# Ted's out-of-box- LIS Robot build



## drmcoy (Nov 18, 2004)

Kit is trickier to put together than it looks. No insights that others haven't already shared other than if you are NOT lighting it up, you can put a piece of aluminum foil or reflective silver tape behind the chest controls so it lights them up a bit more than if you did not (assuming you are painting control lights with transparent paints).


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## drmcoy (Nov 18, 2004)

A few more pics...


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## steve123 (Feb 9, 2009)

That looks really cool! You did an excellent job..

Steve


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## Richard Baker (Aug 8, 2006)

Looks great as an out of the box build!- I will probably build my first like that also just to get it on the shelf quickly (the more I embellish the more the project telescopes...)

Which silver did you use for the body?


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## drmcoy (Nov 18, 2004)

thanks, steve.

as for paints, i primed styrene with Tamiya light gray primer and then sprayed with Tamiya rattle can AS-12 bare metal silver.

The legs & arms -- washed with dish soap, dried, and then applied Tamiya acrylic with brush -- a custom mix of a light grey and dark grey (I don't recall exact paint names but tamiya makes several grey paints).

As has been mentioned by others, the legs & arms have a different hue depending on which season, which episode and sometimes within the same episode depending on the scene you are watching. The color I got is how it looked to my eye most of the time -- I didn't want to go too dark, but even if I had, there are plenty of scenes where the legs look darker.

As the REMCO Robot was such a cherished toy from my childhood, having this incarnation almost 40 years later is a little odd. Even as a kid, I could see how the details of toys never quite matched what we saw on the TV. As fussy as the Moebius kit is to put together, I will give them kudos for getting the likeness spot on -- I would have pooped my pants had I seen this as a kid...of course back then, there is NO way I could have built this model without it turning into a glue-infested fiasco with fingerprints all over the place...but had someone made a toy that had this exact same appearance, well, that would have put me into orbit.

I look forward to other builds of this kit -- especially those who are lighting up the brain with fiber optics and such -- I wish I had the skills and patience to do this.


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## steve123 (Feb 9, 2009)

It's not that hard to light the kit. You did a great job with an out of box assembly..you can add the lights with some basic scratchbuilding skills and tools.

(Mostly tiny micro drills and such) It's not a walk in the park, but it's not very hard to get the lights into the kit, Moebius helped alot, but they can't do everything. Most of the light kits out there will guide you through the project. But, then you'd have to build another one...I had the remco one too.. can you imagine one of these under the tree?..built of course...

I'm not trying to sell a light kit, but the skills you have shown here indicate that you could light one with a few extra hours into the project

Steve


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## Seaview (Feb 18, 2004)

I like how you painted the "hyroglyphics" in the head assembly; I left them clear and they don't show up as well as yours do. I'll do that in my next build, because I really don't want to pry open the bubble and remove the brain assembly to re-paint the one I just finished. :dude:


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## drmcoy (Nov 18, 2004)

steve,

if i did lights, i am anal retentive enough to want ALL the lights to function as they did on the actual full-scale Robot, including all the blinkies in the brain. Having the chest light up and a few LEDS in the bubble wouldn't cut it for me.

I believe someone on this board is lighting theirs that way -- scratch building the "feelers" in the bubble so the individual bulbs on the stalks light up AND running fiber optics into the triangle portion of the brain so the hieroglyphics light up as well. THIS is what I would want if i were to add lighting -- the voice box lighting up would be optional...but I figure in for a penny, in for a pound.

If I were to put this kind of energy, money and time into lighting it up, I would want the overall fit and finish to be pristine. This is all doable, of course, even with my limited skills -- but it takes the kind of time that is challenging for me to give to such a project. I'm like a little kid when it comes to these kits -- I want it built and on the shelf so badly that I can't wait...that, and as my model area is also they kitchen table, there is only so much my wife will take of me commandeering common family areas with my projects! 

now that i have this one built and on the shelf, i'll likely buy a second one and hold onto it and see what other cool lighting kits come out and then, one day perhaps, I'll go full tilt on a lighted build.


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## drmcoy (Nov 18, 2004)

Seaview said:


> I like how you painted the "hyroglyphics" in the head assembly; I left them clear and they don't show up as well as yours do. I'll do that in my next build, because I really don't want to pry open the bubble and remove the brain assembly to re-paint the one I just finished. :dude:


I don't blame you for not wanting to pry open the bubble -- that, to me, was one of the trickier parts of the kit to assemble. mine isn't perfect, but from a few feet away, a lot of blemishes fade away.


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## steve123 (Feb 9, 2009)

The one with the brain lighted is mine..it's not that hard to do I think I'm two weeks into the project.

Steve


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## drmcoy (Nov 18, 2004)

steve123 said:


> The one with the brain lighted is mine..it's not that hard to do I think I'm two weeks into the project.
> 
> Steve


HA! Maybe I should pay you to build my 2nd one! I can't wait to see how yours turns out -- looks like it's gonna be wicked cool.


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## steve123 (Feb 9, 2009)

I'll build you one, but I think with some coaching you would do just fine.

Steve


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## rondenning (Jul 29, 2008)

Nice job drmcoy!!!
Ron


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## OzyMandias (Dec 29, 2004)

Wow! Awesome out of the box build and your colours are perfect! For having done no modifications at all, it looks like the real deal. Kudos...

It's a shame about the seams running right down the middle of each tread section. I guess the parts would have been too deep for the die if they had designed them as two single pieces. Structurally, it probably makes it more rigid to have the seam in the middle, than to have one side and the 'floor', with the other side separate. It also might make motorising the tread sections easier. I have a R/c Dalek with left and right movement and voice that has two drive wheels and a ball bearing for running gear. I was wondering if I can gut the Dalek and mount the wheels in each foot of the robot... Hmmmm

Is that Tamiya Gun Metal on the wrists?


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## drmcoy (Nov 18, 2004)

steve -- i may take you up on that coaching offer.

ron -- thanks!

ozy -- thanks, and i used tamiya metallic grey (similar to gun metal??) on wrist cuffs, plate behind chest controls and most of the brain parts -- just brushed on -- shows some strokes, but again, from a few feet away, it looks perfect 

as for the seams on base/feet, if i wasn't such a lazy slacker i would have puttied them up...maybe on my next one.


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## drmcoy (Nov 18, 2004)

also, my paint job appears to be pretty much in line with the couple of others who have posted pics of their builds on other threads in this forum -- they also did a great job.

unless you go nutty and choose some wild paints, it would be hard to build this and NOT have it look like the full scale Robot from the TV series.

i love the one someone built that was powered down and hunched over. looking forward to someone posting a pic of first season Robot build or one of the costumed variants.


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## steve123 (Feb 9, 2009)

Stan's sound and light kit comes with an illustrated tutorial it was done by Stan and...me..lol it's meant to take the builder through all the installation steps photographically and with a written dialog. But I will also take question here or by email.

You did a great job on this one.
Lighting can be easier that you expect with the right kit and the right guidance...

Steve


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## Zathros (Dec 21, 2000)

*Great Job, Ted..I'm working on mine and have been all day..started just when I got back from surgery,but have been draggin my butt on it.as I said before, I don't know what the engineering team was smoking when they designed those tread sections..all they had to do was make it in front/back sections, and since it would still be hollow anyway, it would have been no issue to install any sort of electronics..I have absolutely no intention of putting any kind of electronics in mine whatsoever, as I do not want to spend more than the kits price for any kit, and to me, its more of a "toy" with electronics in it, but that's my preference..I'm sure dozens of guys are gonna stuff that robot chock full of all kinds of electronic goodies...I'm sure before the summer, Youtube will probably have at least 2 videos of this robot zipping along the floor, lights blazing and in the Late Dick Tufeld's voice shouting "DANGER!! DANGER!!"

Z:tongue:
*


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## Fernando Mureb (Nov 12, 2006)

Drmcoy, amazing job, especially the sharp painting job! Thank you so much for sharing your pictures.


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## drmcoy (Nov 18, 2004)

thanks, zathy...and to everyone else who complimented my build. it truly is not that much different than the few others who have built and posted on other threads...but i posted my pics for two reasons: 

1) because it's MY build 

2) to show others how cool the kit can look with a basic out-of-box build and offer a small tip or two that might prove helpful

but know i still fantasize about having one with all the bells and whistles and, depending on my mood, expendable income and other life demands, i may someday have one that lights up and whistles dixie!

if you are reading this, chances are you are considering buying the kit -- if you do, please post pics...love to see them, even if it is just a basic build like mine.


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## Seaview (Feb 18, 2004)

drmcoy said:


> as for the seams on base/feet, if i wasn't such a lazy slacker i would have puttied them up...maybe on my next one.



Feh! That's what putty, primer paint & sanding sticks are for. It took me 3 or 4 "sanding & primering" sessions to get them to where I'm finally satisfied with the end result. For me, it's not the final product that I proudly display on my shelf, but the building process that I find the most rewarding & satisfying about this hobby of ours. :hat:


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## kdaracal (Jan 24, 2009)

drmcoy said:


> steve -- i may take you up on that coaching offer.
> 
> ron -- thanks!
> 
> ...


Very nice job! Quick question about seams: I wonder which ones (vertical body or feet/base) are actually found on the screen? Perhaps some should not be puttied at all? Anyone out there know? I hate to cover seams that belong there!

:wave:


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## OzyMandias (Dec 29, 2004)

The seams running down the centreline on each tread section are not present on the real thing, nor is the seam that separates the front and back of the torso. The cuffs are also seamless. 
Not that I'm picking your build apart Ted, I don't have the kit to hand as yet, so I'm going on photos of the kit to see where Moebius decided to cut him up.
I'm surprised that they didn't lie the cuffs flat on the sprue and cast them in one piece. I'm assuming the torso clips on the cuffs are glued on as separate parts so I can't see why they had to make it cast in two. 
The torso cut makes sense, no argument on that. As for the treads, I can see alternatives to the way it has been done, but I'll defer to the wisdom of Frank and Dave and the engineers that cut the die. They must have done it with good reason. 
At least, where the seams are, they'll be relatively easy to remove without affecting surface detail.


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## BatToys (Feb 4, 2002)

If you paint the vinyl arms and legs, the paint dries Ok without bring sticky nor cracking?


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

If you use the right kind of paint it does. And, for those who keep asking about painting the vinyl parts, the kit instructions talk about it and even give you a pantone color reference to go by.

The seam on the wrist cuff is really bad and a pain because the way the kit is designed you have to trap the two piece, movable, claws between the cuff. You cant really paint the claws neatly and install them after the cuff is cleaned up. I will cut off the claw locating pins and drill a hole through BOTH claw sections , and also cut off the sockets on the back of the cuffs that hold those pins in place. This way, I can build the cuff, get rid of the horrible seam, paint the cuff and claws, and then slip the finished claws in place. Once in position, it will be easy to slip a little brass rod pin through the claws to lock them in place (like the pin through a scissors).


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## drmcoy (Nov 18, 2004)

as for the seams on my build, i made absolutely NO effort to hide them, so no offense taken for anyone pointing out that they are there. 

if i ever decide to light one up, i will go the extra mile and putty all the seams...although as has been stated, the ones on the cuffs are tricky based on the engineering of how the claws fit into cuffs -- but someone else has pointed out how this could be remedied.

as for paint flaking off vinyl legs & arms -- the tamiya bottle acrylic paint i used sticks pretty well and does not show the brush marks hardly at all...BUT, if you were to flex the legs or arms, it WILL FLAKE OFF. this becomes an issue when attaching the arms to the body as it takes some careful manipulation to get the vinyl arms into the styrene body and cuffs -- you may want to test fit before you paint to get a feel for how the vinyl lip of the arm piece pressure fits into the cuff or body. i had to touch up both the arms and legs a bit because some of the paint had flaked off.

i did not prime my vinyl parts -- this may have made a difference, but i imagine probably not.


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## steve123 (Feb 9, 2009)

The claw seams aren't that bad. You could remove the hinge pins on the claws and not install the claws untill the cuffs are done. I left mine moveable. that required careful masking and some touch up, but it was'nt the trail I envisioned to would be.


















The kit is what it is. for some it's a joy for others it's a hill climb. I'm having fun with mine.

Steve


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

I am happy with my kit. I just have to scratch my head at a couple of the engineering choices (the feet in particualr). But nothing seems inordinately difficult. I am just waiting to get my light, sound, unit. So far everyone has been doing some really cool kits, too.


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## steve123 (Feb 9, 2009)

The seams are some work, I spent almost a week getting them correct.

Then fri night I was putting stuff away and the middle torso fell on the carpet and broke into it's front and back pieces. It was fixed by the time the broncos were behind 29 to 0..lol

Steve


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## Zombie_61 (Apr 21, 2004)

drmcoy said:


> ...i did not prime my vinyl parts -- this may have made a difference, but i imagine probably not.


Actually, as I understand it (and I could be wrong) one of the functions of primer is to provide a better bond between the paint and the parent material (in this case, vinyl). I believe just about any paint or paint/primer combination would flake off if the vinyl is flexed drastically and/or repeatedly, but how many of us are planning to do something like that with the arms and legs on this kit?


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## Seaview (Feb 18, 2004)

steve123 said:


> It was fixed by the time the broncos were behind 29 to 0..lol
> 
> Steve


 
I made a small fortune betting against them; I knew I was ahead by the end of the first quarter! :dude:
But now, back to our regularly scheduled build.... :thumbsup:


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## liskorea317 (Mar 27, 2009)

I read here on some thread that there was a fit problem with the feet, so as I dry fitted them there was a bit of effort to get them all together correctly, but the fit is fine. Just need a bit of patience, courage and fortitude!


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## Zathros (Dec 21, 2000)

*The vinyl painting issue should be an easy fix, and has been for me on the tiny amount of vinyl projects I worked on--just hit any auto shop and get a spray can of automotive primer spray, or any basic color vinyl paint to use as a primer..after applying that, no one should have any issues painting any kind of paint on it..

Z*


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

Zombie_61 said:


> Actually, as I understand it (and I could be wrong) one of the functions of primer is to provide a better bond between the paint and the parent material (in this case, vinyl). I believe just about any paint or paint/primer combination would flake off if the vinyl is flexed drastically and/or repeatedly, but how many of us are planning to do something like that with the arms and legs on this kit?


I would try the Tamiya PC jar or spray paints which are made to bond to flexible lexan RC Car body plastic


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## OzyMandias (Dec 29, 2004)

*incorrect assumption about polycarbonate paint deleted*

Mind you, if you can get a good flexible acrylic primer, and give the vinyl a good coat of that, you can cover it with just about anything


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

The Tamiya PC jar paints are acrylic, so I don't know what would be brutal about it. The blow molded arms and legs are not styrene either. They are some funky vinyl stuff. You may be thinking of the Pactra lexan paints. Those are pretty harsh and will melt styrene. I use the Tamiya spray stuff all the time to paint the rubber tracks in tank kits. Many of the colors mirror the Tamiya TS series of sprays and the jar colors.


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## Arkons (Jan 8, 2013)

The part on the feet that was an issue was one of the inside panels (the one without the starburst pattern) didn't fit right. The pegs and holes didn't match up so the top pegs have to be broken off and just have the panel glued on. I don't know it this was fixed in later kits. I as well as the other person that posted the issue had the same flawed part.


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## steve123 (Feb 9, 2009)

I forgot to mention that.. The pins between the inner feet did fit on mine, but I put two shims between the inner sides to make sure it all was sturdy.

Steve


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## DLHamblin (Nov 7, 2008)

steve123 said:


> I forgot to mention that.. The pins between the inner feet did fit on mine, but I put two shims between the inner sides to make sure it all was sturdy.
> 
> Steve


Can you elaborate on the shims? Not sure I follow.


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## steve123 (Feb 9, 2009)

The kit parts (right and left tread section) have only two pins to hold them in place and to keep the gap between them even. I slid wooden shims between the left ant fight treads to keep the gap even and to give more gluing surface between the two tread assemblies.

Steve


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## Zathros (Dec 21, 2000)

Arkons said:


> The part on the feet that was an issue was one of the inside panels (the one without the starburst pattern) didn't fit right. The pegs and holes didn't match up so the top pegs have to be broken off and just have the panel glued on. I don't know it this was fixed in later kits. I as well as the other person that posted the issue had the same flawed part.


*I called Moebius and notified them of this--They are looking into it..*


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## steve123 (Feb 9, 2009)

Mine fit fine. it's just kind of a weak attachment point. I'm leery of some modeler finding what seems to be a problem in a kit, usually what _*I*_ think is a problem is _*me*_ not attaching the part correctly.

Steve


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## Arkons (Jan 8, 2013)

Ok, so I think there's a bit of a misunderstanding on which part we're talking about. I'm not referring to the two pins where the two feet are glued together once the feet are built, I'm referring to the actual panel itself. One of the smooth panels (the ones on the inside of the treadsection that are smooth and don't have the starburst pattern and you don't see once the tread feet, right and left, are glued together) doesn't fit right to the one side of the treads. I as well as the other person who had fitting issues with that part discovered that the two top pins (there are four total on the inside of the panel) that insert into the holes of the inside of the treadsection were misaligned. I tried it on both the right and left foot, and it only works on the one side. The other smooth panel did the same thing. I tried it both ways. I wish I knew where the thread was where this other gentleman mentions this as he has a picture of that part showing the part and flaw. The part number is 60 and called the inner plate. I haven't heard of anyone else having issues with this part besides the other gentleman that mentioned it in the other thread. I built two kits and they both had the same problem. It's not a big deal, you just break off the two top pins, smooth down the bump left behind and glue the panel on to the foot.


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## Arkons (Jan 8, 2013)

So I found that thread showing that part. It's in the one called "b9 where are you??". Page 6, message number 86. The gentleman goes by teslabe as his moniker. I have a link here and I hope it works:


http://www.hobbytalk.com/bbs1/attachment.php?attachmentid=184494&stc=1&thumb=1&d=1390015980


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## teslabe (Oct 20, 2007)

Arkons said:


> Ok, so I think there's a bit of a misunderstanding on which part we're talking about. I'm not referring to the two pins where the two feet are glued together once the feet are built, I'm referring to the actual panel itself. One of the smooth panels (the ones on the inside of the treadsection that are smooth and don't have the starburst pattern and you don't see once the tread feet, right and left, are glued together) doesn't fit right to the one side of the treads. I as well as the other person who had fitting issues with that part discovered that the two top pins (there are four total on the inside of the panel) that insert into the holes of the inside of the treadsection were misaligned. I tried it on both the right and left foot, and it only works on the one side. The other smooth panel did the same thing. I tried it both ways. I wish I knew where the thread was where this other gentleman mentions this as he has a picture of that part showing the part and flaw. The part number is 60 and called the inner plate. I haven't heard of anyone else having issues with this part besides the other gentleman that mentioned it in the other thread. I built two kits and they both had the same problem. It's not a big deal, you just break off the two top pins, smooth down the bump left behind and glue the panel on to the foot.


http://www.hobbytalk.com/bbs1/showpost.php?p=4704668&postcount=86

That was me, I just cut off the pins and glued it in place, not a big problem...


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## NTRPRZ (Feb 23, 1999)

I had problems with it, but cut off three of the pins and it fit just fine.


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## Arkons (Jan 8, 2013)

Thank you both! And thank you Teslabe for the link. I didn't want Steve to think I "put the part on incorrectly". Hopefully future kits will have this resolved but once again, it's an easy fix so probably not worth the cost for Moebius.


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## steve123 (Feb 9, 2009)

Oh, I see. I had a little resistance, but I sanded the pins and twirled an x acto knife in the holes. Sometimes some of the fun building a kit for me is problem solving.

Steve


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## drmcoy (Nov 18, 2004)

well, i solved that problem the same way as the other guys -- just cut off one of the pegs and glued the plate on -- works just fine. but i imagine you could also do what steve did with similar results...as they say, more than one way to skin a cat.


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## Seaview (Feb 18, 2004)

OH! Then it wasn't just MY kit that had that problem! Oh, well, I settled it the same way with a fresh No.11 blade as well! :dude:


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## scifimodelfan (Aug 3, 2006)

Wow my kit did not have that problem at all. They all lined up correctly, odd


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## Zathros (Dec 21, 2000)

*The issue of course, is that this should never have been a problem to begin with on a $45.00 kit. However if Moebius is unaware of it, it wont get fixed. hence my making them aware of it. Still baffles me how it could have been missed in the test shot stage...


Z*


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## Fernando Mureb (Nov 12, 2006)

Probably it didn't and nevertheless the dudes in China didn't make the corrections.


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## RSN (Jul 29, 2008)

It is not a matter of the part not fitting, it is a matter of the alignment pin being slightly "off". Not a problem for me, when I dry fit it I simply removed the pin like I would on any build, problem solved. Heck, I have paid more for other kits and have had to remove pins to get parts to fit. I just deal and move on with the build!!


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

Zathros said:


> *The issue of course, is that this should never have been a problem to begin with on a $45.00 kit. However if Moebius is unaware of it, it wont get fixed. hence my making them aware of it. Still baffles me how it could have been missed in the test shot stage...
> 
> 
> Z*


Honestly this "problem" is common on a ton of kits. I hate to even call it a problem as any modeler except an absolute beginner just cuts the offending alignment peg off and assembles the kit with no problem. As a matter of course, I often cut these pegs off anyway so I can make sure the gluing surfaces are really flat with a light sanding.

One of the last kits I built, Revell's USS Arizona, had the same issue. The tabs on the hull halves actually kept the halves from fitting properly. 

The thing with Moebius kits too is that, honestly, their molding technology and capacities are not exactly state of the art. They are getting better by leaps and bounds, but if you look at the finesse exhibited by other, larger and more established companies, you can see a vast difference in quality. Tamiya would have never split the feet in half the way Moebius did. Dragon probably would have molded the torso in one large part too instead of halves...


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## bert model maker (Feb 19, 2002)

This Robot is GREAT ! finally a B-9 with accurate features and in a large size to boot. Do the lights for the belly come pre--colored or is that a clear paint on each lighted button ?
Bert


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## RSN (Jul 29, 2008)

bert model maker said:


> This Robot is GREAT ! finally a B-9 with accurate features and in a large size to boot. Do the lights for the belly come pre--colored or is that a clear paint on each lighted button ?
> Bert


The belly lights are a clear part that inserts through the predrilled holes in the torso. They can be individually colored with clear tints and you don't have to worry about masking them, you can paint the section of the torso they go in before you insert them.


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

You even get teeny weeny decals for the buttons !


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## Zathros (Dec 21, 2000)

djnick66 said:


> You even get teeny weeny decals for the buttons !


*..yeah...and they were so much fun..lol...to apply...:freak:..but I got em on...my robot should be done sometime this evening...


Z*


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## Zathros (Dec 21, 2000)

djnick66 said:


> Honestly this "problem" is common on a ton of kits. I hate to even call it a problem as any modeler except an absolute beginner just cuts the offending alignment peg off and assembles the kit with no problem. As a matter of course, I often cut these pegs off anyway so I can make sure the gluing surfaces are really flat with a light sanding.
> 
> One of the last kits I built, Revell's USS Arizona, had the same issue. The tabs on the hull halves actually kept the halves from fitting properly.
> 
> The thing with Moebius kits too is that, honestly, their molding technology and capacities are not exactly state of the art. They are getting better by leaps and bounds, but if you look at the finesse exhibited by other, larger and more established companies, you can see a vast difference in quality. Tamiya would have never split the feet in half the way Moebius did. Dragon probably would have molded the torso in one large part too instead of halves...


*In all my years as a modeler, I guess I have been lucky..I never came across a pin alignment issue, and I have over 70 built up kits..but that inner plate misalignment can be a problem if its not lined up right when its glued down, since it could cause both tread sections to be uneven, when they are joined...I have no issue with the torso sectioned in half..My issue was of course, that lousy idea of sectioning the tread sections..In addition, lastly, I would not have made the arms and legs out of vinyl..You are correct that Moebius is improving..I think the problem is that like most small companies that are run by remote control, meaning they have no manufacturing facilities of their own, and it being in China, there is no real hands on quality control..They sent a test shot kit to a modeler to build it for them , and with his advanced skills probably said "hey..this is no issue for me, so it shouldnt be for anyone else"..fixed the problems, built it and sent it back for the promo shots..its a good kit, but in my opinion, it needs to be a bit more builder friendly..

Z*


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

Well part of it is that a company has to weigh how much cost it would be to make a change to the mold. Like did they ever fix the backwards pins on the Frankenstein kit's hand? I don't think so... 

One thing I notice with Moebius kits is that a lot of them have some really bizarre engineering. It's like someone designed the kit who has never built a model kit in their life and doesn't know how to break something down into components very well. I don't think they have an in house design team that does that, but rather they may rely on someone overseas at the tooling company to translate a kit master into the mold. Like the bizarre seam on the Robot's feet and the strange decision to mold the treads in place.

I've been building kits now almost 45 years. I probably have encountered just about any fit problem you can think of along the way. 

I suppose bulder friendly is a relative thing. There are some people that can screw up a two piece snap together stealth bomber. From my own experiences, the best thing anyone can do is TEST FIT, TEST FIT, TEST FIT.


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## Zathros (Dec 21, 2000)

*One things for sure, that Vinyl is NOT user friendly in any way..I had one hell of a time getting that junk to sit right where they were supposed to, not to mention it kept rejecting every glue I tried and had to resort to crazy glue....User friendly in my opinion, is not that 'relative"..to me, it means parts fit as they are supposed to, with some slight adjustments here and there, not that you have to fight to get something to fit..Fit issues like that I would expect from cottage industry homemade resin Garage kits.. and I have been building since 1977..and with that vinyl, this is the last robot I am gonna build..

Z*


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

I haven't gotten around to it yet. The trouble is that I don't know what other material would be better. Styrene won't work. Period. You would have horrible seams like the old Aurora kit. Resin would be fine but it would be costly for an already overpriced kit. I suppose there has to be a happy medium somewhere. 

There are a lot of kits with fit issues and not just garage stuff. For example, Dragon's new orange-boxed Kursk Tiger Tank combines parts from one of their existing kits, as well as parts used in one of Dragon's pre finished display models. No one ever noticed that the parts from the two Tigers are NOT compatable and you have to do some major work with a saw to make them fit. It's not like it is an old kit from a junky company. It's a $50 kit from 2013.


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## Fernando Mureb (Nov 12, 2006)

My opinion is that, depending on what you are planning to do with your kit, the engineering of the kit may have been a bless.

I, for one, have the intention to make a full lighting, make the crown rotating and, if possible, the torso as well.

That would be impossible with a torso molded in one piece.

As for issues about fit the vinyl, I can be wrong, but I have not heard much complaints about that.

The thread sections could certainly be molded in a different way, but, again, for those who are going to motorizing the robot, the way Moebius did the thing may have been the right way.

For those guys that want to build OOB, Kitkarma has just came up with an excellent solution to avoid the necessity of several putty/sand/primer processes.


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## Arkons (Jan 8, 2013)

I agree with Zathros. The arms were very frustrating for me. It was extremely hard (at least with my 2 kits) to get the arms to "click" in. The instructions should have you finish building the details on the torso, build the wrists and claws and put them on the arms and then attach the arms to the front of the torso and THEN put the torso together. At least with an OOB build. That way you can pull the arms from the inside of the front of the torso piece while you're pushing. As it is, you have to reach in with needle nose pliers and pull on the extra vinyl on the arms to get them to click because the torso is already put together. On my second build, I made sure to do the torso build later and it was way easier. The other thing I didn't like is that the only things holding the treadsection to the rest of the Robot is the knee hinges. Considering what little contact there is where the hinges touch the knee plates, you better hope you don't bump the feet too hard or those things will fall off. I super glued them on and on the second model I glued 1/2 inch styrene tubes inside the knees, 4 total two per side to the upper and lower knee plates so it made the knees way more stable and strong.


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## B-9 (Jun 8, 2009)

I painted the legs, knees and arms with latex paint (brushed on) after cleaning the parts with rubbing alcohol. You can get a five dollar sample to the color of your liking at your local paint store which will be enough to paint 500 B9 legs. They were glued down with Plumber's Goop. No problem with the legs ever falling off.


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## Zathros (Dec 21, 2000)

B-9 said:


> I painted the legs, knees and arms with latex paint (brushed on) after cleaning the parts with rubbing alcohol. You can get a five dollar sample to the color of your liking at your local paint store which will be enough to paint 500 B9 legs. They were glued down with Plumber's Goop. No problem with the legs ever falling off.


*the goop didn't work for me..first time ever that stuff failed..*


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## steve123 (Feb 9, 2009)

I always figure my own butt is the closest one to kick when a model won't fit correctly.
I just build stuff. If something dosen't fit, I figure out how to correct it. I think saying that a kit is flawed because a few pins don't/won't line up make the guy look like a ninny. Show us how good a builder you are by telling us about a work around.
Frankly, if a few pins slow you down, you is in da rong hobby son...lol
Steve


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## Zathros (Dec 21, 2000)

steve123 said:


> I always figure my own butt is the closest one to kick when a model won't fit correctly.
> I just build stuff. If something dosen't fit, I figure out how to correct it. I think saying that a kit is flawed because a few pins don't/won't line up make the guy look like a ninny. Show us how good a builder you are by telling us about a work around.
> Frankly, if a few pins slow you down, you is in da rong hobby son...lol
> Steve


*There's a very big difference between fixing a "poor fit" and an "engineering flaw", Steve. I fixed many a poor fit,and pointing out that plate pin issue doesn't make anyone look like a "ninny", it notifies the manufacturer that there is a problem with the mold that may need to be corrected, and makes others that didn't build the kit yet aware of what to expect. I been in "da hobby" over three decades..I think its still the right hobby for me..:thumbsup:My pin issue was corrected..the Vinyl issue is another story..I'm confident I will come with something sooner or later...

Z*


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## OzyMandias (Dec 29, 2004)

djnick66 said:


> The Tamiya PC jar paints are acrylic, so I don't know what would be brutal about it. The blow molded arms and legs are not styrene either. They are some funky vinyl stuff. You may be thinking of the Pactra lexan paints. Those are pretty harsh and will melt styrene. I use the Tamiya spray stuff all the time to paint the rubber tracks in tank kits. Many of the colors mirror the Tamiya TS series of sprays and the jar colors.


@djnick66 sorry about that, I must have had my wires crossed. I knew one of the paints for R/c car bodies was incompatible with styrene. Thanks for pointing me straight.


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## Arkons (Jan 8, 2013)

Look Steve, we're just pointing out the things in the kit that were either irritating or had to be fixed/worked around in the process of building this kit. It doesn't mean we're in the wrong hobby or incompetent or stupid. I got the things built, worked around the problems and figured out what I had to do to make it work. I built a full size, 6 foot 5 inch tall, working, talking, blinking replica of the Robot. I certainly can build this.


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