Jases Battlestar Galactica

[darkimmitator]

Another very helpful thread for when I start ruffing in my engine plate .Thanks for posting this Jase !!!! Oh ,and great job so far ,man ! Keep them posts comming .

[star-art]

I'm not quite sure how much you changed from what was on the plans. But, with my 3D modeling tools, I could make new developments pretty easily. If you want to send me the outline of what you are using drawn up in Illustrator format, I could make new patterns for you. Or, if anyone else is in the same boat, I can probably help.

The quickest and easiest route for me is if you can draw what you want (in terms of the shape of the opening) in Illustrator or equivalent and e-mail me the file.

Keep in mind, the *depth* of the opening is also very particular. The first CR Atlantia build had this screwed up, and they had to cut and trim parts as a result.

BTW, it has been revealed in the CR pics that the original engine openings had *rounded* outside corners, not square. I seem to be the only one who picked up on this little detail, as everyone who has built a replica so far has assumed they are square. But, it is evident if you study the CP photos and know what you are looking for. I built them rounded on my build, and also for the CR build.

But, it is so much harder to make them this way, I opted for square corners on my plans. This is easiest for most people to handle.

[JAWS]

Thanks Charles. Im pretty stoked as you haven't pointed out anything negative to fix so Im taking that as somewhat as a thumbs up for now Also thanks for the offer. As much as it hurts the brain to work through some of this stuff the satisfaction of doing it is always very rewarding. A quick over cap for today.
The engine port bases are made. Theyre not perfectly lined up for now but their damn close! I may just sheet them with some .5mm styrene if needed. The length is really my main concern. Im pretty damn happy with what Ive got done today. Ive put some Miliputi in a couple of the spots that need a little fill & will sand tomorrow. It really is minor considering the scale of what was slapped together. I can't believe how clean my building has been, so far anyway. Well actually the engine ports arent very clean, but they work So taped onto the engine plate for a line up & Im going to sleep alot better tonight. Thanks everyone.

[Wombat]

Looks like you've had a very productive day there Jase!

Well done mate,see,i told ya you'd get ya head around i and it looks damn good bud,your really making excellent progress up there with it all.Infact your build is starting to show me how bad i've done mine thus far.I almost feel like tearing bit's of it down and starting again but i just can't bring myself to do it.

Keep up the excellent work mate,this is fantastic how you are showing the steps to putting this all together.

[Richard_2001]

Jason,

Those look good to me too!! You did a very nice job on them!

Richard

[JAWS]

Damn thanks Phil. Your paving the way for me at the moment mate thats for sure & theyre all gold! Thanks Richard I really appreciate your feedback also. Its amazing that sleeping(if you actually do) on a problem can help find a solution to fixing it. Phil those strips down the sides of your engine lid, what are they? Just strips? How wide & what thickness? Going to the hobby shop today & see what they got. Might start onthe scribe lines also. I picked up 3 new Saturn V's for $34 but $50 postage. Still more than $100 cheaper than what I would have got here. I also got an original Saturn V unwrapped in the box. Im looking forward to seeing those on the engine. Have a good day boys & girls.

[JAWS]

Im going to have a crack at the scribing for the engine lid & belly. Ive done some practise runs with this tool that was in my exacto blade kit. Ive sharpened it up with some sand paper & gave it a go. Im pretty happy with the line it creates & is easy to work with. Gotta trace the lines up & will be back when its done.

[JAWS]

Ok a little break from the mathematics of scratch building & decided to concentrate on the scribing of the engine plate. So Ive sanded the engine lid softly to allow for the pencil to adhere to the surface. Its not perfect but is probably as close as Im going to get it. Will now start the scribing process. Wish me luck. Im not that confident at the moment...

[Richard_2001]

Jason,

that looks like it did a neat job on the test piece and should do alright on the lid too. I have used several of those as well as dental picks and modified xacto blades. All will do the job , it seems personal preference plays the big part. You should use what ever you are comfortable with and can control well.

Richard

[427 Cobra]

I don't want to dogpile this thread with comments, but I use an Exacto blade turned on its' side, or the back of the blade hilt (where it attaches to the handle). This works perfectly, and no special tools are needed to make a nice sharp line. But as Richard said, it's all a matter of personal preference. There are dental tool kits available at harbour freight.

http://search.harborfreight.com/cpisearc...&Submit=Go

[JAWS]

Thanks Richard & thanks Cris. Dental tools, I didn't think of that. This tool actually does a good job & will go with it. Its not cutting but etching which I like better & is definately deep enough when running the fingers across the lines.

[Wombat]

Hey thats looking great there Jase!Your scriber looks to have worked very well from your test piece there and as i'm only a newbie to it myself all i can do is echo what the other boy's said,and it'll be personal preference to what feels and works good for you.But those lines look great there dude!
As for the strips i've placed on my lid.Those are 1/4 strips,i'm not sure what they should be and will look at a little more closer when that the time comes to gluing em on.They are to represent the Tee strip that was used on the original to fill in the gad between the engine box and lid.Like i said,i'm not sure what size they need to be but instead of using the Tee i'll just use the flat instead.

Good score on the Saturn's also,the kit is too expensive in the shops here and if we didn't have to pay for all the postage all the time we'd probably have nearly all the kit's on the list by now.But we're in the same boat unfortunately!

Keep going dude,it's looking great!

[JAWS]

Hey thanks mate your words mean alot. Ive nearly caught up which is a relief. I want to get back to casting & fix a couple of moulds. Still got a few pieces to send your way & would like to get all the 215's ready for the lower slopes. Istill have to get all those parts you sent me moulded up so I can send em back for you to put on your build!!!! Wow theres a crap load of work now Im thinkin about it.... No worries, I LOVE IT!!!

[JAWS]

Another day at the skate park, the beach & inlaws pool has worn the kids out so I went & gave the scribing of the engine lid a go. Went pretty well except for 3 slips So what the best way to fix these? Sand them out? Fill & sand out? Other than that Im happy with the result, but the primer will show us for sure

[427 Cobra]

This looks like a damn good start, Jase! I can't wait to see this progress to the rest of the frame, and body parts.

[JAWS]

Thanks but have you got a suggestion for deleting those unwanted slip lines?

[427 Cobra]

(04-09-2010, 12:45 PM)jasonwright.1972 Wrote: Thanks but have you got a suggestion for deleting those unwanted slip lines?

I fill them in very carefully with superglue gel. Let them dry, then wet sand with 600 grit, and a sanding block made from plastic. This will keep the surface smooth, and true. If you don't want to use superglue gel - wood filler. These two are what I use to remove mistakes.

[JAWS]

Thanks, I'll give it a go. Ok so have drawn up the sribe lines for the front slope & belly waist sections. Have some more filling to do along the engine & waist seam but nothing a line of Weldon won't fix real quick! Once these are done Im back on the engine ports.....

[Richard_2001]

Jason,

That is looking sharp mate! You are doing a good job on the scribing with that pick.

The T-bar on the engine section top is apart of the track that lets the engine lid slide out on the original. I can post a drawing if you like on how the original was constructed for that part.

Richard

[darkimmitator]

I would like to see this drawing ,Richard !!!!!

[JAWS]

Definately. All insights to the actual model are most appreciated. Thanks for the words also it really keeps the motivation up. Im working on the engine ports again now as the scribeings completed for the engine box. I just need to get some primer to see how well it really went. Ive also hopefully corrected the slips I had but again need to wait until the primers on. I know it will need some touch up scribing on some lines at least. Update later.

[JAWS]

Ok back again with what Ive been on. Am working on the centre thruster port. These shapes a real bummers to get perfect. I honestly feel like getting the putty out, fill the seems & make it perfect with some sculptying & chuck the bugger in rubber. Do the same with the best of the 4 large ports & make 4 from 1 that are all identical. My back plate broke again aswell.....

[Richard_2001]

Jason and darkimmitator,

here is how it is set up on the original as far as I can determine without access to the filming model, just years of studying pictures.



Jason, your replica is looking mighty fine! but make sure you don't stop doing a step because you are tired of it, but only because you are happy with it. If you wont be happy with the engine ports as they are, then by all means make a good one and cast the other 3 but it is your decision whatever you can live with. They look fine to me, but I am not there looking at them in person.


Richard

[JAWS]

Did you just whack that together. damn sure explains everything pretty plainly. I love that work. I'll keep working on them because Im a gltton for punishment. Their really the only things left to do on this section other than start detailing. Will start casting again tomorrow or Monday most probably. A question. the T Bar in the trench wall. what size do you determine that to be?

[JAWS]

Ok so since everything else is pretty much done have no choice but to work on the ports... So that I have. Ihave finished the centre port & am happy with it.
It was 1mm ascue
   
So I had to crack it open to fix it. It was annoying me
   
It actually righted itself straight away so I just had to rune some glue down the seam
   
Glued & cleaned up edges. Is a tidy piece now
   
Looking good. Much happier now it looks symetrical
   
So now its these buggers no choice but to get it over with. Ive sanded all the edges to straighten it up & look tight. Im just trying to decide the best way to do these ridges.
   
I could glue a few pieces of styrene together & sand the shaped required or I cut the pieces & try to get them to the right shape? The stacking of the styrene & sanding to get the desired shape seems to be a good idea right now? Yes Im stalling.....................

[LastBattlestar]

Good going there Jason, they are a PITA to build.

One thing, make sure to remove any permanent marker from your model. That ink loves to bleed through paint!

Mike

[Richard_2001]

(04-10-2010, 01:17 PM)jasonwright.1972 Wrote: Did you just whack that together. damn sure explains everything pretty plainly. I love that work. I'll keep working on them because Im a gltton for punishment. Their really the only things left to do on this section other than start detailing. Will start casting again tomorrow or Monday most probably. A question. the T Bar in the trench wall. what size do you determine that to be?

Jason,

It was a quick label of an existing 3D model. the T bar I have listed for that is Plastruct T-8 1/4" ABS Tee, same as the top engine lid track one. I had it at T-6 3/16" originally, but Charles steered me to the larger size and it appears to be the correct one.

The center port look pretty slick to me, and I agree with Mike magic marker bleeds a lot through paint.

Richard

[JAWS]

Thanks Mike. I'll definately remember that tip Ok so Ive just established the Maonaogram F16 kit I got is different to the one on the list...... But it is the same Mines grey rather than white but is almost exactly the same kit I actually spat the dummy just before as I was cutting the hull to fit on the engine base. I studied the Pappas pictures & marked it off. I then went & cut it & as I was slicing into the front section I looked at Phils he sent me & it was marked differently. I thought I had just wrecked the hull but have just checked & im safe Ok see here she is at the moment. Needs primer to see whats she really looks like & where Im going to need more sanding or filling & definately how bad the scribing is

[Richard_2001]

Jason,

Don't worry too much! I believe it is the same kit in a newer box and recolored plastic I don't think Monogram had more than one 1/48th f-16 model out.

Richard

[darkimmitator]

That is the same f-16 kit Jase ,just different box art and different dye in the plastic .Lookin sharp by the way .The depth of the engine pockets ,looks like 2.5inches ? Not quite to that step yet and was wondering just how deep those should be ?

[Richard_2001]

darkimmitator,

I have the exhaust ports at just a hair over 2 1/2" myself, to fit the parts on the slopes. The center port is about 1/16" under that on the original, but I made mine the same depth.

Richard

[Wombat]

Wow Jase,i don't know what to say.you've really got your head around the build mate.Very impressive and you're well on your way with this section.Won't be long and you'll be starting the greebling of it,and thats gotta be some fun seeing it really take shape with that added.Good stuff dude,at least one of us has the section pretty much done.

[JAWS]

Thanks buddy thats very humbleing coming from you. I really respect your work. Funds are holding up the primer & other little supplies so I m just going over it with a magnifying glass looking for stuff to clean up. I still haven't got the ridges sussed on the engine ports yet but will hopefully have at least one done later this afternoon. They are a real challenge to get right....

[star-art]

If you guys primer your models before they are completely finished, your parts aren't going to stick to the base structure. I know that's how the original was done, but they had a reason. And, there were consequences.

They primed as they went because they were making up the surface detailing as they went along. So, they had to see if it was working.

But, the end result was a large number of parts fell off! Heck, it can be difficult to get raw styrene parts to stick to plex sometimes. A coat of primer between the part and the model will not work. Even if you try to scrape it off for each part, that is a lot of extra work and seems like a PITA to me.

Just IMO. . .

[JAWS]

Thanks Charles. Your the man when it comes to this subject & will definately take your advice. I 'was' going to prime in black for that specific reason. So anything that fell off was immediately noticeable. I won't prime now. Don't mind at all either as Ive always loved looking at scratch builds with out the paint to see whats actually making it look kool. thanks for the tips there greatly appreciated.

[darkimmitator]

(04-11-2010, 08:50 AM)Richard_2001 Wrote: darkimmitator,

I have the exhaust ports at just a hair over 2 1/2" myself, to fit the parts on the slopes. The center port is about 1/16" under that on the original, but I made mine the same depth.

Richard

Thanks Richard !!!

[Richard_2001]

(04-11-2010, 11:56 PM)darkimmitator Wrote: Thanks Richard !!!

Your welcome!

Richard

[JAWS]

(04-11-2010, 11:56 PM)darkimmitator Wrote:

(04-11-2010, 08:50 AM)Richard_2001 Wrote: darkimmitator,

I have the exhaust ports at just a hair over 2 1/2" myself, to fit the parts on the slopes. The center port is about 1/16" under that on the original, but I made mine the same depth.

Richard

Thanks Richard !!!

Sorry was going to drop you a PM. Mine are pretty much the same 5.7cm. When you going to post that build over here?

[JAWS]

Well operations have slowed considerably to get some time out. All Ive done is work on the F16 hull for the waist slope. Scary stuff but she's come through relatively unscathed. It was close though. So Ive cut the cockpit section off
   
A test fit. I think another mm or 2 needs to be shaved off the front.
   
Time to cut through the hull for the waist to slope join. Did it very very slowly with the blade & just went over & over untiol it was through enough to snap
   
Test fit. Just needs a light sand to sure up the seam at the join
   
side angle. Looks ok
   

So now really looking at the parts maps & seeing whats needed for the engine box & waist. There are alot of parts.........................

[Battlestar1563]

jason, looking great!! keep up the good work! I'm sure the centurian deck fits good..lol unlike mine. got to redo mine..darn ah!!

[dbhs]

You're wasting no time getting to the fun part. Nice work.

[JAWS]

Thanks mate. The 'hip' section as I now call it was made to fit the Centurion deck nicely along with the plows. Its just a very in your face section that has to be as right as possible. If somethings not right fix it. You spend so much time & effort as well as money to build this model why leave something thats going to bother you for ever? More work? Won't the satisfaction of correcting the problem be enough relief to dive in & just do it? If somethings not shapeing up I couldn't not fix it. It would send me insane to leave it. Im not going to look at this model everyday & say over & over "I should have", "I could have". Theres a couple of you guys that have had the same problem & Im just making an effort to try & convince you to correct the problem. Thats all I can do & will help in anyway I can.

[Battlestar1563]

well said....I'm trying to figure out what the heck is wrong, and your right my eye would go right to it everytime and everybody would see it to...lol

[JAWS]

If I can help anyone I will. Send me an email with the address I gave you earlier & Im sending you a scan with some measurements.

[Wombat]

Great stuff my friend!!

Now this is gonna actually be some fun this bit of the build and will really transform the look totally.
You know,i've stuffed around here for another couple of days trying to get that Centurion deck panel like yours buut i still can't get it right.I've given up now and will just resort to what i did manage to get.It's betta than it was before but still not as good as yours.So many things will make a difference to how it turns out i don't know what is required really.Maybe my big sloped panel is too long or short or perhaps my two panels coming off the waist aren't wide enough eitther.Then we can throw in the amout the trench slopes down and also take into account that our trench roof isn't quite as wide as it should be either.Still,you managed to achieve it there so it can be done.
Keep tham updates coming dude!!

[JAWS]

Hey Phil thanks my friend. Ive had a bit of time to screw around with making things right. Today I thought I gotta make start on these engine port ridges & stop wasting time so Ive managed to make the angled ridges quite well & am definately happy with those. The other ones are a little harder, well have been for me anyway. Ive got them all roughed up & it should only take some sanding to get them to sure up. I'll do that tomorrow. The Weldon is great for gluing styrene. Gives you a little time to adjust but holds the pieces together & doesn't stick you skin together. I love the stuff! Anyway heres a couple of pics & just remeber some pieces aren't finished so look a little wonky, but theyre close.

[star-art]

You are definitely making some good progress. Being forced to figure things out can be a great way to learn new skills and improve your results.

I should warn you guys that WeldOn is extremely toxic. NEVER breathe the fumes from this stuff. Unfortunately, even a respirator won't protect you. After using it for quite a while, I discovered that a paint or chemical respirator provides no protection. The manufacturer says you need an air-supplied respirator. Unfortunately, that is very expensive.

Your health is at stake, so consider using this only when you have positive ventilation. By "positive" I mean air flowing in such a way that fumes are carried away from you. Only use it outdoors and never in an enclosed area. It is preferable to have some sort of fan blowing the fumes away from you.

[JAWS]

Whoa thats bad! Hey thanks Charles. So glad to have you around. I thought the fumes were a bit full on & have tried to limit my closeness to the applications. I will now have a fan on to move the vapor out the open garage door. Thanks for the positive feedback also from yourself & all the team. Its very motivating to get such good feedback from modelers such as yourselves. I'll be very happy once this section is completed.

[Wombat]

Looking great there Jase.Looks like it's almost detailing time for you mate!
Thats something i'm looking forward to,if i ever get to that stage that is.
Keep the updates coming mate!!

[darkimmitator]

(04-12-2010, 09:46 AM)jasonwright.1972 Wrote:

(04-11-2010, 11:56 PM)darkimmitator Wrote:

(04-11-2010, 08:50 AM)Richard_2001 Wrote: darkimmitator,

I have the exhaust ports at just a hair over 2 1/2" myself, to fit the parts on the slopes. The center port is about 1/16" under that on the original, but I made mine the same depth.

Richard

Thanks Richard !!!

Sorry was going to drop you a PM. Mine are pretty much the same 5.7cm. When you going to post that build over here?

I have been very buisy with other peoples builds lately ,but today i actually got some work done on the pegasus ! I made the body top cover ,engine top cover ,trimmed all the saturn v stages down ,cut the f16 body ,boxed in the back end of the engine plate opening ,and cut out the engine plate template .I even taped a few parts to the ol girl to see how things are lining up! I'll snap a few pics tommorrow ,and post them up .