

 

[JediMichael]

So didn't need to prime it, as that Tamiya goes on pretty nice and thick.
I'll do another coat, at least on the more noticeable parts.
The darker gray has not been painted yet, so around the radome, its still shiny.

As for standing it up, I added the wire and its mostly holding it. The left leg needs some weight, or wire, or something to hold it down. Ju as have the wirecutter holding now. I'll get it to work eventually.

Even the wire like this looks way better than the supplied clear stand leg part thingy.

 

[kermet]

Very cool man you wipped this one out fast didn'e even know you started the rex Super great job my Friend as you did on the falcon now this its epic I am going to have to fine me one I am kind of fond of robots next to everything else looking Great this far can't wait to see more

 

[JediMichael]

Very cool man you wipped this one out fast didn'e even know you started the rex Super great job my Friend as you did on the falcon now this its epic I am going to have to fine me one I am kind of fond of robots next to everything else looking Great this far can't wait to see more

Thanks. And just earlier today, some friends that like about 45 mins from me are planning to move soon, and therefore needing to get rid of some stuff. They have this old AMT Darth Vader Tie Fighter that has a 1997 date on it. They said that since the kids never ended up building it, they asked it I wanted it.....and you bet. That can hang nicely on the left side of the Falcon.

 

[kermet]

Thanks. And just earlier today, some friends that like about 45 mins from me are planning to move soon, and therefore needing to get rid of some stuff. They have this old AMT Darth Vader Tie Fighter that has a 1997 date on it. They said that since the kids never ended up building it, they asked it I wanted it.....and you bet. That can hang nicely on the left side of the Falcon.

Yes rite on that would look so cool hanging like its in attack mode great give for you my Friend can't wait to see that build as well Thanks Jim

 

[JediMichael]

Starting to get the camo painted on. Tried with tape, but with all the panel lines and uneven surfaces, I'll do better to just try and make a straight line best I can, and then clean up edges later on.

Looking at these youtube videos from part 1, upscaled to HD, the camp patterns are slightly different then they go by now.
Look at the legs and knee areas, the camp is the same on both, I think thats why they changed it up a bit.
For a PS1 game, it was quite something in 1998.

So here on part 4, now on PS3, it looks better, but also has major battle damage after fighting it from the above screen shot. But how excited I was when you realize you now get to control Rex to escape the whole building. Even in its damaged state, the thing is so overly powerful.
Being damaged, a lot of panels are missing, but still, this seems to be the camo they official go with now.

Now when it comes to the weathering it, that will make it always more realistic looking...but canonwise, it probably would really have a lot of dirt and grim, as it was always kept inside. Probably before the events of the first game, if looking at it as a real world vehicle, they would have taken it outside for testing, but only briefly. With testing new equipment, once finished and brought back inside, would the military clean the vehicle off?
I'm really not sure, so I'll probably just go with a light weathering and mainly where joints could have grease and oil, to hit it for that type look.

 

[kermet]

Very nice I agree a light weathering with the grease around the joints will look very cool can't wait to see more your knocking this one out of the park as well

 

[JediMichael]

So I found it much easier to paint by popping the main joints back out to disassemble the bigger parts.
The guide doesn't really give a good way to add the camo. So for me, just been hand painting it best I can, then fixing edges up later. Its really tricky to do with how many uneven surfaces there are.
Once its done and on display, no one would notice some little uneven painted issue anyways.

 

[JediMichael]

Been cleaning up edges some more. Also added the tan-ish stripes on the rail gun and radome.
The camera always shows deails that you really don't see in person, at least as much.
With flash on, but back a foot or so.

No flash but closer, with a bit of my shadow in the way.

 

[kermet]

Very nice job my Friend, this is looking so cool and the thing about it is I am kind of a robot nut, seems like I might have some kits kind of like this in the storage complex. I went there before the jeep episode was looking at all the BSG kits and kind of noticed some of these out of reach I love this model and as said you are knocking it far out of the park I love it can't wait to see more

 

[JediMichael]

Finally got all the camo painted best I could get it. I even sanded down some if the more rough parts where the paint built up too much, wated the paint down and went back over it. Then I sprayed it with some Mr. Super Clear Flat.
Now just the weathering and I'll be done.

 

[JediMichael]

So didn't want to over weather it. So instead of dirt and grim like its been outside, I more focused on grease and oil, as if these were real moving parts. Going to the fair the other day and riding the carnival rides helped. I was paying attention to all the moving parts, and you can see, they grease those parts quite heavy.
But leaving the non moving panels purely clean also wouldn't look quite right, so they also got a bit of dirt as well.
I first went over everything with flat black, and then hit the moving joints with gloss black for that greased look. I like it.
Might still hit a few more parts. I'll see by tomorrow.

So once I'm fully finished, I'll get some pics with the good camera, and then once the wall sheft gets in. I'll hang it and get pics of the final spot.

 

[kermet]

That is looking so cool, as far as standing might think of some of those rare earth magnets small but strong in the base and in the feet. That might help it stand better how ever you do it I know it will be as said out of the park Love it very nice job

 

[JediMichael]

The wall stand FINALLY came in.
The anchors were this bright orange. Even thought the bolts will over most of it, figured I better paint them anyways so nothing shows up.

Still need to add the wire to prop him up a bit more, but at least for now, its good looking.

I also have the tiny Ninja and Snake figures I can paint and add in front of him.

Nerdiest wall, or living room really.

 

[kermet]

Very nice job and love the living room wifey wouldn't let me do that I wish I could though yours looks nice all the art I love and rex and how its displayed top notch stuff Thanks for shaing can't wait to see the tie build

 

[JediMichael]

Very nice job and love the living room wifey wouldn't let me do that I wish I could though yours looks nice all the art I love and rex and how its displayed top notch stuff Thanks for shaing can't wait to see the tie build

Yeah, guess there are advantages to not being married....lol. At 42, its just not looking so good....but I guess you never know.
Sad that my parents will never probably have grandkids. Just grandCATS.