SS Battlestar....attempt II

[Wombat]

So here i am again,different thread but same story as before.A SS Battlestar and my desire to have one of my own one day.I wasn't actually going to post this build till it was pretty much at the detailing side of things but building the armature the other night has got me fully motivated for building again and i really want to share just how cool this particular kit is.A couple of you guy's have known already that i stopped building my other build a while back,infact i haven't done much building of anything for a long time,except for a lil more work on my shuttle and a quick tare down of my Movers to replace the tubing on it.Anyway,this aint about them it's about a badass Battlestar!! LOL

Ok,so the other build got scrubbed from the bench and because of the sale of something it's allowed me to go ahead and purchase the incredible Charles Adams designed Battlestar kit that as most would know,is sold by Jim Key at Custom Replicas.

A little on what got me going this path instead of continuing with what i had been doing.It was really the landing bay set that got me thinking seriously about the kit.I purchased the bays with the intention to use them on my other build and to say these things were just outstanding in there design would be a huge understatment.The way they are designed is incredible,i look at as a 3d jigsaw the way they went together,everything interlocked pretty much.After building them i really was keen on getting the rest and as i mentioned selling something made the timing perfect for going ahead with it.That landing bay kit is the complete kit bar greeblies.So landing bay interiors,electronics and reproduced Probert artwork just finishes the package off.They blew me a way but we'll get to all that when it's time for that side of the build.For now it's time to start at the begining again and which i did the other night after a spanking new armature arrived from the states.

This is another thing i like about the whole design of the package,the armature.After all the crap i went through having my other one done it was fantastic to be able to actually build this up and not have any worry about distortion from welding.Everything either bolts or sleeves together.Anything sleeved with be epoxied in place after final checks.In the case of the bay extension pipes that slide off the armature at this point,that wont be till the body and arms are built to get everything aligned properly before epoxying them on for good.

I'm looking forward to getting some of the sections across soon and start assembling them.This part looks too naked right now!! LOL

[darkimmitator]

Yeah baby , Phil's back !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Just In time too . I need the inspiration . That armature is a work of art on it's own .The boys at custom replicas really took a ss battlestar build to a whole new level of engineering,with the help of Charles Adams . Just finnished ordering the Plascore engine grill set from Jim ,and can't wait to get it . Thanks Phil for posting this.Absolute pleasure to see you pursueing your build of a lifetime again !!! She will be a ripper for sure mate !! lol

[Wombat]

Let's hope so,Ken,let's hope so!!
Thanks for welcome back to Battlestar building mate,it's been a pretty long time but something i'm really looking forward to doing again.This kit from what i've built already and seen also is going to be an incredibly well engineered miniature.The design really blows me awayand hopefully i can show yourself and everyone by the way of the build up what i'm talking about.It's very impressive my friend!!

Thats good to hear you have some plascore on order,it's going to really finish off that area.I never did get that far with mine but i did sit it behind for a preview to see how it would look.I can tell ya,you are going to be very happy with the product you recieve!

Inspiration?Well if geting back to building again helps with that then you are welcome.The shipyards really have wound down a bit hey?I get it just the same from seeing all the other builds also,so a bit of posting by us all may just keep the motivation going a lil for everyone.Theres something about seing a SS Battlestar being assembled that can put notions in one's heads at times.Sometimes good,sometimes bad i think? LOL

Look forward to seeing how yours is coming along up there soon!

[darkimmitator]

Keep them posts coming Phil . I hope to add to progress posting myself ,very soon . been buisy with building two of my razor raider build commissions ,and may even post those builds to this forum to inject some life to the in progress section . It's been fairly quiet here as of late ! . Good havin ya back man , and I am sure ( positive ) that I speak on behalf of the rest of the gang here ,That we are all stoked to see you postin and buildin again !!!!!!!!

[star-art]

Glad I could help you with this build, Phil. I really appreciate the opportunity to work on this for you. This has been a very fun project for me and I can't believe the whole thing has lasted as long as it has. I'm currently working on building structures for two different battlestars at the same time, a new record for me. (I'll post an update on the other build in another thread.)

Thanks again and I'm glad you like it!

[Wombat]

(06-27-2011, 12:30 AM)darkimmitator Wrote: Keep them posts coming Phil . I hope to add to progress posting myself ,very soon . been buisy with building two of my razor raider build commissions ,and may even post those builds to this forum to inject some life to the in progress section . It's been fairly quiet here as of late ! . Good havin ya back man , and I am sure ( positive ) that I speak on behalf of the rest of the gang here ,That we are all stoked to see you postin and buildin again !!!!!!!!

Thanks again mate. I wont go into anything but i haven't had much motivation for anything in life for sometime now.I keep telling myself i need to just snap outa it but it hasn't seemed to happen. This build though i hope will do just that and give me that motivation i once had,not just for building as well.Will see what happens there but the things i've worked on have been fun to do and given me a bit of that bug again.
You should post them RR's,i didn't know they were so,dare i say,cool looking! I seen the Sean S build of one them and it really is a fantastic design.Wish they would have used them as the main craft in the Nu series instead really.It's a tough,badass looking fighter that one!!

(06-27-2011, 01:10 PM)star-art Wrote: Glad I could help you with this build, Phil. I really appreciate the opportunity to work on this for you. This has been a very fun project for me and I can't believe the whole thing has lasted as long as it has. I'm currently working on building structures for two different battlestars at the same time, a new record for me. (I'll post an update on the other build in another thread.)

Thanks again and I'm glad you like it!

Well i'm just stoked i was able to actually jump onboard with your design,Charles.The whole thing is an incredible piece of well thought out engineering that hopefully i can make look the part when done.If it doesn't turn out that way it wont be because of the kit,that'll be all the builder's fault!
Seriously though,the kit looks to be an absolute ripper and i'm very happy to have been fortunate enough to have the opportunity to purchase it.I do appreciate all the assistance you've already given me with it and sorry to say,i'll probably have more questions before too long.
I can't really think of anyone better to be building the head assembly up for this project.This subject has been a passion of yours for so long and i can vouch with what i've seen,you do know how to put a Battlestar together and stay together!
For those that don't know,the head for the Custom Replicas kit is only available as a pre assembled piece and the man in charge of that duty is Charles.So at least i know one section is going to turn out right with you build it!!

I hope i can build your design to level it deserves to be built at.The bar is set pretty high but i feel upto the challenge at present.

Thanks again,Charles

[star-art]

I hope you don't mind me tooting my own horn for a moment, but I feel I should say the armature for this model is the one thing that is nearly 100% mine in the CR project. I discovered the aluminum components when I was engineering my own build some years back. Like Phil, I went through major challenges having aluminum pipe welded and I was seeking a better solution. That's how I came across the system used to make this armature.

When I got the opportunity to design the CR model, Jim was intrigued by the idea of a pipe frame that required no welding whatsoever. (This was especially true after I told him the horror stories of what I'd gone through having my welded version made.) I was able to combine some off-the-shelf components with some custom made parts to create this version.

I designed this baby from the ground up, sourced every single component and piece of hardware, spec'd every custom-machined part, and even helped with ordering of the parts. Whereas much of the building of the CR Galactica was a team effort, I do get to take most of the credit for just this part. LOL

One thing Jim did though that improved the assembly involved the little brackets that go between the pipe and the plates. As they are supplied by the manufacturer, these brackets are not a perfect fit on the pipe, leaving just a bit of wiggle room. Jim had his machinist remove a sliver of material from each one (there are a couple dozen of them). It was a lot of work, but it made for a perfect custom fit.

[dbhs]

Glad to see you back at it Phil. Going to be a sweet build. That armature is awesome and looks rock solid even without being welded. I'm sure the aluminum will help kee the weight down too. I dont want to know how much this thing cost to ship down there...LOL.

[LastBattlestar]

Well, you finally broke the news to the gang Phil! I'd been dropping a few hints here and there, but don't think that they caught on! I thought it best to leave it up to you since you were paying the big bucks!

I saw that armature last week and it's a really neat piece of engineering. A shame to cover it up with the model really. Doug, I wouldn't say it's anything close to lightweight, the aloooominum tubing is very thick-walled. I reckon it could carry three or four guys without bending, easily.

I'll be using my wooden battlestar experience to make sure Phil stays on track....

Mike

[Wombat]

Charles,when it's something as good as all this it's worth tooting,mate!! LOL

Doug,as Mike mentioned it's quite thick wall the tubing so still has some weight about it. Not a real issue as it's not the sorty of thing that'll get moved around a lot. I never compared the difference to the old one but feeling it and going from memory this new one is still lighter than the last for sure.It's a wicked looked thing that is dying to be covered,least one of us here is dying for that anyway. LOL

Mike, yep,this thing is so incredible to me that it deserves to be seen by more than just you and I. Charles really came up wth the goods with this design! I'm pretty sure those wood building abilities you have will be of great help along the way,just no hammer and nails on this one,ok? LOL

[Wombat]

Charles,when it's something as good as all this it's worth tooting,mate!! LOL

Doug,as Mike mentioned it's quite thick wall the tubing so still has some weight about it. Not a real issue as it's not the sorty of thing that'll get moved around a lot. I never compared the difference to the old one but feeling it and going from memory this new one is still lighter than the last for sure.It's a wicked looked thing that is dying to be covered,least one of us here is dying for that anyway. LOL

Mike, yep,this thing is so incredible to me that it deserves to be seen by more than just you and I. Charles really came up wth the goods with this design! I'm pretty sure those wood building abilities you have will be of great help along the way,just no hammer and nails on this one,ok? LOL

[Wombat]

Ok,so a lil progress report here on the build. My end very little has been happening but on Charles's end things are really progressing well. The head is looking fantastic even at the stage it is currently(pic's coming soon). Theres no question what it's gonna be thats for sure and Charles really is making sure everything fit's just how it should before gluing anything down. He's doing a fantastic job with it all!

Ok,so this end i started on the arms for this kit. They go together like clockwork really. The top and bottom skin panels have holes in them that interlock onto the inner supports walls. This is something i like about the design and the fact there are two sets of wall's. It makes the whole structure very sturdy when all four walls are glued to the top and bottom panels. I won't say bullet proof but very strong none the less. Another thing about this build you'll find most of the pieces are numbered or branded to ensure corect placement. You can see here that the arm's are marked to ensure the right pieces go where they should. Makes building a lot more easier for sure. Yet another thing included with the design is not only the scribing being done on the pieces already but also on the arms the placement is marked for not only the piping but all the styrene chips is also. Everything is so well thought out with the builder in mind.

So i have the arms at a stage where the two centre arms are done and ready for a bit of putty. The four front/rear arms are both at a point where they can be puttied to a point and then finished off once they have been installed over the inner arms coming out from the body to the bay's. So next up is some putty on these along with a lil sanding and then hopefully a start on the body pretty soon to keep it all moving ahead.

[dbhs]

Was the scribing done with a laser cutter. How about the beveling of the joints where they meet at an angle. seems like that would have had to be done on a router. Looks great so far.

[Wombat]

I believe that was the case,all the scribing was doen by laser. Nothing is beveled though,anything that needs doing is done by the builder. I'll still need to do that to the bottom plates for thge arms as well the panels that are on the arms already where they meet the body and bay's.

[star-art]

These parts are all laser-engraved. It is not easy to do that with styrene. In fact, some thought it was not even possible. I developed a method of doing it that required sanding the finished parts. But, the guy who cut these parts found a way to do it that requires very little cleanup. In fact, the quality of the engraving here is the best I've ever seen.

The laser leaves the cut edge of styrene shiny and a bit bumpy. This should be scraped ("adzing" with an Xacto knife works great) or sanded. For the engraved lines, get a razor saw and gently "scratch" inside the lines with the tip of the saw to clean them out. This requires a bit of practice but it's easy once you get the hang of it. Also, some lines don't quite meet at the intersections. This was to prevent the laser from cutting too deep where the lines overlap. Use the razor saw to make the lines cross completely.

RE: Bevels I hate using putty and so I do everything I can to keep the amount needed to an absolute minimum. I like to join panels by beveling edges wherever possible to achieve a tight fit. This requires machining the edges of the acrylic or beveling the edges of the styrene panels.

CR did not like this approach because they felt it took way too much time. Therefore, I was told to leave the edges square and incorporate gaps that would be filled with putty. I carefully designed each joint so the plastic defines the edge or seam between the two panels rather than the putty. There is a small gap that, when filled, gives you a perfectly sharp transition between the parts. Hope that makes sense. . .

Finally, note the front starboard arm is unique. It does not have a beveled joint in the middle (top side). Instead, it has an overlapping plate edge. This is how the original was built. Chalk it up to being in a hurry! I guess they figured no one was going to notice. . .

[dbhs]

Thanks Charles. The thought that went into this kit is amazing. I wish I could see it in person someday. These tips are a great resource for scratch building. I'm planning a new scratch build where I'll be cutting some parts out with a laser cutter for the first time.

[star-art]

The finished model is still on public display. Just get to Seattle before March 2012! Anyone who wants to build a studio-scale battlestar just has to see a finished one in person. The photos can't begin to compare with what it's like to see one with your own eyes. . .

[Richard_2001]

(07-07-2011, 11:29 PM)Wombat Wrote: Ok,so a lil progress report here on the build. My end very little has been happening but on Charles's end things are really progressing well. The head is looking fantastic even at the stage it is currently(pic's coming soon). Theres no question what it's gonna be thats for sure and Charles really is making sure everything fit's just how it should before gluing anything down. He's doing a fantastic job with it all!

Phil,

I visited with Charles yesterday and I can say I got to see the head section he is building for you up close and it is sweet! I got to touch it before you did neener! neener! neener! hehehehe

she's gonna be a sexy gal when you get all the pieces together for sure!

Those bay are look hell for stout all right!

Richard

[Wombat]

(07-12-2011, 01:58 PM)Richard_2001 Wrote: Phil,

I visited with Charles yesterday and I can say I got to see the head section he is building for you up close and it is sweet! I got to touch it before you did neener! neener! neener! hehehehe

LOL Bastard!!!

I'm sorta hanging to be able to do that myself! I bet it does looks good in real life. It's really like waving candy in front of a kid when Charles sends me updates on it's progress. I'm the sorta person that wants everything and yesterday at that so,to see it being built without being able to see it in person is a lil hard for someone that has never had something like this done beforehand for me in the way of building something. I guess if you drop in and see him again in a few weeks you'll be able to say you was able to touch my engine section also.

Thanks for your vote of confidence on how the build may go, we'll see in the end but that jigsaw is one hell of a jigsaw for sure!

[Wombat]

Ok, heres a tiny update with the arms. This is pretty much as far as i'm going with them at this stage until my body is built up. I pre filled the little cut outs that those inner notched pieces locate into with an epoxy putty to start with. Then trying to keep things as clean as i could i taped up around those cut outs before laying the finishing putty on top. I figured it was probably better to use a strong epoxy putty for the most part and just the normal stuff for the top surface and easy sanding. I've also done all the other joins although a lot was fine already from just the CA. I don't mind using that as a gap filler also,in the right places.

Anyway this is it for now from me but hopefully Charles wil post up some stuff on how the head is coming along,i can tell ya it's looking PFG to me!

[darkimmitator]

Lookin damn good there phil . As usual , crisp ,clean work .

[LastBattlestar]

Looks good Phil, you are finally on your way. Well, the second time around, but you are on your way. Don't distract Charles, we need him to finish of those sections ASAP!

Mike

[star-art]

LOL! Progress has been a bit slow as I'm missing a few parts but they should arrive soon. Here are some pics of what's been accomplished so far. Please see my CR Build thread for more details on things like my custom aluminum workbench, jigs, etc.

[darkimmitator]

simply incredible work . The assembly jig alone , is something else !!!!

[dbhs]

Looks great, Phil...and Charles.

Your taped up putty spots are nothing short of pure Wombat perfection. I love it.

[Wombat]

Thanks for posting all that Charles and thanks for them nice words also again guy's.

You can see from what Charles has posted why i'm pretty excitted about how the head is progressing. It's already a thing of beauty to someone like myself. We all have problems now though,right? LOL
You can see how strong the head will be just from the pictures of the internals that have gone into it and then Charles really make sure things are glued up how they should be with such a construction like this one. Infact his little method of using square or round profiles to strengthen joining areas is real assuring that everything will hold together no worries at all over time. I'll be falling apart before the pieces of this build ever will. The attention to the head build up has been great with everything being test fitted by Charles before applying for good. He doesn't just test fit the part in question but also the next stages that will follow to make sure everything is correct before gluing anything. What can i say that we all don't know,he's a perfectionist! It all looks very impressive and not to mention,very clean to me where it's all at currently. I'm very happy with it all!

[star-art]

One of the reasons the original studio models from Star Wars and Galactica were made from acrylic is how well it can be bonded to itself. The late Grant McCune knew this and so he chose to use this rather exotic material called Plexiglass because it could be assembled quickly and the glue joints were quite strong.

With laser-cutting, however, the edges are never quite square. A strong bond requires perfectly flush joints with no space between parts. Thus, it can be quite tricky to get a good bond when using laser-cut parts that have beveled edges. I solved this by adding "fillets" at each and every joint using square and round acrylic rod. It takes a lot longer to build this way, but the resulting structure is very solid.

In fact, once a glued joint has cured overnight, it becomes so strong the acrylic parts themselves will shatter before the glue bond will break! As a result, it should be solid and good to go for a lifetime. . .

[star-art]

The bottom of the head section for this build is now complete. I'm still missing some key parts for the top so I'll be taking a break from this to concentrate on building up not one but *two* engine sections. See my other thread for more details on the first one. More parts are arriving this week and there will be lots to do!

[padawan-builder]

Phil,
Glad to see you are building again. What an incredible opportunity to be able to get the kit. I love the pics of the landing bay arms. That is the last piece of mine that I still need to "build". The rest is all detailing. Wish I could get those as a stand alone "kit"

Ah well. Keep those updates coming. It helps me to get motivated to work on mine again.

Mel

[Wombat]

(07-26-2011, 04:18 AM)star-art Wrote: The bottom of the head section for this build is now complete. I'm still missing some key parts for the top so I'll be taking a break from this to concentrate on building up not one but *two* engine sections. See my other thread for more details on the first one. More parts are arriving this week and there will be lots to do!

Charles i know i've already mentioned it via an email but again, it's really looking fantastic what you've done so far with the head build up. You really do some nice clean work there and seem to be taking no short cut's in it's assembly, which is very ensuring for me. This is looking just awesome, thank you! I'm looking very forward to the next installment on this section. Till then though have fun with them engine section'S.

(07-31-2011, 01:20 AM)padawan-builder Wrote: Phil,
Glad to see you are building again. What an incredible opportunity to be able to get the kit. I love the pics of the landing bay arms. That is the last piece of mine that I still need to "build". The rest is all detailing. Wish I could get those as a stand alone "kit"

Ah well. Keep those updates coming. It helps me to get motivated to work on mine again.

Mel

Hey Mel,

Thanks mate and good to see ya pop in on what is a fresh start with it all. I'm sending some motivation your way right now though, so get cracking there! LOL

What i was building would still have looked PFG, Jase is showing just that with his own build up but, an opportunity did come up and for someone like myself an actual kit of this subject is so much more worry free with the construction. It's pretty mind blowing the designing of it, Charles did an amazing job with it all and when you see just how complete a package can be well,it's all pretty much covered really. It's the buyers choice what they buy though. I only intended to get the landing bay set to start with but they alone planted a seed in my mind. I'm sure you could order a set of arm's from Custom Replicas and they are very nice indeed. While at it you should see about the arm plates that sit on top of them also. These things are sweet really,everything is marked out where something needs to go, even all the damn chip's. Drop Jim a mail at CR and see what he says.

Oh and i look forward to seeing some new progress from your side of the pond soon hopefully, thanks again.

[JAWS]

Gawd I have missed plenty of action! Looking good gentlemen. You are one luck bugger Mr Wombat.

[Richard_2001]

Phil,

I visited with Charles again yesterday and he showed me the parts for your engine section and it seems like it will be a very sturdy structure when it is finished. I will also say that the thruster ports are awesome! I again got to touch it before you did neener! neener! neener! hehehehe

I wish I was going to be there when you opened the shipping crates to see your face

Richard

[LastBattlestar]

I hope Phil ain't paying by the hour! I'm looking forward to seeing the sections myself. I'm 10 minutes from Phil's place and will be there like a bullet when I get the call!

Mike

[darkimmitator]

Now there is two reactions that should be caught on film !!!! lol

[dbhs]

(08-18-2011, 11:03 AM)LastBattlestar Wrote: I hope Phil ain't paying by the hour! I'm looking forward to seeing the sections myself. I'm 10 minutes from Phil's place and will be there like a bullet when I get the call!

Mike

Take your camera with you !!!!!

[Wombat]

(08-17-2011, 06:05 AM)Richard_2001 Wrote: Phil,

I visited with Charles again yesterday and he showed me the parts for your engine section and it seems like it will be a very sturdy structure when it is finished. I will also say that the thruster ports are awesome! I again got to touch it before you did neener! neener! neener! hehehehe



Richard

LOL













Bastard!!

[star-art]

I took a break from building the engine section for Galactica #2 to make further progress on the head section for this Galactica #3 (juggling these monsters sure isn't easy!).

It's really starting to come together. The modified hatch tub is now complete and installed. I redesigned the parts to make it a bit easier to build the eye sockets as that is one of the most difficult tasks with this design. I also took some extra time to round over some of the sharp corners inside the structure as they can be quite hazardous.

The access hatch has been built, skinned, and test fitted in place. With this design, the hatch is a self-contained unit with integral light source and fiber optics. The original had dozens of fibers going into a light source between the "eyes." As a result, it was not possible to remove the top hatch because it was tethered to the rest of the head by the fibers. With my design, there are only two wires connected to a plug. By unplugging the electrical harness, the entire hatch can be taken off the model for more convenient internal access to the head section.

There is something else that complicates the design. The rear of the access hatch actually extends back into neck rather than being secured to the head structure. (This was how the original was built.) To make sure everything fits together properly, I bolted the neck section from Galactica #2 in place to see how it all goes together.

The upper stringers have also been built and installed. These are another new feature I recently added to the design. They make it much easier to align and install the top skins. But, making patterns for them required using some advanced 3D techniques since they curve in two directions.

Speaking of the top, next I'll glue down the sides of the top skin on either side of the hatch. Then, the side skins can go on. The lower portion of the top skin, however, does not get glued permanently in place right now. That's because the client (in this case, Phil) will need to get underneath it to run fibers for the lights. So, I will just tape it in place for delivery.

[Wombat]

You know how to get this wombat excited again!

It's fantastic seeing this section back on the bench again and i'm looking forward to seeing the last pieces go on it. A Battlestar head is nothing but coolness to my eyes and the top of the head especially is a look i'm very find of. Hard to believe that soon i'll be looking at it with my own eyes and i'm sure there will be some drool involved when that does happen. LOL

You mentioned the access hatch and it being a self contained unit with it's own lighting. This is just one of the many things i find so good about your design really but as with the rest shows just well you planned things out for this one. In saying that you still seem to find areas that you can work even a little more to make more friendly for the builder in the case of installing the eyes on this one. Seems every little tweek is just an improvement on what is already a well thought out design on this one.

It's looking really good to me, thank you, but PLEASE don't forget to remove that neck, it'd be a real shame if it was still attached when it get's here.

[Richard_2001]

Phil,

I agree the head hatch is slick, so slick I stole the idea and used it on my design and used modifications of it on the main body lid, neck, and rear landing bay end caps for mine also. those will also be able to be removed completely by detaching power wires at a connector. I love the idea of many self contained light sources and short fiber optic runs versus 1 light source and long runs.

Richard

[Wombat]

Howdy Richard,

Yeah that head hatch is a nifty idea for sure that Charles came up with. I'm sure you modifactions of it for your other sections will work just as well. I also like the idea of more light sources and shorter fibres in the build. Charles has actually been discussing just that with me in te last day or so. I'm going to have Charles build the wiring loom for this project as well since he ran it past me. He knows his stuff when it comes to that side of things also as you'd probably know already.

Next time you see them sections you give em a pat for me!! LOL

btw, how is your build progressing up there, i really haven't kept up with much on anyones builds but you must have started it now or are you still finalizing your plans?

[Richard_2001]

Phil,

I will pat them for you for sure! I am in the printed out my armature schematics and building jigs stage, in between building shelves for Charles and working on Large home and family projects.

Hope to have some pictures of progress in the immediate future before the big holidays this year. Lots of tweaking has been done that delayed the construction as Charles will attest to, we have had quite a few wonderful discussions in person and by phone and email about the old girl and we have made huge progress in understanding the original in my opinion. Far more than I would have thought possible when I started this project many years ago!

I have also applied the self contained hatch Idea to the bridge and nose assembly. (forgot to mention that in the earlier post )

Richard

[Richard_2001]

I could have sworn i posted a reply but it seems to have vanished for me

Edit: There it is!

Richard

[Wombat]

Richard,

I've been having a few problems with some postings also, double posts and sometimes double in the one reply now as well. Theres a glitch in here somewhere, bloody agent Smith again!! LOL

Thats good news that your getting close then to starting the physical build, i bet theres been a few surprises you have found along the way with Charles. As long as you are happy with your design then i say go with it. In the end there will only be the one original and if all these designs are out just a bee's dick here and there really, it's not going to matter. I think what you create will look just as good to all of us as the original does.

It all sounds killer and from what you've shown me before will be right up there as one of the most thought out designs of this one.

Get crackin!!

[star-art]

Time for a long-overdue update. One of the reasons this project is taking a while is because I am juggling more builds at one time than I think I have ever attempted. All of them are challenging as well. I am building two head sections, two neck sections, and two engine sections -- all at the same time.

The head section for this build is being wrapped up as we speak. I have finalized the top hatch, installed the top skin, side skins, and built the eye sockets. The upper and lower "lips" are on. The only detail left to add is a "shelf" of sorts on top of each "upper lip." Then, some minor puttying, sanding, and cleanup and this section will be ready for delivery.

Sorry for the poor photography. The white styrene parts are really bright and contrast strongly with the black plex. I have a weird combination of incandescent and fluorescent lighting in the shop and the camera really doesn't like it (or me, it seems, as I rarely get any good pictures from it). LOL

[Snake Plissken]

That is looking very nice!

[Wombat]

I think it looks Frakin Awesome!

Charles, that is a thing of beauty right there!

From the pictures it looks super clean and the way it's going i'll be able to verify that very soon.

Thank you!!

[Richard_2001]

Phil,

Visited your head, neck and engine sections again today when I delivered the packing crate structures for shipping them too you. Patted them both for ya. also made proper engine rumbles as we flew them around the room joke! neener neener neener! and they look great I must say Charles pictures don't do them justice!

You are going to have to make an unpacking video so we can all see your face when you see them the first time.

Take care,

Richard

[Wombat]

Hey Richard,

Thanks bud! Charles mentioned to me you was going to be playing a roll in getting these sections down to me and i'm pretty happy to hear they are now in Charles's possession ready for packing. I bet they do look good seeing them in person (Charles doesn't do things half heartedly as we all know) and hopefully withing the next couple of weeks i'll be able to do that for myself. We'll see how we go there..

Not sure about any video but i believe the day i open them crates up is going to be the most excitting day i've had in a pretty long time.To be honest wit ya, I can hardly wait!!

Thanks again for your help there!!



Edit:Bl##dy double post again!!

[star-art]

I know you are itching to see pics. I promise to take lots of them to document its condition as it goes in the crate. Won't be long now! Richard did a great job building the crate frames to my specs. They are light and very strong. He even signed them for you. LOL

I'm just waiting on the crate skin panels to arrive. The laser is down for repair and they are fixing it. . .

Not saying you have to actually post anything publicly, but it would be cool if you shot some video of the arrival and uncrating. It would really be neat to see your reaction as you unpack it. I think that's a great idea.

[JAWS]

You lucky SOB Phil.
I hope you have all the fun you deserve with this build my friend.
Spectacular work Charles.