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 Building / Mecha / 12104
12103  |  12105
Subject: 
Re: My First Mech ... Please Critic
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.build.mecha
Date: 
Mon, 24 Jan 2005 18:48:01 GMT
Viewed: 
841 times
  
In lugnet.build.mecha, Mark Neumann wrote:
  
   I would appreciate as many pointers and suggestions (good and bad) as possible since I am already beginning to build a worm-geared, medium-sized (24 gear) version of this same MOC.

Thank you, Brian

Brian, I thought this creation was a hoot. For several reasons it reminded me why I do this in the first place. You built a mech just because you wanted to and grow with it. Good for you!


I enjoyed building this Mech. Like you mentioned before a full-scale Mech would have been too daunting and challenging. I learned so much from this small couple-of-hours project: balance, rotation, functionality vs. appearance, etc.

   The legs are thin, could be filled in with brick or other techniques of pins/gears and parts. Obviously adding weight but I suspect you were more interested in learning the functionality of the legs with this creation so I won’t hammer on it.


I was focused more on the functionality but ... the legs pushed my creativity to the limit. After reading the “Critic Posts” I see that I will have to dust off all of my Technic pieces and get a better understanding of how they work in free-lance building. I have mostly been a brick builder. Integrating both technic and brick is an art!

I have thought a lot about the comments on the legs vs. what I could build. I am sure that once you build a Mech the next one is just: body, legs and arms. The mechanics become second-naure and the appearance becomes the challenge. For me it was more mechanics and less appearance.

I do wonder about weight on the legs, not so much on the hip ( ball and joint) but on the ankle. Even this small build requires that I place the legs just right or it will collapse. I am planning to revamp the legs with more parts and see what happens.

   On the arms you can see how covering the parts that make a joint become important. You have these big weapon conponents on the arms and the joints stick out the back making for a thin look again. Placement of just a few plates or wings can cover, allow movement, and don’t add too much weight.


Great idea.

   I thought the hand weapons and the body were the best part of this creation. Looks like you made the chain gun out of 1x1s with clips placed around a central axis yeah?

Yes. There are 9 chambers ( 4095 (Peeron) Bar 6.6L with Stop) on the gun making the offset to be around 40 degrees. I found this by connecting two 1x1 with clips and then rotating the top one until the right prong on the bottom piece touched the left prong on the top piece and so on. It ended up creating a spiraled effect. It gave the feel of the gun without the bulk and weight of a lot of bricks.

   the other Weapon pod looks a little like a big hammer.

Now that you mention it ... yes it does. I guess I forgot to mention that when they run out of ammo they just clunk the enemy on the head. Not to mention the peacetime use of these Mechs on railroad chain gains.

   The top of the mech almost seems like a flat top, or low profile design to the body.


Again, after reading the critics, I have learned that functionality and appearance need to be carefully considered. I designed the flat top becuase I thought that if a missile were fired that the chance of hitting the body was high with any impediments on the body.

So I guess I have another question: In Mech building, does appearance outweigh “real-world” functionality or are they weighted equally?

   It looks like you had some good fun with it and hope you keep building.


Plan too.

  
I don’t know if it’s helpful or not but I finally decided to upload two pics. My first two mechs I ever made. Here and here. I’ll warn you now, they aren’t what I’d call, pretty.

I love them. The second pictured Mech even has suspension ... NICE!

It looks like you started working on Mechs in the late 90s judging by the use of the “Rock Raider” pieces?

Thank you,

Brian



Message is in Reply To:
  Re: My First Mech ... Please Critic
 
(...) Brian, I thought this creation was a hoot. For several reasons it reminded me why I do this in the first place. You built a mech just because you wanted to and grow with it. Good for you! The legs are thin, could be filled in with brick or (...) (20 years ago, 22-Jan-05, to lugnet.build.mecha, lugnet.org.us.cedarlug, FTX)

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