12.03.2005 » Concepts

Continuing with my AoZ Unlimited Group Build projects I have started on my MG Quel to Hazel conversion with a twist. For the most part the base kit will be the MG Quel with a few modifications for posability and some add-ons. I purchased a Hazel head from Models4U to use for this and I'll be scratchbuilding the shoulder grenade launchers and the buldged out chest piece/hatch. The backpack will be the stock one from the Quel as I like its big boxy goodness.

The twist comes in where I'll be making a detatchable 'Stutzer' unit for the front. From what I can gather, it was just the Zeon forces using stutzers, but I think it might look kinda cool on the Hazel. Mine will be using the beam rifle from the MG Gp01 on the one 'boom' and on the other 'boom', instead of the grapling arm, I'll be adding a row of grenade launchers. Below are some pics from AoZ of the Hazel in the scheme I'll be using and of the Zaku Stutzer. My stutzer unit will be modified to look more Titans Test Team than Zeonesque style-wise.

12.03.2005 » Modifications

Another twist is that I'm actually doing mobility mods. For those who don't know what that is, it involves modifying the kit so that it has more/better articulation and posability. First up was adding a ball-joint in the chest so that it could pivot back and forth and left and right. You can see in the final pic the extreme side of the new articulation. I'll be adding greeblies inside the gap so that it doesn't look empty when tilted. Not shown is another polycap mod I added to the hip joint to allow that to pivot back and forth. I'll take a pic of that later. The second image is that of my additions to make the Quel into the base Hazel. I won't be making the leg boosters or the added ass armor. This will be a scaled back Hazel. Finally, you can see Pete's Hazel head cast in the final pic. He did a great job with that!

12.05.2005 » More Modifications

Here's what I go so far... The Hazel center chest part is almost finished. It just needs some more sanding, beveling and the little circles added to the sides. I need to find a 1 mm drill bit first though before I add those. In the top of the chest piece I added a rare earth magnet under a very thin top-plate of styrene to hide it.

Then I started on the Stutzer pack. I added another rare earth magnet in the part that sits on the chest to hold it together so that it is removeable. To keep the Hazel/AoZ look based on the HGUC Hazel I have, I took some thin yellow sprue (but it will later be painted) lathed some panel lines into it (using my drill) and added those to the front of the 2 Stutzer support struts. More "yellow" tubes will be added inbetween the struts along with a vent. When some more glue dries, I'll add the joints/tubing to the sides of those struts that will allow the 2 'booms' to swivel up and down. The sensor (blue) is leftover from my MG Gp01 (Gerbera Tetra) project.

The shoulder parts are almost done as well. They just need some primer and a little fill work where the grenades connect. I also filled the chest vents and scribed a line across them. I've seen several Gundams with these type vents and I like them. This seemed like a good project to add that look to.

12.07.2005 » Arms

Things are progressing rather quickly. Since the last update, I cleaned up the center part so that it's nice and sanded, beveled, etc... I added some more of the yellow rods in-between the two struts and there will be a vent inbetween. This will look very much like the HGUC Hazel's booster pod details when painted. A grab bar was added to the top of the struts. The joints were added to the sides of the stutzer unit and the 'arms' were made by layering sheets of styrene to get that layered look. The joints were made using road wheels from an M-10 tank kit and wheel parts from an M* Greyhound. In the pics, they're not pushed in all the way. I want to keep the stiffness of the joints so I am limiting the amount I "test fit" them. I still have a lot of clean-up and detailing to do on the arms and such. Here's some pics. I needed to prop the arms up for now as the kit is very front heavy and will topple over. I'll have to weight the feet down with something or display it on a rod in a flight pose.

12.17.2005 » Armed

I came down with a case of 'Metal Gear Solid 3' so progress slowed a bit on the [Stutzer]. I'm all better now (and really enjoyed the game!) so I'm back to the in-progs. Since my last update I've cut and sanded everything that needed sanded and cut on the Quel. That damn shield had soooo many injector marks on the inside. I also finished the hand-held gun and clips. Those were made from Gp01 ePacs and the Quel beam gun with a barrel from a GM Type C gun leftover. The clip covers were made from thick sheet styrene that was filed into shape. They extra clip will go on the right forearm. I liked that placement after seeing it on several AoZ GMs.

I also added the weapons to the boom arms. The grenade launchers are from an Academy M10 tank kit. I believe they were shell casings. The gun is the MG Gp01 beam rifle. The mounting 'clips' were made from 1/8" strip styrene cut at a 45 degree angle. I had to add some strips to the back side of the rifle so that it would lay straight.

That's it for now. Next I need to wash the resin parts and then prime everything. I totally expect to have a little more clean-up after priming, but will be onto paint very soon.

12.27.2005 » Paint

I've had the Hazel painted and Futured since before Christmas, but with all the traveling and Santa brining me a cold on Christmas morning I haven't had time to do much with it. I am feeling better enough today that I was able to finish adding the wash for all the panel lines and to paint the red stretched sprue details I added in the recesses to make this piece have that AoZ feel. Below are some pics. For whatever reason the parts look textured in the pics, but not so much in real life. I think it's a combo of the dark colors mixed with harsh light and a need for several more coats of Future for decals and flat coating. I'd love to add the decal coat of Future on tonight, but I keep sneezing and my nose keeps running and that just doesn't make for a pleasant mask-wearing painting experience. Yuck!