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Monday, October 7, 2013

A fun little side project: Custom SCF's!

So I have talked before about how much I enjoy the SCF line, I only wish it had continued for a few more waves before abandoning G1 and moving on to Armada. But just because there won't be any more "official" figures doesn't mean I can't have a little fun making some of my own!

Obviously I am going to be limited to repaints since I don't have the skill or the equipment to design brand new characters. While somewhat limiting, this allows for some interesting possibilities. My first venture into this new territory is something I consider a no-brainer, Hate-Plague infected Autobots and Decepticons from the G1 episode: The Return of Optimus Prime.

I swear Cyclonus is there, just obscured.
There were quite a few characters infected by the hate plague in the show who already have SCFs: Ultra Magnus, Cyclonus, Galvatron and Rodimus immediately come to mind. And it just so happened I had Ultra Magnus and Cyclonus from the HOC line, which I don't feel so bad about repainting. I would feel a little worse about painting the SCFs since they are of a higher quality. And since I now have an airbrush from working on all those Aftershock figures it was easy enough to paint these guys the signature red of the Hate-Plague.


They now also go great with the ACT 5 chase "metal protected" Optimus Prime.


I still can't believe Takara didn't take advantage of this opportunity back when these were coming out. It seems like an easy repaint with no remolding of a very memorable episode. Much better than that ACT 4 Metallic Grimlock we received instead.

I sent these two off to a friend who I know also really enjoys SCF, but I plan on finding an extra Galvatron and Rodimus next for myself!

See also:
ACT 4 Chase Figures - by Heroic Decepticon
SCF: The Truth Who The Eyes Met Before!

15 comments:

  1. Ooh! Hate Plague! Magnus and Cyclonus sure look great. What kind of airbrush are you using? I've been thinking about getting one for a few more customs and an airbrush would be nice.

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    1. Thanks! I use a gravity-fed Iwata, they tend to be really good airbrushes. Honestly it takes longer to clean them than it does to do the painting, lol!

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    2. what sort of cleaning is required? Do you have to remove the previous coat of paint? or to prime them in some way? (not a pun)

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    3. I was actually referring to cleaning the airbrush, lol. Basically if you ever want to use it again you have to thoroughly clean it every time you use it so no paint gunks up the nozzle. And it can be time consuming. But for the figures themselves I usually soak them in 90% alcohol and that strips the paint. I'll then wash them in warm soapy water and let them air dry for a day or two and then use gloves from that point on since I don't want any of my hand oils to get on the clean figures as it can lead to the paint chipping off later. Also occasionally I'll very lightly sand the parts with a very fine grit sandpaper to make the surface a little more amenable to accepting the new color. A lot of people prime them, but I find it really isn't necessary if you take your time. And it usually takes two coats to get full coverage anyway. After they are done I use a clear sealer to keep the paint from chipping as well. Now that I think about it, it tends to be a little involved :)

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  2. Wow, this is ingenius! Now I'm kicking myself for not having thought about this. What a good in canon way to build and add to SCF. Love the shot with the "metal protected" Optimus too, very appropriate.

    Agree that metallic Grimlock was slack; metallic Galvatron too. Can't imagine why i'd hunt for these figures other than to complete SCF.

    Envious of the person who will receive these from you!

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  3. I'm a pepper, wouldn't you like to be a pepper too?

    I like it, man! Simple yet effective.

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  4. Too bad there isn't a Beachcomber SCF. You could remove one is hands and paint it gold!

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    Replies
    1. one golden hand would be quite representative for Beachcomber...

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