Joseph Didn’t Know… These days people avoid ridIng together inside a lift… but joseph is deaf and didn’t hear its master’s voice, promptly getting through the open lift door… so we all rode together. Joseph didn’t know a thing about the current social distancing theory.

Belgium, 2020

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After 4 months and 6,000 miles... tomorrow marks my last full day with the little Panda courtesy car!

No... the Jeep has not been fixed yet. But the Toyota is being handed over on Friday morning so I will be dropping this back at the garage doing the repairs and walking around the corner to the Toyota dealer. Which just leaves the small issue of what I am going to do with the Jeep?

I am currently working on two ideas. Either sell it to the repair garage if they will take it - they are a Jeep main dealer, although it is a bit on the old side - or sell it to CarWow. The latter will involve the repair shop returning it to me on a flat bed as it won't be insured as of Friday and then CarWow picking it up on another flat bed to take it away again! All more hassle and stress.

But the wee Panda has been a little Trojan, we have been all over the Highlands together working, even down into Argyll! It is basic so I have had to use my phone as a satnav and rely on the voice prompts to get me where I need to go, and it is a little cramped which has probably not been helping with the sciatica, but it has done pretty well all things considered, particularly as it has seen us through a Highland winter!

So here's to the plucky little car on a properly wet and windy day!

How to Tour Penkill Castle in No Easy Steps

“It was a dark and stormy night.” All the best stories open with that, according to Snoopy. And so, it does here about how this image of Penkill Castle came about. Although it wasn’t night. So, fully a third of the mystique is blown before this story got off the ground… or is it?

Joyce had set out a full itinerary on our first trip together to Scotland in 2014. Being a photographer, she made sure my camera found its way to many of the subjects she had in mind… and, yes, I came along with it. Penkill Castle, of significance to her Boyd ancestry, was on the list. Penkill, however, is now a secluded private residence, not open to the public, so that part of the itinerary was filed under ‘wishful thinking,’ well behind ‘hopeful’. Undaunted, my ever-resourceful wife poured over the internet yet again on our last night in Scotland… and found something: a phone number. In that moment, ‘wishful thinking’ was retasked to ‘this might just happen.’

The next morning after breakfast – and lugging some 150 pounds of belongings down six long flights to the car – I reeled my arms back into their sockets and we set out to the airport for a short jaunt to Belfast, Northern Ireland… and we had just enough time for a side-trip to Penkill along the way. We had a couple of issues to work through on the outset, though, the first being typical Scottish summer weather of the ‘liquid sunshine’ variety, and lots of it to obscure our mission to find the castle in the allotted time. The second issue was what I referred to as ‘the British Chick’. Arriving in Glasgow Airport on the first leg of our journey through Scotland, the salesperson at the car rental desk saw Joyce coming a mile away, ‘A Mercedes upgrade is on sale for just £10 more a day!’ Joyce, knowing my skill behind the wheel, weighed out anemic Vauxhall versus sporty Mercedes… Hmmm? Happy with his sale as he handed me the keys, I told him the roads in Scotland just got a lot more interesting. And they did, although not merely because of my driving on the other side of the divide.

We had set our phones up with an international plan while out of country, yet the map functions were useless there at that time. No worries, as they say in the UK, the Mercedes had a built-in GPS system. Having never driven on the wrong – er, apologies – other side of the road, driving for the first time in Scotland was to me more like being in an amusement park, and that little rocket of a Mercedes made it that much more fun. My brain somehow clicked into the unfamiliar, and it was on! All was good… except for the GPS system. As there were no instructions, it took a little fiddling to get beyond the voice-prompt it was set for. Turning it on for the first time, a somewhat arrogant woman’s voice chimed in with a proper Queen’s English British accent, “Destination, please.” I responded, “Sterling.” British Chick: “That word is disambiguous.” What? How many ways can you say Sterling? So, I tried again, even using my best impression of 007 (yes, Sean Connery, keep reading, already). That’s somewhat of a stretch for someone from the American south, ‘Shaken, not stirred, y’all.’ It was all to no avail. We hadn’t been in Scotland 45 minutes and already had problems with the Brits!

Eventually, we figured out how to dial in destinations and British Chick became a bit more compliant, although still arrogant. British Chick considered the exact address of Penkill also to be disambiguous, yet we wound up within the ballpark. We crisscrossed the area in search mode... eyeballs, stick with me people! While coming down a steep, twisty road, Joyce spotted the castle turret from above the surrounding woods. From there, we triangulated a way to the castle entrance. Finding it, I pulled to one side of the entrance and parked. Great, we made it! Now what?

With her phone in hand and the number she had stumbled upon dialed in, Joyce looked at me apprehensively about pushing send. I was prepared with sound counsel and philosophy to help her through it, “Just get on with it or you will regret it the rest of your life!” Before I could get a word out, she hushed me, “It’s ringing.” Patrick Dromgoole, the owner of Penkill Castle, answered immediately. As an orthopedic nurse case manager, Joyce is well-versed in speaking to strangers on the phone. She was no different here as she stated her case eloquently to possibly take some photos of his home. To our surprise, Mr. Dromgoole was not only amenable to Joyce’s request, but he was also downright gracious. “Sure! How soon can you be here?” “Sir, we’re off the road at your driveway.” “Give me 20-minutes.” I eased the car up the driveway and parked in an obvious spot to wait.

What stood out to me on the drive up was that, unlike other castles we had visited, this edifice offered very little in terms of a photographic vantage point. It was surrounded by a vertical landscape of woods. To make matters worse, the cloud coverage darkened the area and Scotland’s liquid sunshine went supernova just as I parked. Rain or shine, time was not our friend, and the show must go on, as they say. While writing this, Joyce and I watched the latest episode of Amazon’s Grand Tour titled Lochdown, as the presenters drive through Scotland... in big old American cars. If you've never driven the narrow and often unimproved roads of Scotland, you have no idea how crazy - or impressive - that is. One of the show’s regulars, James May, noted that Scotland was no doubt created in God’s perfect beauty. Yet, since perfection is to remain just beyond our grasp in this life, God handed down Scottish weather as something so much less than perfect to keep us humble. It rained through nearly the entire episode. Having driven some of the same roads that James did in that episode - and in the same conditions – I knew that he had touched on the same thoughts I had at the time. Weather is described as a chaotic diverse system, because it is ever changing and truly unpredictable… more so, it seems in Scotland. Grabbing my tripod, camera, cable release, and a Kroger grocery sack that I keep for a camera raincoat, I humbly stepped into the chaotic diversity. Joyce stepped out, too, as I sorted out my gear. I told her there was no sense in both of us getting soaked, so she might as well wait in the car. Moving to the spot that appealed to me on the drive up the lane, I left her there.

Unless it’s a scene that’s changing rapidly, I usually spend a little time to familiarize myself with the subject, rain or not, to eke out just the right composition. Camera composition is much like an English composition. Shakespeare stated, “Brevity is the soul of wit.” With that in mind, an English composition should tell a story decently, without including every word in the dictionary or running rabbits of obscure ideas. Camera composition works the same way, to tell a story simply. Do you know the first thing on my mind about topics like this? Junk yards. Seriously. Have you ever been to one? Oh, yeah, stacks of wrecked cars and trucks… seemingly useless. Yet, they are no less than congealed life, a bit of history, each having once been of value to someone. For those with the skills or resources, many are still of value. Is a castle any different? Peering through the lens to sort out a composition, I realized my American experience has little to compare to it apart from places like St. Augustine. Aside from structures like perhaps Indian mounds or buildings that the Conquistadors erected that are still in existence, the United States has little that reaches as far into the history of manmade impact as is evident throughout Scotland. This castle began with only the turret, built by the Boyds of Penkill on this peninsular ravine-edged site in the late 16th Century. You might be wondering why just a turret?

A couple of years later, we visited Glendalough. Meaning “Valley of two lakes”, Gleann Dá Loch in County Wicklow, Ireland, was a monastic settlement established in the 6th century by Saint Kevin. A round turret nearly 99 feet high with a conical stone roof was built on the settlement. It was mainly used for storage, though the doorway, nearly 12 feet off the ground, suggests that the turret was also a place of refuge in the age of Viking raiders. At such times, the settlers would gather into the turret and pull the ladder in behind them. The raiders would bluster, huff, and puff around the base of the turret, with the monks likely countering, ‘Not by the hair on your chinny, chin, chin!’ Being Vikings, that hair was probably substantial. The point here is that the turret was a significant defensive structure that would not be easily breached… and so was the turret at Penkill.

Viking reign was no longer a threat by the 16th Century. It was a time of Reformation in Scotland, led by John Knox, founder of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland. I am Presbyterian, given to Christian principle. Yet, in my understanding, another principle applies here. The Universe is a closed system, and we are all citizens of it, given to its laws and principles… and we have no say in the matter. The First Law of Thermodynamics essentially states that energy is neither created nor destroyed. It just becomes another type of energy, albeit not always a useful, productive energy. A case can be made that Vikings were merely survivalists, but the energy they applied in doing so earned them a legacy as bad actors. True to its nature, that energy has remained unchanged throughout history, and that history is replete with ‘bad actors’ who readily used it to murder and pillage their way to a ‘better’ life, while subjugating the lives of others. In a brief though accurate description of that era of Scotland, the church expressed selflessness, love, peace, and civility to a society deep in the throes of feudalism driven by squabbling kings and queens, political unrest, tribalism, and the occasional bout of murderous inhumanity… and the feudal system was taking the day. Trust to any degree was at best tenuous, even among neighbors… the Boyds were right to start their project with a turret.

More structure was added in the 17th Century, increasing its footprint. By the 19th Century, however, it had fallen into disrepair, ‘ruinous’ being the description at the time. Then Laird (Lord) Spenser Boyd, having both skills and resources, rebuilt it in 1857, creating even more structure. By the 1960’s, it had passed from family hands to private ownership, and is still privately owned today, though it is also considered an important Scottish historical site. This is as much as I understood of the place while peering at it through the lens at that moment. Knowing what little I did left me with questions. I had no idea how soon answers would come. Satisfied with what this location offered for composition, especially given the conditions, I walked back to where I had started in search of another and to check on Joyce… but she was not where I had left her!

To be continued…

Written by Michael Kight

Now, before you jump on my case and ask "Who do frenzyrumble think he is calling this piece epic?!?!?" - This custom Optimus Prime is for the one and only Cliffy B (formally of Epic Games) (catch the name play?)

Optimus Prime is non-transforming, and nearly completely scratch-build. Using a variety of styrene sheeting, molding compounds, epoxies and a variety of other materials...Optimus Prime stands a stunning 28 inches tall (that's 71.12 cm to you guys way over there) Prime weighs in at approximately 16 pounds (7.3 kg)

Optimus Prime is loaded with Easter eggs, details, LEDs and articulation.

ARTICULATION :

Epic Prime has articulation similar to MP-01 Optimus Prime. His head is on a ball joint, shoulders slide in and out to allow maximum articulation, shoulders are ratcheting joints, upper arms swivel, elbows articulated, wrists on ball joints and swivel, each hand has articulated fingers (hinged) and a ball jointed thumb. Also, Prime's waist is articulated, upper hips ratcheting joints, upper legs swivel at hips, knees are double jointed (like MP-01) knee is on swivel joint, and finally (breath) feet are on double ball joints. His chest also hinges open to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. Finally, his skirt panels on his waist are hinged to allow more poseability on his legs.

ELECTRONICS :

Prime has a nest of wires in him. Starting up top, he has 2 5mm Blue LEDs for each eye (optical sensor) He also has one additional blue LED that illuminates in sync with the voice chip. His voice chip says classic phrases like "Autobots! Transform and Roll out!", "All we need is a little energon...and a lot of luck", "Megatron must be stopped!", "I want you to make a special run to Autobot City" These voice prompts are triggered through a push button on Prime's back. Optimus Prime also has 4 running lights on the top of his chest. There is a bright yellow-orange 5mm LED inside Prime's gun, and then 3 more blue LEDs inside the Matrix of Leadership. The electronics for the Matrix of Leadership are independently contained inside the matrix, with a push button and power supply all inside. The LEDs for the other components are wired to a chamber in Prime's back. The on/off switch and batteries are easily accessible. The on/off switches are under Prime's armpits.

DISPLAY BASE :

I'm very happy with Optimus Prime's display base. It measures 18" in diameter, and 5½" tall. It is trimmed in chromed aluminum and has a glass surface. under the glass, recessed is a routed Autobot symbol, trimmed in metallic Silver. The display base contains a 16" diameter white neon ring (inside, under class) and a 18" ice blue neon ring around the outside perimeter. A simple flick of a switch, and it lights up an entire room...and the custom.

PAINT WORK :

I wanted to of course give Prime the traditional Red/Blue/Silver paint scheme, but - put a more realistic twist on it. I added subtle wear and tear to every edge of his body. I also added subtle blemishes throughout, because I believe - no giant warrior robot should ever have a perfect paint job. After he was constructed, I filled in any imperfections with a plastic epoxy, then primed , sanded - starting with a medium grit, working my way up to a fine grit and wet-sand. Once that was all to my liking, I coated Prime with base coated of Polyurethanes and Lacquer paints (via Air brush) then did details with enamels and acrylics.

EXTRA GOODIES :

Prime's chest opens to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. The Matrix chamber was crafted to house the Matrix snug, I used a 1/2" rare earth magnet system, so the Matrix snaps perfectly into place. Prime's gun was built using PVC piping. His smoke stacks are from large markers. The pin/grommet things on the sides of his knee caps are from mini-Lego man heads. Each hand has 10 points of articulation.

Now, before you jump on my case and ask "Who do frenzyrumble think he is calling this piece epic?!?!?" - This custom Optimus Prime is for the one and only Cliffy B (formally of Epic Games) (catch the name play?)

Optimus Prime is non-transforming, and nearly completely scratch-build. Using a variety of styrene sheeting, molding compounds, epoxies and a variety of other materials...Optimus Prime stands a stunning 28 inches tall (that's 71.12 cm to you guys way over there) Prime weighs in at approximately 16 pounds (7.3 kg)

Optimus Prime is loaded with Easter eggs, details, LEDs and articulation.

ARTICULATION :

Epic Prime has articulation similar to MP-01 Optimus Prime. His head is on a ball joint, shoulders slide in and out to allow maximum articulation, shoulders are ratcheting joints, upper arms swivel, elbows articulated, wrists on ball joints and swivel, each hand has articulated fingers (hinged) and a ball jointed thumb. Also, Prime's waist is articulated, upper hips ratcheting joints, upper legs swivel at hips, knees are double jointed (like MP-01) knee is on swivel joint, and finally (breath) feet are on double ball joints. His chest also hinges open to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. Finally, his skirt panels on his waist are hinged to allow more poseability on his legs.

ELECTRONICS :

Prime has a nest of wires in him. Starting up top, he has 2 5mm Blue LEDs for each eye (optical sensor) He also has one additional blue LED that illuminates in sync with the voice chip. His voice chip says classic phrases like "Autobots! Transform and Roll out!", "All we need is a little energon...and a lot of luck", "Megatron must be stopped!", "I want you to make a special run to Autobot City" These voice prompts are triggered through a push button on Prime's back. Optimus Prime also has 4 running lights on the top of his chest. There is a bright yellow-orange 5mm LED inside Prime's gun, and then 3 more blue LEDs inside the Matrix of Leadership. The electronics for the Matrix of Leadership are independently contained inside the matrix, with a push button and power supply all inside. The LEDs for the other components are wired to a chamber in Prime's back. The on/off switch and batteries are easily accessible. The on/off switches are under Prime's armpits.

DISPLAY BASE :

I'm very happy with Optimus Prime's display base. It measures 18" in diameter, and 5½" tall. It is trimmed in chromed aluminum and has a glass surface. under the glass, recessed is a routed Autobot symbol, trimmed in metallic Silver. The display base contains a 16" diameter white neon ring (inside, under class) and a 18" ice blue neon ring around the outside perimeter. A simple flick of a switch, and it lights up an entire room...and the custom.

PAINT WORK :

I wanted to of course give Prime the traditional Red/Blue/Silver paint scheme, but - put a more realistic twist on it. I added subtle wear and tear to every edge of his body. I also added subtle blemishes throughout, because I believe - no giant warrior robot should ever have a perfect paint job. After he was constructed, I filled in any imperfections with a plastic epoxy, then primed , sanded - starting with a medium grit, working my way up to a fine grit and wet-sand. Once that was all to my liking, I coated Prime with base coated of Polyurethanes and Lacquer paints (via Air brush) then did details with enamels and acrylics.

EXTRA GOODIES :

Prime's chest opens to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. The Matrix chamber was crafted to house the Matrix snug, I used a 1/2" rare earth magnet system, so the Matrix snaps perfectly into place. Prime's gun was built using PVC piping. His smoke stacks are from large markers. The pin/grommet things on the sides of his knee caps are from mini-Lego man heads. Each hand has 10 points of articulation.

Now, before you jump on my case and ask "Who do frenzyrumble think he is calling this piece epic?!?!?" - This custom Optimus Prime is for the one and only Cliffy B (formally of Epic Games) (catch the name play?)

Optimus Prime is non-transforming, and nearly completely scratch-build. Using a variety of styrene sheeting, molding compounds, epoxies and a variety of other materials...Optimus Prime stands a stunning 28 inches tall (that's 71.12 cm to you guys way over there) Prime weighs in at approximately 16 pounds (7.3 kg)

Optimus Prime is loaded with Easter eggs, details, LEDs and articulation.

ARTICULATION :

Epic Prime has articulation similar to MP-01 Optimus Prime. His head is on a ball joint, shoulders slide in and out to allow maximum articulation, shoulders are ratcheting joints, upper arms swivel, elbows articulated, wrists on ball joints and swivel, each hand has articulated fingers (hinged) and a ball jointed thumb. Also, Prime's waist is articulated, upper hips ratcheting joints, upper legs swivel at hips, knees are double jointed (like MP-01) knee is on swivel joint, and finally (breath) feet are on double ball joints. His chest also hinges open to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. Finally, his skirt panels on his waist are hinged to allow more poseability on his legs.

ELECTRONICS :

Prime has a nest of wires in him. Starting up top, he has 2 5mm Blue LEDs for each eye (optical sensor) He also has one additional blue LED that illuminates in sync with the voice chip. His voice chip says classic phrases like "Autobots! Transform and Roll out!", "All we need is a little energon...and a lot of luck", "Megatron must be stopped!", "I want you to make a special run to Autobot City" These voice prompts are triggered through a push button on Prime's back. Optimus Prime also has 4 running lights on the top of his chest. There is a bright yellow-orange 5mm LED inside Prime's gun, and then 3 more blue LEDs inside the Matrix of Leadership. The electronics for the Matrix of Leadership are independently contained inside the matrix, with a push button and power supply all inside. The LEDs for the other components are wired to a chamber in Prime's back. The on/off switch and batteries are easily accessible. The on/off switches are under Prime's armpits.

DISPLAY BASE :

I'm very happy with Optimus Prime's display base. It measures 18" in diameter, and 5½" tall. It is trimmed in chromed aluminum and has a glass surface. under the glass, recessed is a routed Autobot symbol, trimmed in metallic Silver. The display base contains a 16" diameter white neon ring (inside, under class) and a 18" ice blue neon ring around the outside perimeter. A simple flick of a switch, and it lights up an entire room...and the custom.

PAINT WORK :

I wanted to of course give Prime the traditional Red/Blue/Silver paint scheme, but - put a more realistic twist on it. I added subtle wear and tear to every edge of his body. I also added subtle blemishes throughout, because I believe - no giant warrior robot should ever have a perfect paint job. After he was constructed, I filled in any imperfections with a plastic epoxy, then primed , sanded - starting with a medium grit, working my way up to a fine grit and wet-sand. Once that was all to my liking, I coated Prime with base coated of Polyurethanes and Lacquer paints (via Air brush) then did details with enamels and acrylics.

EXTRA GOODIES :

Prime's chest opens to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. The Matrix chamber was crafted to house the Matrix snug, I used a 1/2" rare earth magnet system, so the Matrix snaps perfectly into place. Prime's gun was built using PVC piping. His smoke stacks are from large markers. The pin/grommet things on the sides of his knee caps are from mini-Lego man heads. Each hand has 10 points of articulation.

Now, before you jump on my case and ask "Who do frenzyrumble think he is calling this piece epic?!?!?" - This custom Optimus Prime is for the one and only Cliffy B (formally of Epic Games) (catch the name play?)

Optimus Prime is non-transforming, and nearly completely scratch-build. Using a variety of styrene sheeting, molding compounds, epoxies and a variety of other materials...Optimus Prime stands a stunning 28 inches tall (that's 71.12 cm to you guys way over there) Prime weighs in at approximately 16 pounds (7.3 kg)

Optimus Prime is loaded with Easter eggs, details, LEDs and articulation.

ARTICULATION :

Epic Prime has articulation similar to MP-01 Optimus Prime. His head is on a ball joint, shoulders slide in and out to allow maximum articulation, shoulders are ratcheting joints, upper arms swivel, elbows articulated, wrists on ball joints and swivel, each hand has articulated fingers (hinged) and a ball jointed thumb. Also, Prime's waist is articulated, upper hips ratcheting joints, upper legs swivel at hips, knees are double jointed (like MP-01) knee is on swivel joint, and finally (breath) feet are on double ball joints. His chest also hinges open to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. Finally, his skirt panels on his waist are hinged to allow more poseability on his legs.

ELECTRONICS :

Prime has a nest of wires in him. Starting up top, he has 2 5mm Blue LEDs for each eye (optical sensor) He also has one additional blue LED that illuminates in sync with the voice chip. His voice chip says classic phrases like "Autobots! Transform and Roll out!", "All we need is a little energon...and a lot of luck", "Megatron must be stopped!", "I want you to make a special run to Autobot City" These voice prompts are triggered through a push button on Prime's back. Optimus Prime also has 4 running lights on the top of his chest. There is a bright yellow-orange 5mm LED inside Prime's gun, and then 3 more blue LEDs inside the Matrix of Leadership. The electronics for the Matrix of Leadership are independently contained inside the matrix, with a push button and power supply all inside. The LEDs for the other components are wired to a chamber in Prime's back. The on/off switch and batteries are easily accessible. The on/off switches are under Prime's armpits.

DISPLAY BASE :

I'm very happy with Optimus Prime's display base. It measures 18" in diameter, and 5½" tall. It is trimmed in chromed aluminum and has a glass surface. under the glass, recessed is a routed Autobot symbol, trimmed in metallic Silver. The display base contains a 16" diameter white neon ring (inside, under class) and a 18" ice blue neon ring around the outside perimeter. A simple flick of a switch, and it lights up an entire room...and the custom.

PAINT WORK :

I wanted to of course give Prime the traditional Red/Blue/Silver paint scheme, but - put a more realistic twist on it. I added subtle wear and tear to every edge of his body. I also added subtle blemishes throughout, because I believe - no giant warrior robot should ever have a perfect paint job. After he was constructed, I filled in any imperfections with a plastic epoxy, then primed , sanded - starting with a medium grit, working my way up to a fine grit and wet-sand. Once that was all to my liking, I coated Prime with base coated of Polyurethanes and Lacquer paints (via Air brush) then did details with enamels and acrylics.

EXTRA GOODIES :

Prime's chest opens to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. The Matrix chamber was crafted to house the Matrix snug, I used a 1/2" rare earth magnet system, so the Matrix snaps perfectly into place. Prime's gun was built using PVC piping. His smoke stacks are from large markers. The pin/grommet things on the sides of his knee caps are from mini-Lego man heads. Each hand has 10 points of articulation.

Now, before you jump on my case and ask "Who do frenzyrumble think he is calling this piece epic?!?!?" - This custom Optimus Prime is for the one and only Cliffy B (formally of Epic Games) (catch the name play?)

Optimus Prime is non-transforming, and nearly completely scratch-build. Using a variety of styrene sheeting, molding compounds, epoxies and a variety of other materials...Optimus Prime stands a stunning 28 inches tall (that's 71.12 cm to you guys way over there) Prime weighs in at approximately 16 pounds (7.3 kg)

Optimus Prime is loaded with Easter eggs, details, LEDs and articulation.

ARTICULATION :

Epic Prime has articulation similar to MP-01 Optimus Prime. His head is on a ball joint, shoulders slide in and out to allow maximum articulation, shoulders are ratcheting joints, upper arms swivel, elbows articulated, wrists on ball joints and swivel, each hand has articulated fingers (hinged) and a ball jointed thumb. Also, Prime's waist is articulated, upper hips ratcheting joints, upper legs swivel at hips, knees are double jointed (like MP-01) knee is on swivel joint, and finally (breath) feet are on double ball joints. His chest also hinges open to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. Finally, his skirt panels on his waist are hinged to allow more poseability on his legs.

ELECTRONICS :

Prime has a nest of wires in him. Starting up top, he has 2 5mm Blue LEDs for each eye (optical sensor) He also has one additional blue LED that illuminates in sync with the voice chip. His voice chip says classic phrases like "Autobots! Transform and Roll out!", "All we need is a little energon...and a lot of luck", "Megatron must be stopped!", "I want you to make a special run to Autobot City" These voice prompts are triggered through a push button on Prime's back. Optimus Prime also has 4 running lights on the top of his chest. There is a bright yellow-orange 5mm LED inside Prime's gun, and then 3 more blue LEDs inside the Matrix of Leadership. The electronics for the Matrix of Leadership are independently contained inside the matrix, with a push button and power supply all inside. The LEDs for the other components are wired to a chamber in Prime's back. The on/off switch and batteries are easily accessible. The on/off switches are under Prime's armpits.

DISPLAY BASE :

I'm very happy with Optimus Prime's display base. It measures 18" in diameter, and 5½" tall. It is trimmed in chromed aluminum and has a glass surface. under the glass, recessed is a routed Autobot symbol, trimmed in metallic Silver. The display base contains a 16" diameter white neon ring (inside, under class) and a 18" ice blue neon ring around the outside perimeter. A simple flick of a switch, and it lights up an entire room...and the custom.

PAINT WORK :

I wanted to of course give Prime the traditional Red/Blue/Silver paint scheme, but - put a more realistic twist on it. I added subtle wear and tear to every edge of his body. I also added subtle blemishes throughout, because I believe - no giant warrior robot should ever have a perfect paint job. After he was constructed, I filled in any imperfections with a plastic epoxy, then primed , sanded - starting with a medium grit, working my way up to a fine grit and wet-sand. Once that was all to my liking, I coated Prime with base coated of Polyurethanes and Lacquer paints (via Air brush) then did details with enamels and acrylics.

EXTRA GOODIES :

Prime's chest opens to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. The Matrix chamber was crafted to house the Matrix snug, I used a 1/2" rare earth magnet system, so the Matrix snaps perfectly into place. Prime's gun was built using PVC piping. His smoke stacks are from large markers. The pin/grommet things on the sides of his knee caps are from mini-Lego man heads. Each hand has 10 points of articulation.

That's the voice prompt.

For three Saturdays New York's Department of Transportation closes off nearly seven miles of Manhattan streets for bicyclists and pedestrains to play. Voice Tunnel is the feature installation by Rafael Lozano-Hemmer. The Park Avenue tunnel in front of Grand Central Station was shut down and this wild art installation was setup. Participants are able to influence the intensity of each light by speaking into a special intercom at the tunnel’s center which records their voice and loops it. Louder speech will increase the lights’ brightness proportionally, creating a Morse-like code of flashes throughout the tunnel. You can watch a video clip of it in action here. You should go experience Summer Streets on August 17th!

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Now, before you jump on my case and ask "Who do frenzyrumble think he is calling this piece epic?!?!?" - This custom Optimus Prime is for the one and only Cliffy B (formally of Epic Games) (catch the name play?)

Optimus Prime is non-transforming, and nearly completely scratch-build. Using a variety of styrene sheeting, molding compounds, epoxies and a variety of other materials...Optimus Prime stands a stunning 28 inches tall (that's 71.12 cm to you guys way over there) Prime weighs in at approximately 16 pounds (7.3 kg)

Optimus Prime is loaded with Easter eggs, details, LEDs and articulation.

ARTICULATION :

Epic Prime has articulation similar to MP-01 Optimus Prime. His head is on a ball joint, shoulders slide in and out to allow maximum articulation, shoulders are ratcheting joints, upper arms swivel, elbows articulated, wrists on ball joints and swivel, each hand has articulated fingers (hinged) and a ball jointed thumb. Also, Prime's waist is articulated, upper hips ratcheting joints, upper legs swivel at hips, knees are double jointed (like MP-01) knee is on swivel joint, and finally (breath) feet are on double ball joints. His chest also hinges open to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. Finally, his skirt panels on his waist are hinged to allow more poseability on his legs.

ELECTRONICS :

Prime has a nest of wires in him. Starting up top, he has 2 5mm Blue LEDs for each eye (optical sensor) He also has one additional blue LED that illuminates in sync with the voice chip. His voice chip says classic phrases like "Autobots! Transform and Roll out!", "All we need is a little energon...and a lot of luck", "Megatron must be stopped!", "I want you to make a special run to Autobot City" These voice prompts are triggered through a push button on Prime's back. Optimus Prime also has 4 running lights on the top of his chest. There is a bright yellow-orange 5mm LED inside Prime's gun, and then 3 more blue LEDs inside the Matrix of Leadership. The electronics for the Matrix of Leadership are independently contained inside the matrix, with a push button and power supply all inside. The LEDs for the other components are wired to a chamber in Prime's back. The on/off switch and batteries are easily accessible. The on/off switches are under Prime's armpits.

DISPLAY BASE :

I'm very happy with Optimus Prime's display base. It measures 18" in diameter, and 5½" tall. It is trimmed in chromed aluminum and has a glass surface. under the glass, recessed is a routed Autobot symbol, trimmed in metallic Silver. The display base contains a 16" diameter white neon ring (inside, under class) and a 18" ice blue neon ring around the outside perimeter. A simple flick of a switch, and it lights up an entire room...and the custom.

PAINT WORK :

I wanted to of course give Prime the traditional Red/Blue/Silver paint scheme, but - put a more realistic twist on it. I added subtle wear and tear to every edge of his body. I also added subtle blemishes throughout, because I believe - no giant warrior robot should ever have a perfect paint job. After he was constructed, I filled in any imperfections with a plastic epoxy, then primed , sanded - starting with a medium grit, working my way up to a fine grit and wet-sand. Once that was all to my liking, I coated Prime with base coated of Polyurethanes and Lacquer paints (via Air brush) then did details with enamels and acrylics.

EXTRA GOODIES :

Prime's chest opens to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. The Matrix chamber was crafted to house the Matrix snug, I used a 1/2" rare earth magnet system, so the Matrix snaps perfectly into place. Prime's gun was built using PVC piping. His smoke stacks are from large markers. The pin/grommet things on the sides of his knee caps are from mini-Lego man heads. Each hand has 10 points of articulation.

Day 268 of 365 (Year Two)

Back in December we made the switch to Verizon FIOS. There were several reasons for the switch including cost, customer service and a general dissatisfaction with Comcast. Verizon FIOS claimed that not only could they save me money, but that their internet was faster and their customer service was top notch.

Here it is, eight months later, and I'm back to Comcast. A guy showed up at my door with an offer I couldn't refuse. My internet is faster. I could tell the difference the minute the guy hooked me back up. With Verizon we had been noticing a distinct skip in the picture, typically at the start of shows, but that is gone now that we are back with Comcast.

The main two reasons I switched back, however, are the fact that my Verizon bill turned out to be more than what they had told me it was going to be. I am not paying about 40 less a month for the same service that Verizon promised me would be cheaper. My bill also seemed to go up over the past few months, not to mention the installation fees that they charged me when I had it hooked up that were a bit higher than I had been led to believe.

The other reason I switched was that I wasn't at all impressed with Verizon's customer service. Getting the free TV alone was about a five month painful process. Then, back when I was working, I tried to contact Verizon about getting DSL or FIOS at the office and was given the run around. They have an endless voice prompted menu that is absolutely useless.

Comcast also agreed to pay my early termination fee with Verizon.

When FIOS first hit the market here people left Comcast in droves. They took a really big hit. Apparently this was a wake up call for them. I now have a personal contact who makes sure that I'm taken care of (he even called twice today to make sure the installation went smoothly) and the price can't be beat. I'm going to have to have my cell phone switched back to it's own account and start paying for it separate, but even with that added cost I'm still paying less than I was when everything was bundled with Verizon.

The only thing I will miss is the DVR interface that Verizon had. I have to admit that it is superior to what Comcast offers, but the Comcast DVR interface is serviceable.

Now, before you jump on my case and ask "Who do frenzyrumble think he is calling this piece epic?!?!?" - This custom Optimus Prime is for the one and only Cliffy B (formally of Epic Games) (catch the name play?)

Optimus Prime is non-transforming, and nearly completely scratch-build. Using a variety of styrene sheeting, molding compounds, epoxies and a variety of other materials...Optimus Prime stands a stunning 28 inches tall (that's 71.12 cm to you guys way over there) Prime weighs in at approximately 16 pounds (7.3 kg)

Optimus Prime is loaded with Easter eggs, details, LEDs and articulation.

ARTICULATION :

Epic Prime has articulation similar to MP-01 Optimus Prime. His head is on a ball joint, shoulders slide in and out to allow maximum articulation, shoulders are ratcheting joints, upper arms swivel, elbows articulated, wrists on ball joints and swivel, each hand has articulated fingers (hinged) and a ball jointed thumb. Also, Prime's waist is articulated, upper hips ratcheting joints, upper legs swivel at hips, knees are double jointed (like MP-01) knee is on swivel joint, and finally (breath) feet are on double ball joints. His chest also hinges open to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. Finally, his skirt panels on his waist are hinged to allow more poseability on his legs.

ELECTRONICS :

Prime has a nest of wires in him. Starting up top, he has 2 5mm Blue LEDs for each eye (optical sensor) He also has one additional blue LED that illuminates in sync with the voice chip. His voice chip says classic phrases like "Autobots! Transform and Roll out!", "All we need is a little energon...and a lot of luck", "Megatron must be stopped!", "I want you to make a special run to Autobot City" These voice prompts are triggered through a push button on Prime's back. Optimus Prime also has 4 running lights on the top of his chest. There is a bright yellow-orange 5mm LED inside Prime's gun, and then 3 more blue LEDs inside the Matrix of Leadership. The electronics for the Matrix of Leadership are independently contained inside the matrix, with a push button and power supply all inside. The LEDs for the other components are wired to a chamber in Prime's back. The on/off switch and batteries are easily accessible. The on/off switches are under Prime's armpits.

DISPLAY BASE :

I'm very happy with Optimus Prime's display base. It measures 18" in diameter, and 5½" tall. It is trimmed in chromed aluminum and has a glass surface. under the glass, recessed is a routed Autobot symbol, trimmed in metallic Silver. The display base contains a 16" diameter white neon ring (inside, under class) and a 18" ice blue neon ring around the outside perimeter. A simple flick of a switch, and it lights up an entire room...and the custom.

PAINT WORK :

I wanted to of course give Prime the traditional Red/Blue/Silver paint scheme, but - put a more realistic twist on it. I added subtle wear and tear to every edge of his body. I also added subtle blemishes throughout, because I believe - no giant warrior robot should ever have a perfect paint job. After he was constructed, I filled in any imperfections with a plastic epoxy, then primed , sanded - starting with a medium grit, working my way up to a fine grit and wet-sand. Once that was all to my liking, I coated Prime with base coated of Polyurethanes and Lacquer paints (via Air brush) then did details with enamels and acrylics.

EXTRA GOODIES :

Prime's chest opens to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. The Matrix chamber was crafted to house the Matrix snug, I used a 1/2" rare earth magnet system, so the Matrix snaps perfectly into place. Prime's gun was built using PVC piping. His smoke stacks are from large markers. The pin/grommet things on the sides of his knee caps are from mini-Lego man heads. Each hand has 10 points of articulation.

Now, before you jump on my case and ask "Who do frenzyrumble think he is calling this piece epic?!?!?" - This custom Optimus Prime is for the one and only Cliffy B (formally of Epic Games) (catch the name play?)

Optimus Prime is non-transforming, and nearly completely scratch-build. Using a variety of styrene sheeting, molding compounds, epoxies and a variety of other materials...Optimus Prime stands a stunning 28 inches tall (that's 71.12 cm to you guys way over there) Prime weighs in at approximately 16 pounds (7.3 kg)

Optimus Prime is loaded with Easter eggs, details, LEDs and articulation.

ARTICULATION :

Epic Prime has articulation similar to MP-01 Optimus Prime. His head is on a ball joint, shoulders slide in and out to allow maximum articulation, shoulders are ratcheting joints, upper arms swivel, elbows articulated, wrists on ball joints and swivel, each hand has articulated fingers (hinged) and a ball jointed thumb. Also, Prime's waist is articulated, upper hips ratcheting joints, upper legs swivel at hips, knees are double jointed (like MP-01) knee is on swivel joint, and finally (breath) feet are on double ball joints. His chest also hinges open to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. Finally, his skirt panels on his waist are hinged to allow more poseability on his legs.

ELECTRONICS :

Prime has a nest of wires in him. Starting up top, he has 2 5mm Blue LEDs for each eye (optical sensor) He also has one additional blue LED that illuminates in sync with the voice chip. His voice chip says classic phrases like "Autobots! Transform and Roll out!", "All we need is a little energon...and a lot of luck", "Megatron must be stopped!", "I want you to make a special run to Autobot City" These voice prompts are triggered through a push button on Prime's back. Optimus Prime also has 4 running lights on the top of his chest. There is a bright yellow-orange 5mm LED inside Prime's gun, and then 3 more blue LEDs inside the Matrix of Leadership. The electronics for the Matrix of Leadership are independently contained inside the matrix, with a push button and power supply all inside. The LEDs for the other components are wired to a chamber in Prime's back. The on/off switch and batteries are easily accessible. The on/off switches are under Prime's armpits.

DISPLAY BASE :

I'm very happy with Optimus Prime's display base. It measures 18" in diameter, and 5½" tall. It is trimmed in chromed aluminum and has a glass surface. under the glass, recessed is a routed Autobot symbol, trimmed in metallic Silver. The display base contains a 16" diameter white neon ring (inside, under class) and a 18" ice blue neon ring around the outside perimeter. A simple flick of a switch, and it lights up an entire room...and the custom.

PAINT WORK :

I wanted to of course give Prime the traditional Red/Blue/Silver paint scheme, but - put a more realistic twist on it. I added subtle wear and tear to every edge of his body. I also added subtle blemishes throughout, because I believe - no giant warrior robot should ever have a perfect paint job. After he was constructed, I filled in any imperfections with a plastic epoxy, then primed , sanded - starting with a medium grit, working my way up to a fine grit and wet-sand. Once that was all to my liking, I coated Prime with base coated of Polyurethanes and Lacquer paints (via Air brush) then did details with enamels and acrylics.

EXTRA GOODIES :

Prime's chest opens to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. The Matrix chamber was crafted to house the Matrix snug, I used a 1/2" rare earth magnet system, so the Matrix snaps perfectly into place. Prime's gun was built using PVC piping. His smoke stacks are from large markers. The pin/grommet things on the sides of his knee caps are from mini-Lego man heads. Each hand has 10 points of articulation.

Now, before you jump on my case and ask "Who do frenzyrumble think he is calling this piece epic?!?!?" - This custom Optimus Prime is for the one and only Cliffy B (formally of Epic Games) (catch the name play?)

Optimus Prime is non-transforming, and nearly completely scratch-build. Using a variety of styrene sheeting, molding compounds, epoxies and a variety of other materials...Optimus Prime stands a stunning 28 inches tall (that's 71.12 cm to you guys way over there) Prime weighs in at approximately 16 pounds (7.3 kg)

Optimus Prime is loaded with Easter eggs, details, LEDs and articulation.

ARTICULATION :

Epic Prime has articulation similar to MP-01 Optimus Prime. His head is on a ball joint, shoulders slide in and out to allow maximum articulation, shoulders are ratcheting joints, upper arms swivel, elbows articulated, wrists on ball joints and swivel, each hand has articulated fingers (hinged) and a ball jointed thumb. Also, Prime's waist is articulated, upper hips ratcheting joints, upper legs swivel at hips, knees are double jointed (like MP-01) knee is on swivel joint, and finally (breath) feet are on double ball joints. His chest also hinges open to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. Finally, his skirt panels on his waist are hinged to allow more poseability on his legs.

ELECTRONICS :

Prime has a nest of wires in him. Starting up top, he has 2 5mm Blue LEDs for each eye (optical sensor) He also has one additional blue LED that illuminates in sync with the voice chip. His voice chip says classic phrases like "Autobots! Transform and Roll out!", "All we need is a little energon...and a lot of luck", "Megatron must be stopped!", "I want you to make a special run to Autobot City" These voice prompts are triggered through a push button on Prime's back. Optimus Prime also has 4 running lights on the top of his chest. There is a bright yellow-orange 5mm LED inside Prime's gun, and then 3 more blue LEDs inside the Matrix of Leadership. The electronics for the Matrix of Leadership are independently contained inside the matrix, with a push button and power supply all inside. The LEDs for the other components are wired to a chamber in Prime's back. The on/off switch and batteries are easily accessible. The on/off switches are under Prime's armpits.

DISPLAY BASE :

I'm very happy with Optimus Prime's display base. It measures 18" in diameter, and 5½" tall. It is trimmed in chromed aluminum and has a glass surface. under the glass, recessed is a routed Autobot symbol, trimmed in metallic Silver. The display base contains a 16" diameter white neon ring (inside, under class) and a 18" ice blue neon ring around the outside perimeter. A simple flick of a switch, and it lights up an entire room...and the custom.

PAINT WORK :

I wanted to of course give Prime the traditional Red/Blue/Silver paint scheme, but - put a more realistic twist on it. I added subtle wear and tear to every edge of his body. I also added subtle blemishes throughout, because I believe - no giant warrior robot should ever have a perfect paint job. After he was constructed, I filled in any imperfections with a plastic epoxy, then primed , sanded - starting with a medium grit, working my way up to a fine grit and wet-sand. Once that was all to my liking, I coated Prime with base coated of Polyurethanes and Lacquer paints (via Air brush) then did details with enamels and acrylics.

EXTRA GOODIES :

Prime's chest opens to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. The Matrix chamber was crafted to house the Matrix snug, I used a 1/2" rare earth magnet system, so the Matrix snaps perfectly into place. Prime's gun was built using PVC piping. His smoke stacks are from large markers. The pin/grommet things on the sides of his knee caps are from mini-Lego man heads. Each hand has 10 points of articulation.

Now, before you jump on my case and ask "Who do frenzyrumble think he is calling this piece epic?!?!?" - This custom Optimus Prime is for the one and only Cliffy B (formally of Epic Games) (catch the name play?)

Optimus Prime is non-transforming, and nearly completely scratch-build. Using a variety of styrene sheeting, molding compounds, epoxies and a variety of other materials...Optimus Prime stands a stunning 28 inches tall (that's 71.12 cm to you guys way over there) Prime weighs in at approximately 16 pounds (7.3 kg)

Optimus Prime is loaded with Easter eggs, details, LEDs and articulation.

ARTICULATION :

Epic Prime has articulation similar to MP-01 Optimus Prime. His head is on a ball joint, shoulders slide in and out to allow maximum articulation, shoulders are ratcheting joints, upper arms swivel, elbows articulated, wrists on ball joints and swivel, each hand has articulated fingers (hinged) and a ball jointed thumb. Also, Prime's waist is articulated, upper hips ratcheting joints, upper legs swivel at hips, knees are double jointed (like MP-01) knee is on swivel joint, and finally (breath) feet are on double ball joints. His chest also hinges open to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. Finally, his skirt panels on his waist are hinged to allow more poseability on his legs.

ELECTRONICS :

Prime has a nest of wires in him. Starting up top, he has 2 5mm Blue LEDs for each eye (optical sensor) He also has one additional blue LED that illuminates in sync with the voice chip. His voice chip says classic phrases like "Autobots! Transform and Roll out!", "All we need is a little energon...and a lot of luck", "Megatron must be stopped!", "I want you to make a special run to Autobot City" These voice prompts are triggered through a push button on Prime's back. Optimus Prime also has 4 running lights on the top of his chest. There is a bright yellow-orange 5mm LED inside Prime's gun, and then 3 more blue LEDs inside the Matrix of Leadership. The electronics for the Matrix of Leadership are independently contained inside the matrix, with a push button and power supply all inside. The LEDs for the other components are wired to a chamber in Prime's back. The on/off switch and batteries are easily accessible. The on/off switches are under Prime's armpits.

DISPLAY BASE :

I'm very happy with Optimus Prime's display base. It measures 18" in diameter, and 5½" tall. It is trimmed in chromed aluminum and has a glass surface. under the glass, recessed is a routed Autobot symbol, trimmed in metallic Silver. The display base contains a 16" diameter white neon ring (inside, under class) and a 18" ice blue neon ring around the outside perimeter. A simple flick of a switch, and it lights up an entire room...and the custom.

PAINT WORK :

I wanted to of course give Prime the traditional Red/Blue/Silver paint scheme, but - put a more realistic twist on it. I added subtle wear and tear to every edge of his body. I also added subtle blemishes throughout, because I believe - no giant warrior robot should ever have a perfect paint job. After he was constructed, I filled in any imperfections with a plastic epoxy, then primed , sanded - starting with a medium grit, working my way up to a fine grit and wet-sand. Once that was all to my liking, I coated Prime with base coated of Polyurethanes and Lacquer paints (via Air brush) then did details with enamels and acrylics.

EXTRA GOODIES :

Prime's chest opens to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. The Matrix chamber was crafted to house the Matrix snug, I used a 1/2" rare earth magnet system, so the Matrix snaps perfectly into place. Prime's gun was built using PVC piping. His smoke stacks are from large markers. The pin/grommet things on the sides of his knee caps are from mini-Lego man heads. Each hand has 10 points of articulation.

Now, before you jump on my case and ask "Who do frenzyrumble think he is calling this piece epic?!?!?" - This custom Optimus Prime is for the one and only Cliffy B (formally of Epic Games) (catch the name play?)

Optimus Prime is non-transforming, and nearly completely scratch-build. Using a variety of styrene sheeting, molding compounds, epoxies and a variety of other materials...Optimus Prime stands a stunning 28 inches tall (that's 71.12 cm to you guys way over there) Prime weighs in at approximately 16 pounds (7.3 kg)

Optimus Prime is loaded with Easter eggs, details, LEDs and articulation.

ARTICULATION :

Epic Prime has articulation similar to MP-01 Optimus Prime. His head is on a ball joint, shoulders slide in and out to allow maximum articulation, shoulders are ratcheting joints, upper arms swivel, elbows articulated, wrists on ball joints and swivel, each hand has articulated fingers (hinged) and a ball jointed thumb. Also, Prime's waist is articulated, upper hips ratcheting joints, upper legs swivel at hips, knees are double jointed (like MP-01) knee is on swivel joint, and finally (breath) feet are on double ball joints. His chest also hinges open to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. Finally, his skirt panels on his waist are hinged to allow more poseability on his legs.

ELECTRONICS :

Prime has a nest of wires in him. Starting up top, he has 2 5mm Blue LEDs for each eye (optical sensor) He also has one additional blue LED that illuminates in sync with the voice chip. His voice chip says classic phrases like "Autobots! Transform and Roll out!", "All we need is a little energon...and a lot of luck", "Megatron must be stopped!", "I want you to make a special run to Autobot City" These voice prompts are triggered through a push button on Prime's back. Optimus Prime also has 4 running lights on the top of his chest. There is a bright yellow-orange 5mm LED inside Prime's gun, and then 3 more blue LEDs inside the Matrix of Leadership. The electronics for the Matrix of Leadership are independently contained inside the matrix, with a push button and power supply all inside. The LEDs for the other components are wired to a chamber in Prime's back. The on/off switch and batteries are easily accessible. The on/off switches are under Prime's armpits.

DISPLAY BASE :

I'm very happy with Optimus Prime's display base. It measures 18" in diameter, and 5½" tall. It is trimmed in chromed aluminum and has a glass surface. under the glass, recessed is a routed Autobot symbol, trimmed in metallic Silver. The display base contains a 16" diameter white neon ring (inside, under class) and a 18" ice blue neon ring around the outside perimeter. A simple flick of a switch, and it lights up an entire room...and the custom.

PAINT WORK :

I wanted to of course give Prime the traditional Red/Blue/Silver paint scheme, but - put a more realistic twist on it. I added subtle wear and tear to every edge of his body. I also added subtle blemishes throughout, because I believe - no giant warrior robot should ever have a perfect paint job. After he was constructed, I filled in any imperfections with a plastic epoxy, then primed , sanded - starting with a medium grit, working my way up to a fine grit and wet-sand. Once that was all to my liking, I coated Prime with base coated of Polyurethanes and Lacquer paints (via Air brush) then did details with enamels and acrylics.

EXTRA GOODIES :

Prime's chest opens to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. The Matrix chamber was crafted to house the Matrix snug, I used a 1/2" rare earth magnet system, so the Matrix snaps perfectly into place. Prime's gun was built using PVC piping. His smoke stacks are from large markers. The pin/grommet things on the sides of his knee caps are from mini-Lego man heads. Each hand has 10 points of articulation.

Now, before you jump on my case and ask "Who do frenzyrumble think he is calling this piece epic?!?!?" - This custom Optimus Prime is for the one and only Cliffy B (formally of Epic Games) (catch the name play?)

Optimus Prime is non-transforming, and nearly completely scratch-build. Using a variety of styrene sheeting, molding compounds, epoxies and a variety of other materials...Optimus Prime stands a stunning 28 inches tall (that's 71.12 cm to you guys way over there) Prime weighs in at approximately 16 pounds (7.3 kg)

Optimus Prime is loaded with Easter eggs, details, LEDs and articulation.

ARTICULATION :

Epic Prime has articulation similar to MP-01 Optimus Prime. His head is on a ball joint, shoulders slide in and out to allow maximum articulation, shoulders are ratcheting joints, upper arms swivel, elbows articulated, wrists on ball joints and swivel, each hand has articulated fingers (hinged) and a ball jointed thumb. Also, Prime's waist is articulated, upper hips ratcheting joints, upper legs swivel at hips, knees are double jointed (like MP-01) knee is on swivel joint, and finally (breath) feet are on double ball joints. His chest also hinges open to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. Finally, his skirt panels on his waist are hinged to allow more poseability on his legs.

ELECTRONICS :

Prime has a nest of wires in him. Starting up top, he has 2 5mm Blue LEDs for each eye (optical sensor) He also has one additional blue LED that illuminates in sync with the voice chip. His voice chip says classic phrases like "Autobots! Transform and Roll out!", "All we need is a little energon...and a lot of luck", "Megatron must be stopped!", "I want you to make a special run to Autobot City" These voice prompts are triggered through a push button on Prime's back. Optimus Prime also has 4 running lights on the top of his chest. There is a bright yellow-orange 5mm LED inside Prime's gun, and then 3 more blue LEDs inside the Matrix of Leadership. The electronics for the Matrix of Leadership are independently contained inside the matrix, with a push button and power supply all inside. The LEDs for the other components are wired to a chamber in Prime's back. The on/off switch and batteries are easily accessible. The on/off switches are under Prime's armpits.

DISPLAY BASE :

I'm very happy with Optimus Prime's display base. It measures 18" in diameter, and 5½" tall. It is trimmed in chromed aluminum and has a glass surface. under the glass, recessed is a routed Autobot symbol, trimmed in metallic Silver. The display base contains a 16" diameter white neon ring (inside, under class) and a 18" ice blue neon ring around the outside perimeter. A simple flick of a switch, and it lights up an entire room...and the custom.

PAINT WORK :

I wanted to of course give Prime the traditional Red/Blue/Silver paint scheme, but - put a more realistic twist on it. I added subtle wear and tear to every edge of his body. I also added subtle blemishes throughout, because I believe - no giant warrior robot should ever have a perfect paint job. After he was constructed, I filled in any imperfections with a plastic epoxy, then primed , sanded - starting with a medium grit, working my way up to a fine grit and wet-sand. Once that was all to my liking, I coated Prime with base coated of Polyurethanes and Lacquer paints (via Air brush) then did details with enamels and acrylics.

EXTRA GOODIES :

Prime's chest opens to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. The Matrix chamber was crafted to house the Matrix snug, I used a 1/2" rare earth magnet system, so the Matrix snaps perfectly into place. Prime's gun was built using PVC piping. His smoke stacks are from large markers. The pin/grommet things on the sides of his knee caps are from mini-Lego man heads. Each hand has 10 points of articulation.

Now, before you jump on my case and ask "Who do frenzyrumble think he is calling this piece epic?!?!?" - This custom Optimus Prime is for the one and only Cliffy B (formally of Epic Games) (catch the name play?)

Optimus Prime is non-transforming, and nearly completely scratch-build. Using a variety of styrene sheeting, molding compounds, epoxies and a variety of other materials...Optimus Prime stands a stunning 28 inches tall (that's 71.12 cm to you guys way over there) Prime weighs in at approximately 16 pounds (7.3 kg)

Optimus Prime is loaded with Easter eggs, details, LEDs and articulation.

ARTICULATION :

Epic Prime has articulation similar to MP-01 Optimus Prime. His head is on a ball joint, shoulders slide in and out to allow maximum articulation, shoulders are ratcheting joints, upper arms swivel, elbows articulated, wrists on ball joints and swivel, each hand has articulated fingers (hinged) and a ball jointed thumb. Also, Prime's waist is articulated, upper hips ratcheting joints, upper legs swivel at hips, knees are double jointed (like MP-01) knee is on swivel joint, and finally (breath) feet are on double ball joints. His chest also hinges open to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. Finally, his skirt panels on his waist are hinged to allow more poseability on his legs.

ELECTRONICS :

Prime has a nest of wires in him. Starting up top, he has 2 5mm Blue LEDs for each eye (optical sensor) He also has one additional blue LED that illuminates in sync with the voice chip. His voice chip says classic phrases like "Autobots! Transform and Roll out!", "All we need is a little energon...and a lot of luck", "Megatron must be stopped!", "I want you to make a special run to Autobot City" These voice prompts are triggered through a push button on Prime's back. Optimus Prime also has 4 running lights on the top of his chest. There is a bright yellow-orange 5mm LED inside Prime's gun, and then 3 more blue LEDs inside the Matrix of Leadership. The electronics for the Matrix of Leadership are independently contained inside the matrix, with a push button and power supply all inside. The LEDs for the other components are wired to a chamber in Prime's back. The on/off switch and batteries are easily accessible. The on/off switches are under Prime's armpits.

DISPLAY BASE :

I'm very happy with Optimus Prime's display base. It measures 18" in diameter, and 5½" tall. It is trimmed in chromed aluminum and has a glass surface. under the glass, recessed is a routed Autobot symbol, trimmed in metallic Silver. The display base contains a 16" diameter white neon ring (inside, under class) and a 18" ice blue neon ring around the outside perimeter. A simple flick of a switch, and it lights up an entire room...and the custom.

PAINT WORK :

I wanted to of course give Prime the traditional Red/Blue/Silver paint scheme, but - put a more realistic twist on it. I added subtle wear and tear to every edge of his body. I also added subtle blemishes throughout, because I believe - no giant warrior robot should ever have a perfect paint job. After he was constructed, I filled in any imperfections with a plastic epoxy, then primed , sanded - starting with a medium grit, working my way up to a fine grit and wet-sand. Once that was all to my liking, I coated Prime with base coated of Polyurethanes and Lacquer paints (via Air brush) then did details with enamels and acrylics.

EXTRA GOODIES :

Prime's chest opens to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. The Matrix chamber was crafted to house the Matrix snug, I used a 1/2" rare earth magnet system, so the Matrix snaps perfectly into place. Prime's gun was built using PVC piping. His smoke stacks are from large markers. The pin/grommet things on the sides of his knee caps are from mini-Lego man heads. Each hand has 10 points of articulation.

I was puttering around at home when I heard my inner voice.

“Go to Ancestry.com, go to Ancestry.com.”

Although the voice was insistent, I ignored it. But the nudges continued as I attempted to go about my day. Clearly this voice would not give up until I gave it my full attention.

I’d heard this voice before on several notable occasions in my life. I can’t call it up at will, though I’ve often wished I could. It is a non-gender, calm, clear voice without emotion, delivering short messages of guidance.

Once, when I was alone on an elevator heading up to work, feeling exhausted and distraught during the early stages of a divorce, I thought, “How will I ever make it alone? I’m so lonely….” The voice surprised me with, “You always have yourself.” Startled and looking around the elevator for the source of these words, I was reminded of how much strength I have. That powerful thought healed something in me in that moment, and it has stayed with me since.

I went online to Ancestry.com. Peeking into a bulletin board devoted to my family name, I saw a request seeking family information that seemed to refer to my late father. It was puzzling though, because the name was slightly different, but it was my father’s actual birthdate. I answered the posting and that is how I met my father’s first wife and her family, including my half-brother, whom I had not met in person and didn’t know existed until long after I had become an adult. I didn’t know my father had changed his name.

My meeting with Helen shifted something fundamental in my life. Suddenly, without realizing the important healing it would bring, I had embarked on a genealogical treasure hunt. In e-mails to Helen I shared a few stories, a few clues my father had dropped along the way, and she took the ball and ran with it. My ancestors began to appear in Helen’s e-mails, and that was the beginning of something vital for me: a connection to my roots.

I had grown up feeling I didn’t belong to any community. I felt like I had no foundation. When asked where my hometown was, I felt a vague unacknowledged sadness and a bit of shame. My father was in the military and my family moved frequently. Our isolated nuclear family, which consisted of my parents, my two brothers and me, had little exposure to extended relatives, and I had no concept that family was so important.

My father grew up without parents on the streets of Boston, a child of many foster homes. He was listed as a boarder at the age of five in the 1930 United States census. He had been abandoned by his parents, like many children of the Great Depression, and never felt the safety of trust again. He was a warrior and a survivor.

My mother was a refugee from Silesia at the end of World War II, from a region that was German and then became Polish after the war. One night in the final months of the war my Polish grandmother fled from the Russians with her five children. My mother was nine years old. After many months of danger, abuse, and starvation, they found their way to Bavaria, where the family lived for seven years in one room in what was left of a home that had been bombed. My mother is a survivor, too. When she left Germany with my father, a U.S. serviceman, she left her family behind.

I had no idea old family wounds were a part of my story, but my truth is I grew up without grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins in my life, and it was a loss, even though we had lovely Christmas boxes from my grandparents in Germany, filled to the brim with delicious chocolates and gingerbread, and occasional loving visits. To this day chocolate feels like love to me.

Helen uncovered interesting history on my father’s side. We learned my grandmother was most likely part of the Mi’kmaq First Nations people of Nova Scotia, and that I had two generations of great-grandparents who were missionaries in India, running a home for people with leprosy. I began to see the adventure and courage in my lineage instead of the weaknesses.

The distractions of life unfolded after my initial meeting with Helen, and genealogy was put away for a while. I was grateful to have had the chance to meet Helen and to be a long-distance member of her loving family. Not longer after, I met my lovely niece.

Then, in 2007, I had a dream: I am sitting on a park bench in a forested place underneath an illuminated old-fashioned streetlight. Sitting next to me is a handsome young man who is my brother. He is supposed to be one of the brothers I grew up with, the one who was named after my grandfather, but it isn’t his face. We are discussing what we would need to do to have a healthy relationship. He looks exotic, wearing dangly diamond earrings and he has glossy black hair and a rich olive complexion, perhaps like a person from South Asia.

As I woke, a voice prompted me to look up my paternal grandfather’s name on Google. A group photo of a high school football team from 1913 appeared on the screen. One of these players was my grandfather, a freshman in high school. As I looked at the faces, I burst into tears as I recognized the very face I had dreamed. I dreamed my grandfather’s face without ever seeing an image of him. The emotion I felt was remarkable.

This propelled a new surge of genealogical research. I found stories of my missionary relatives and learned my grandfather was born in India. I learned I have three generations of ancestors who lived in India. Some were born there and some died there, and several spent all of their adult lives in service to the poorest and most ill. I found my great-great-aunt, who was the first woman doctor in her region in the Himalayan foothills. She started a hospital for women that is still in service today. My sense of belonging and family pride healed the more I learned about my distant family.

Finally, during Christmas of 2011, I met my brother for the first time, and in 2014 I met my sister-in-law. The blessing of family continues with the birth of my grandniece this year. I never expected to know and love this part of my family, and never would have if I hadn’t listened to a persistent voice and paid attention to a dream.

J. E. C.

(Adapted)

Now, before you jump on my case and ask "Who do frenzyrumble think he is calling this piece epic?!?!?" - This custom Optimus Prime is for the one and only Cliffy B (formally of Epic Games) (catch the name play?)

Optimus Prime is non-transforming, and nearly completely scratch-build. Using a variety of styrene sheeting, molding compounds, epoxies and a variety of other materials...Optimus Prime stands a stunning 28 inches tall (that's 71.12 cm to you guys way over there) Prime weighs in at approximately 16 pounds (7.3 kg)

Optimus Prime is loaded with Easter eggs, details, LEDs and articulation.

ARTICULATION :

Epic Prime has articulation similar to MP-01 Optimus Prime. His head is on a ball joint, shoulders slide in and out to allow maximum articulation, shoulders are ratcheting joints, upper arms swivel, elbows articulated, wrists on ball joints and swivel, each hand has articulated fingers (hinged) and a ball jointed thumb. Also, Prime's waist is articulated, upper hips ratcheting joints, upper legs swivel at hips, knees are double jointed (like MP-01) knee is on swivel joint, and finally (breath) feet are on double ball joints. His chest also hinges open to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. Finally, his skirt panels on his waist are hinged to allow more poseability on his legs.

ELECTRONICS :

Prime has a nest of wires in him. Starting up top, he has 2 5mm Blue LEDs for each eye (optical sensor) He also has one additional blue LED that illuminates in sync with the voice chip. His voice chip says classic phrases like "Autobots! Transform and Roll out!", "All we need is a little energon...and a lot of luck", "Megatron must be stopped!", "I want you to make a special run to Autobot City" These voice prompts are triggered through a push button on Prime's back. Optimus Prime also has 4 running lights on the top of his chest. There is a bright yellow-orange 5mm LED inside Prime's gun, and then 3 more blue LEDs inside the Matrix of Leadership. The electronics for the Matrix of Leadership are independently contained inside the matrix, with a push button and power supply all inside. The LEDs for the other components are wired to a chamber in Prime's back. The on/off switch and batteries are easily accessible. The on/off switches are under Prime's armpits.

DISPLAY BASE :

I'm very happy with Optimus Prime's display base. It measures 18" in diameter, and 5½" tall. It is trimmed in chromed aluminum and has a glass surface. under the glass, recessed is a routed Autobot symbol, trimmed in metallic Silver. The display base contains a 16" diameter white neon ring (inside, under class) and a 18" ice blue neon ring around the outside perimeter. A simple flick of a switch, and it lights up an entire room...and the custom.

PAINT WORK :

I wanted to of course give Prime the traditional Red/Blue/Silver paint scheme, but - put a more realistic twist on it. I added subtle wear and tear to every edge of his body. I also added subtle blemishes throughout, because I believe - no giant warrior robot should ever have a perfect paint job. After he was constructed, I filled in any imperfections with a plastic epoxy, then primed , sanded - starting with a medium grit, working my way up to a fine grit and wet-sand. Once that was all to my liking, I coated Prime with base coated of Polyurethanes and Lacquer paints (via Air brush) then did details with enamels and acrylics.

EXTRA GOODIES :

Prime's chest opens to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. The Matrix chamber was crafted to house the Matrix snug, I used a 1/2" rare earth magnet system, so the Matrix snaps perfectly into place. Prime's gun was built using PVC piping. His smoke stacks are from large markers. The pin/grommet things on the sides of his knee caps are from mini-Lego man heads. Each hand has 10 points of articulation.

Now, before you jump on my case and ask "Who do frenzyrumble think he is calling this piece epic?!?!?" - This custom Optimus Prime is for the one and only Cliffy B (formally of Epic Games) (catch the name play?)

Optimus Prime is non-transforming, and nearly completely scratch-build. Using a variety of styrene sheeting, molding compounds, epoxies and a variety of other materials...Optimus Prime stands a stunning 28 inches tall (that's 71.12 cm to you guys way over there) Prime weighs in at approximately 16 pounds (7.3 kg)

Optimus Prime is loaded with Easter eggs, details, LEDs and articulation.

ARTICULATION :

Epic Prime has articulation similar to MP-01 Optimus Prime. His head is on a ball joint, shoulders slide in and out to allow maximum articulation, shoulders are ratcheting joints, upper arms swivel, elbows articulated, wrists on ball joints and swivel, each hand has articulated fingers (hinged) and a ball jointed thumb. Also, Prime's waist is articulated, upper hips ratcheting joints, upper legs swivel at hips, knees are double jointed (like MP-01) knee is on swivel joint, and finally (breath) feet are on double ball joints. His chest also hinges open to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. Finally, his skirt panels on his waist are hinged to allow more poseability on his legs.

ELECTRONICS :

Prime has a nest of wires in him. Starting up top, he has 2 5mm Blue LEDs for each eye (optical sensor) He also has one additional blue LED that illuminates in sync with the voice chip. His voice chip says classic phrases like "Autobots! Transform and Roll out!", "All we need is a little energon...and a lot of luck", "Megatron must be stopped!", "I want you to make a special run to Autobot City" These voice prompts are triggered through a push button on Prime's back. Optimus Prime also has 4 running lights on the top of his chest. There is a bright yellow-orange 5mm LED inside Prime's gun, and then 3 more blue LEDs inside the Matrix of Leadership. The electronics for the Matrix of Leadership are independently contained inside the matrix, with a push button and power supply all inside. The LEDs for the other components are wired to a chamber in Prime's back. The on/off switch and batteries are easily accessible. The on/off switches are under Prime's armpits.

DISPLAY BASE :

I'm very happy with Optimus Prime's display base. It measures 18" in diameter, and 5½" tall. It is trimmed in chromed aluminum and has a glass surface. under the glass, recessed is a routed Autobot symbol, trimmed in metallic Silver. The display base contains a 16" diameter white neon ring (inside, under class) and a 18" ice blue neon ring around the outside perimeter. A simple flick of a switch, and it lights up an entire room...and the custom.

PAINT WORK :

I wanted to of course give Prime the traditional Red/Blue/Silver paint scheme, but - put a more realistic twist on it. I added subtle wear and tear to every edge of his body. I also added subtle blemishes throughout, because I believe - no giant warrior robot should ever have a perfect paint job. After he was constructed, I filled in any imperfections with a plastic epoxy, then primed , sanded - starting with a medium grit, working my way up to a fine grit and wet-sand. Once that was all to my liking, I coated Prime with base coated of Polyurethanes and Lacquer paints (via Air brush) then did details with enamels and acrylics.

EXTRA GOODIES :

Prime's chest opens to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. The Matrix chamber was crafted to house the Matrix snug, I used a 1/2" rare earth magnet system, so the Matrix snaps perfectly into place. Prime's gun was built using PVC piping. His smoke stacks are from large markers. The pin/grommet things on the sides of his knee caps are from mini-Lego man heads. Each hand has 10 points of articulation.

Now, before you jump on my case and ask "Who do frenzyrumble think he is calling this piece epic?!?!?" - This custom Optimus Prime is for the one and only Cliffy B (formally of Epic Games) (catch the name play?)

Optimus Prime is non-transforming, and nearly completely scratch-build. Using a variety of styrene sheeting, molding compounds, epoxies and a variety of other materials...Optimus Prime stands a stunning 28 inches tall (that's 71.12 cm to you guys way over there) Prime weighs in at approximately 16 pounds (7.3 kg)

Optimus Prime is loaded with Easter eggs, details, LEDs and articulation.

ARTICULATION :

Epic Prime has articulation similar to MP-01 Optimus Prime. His head is on a ball joint, shoulders slide in and out to allow maximum articulation, shoulders are ratcheting joints, upper arms swivel, elbows articulated, wrists on ball joints and swivel, each hand has articulated fingers (hinged) and a ball jointed thumb. Also, Prime's waist is articulated, upper hips ratcheting joints, upper legs swivel at hips, knees are double jointed (like MP-01) knee is on swivel joint, and finally (breath) feet are on double ball joints. His chest also hinges open to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. Finally, his skirt panels on his waist are hinged to allow more poseability on his legs.

ELECTRONICS :

Prime has a nest of wires in him. Starting up top, he has 2 5mm Blue LEDs for each eye (optical sensor) He also has one additional blue LED that illuminates in sync with the voice chip. His voice chip says classic phrases like "Autobots! Transform and Roll out!", "All we need is a little energon...and a lot of luck", "Megatron must be stopped!", "I want you to make a special run to Autobot City" These voice prompts are triggered through a push button on Prime's back. Optimus Prime also has 4 running lights on the top of his chest. There is a bright yellow-orange 5mm LED inside Prime's gun, and then 3 more blue LEDs inside the Matrix of Leadership. The electronics for the Matrix of Leadership are independently contained inside the matrix, with a push button and power supply all inside. The LEDs for the other components are wired to a chamber in Prime's back. The on/off switch and batteries are easily accessible. The on/off switches are under Prime's armpits.

DISPLAY BASE :

I'm very happy with Optimus Prime's display base. It measures 18" in diameter, and 5½" tall. It is trimmed in chromed aluminum and has a glass surface. under the glass, recessed is a routed Autobot symbol, trimmed in metallic Silver. The display base contains a 16" diameter white neon ring (inside, under class) and a 18" ice blue neon ring around the outside perimeter. A simple flick of a switch, and it lights up an entire room...and the custom.

PAINT WORK :

I wanted to of course give Prime the traditional Red/Blue/Silver paint scheme, but - put a more realistic twist on it. I added subtle wear and tear to every edge of his body. I also added subtle blemishes throughout, because I believe - no giant warrior robot should ever have a perfect paint job. After he was constructed, I filled in any imperfections with a plastic epoxy, then primed , sanded - starting with a medium grit, working my way up to a fine grit and wet-sand. Once that was all to my liking, I coated Prime with base coated of Polyurethanes and Lacquer paints (via Air brush) then did details with enamels and acrylics.

EXTRA GOODIES :

Prime's chest opens to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. The Matrix chamber was crafted to house the Matrix snug, I used a 1/2" rare earth magnet system, so the Matrix snaps perfectly into place. Prime's gun was built using PVC piping. His smoke stacks are from large markers. The pin/grommet things on the sides of his knee caps are from mini-Lego man heads. Each hand has 10 points of articulation.

Now, before you jump on my case and ask "Who do frenzyrumble think he is calling this piece epic?!?!?" - This custom Optimus Prime is for the one and only Cliffy B (formally of Epic Games) (catch the name play?)

Optimus Prime is non-transforming, and nearly completely scratch-build. Using a variety of styrene sheeting, molding compounds, epoxies and a variety of other materials...Optimus Prime stands a stunning 28 inches tall (that's 71.12 cm to you guys way over there) Prime weighs in at approximately 16 pounds (7.3 kg)

Optimus Prime is loaded with Easter eggs, details, LEDs and articulation.

ARTICULATION :

Epic Prime has articulation similar to MP-01 Optimus Prime. His head is on a ball joint, shoulders slide in and out to allow maximum articulation, shoulders are ratcheting joints, upper arms swivel, elbows articulated, wrists on ball joints and swivel, each hand has articulated fingers (hinged) and a ball jointed thumb. Also, Prime's waist is articulated, upper hips ratcheting joints, upper legs swivel at hips, knees are double jointed (like MP-01) knee is on swivel joint, and finally (breath) feet are on double ball joints. His chest also hinges open to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. Finally, his skirt panels on his waist are hinged to allow more poseability on his legs.

ELECTRONICS :

Prime has a nest of wires in him. Starting up top, he has 2 5mm Blue LEDs for each eye (optical sensor) He also has one additional blue LED that illuminates in sync with the voice chip. His voice chip says classic phrases like "Autobots! Transform and Roll out!", "All we need is a little energon...and a lot of luck", "Megatron must be stopped!", "I want you to make a special run to Autobot City" These voice prompts are triggered through a push button on Prime's back. Optimus Prime also has 4 running lights on the top of his chest. There is a bright yellow-orange 5mm LED inside Prime's gun, and then 3 more blue LEDs inside the Matrix of Leadership. The electronics for the Matrix of Leadership are independently contained inside the matrix, with a push button and power supply all inside. The LEDs for the other components are wired to a chamber in Prime's back. The on/off switch and batteries are easily accessible. The on/off switches are under Prime's armpits.

DISPLAY BASE :

I'm very happy with Optimus Prime's display base. It measures 18" in diameter, and 5½" tall. It is trimmed in chromed aluminum and has a glass surface. under the glass, recessed is a routed Autobot symbol, trimmed in metallic Silver. The display base contains a 16" diameter white neon ring (inside, under class) and a 18" ice blue neon ring around the outside perimeter. A simple flick of a switch, and it lights up an entire room...and the custom.

PAINT WORK :

I wanted to of course give Prime the traditional Red/Blue/Silver paint scheme, but - put a more realistic twist on it. I added subtle wear and tear to every edge of his body. I also added subtle blemishes throughout, because I believe - no giant warrior robot should ever have a perfect paint job. After he was constructed, I filled in any imperfections with a plastic epoxy, then primed , sanded - starting with a medium grit, working my way up to a fine grit and wet-sand. Once that was all to my liking, I coated Prime with base coated of Polyurethanes and Lacquer paints (via Air brush) then did details with enamels and acrylics.

EXTRA GOODIES :

Prime's chest opens to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. The Matrix chamber was crafted to house the Matrix snug, I used a 1/2" rare earth magnet system, so the Matrix snaps perfectly into place. Prime's gun was built using PVC piping. His smoke stacks are from large markers. The pin/grommet things on the sides of his knee caps are from mini-Lego man heads. Each hand has 10 points of articulation.

Now, before you jump on my case and ask "Who do frenzyrumble think he is calling this piece epic?!?!?" - This custom Optimus Prime is for the one and only Cliffy B (formally of Epic Games) (catch the name play?)

Optimus Prime is non-transforming, and nearly completely scratch-build. Using a variety of styrene sheeting, molding compounds, epoxies and a variety of other materials...Optimus Prime stands a stunning 28 inches tall (that's 71.12 cm to you guys way over there) Prime weighs in at approximately 16 pounds (7.3 kg)

Optimus Prime is loaded with Easter eggs, details, LEDs and articulation.

ARTICULATION :

Epic Prime has articulation similar to MP-01 Optimus Prime. His head is on a ball joint, shoulders slide in and out to allow maximum articulation, shoulders are ratcheting joints, upper arms swivel, elbows articulated, wrists on ball joints and swivel, each hand has articulated fingers (hinged) and a ball jointed thumb. Also, Prime's waist is articulated, upper hips ratcheting joints, upper legs swivel at hips, knees are double jointed (like MP-01) knee is on swivel joint, and finally (breath) feet are on double ball joints. His chest also hinges open to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. Finally, his skirt panels on his waist are hinged to allow more poseability on his legs.

ELECTRONICS :

Prime has a nest of wires in him. Starting up top, he has 2 5mm Blue LEDs for each eye (optical sensor) He also has one additional blue LED that illuminates in sync with the voice chip. His voice chip says classic phrases like "Autobots! Transform and Roll out!", "All we need is a little energon...and a lot of luck", "Megatron must be stopped!", "I want you to make a special run to Autobot City" These voice prompts are triggered through a push button on Prime's back. Optimus Prime also has 4 running lights on the top of his chest. There is a bright yellow-orange 5mm LED inside Prime's gun, and then 3 more blue LEDs inside the Matrix of Leadership. The electronics for the Matrix of Leadership are independently contained inside the matrix, with a push button and power supply all inside. The LEDs for the other components are wired to a chamber in Prime's back. The on/off switch and batteries are easily accessible. The on/off switches are under Prime's armpits.

DISPLAY BASE :

I'm very happy with Optimus Prime's display base. It measures 18" in diameter, and 5½" tall. It is trimmed in chromed aluminum and has a glass surface. under the glass, recessed is a routed Autobot symbol, trimmed in metallic Silver. The display base contains a 16" diameter white neon ring (inside, under class) and a 18" ice blue neon ring around the outside perimeter. A simple flick of a switch, and it lights up an entire room...and the custom.

PAINT WORK :

I wanted to of course give Prime the traditional Red/Blue/Silver paint scheme, but - put a more realistic twist on it. I added subtle wear and tear to every edge of his body. I also added subtle blemishes throughout, because I believe - no giant warrior robot should ever have a perfect paint job. After he was constructed, I filled in any imperfections with a plastic epoxy, then primed , sanded - starting with a medium grit, working my way up to a fine grit and wet-sand. Once that was all to my liking, I coated Prime with base coated of Polyurethanes and Lacquer paints (via Air brush) then did details with enamels and acrylics.

EXTRA GOODIES :

Prime's chest opens to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. The Matrix chamber was crafted to house the Matrix snug, I used a 1/2" rare earth magnet system, so the Matrix snaps perfectly into place. Prime's gun was built using PVC piping. His smoke stacks are from large markers. The pin/grommet things on the sides of his knee caps are from mini-Lego man heads. Each hand has 10 points of articulation.

Now, before you jump on my case and ask "Who do frenzyrumble think he is calling this piece epic?!?!?" - This custom Optimus Prime is for the one and only Cliffy B (formally of Epic Games) (catch the name play?)

Optimus Prime is non-transforming, and nearly completely scratch-build. Using a variety of styrene sheeting, molding compounds, epoxies and a variety of other materials...Optimus Prime stands a stunning 28 inches tall (that's 71.12 cm to you guys way over there) Prime weighs in at approximately 16 pounds (7.3 kg)

Optimus Prime is loaded with Easter eggs, details, LEDs and articulation.

ARTICULATION :

Epic Prime has articulation similar to MP-01 Optimus Prime. His head is on a ball joint, shoulders slide in and out to allow maximum articulation, shoulders are ratcheting joints, upper arms swivel, elbows articulated, wrists on ball joints and swivel, each hand has articulated fingers (hinged) and a ball jointed thumb. Also, Prime's waist is articulated, upper hips ratcheting joints, upper legs swivel at hips, knees are double jointed (like MP-01) knee is on swivel joint, and finally (breath) feet are on double ball joints. His chest also hinges open to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. Finally, his skirt panels on his waist are hinged to allow more poseability on his legs.

ELECTRONICS :

Prime has a nest of wires in him. Starting up top, he has 2 5mm Blue LEDs for each eye (optical sensor) He also has one additional blue LED that illuminates in sync with the voice chip. His voice chip says classic phrases like "Autobots! Transform and Roll out!", "All we need is a little energon...and a lot of luck", "Megatron must be stopped!", "I want you to make a special run to Autobot City" These voice prompts are triggered through a push button on Prime's back. Optimus Prime also has 4 running lights on the top of his chest. There is a bright yellow-orange 5mm LED inside Prime's gun, and then 3 more blue LEDs inside the Matrix of Leadership. The electronics for the Matrix of Leadership are independently contained inside the matrix, with a push button and power supply all inside. The LEDs for the other components are wired to a chamber in Prime's back. The on/off switch and batteries are easily accessible. The on/off switches are under Prime's armpits.

DISPLAY BASE :

I'm very happy with Optimus Prime's display base. It measures 18" in diameter, and 5½" tall. It is trimmed in chromed aluminum and has a glass surface. under the glass, recessed is a routed Autobot symbol, trimmed in metallic Silver. The display base contains a 16" diameter white neon ring (inside, under class) and a 18" ice blue neon ring around the outside perimeter. A simple flick of a switch, and it lights up an entire room...and the custom.

PAINT WORK :

I wanted to of course give Prime the traditional Red/Blue/Silver paint scheme, but - put a more realistic twist on it. I added subtle wear and tear to every edge of his body. I also added subtle blemishes throughout, because I believe - no giant warrior robot should ever have a perfect paint job. After he was constructed, I filled in any imperfections with a plastic epoxy, then primed , sanded - starting with a medium grit, working my way up to a fine grit and wet-sand. Once that was all to my liking, I coated Prime with base coated of Polyurethanes and Lacquer paints (via Air brush) then did details with enamels and acrylics.

EXTRA GOODIES :

Prime's chest opens to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. The Matrix chamber was crafted to house the Matrix snug, I used a 1/2" rare earth magnet system, so the Matrix snaps perfectly into place. Prime's gun was built using PVC piping. His smoke stacks are from large markers. The pin/grommet things on the sides of his knee caps are from mini-Lego man heads. Each hand has 10 points of articulation.

Now, before you jump on my case and ask "Who do frenzyrumble think he is calling this piece epic?!?!?" - This custom Optimus Prime is for the one and only Cliffy B (formally of Epic Games) (catch the name play?)

Optimus Prime is non-transforming, and nearly completely scratch-build. Using a variety of styrene sheeting, molding compounds, epoxies and a variety of other materials...Optimus Prime stands a stunning 28 inches tall (that's 71.12 cm to you guys way over there) Prime weighs in at approximately 16 pounds (7.3 kg)

Optimus Prime is loaded with Easter eggs, details, LEDs and articulation.

ARTICULATION :

Epic Prime has articulation similar to MP-01 Optimus Prime. His head is on a ball joint, shoulders slide in and out to allow maximum articulation, shoulders are ratcheting joints, upper arms swivel, elbows articulated, wrists on ball joints and swivel, each hand has articulated fingers (hinged) and a ball jointed thumb. Also, Prime's waist is articulated, upper hips ratcheting joints, upper legs swivel at hips, knees are double jointed (like MP-01) knee is on swivel joint, and finally (breath) feet are on double ball joints. His chest also hinges open to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. Finally, his skirt panels on his waist are hinged to allow more poseability on his legs.

ELECTRONICS :

Prime has a nest of wires in him. Starting up top, he has 2 5mm Blue LEDs for each eye (optical sensor) He also has one additional blue LED that illuminates in sync with the voice chip. His voice chip says classic phrases like "Autobots! Transform and Roll out!", "All we need is a little energon...and a lot of luck", "Megatron must be stopped!", "I want you to make a special run to Autobot City" These voice prompts are triggered through a push button on Prime's back. Optimus Prime also has 4 running lights on the top of his chest. There is a bright yellow-orange 5mm LED inside Prime's gun, and then 3 more blue LEDs inside the Matrix of Leadership. The electronics for the Matrix of Leadership are independently contained inside the matrix, with a push button and power supply all inside. The LEDs for the other components are wired to a chamber in Prime's back. The on/off switch and batteries are easily accessible. The on/off switches are under Prime's armpits.

DISPLAY BASE :

I'm very happy with Optimus Prime's display base. It measures 18" in diameter, and 5½" tall. It is trimmed in chromed aluminum and has a glass surface. under the glass, recessed is a routed Autobot symbol, trimmed in metallic Silver. The display base contains a 16" diameter white neon ring (inside, under class) and a 18" ice blue neon ring around the outside perimeter. A simple flick of a switch, and it lights up an entire room...and the custom.

PAINT WORK :

I wanted to of course give Prime the traditional Red/Blue/Silver paint scheme, but - put a more realistic twist on it. I added subtle wear and tear to every edge of his body. I also added subtle blemishes throughout, because I believe - no giant warrior robot should ever have a perfect paint job. After he was constructed, I filled in any imperfections with a plastic epoxy, then primed , sanded - starting with a medium grit, working my way up to a fine grit and wet-sand. Once that was all to my liking, I coated Prime with base coated of Polyurethanes and Lacquer paints (via Air brush) then did details with enamels and acrylics.

EXTRA GOODIES :

Prime's chest opens to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. The Matrix chamber was crafted to house the Matrix snug, I used a 1/2" rare earth magnet system, so the Matrix snaps perfectly into place. Prime's gun was built using PVC piping. His smoke stacks are from large markers. The pin/grommet things on the sides of his knee caps are from mini-Lego man heads. Each hand has 10 points of articulation.

Now, before you jump on my case and ask "Who do frenzyrumble think he is calling this piece epic?!?!?" - This custom Optimus Prime is for the one and only Cliffy B (formally of Epic Games) (catch the name play?)

Optimus Prime is non-transforming, and nearly completely scratch-build. Using a variety of styrene sheeting, molding compounds, epoxies and a variety of other materials...Optimus Prime stands a stunning 28 inches tall (that's 71.12 cm to you guys way over there) Prime weighs in at approximately 16 pounds (7.3 kg)

Optimus Prime is loaded with Easter eggs, details, LEDs and articulation.

ARTICULATION :

Epic Prime has articulation similar to MP-01 Optimus Prime. His head is on a ball joint, shoulders slide in and out to allow maximum articulation, shoulders are ratcheting joints, upper arms swivel, elbows articulated, wrists on ball joints and swivel, each hand has articulated fingers (hinged) and a ball jointed thumb. Also, Prime's waist is articulated, upper hips ratcheting joints, upper legs swivel at hips, knees are double jointed (like MP-01) knee is on swivel joint, and finally (breath) feet are on double ball joints. His chest also hinges open to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. Finally, his skirt panels on his waist are hinged to allow more poseability on his legs.

ELECTRONICS :

Prime has a nest of wires in him. Starting up top, he has 2 5mm Blue LEDs for each eye (optical sensor) He also has one additional blue LED that illuminates in sync with the voice chip. His voice chip says classic phrases like "Autobots! Transform and Roll out!", "All we need is a little energon...and a lot of luck", "Megatron must be stopped!", "I want you to make a special run to Autobot City" These voice prompts are triggered through a push button on Prime's back. Optimus Prime also has 4 running lights on the top of his chest. There is a bright yellow-orange 5mm LED inside Prime's gun, and then 3 more blue LEDs inside the Matrix of Leadership. The electronics for the Matrix of Leadership are independently contained inside the matrix, with a push button and power supply all inside. The LEDs for the other components are wired to a chamber in Prime's back. The on/off switch and batteries are easily accessible. The on/off switches are under Prime's armpits.

DISPLAY BASE :

I'm very happy with Optimus Prime's display base. It measures 18" in diameter, and 5½" tall. It is trimmed in chromed aluminum and has a glass surface. under the glass, recessed is a routed Autobot symbol, trimmed in metallic Silver. The display base contains a 16" diameter white neon ring (inside, under class) and a 18" ice blue neon ring around the outside perimeter. A simple flick of a switch, and it lights up an entire room...and the custom.

PAINT WORK :

I wanted to of course give Prime the traditional Red/Blue/Silver paint scheme, but - put a more realistic twist on it. I added subtle wear and tear to every edge of his body. I also added subtle blemishes throughout, because I believe - no giant warrior robot should ever have a perfect paint job. After he was constructed, I filled in any imperfections with a plastic epoxy, then primed , sanded - starting with a medium grit, working my way up to a fine grit and wet-sand. Once that was all to my liking, I coated Prime with base coated of Polyurethanes and Lacquer paints (via Air brush) then did details with enamels and acrylics.

EXTRA GOODIES :

Prime's chest opens to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. The Matrix chamber was crafted to house the Matrix snug, I used a 1/2" rare earth magnet system, so the Matrix snaps perfectly into place. Prime's gun was built using PVC piping. His smoke stacks are from large markers. The pin/grommet things on the sides of his knee caps are from mini-Lego man heads. Each hand has 10 points of articulation.

Now, before you jump on my case and ask "Who do frenzyrumble think he is calling this piece epic?!?!?" - This custom Optimus Prime is for the one and only Cliffy B (formally of Epic Games) (catch the name play?)

Optimus Prime is non-transforming, and nearly completely scratch-build. Using a variety of styrene sheeting, molding compounds, epoxies and a variety of other materials...Optimus Prime stands a stunning 28 inches tall (that's 71.12 cm to you guys way over there) Prime weighs in at approximately 16 pounds (7.3 kg)

Optimus Prime is loaded with Easter eggs, details, LEDs and articulation.

ARTICULATION :

Epic Prime has articulation similar to MP-01 Optimus Prime. His head is on a ball joint, shoulders slide in and out to allow maximum articulation, shoulders are ratcheting joints, upper arms swivel, elbows articulated, wrists on ball joints and swivel, each hand has articulated fingers (hinged) and a ball jointed thumb. Also, Prime's waist is articulated, upper hips ratcheting joints, upper legs swivel at hips, knees are double jointed (like MP-01) knee is on swivel joint, and finally (breath) feet are on double ball joints. His chest also hinges open to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. Finally, his skirt panels on his waist are hinged to allow more poseability on his legs.

ELECTRONICS :

Prime has a nest of wires in him. Starting up top, he has 2 5mm Blue LEDs for each eye (optical sensor) He also has one additional blue LED that illuminates in sync with the voice chip. His voice chip says classic phrases like "Autobots! Transform and Roll out!", "All we need is a little energon...and a lot of luck", "Megatron must be stopped!", "I want you to make a special run to Autobot City" These voice prompts are triggered through a push button on Prime's back. Optimus Prime also has 4 running lights on the top of his chest. There is a bright yellow-orange 5mm LED inside Prime's gun, and then 3 more blue LEDs inside the Matrix of Leadership. The electronics for the Matrix of Leadership are independently contained inside the matrix, with a push button and power supply all inside. The LEDs for the other components are wired to a chamber in Prime's back. The on/off switch and batteries are easily accessible. The on/off switches are under Prime's armpits.

DISPLAY BASE :

I'm very happy with Optimus Prime's display base. It measures 18" in diameter, and 5½" tall. It is trimmed in chromed aluminum and has a glass surface. under the glass, recessed is a routed Autobot symbol, trimmed in metallic Silver. The display base contains a 16" diameter white neon ring (inside, under class) and a 18" ice blue neon ring around the outside perimeter. A simple flick of a switch, and it lights up an entire room...and the custom.

PAINT WORK :

I wanted to of course give Prime the traditional Red/Blue/Silver paint scheme, but - put a more realistic twist on it. I added subtle wear and tear to every edge of his body. I also added subtle blemishes throughout, because I believe - no giant warrior robot should ever have a perfect paint job. After he was constructed, I filled in any imperfections with a plastic epoxy, then primed , sanded - starting with a medium grit, working my way up to a fine grit and wet-sand. Once that was all to my liking, I coated Prime with base coated of Polyurethanes and Lacquer paints (via Air brush) then did details with enamels and acrylics.

EXTRA GOODIES :

Prime's chest opens to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. The Matrix chamber was crafted to house the Matrix snug, I used a 1/2" rare earth magnet system, so the Matrix snaps perfectly into place. Prime's gun was built using PVC piping. His smoke stacks are from large markers. The pin/grommet things on the sides of his knee caps are from mini-Lego man heads. Each hand has 10 points of articulation.

Now, before you jump on my case and ask "Who do frenzyrumble think he is calling this piece epic?!?!?" - This custom Optimus Prime is for the one and only Cliffy B (formally of Epic Games) (catch the name play?)

Optimus Prime is non-transforming, and nearly completely scratch-build. Using a variety of styrene sheeting, molding compounds, epoxies and a variety of other materials...Optimus Prime stands a stunning 28 inches tall (that's 71.12 cm to you guys way over there) Prime weighs in at approximately 16 pounds (7.3 kg)

Optimus Prime is loaded with Easter eggs, details, LEDs and articulation.

ARTICULATION :

Epic Prime has articulation similar to MP-01 Optimus Prime. His head is on a ball joint, shoulders slide in and out to allow maximum articulation, shoulders are ratcheting joints, upper arms swivel, elbows articulated, wrists on ball joints and swivel, each hand has articulated fingers (hinged) and a ball jointed thumb. Also, Prime's waist is articulated, upper hips ratcheting joints, upper legs swivel at hips, knees are double jointed (like MP-01) knee is on swivel joint, and finally (breath) feet are on double ball joints. His chest also hinges open to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. Finally, his skirt panels on his waist are hinged to allow more poseability on his legs.

ELECTRONICS :

Prime has a nest of wires in him. Starting up top, he has 2 5mm Blue LEDs for each eye (optical sensor) He also has one additional blue LED that illuminates in sync with the voice chip. His voice chip says classic phrases like "Autobots! Transform and Roll out!", "All we need is a little energon...and a lot of luck", "Megatron must be stopped!", "I want you to make a special run to Autobot City" These voice prompts are triggered through a push button on Prime's back. Optimus Prime also has 4 running lights on the top of his chest. There is a bright yellow-orange 5mm LED inside Prime's gun, and then 3 more blue LEDs inside the Matrix of Leadership. The electronics for the Matrix of Leadership are independently contained inside the matrix, with a push button and power supply all inside. The LEDs for the other components are wired to a chamber in Prime's back. The on/off switch and batteries are easily accessible. The on/off switches are under Prime's armpits.

DISPLAY BASE :

I'm very happy with Optimus Prime's display base. It measures 18" in diameter, and 5½" tall. It is trimmed in chromed aluminum and has a glass surface. under the glass, recessed is a routed Autobot symbol, trimmed in metallic Silver. The display base contains a 16" diameter white neon ring (inside, under class) and a 18" ice blue neon ring around the outside perimeter. A simple flick of a switch, and it lights up an entire room...and the custom.

PAINT WORK :

I wanted to of course give Prime the traditional Red/Blue/Silver paint scheme, but - put a more realistic twist on it. I added subtle wear and tear to every edge of his body. I also added subtle blemishes throughout, because I believe - no giant warrior robot should ever have a perfect paint job. After he was constructed, I filled in any imperfections with a plastic epoxy, then primed , sanded - starting with a medium grit, working my way up to a fine grit and wet-sand. Once that was all to my liking, I coated Prime with base coated of Polyurethanes and Lacquer paints (via Air brush) then did details with enamels and acrylics.

EXTRA GOODIES :

Prime's chest opens to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. The Matrix chamber was crafted to house the Matrix snug, I used a 1/2" rare earth magnet system, so the Matrix snaps perfectly into place. Prime's gun was built using PVC piping. His smoke stacks are from large markers. The pin/grommet things on the sides of his knee caps are from mini-Lego man heads. Each hand has 10 points of articulation.

Now, before you jump on my case and ask "Who do frenzyrumble think he is calling this piece epic?!?!?" - This custom Optimus Prime is for the one and only Cliffy B (formally of Epic Games) (catch the name play?)

Optimus Prime is non-transforming, and nearly completely scratch-build. Using a variety of styrene sheeting, molding compounds, epoxies and a variety of other materials...Optimus Prime stands a stunning 28 inches tall (that's 71.12 cm to you guys way over there) Prime weighs in at approximately 16 pounds (7.3 kg)

Optimus Prime is loaded with Easter eggs, details, LEDs and articulation.

ARTICULATION :

Epic Prime has articulation similar to MP-01 Optimus Prime. His head is on a ball joint, shoulders slide in and out to allow maximum articulation, shoulders are ratcheting joints, upper arms swivel, elbows articulated, wrists on ball joints and swivel, each hand has articulated fingers (hinged) and a ball jointed thumb. Also, Prime's waist is articulated, upper hips ratcheting joints, upper legs swivel at hips, knees are double jointed (like MP-01) knee is on swivel joint, and finally (breath) feet are on double ball joints. His chest also hinges open to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. Finally, his skirt panels on his waist are hinged to allow more poseability on his legs.

ELECTRONICS :

Prime has a nest of wires in him. Starting up top, he has 2 5mm Blue LEDs for each eye (optical sensor) He also has one additional blue LED that illuminates in sync with the voice chip. His voice chip says classic phrases like "Autobots! Transform and Roll out!", "All we need is a little energon...and a lot of luck", "Megatron must be stopped!", "I want you to make a special run to Autobot City" These voice prompts are triggered through a push button on Prime's back. Optimus Prime also has 4 running lights on the top of his chest. There is a bright yellow-orange 5mm LED inside Prime's gun, and then 3 more blue LEDs inside the Matrix of Leadership. The electronics for the Matrix of Leadership are independently contained inside the matrix, with a push button and power supply all inside. The LEDs for the other components are wired to a chamber in Prime's back. The on/off switch and batteries are easily accessible. The on/off switches are under Prime's armpits.

DISPLAY BASE :

I'm very happy with Optimus Prime's display base. It measures 18" in diameter, and 5½" tall. It is trimmed in chromed aluminum and has a glass surface. under the glass, recessed is a routed Autobot symbol, trimmed in metallic Silver. The display base contains a 16" diameter white neon ring (inside, under class) and a 18" ice blue neon ring around the outside perimeter. A simple flick of a switch, and it lights up an entire room...and the custom.

PAINT WORK :

I wanted to of course give Prime the traditional Red/Blue/Silver paint scheme, but - put a more realistic twist on it. I added subtle wear and tear to every edge of his body. I also added subtle blemishes throughout, because I believe - no giant warrior robot should ever have a perfect paint job. After he was constructed, I filled in any imperfections with a plastic epoxy, then primed , sanded - starting with a medium grit, working my way up to a fine grit and wet-sand. Once that was all to my liking, I coated Prime with base coated of Polyurethanes and Lacquer paints (via Air brush) then did details with enamels and acrylics.

EXTRA GOODIES :

Prime's chest opens to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. The Matrix chamber was crafted to house the Matrix snug, I used a 1/2" rare earth magnet system, so the Matrix snaps perfectly into place. Prime's gun was built using PVC piping. His smoke stacks are from large markers. The pin/grommet things on the sides of his knee caps are from mini-Lego man heads. Each hand has 10 points of articulation.

Now, before you jump on my case and ask "Who do frenzyrumble think he is calling this piece epic?!?!?" - This custom Optimus Prime is for the one and only Cliffy B (formally of Epic Games) (catch the name play?)

Optimus Prime is non-transforming, and nearly completely scratch-build. Using a variety of styrene sheeting, molding compounds, epoxies and a variety of other materials...Optimus Prime stands a stunning 28 inches tall (that's 71.12 cm to you guys way over there) Prime weighs in at approximately 16 pounds (7.3 kg)

Optimus Prime is loaded with Easter eggs, details, LEDs and articulation.

ARTICULATION :

Epic Prime has articulation similar to MP-01 Optimus Prime. His head is on a ball joint, shoulders slide in and out to allow maximum articulation, shoulders are ratcheting joints, upper arms swivel, elbows articulated, wrists on ball joints and swivel, each hand has articulated fingers (hinged) and a ball jointed thumb. Also, Prime's waist is articulated, upper hips ratcheting joints, upper legs swivel at hips, knees are double jointed (like MP-01) knee is on swivel joint, and finally (breath) feet are on double ball joints. His chest also hinges open to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. Finally, his skirt panels on his waist are hinged to allow more poseability on his legs.

ELECTRONICS :

Prime has a nest of wires in him. Starting up top, he has 2 5mm Blue LEDs for each eye (optical sensor) He also has one additional blue LED that illuminates in sync with the voice chip. His voice chip says classic phrases like "Autobots! Transform and Roll out!", "All we need is a little energon...and a lot of luck", "Megatron must be stopped!", "I want you to make a special run to Autobot City" These voice prompts are triggered through a push button on Prime's back. Optimus Prime also has 4 running lights on the top of his chest. There is a bright yellow-orange 5mm LED inside Prime's gun, and then 3 more blue LEDs inside the Matrix of Leadership. The electronics for the Matrix of Leadership are independently contained inside the matrix, with a push button and power supply all inside. The LEDs for the other components are wired to a chamber in Prime's back. The on/off switch and batteries are easily accessible. The on/off switches are under Prime's armpits.

DISPLAY BASE :

I'm very happy with Optimus Prime's display base. It measures 18" in diameter, and 5½" tall. It is trimmed in chromed aluminum and has a glass surface. under the glass, recessed is a routed Autobot symbol, trimmed in metallic Silver. The display base contains a 16" diameter white neon ring (inside, under class) and a 18" ice blue neon ring around the outside perimeter. A simple flick of a switch, and it lights up an entire room...and the custom.

PAINT WORK :

I wanted to of course give Prime the traditional Red/Blue/Silver paint scheme, but - put a more realistic twist on it. I added subtle wear and tear to every edge of his body. I also added subtle blemishes throughout, because I believe - no giant warrior robot should ever have a perfect paint job. After he was constructed, I filled in any imperfections with a plastic epoxy, then primed , sanded - starting with a medium grit, working my way up to a fine grit and wet-sand. Once that was all to my liking, I coated Prime with base coated of Polyurethanes and Lacquer paints (via Air brush) then did details with enamels and acrylics.

EXTRA GOODIES :

Prime's chest opens to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. The Matrix chamber was crafted to house the Matrix snug, I used a 1/2" rare earth magnet system, so the Matrix snaps perfectly into place. Prime's gun was built using PVC piping. His smoke stacks are from large markers. The pin/grommet things on the sides of his knee caps are from mini-Lego man heads. Each hand has 10 points of articulation.

Now, before you jump on my case and ask "Who do frenzyrumble think he is calling this piece epic?!?!?" - This custom Optimus Prime is for the one and only Cliffy B (formally of Epic Games) (catch the name play?)

Optimus Prime is non-transforming, and nearly completely scratch-build. Using a variety of styrene sheeting, molding compounds, epoxies and a variety of other materials...Optimus Prime stands a stunning 28 inches tall (that's 71.12 cm to you guys way over there) Prime weighs in at approximately 16 pounds (7.3 kg)

Optimus Prime is loaded with Easter eggs, details, LEDs and articulation.

ARTICULATION :

Epic Prime has articulation similar to MP-01 Optimus Prime. His head is on a ball joint, shoulders slide in and out to allow maximum articulation, shoulders are ratcheting joints, upper arms swivel, elbows articulated, wrists on ball joints and swivel, each hand has articulated fingers (hinged) and a ball jointed thumb. Also, Prime's waist is articulated, upper hips ratcheting joints, upper legs swivel at hips, knees are double jointed (like MP-01) knee is on swivel joint, and finally (breath) feet are on double ball joints. His chest also hinges open to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. Finally, his skirt panels on his waist are hinged to allow more poseability on his legs.

ELECTRONICS :

Prime has a nest of wires in him. Starting up top, he has 2 5mm Blue LEDs for each eye (optical sensor) He also has one additional blue LED that illuminates in sync with the voice chip. His voice chip says classic phrases like "Autobots! Transform and Roll out!", "All we need is a little energon...and a lot of luck", "Megatron must be stopped!", "I want you to make a special run to Autobot City" These voice prompts are triggered through a push button on Prime's back. Optimus Prime also has 4 running lights on the top of his chest. There is a bright yellow-orange 5mm LED inside Prime's gun, and then 3 more blue LEDs inside the Matrix of Leadership. The electronics for the Matrix of Leadership are independently contained inside the matrix, with a push button and power supply all inside. The LEDs for the other components are wired to a chamber in Prime's back. The on/off switch and batteries are easily accessible. The on/off switches are under Prime's armpits.

DISPLAY BASE :

I'm very happy with Optimus Prime's display base. It measures 18" in diameter, and 5½" tall. It is trimmed in chromed aluminum and has a glass surface. under the glass, recessed is a routed Autobot symbol, trimmed in metallic Silver. The display base contains a 16" diameter white neon ring (inside, under class) and a 18" ice blue neon ring around the outside perimeter. A simple flick of a switch, and it lights up an entire room...and the custom.

PAINT WORK :

I wanted to of course give Prime the traditional Red/Blue/Silver paint scheme, but - put a more realistic twist on it. I added subtle wear and tear to every edge of his body. I also added subtle blemishes throughout, because I believe - no giant warrior robot should ever have a perfect paint job. After he was constructed, I filled in any imperfections with a plastic epoxy, then primed , sanded - starting with a medium grit, working my way up to a fine grit and wet-sand. Once that was all to my liking, I coated Prime with base coated of Polyurethanes and Lacquer paints (via Air brush) then did details with enamels and acrylics.

EXTRA GOODIES :

Prime's chest opens to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. The Matrix chamber was crafted to house the Matrix snug, I used a 1/2" rare earth magnet system, so the Matrix snaps perfectly into place. Prime's gun was built using PVC piping. His smoke stacks are from large markers. The pin/grommet things on the sides of his knee caps are from mini-Lego man heads. Each hand has 10 points of articulation.

Now, before you jump on my case and ask "Who do frenzyrumble think he is calling this piece epic?!?!?" - This custom Optimus Prime is for the one and only Cliffy B (formally of Epic Games) (catch the name play?)

Optimus Prime is non-transforming, and nearly completely scratch-build. Using a variety of styrene sheeting, molding compounds, epoxies and a variety of other materials...Optimus Prime stands a stunning 28 inches tall (that's 71.12 cm to you guys way over there) Prime weighs in at approximately 16 pounds (7.3 kg)

Optimus Prime is loaded with Easter eggs, details, LEDs and articulation.

ARTICULATION :

Epic Prime has articulation similar to MP-01 Optimus Prime. His head is on a ball joint, shoulders slide in and out to allow maximum articulation, shoulders are ratcheting joints, upper arms swivel, elbows articulated, wrists on ball joints and swivel, each hand has articulated fingers (hinged) and a ball jointed thumb. Also, Prime's waist is articulated, upper hips ratcheting joints, upper legs swivel at hips, knees are double jointed (like MP-01) knee is on swivel joint, and finally (breath) feet are on double ball joints. His chest also hinges open to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. Finally, his skirt panels on his waist are hinged to allow more poseability on his legs.

ELECTRONICS :

Prime has a nest of wires in him. Starting up top, he has 2 5mm Blue LEDs for each eye (optical sensor) He also has one additional blue LED that illuminates in sync with the voice chip. His voice chip says classic phrases like "Autobots! Transform and Roll out!", "All we need is a little energon...and a lot of luck", "Megatron must be stopped!", "I want you to make a special run to Autobot City" These voice prompts are triggered through a push button on Prime's back. Optimus Prime also has 4 running lights on the top of his chest. There is a bright yellow-orange 5mm LED inside Prime's gun, and then 3 more blue LEDs inside the Matrix of Leadership. The electronics for the Matrix of Leadership are independently contained inside the matrix, with a push button and power supply all inside. The LEDs for the other components are wired to a chamber in Prime's back. The on/off switch and batteries are easily accessible. The on/off switches are under Prime's armpits.

DISPLAY BASE :

I'm very happy with Optimus Prime's display base. It measures 18" in diameter, and 5½" tall. It is trimmed in chromed aluminum and has a glass surface. under the glass, recessed is a routed Autobot symbol, trimmed in metallic Silver. The display base contains a 16" diameter white neon ring (inside, under class) and a 18" ice blue neon ring around the outside perimeter. A simple flick of a switch, and it lights up an entire room...and the custom.

PAINT WORK :

I wanted to of course give Prime the traditional Red/Blue/Silver paint scheme, but - put a more realistic twist on it. I added subtle wear and tear to every edge of his body. I also added subtle blemishes throughout, because I believe - no giant warrior robot should ever have a perfect paint job. After he was constructed, I filled in any imperfections with a plastic epoxy, then primed , sanded - starting with a medium grit, working my way up to a fine grit and wet-sand. Once that was all to my liking, I coated Prime with base coated of Polyurethanes and Lacquer paints (via Air brush) then did details with enamels and acrylics.

EXTRA GOODIES :

Prime's chest opens to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. The Matrix chamber was crafted to house the Matrix snug, I used a 1/2" rare earth magnet system, so the Matrix snaps perfectly into place. Prime's gun was built using PVC piping. His smoke stacks are from large markers. The pin/grommet things on the sides of his knee caps are from mini-Lego man heads. Each hand has 10 points of articulation.

Now, before you jump on my case and ask "Who do frenzyrumble think he is calling this piece epic?!?!?" - This custom Optimus Prime is for the one and only Cliffy B (formally of Epic Games) (catch the name play?)

Optimus Prime is non-transforming, and nearly completely scratch-build. Using a variety of styrene sheeting, molding compounds, epoxies and a variety of other materials...Optimus Prime stands a stunning 28 inches tall (that's 71.12 cm to you guys way over there) Prime weighs in at approximately 16 pounds (7.3 kg)

Optimus Prime is loaded with Easter eggs, details, LEDs and articulation.

ARTICULATION :

Epic Prime has articulation similar to MP-01 Optimus Prime. His head is on a ball joint, shoulders slide in and out to allow maximum articulation, shoulders are ratcheting joints, upper arms swivel, elbows articulated, wrists on ball joints and swivel, each hand has articulated fingers (hinged) and a ball jointed thumb. Also, Prime's waist is articulated, upper hips ratcheting joints, upper legs swivel at hips, knees are double jointed (like MP-01) knee is on swivel joint, and finally (breath) feet are on double ball joints. His chest also hinges open to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. Finally, his skirt panels on his waist are hinged to allow more poseability on his legs.

ELECTRONICS :

Prime has a nest of wires in him. Starting up top, he has 2 5mm Blue LEDs for each eye (optical sensor) He also has one additional blue LED that illuminates in sync with the voice chip. His voice chip says classic phrases like "Autobots! Transform and Roll out!", "All we need is a little energon...and a lot of luck", "Megatron must be stopped!", "I want you to make a special run to Autobot City" These voice prompts are triggered through a push button on Prime's back. Optimus Prime also has 4 running lights on the top of his chest. There is a bright yellow-orange 5mm LED inside Prime's gun, and then 3 more blue LEDs inside the Matrix of Leadership. The electronics for the Matrix of Leadership are independently contained inside the matrix, with a push button and power supply all inside. The LEDs for the other components are wired to a chamber in Prime's back. The on/off switch and batteries are easily accessible. The on/off switches are under Prime's armpits.

DISPLAY BASE :

I'm very happy with Optimus Prime's display base. It measures 18" in diameter, and 5½" tall. It is trimmed in chromed aluminum and has a glass surface. under the glass, recessed is a routed Autobot symbol, trimmed in metallic Silver. The display base contains a 16" diameter white neon ring (inside, under class) and a 18" ice blue neon ring around the outside perimeter. A simple flick of a switch, and it lights up an entire room...and the custom.

PAINT WORK :

I wanted to of course give Prime the traditional Red/Blue/Silver paint scheme, but - put a more realistic twist on it. I added subtle wear and tear to every edge of his body. I also added subtle blemishes throughout, because I believe - no giant warrior robot should ever have a perfect paint job. After he was constructed, I filled in any imperfections with a plastic epoxy, then primed , sanded - starting with a medium grit, working my way up to a fine grit and wet-sand. Once that was all to my liking, I coated Prime with base coated of Polyurethanes and Lacquer paints (via Air brush) then did details with enamels and acrylics.

EXTRA GOODIES :

Prime's chest opens to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. The Matrix chamber was crafted to house the Matrix snug, I used a 1/2" rare earth magnet system, so the Matrix snaps perfectly into place. Prime's gun was built using PVC piping. His smoke stacks are from large markers. The pin/grommet things on the sides of his knee caps are from mini-Lego man heads. Each hand has 10 points of articulation.

Now, before you jump on my case and ask "Who do frenzyrumble think he is calling this piece epic?!?!?" - This custom Optimus Prime is for the one and only Cliffy B (formally of Epic Games) (catch the name play?)

Optimus Prime is non-transforming, and nearly completely scratch-build. Using a variety of styrene sheeting, molding compounds, epoxies and a variety of other materials...Optimus Prime stands a stunning 28 inches tall (that's 71.12 cm to you guys way over there) Prime weighs in at approximately 16 pounds (7.3 kg)

Optimus Prime is loaded with Easter eggs, details, LEDs and articulation.

ARTICULATION :

Epic Prime has articulation similar to MP-01 Optimus Prime. His head is on a ball joint, shoulders slide in and out to allow maximum articulation, shoulders are ratcheting joints, upper arms swivel, elbows articulated, wrists on ball joints and swivel, each hand has articulated fingers (hinged) and a ball jointed thumb. Also, Prime's waist is articulated, upper hips ratcheting joints, upper legs swivel at hips, knees are double jointed (like MP-01) knee is on swivel joint, and finally (breath) feet are on double ball joints. His chest also hinges open to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. Finally, his skirt panels on his waist are hinged to allow more poseability on his legs.

ELECTRONICS :

Prime has a nest of wires in him. Starting up top, he has 2 5mm Blue LEDs for each eye (optical sensor) He also has one additional blue LED that illuminates in sync with the voice chip. His voice chip says classic phrases like "Autobots! Transform and Roll out!", "All we need is a little energon...and a lot of luck", "Megatron must be stopped!", "I want you to make a special run to Autobot City" These voice prompts are triggered through a push button on Prime's back. Optimus Prime also has 4 running lights on the top of his chest. There is a bright yellow-orange 5mm LED inside Prime's gun, and then 3 more blue LEDs inside the Matrix of Leadership. The electronics for the Matrix of Leadership are independently contained inside the matrix, with a push button and power supply all inside. The LEDs for the other components are wired to a chamber in Prime's back. The on/off switch and batteries are easily accessible. The on/off switches are under Prime's armpits.

DISPLAY BASE :

I'm very happy with Optimus Prime's display base. It measures 18" in diameter, and 5½" tall. It is trimmed in chromed aluminum and has a glass surface. under the glass, recessed is a routed Autobot symbol, trimmed in metallic Silver. The display base contains a 16" diameter white neon ring (inside, under class) and a 18" ice blue neon ring around the outside perimeter. A simple flick of a switch, and it lights up an entire room...and the custom.

PAINT WORK :

I wanted to of course give Prime the traditional Red/Blue/Silver paint scheme, but - put a more realistic twist on it. I added subtle wear and tear to every edge of his body. I also added subtle blemishes throughout, because I believe - no giant warrior robot should ever have a perfect paint job. After he was constructed, I filled in any imperfections with a plastic epoxy, then primed , sanded - starting with a medium grit, working my way up to a fine grit and wet-sand. Once that was all to my liking, I coated Prime with base coated of Polyurethanes and Lacquer paints (via Air brush) then did details with enamels and acrylics.

EXTRA GOODIES :

Prime's chest opens to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. The Matrix chamber was crafted to house the Matrix snug, I used a 1/2" rare earth magnet system, so the Matrix snaps perfectly into place. Prime's gun was built using PVC piping. His smoke stacks are from large markers. The pin/grommet things on the sides of his knee caps are from mini-Lego man heads. Each hand has 10 points of articulation.

Now, before you jump on my case and ask "Who do frenzyrumble think he is calling this piece epic?!?!?" - This custom Optimus Prime is for the one and only Cliffy B (formally of Epic Games) (catch the name play?)

Optimus Prime is non-transforming, and nearly completely scratch-build. Using a variety of styrene sheeting, molding compounds, epoxies and a variety of other materials...Optimus Prime stands a stunning 28 inches tall (that's 71.12 cm to you guys way over there) Prime weighs in at approximately 16 pounds (7.3 kg)

Optimus Prime is loaded with Easter eggs, details, LEDs and articulation.

ARTICULATION :

Epic Prime has articulation similar to MP-01 Optimus Prime. His head is on a ball joint, shoulders slide in and out to allow maximum articulation, shoulders are ratcheting joints, upper arms swivel, elbows articulated, wrists on ball joints and swivel, each hand has articulated fingers (hinged) and a ball jointed thumb. Also, Prime's waist is articulated, upper hips ratcheting joints, upper legs swivel at hips, knees are double jointed (like MP-01) knee is on swivel joint, and finally (breath) feet are on double ball joints. His chest also hinges open to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. Finally, his skirt panels on his waist are hinged to allow more poseability on his legs.

ELECTRONICS :

Prime has a nest of wires in him. Starting up top, he has 2 5mm Blue LEDs for each eye (optical sensor) He also has one additional blue LED that illuminates in sync with the voice chip. His voice chip says classic phrases like "Autobots! Transform and Roll out!", "All we need is a little energon...and a lot of luck", "Megatron must be stopped!", "I want you to make a special run to Autobot City" These voice prompts are triggered through a push button on Prime's back. Optimus Prime also has 4 running lights on the top of his chest. There is a bright yellow-orange 5mm LED inside Prime's gun, and then 3 more blue LEDs inside the Matrix of Leadership. The electronics for the Matrix of Leadership are independently contained inside the matrix, with a push button and power supply all inside. The LEDs for the other components are wired to a chamber in Prime's back. The on/off switch and batteries are easily accessible. The on/off switches are under Prime's armpits.

DISPLAY BASE :

I'm very happy with Optimus Prime's display base. It measures 18" in diameter, and 5½" tall. It is trimmed in chromed aluminum and has a glass surface. under the glass, recessed is a routed Autobot symbol, trimmed in metallic Silver. The display base contains a 16" diameter white neon ring (inside, under class) and a 18" ice blue neon ring around the outside perimeter. A simple flick of a switch, and it lights up an entire room...and the custom.

PAINT WORK :

I wanted to of course give Prime the traditional Red/Blue/Silver paint scheme, but - put a more realistic twist on it. I added subtle wear and tear to every edge of his body. I also added subtle blemishes throughout, because I believe - no giant warrior robot should ever have a perfect paint job. After he was constructed, I filled in any imperfections with a plastic epoxy, then primed , sanded - starting with a medium grit, working my way up to a fine grit and wet-sand. Once that was all to my liking, I coated Prime with base coated of Polyurethanes and Lacquer paints (via Air brush) then did details with enamels and acrylics.

EXTRA GOODIES :

Prime's chest opens to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. The Matrix chamber was crafted to house the Matrix snug, I used a 1/2" rare earth magnet system, so the Matrix snaps perfectly into place. Prime's gun was built using PVC piping. His smoke stacks are from large markers. The pin/grommet things on the sides of his knee caps are from mini-Lego man heads. Each hand has 10 points of articulation.

Now, before you jump on my case and ask "Who do frenzyrumble think he is calling this piece epic?!?!?" - This custom Optimus Prime is for the one and only Cliffy B (formally of Epic Games) (catch the name play?)

Optimus Prime is non-transforming, and nearly completely scratch-build. Using a variety of styrene sheeting, molding compounds, epoxies and a variety of other materials...Optimus Prime stands a stunning 28 inches tall (that's 71.12 cm to you guys way over there) Prime weighs in at approximately 16 pounds (7.3 kg)

Optimus Prime is loaded with Easter eggs, details, LEDs and articulation.

ARTICULATION :

Epic Prime has articulation similar to MP-01 Optimus Prime. His head is on a ball joint, shoulders slide in and out to allow maximum articulation, shoulders are ratcheting joints, upper arms swivel, elbows articulated, wrists on ball joints and swivel, each hand has articulated fingers (hinged) and a ball jointed thumb. Also, Prime's waist is articulated, upper hips ratcheting joints, upper legs swivel at hips, knees are double jointed (like MP-01) knee is on swivel joint, and finally (breath) feet are on double ball joints. His chest also hinges open to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. Finally, his skirt panels on his waist are hinged to allow more poseability on his legs.

ELECTRONICS :

Prime has a nest of wires in him. Starting up top, he has 2 5mm Blue LEDs for each eye (optical sensor) He also has one additional blue LED that illuminates in sync with the voice chip. His voice chip says classic phrases like "Autobots! Transform and Roll out!", "All we need is a little energon...and a lot of luck", "Megatron must be stopped!", "I want you to make a special run to Autobot City" These voice prompts are triggered through a push button on Prime's back. Optimus Prime also has 4 running lights on the top of his chest. There is a bright yellow-orange 5mm LED inside Prime's gun, and then 3 more blue LEDs inside the Matrix of Leadership. The electronics for the Matrix of Leadership are independently contained inside the matrix, with a push button and power supply all inside. The LEDs for the other components are wired to a chamber in Prime's back. The on/off switch and batteries are easily accessible. The on/off switches are under Prime's armpits.

DISPLAY BASE :

I'm very happy with Optimus Prime's display base. It measures 18" in diameter, and 5½" tall. It is trimmed in chromed aluminum and has a glass surface. under the glass, recessed is a routed Autobot symbol, trimmed in metallic Silver. The display base contains a 16" diameter white neon ring (inside, under class) and a 18" ice blue neon ring around the outside perimeter. A simple flick of a switch, and it lights up an entire room...and the custom.

PAINT WORK :

I wanted to of course give Prime the traditional Red/Blue/Silver paint scheme, but - put a more realistic twist on it. I added subtle wear and tear to every edge of his body. I also added subtle blemishes throughout, because I believe - no giant warrior robot should ever have a perfect paint job. After he was constructed, I filled in any imperfections with a plastic epoxy, then primed , sanded - starting with a medium grit, working my way up to a fine grit and wet-sand. Once that was all to my liking, I coated Prime with base coated of Polyurethanes and Lacquer paints (via Air brush) then did details with enamels and acrylics.

EXTRA GOODIES :

Prime's chest opens to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. The Matrix chamber was crafted to house the Matrix snug, I used a 1/2" rare earth magnet system, so the Matrix snaps perfectly into place. Prime's gun was built using PVC piping. His smoke stacks are from large markers. The pin/grommet things on the sides of his knee caps are from mini-Lego man heads. Each hand has 10 points of articulation.

Now, before you jump on my case and ask "Who do frenzyrumble think he is calling this piece epic?!?!?" - This custom Optimus Prime is for the one and only Cliffy B (formally of Epic Games) (catch the name play?)

Optimus Prime is non-transforming, and nearly completely scratch-build. Using a variety of styrene sheeting, molding compounds, epoxies and a variety of other materials...Optimus Prime stands a stunning 28 inches tall (that's 71.12 cm to you guys way over there) Prime weighs in at approximately 16 pounds (7.3 kg)

Optimus Prime is loaded with Easter eggs, details, LEDs and articulation.

ARTICULATION :

Epic Prime has articulation similar to MP-01 Optimus Prime. His head is on a ball joint, shoulders slide in and out to allow maximum articulation, shoulders are ratcheting joints, upper arms swivel, elbows articulated, wrists on ball joints and swivel, each hand has articulated fingers (hinged) and a ball jointed thumb. Also, Prime's waist is articulated, upper hips ratcheting joints, upper legs swivel at hips, knees are double jointed (like MP-01) knee is on swivel joint, and finally (breath) feet are on double ball joints. His chest also hinges open to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. Finally, his skirt panels on his waist are hinged to allow more poseability on his legs.

ELECTRONICS :

Prime has a nest of wires in him. Starting up top, he has 2 5mm Blue LEDs for each eye (optical sensor) He also has one additional blue LED that illuminates in sync with the voice chip. His voice chip says classic phrases like "Autobots! Transform and Roll out!", "All we need is a little energon...and a lot of luck", "Megatron must be stopped!", "I want you to make a special run to Autobot City" These voice prompts are triggered through a push button on Prime's back. Optimus Prime also has 4 running lights on the top of his chest. There is a bright yellow-orange 5mm LED inside Prime's gun, and then 3 more blue LEDs inside the Matrix of Leadership. The electronics for the Matrix of Leadership are independently contained inside the matrix, with a push button and power supply all inside. The LEDs for the other components are wired to a chamber in Prime's back. The on/off switch and batteries are easily accessible. The on/off switches are under Prime's armpits.

DISPLAY BASE :

I'm very happy with Optimus Prime's display base. It measures 18" in diameter, and 5½" tall. It is trimmed in chromed aluminum and has a glass surface. under the glass, recessed is a routed Autobot symbol, trimmed in metallic Silver. The display base contains a 16" diameter white neon ring (inside, under class) and a 18" ice blue neon ring around the outside perimeter. A simple flick of a switch, and it lights up an entire room...and the custom.

PAINT WORK :

I wanted to of course give Prime the traditional Red/Blue/Silver paint scheme, but - put a more realistic twist on it. I added subtle wear and tear to every edge of his body. I also added subtle blemishes throughout, because I believe - no giant warrior robot should ever have a perfect paint job. After he was constructed, I filled in any imperfections with a plastic epoxy, then primed , sanded - starting with a medium grit, working my way up to a fine grit and wet-sand. Once that was all to my liking, I coated Prime with base coated of Polyurethanes and Lacquer paints (via Air brush) then did details with enamels and acrylics.

EXTRA GOODIES :

Prime's chest opens to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. The Matrix chamber was crafted to house the Matrix snug, I used a 1/2" rare earth magnet system, so the Matrix snaps perfectly into place. Prime's gun was built using PVC piping. His smoke stacks are from large markers. The pin/grommet things on the sides of his knee caps are from mini-Lego man heads. Each hand has 10 points of articulation.

Now, before you jump on my case and ask "Who do frenzyrumble think he is calling this piece epic?!?!?" - This custom Optimus Prime is for the one and only Cliffy B (formally of Epic Games) (catch the name play?)

Optimus Prime is non-transforming, and nearly completely scratch-build. Using a variety of styrene sheeting, molding compounds, epoxies and a variety of other materials...Optimus Prime stands a stunning 28 inches tall (that's 71.12 cm to you guys way over there) Prime weighs in at approximately 16 pounds (7.3 kg)

Optimus Prime is loaded with Easter eggs, details, LEDs and articulation.

ARTICULATION :

Epic Prime has articulation similar to MP-01 Optimus Prime. His head is on a ball joint, shoulders slide in and out to allow maximum articulation, shoulders are ratcheting joints, upper arms swivel, elbows articulated, wrists on ball joints and swivel, each hand has articulated fingers (hinged) and a ball jointed thumb. Also, Prime's waist is articulated, upper hips ratcheting joints, upper legs swivel at hips, knees are double jointed (like MP-01) knee is on swivel joint, and finally (breath) feet are on double ball joints. His chest also hinges open to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. Finally, his skirt panels on his waist are hinged to allow more poseability on his legs.

ELECTRONICS :

Prime has a nest of wires in him. Starting up top, he has 2 5mm Blue LEDs for each eye (optical sensor) He also has one additional blue LED that illuminates in sync with the voice chip. His voice chip says classic phrases like "Autobots! Transform and Roll out!", "All we need is a little energon...and a lot of luck", "Megatron must be stopped!", "I want you to make a special run to Autobot City" These voice prompts are triggered through a push button on Prime's back. Optimus Prime also has 4 running lights on the top of his chest. There is a bright yellow-orange 5mm LED inside Prime's gun, and then 3 more blue LEDs inside the Matrix of Leadership. The electronics for the Matrix of Leadership are independently contained inside the matrix, with a push button and power supply all inside. The LEDs for the other components are wired to a chamber in Prime's back. The on/off switch and batteries are easily accessible. The on/off switches are under Prime's armpits.

DISPLAY BASE :

I'm very happy with Optimus Prime's display base. It measures 18" in diameter, and 5½" tall. It is trimmed in chromed aluminum and has a glass surface. under the glass, recessed is a routed Autobot symbol, trimmed in metallic Silver. The display base contains a 16" diameter white neon ring (inside, under class) and a 18" ice blue neon ring around the outside perimeter. A simple flick of a switch, and it lights up an entire room...and the custom.

PAINT WORK :

I wanted to of course give Prime the traditional Red/Blue/Silver paint scheme, but - put a more realistic twist on it. I added subtle wear and tear to every edge of his body. I also added subtle blemishes throughout, because I believe - no giant warrior robot should ever have a perfect paint job. After he was constructed, I filled in any imperfections with a plastic epoxy, then primed , sanded - starting with a medium grit, working my way up to a fine grit and wet-sand. Once that was all to my liking, I coated Prime with base coated of Polyurethanes and Lacquer paints (via Air brush) then did details with enamels and acrylics.

EXTRA GOODIES :

Prime's chest opens to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. The Matrix chamber was crafted to house the Matrix snug, I used a 1/2" rare earth magnet system, so the Matrix snaps perfectly into place. Prime's gun was built using PVC piping. His smoke stacks are from large markers. The pin/grommet things on the sides of his knee caps are from mini-Lego man heads. Each hand has 10 points of articulation.

Now, before you jump on my case and ask "Who do frenzyrumble think he is calling this piece epic?!?!?" - This custom Optimus Prime is for the one and only Cliffy B (formally of Epic Games) (catch the name play?)

Optimus Prime is non-transforming, and nearly completely scratch-build. Using a variety of styrene sheeting, molding compounds, epoxies and a variety of other materials...Optimus Prime stands a stunning 28 inches tall (that's 71.12 cm to you guys way over there) Prime weighs in at approximately 16 pounds (7.3 kg)

Optimus Prime is loaded with Easter eggs, details, LEDs and articulation.

ARTICULATION :

Epic Prime has articulation similar to MP-01 Optimus Prime. His head is on a ball joint, shoulders slide in and out to allow maximum articulation, shoulders are ratcheting joints, upper arms swivel, elbows articulated, wrists on ball joints and swivel, each hand has articulated fingers (hinged) and a ball jointed thumb. Also, Prime's waist is articulated, upper hips ratcheting joints, upper legs swivel at hips, knees are double jointed (like MP-01) knee is on swivel joint, and finally (breath) feet are on double ball joints. His chest also hinges open to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. Finally, his skirt panels on his waist are hinged to allow more poseability on his legs.

ELECTRONICS :

Prime has a nest of wires in him. Starting up top, he has 2 5mm Blue LEDs for each eye (optical sensor) He also has one additional blue LED that illuminates in sync with the voice chip. His voice chip says classic phrases like "Autobots! Transform and Roll out!", "All we need is a little energon...and a lot of luck", "Megatron must be stopped!", "I want you to make a special run to Autobot City" These voice prompts are triggered through a push button on Prime's back. Optimus Prime also has 4 running lights on the top of his chest. There is a bright yellow-orange 5mm LED inside Prime's gun, and then 3 more blue LEDs inside the Matrix of Leadership. The electronics for the Matrix of Leadership are independently contained inside the matrix, with a push button and power supply all inside. The LEDs for the other components are wired to a chamber in Prime's back. The on/off switch and batteries are easily accessible. The on/off switches are under Prime's armpits.

DISPLAY BASE :

I'm very happy with Optimus Prime's display base. It measures 18" in diameter, and 5½" tall. It is trimmed in chromed aluminum and has a glass surface. under the glass, recessed is a routed Autobot symbol, trimmed in metallic Silver. The display base contains a 16" diameter white neon ring (inside, under class) and a 18" ice blue neon ring around the outside perimeter. A simple flick of a switch, and it lights up an entire room...and the custom.

PAINT WORK :

I wanted to of course give Prime the traditional Red/Blue/Silver paint scheme, but - put a more realistic twist on it. I added subtle wear and tear to every edge of his body. I also added subtle blemishes throughout, because I believe - no giant warrior robot should ever have a perfect paint job. After he was constructed, I filled in any imperfections with a plastic epoxy, then primed , sanded - starting with a medium grit, working my way up to a fine grit and wet-sand. Once that was all to my liking, I coated Prime with base coated of Polyurethanes and Lacquer paints (via Air brush) then did details with enamels and acrylics.

EXTRA GOODIES :

Prime's chest opens to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. The Matrix chamber was crafted to house the Matrix snug, I used a 1/2" rare earth magnet system, so the Matrix snaps perfectly into place. Prime's gun was built using PVC piping. His smoke stacks are from large markers. The pin/grommet things on the sides of his knee caps are from mini-Lego man heads. Each hand has 10 points of articulation.

Now, before you jump on my case and ask "Who do frenzyrumble think he is calling this piece epic?!?!?" - This custom Optimus Prime is for the one and only Cliffy B (formally of Epic Games) (catch the name play?)

Optimus Prime is non-transforming, and nearly completely scratch-build. Using a variety of styrene sheeting, molding compounds, epoxies and a variety of other materials...Optimus Prime stands a stunning 28 inches tall (that's 71.12 cm to you guys way over there) Prime weighs in at approximately 16 pounds (7.3 kg)

Optimus Prime is loaded with Easter eggs, details, LEDs and articulation.

ARTICULATION :

Epic Prime has articulation similar to MP-01 Optimus Prime. His head is on a ball joint, shoulders slide in and out to allow maximum articulation, shoulders are ratcheting joints, upper arms swivel, elbows articulated, wrists on ball joints and swivel, each hand has articulated fingers (hinged) and a ball jointed thumb. Also, Prime's waist is articulated, upper hips ratcheting joints, upper legs swivel at hips, knees are double jointed (like MP-01) knee is on swivel joint, and finally (breath) feet are on double ball joints. His chest also hinges open to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. Finally, his skirt panels on his waist are hinged to allow more poseability on his legs.

ELECTRONICS :

Prime has a nest of wires in him. Starting up top, he has 2 5mm Blue LEDs for each eye (optical sensor) He also has one additional blue LED that illuminates in sync with the voice chip. His voice chip says classic phrases like "Autobots! Transform and Roll out!", "All we need is a little energon...and a lot of luck", "Megatron must be stopped!", "I want you to make a special run to Autobot City" These voice prompts are triggered through a push button on Prime's back. Optimus Prime also has 4 running lights on the top of his chest. There is a bright yellow-orange 5mm LED inside Prime's gun, and then 3 more blue LEDs inside the Matrix of Leadership. The electronics for the Matrix of Leadership are independently contained inside the matrix, with a push button and power supply all inside. The LEDs for the other components are wired to a chamber in Prime's back. The on/off switch and batteries are easily accessible. The on/off switches are under Prime's armpits.

DISPLAY BASE :

I'm very happy with Optimus Prime's display base. It measures 18" in diameter, and 5½" tall. It is trimmed in chromed aluminum and has a glass surface. under the glass, recessed is a routed Autobot symbol, trimmed in metallic Silver. The display base contains a 16" diameter white neon ring (inside, under class) and a 18" ice blue neon ring around the outside perimeter. A simple flick of a switch, and it lights up an entire room...and the custom.

PAINT WORK :

I wanted to of course give Prime the traditional Red/Blue/Silver paint scheme, but - put a more realistic twist on it. I added subtle wear and tear to every edge of his body. I also added subtle blemishes throughout, because I believe - no giant warrior robot should ever have a perfect paint job. After he was constructed, I filled in any imperfections with a plastic epoxy, then primed , sanded - starting with a medium grit, working my way up to a fine grit and wet-sand. Once that was all to my liking, I coated Prime with base coated of Polyurethanes and Lacquer paints (via Air brush) then did details with enamels and acrylics.

EXTRA GOODIES :

Prime's chest opens to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. The Matrix chamber was crafted to house the Matrix snug, I used a 1/2" rare earth magnet system, so the Matrix snaps perfectly into place. Prime's gun was built using PVC piping. His smoke stacks are from large markers. The pin/grommet things on the sides of his knee caps are from mini-Lego man heads. Each hand has 10 points of articulation.

Now, before you jump on my case and ask "Who do frenzyrumble think he is calling this piece epic?!?!?" - This custom Optimus Prime is for the one and only Cliffy B (formally of Epic Games) (catch the name play?)

Optimus Prime is non-transforming, and nearly completely scratch-build. Using a variety of styrene sheeting, molding compounds, epoxies and a variety of other materials...Optimus Prime stands a stunning 28 inches tall (that's 71.12 cm to you guys way over there) Prime weighs in at approximately 16 pounds (7.3 kg)

Optimus Prime is loaded with Easter eggs, details, LEDs and articulation.

ARTICULATION :

Epic Prime has articulation similar to MP-01 Optimus Prime. His head is on a ball joint, shoulders slide in and out to allow maximum articulation, shoulders are ratcheting joints, upper arms swivel, elbows articulated, wrists on ball joints and swivel, each hand has articulated fingers (hinged) and a ball jointed thumb. Also, Prime's waist is articulated, upper hips ratcheting joints, upper legs swivel at hips, knees are double jointed (like MP-01) knee is on swivel joint, and finally (breath) feet are on double ball joints. His chest also hinges open to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. Finally, his skirt panels on his waist are hinged to allow more poseability on his legs.

ELECTRONICS :

Prime has a nest of wires in him. Starting up top, he has 2 5mm Blue LEDs for each eye (optical sensor) He also has one additional blue LED that illuminates in sync with the voice chip. His voice chip says classic phrases like "Autobots! Transform and Roll out!", "All we need is a little energon...and a lot of luck", "Megatron must be stopped!", "I want you to make a special run to Autobot City" These voice prompts are triggered through a push button on Prime's back. Optimus Prime also has 4 running lights on the top of his chest. There is a bright yellow-orange 5mm LED inside Prime's gun, and then 3 more blue LEDs inside the Matrix of Leadership. The electronics for the Matrix of Leadership are independently contained inside the matrix, with a push button and power supply all inside. The LEDs for the other components are wired to a chamber in Prime's back. The on/off switch and batteries are easily accessible. The on/off switches are under Prime's armpits.

DISPLAY BASE :

I'm very happy with Optimus Prime's display base. It measures 18" in diameter, and 5½" tall. It is trimmed in chromed aluminum and has a glass surface. under the glass, recessed is a routed Autobot symbol, trimmed in metallic Silver. The display base contains a 16" diameter white neon ring (inside, under class) and a 18" ice blue neon ring around the outside perimeter. A simple flick of a switch, and it lights up an entire room...and the custom.

PAINT WORK :

I wanted to of course give Prime the traditional Red/Blue/Silver paint scheme, but - put a more realistic twist on it. I added subtle wear and tear to every edge of his body. I also added subtle blemishes throughout, because I believe - no giant warrior robot should ever have a perfect paint job. After he was constructed, I filled in any imperfections with a plastic epoxy, then primed , sanded - starting with a medium grit, working my way up to a fine grit and wet-sand. Once that was all to my liking, I coated Prime with base coated of Polyurethanes and Lacquer paints (via Air brush) then did details with enamels and acrylics.

EXTRA GOODIES :

Prime's chest opens to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. The Matrix chamber was crafted to house the Matrix snug, I used a 1/2" rare earth magnet system, so the Matrix snaps perfectly into place. Prime's gun was built using PVC piping. His smoke stacks are from large markers. The pin/grommet things on the sides of his knee caps are from mini-Lego man heads. Each hand has 10 points of articulation.

Now, before you jump on my case and ask "Who do frenzyrumble think he is calling this piece epic?!?!?" - This custom Optimus Prime is for the one and only Cliffy B (formally of Epic Games) (catch the name play?)

Optimus Prime is non-transforming, and nearly completely scratch-build. Using a variety of styrene sheeting, molding compounds, epoxies and a variety of other materials...Optimus Prime stands a stunning 28 inches tall (that's 71.12 cm to you guys way over there) Prime weighs in at approximately 16 pounds (7.3 kg)

Optimus Prime is loaded with Easter eggs, details, LEDs and articulation.

ARTICULATION :

Epic Prime has articulation similar to MP-01 Optimus Prime. His head is on a ball joint, shoulders slide in and out to allow maximum articulation, shoulders are ratcheting joints, upper arms swivel, elbows articulated, wrists on ball joints and swivel, each hand has articulated fingers (hinged) and a ball jointed thumb. Also, Prime's waist is articulated, upper hips ratcheting joints, upper legs swivel at hips, knees are double jointed (like MP-01) knee is on swivel joint, and finally (breath) feet are on double ball joints. His chest also hinges open to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. Finally, his skirt panels on his waist are hinged to allow more poseability on his legs.

ELECTRONICS :

Prime has a nest of wires in him. Starting up top, he has 2 5mm Blue LEDs for each eye (optical sensor) He also has one additional blue LED that illuminates in sync with the voice chip. His voice chip says classic phrases like "Autobots! Transform and Roll out!", "All we need is a little energon...and a lot of luck", "Megatron must be stopped!", "I want you to make a special run to Autobot City" These voice prompts are triggered through a push button on Prime's back. Optimus Prime also has 4 running lights on the top of his chest. There is a bright yellow-orange 5mm LED inside Prime's gun, and then 3 more blue LEDs inside the Matrix of Leadership. The electronics for the Matrix of Leadership are independently contained inside the matrix, with a push button and power supply all inside. The LEDs for the other components are wired to a chamber in Prime's back. The on/off switch and batteries are easily accessible. The on/off switches are under Prime's armpits.

DISPLAY BASE :

I'm very happy with Optimus Prime's display base. It measures 18" in diameter, and 5½" tall. It is trimmed in chromed aluminum and has a glass surface. under the glass, recessed is a routed Autobot symbol, trimmed in metallic Silver. The display base contains a 16" diameter white neon ring (inside, under class) and a 18" ice blue neon ring around the outside perimeter. A simple flick of a switch, and it lights up an entire room...and the custom.

PAINT WORK :

I wanted to of course give Prime the traditional Red/Blue/Silver paint scheme, but - put a more realistic twist on it. I added subtle wear and tear to every edge of his body. I also added subtle blemishes throughout, because I believe - no giant warrior robot should ever have a perfect paint job. After he was constructed, I filled in any imperfections with a plastic epoxy, then primed , sanded - starting with a medium grit, working my way up to a fine grit and wet-sand. Once that was all to my liking, I coated Prime with base coated of Polyurethanes and Lacquer paints (via Air brush) then did details with enamels and acrylics.

EXTRA GOODIES :

Prime's chest opens to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. The Matrix chamber was crafted to house the Matrix snug, I used a 1/2" rare earth magnet system, so the Matrix snaps perfectly into place. Prime's gun was built using PVC piping. His smoke stacks are from large markers. The pin/grommet things on the sides of his knee caps are from mini-Lego man heads. Each hand has 10 points of articulation.

Now, before you jump on my case and ask "Who do frenzyrumble think he is calling this piece epic?!?!?" - This custom Optimus Prime is for the one and only Cliffy B (formally of Epic Games) (catch the name play?)

Optimus Prime is non-transforming, and nearly completely scratch-build. Using a variety of styrene sheeting, molding compounds, epoxies and a variety of other materials...Optimus Prime stands a stunning 28 inches tall (that's 71.12 cm to you guys way over there) Prime weighs in at approximately 16 pounds (7.3 kg)

Optimus Prime is loaded with Easter eggs, details, LEDs and articulation.

ARTICULATION :

Epic Prime has articulation similar to MP-01 Optimus Prime. His head is on a ball joint, shoulders slide in and out to allow maximum articulation, shoulders are ratcheting joints, upper arms swivel, elbows articulated, wrists on ball joints and swivel, each hand has articulated fingers (hinged) and a ball jointed thumb. Also, Prime's waist is articulated, upper hips ratcheting joints, upper legs swivel at hips, knees are double jointed (like MP-01) knee is on swivel joint, and finally (breath) feet are on double ball joints. His chest also hinges open to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. Finally, his skirt panels on his waist are hinged to allow more poseability on his legs.

ELECTRONICS :

Prime has a nest of wires in him. Starting up top, he has 2 5mm Blue LEDs for each eye (optical sensor) He also has one additional blue LED that illuminates in sync with the voice chip. His voice chip says classic phrases like "Autobots! Transform and Roll out!", "All we need is a little energon...and a lot of luck", "Megatron must be stopped!", "I want you to make a special run to Autobot City" These voice prompts are triggered through a push button on Prime's back. Optimus Prime also has 4 running lights on the top of his chest. There is a bright yellow-orange 5mm LED inside Prime's gun, and then 3 more blue LEDs inside the Matrix of Leadership. The electronics for the Matrix of Leadership are independently contained inside the matrix, with a push button and power supply all inside. The LEDs for the other components are wired to a chamber in Prime's back. The on/off switch and batteries are easily accessible. The on/off switches are under Prime's armpits.

DISPLAY BASE :

I'm very happy with Optimus Prime's display base. It measures 18" in diameter, and 5½" tall. It is trimmed in chromed aluminum and has a glass surface. under the glass, recessed is a routed Autobot symbol, trimmed in metallic Silver. The display base contains a 16" diameter white neon ring (inside, under class) and a 18" ice blue neon ring around the outside perimeter. A simple flick of a switch, and it lights up an entire room...and the custom.

PAINT WORK :

I wanted to of course give Prime the traditional Red/Blue/Silver paint scheme, but - put a more realistic twist on it. I added subtle wear and tear to every edge of his body. I also added subtle blemishes throughout, because I believe - no giant warrior robot should ever have a perfect paint job. After he was constructed, I filled in any imperfections with a plastic epoxy, then primed , sanded - starting with a medium grit, working my way up to a fine grit and wet-sand. Once that was all to my liking, I coated Prime with base coated of Polyurethanes and Lacquer paints (via Air brush) then did details with enamels and acrylics.

EXTRA GOODIES :

Prime's chest opens to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. The Matrix chamber was crafted to house the Matrix snug, I used a 1/2" rare earth magnet system, so the Matrix snaps perfectly into place. Prime's gun was built using PVC piping. His smoke stacks are from large markers. The pin/grommet things on the sides of his knee caps are from mini-Lego man heads. Each hand has 10 points of articulation.

Now, before you jump on my case and ask "Who do frenzyrumble think he is calling this piece epic?!?!?" - This custom Optimus Prime is for the one and only Cliffy B (formally of Epic Games) (catch the name play?)

Optimus Prime is non-transforming, and nearly completely scratch-build. Using a variety of styrene sheeting, molding compounds, epoxies and a variety of other materials...Optimus Prime stands a stunning 28 inches tall (that's 71.12 cm to you guys way over there) Prime weighs in at approximately 16 pounds (7.3 kg)

Optimus Prime is loaded with Easter eggs, details, LEDs and articulation.

ARTICULATION :

Epic Prime has articulation similar to MP-01 Optimus Prime. His head is on a ball joint, shoulders slide in and out to allow maximum articulation, shoulders are ratcheting joints, upper arms swivel, elbows articulated, wrists on ball joints and swivel, each hand has articulated fingers (hinged) and a ball jointed thumb. Also, Prime's waist is articulated, upper hips ratcheting joints, upper legs swivel at hips, knees are double jointed (like MP-01) knee is on swivel joint, and finally (breath) feet are on double ball joints. His chest also hinges open to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. Finally, his skirt panels on his waist are hinged to allow more poseability on his legs.

ELECTRONICS :

Prime has a nest of wires in him. Starting up top, he has 2 5mm Blue LEDs for each eye (optical sensor) He also has one additional blue LED that illuminates in sync with the voice chip. His voice chip says classic phrases like "Autobots! Transform and Roll out!", "All we need is a little energon...and a lot of luck", "Megatron must be stopped!", "I want you to make a special run to Autobot City" These voice prompts are triggered through a push button on Prime's back. Optimus Prime also has 4 running lights on the top of his chest. There is a bright yellow-orange 5mm LED inside Prime's gun, and then 3 more blue LEDs inside the Matrix of Leadership. The electronics for the Matrix of Leadership are independently contained inside the matrix, with a push button and power supply all inside. The LEDs for the other components are wired to a chamber in Prime's back. The on/off switch and batteries are easily accessible. The on/off switches are under Prime's armpits.

DISPLAY BASE :

I'm very happy with Optimus Prime's display base. It measures 18" in diameter, and 5½" tall. It is trimmed in chromed aluminum and has a glass surface. under the glass, recessed is a routed Autobot symbol, trimmed in metallic Silver. The display base contains a 16" diameter white neon ring (inside, under class) and a 18" ice blue neon ring around the outside perimeter. A simple flick of a switch, and it lights up an entire room...and the custom.

PAINT WORK :

I wanted to of course give Prime the traditional Red/Blue/Silver paint scheme, but - put a more realistic twist on it. I added subtle wear and tear to every edge of his body. I also added subtle blemishes throughout, because I believe - no giant warrior robot should ever have a perfect paint job. After he was constructed, I filled in any imperfections with a plastic epoxy, then primed , sanded - starting with a medium grit, working my way up to a fine grit and wet-sand. Once that was all to my liking, I coated Prime with base coated of Polyurethanes and Lacquer paints (via Air brush) then did details with enamels and acrylics.

EXTRA GOODIES :

Prime's chest opens to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. The Matrix chamber was crafted to house the Matrix snug, I used a 1/2" rare earth magnet system, so the Matrix snaps perfectly into place. Prime's gun was built using PVC piping. His smoke stacks are from large markers. The pin/grommet things on the sides of his knee caps are from mini-Lego man heads. Each hand has 10 points of articulation.

Now, before you jump on my case and ask "Who do frenzyrumble think he is calling this piece epic?!?!?" - This custom Optimus Prime is for the one and only Cliffy B (formally of Epic Games) (catch the name play?)

Optimus Prime is non-transforming, and nearly completely scratch-build. Using a variety of styrene sheeting, molding compounds, epoxies and a variety of other materials...Optimus Prime stands a stunning 28 inches tall (that's 71.12 cm to you guys way over there) Prime weighs in at approximately 16 pounds (7.3 kg)

Optimus Prime is loaded with Easter eggs, details, LEDs and articulation.

ARTICULATION :

Epic Prime has articulation similar to MP-01 Optimus Prime. His head is on a ball joint, shoulders slide in and out to allow maximum articulation, shoulders are ratcheting joints, upper arms swivel, elbows articulated, wrists on ball joints and swivel, each hand has articulated fingers (hinged) and a ball jointed thumb. Also, Prime's waist is articulated, upper hips ratcheting joints, upper legs swivel at hips, knees are double jointed (like MP-01) knee is on swivel joint, and finally (breath) feet are on double ball joints. His chest also hinges open to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. Finally, his skirt panels on his waist are hinged to allow more poseability on his legs.

ELECTRONICS :

Prime has a nest of wires in him. Starting up top, he has 2 5mm Blue LEDs for each eye (optical sensor) He also has one additional blue LED that illuminates in sync with the voice chip. His voice chip says classic phrases like "Autobots! Transform and Roll out!", "All we need is a little energon...and a lot of luck", "Megatron must be stopped!", "I want you to make a special run to Autobot City" These voice prompts are triggered through a push button on Prime's back. Optimus Prime also has 4 running lights on the top of his chest. There is a bright yellow-orange 5mm LED inside Prime's gun, and then 3 more blue LEDs inside the Matrix of Leadership. The electronics for the Matrix of Leadership are independently contained inside the matrix, with a push button and power supply all inside. The LEDs for the other components are wired to a chamber in Prime's back. The on/off switch and batteries are easily accessible. The on/off switches are under Prime's armpits.

DISPLAY BASE :

I'm very happy with Optimus Prime's display base. It measures 18" in diameter, and 5½" tall. It is trimmed in chromed aluminum and has a glass surface. under the glass, recessed is a routed Autobot symbol, trimmed in metallic Silver. The display base contains a 16" diameter white neon ring (inside, under class) and a 18" ice blue neon ring around the outside perimeter. A simple flick of a switch, and it lights up an entire room...and the custom.

PAINT WORK :

I wanted to of course give Prime the traditional Red/Blue/Silver paint scheme, but - put a more realistic twist on it. I added subtle wear and tear to every edge of his body. I also added subtle blemishes throughout, because I believe - no giant warrior robot should ever have a perfect paint job. After he was constructed, I filled in any imperfections with a plastic epoxy, then primed , sanded - starting with a medium grit, working my way up to a fine grit and wet-sand. Once that was all to my liking, I coated Prime with base coated of Polyurethanes and Lacquer paints (via Air brush) then did details with enamels and acrylics.

EXTRA GOODIES :

Prime's chest opens to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. The Matrix chamber was crafted to house the Matrix snug, I used a 1/2" rare earth magnet system, so the Matrix snaps perfectly into place. Prime's gun was built using PVC piping. His smoke stacks are from large markers. The pin/grommet things on the sides of his knee caps are from mini-Lego man heads. Each hand has 10 points of articulation.

Now, before you jump on my case and ask "Who do frenzyrumble think he is calling this piece epic?!?!?" - This custom Optimus Prime is for the one and only Cliffy B (formally of Epic Games) (catch the name play?)

Optimus Prime is non-transforming, and nearly completely scratch-build. Using a variety of styrene sheeting, molding compounds, epoxies and a variety of other materials...Optimus Prime stands a stunning 28 inches tall (that's 71.12 cm to you guys way over there) Prime weighs in at approximately 16 pounds (7.3 kg)

Optimus Prime is loaded with Easter eggs, details, LEDs and articulation.

ARTICULATION :

Epic Prime has articulation similar to MP-01 Optimus Prime. His head is on a ball joint, shoulders slide in and out to allow maximum articulation, shoulders are ratcheting joints, upper arms swivel, elbows articulated, wrists on ball joints and swivel, each hand has articulated fingers (hinged) and a ball jointed thumb. Also, Prime's waist is articulated, upper hips ratcheting joints, upper legs swivel at hips, knees are double jointed (like MP-01) knee is on swivel joint, and finally (breath) feet are on double ball joints. His chest also hinges open to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. Finally, his skirt panels on his waist are hinged to allow more poseability on his legs.

ELECTRONICS :

Prime has a nest of wires in him. Starting up top, he has 2 5mm Blue LEDs for each eye (optical sensor) He also has one additional blue LED that illuminates in sync with the voice chip. His voice chip says classic phrases like "Autobots! Transform and Roll out!", "All we need is a little energon...and a lot of luck", "Megatron must be stopped!", "I want you to make a special run to Autobot City" These voice prompts are triggered through a push button on Prime's back. Optimus Prime also has 4 running lights on the top of his chest. There is a bright yellow-orange 5mm LED inside Prime's gun, and then 3 more blue LEDs inside the Matrix of Leadership. The electronics for the Matrix of Leadership are independently contained inside the matrix, with a push button and power supply all inside. The LEDs for the other components are wired to a chamber in Prime's back. The on/off switch and batteries are easily accessible. The on/off switches are under Prime's armpits.

DISPLAY BASE :

I'm very happy with Optimus Prime's display base. It measures 18" in diameter, and 5½" tall. It is trimmed in chromed aluminum and has a glass surface. under the glass, recessed is a routed Autobot symbol, trimmed in metallic Silver. The display base contains a 16" diameter white neon ring (inside, under class) and a 18" ice blue neon ring around the outside perimeter. A simple flick of a switch, and it lights up an entire room...and the custom.

PAINT WORK :

I wanted to of course give Prime the traditional Red/Blue/Silver paint scheme, but - put a more realistic twist on it. I added subtle wear and tear to every edge of his body. I also added subtle blemishes throughout, because I believe - no giant warrior robot should ever have a perfect paint job. After he was constructed, I filled in any imperfections with a plastic epoxy, then primed , sanded - starting with a medium grit, working my way up to a fine grit and wet-sand. Once that was all to my liking, I coated Prime with base coated of Polyurethanes and Lacquer paints (via Air brush) then did details with enamels and acrylics.

EXTRA GOODIES :

Prime's chest opens to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. The Matrix chamber was crafted to house the Matrix snug, I used a 1/2" rare earth magnet system, so the Matrix snaps perfectly into place. Prime's gun was built using PVC piping. His smoke stacks are from large markers. The pin/grommet things on the sides of his knee caps are from mini-Lego man heads. Each hand has 10 points of articulation.

Now, before you jump on my case and ask "Who do frenzyrumble think he is calling this piece epic?!?!?" - This custom Optimus Prime is for the one and only Cliffy B (formally of Epic Games) (catch the name play?)

Optimus Prime is non-transforming, and nearly completely scratch-build. Using a variety of styrene sheeting, molding compounds, epoxies and a variety of other materials...Optimus Prime stands a stunning 28 inches tall (that's 71.12 cm to you guys way over there) Prime weighs in at approximately 16 pounds (7.3 kg)

Optimus Prime is loaded with Easter eggs, details, LEDs and articulation.

ARTICULATION :

Epic Prime has articulation similar to MP-01 Optimus Prime. His head is on a ball joint, shoulders slide in and out to allow maximum articulation, shoulders are ratcheting joints, upper arms swivel, elbows articulated, wrists on ball joints and swivel, each hand has articulated fingers (hinged) and a ball jointed thumb. Also, Prime's waist is articulated, upper hips ratcheting joints, upper legs swivel at hips, knees are double jointed (like MP-01) knee is on swivel joint, and finally (breath) feet are on double ball joints. His chest also hinges open to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. Finally, his skirt panels on his waist are hinged to allow more poseability on his legs.

ELECTRONICS :

Prime has a nest of wires in him. Starting up top, he has 2 5mm Blue LEDs for each eye (optical sensor) He also has one additional blue LED that illuminates in sync with the voice chip. His voice chip says classic phrases like "Autobots! Transform and Roll out!", "All we need is a little energon...and a lot of luck", "Megatron must be stopped!", "I want you to make a special run to Autobot City" These voice prompts are triggered through a push button on Prime's back. Optimus Prime also has 4 running lights on the top of his chest. There is a bright yellow-orange 5mm LED inside Prime's gun, and then 3 more blue LEDs inside the Matrix of Leadership. The electronics for the Matrix of Leadership are independently contained inside the matrix, with a push button and power supply all inside. The LEDs for the other components are wired to a chamber in Prime's back. The on/off switch and batteries are easily accessible. The on/off switches are under Prime's armpits.

DISPLAY BASE :

I'm very happy with Optimus Prime's display base. It measures 18" in diameter, and 5½" tall. It is trimmed in chromed aluminum and has a glass surface. under the glass, recessed is a routed Autobot symbol, trimmed in metallic Silver. The display base contains a 16" diameter white neon ring (inside, under class) and a 18" ice blue neon ring around the outside perimeter. A simple flick of a switch, and it lights up an entire room...and the custom.

PAINT WORK :

I wanted to of course give Prime the traditional Red/Blue/Silver paint scheme, but - put a more realistic twist on it. I added subtle wear and tear to every edge of his body. I also added subtle blemishes throughout, because I believe - no giant warrior robot should ever have a perfect paint job. After he was constructed, I filled in any imperfections with a plastic epoxy, then primed , sanded - starting with a medium grit, working my way up to a fine grit and wet-sand. Once that was all to my liking, I coated Prime with base coated of Polyurethanes and Lacquer paints (via Air brush) then did details with enamels and acrylics.

EXTRA GOODIES :

Prime's chest opens to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. The Matrix chamber was crafted to house the Matrix snug, I used a 1/2" rare earth magnet system, so the Matrix snaps perfectly into place. Prime's gun was built using PVC piping. His smoke stacks are from large markers. The pin/grommet things on the sides of his knee caps are from mini-Lego man heads. Each hand has 10 points of articulation.

Now, before you jump on my case and ask "Who do frenzyrumble think he is calling this piece epic?!?!?" - This custom Optimus Prime is for the one and only Cliffy B (formally of Epic Games) (catch the name play?)

Optimus Prime is non-transforming, and nearly completely scratch-build. Using a variety of styrene sheeting, molding compounds, epoxies and a variety of other materials...Optimus Prime stands a stunning 28 inches tall (that's 71.12 cm to you guys way over there) Prime weighs in at approximately 16 pounds (7.3 kg)

Optimus Prime is loaded with Easter eggs, details, LEDs and articulation.

ARTICULATION :

Epic Prime has articulation similar to MP-01 Optimus Prime. His head is on a ball joint, shoulders slide in and out to allow maximum articulation, shoulders are ratcheting joints, upper arms swivel, elbows articulated, wrists on ball joints and swivel, each hand has articulated fingers (hinged) and a ball jointed thumb. Also, Prime's waist is articulated, upper hips ratcheting joints, upper legs swivel at hips, knees are double jointed (like MP-01) knee is on swivel joint, and finally (breath) feet are on double ball joints. His chest also hinges open to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. Finally, his skirt panels on his waist are hinged to allow more poseability on his legs.

ELECTRONICS :

Prime has a nest of wires in him. Starting up top, he has 2 5mm Blue LEDs for each eye (optical sensor) He also has one additional blue LED that illuminates in sync with the voice chip. His voice chip says classic phrases like "Autobots! Transform and Roll out!", "All we need is a little energon...and a lot of luck", "Megatron must be stopped!", "I want you to make a special run to Autobot City" These voice prompts are triggered through a push button on Prime's back. Optimus Prime also has 4 running lights on the top of his chest. There is a bright yellow-orange 5mm LED inside Prime's gun, and then 3 more blue LEDs inside the Matrix of Leadership. The electronics for the Matrix of Leadership are independently contained inside the matrix, with a push button and power supply all inside. The LEDs for the other components are wired to a chamber in Prime's back. The on/off switch and batteries are easily accessible. The on/off switches are under Prime's armpits.

DISPLAY BASE :

I'm very happy with Optimus Prime's display base. It measures 18" in diameter, and 5½" tall. It is trimmed in chromed aluminum and has a glass surface. under the glass, recessed is a routed Autobot symbol, trimmed in metallic Silver. The display base contains a 16" diameter white neon ring (inside, under class) and a 18" ice blue neon ring around the outside perimeter. A simple flick of a switch, and it lights up an entire room...and the custom.

PAINT WORK :

I wanted to of course give Prime the traditional Red/Blue/Silver paint scheme, but - put a more realistic twist on it. I added subtle wear and tear to every edge of his body. I also added subtle blemishes throughout, because I believe - no giant warrior robot should ever have a perfect paint job. After he was constructed, I filled in any imperfections with a plastic epoxy, then primed , sanded - starting with a medium grit, working my way up to a fine grit and wet-sand. Once that was all to my liking, I coated Prime with base coated of Polyurethanes and Lacquer paints (via Air brush) then did details with enamels and acrylics.

EXTRA GOODIES :

Prime's chest opens to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. The Matrix chamber was crafted to house the Matrix snug, I used a 1/2" rare earth magnet system, so the Matrix snaps perfectly into place. Prime's gun was built using PVC piping. His smoke stacks are from large markers. The pin/grommet things on the sides of his knee caps are from mini-Lego man heads. Each hand has 10 points of articulation.

This innovative, motorized and revolving 3-sector turnstile has two sliding doors which automatically close to prevent building access in the event of an alarm. An alarm can be triggered if more than one person is attempting to enter at the same time ("tailgating" in the same turnstile sector), the built-in metal detector alerts that metal or a weapon is present, or a person does not scan or their employee badge or fingerprint to enter.

Metal detection is for entry only. Access control is for entering only, and a free exit (without and ID scan) is assumed, although other checks can be made.

The unique feature for this turnstile is that an alert does not stop the turnstile completely and everyone in it. Instead a sliding door previously concealed closes to prevent the unauthorized user from entering the secured area or part of the building. A voice message through the intercome prompts them to continue walking around back to the entrance side where they got on.

This revolving turnstile is generally for an indoor installation, but a weatherproof ceiling is an option if the turnstile is positioned at the entrance of a building leading to the inside.

Anti-Camouflage

An anti-camouflage camera and software feature determines if a person is presenting their face normally, without hiding the details of their face by a helmet, sun glasses, scarf, etc., and subsequently records and stores their photo according to user settings. This additional record of entry is added-security in the event of a burglary where other security cameras may not have full facial features. If the face is hidden, even partially, then the turnstile does not allow access, even if the person originally activated the turnstile by their ID or biometric scan.

Only-One Person

Sensors in the ceiling of the revolving door’s entry sector, in conjunction with additional software, detect if one or more people are present in that turnstile sector. If more than one person is present, an alarm goes off and exiting from that sector is prevented by the sliding door closing, and those people are then brought back to the original entry side with a voice prompt over the intercome. Sensitivity for this feature can be adjusted.

Bullet proof glass (20 to 21 mm or B2/S P6B laminated glass) is provided for the outside frame and the two sliding doors, and 13 to 14 mm laminated glass (P4A - with thicker glass optional) is installed on each of the 3 turnstile wings.

The two concealed sliding doors open or close accordingly. If the turnstile is activated by a successful ID scan (card or biometric) the turnstile will rotate and the sliding door will be open to allow exit on the secured side of the building. However, if camouflauge attempt is detected or a false ID presented for example, then the door will close for that sector and not allow exiting but will continue to rotate and bring the user back to the original entrance, or non-secured side to exit. Yet another person in transit in one or both of the other compartments may exit through their sector's open door to the secured side.

This motorized revolving turnstile can be integrated with any card or biometric system to operate the turnstile. The scan can be made outside or inside the turnstile depending on the placement and style of reader.

Security checks can be required for building access yet with a high flow capacity and a minimalist, attractive design.

Other Features:

Intercom, Voice Messages

Activation and Direction Lights

Standard AC Dimensions are diameter 1800 mm (71") x H 2292 mm (90")

Backup battery included

Digital display, menu guided setting console

Installation on existing floor (no floor)

Waterproof roof for outdoor to indoor installation

RAL Color (powder coated) or Stainless Steel finish

Passageway: 750 mm (30") x H 2090 mm (82")

24 VDC Electric Motor with reverse free rotation if power failure

Inside Lighting with 12V, 50/60 Hz LED Spots

Emergency escape/manually unlock door locks; automatic/manual passage in both directions

Self-adjusted braking, speed control and accident prevention devices

Product Features