BRICK MECHA INNER FRAME

Assembly Manual // Rev. 201707-11

 reFrame V3 Assembly Manual
MECH WARS 2017
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Mech Wars is a fictional setting that takes place in a future version CONTENTS
of Earth. A natural disaster has devastated the entire planet with
meteors from space impacting on Earth’s surface. The meteors 4 reFrame Anatomy & Overview
themselves offer a new source of crystal power, later known as
Quorus, and the remaining world powers now engage in an arms 6 Explaining the Frame Kit and
and resource race to control Quorus-rich territories. Pre-build Recommendations

It is heavily influenced by Japanese mecha games and anime such 8 BAG 1 Body
as Armored Core, Front Mission, and Gundam and credits most of Waist
its core ideas to these pillars of eastern mecha story and design. Head

10 BAG 2 R. Arm
L. Arm

14 BAG 3 R. Leg
L. Leg

17 Bonus: Alternate Shoulder build

19 Completed reFrame V3

CREATING THE REFRAME

I designed the reFrame mecha skeletal structure back in

2014 as part of the Mech Wars universe. This base structure
would serve as the basis for all Mech Wars associated
builds and was built as a starting point to introduce Mecha
building to new brick builders.

It is designed to be modular in nature, allowing parts

to be interchanged between one Mech Wars model to
another. This latest version is the v3 model, incorporating
a new cockpit design nested inside the torso while still
maintaining the same attachments for all other body parts.

Rev. RV3IM-201707-11
NOT FOR UNAUTHORIZED RESALE OR REDISTRIBUTION
Mech Wars, reFrames, and all associated content
© Lu Sim / Messymaru 2014-2017
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REFRAME V3 Skeletal System

front view back view

SHOULDER
18 WEAPON 18
ATTACHMENT
17 HEAD NECK JOINT SHOULDER 17
EYE UNIT
SCAPULA
16 & 16
BACK WEAPON
ATTACHMENT
15 15
DOUBLE
14 JOINTED 14
TORSO ELBOW
WITH
COCKPIT BACK
13 13

12 FOREARM 12
WAIST PIVOT
HIP JOINT JOINT
11 11
BUTTOCKS
WRIST JOINT
10 10
HAND
9 9
THIGH
REAR THIGH
8 8

7 7
KNEE HAMSTRING
JOINT
6 6

5 5

4 CALF 4
SHIN
3 3
ANKLE
2 JOINT 2

1 FEET 1

ANATOMY EXPLANATION REFRAME FICTIONAL OVERVIEW

One primary goal of the reFrame skeletal system
was to create a highly articulated frame structure
that was lightweight, well-balanced, and had good
proportions while at the same time using the least
amount of parts to achieve these characteristics.
From the initial V1 frame back in late 2014, the
reFrame’s proportions has not changed, keeping
it’s 18 bricks height. Most plated builds based off
the reFrame system go from 20-22+ bricks height.
The reFrame is essentially a mechanical skeletal
framework that was designed to take in Quorus
energy as a power source. Prior to the development
of the reFrame system, massive robot and mech
design that was meant to be for military use
suffered from using up too much energy.
Using energy sources such as nuclear fusion for
war machines had been banned by a global arms
treaty due to a certain nation’s failed mech test
that detonated near a highly populated area.
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CONTENTS OF FRAME KIT
BAG 1
Head + Body + Waist
BAG 2
R. Arm + L. Arm
BAG 3
R. Leg + L. Leg
NOTE:
Some pieces may not be the
same as in the pictures due to
parts availability.
*semi-plated reFrame V3 for design-purposes only
Finished Frame will be a stripped down version of this assembly.
reFrame V3 Assembly Manual
MECH WARS 2017
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BEFORE YOU BUILD
Upon opening your frame kit, you will find 3 labeled bags with the
body parts labeled on each bag. It is highly recommended to only
open the bag of the body parts you’ll be making as there are a lot of
small parts that could easily get lost.
I also personally recommend going through the bags in their
number order as the body assembly is the most complex to build.
This frame kit was designed to be a starting point for your own
Mecha build. I highly encourage modifying the frame to suit your
own build needs.
Some ways you can modify your own reFrame V3 is by changing
up the shoulder assembly to a wider shoulder, modifying the arm
assembly to have different side stud connections, changing the
cockpit hatch cover, having a different waist assembly, etc.
There are numerous ways to go about using the frame and I
encourage and also challenge you to find what works best for you :)
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D E

R L
2

Let’s start by slotting in the 3L bar into the Create two assemblies of this with the 3L bar
bottom axle hole. Slot the 2L red axle into the longer on different sides (left and right).
top along with the Technic Ø10.2 ball socket. *this is where you can attach back weapons later

BODY F
*
G Connect F to the shoulder
socket E by inserting the 3L

ASSEMBLY
E
F black bars into the lower cross
axle holes.
Bag 1 // Head + Torso (cockpit) + Waist
E *connect the head here later

H Attach G assembly to the C

assembly by clipping the bars
STEP 1 TORSO (BACK) SHOULDER SOCKET MOUNT in place. If done properly, it
should be a very snug fit and
A B C while the shoulder sockets can
swivel backwards, you can lock
these in place via plating the
back portion.
G

Take the following parts and with the Lampholder piece in the This will hold the shoulder C

middle, connect the pieces as shown. The sequence has to be socket assembly. Connect it to
correct for the shoulder socket assembly to fit. the back of the cockpit piece.
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STEP 5 TORSO (FRONT) COCKPIT COVER STEP 8 ASSEMBLING THE BODY

A B A B

Connect these parts to form the cockpit cover. Make sure that the 1x2 plate with clips are on top of Attach the front cockpit cover to the clips found Simply socket the waist to the underside of the
the 1x2 with bar handle. Attach arms to bars as shown. on the cockpit and attach the head to the neck. upper body assembly.

STEP 6 WAIST C

A B C

Insert the grey double bush into the middle of the black Cross This will hold the shoulder
Block/Fork 2X2 and pin them together with the 6L cross axle. socket assembly. Connect it to
Connect the two Technic bricks as shown. the back of the cockpit piece.

STEP 7 HEAD

A B Connect as shown. You have

the option of rotating the eye
and “chin” at 45° to give it a
sharper look and have a “dual
eye” feel to it once plated.

The completed body assembly! Simply put a minifig* in the cockpit

*It is recommended to use a dark colored helmet as the minifig helmet will be seen under the head.
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STEP 2 ELBOWS STEP 3 FOREARMS STEP 4 HANDS

ARM
ASSEMBLIES Bag 2 // R. Arm + L. Arm
The elbow construction is made
as a double jointed elbow for
increased articulation.
You can opt to secure the
forearm assembly by adding a
1x3 or 1x4 plate at the bottom
Make a pair of hands using the
bar-clip. Attach the “thumb”
to the t-bar and the other end
to lock everything in place. sockets into the forearm.
I personally prefer studs facing
down for these to avoid the
studs hitting the shoulder.

STEP 5 SHOULDER ATTACH STEP 6 ASSEMBLING THE ARMS

STEP 1 SHOULDERS

A B C

These go on top of the

shoulders where you can mount
D E F attachments to.

Simply connect the shoulders and forearms via the elbow assembly.
Connect the wrist to the forearm by inserting the t-bar wrist into
Simply mirror the assemblies for both shoulders. Make sure the headlight brick is facing up / outward the forearm hand socket. Lastly, connect the shoulder attachments
as this will be where the shoulder weapon attachments will connect to. at the top of the shoulders.
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STEP 2 THIGHS & KNEES

A
A B

LEG
ASSEMBLIES
Bag 3 // R. Leg + L. Leg C D

STEP 1 LOWER LEGS & FEET

A B

E F

studs facing
outward

The thigh assembly is starts from the hip joint with the A assembly serving as the base. Assembly D
The lower legs is joined mostly with the black Technic pin to the Make sure to make a pair of the allows the knee joint to swivel just like a human’s knee joint articulation. The 2x3 plate in E locks in
knee then reinforced from the front and back sides which can be lower legs. the upper thigh and hip with the knee attachment while the F assembly locks it from the back.
easily replaced with whatever plating that suits your build’s design.
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G H

studs facing

SHOULDER
outward

All that’s left is to secure the back with the F And the completed knees. Make sure to have the
assembly and attach the knee joint.

STEP 3 ASSEMBLING THE LEGS

studs facing outward on the corresponding leg.
ALTERNATE BUILD
Bonus section: Instructions only. Parts not included in kit.

With the modular nature of the reFrame design, it can easily have parts swapped out or modified
depending on the build needs of a mech’s design. Here’s just one example of what modification can be
done on the reFrame V3 kit.

This is a wider and lower shoulder design than the one included in the kit.

A B C

Similar to the shoulder build These steps simply reinforce the whole shoulder structure via plate
included in the kit, this alt pieces to make sure that it’s as compact and stable as possible.
Simply connect the lower leg / shin cross axle to the knee joint and the legs are completed. build uses the 10.2 diameter
There are numerous parts here that can be swapped like the red 2L cross axle can be exchanged for a hollow ball joint connected to
3L or 4L and knee “gears” could be added for plating. the mixel ball joint.
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FRAME
D This alternate build also follows
the same sandwich bracket
technique found in the original
ASSEMBLY
Completed reFrame V3
shoulders. This makes sure that
none of the inner pieces in the
shoulder break off and provides
a very solid base for the entire
shoulder.

The same headlight brick

is found here to give the
option for shoulder mounted
accessories or weaponry.

E Simply finish the build by

connecting the brackets and
that’s a finished alternate
shoulder assembly.

Congratulations on finishing your very own
reFrame V3 brick Mecha frame kit!
Now the real building fun begins! Feel free to
modify this frame for your own build purposes
whether you need simple color swapping or you
want to really change the proportions for this
frame.
If you do use the frame and post it publicly, I
would greatly appreciate being credited for it as
this reFrame is a long term passion project for me
(since 2014!) Hope you enjoyed building this and
were able to pick up some techniques or insights
along the way. Leg Godt!
- Lu Sim / Messymaru
Mech Wars, reFrames, and all associated content
© LU SIM / MESSYMARU 2014-2017