I knew I was going to have to build this guy in sections and then assemble those as I finished them. I don't think you can build him as one whole piece.
I will say that if you aren't comfortable with pinning models, then this project isn't for you. This guy is pinned in a number of places and in some cases it's 3 pieces held together with a single pin.
But he needs the reinforcement, I couldn't imagine building him without the extra support.
First thing for me was to build the parts of the leg and the the entire leg itself followed by attaching each one to the pelvis and then the pelvis to the torso.
The arms were built independently as they're magnetized.
Building this guy taught me planning. You need to have a plan as to how you're going to put it all together BEFORE you start and then stick with it. Another thing I learned was taking my time and making sure everything fit properly before gluing. I left some things off until the very end and then assembled them once painted because it was easier to do it like that.
Building one of these things is a custom job. By that, I mean that each joint needs attention and you can't just toss him together like you do a rank and file troop. But he's worth it in the end, believe me, he's worth all the work when you see him completely assembled.
As Ron said, having a plan and sticking to it is key. I recommend a lot of dry fitting and making sure you have a good idea of how your pose will look and that it is something you like.
Changing the plan midway is not a good bet. For example, a slight change to one leg on this model could completely change how the other leg fits to the pelvis. Also, planning will allow you to do the multi-part pinning with one pin as Ron has done.
Remember, multiple pins may be needed depending on the joint. I use at least two in a rotating or ball joint to keep the part from ever breaking loose and simply rotating or spinning on your single pin. A detailed account of how I pin can also be found on my Reaver Leg Assembly blog post.
- The Inner Geek
Project Link: Follow my Eldar Titan project
