This year's California Extreme saw the debut of Starlords, a new arcade cabinet built over many months by our very own Bits to Atoms team! To embark on this journey, Jeremy and Sean enlisted the help of the software developers (and video game historians) at Other Ocean Interactive to code this game from scratch. Follow along this build from game design to cabinet fabrication--the most ambitious Bits to Atoms project yet!
Every week, Adam takes a question from the Tested Premium Member community in the comments section below or on social media (tagged #AskAdamSavage) and answers here. This week, Adam talks about which of his favorite movies he wished he could have worked on and why.
We pass the baton on this TIE Fighter diorama build to Kayte as it's time to build out the scenery around this crashed model. Kayte and Norm experiment with making foam rocks, landscape, and foliage using a variety of materials from our local hobby store. Watch the first part of this project here.
Every week, Adam takes a question from the Tested Premium Member community in the comments section below or on social media (tagged #AskAdamSavage) and answers here. This week, Adam answers the question of what he would rush to save if there was ever a fire in his shop!
This is a project we've wanted to do for a long time: take an off-the-shelf toy like this Hasbro TIE Fighter and modify it to look as if it's crashed onto a planet! Bill and Norm take on the first part of this build by deconstructing this massive toy, grinding pieces off and telling the story of its crash. Watch part two of this project here.
Every week, Adam takes a question from the Tested Premium Member community in the comments section below or on social media (tagged #AskAdamSavage) and answers here. This week, Adam talks about whether he's ever thrown away a cosplay and his solutions for costume storage in the cave!
Time to put together another garage kit! Bill brings a kit featuring a pretty sweet mash-up: baby Groot at 1:1 scale frozen in carbonite. We use this kit as an opportunity to practice some oil washes, as well as install a lighting kit. This was the project that put us in contact with VoodoFX!
Every week, Adam takes a question from the Tested Premium Member community in the comments section below or on social media (tagged #AskAdamSavage) and answers here. This week, Adam talks about the problem of finding a good working stool to use in his shop!
Kayte and Norm work with styrene this week to build out a backdrop for sixth-scale toy photography. Specifically, we're going to making a photo-ready approximation of an Imperial wall from Star Wars for use with a K-2SO figure. Follow along as we cut stencils out by hand and then also experiment with the Cricut vinyl cutter to automate some of the processes!
Every week, Adam takes a question from the Tested Premium Member community in the comments section below or on social media (tagged #AskAdamSavage) and answers here. This week, Adam details his top five science-fiction book recommendations!
The build team is down to three but we finish up assembling LEGO Voltron and put the sub-assemblies together to form one kick-ass 80's robot! Thanks for watching this build--what LEGO set would you like to see us take on next?
LEGO Voltron may have two arms and two legs, but we're quickly finding out that the builds for each of these lions are unique. We show off the differences between the sub-builds before moving onto the fifth and final lion that makes up the torso. And for those of us unfamiliar with Voltron, we talk through the history of this beloved show and other 80s-era cartoons!
LEGO with Friends is back! And the build team gets together to build the newly released LEGO Ideas Voltron set. Sean, Jeremy, Kayte, and Norm each take on the task of assembling a lion, uncovering the ways LEGO designers made this a perfect set for group builds.
Every week, Adam takes a question from the Tested Premium Member community in the comments section below or on social media (tagged #AskAdamSavage) and answers here. This week, Adam talks about his experience collaborating with Weta and Peter Jackson in our recent short film project, and why he still gets starstruck.
Bill and Norm experiment with different kinds of paint washes for model figurines. We examine the differences in application and results between using a water-based acrylic washe and an oil wash for weathering. What kind of paint wash do you use for your projects?
Every week, Adam takes a question from the Tested Premium Member community in the comments section below or on social media (tagged #AskAdamSavage) and answers here. This week, Adam talks about his favorite dishes to cook at home.
A full week of work comes together as we go on set to shoot the short film! Half the team heads to Weta Workshop for early morning creature makeup, while the production crew and Adam go on location to begin filming. There's lot of problem-solving in the moment to get all of our shots, and both Peter Jackson and Richard Taylor visit the set to lend some advice.
Every week, Adam takes a question from the Tested Premium Member community in the comments section below or on social media (tagged #AskAdamSavage) and answers here. This week, Adam answers a great question about the most important tool in his shop that's used the least!
Stunt choreographer and performer Shane Rangi designs the fight sequence and Adam rehearses it for the first time. We also learn about the design of the creature and its video game origins. Just one more day until the film shoot!
Every week, Adam takes a question from the Tested Premium Member community in the comments section below or on social media (tagged #AskAdamSavage) and answers here. This week, Adam answers a question about the tendency to delay working on projects when feeling like you haven't honed your skills to meet the challenge.
