MetalEarth "The Terminator" T-800 Endoskeleton
Fascination difficulty scale - this should be fun!!
Ready to start: PE sheets on the fret holder ; Page 3 of instructions on the mat ; Cover picture ready to reference ; Prints of parts locations taped to the wall ; Rollers at the ready
Close up of PE sheets - according to page 24 of instructions, parts go to No. 225!!
Upper right leg completed, rear view
front view
close up showing the "mesh" of parts behind the knee!!!
Lower right leg complete
The heel of the foot
Foot construction
foot added to leg - reinforced with CA
top of lower leg reinforced with CA too
Upper & lower leg parts joined at knee - he's gonna be quite tall!!
reverse view
construction of upper left leg..
reverse view
Left leg completed - very similar to right leg.......strange that......lol
reverse view
Time to build the pelvis - about 5 pieces here
Legs then get twisted into place (the tabs are twisted) - I reinforced this with some CA
and the other leg too
and they all fitted pretty well - I suspect that the front-left-leg piston has an alignment problem in the plan & part, which I fixed with and extra twist - not that anyone will ever spot it.
I tell ya, it can get very confusing working with so many shiny parts!!!
I tell ya, it can get very confusing working with so many shiny parts!!!
While the Pelvis/hip joint were setting, I made up the Rock!!
Tops of leg "pistons
and glued the inside of that too!!
Also made up the base - holding the whole thing in place with those tiny pegs, while I glued the inside too.
Needs 4 leg "pistons" to be built - showing the components, & 3 completed here
Then added the fore & aft "pistons" to each leg
CA Glued the legs to the stan
And the all fitted surprisingly easily, with only a little twisting required
Close-up of feet
Trying to work out a clever way of completing all these small bends...
This will look impressive - that's 11cm to the hips....
On the edge of a flat-file, then closing them over the file...
Sort of worked - might try a ruler next time.
Completed Right fore-arm & hand - cheated with some CA here
Right shoulder components - must admit that I'm struggling seeing where these assemblies go.... Should read the instructions ahead, I guess!!
There's and hour and a half blown away, just making the gun!!
Assembled all the right arm & shoulder together
Still looks a mess - waiting for that "ahah!!!" moment......
Gun attached to Right arm - not a simple connection, requires careful manipulation
Tried to get a close up of fingers - focal length makes this very difficult to capture.
some close ups of some of the smaller part bending & assembly - Left "shoulder blade"
all the folds go inwards, but they're very small & some then require additional bending around curved shapes - this view from the inside....
similar "reverse folds required in the insert, to create a true 3D piece.
the "shoulder blade" assembled - worth the effort I think - about 20 mins of intense "small" work.
More small parts making the "shoulder" components.
These 6 parts will make 2 end plates (1cm grid in background for scale)
These 6 parts will make 2 end plates (1cm grid in background for scale)
All folded, One assembled..
one part with edges folded down, next part with edges folded up, 3rd part with centres folded down
one part with edges folded down, next part with edges folded up, 3rd part with centres folded down
Assembled part added to "shoulder sub-assembly"
More fine folding & rolling - starting with these flat bits
rolling using an old knitting needle, folding delicately with the bent nosed pliers
to produce this
which goes to make up the left arm
so left & right arms completed
the "chest" plate - and this is why there are so many pieces - they're all tiny
from the back, using 2 method of folding
from the back, using 2 method of folding
from the front - 2 done out of 10 on this piece
magnified several times...
NOTE; the numbers called in the instructions & on the parts sheets match ok.
But there are also numbers on the backs of these small parts, with the matching number on the front of where they are to go.....great.......but these are different numbers to those on the instructions & parts list!!!
NOTE; the numbers called in the instructions & on the parts sheets match ok.
But there are also numbers on the backs of these small parts, with the matching number on the front of where they are to go.....great.......but these are different numbers to those on the instructions & parts list!!!
All them tiny parts on
and the back-plate too - decided to glue them all so they'd sit straight!!
ready for some assembly!!
Voila!!!
Attached the chest plate - pretty straight-froward
Then you have to slide the back plate up inside the shoulder blades - a lot of fiddling and patience required here - move it - what's fouling the move? - fix that - move it.......etc etc etc
finally in place and the shoulder blade pins in!!!
Vertical view
Added the waist plate & ............hydraulics?!?!?!?
Added the top of the shoulder blades & collar bones?!?!?!
Have to be a bit forceful to get these to fit.....
Have to be a bit forceful to get these to fit.....
This is the start of the skull............now why would an endoskeleton need teeth?
Uuugghhh - more of that horrible pseudo-cabling to fold!!!
Uuugghhh - more of that horrible pseudo-cabling to fold!!!
cabling folded & Skull bent & joined
looking a bit better with ears, which are fiddly to fit
As is my way - decided NOT to follow the instructions during skull making - I wanted to conceal all the tabs INSIDE the skull, so had to start with the hardest ones to reach - between the top of skull & side at the very top while I can get to it - I could regret this, of course!!!
cutting a long story short - it was quite fiddly, but definitely the right way to go - top 2 joins OK, then the back 4, bending in the eyes & tabs - then the front 4, same story.
A little distorted, but I should be able to fix that with some internal skull panel beating......sounds painful.
EYES IN!! - These are very tricky, and I ended up CA gluing the eyes & sockets - just so they would maintain the gaze & not end up look skew eyed (like my cat - next irrelevant photo, but cute!)
Back to "Endo" - Jaw attached to neck-mount, then Skull attached too - Lots of fiddling with the cables & struts, plus getting the width of the skull properly adjusted.
While the "Slightly-sideways" tilt of the head might look good, it makes the handling of the "cables" and struts very problematic........just when you think you're nearly there......
While the "Slightly-sideways" tilt of the head might look good, it makes the handling of the "cables" and struts very problematic........just when you think you're nearly there......
Cables & struts all tucked away satisfactorily.....
Let's finish this b&*!^%d!!!
Let's finish this b&*!^%d!!!
Torso attached to hips - reasonably easy - I will clamp & glue that join later on, but now it's time to carousel!!!
this way
that way
the other way
and the classic Schwarzenegger pose, I reckon!!
up front again
Zoom in.... - by the way, the orange reflection is my fluoro work shirt!!!
CALLING THIS DONE!!!
CALLING THIS DONE!!!
Covered the visible sides of the base with checker-plate laminate
Introduced to Micro LEDs (flashing & changing colours) by my nephew- had to back-engineer these into the endoskeleton
Base built from a sandwich of 2 piece of MDF - and hand-chiselled out the rebate ring for the dome.
Bored out the inside of the bottom of base to house the wiring.
Decided to change the power supply from button cells to a USB Power stick - Only $8 from Officeworks!!
The little buck-down circuit here drops the voltage from up to 30v, down to 3.5v - perfect!
Decided to change the power supply from button cells to a USB Power stick - Only $8 from Officeworks!!
The little buck-down circuit here drops the voltage from up to 30v, down to 3.5v - perfect!
More modifications to the base to house the USB Power stick.
Glass Dome given to me by a neighbour - perfect - but it needs a base
Screwed it all together
Comments
14 26 December 2021, 21:21
SpanjaardThis certainly is the perfect subject for "all metal" parts. Looking good!
26 December 2021, 22:04
Dash RendarLooking pretty awesome! Those Metal Kits really lend themselves well to the T-800.
3 July 2022, 16:35
Album info
Rated as "Maximum" on the Metal Earth difficulty scale.
I'll probably agree with that, based not only on the number of pieces (224+) but also in the small scale bend & fold complexity.
24 Pages of instructions!!
and the reason there are so many parts, is that so many of them are tiny "epaulette" type parts, adding lumps & bumps to bigger parts.
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Definitely earns the "Maximum" difficulty rating!! - DON'T make this your FIRST MetalEarth!!
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After finding out about some of the new micro LEDs - decided to back-engineer this...
Also, a neighbour kindly gave me a glass dome - so I had to make a base.............
