ANH Escape Pod

[JAWS]

So heres another project Ive started in my quest.
I plan to build all the Star Wars & Battlestar Galactica studio miniatures I can while I am on this planet so thought I better get them started.
Seeing Ricks Escape Pod got me motivated to get cracking & asked him to send me some buckets that I saw he used for his build. I recieved my buckets last week thanks Rick & am now doing research on this project in between some other. Another long term build as I am not in a rush. I actually want to get as many base structures built up as possible before detailing as alot of the builds use the same kits. It also enables me to not get so bogged down on one build which usually results in burn out. The minor details can just become a heavy weight some times. Anyhoo on with the show.

I noticed when playing with some known parts that the Airfix Saturn V parts that are used for the Thrusters have been retooled in the new kit. The parts should have ribbing around them but now do not. Lucky I had a vintage saturn v for the comparison. The new part is also a tad larger.... Why retool!

I will have to cast some more Sea Lab parts as there are quite alot on this model.

It is said that paint buckets such as these were used & filled with foam then stripped of the buckets & sheeted with styrene to make the original Pod body.

It is also said that a 5 Quatrs bucket was used so am now just trying to make sure the dimensions will be as close as possible.

[JAWS]

Alrighty Jase is consumed by yet another build.
I guess out of all the movies I am an ANH boy.
I saw the movie for the first time in 77 when I was 5 years old.
When I got out I asked my Nan & Grandad if I could go back in for the next session which they let me without hesitation. From then on in my life was changes.

So am working on the dimensions using kit parts & scaled photos.
Unfortunately the photo reference is few & far between on this subject so am relying on kit parts & luck.

I have quite a few of the donors with more on their way
I guess i am a SS adict now...

I hope to maybe have the base structure or frame worik finalised by the weekend.

[JAWS]

So Ive been screwin around with this subject for a little while now. I really love the ANH models as they are the basis for what came after.
Anyway I wasn't sure h9ow to tackle this build. It was go the studio accurate way & fill a paper paint bucket with foam or construct it in the way Lasse Henning did his Pod. First the dimensions had to be figured. In playing with the dims & the paper buckets I discovered something that may be right or wrong but fitted to what needed to happen to get the right shapes. I figured that the ILM boys filled the bucket with foam & then carved the angled sections away from the bottom area rather than add the bottom section. I believe this to have been done as in the centre if the bucket is an indentation. The indentation is the exact size I figeured the engine section to be. If you carve inwards to that indentation you will have the right angles for the build. Anyway I don't have any foam yet so I decided to follow in Lasse's footsteps & construct the base shape in styrene like he did.
Things are going ok & have made a good start. When I get some foam I will test my theory on the bucket usingthat method. Thanks for looking at another of my long builds.

[JAWS]

Some more structure in the body to support the sheeting & the centre trench also constructed. Am happy with how this is coming together. Looking forward to skinning it with styrene. Think I just ran out of styrene for the frame work though.....

[darkimmitator]

Good to see you active with studio scale construction again Jase . More pics. please !!!!

[dbhs]

Looks awesome. I've lost track of how many projects you have going now.

[Cylon-Knight]

WOW. They used buckets! So neat what some talent can do to such “ordinary” objects.

Hummm… Kentucky Fried Escape Pods

Great build!!! One can’t have too many projects lol

[JAWS]

Thanks fellas. I have completed cone struction of the Pod base structure & will post the pics this afternoon when I get home. Still needs a little tidy up but am quite happy with the results.
Doug I have too many projects but one of my goals is to get as many base structures built as possible so I can then just concentrate on detailing.

[JAWS]

Heres the Pod base structure. Need to tidy up a little as I rushed the construction. Was just too eager to get this done. If I have to build another oner at least I know what to do next time.

[darkimmitator]

Lookin real good Jase . Definately has the shape of the ANH escape pod !!!

[JAWS]

Thanks Kenny. This is the easy part. Getting the plating right will be the hardest part. Have got 90% of the parts already.

[JAWS]

Have had a few ups & downs with this build as usual.
Its really tricky to get this thing skinned.
You have to have the right curves in the template for it to wrap neatly which has been a huge challenge.
Ive already stripped this once which resulted in a couple ofhours clean to the frame.
Atleast Im figuring what not to do the net time I build this as Im reserved to this being a mock up build.
Once I make the templates for each sections skin I will start from scratch.
Anyway we're progressing slowly.

[darkimmitator]

Really taking shape there Jase .Did you have to scribe relief lines verticaly along the inside of the skin to help it wrap around the frame work easier ?

[JAWS]

Kenny just rolled the sections up tight for a day to help with some curveture as they say.
No scoring.
The styrene is relatively happy to bend.
Its all about having the right curves in the piece for it to want to wrap around the section the right way.
Just have to make sure the hlue welds the styrene to the frame fast.
Im using 'Locktite' glue.
It 'welds the plastic hard & fast.
Just make sure you have it lined up right the first time.
I didn't & had to strip the first layer off.
Unfortunatley the styrene was 'welded' to the frame & parts just didn't come off resulting in a huge clean up....
I learnt my lesson though
I have got the top section on, mostly.
Just needt to adjust the frame, on the next run.
The curves are sooo hard to get right.
Im making templates to use for when I do the plating as their all curved so its vital you get the right lines.
She's a little ruff but this is my 'mock up'

[dbhs]

Good work Jase.

I bet that shape is a real pain to build and get smooth. It's coming along nicely.

[darkimmitator]

I agree , looks like it would be a pain to get that rolled and keep the right shape . But it looks like you have it handled Jase . Really looking the part now !!!

[JAWS]

Thanks guys I really appreciate the feedback.
This shape is very hard to get right when its constructed in whole.
It would be much easier to build individual sections & then join them.
I had some critical slips with the scalpal when trimming the skins & was just really hard to align.

Second skins are on & now clean up time....

Still have to make the top dome which I will make styrene strip frame & fill with car bog & sand to shape.

Need to also add the armature fitting at that stage also.

This V1 & am about to start on V1.2 which should be alot cleaner.
This is my donkey run.

[darkimmitator]

Looks pretty damn good for a donkey run too me !!! Definately have the shape nailed there Jase !!!
I like it .

[mikeg]

Looks great so far! My build is in about the same place as yours. Any chance you could cast up some of your Sealab and 1/24 Panther bits? I can send some $$ your way for your efforts?
Let me know!
mike

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Looks great so far! My build is in about the same place as yours. Any chance you could cast up some of your Sealab and 1/24 Panther bits? I can send some $$ your way for your efforts?
Let me know!
mike

[kbilly]

Looks like a big cocktail shaker.... hmmmm 1 litre cocktails, oh the memories.

[JAWS]

(09-17-2011, 02:23 AM)mikeg Wrote: Looks great so far! My build is in about the same place as yours. Any chance you could cast up some of your Sealab and 1/24 Panther bits? I can send some $$ your way for your efforts?
Let me know!
mike

---

Looks great so far! My build is in about the same place as yours. Any chance you could cast up some of your Sealab and 1/24 Panther bits? I can send some $$ your way for your efforts?
Let me know!
mike

Sure. Im going to be moulding & casting anyway.

[mikeg]

i would appreciate it very much!!! the sealab is a bit difficult to obtain. Shoot me an email and let me know what i would owe you and i can send you some current pics of my build.
mike

[qcfoundry]

Jason
if you haven't hit out the top dome part, you may or may not be interested. allan helped me figure that the plastruct part VHE-600 comes pretty close to the right curve. The overall piece has to be trimmed down, but once the edge is trimmed, the curve height-to-diameter ratio is very close.

[JAWS]

Ok thanks for that.
I have the Plastruct Catalogue & looking at the domes, which I never even thought about, makes good sense.
I have the measurement of 95.3mm O.D & height at 10mm for that top dome.
So that could be made to work.
Very interesting & big thanks.

[qcfoundry]

hmmm.
i'm only on my first draft of drawing the whole thing, but ended up with 108.7mm & 9.5mm, respectively, for the dome. suppose i should double check the fruehauf tanker end again. appreciate the info.

[JAWS]

Hey you may be right & me wrong buddy.
I have to say my mathematics skills are shite!
Lets just plod away at it & we'll get it right eventually.
Thats why my build is a V1.
Im definately going a V2 when we get the dims right.
I appreciate others on this aswell.
Thats what this & the RPF are for.

[Snake Plissken]

I need a link to buy heat sinks ?

[qcfoundry]

(02-13-2013, 05:50 PM)Snake Plissken Wrote: I need a link to buy heat sinks ?

http://www.alliedelec.com/search/product...U=70115169

[Snake Plissken]

thank you so much!

[JAWS]

Bump..

Ok so I wanted to see how close my scratch build EP was to Vaderdarth's kit tha MSLZ22 models is producing.

As we can see there is a distinct difference in the body.
But the top & base are spot on the same...

So which one is more accurate?

Dilemma's dilemma's...

Looks like its back to the drawaing board.

Cause now I can't move on.

[joewhite]

Jase,
My humble ovservation....

I think the black pod has a more correct lower hull angle. I can't remember what I settled on for the angle but your post has prompted me to look for those notes. I think I'll go ahead and plug them into Rhino while I'm at it.

I do agree with your equator depth, though. The black hull depth appears too shallow for the treads, as far as I can tell from the pic.

All in all, I think your equator flares out just a bit too much. LMK if you need help fixing it. I might be able to get some laser cut parts to ya if needed.

Joe

[Wombat]

I don't know what is correct but laying out parts may help though? Your scratch build looks to use a larger bucket. As Joe mentions the equator depth seems deeper and the bucket looks to be a larger diameter at this area compared to the kit one. Which is correct though?

[qcfoundry]

this is a tricky one because lens distortion and monitor aspect ratio can make the angles not appear as they actually are.
but from my monitor, the white one seems more correct.

the pitch/flare angle on the original buckets is more like the white. however the trench does seem a bit too deep.

just my opinion.

[JAWS]

Thanks Q.
I will go over the notes tonight & see the comparisons.
The trench is the easy part to correct.

[JAWS]

Ok so I decided to hopefully find ref I could count the track links & compare the actual track on the kit.
I found one & counted the tracks.
I numbered them to be sure I counted correctly.
From left to right on the hatch section I counted 57 track links between the Sea Lab domes.
   
I then counted 57 track links on the actual tracks.
I then laid out the track on the kit.
Shown is the track laid out on the kit with the blue tape marking 57 links.
       
We can see that the track went right over the Sea Lab dome section on the opposite side.
I believe from this that the kit is actually too small around the top & bottom equator rims.

I was only able to accurately see the hatch section to count links & that one section is clearly to small to fit the same amount of links as the studio model has across the front hatch section.

Please note that I am in no way trying to discredit this beautiful kit & am only trying to establish accurate data.

[Wombat]

Don't know anything about this but the parts are a great way of working things out with any of these builds.

[3phase]

I also no little but that is some great detective work.

[JAWS]

Yeah this sort of research is the best way to determine accuracy.
Unfortunately the kit is a little small from what I can assume from these findings so most probably will go back to the scratch build for this project.

[Cylon-Knight]

Jase - how will the electrical system be done in your Escape Pod for the engines...?

[JAWS]

Sea Lab hoses x 4

[joewhite]

LOL!

[joewhite]

Double post....

[JAWS]

Hmm
There's no lights on this model as far as I Know.
So just thought that's what was asked.

[Cylon-Knight]

Oops - Oh i thought it would have some engine lights... I need to re-watch ANH. I can't remember if the pod had glowing engines or not...