Nacho photo booth
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I'm having waaaaaaay too much fun.
The white mauler was my prototype, because white filament can be had for less in bulk. If I was going to screw up, I didn't want it to be in a pricey color. The mauler CAD design I bought was well done... but it felt only about 90% finished. Fortunately, someone else had made a build and found/notated most of the problems, so I didn't have to learn everything the hard way. But it made me rethink the entire project up front... which led down a rabbit hole.
I added several custom detail panels to look more like the OG toy, as this model was missing them and looked a bit bare in places. I added some extra vents, again to mimic the original. I added the tow hook and cable... odd that the designer put the cable hardpoints on the armor skirts, but didn't include a cable or tow hook. I rejiggered the cable from the Wolverine to fit, and I made a custom tow hook.
The biggest documented issues were the connectors between the body sections and the design of the wheels/treads. I decided to punt on all of that, combining as many sections of the hull as possible to print it in just two big chunks (bypassing most of the connectors, and I designed my own connectors for the two big chunks) - big printer FTW! And then I modified/adapted the wheel and tread design from the armadillo to fit the Mauler, completely sidestepping the problems in the mauler CAD files.
And after printing the arctic version, I wasn't happy with the cannon movement, as it wouldn't stay elevated. I fixed it with thin rubber inserts to create some friction, but for future versions, I concocted a spring-loaded ratchet system, loosely based on how the armadillo cannons were done.... and that works surprisingly well. It only has 3-4 usable ratchet positions, so I maybe could have gone with finer teeth, but it holds well, so I'm happy.
I just finished the standard FDE Mauler this afternoon, so hopefully I can take some pics soon.
The white mauler was my prototype, because white filament can be had for less in bulk. If I was going to screw up, I didn't want it to be in a pricey color. The mauler CAD design I bought was well done... but it felt only about 90% finished. Fortunately, someone else had made a build and found/notated most of the problems, so I didn't have to learn everything the hard way. But it made me rethink the entire project up front... which led down a rabbit hole.
I added several custom detail panels to look more like the OG toy, as this model was missing them and looked a bit bare in places. I added some extra vents, again to mimic the original. I added the tow hook and cable... odd that the designer put the cable hardpoints on the armor skirts, but didn't include a cable or tow hook. I rejiggered the cable from the Wolverine to fit, and I made a custom tow hook.
The biggest documented issues were the connectors between the body sections and the design of the wheels/treads. I decided to punt on all of that, combining as many sections of the hull as possible to print it in just two big chunks (bypassing most of the connectors, and I designed my own connectors for the two big chunks) - big printer FTW! And then I modified/adapted the wheel and tread design from the armadillo to fit the Mauler, completely sidestepping the problems in the mauler CAD files.
And after printing the arctic version, I wasn't happy with the cannon movement, as it wouldn't stay elevated. I fixed it with thin rubber inserts to create some friction, but for future versions, I concocted a spring-loaded ratchet system, loosely based on how the armadillo cannons were done.... and that works surprisingly well. It only has 3-4 usable ratchet positions, so I maybe could have gone with finer teeth, but it holds well, so I'm happy.
I just finished the standard FDE Mauler this afternoon, so hopefully I can take some pics soon.
Forgive the crappy shots, as I didn't have my regular studio lighting... but I couldn't resist anyway.
Motor pool is getting out of hand
Motor pool is getting out of hand
The armadillo looks small next to the others, but by itself, it's actually pretty beefy. When you get a dude down in there, you can barely see the top of his head. Duke is driving the one in that pic, but you'd never know it... and I don't think he's even all the way down.
That's an amazing re-creation of one of the best vehicles from the line! I saw you had Steeler in the turret in your other pics (love the addition of the HMG btw!). Are the front hatches still operational as well? And have you worked up a good formula for Heavy Metal?
Yep, the front hatches work, and the larger panel comes off, so there is easy seating for two operators up front. In theory there is room for two in the turret, but I'm not likely to try to cram two in there.
I have not started on a Heavy Metal per se. A couple of years ago I bought an extra General Hawk to use as fodder, but the word on the street is that Ramen will be making a not-HM to go with their version of the Mauler... which isn't really a classic mauler b/c he didn't want to compete with Rowdy's offering, so it's a weird modernized tan thing. While I love the Ramen General Lee, and the Vans are cool, I'm kinda done with Ramen tanks. Their Abrams was a big disappointment, as was the Wolverine add-on. It's a tolerable base for the nifty bridge-layer attachment, but I highly regret getting three of them, as two will never see the light of day. I need to sell them off.
At one point I had a bit of FOMO for not ordering a Rowdy Mauler, but the truth is, I'm glad I didn't b/c I'm confident I like mine better. Now that I'm intimately familiar with every little detail from all of the printing, the Rowdy version seems a little plain. I am officially a Mauler snob
Add to that, I can do it for 25% of what he charges... so I've printed three different decos for less than one of his tanks. Feels like a win.
But yeah, I'll end up with a HM one way or the other... I'm just kinda hoping Ramen beats me to it. They're supposed to be developing a Bo, Luke, Daisy trio to go with a re-release of the "Tiger Orange" as well. I'd love to see how those compare to my homemade boys.
I have not started on a Heavy Metal per se. A couple of years ago I bought an extra General Hawk to use as fodder, but the word on the street is that Ramen will be making a not-HM to go with their version of the Mauler... which isn't really a classic mauler b/c he didn't want to compete with Rowdy's offering, so it's a weird modernized tan thing. While I love the Ramen General Lee, and the Vans are cool, I'm kinda done with Ramen tanks. Their Abrams was a big disappointment, as was the Wolverine add-on. It's a tolerable base for the nifty bridge-layer attachment, but I highly regret getting three of them, as two will never see the light of day. I need to sell them off.
At one point I had a bit of FOMO for not ordering a Rowdy Mauler, but the truth is, I'm glad I didn't b/c I'm confident I like mine better. Now that I'm intimately familiar with every little detail from all of the printing, the Rowdy version seems a little plain. I am officially a Mauler snob
Add to that, I can do it for 25% of what he charges... so I've printed three different decos for less than one of his tanks. Feels like a win.
But yeah, I'll end up with a HM one way or the other... I'm just kinda hoping Ramen beats me to it. They're supposed to be developing a Bo, Luke, Daisy trio to go with a re-release of the "Tiger Orange" as well. I'd love to see how those compare to my homemade boys.
Nice! It definitely looks/sounds to me like you have the best Mauler out there! And I'm kind of a tank snob all around. The Ramens bug me a bit because they only have 5 road/bogey wheels (each side). Pretty much every modern main battle tank has at least 6 and the Abrams has 7, so the Ramens look stumpy and "give" Chinese knock off as an MBT. That said, I think they work just fine as a bridge-layer or filling in for the Wolverine, since those are essentially built on light tank chassis anyway, at least in the Joeverse.
I was not familiar with the Rowdy Mauler until you mentioned it. It looks proportionally better than the Ramen tanks, but, as you had also mentioned regarding the 3D CAD specs, it definitely has that "scaled up but not fully detailed" look to it. Yours looks like it has all the detail you could ask for (and then some!) and there are no leftover smooth spaces/surfaces that take away from the "real world" look. I like your choice of MG better too!
This is, to a T, the base of what this year's Haslab should have been in my opinion. If you'd ever consider making one to sell, please let me know!
Change to the other subject: Those Dukes definitely caught my eye as well in the pics from SDCC. I don't have anything DoH, but dang if they don't look pretty awesome, at least from the protos. I hope their finished products look as good. Doubt I would be a customer regardless, as I see space becoming an issue in the future again with just CS, as I add the Vamp II and potentially other vehicles as they become available.
I was not familiar with the Rowdy Mauler until you mentioned it. It looks proportionally better than the Ramen tanks, but, as you had also mentioned regarding the 3D CAD specs, it definitely has that "scaled up but not fully detailed" look to it. Yours looks like it has all the detail you could ask for (and then some!) and there are no leftover smooth spaces/surfaces that take away from the "real world" look. I like your choice of MG better too!
This is, to a T, the base of what this year's Haslab should have been in my opinion. If you'd ever consider making one to sell, please let me know!
Change to the other subject: Those Dukes definitely caught my eye as well in the pics from SDCC. I don't have anything DoH, but dang if they don't look pretty awesome, at least from the protos. I hope their finished products look as good. Doubt I would be a customer regardless, as I see space becoming an issue in the future again with just CS, as I add the Vamp II and potentially other vehicles as they become available.
Ramen figures are also very spendy. I think their Top Gun pilots were like $80/ea, so I really hope that was "growing pains pricing" and that their Dukes are made more like a "figure company" rather than a vehicle company that makes a one-off figure or two.
If you want a Mauler, I'll make you one, no problem. I have no plans to churn them out en mass for strangers, but for our crowd, I'm happy to make an extra. Classic FDE, I assume?
If you want a Mauler, I'll make you one, no problem. I have no plans to churn them out en mass for strangers, but for our crowd, I'm happy to make an extra. Classic FDE, I assume?
Dude, thank you so much! Yes, FDE would be awesome, and would look amazing along side a VAMP Mk II! Please don't push me in front of anything you have going for yourself though, and DM me a price!
Secondary printer was free and is already printing bogey wheels...
I'll probably finish printing the woodlands Mauler early next week. But I hadn't decided what should come next, so I'll run another Mauler through first. The aux printer can churn out wheels, axles, and treads in the meantime.
So barring personal tragedy or massive printer failure, I should have it done in ~3 weeks. At this point, I basically have the kinks worked out for the most part, thus I don't have to do any new engineering or hand-painting... so it shouldn't drag on forever like the missile/exhaust project
I'll probably finish printing the woodlands Mauler early next week. But I hadn't decided what should come next, so I'll run another Mauler through first. The aux printer can churn out wheels, axles, and treads in the meantime.
So barring personal tragedy or massive printer failure, I should have it done in ~3 weeks. At this point, I basically have the kinks worked out for the most part, thus I don't have to do any new engineering or hand-painting... so it shouldn't drag on forever like the missile/exhaust project
The forum system doesn't let you attach images to DMs, so here is the decal guide I used:
Had the toy as a kid & it always seemed like a miss not to have a open hatch on the turret for additional troops.
I did not have one as a kid, but I always wanted one. I only got a MOBAT after I bought it second-hand from a buddy that lost interest in Joe. I had a ton of Joe stuff, but for some reason the tanks eluded me.
That tanks both confused me how they could operate with just one driver. How does Steeler drive that thing standing in the turret? How does Heavy Metal load and aim that cannon from the front driver's seat?
You are 100% correct, both of them should have made room for additional figure placement, and both should have come with at least two guys, one to steer, one to aim.
I mean, exactly where are we to assume Recondo is physically located? Is he standing on an invisible running board? Is he riding an unseen motorcycle *next* to the Mauler? Does he have a lower body? Did he pop out of one of the storage compartments? I HAVE QUESTIONS!
That tanks both confused me how they could operate with just one driver. How does Steeler drive that thing standing in the turret? How does Heavy Metal load and aim that cannon from the front driver's seat?
You are 100% correct, both of them should have made room for additional figure placement, and both should have come with at least two guys, one to steer, one to aim.
I mean, exactly where are we to assume Recondo is physically located? Is he standing on an invisible running board? Is he riding an unseen motorcycle *next* to the Mauler? Does he have a lower body? Did he pop out of one of the storage compartments? I HAVE QUESTIONS!
That's hilarious! I never even noticed Recondo there. I think I was so into getting it out of the box that I never took any time to really look at the box art. I also remember that I received the Mauler on the exact day that Challenger blew up. So I guess I may have been a little distracted.
Yeah, Joe tanks were a little special that way, and apparently way ahead of their time. Granted with today's technology, autoloading and computer assisted aiming systems, it won't be long until nobody (in person) drives/controls/aims tanks. It'll all be automated and controlled from a container somewhere in Nevada via satellite transmission, like it is with drones, or maybe just by AI...
Yeah, Joe tanks were a little special that way, and apparently way ahead of their time. Granted with today's technology, autoloading and computer assisted aiming systems, it won't be long until nobody (in person) drives/controls/aims tanks. It'll all be automated and controlled from a container somewhere in Nevada via satellite transmission, like it is with drones, or maybe just by AI...
The military is full of soldiers who are legitimately surprised that 2 guys don’t hang on the back bumper of every vehicle.
Also it needs to be said again 80% of Joe/Cobra vehicles will instantly kill whoever is using it.
Pogo driver - Dead in a week
RIP - Fast Draw & Metal Head
This could go on for awhile…
Also it needs to be said again 80% of Joe/Cobra vehicles will instantly kill whoever is using it.
Pogo driver - Dead in a week
RIP - Fast Draw & Metal Head
This could go on for awhile…
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Finished assembling the "Tanks for the Memories" Mauler while waiting on Dan's FDE beast to finish printing.
This is an homage to the green Mauler that the GIJCC sold in 2007... that never actually saw production because they discovered the original mauler molds were in poor shape and weren't able to be used. We all got a refund, but the situation was a bummer.
Of course, that set was really being made as an homage to the story from Marvel issue #5 (1982) that featured the MOBAT, but those molds were not available, so they were substituting the Mauler in green for the set. Oh, the irony.
So I did an homage to an unproduced-homage of a classic story. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
This is an homage to the green Mauler that the GIJCC sold in 2007... that never actually saw production because they discovered the original mauler molds were in poor shape and weren't able to be used. We all got a refund, but the situation was a bummer.
Of course, that set was really being made as an homage to the story from Marvel issue #5 (1982) that featured the MOBAT, but those molds were not available, so they were substituting the Mauler in green for the set. Oh, the irony.
So I did an homage to an unproduced-homage of a classic story. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Man, now I am going to have to go look up that issue when I get home. I remember the title and that it (obviously) involved some serious tank combat, but that's about it.
*Edit: You probably already shared this, but you upscaled that MOBAT a little, right? I seem to remember it being slightly smaller relative to the Mauler back in the day.
*Edit: You probably already shared this, but you upscaled that MOBAT a little, right? I seem to remember it being slightly smaller relative to the Mauler back in the day.
The issue of the comic is relatively forgettable, really before the series found its footing. But if you want to see the O13 fighting Cobra in the middle of a parade, it's an amusing one-and-done story.
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I upscaled the MOBAT quite a bit from the CAD files... because the designer made it WAY too small, to the point that figures wouldn't fit in it. But relative to the Mauler... IDK.
In my head, the MOBAT is a larger tank, probably moreso than the difference in my prints.
The MOBAT is based primarily on the MBT-70 prototype main battle tank and the M60 Patton. The Mauler is based on a small, light tank (HSTV(L) - High Survivability Test Vehicle) that is much smaller than anything in the MOBAT lineage. If you parked their real-world inspirations side-by-side, the physical difference would be staggering—especially in weight, where the MOBAT is more than double the mass of the Mauler. Strictly going off the IRL counterparts, the Mauler really should be more Armadillo-sized, but Hasbro beefed it up quite a bit.
Regardless, I'm very comfortable with the MOBAT being larger, as it should be IMO. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
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If you look at old HSTV(L) photos, it's the Mauler to a T. And you can see how small it is next to the soldier in the second pic. It's effectively a scout vehicle, not a beefy main battle tank. But again, Hasbro pumped it up substantially.
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I upscaled the MOBAT quite a bit from the CAD files... because the designer made it WAY too small, to the point that figures wouldn't fit in it. But relative to the Mauler... IDK.
In my head, the MOBAT is a larger tank, probably moreso than the difference in my prints.
The MOBAT is based primarily on the MBT-70 prototype main battle tank and the M60 Patton. The Mauler is based on a small, light tank (HSTV(L) - High Survivability Test Vehicle) that is much smaller than anything in the MOBAT lineage. If you parked their real-world inspirations side-by-side, the physical difference would be staggering—especially in weight, where the MOBAT is more than double the mass of the Mauler. Strictly going off the IRL counterparts, the Mauler really should be more Armadillo-sized, but Hasbro beefed it up quite a bit.
Regardless, I'm very comfortable with the MOBAT being larger, as it should be IMO. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
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If you look at old HSTV(L) photos, it's the Mauler to a T. And you can see how small it is next to the soldier in the second pic. It's effectively a scout vehicle, not a beefy main battle tank. But again, Hasbro pumped it up substantially.
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Got it. I thought maybe you had previously mentioned it, but I wasn't sure. I was purely going off the original OG vehicles. Having had both, I had size impressions of them that weren't quite jiving with the pics. It might have been the two fig stations vs. one and barrel length that also set my impressions regarding overall size back then, with the Mauler edging out by a hair.
The green gives it a whole different vibe. I am glad I went with the classic tan/FDE though, as I think I'd miss that retro throwback. Look at me opting for the retro look...
The green gives it a whole different vibe. I am glad I went with the classic tan/FDE though, as I think I'd miss that retro throwback. Look at me opting for the retro look...
The retro tan is by far the best... but I really like the green a lot more than I would have suspected.
As far as the size goes, the MOBAT always seemed like a hulking beast...taller and more imposing, while the mauler seemed lower, sleeker, and more maneuverable. I can't tell you what the footprint of each was on the old toys since I only had a MOBAT, but I'll take your word that the toys differ from real-world inspirations.
Even before I owned one, from the covers of Issue #1 and issue #5, my impression of the MOBAT was always of a "big" tank (just look at the tiny gunner on #5!), almost like it was from a different, bygone era, just upgraded for "modern" combat. Where the Mauler seemed streamlined and designed for a different kind of war. But maybe that's just me. It's funny the things that imprint on your kid-brain and stay there for a lifetime whether they're accurate or not.
As far as the size goes, the MOBAT always seemed like a hulking beast...taller and more imposing, while the mauler seemed lower, sleeker, and more maneuverable. I can't tell you what the footprint of each was on the old toys since I only had a MOBAT, but I'll take your word that the toys differ from real-world inspirations.
Even before I owned one, from the covers of Issue #1 and issue #5, my impression of the MOBAT was always of a "big" tank (just look at the tiny gunner on #5!), almost like it was from a different, bygone era, just upgraded for "modern" combat. Where the Mauler seemed streamlined and designed for a different kind of war. But maybe that's just me. It's funny the things that imprint on your kid-brain and stay there for a lifetime whether they're accurate or not.
It's funny, I had almost the complete opposite impression. To me the MOBAT was the smaller of the two (not by a lot), with its 5 drive wheels vs. the Mauler's 6 and the stubbier main gun and single crew station, I always put the MOBAT in the category of the airborne's old Sheridan tanks. I considered the Mauler as the true MBT of the team, despite the lack of crew space in the turret (though I am immensely happier that is resolved at the larger scale!).
I think the MOBAT was definitely more often featured in the comic and portrayed as full MBT sized there. I really don't recall the Mauler getting a lot of attention there, whereas the MOBAT was often present in the early comics.
I think the MOBAT was definitely more often featured in the comic and portrayed as full MBT sized there. I really don't recall the Mauler getting a lot of attention there, whereas the MOBAT was often present in the early comics.