Side-Tracked: Recent Haul of KOs (66) - KO TFA Activator Megatron

Gotten this little fella today, at the old reliable photocopying kiosk in Bedok Central... KO TFA Activator Megatron... and surprised to find the details of the figure are quite good ... Upon closer inspection, there are some differences, eg. the face is painted black, the arms are flatter now (probably to reduce plastic used in casting) and more obvious, elbow joints are now ball jointed, to allow the original movements for arms (since the arm piece is now casted in 1 solid piece)...


Colours are 95% identical (assuming the back, which I cannot see, are true to the original colours), even with the nice Decepticon symbol on the chest (card packing's pictures are missing this symbol, strange...)

Did not take it out to try, will do when feeling better... or next time...

Mod - KO Universe Grapple (Downsize)

Bought this KO Universe Grapple (downsize) early this January, and was quite happy to get it, as heard that Hasbro will be releasing Grapple based on the Universe Inferno mold... And this KO maker has already cast it in orange plastics!!! But a pity some parts are in red, and no crane... So make a crane and drill a hole to house the given rifle... not bad, hahaha.... and painted the parts to better, suitable colours...

So, here's Grapple, in vehicle mode...


The extendable crane was gotten from a construction vehicle toy.....


Crane is pegged into the holes on the underside of the fists...


The 2 pegs to go into the fists....


Below is our Grapple-wannabe... before the make-over...


Grapple!!!!!!!!!!!! Prefer to keep the feet orange... don't know why...

Crane is clipped onto the back... black-silver paint chipped off from the clips sticks to the head-support panel too well... nevermind, will not be seen in vehicle mode...

Ready to face and battle KO ROTF Legends Springer (Oversize)...

NOTE: Just want to express that I am not a professional kit-basher, I have no time to do the fine processes nor get the (expensive) pro tools... I prefer to just restore figurines to proper mode... no need for super aesthetically pleasing... so that is why my mods/restorations are quite crude... To me, its just for fun and really, they are just pieces of plastics... so... STAY HAPPY modding your KOs!!!!!!!

I want my TaoBao haul!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Side-Tracked: Recent Haul of KOs (65) - KO Oversize ROTF (Legends) Springer

Bought this KO Oversize ROTF (Legends) Springer at my house's "mama-shop"... well it's no longer run by Indian "mama"s... thought of getting this to mod the hands to be able to rotate at shoulder...

Lots of other ROTF Scouts and Legends... if they ever manufactured....

When will my haul come....

Side-Tracked: Recent Haul of TFs (64) - Military Patrol Team, G1 Windcharger, HFTD Brimstone, HFTD Oil Pan, WST Slag

Went over to CSC today.. was a bit late, but still... not much things interest me....

(1) Military Patrol Team
Saw the small table in front of U-Toys, got the $10 for 2 sets (of Micromasters and key-chain Minibots), so gotten this set, as well as the Windcharger... Micromasters... very small little TFs, but cute... will replace my old KO Kabaya Bombshock with this...

(2) G1 Windcharger

Would want to get the other Minibots, like Seaspray, Powerglide... but they cost $25 each... yeah, they are inside the shop...

(3) HFTD Brimestone

Still from the same table... Scout-size selling at 2 for $30... about the same price at OG... with 20% off, that is... like the skull head, and realised he has very small "hands", if you would call them hands... very nice bike mode...

(4) HFTD Oil Pan

A repaint of Breakdown, which I did not get last time... so not too bad, gotten this piece... very slick car mode, and a very ROTF Sideswipe robot mode... but paint job is so-so...

(5) WST Slag

The costliest of the lot... bought it in 2nd level... was tempted to buy the others (Snarl, Grimlock), but looking at the price... yeap, I will make the fists slidable, like the original size version... the stickers-sheet has lost the stickiness, so have to put it inside a small zipper bag...

When will my TaoBao haul come???... Guard Diver, Thunder Baron, Shadow Dagwon, Gun Max, RID Galvatron, Joyride, yellow Classics Skyfire, snap-assembly Ratbat & Slugfest... pok kai... but happy...

Fun Pics - Galaxy Convoy's New Energon Weapon

Bought this 关刀 from a neighbourhood shop in Simei, $1 only. Bought another pack with a sword and sabre too... decide to mod and use the sword for my KO Henkei Ultra Magnus w/ KO Armour...


Edit: Sigh, tabs for the back pack sling broke while transforming back to truck mode... sigh... may have to revert back to pin-&-hole method...

Simple Mod & Bash - G1 Encore Ironhide & Ratchet

Got these 2 at a good price the last time... but still I do not want to cut off parts to become like this AWESOME mod that some guy did... Now that is really really AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! In fact, I am so tempted to start cutting the black joint now as I am typing... I mean, just 1 simple additional joint... wow... Ok, if temptation still exists in December, then will go & buy the custom heads and follow the guy's mod... until then, I'll have to use this mode...

So below are the original but cute robot modes of our favourite G1 Ironhide and Ratchet...


And reborn!!!! More humanoid form!!!!


Ok, basically I tried not to touch anything on the TF itself, not painting nor even using a drop of superglue when joining the abdominal-piece.... So just bashed a head (and the abdominal piece...)

So for Ironhide:

...and that is where I hid the head...

Close-up view of the head...

Next, Ratchet... Had a different connector and connection than Ironhide's as this head can fit into the van seat...

Oh, by the way, my Ratchet came with 2 left caterpillar threads, so had to so some simple modding... yeap, this is the only time I waste (drilled) these 2 pieces... No choice... sigh... can't really see the hole right? Yeap, used a silver sticker to cover up the tip of the red connector rod which protrudes out of the hole...

yeap, head & connector hidden in the seat...

So these 2 bots look good only from the direct front...

Should I? Should I not? Should I? Should I not?....

Side-Tracked: Recent Haul of TFs (63) - Commemorative Edition G1 Blaster, Generations Drift, HFTD Hubcap

Went to Waterloo Street today to pray, and hunt for some KOs... but found none: 1 shop has only 1 TF KOs, the other shop is closed for the day... sigh.. so went over to OG... and couldn't resist the 20% temptation... finally bought these 3... which I have been wanting to buy them long time ago...


HFTD Hubcap
Isn't the car mode cute???!!!!! So antique yet hot-rod, with the pipes flowing out of the car body... G1 face for the bot mode... nice... sleek body profile... nice... price? $15.10... not so nice... (Cos for 20 cents less I could have gotten the PCC targetmaster, which is basically a Scout + targetmaster...) Anyway, like this mold better... not often can you find a TF with an antique vehicle mode (eg. ROTF Ransack)... Was very tempted to buy the loose piece from TaoBao, but not very sure of the quality and most importantly... HYGIENE!!!! Hahahaha.. De-tomb him next time..

Generations Drift

Wow! Another swords-robot... Read from his tfwiki profile that he used to be a Decepticon called Deadlock, and turned Autobot for some reasons... 1 big sword and 2 small swords... amazing... Still had about 3 or 4 pieces left on the shelves (or lying around...) when I picked this piece up... or less now... Feel like picking up this piece when in CSC in the past Sundays... but resist the temptations due to the high price around $27 ~ 28... Got this for $22.30 this time, not too bad but... HFTD Deluxe TF is only $19.90!!!! Wah lau..... but did not like / want the HFTD TFs... sigh... and ROTF Deluxes only at $14.90... (or is it $16.90??)... sigh sigh... De-tomb him next time...

Edit: Sigh, got 2 right fists!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Commemorative Edition G1 Soundblaster

Yeap yeap!!! Caved in an bought this... now thinking back, still quite correct to buy this with 20% off than use the $20 TRU voucher, although both gives $20 off... but then my Seacons will cost more... Anyway, very glad to buy this...

Took it out to compare with my KO G1 Soundwave (oversize), and man, they are about the same size (with Soundwave only slightly shorter)... Compare with the real Soundwave standing side by side with Blaster, they look like kid v.s. adult... This is so much better...

Quite glad to have gotten these TFs today... and now will wait patiently for my 4th haul from TaoBao to arrive... hope to be soon, but since is by the cheaper sea-freight, will be slower... but hope hope...