Death Star 2 Port Attack Diorama

[OTnROTSfan]

Hey thanks!

Quick update... got the core frame parts cut for the final six large structures...

[joewhite]

This is the first time I see this build. It is awesome! I wanted to do something similar, only smaller, with the red structures as a base for my Bluemoon B-Wing when I was building it but I could not find good close-up reference at the time. I dig this!!!

Do you think I could get copies of the reference you were using for the outside of the port?

Joe

[OTnROTSfan]

The bottom angles I got were 60 (back) and 75 (front) and you can extrapolate from whatever height you want using that. I did screen caps from the movie mostly and extrapolated/correlated that to the size of the actual studio scale model listed in either SW Chronicles or the SW to Indy book.

All eighteen core frames sections are assembled. Have I mentioned how much I love my little electric mitre saw? I actually think chopping up, grinding, and sanding the blue paint strainers are harder to do than making the frames. Tough plastic.

[OTnROTSfan]

And now a word from our sponsor... PROGRESS! Got the final six large structures assembled. Need to add the cross-pieces, superdetailing, and putty/paint... then onto the next phase!

[OTnROTSfan]

Quick update... Got all the crossbars and detailing done for the final six large structures. Once putty/sand/paint is done, then have to decide to take a break from structure and work on the surface or work on the inner twelve structures. I'm leaning surface and the partial tower. The blu-rays have lent themselves to some excellent detail I didn't have before, so I'm itching to work on some of that detail.

[JAWS]

This going to be sooo kool when its all wrapped up.

[OTnROTSfan]

Yes, starting to look like something...

Got to wrapping up puttying/sanding/painting the last six large structures of the main port. Started to work up a sample of the smaller inner structures (another 12 needed). Hadn't taken a bottom tunnel shot in a while...

[OTnROTSfan]

Sooooooo....... Have been on a build 4 months, not build 4 months, build 4 months schedule... have some time off (finally), so making some progress again. Hopefully this starts another 4 months of building...

First progress in a LONG time... I got all the core parts for the 12 inner structures cut in the last two days...

[JAWS]

Looking good man.
Glad to see some fresh movement on this beast.

[OTnROTSfan]

Got the inner port grids cut, clipped, sanded... basically done. Always fun to sand with all the little burrs, flash, and stringy edges. Started putting together inner port frames (nothing sexy to show, yet)... next up.

[LeeS]

Holy Frak!
I love me some diorama action!

[t2sides]

This build is INSANE!!! Wow, very, very impressed!!! Nice work so far Kevin!

[OTnROTSfan]

Thanks. I might builld really slow and have periods of no progress, but eventually it looks like something...

Got the first three of twelve of the inner structures framed up and temporarily tacked in place to do some positioning tests...

[LastBattlestar]

Totally nuts, but in the best kind of way Kevin! I cant wait to see the ships mounted inside.

Are you going to rig a flamethrower firing up behind the little Falcon?

Mike

[OTnROTSfan]

Haha, maybe a model of a flamethrower... I do have some experiments I want to do regarding "flames", though. More on that when I get the surface done...

A few days off for once, much more progress...

Got all twelve of the inner structures built. Started around the rest of the hole. Was scratching my head as to why the new alignment was off the more I added, then realized that I still had to cut the hole to final size. Got them tacked together and mostly aligned half way around... Also threw in a pic of the display area, as that is where I moved it to work on assembly easier. Kinda shows the massive size of this thing. More soon...

[darkimmitator]

Gonaa be one amazing dio when completed ,for sure !!

[OTnROTSfan]

Yeah, I figure it you are gonna build a diorama, build a BIG one... lol.

Got all 12 structures tacked in to see if it would connect up... what a PITA. Got a couple to reposition, putty, sand, prime... rinse, repeat..., but they all basically fit. Only the tops are tacked in, so figured would get a pic before it falls in the hole, lol. When I get it all positioned right, then have to flip it and glue up all of the bottom connections. Math and guessing... it works pretty swell. Trying to get the structures done this month, then finally, on to the surface.

[JAWS]

Looks great.
Am looking forward to the surface detailing.

[bg_451]

This is beautiful. Love seeing the detail and the progress. It's like seeing the movie scene coming to life before our eyes!!

[OTnROTSfan]

Thanks. Been looking forward to the surface detailing and partial tower for a LOOOOOOOOONG time now.

[JAWS]

Well what youve done to get to this point is freakin amazing man.
Cheers.

[Red III]

I love that! That's a great subject to model.

[Darth Ronnow]

Great model! Using what you have to make something HUGH and awesome.

[JAWS]

Ok on looking at your pictures there are some significantly nice pieces being displayed in your room.
Any chance you could share some pictures of your other works with us?
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE............

[OTnROTSfan]

Thanks guys. Yeah, I like BIG dios...

JAWS - one of these days I'll get around to posting some of the other builds... if you surf around my photobucket albums, you should get most of the big stuff...

[JAWS]

No rush.
Really enjoying this build.
Any progress?

[OTnROTSfan]

Thanks. Vacation's coming... vacation's coming... have about a week blocked out to work on this after Christmas. Getting my bench all ready to work on the surface and tower. Doing some design and materials gathering now. Even moved my bench right next to the build as it was really getting inefficient for doing design and detail work being around the corner in the room. Should be posting progress again after Christmas...

[OTnROTSfan]

Have been pouring through the Blu-ray for the surface details... thought this detail was funny - man did they cheat in a few spots to make the port align - at high-speed you dont notice it. Man - mine had to at least look symmetrical and aligned at no-speed passes...



Started laying out the general surface elements... some will need to be recessed into the surface. Other parts are just placeholders... been looking for my stash of Death Star tiles... had one set under the bench. Need to run to storage and see if I have them there. Just "cleaned" recently so now I can't find them... LOL. Also started design of the partial tower. On vacation, so will be working on general surface layout and positioning over the next couple of days, then another round of materials gathering.

[Wombat]

Just like probably everything else back then SS related it only needed to be good enough for filming. Which it was in most cases. Still it's interesting to see what they classed as good enough.

Good to see ya getting some more time on this. The surface detailing should be some fun for you in terms of what you done thus far.

[OTnROTSfan]

Yeah, I actually had to do math to make mine work... lol.

I'm still at a loss trying to find my box of DS surface tiles I had collected for this... that's what I get for cleaning up storage over vacation... had a few at home, so...

Started layout and detail of the first section... needed a slightly rectangular grid with some height to it... found a gutter product that once turned inside out, was about exactly right. One was out of the box in the store so I got lucky... you wouldn't notice the grid from the outside. This general whole "area" of the layout will be sunk to the surface. Did I mention how much I've been looking forward to doing the surface part...

[OTnROTSfan]

Man I love this part... (when I get to work on it)...

Threw together some more surface tiling (some scratched) and the small tower structure in the lower right quadrant...

[Wombat]

That does look like it would have been some fun to scratch up and looks very fitting for the build once painted.

Good work!

[JAWS]

Wow this is great.
Looks the part thats for sure.
Thanks for the update.

[OTnROTSfan]

Yeah, these little red towers and such are pretty fun to work on... based it on the lower right area from the shot where Wedge exits the DS2...

[blakeh1]

great to see updates on this!

[OTnROTSfan]

Finally got around to fixing the "L"-shaped red structure... had originally prototyped it up wrong (too short and wrong cut-off). Stripped the left half and added the extender... then laid out a full run of surface all the way up the side... and... suddenly... [drum roll] SHAZAAM - it all lined up from the original planning! Now THIS is where the fun begins!

[OTnROTSfan]

A little tweaking around the under-construction tower... and started laying out the upper middle. Should get the top laid out this week. Then onto the left, denser area that the Falcon flies over as it approaches the port... once it is all generally laid out, then will start on the tower and detailing up all the tiled areas...

[Keycube]

Brand new to the board. Greetings!

I just started following this thread from the beginning and...I'm dying for more updates! Soon I hope?!?!

Robert

[OTnROTSfan]

Welcome, and thanks for looking... yeah, sometimes I go a while between updates. My work and travel schedule so far this year has been just plain crazy. Last year I had two three-month hiatuses from it, but I eventually keep chugging along. I should be working on it again the weekend after Easter. I plan to have the whole surface positioning laid out, then start building out all of the rest of the red surface structures... then the partial-built tower.

[OTnROTSfan]

Had an afternoon to work on it again... got the larger red structure on the left side mostly done. Working on the back gray grid structure next...

[OTnROTSfan]

Was finally home on the weekend once... got more laid out and more grid structures roughed out on the left side and top. Hopefully the weather will stay warm soon and stop raining so I can finally paint the whole red middle port section...

[OTnROTSfan]

Getting there with the surface layout... next back to the corner with the partial tower and three surrounding red structures. Woo, finally get to build the tower.

[dbhs]

Wos, this is really coming along. I like how you are systematically filling in the surface detail. I assume the insides come apart so you can get in there to paint it. Any plans for adding ships so it would be a diorama or will it be more of a replica of the original prop?

[OTnROTSfan]

Yeah the whole top comes off and several of the areas are sectioned out and bolted in for access. The light tubes are all accessible with special caps (that was the hardest part to design).

I'm still deciding whether to have the X-Wing, the A-Wing, and the Falcon diving into the trench or having Wedge and the Falcon coming out with some sort of fireball action in the bottom... but there WILL be ships... lol.

(05-28-2013, 01:36 AM)dbhs Wrote: Wos, this is really coming along. I like how you are systematically filling in the surface detail. I assume the insides come apart so you can get in there to paint it. Any plans for adding ships so it would be a diorama or will it be more of a replica of the original prop?

[JAWS]

Coming along really nicely.
Whatever direction you go it's going to look sensational.

[OTnROTSfan]

Another cold rainy weekend, so lots of progress (for once)...

Got the core structures for the tower area laid out as well as the frame and shell for the partial tower. This phase is so much fun!

Lots of clean-up and sanding of all the surface parts, then onto superdetailing and painting of all the surface elements...

[OTnROTSfan]

Finally found somebody local to make acrylic cases and cut large styrene/ABS... spec'd out the large ABS surface piece with the "official" hole that will be clad to the MDF. In the meantime, getting cold out, so time to paint the port (since I had to remove it anyways). Forgot I had only tacked the inside structures in the corners... was hanging that way all summer, but didn't fall into the hole! I remembered when I tried to pick it up and they started falling inside the port... lol. All is good... built a quick temporary cardboard carrier so I can get at most angles of it. First time all the port sections were fully attached and painted. A few sand and putty spots, but actually not too bad overall for first crack at it... will work on that until the surface cladding is done.

[Cylon-Knight]

WOW
Your build is AMAZING!
* bows down *

Thanks for the update.

[JAWS]

Damn that's looking FANTASTIC!!!
Great work mate.
Thanks for the update.

[Wombat]

Good to see you still plugging away with this.