75153 AT-ST modification

[Richpepperell]

Last change for today - I think the legs are looking a bit chunky, mainly due to the ankles and the technic bar that connects to the ankle joint tensioners.  I've swapped the technic bar for another technic piece (I have no idea what it's proper name is).  It doesn't affect the structural integrity of the leg at all but it shaves a bit of the girth of the ankle.

45 minutes ago, PaulPrime said:

I'm glad my fail inspired you. Now I have to order a couple of those slopes and copy your hip plates as they look awesome!

Try it with a 2x3 curved slope too and see which you think looks better.  I don't have any in LBG but I do like the way the 2x4 curved slope looks.

[Forresto]

Wow pretty great modifications! I might have to borrow some of those techniques.  I am not a huge fan of the triangles on the outside edge of the eyes/windows.

[INDYcec]

I love this topic! When I look through threads and see one where someone puts thier work out there and others not only comment but work together to bring in ideas to make something better together makes me very proud to be a member!  I was originally going to rebuild the entire thing, but will work with the rest of you to make this one even better!  My highest hope is that when we get this one nipped and tucked, we can pick another set and do the same thing.

As for where we are now, can you please be more specific in how you got two pilots in there? I'm just not getting it and it's high on my list of wanted mods.  Also, I hate the legs myself and think they are too wide.  Any input in making them thinner would be great.

Thank you all!

[INDYcec]

On October 4, 2016 at 11:14 PM, Forresto said:

Amazing mod I just bought an AT ST and I plan on making these changes. Am I the only one wjo thinks its slightly too tall?

I also plan on removing the flick fire missiles next to the main guns. They don't look that bad from the front but theybdo from the side.

Yes. Too tall, but the minifigure scale is soooo hard to deal with and everyone seems to have thier own sense of what it is.  From my pov, it should be about 28 bricks/dots tall in the resting position.  This one comes out to about 32.

[INDYcec]

9 hours ago, Richpepperell said:

The robot arms inspired me - I'm pretty happy with this, especially from the front.

 

Nice! I think i will try that with x2 1x4 curves.

[RetroInferno]

I think the only mod I'll make is the eye flaps, maybe use the 2v2 wedge plate in light bley. I just checked bricklink and they don't have a piece in that color :(

Edited October 10, 2016 by RetroInferno

[INDYcec]

40 minutes ago, INDYcec said:

I love this topic! When I look through threads and see one where someone puts thier work out there and others not only comment but work together to bring in ideas to make something better together makes me very proud to be a member!  I was originally going to rebuild the entire thing, but will work with the rest of you to make this one even better!  My highest hope is that when we get this one nipped and tucked, we can pick another set and do the same thing.

As for where we are now, can you please be more specific in how you got two pilots in there? I'm just not getting it and it's high on my list of wanted mods.  Also, I hate the legs myself and think they are too wide.  Any input in making them thinner would be great.

Thank you all!

I have read through the interior details again and will give this a try. Looks like a long night.

[LiLmeFromDaFuture]

1 hour ago, INDYcec said:

I love this topic! When I look through threads and see one where someone puts thier work out there and others not only comment but work together to bring in ideas to make something better together makes me very proud to be a member!  I was originally going to rebuild the entire thing, but will work with the rest of you to make this one even better!  My highest hope is that when we get this one nipped and tucked, we can pick another set and do the same thing.

As for where we are now, can you please be more specific in how you got two pilots in there? I'm just not getting it and it's high on my list of wanted mods.  Also, I hate the legs myself and think they are too wide.  Any input in making them thinner would be great.

Thank you all!

I am glad we made a great first impression.

[BrickMonkeyMOCs]

Here are some photos of my modified version, including all of the OP suggestions along with others I mentioned earlier.

The core functional changes are fitting two crew and reversing the direction of the head control knob on the back. Key cosmetic improvements include the leg detailing, cockpit controls, rear vents, chin turret, and the sensor panel between the eyes.

 

Edited October 10, 2016 by BrickMonkeyMOCs

[Hold0511]

Sweet set of changes, off to bricklink I go to grab some extra ingots and robot arms!

[PaulPrime]

13 hours ago, INDYcec said:

Nice! I think i will try that with x2 1x4 curves.

Yes, that is a good idea.

[Forresto]

I really want to shorten the legs by about a third of their length but I wonder if an entire new design for the "chest" and legs is in order. 

[PaulPrime]

14 hours ago, INDYcec said:

As for where we are now, can you please be more specific in how you got two pilots in there? I'm just not getting it and it's high on my list of wanted mods.

Everyone has their own approach, but I can share my solution with you. First of all you need to remove the two long plates at the bottom of the "head" and leave an open space just behind the controls. Place shorter plates or bricks at the front and back. After that place jumpers like this pic:

You have to make the side plates thinner removing the extra layer of plates in the inner side, I took the 5x1 plates that were originally in the sides to make the seats.

Put the seats on top of the jumpers and voila!

 

Edited October 10, 2016 by PaulPrime

[Forresto]

How close do the cheeks stay to the face plate because you moved the hinge from the front to the back? Does the regular gap remain or is it looser?

Edited October 10, 2016 by Forresto

[FTG Prime]

Wow just got into this thread, you guys have done a great job modifing the set ! Kinda makes me want to buy it 

[INDYcec]

14 hours ago, PaulPrime said:

Everyone has their own approach, but I can share my solution with you. First of all you need to remove the two long plates at the bottom of the "head" and leave an open space just behind the controls. Place shorter plates or bricks at the front and back. After that place jumpers like this pic:

You have to make the side plates thinner removing the extra layer of plates in the inner side, I took the 5x1 plates that were originally in the sides to make the seats.

Put the seats on top of the jumpers and voila!

 

MUCH APPRECIATED!!!  I can see much more clearly now!

Edited October 11, 2016 by Jim
Removed the images

[LiLmeFromDaFuture]

1 hour ago, PaulPrime said:

Put the seats on top of the jumpers and voila!

 

That is a nice way of doing the seats with those technic plates and stud jumpers!

[RetroInferno]

I think BrickMonkey really nailed the facial structure there with the eye shaping, which is my biggest beef with this set. 

Has someone tempered with the angle of the head, affected by the legs? I think that by default the head is too inclined foward, or am i dreaming?

 

I'll wait to mod mine as the movie is not out yet and be sure it's not the same model used. ( I actually only removed the 2x2 crossed pieces under the top of the cockpit that supports eye lid hinge piece, it kinda gets in the way. )

Edited October 10, 2016 by RetroInferno

[PaulPrime]

2 hours ago, INDYcec said:

MUCH APPRECIATED!!!  I can see much more clearly now!

Glad to help!

1 hour ago, LiLmeFromDaFuture said:

That is a nice way of doing the seats with those technic plates and stud jumpers!

Whoa, a compliment from one of the best builders around. Thank you very much, I really appreciate it.

[Richpepperell]

18 hours ago, BrickMonkeyMOCs said:

Here are some photos of my modified version, including all of the OP suggestions along with others I mentioned earlier.

The core functional changes are fitting two crew and reversing the direction of the head control knob on the back. Key cosmetic improvements include the leg detailing, cockpit controls, rear vents, chin turret, and the sensor panel between the eyes.

 

Loving the eyes here - I feel like you've got them spot on. Any chance of a photo of the underside of the cockpit roof. Mine just doesn't seem to sit as nicely as yours with the changes I've just made. Also, I don't have ANY LBG ingots - I see them being very useful in the future. 

[BrickMonkeyMOCs]

24 minutes ago, Richpepperell said:

Loving the eyes here - I feel like you've got them spot on. Any chance of a photo of the underside of the cockpit roof. Mine just doesn't seem to sit as nicely as yours with the changes I've just made. Also, I don't have ANY LBG ingots - I see them being very useful in the future. 

Thanks. On the eyes, I think I have a good effect generated by continuing the line from the gap (between the front and side panels) up past the eyes with a layer of DBG plating sandwiched between layers of LBG plates. This was a very welcome side effect of keeping the forward side panel connections at the front.

I can explain the roof underside without a picture, I think. It simply sits a plate higher by having LBG 1x10 plates running along the underside edges and a 1x2 plate at center front where it rests on the front face. The only other change to the roof underside was swapping out the two 2x3 plates used as reinforcement for two 3679 turntable tops (which do the same thing with less bulk).

The ingot pieces are absolute gold (:P) for greebling, especially with a set like this. It really is the perfect piece for the sensors between the eyes. I've even gone back and done the same thing on my older and smaller 8038 AT-ST.

[Richpepperell]

1 hour ago, BrickMonkeyMOCs said:

Thanks. On the eyes, I think I have a good effect generated by continuing the line from the gap (between the front and side panels) up past the eyes with a layer of DBG plating sandwiched between layers of LBG plates. This was a very welcome side effect of keeping the forward side panel connections at the front.

I can explain the roof underside without a picture, I think. It simply sits a plate higher by having LBG 1x10 plates running along the underside edges and a 1x2 plate at center front where it rests on the front face.

That's exactly what I thought, but for some reason mine seems to sit higher than yours (and therefore doesn't look as cool!). There is a much larger gap at the side between the roof and the front of the wedge plates. This is due to the 1x2 plate in the centre resting on the LBG cheese wedge. Is you central console modified at all to make it lower (I don't think it as as this would mean the ingot wouldn't been in the right place). 

Move replaced the cheese slope with a 1x2 tile which seems to do the trick in bringing it down a touch. I also used LBG plates with lip to form the 'sandwich' at the side of the eyes which closed the gap between the roof completely. Thanks for your help!

Edited October 10, 2016 by Richpepperell

[BrickMonkeyMOCs]

31 minutes ago, Richpepperell said:

That's exactly what I thought, but for some reason mine seems to sit higher than yours (and therefore doesn't look as cool!). There is a much larger gap at the side between the roof and the front of the wedge plates. This is due to the 1x2 plate in the centre resting on the LBG cheese wedge. Is you central console modified at all to make it lower (I don't think it as as this would mean the ingot wouldn't been in the right place). 

Oh, I see now what the difference is. Not the console, but rather the way I've built around the flickfire missiles at each side. I've used LBG 1x2 down brackets with DBG 1x2 plates w/ door rails added (studs outwards and rail at the top). The head's side panels sit on top of these rails which has the effect of reducing wiggle in the side plates and also raises them a little, which is what is making a difference for the roof. (There is a DBG 1x2 panel under the bracket to stop it getting pushed off downwards by the weight of the side panels.) This has the effect of raising the side panels in relation to the roof and front panel, reducing the gap you speak of.

Edited October 10, 2016 by BrickMonkeyMOCs

[Jim]

13 hours ago, INDYcec said:

MUCH APPRECIATED!!!  I can see much more clearly now!

Hi INDYcec,

When you quote someone, please don't include the images, unless it's useful in the reply. You can remove them from your post. 

Please read the site guidelines about posting etiquettes. Thanks!

[PaulPrime]

7 hours ago, BrickMonkeyMOCs said:

Oh, I see now what the difference is. Not the console, but rather the way I've built around the flickfire missiles at each side. I've used LBG 1x2 down brackets with DBG 1x2 plates w/ door rails added (studs outwards and rail at the top). The head's side panels sit on top of these rails which has the effect of reducing wiggle in the side plates and also raises them a little, which is what is making a difference for the roof. (There is a DBG 1x2 panel under the bracket to stop it getting pushed off downwards by the weight of the side panels.) This has the effect of raising the side panels in relation to the roof and front panel, reducing the gap you speak of.

And this is the reason why the 2x2 flags as eyelids seem to be oversized in my chicken but look great on yours. Thanks for the explanation.