Star Destroyer #3

[darkimmitator]

Stunning model . I am glad to see the tanker ends worked out for you !

[ringa]

In my last post, I showed how I used a candle to shape the dome from the AMT 1/25 Frauhauf Tanker kit to fit over the hull. That dome turned out to be slightly too small, so I ordered Plastruct domes. Since that heating technique worked very well, I decided to use it on the Plastruct dome, which is the correct size. I still have to add panel lines to it, so until then, here's how it looks with kit bashing and paint...



Since the mounting hole is in the back of the dome, it hides it nicely when shooting from the front...



I still have to detail the top hull with panel lines, chips and paint. Now that the dome is on, and once I get that panel-lined, I can finally move on to the top hull.

[ringa]

Added the panel lines to the dome...

[Cylon-Knight]

Perfect. Totally perfect!

[dbhs]

Looks awesome, Rick. That front view is amazing. Your tip on the paint misting to apply a tracing pattern was great, thanks.

[ringa]

Thanks!

Now that the dome is done, I'm finally able to start the top hull panel lines.

It was necessary to cover my white table with black paper so I could see my progress. You can see how misting white paint around objects that will later be glued in place helps in the placement of lines.

The most helpful tool I use for this is the small, 4" by 3" metal ruler. I put tape on it to keep it from sliding while scribing, which will ruin your day if it happens too many times.

There seems to be many more lines per square inch on the top hull than the bottom hull, even though there is less area to cover over all. What you see in the photo is several hours of work.

[JAWS]

Wow Rick this build is just amazing. You have done a fantastic job mate. Im back now & will get things moving again. Keep the updates coming buddy as they are inspiring as always.

[ringa]

(08-08-2011, 12:03 PM)jase72 Wrote: Wow Rick this build is just amazing. You have done a fantastic job mate. Im back now & will get things moving again. Keep the updates coming buddy as they are inspiring as always.

Thanks, Jase! Making good progress. ALL panel lines are done! I'm working on the side trench edges; U-channels in place, rails in place, just working on detailing the edges with some details as small as grains of salt!

[ringa]

It's about time I updated this thread.

In my last progress post, I had finished the panel lines and moved on to detailing the top hull trench edges. I've since moved on to the engine area.

This first photo is a shot of my work area. It's small and confined, but it gets the job done. At the time this was taken I was just starting the process of scribing panel lines.



In this photo I had made progress down the starboard side. You can see how the misting of paint around the pieces really helps in the placement of lines...



Here is another test fitting...



When I originally posted this next photo, I wrote that it wouldn't be long before the engine area was detailed. Well, it took a lot longer than I thought for me to get to this point.



FINALLY, I was able to start on the engine area! One of the things that held me up here was that I thought I needed the 3 main engine shafts before I could begin. I'm still without them, but construction goes forward.

I want to give a huge THANKS to Charles Adams for creating the patterns for the engine area. He and I have been consulting and collaborating on the dimensions of the original filming model for a long time. While I was working on the other areas of my model, he had painstakingly worked out the engine area patterns. This is a MUCH appreciated time saver for me. Here is a test fitting of the lower half so far...

/IMGP0958.jpg[/IMG]

Here 's how the measuring cups fit...







The bottom half has come this far, now I have to do the top half.

[JAWS]

Nice stuff Rick. Looks like your on top of it mate.

[ringa]

Looking like a couple of stingrays, these engine section halves are built and ready for detailing.

It's interesting to note that when working out the patterns for these, Charles found that the back of this model is entirely asymmetrical. It was not a matter of making one half of the engine structures, duplicating it and flipping it upside down. We found that the bottom hull curves up to its aft point, altering the angles significantly from the top. Because my model is more symmetrical than the original, we decided that I would use one half of the patterns twice.



Because the bottom hull is permanently attached to the frame, I was able to glue the supports for the engine structures to it. You can see just how deep and angled the engines are on a ANH star destroyer, unlike the ESB version, which is not as deep. Because of this, the ESB angles are completely different.



Another big difference between the two versions is the side trench depth. Once again, the ANH version is much deeper than the ESB. Also, this version has a forced perspective built into the trenches. Where the ESB is pretty much even all the way down, this one starts out wide at the nose and tapers down to a mere 3/8" at the rear. Even though the trench wall inside is the same height throughout. This is done by making the frame angle narrower than the hull so that the aft hull corners are out further than they are at the nose. But only just a little. Like I've said before, when dealing with all these angles, the slightest adjustment has huge, cascading effects.





When asking Lorne Peterson about the U-channels and rims, he said that they are made of brass on the filming model. You can see that I have brass channels (thanks to Lee), but I chose to go with plastic for the rims. I know that is anathema to some, but I did so after careful consideration. First, I know from experience that CA and brass don't mix. I don't mean that I would have tried to glue the brass rims to the U-channels, I would have silver soldered them. After having done a multitude of Star Trek TOS brass communicator lids, that would not have been a big deal. Its all the tiny details that go on the rims. I wanted them to be more secure. Super glued parts simply flake off the brass with the slightest pressure. I've devised a way of securing the plastic rims without gluing them to brass. It works really well as I've banged them into the wall a few times without damage carrying the model upstairs (big model + narrow stairs = :cry). So I chose to go with this combination for detail security. When painted it won't look any different anyway.

Lorne also suggested that I get a notching tool (a nibbler) to cut the notches out of the rims. If you don't have one, get one! What could have taken about an hour was done in less than 5 minutes.

It should be an interesting weekend. Patiently sitting in its box, the superstructure awaits being mated to the hull! Will this happen sooner than later? I don't know, but stay tuned!

[ringa]

As of now, the top hull is permanently attached to the frame. Before I could do this, I had to paint the top hull trench or I would not be able to get inside there later. The engine frames are in place now as well. I was able to glue the first pieces to the engine section. Many to go, yet I don't have all of them.

It's getting very exciting.

[dbhs]

It's looking excellent there. Did the studio model have those metal channels on the edge? i've never noticed this detail before. It has a nice way of cleaning up the edge of the hull panel. Your scribing work is excellent. It working through the tedium of those kinds of things that really make a model shine when it's done.

[ringa]

(08-29-2011, 01:05 PM)dbhs Wrote: It's looking excellent there. Did the studio model have those metal channels on the edge? i've never noticed this detail before. It has a nice way of cleaning up the edge of the hull panel. Your scribing work is excellent. It working through the tedium of those kinds of things that really make a model shine when it's done.

Thanks!

The brass U-channels are on the actual filming model. Got that from Lorne Peterson himself.

Panel lines are tedious for sure. The hard part for me was just getting started.

[ringa]

Quick update. Been working on the engine area. All you see is now securely in place. The final main engine shafts will look different. I'm missing a lot of parts back there, so while I look for more kits, I will now be able to finish the top hull details.

[ringa]

Here are a couple of photos. It's all details, details, details.

[darkimmitator]

Looking absolutely stellar . Simply amazing details through out this build . GOOD STUFF !!!!!

[ringa]

I did the first lighting test and I wanted to share it with you all...



I spent many hours cutting and gluing tiny plastic chips all over the top hull.

[darkimmitator]

WOW !!!!!!

[ringa]

So little left to do...

[JAWS]

Wow Rick this is looking sooooooooooo sweeeeet!!!! Damn the engine section is beautiful. Youve done a great job with that area.
The lights look awsome mate & the engine bells are the biz.
Keep it coming mate.
I'll get those parts to you soon.

[ringa]

Thanks, Jason! It's been a LONG time coming, but I am almost done with this build! And thanks again for the parts! They will be the finishing touches that bring it all together!

[dbhs]

Looks great rick. are the clear cones plastic drinking cups? The detailing on the dome-shaped engines is incredible.

[dbhs]

Looks great rick. are the clear cones plastic drinking cups? The detailing on the dome-shaped engines is incredible.

[ringa]

Thank you! The two kinds of engines are (and were on the original) made from L'Eggs egg-shaped pantyhose containers, and the 4 smaller engines were made from small measuring cups like the kind nurses put medication in to give to patients in hospitals.

The L'Eggs eggs are vintage, so they are hard to come by, otherwise I wouldn't have used clear ones. On the original filming model, these eggs were recast in a material that could withstand the intense heat of the bulbs. Since LEDs give off no heat, I'm saved the trouble of recasting them.

The mixing/measuring cups are still around. Last year my wife had a long hospital stay (she's doing well now, thank God!), and she saved all the cups from her medications for me to use on my build. Most of them I used to mix resin in, but I saved enough for use on these engines. The cups are dressed up with sections of battleship railings around the outside, with parts from a truck kit and a ring of detail from the Centurion kit on the inside (Jason is sending the Centurion part to complete these engines. Thanks Jason!).

[ringa]

Here's the latest. The eggs are primed and will be painted white soon. They are not attached yet. The secondary engines are.



As you can see, I have 4 of the same gun. Whenever I can find the base part for the different fourth gun, I will replace what I have.





Not much more to do before I can paint and finish it!

[ringa]

I finally got a kit I was waiting for in the mail. It has parts I need for the bottom hull and the engine area. They are in rubber as of now.

I painted the L'Eggs eggs white, and the test below shows they are opaque, especially the clear ones, which now have no light bleeding through...



There are two things that will make or break this replica; proportions are most important, followed by the right "feel" to its overall appearance.

To me, there is something about the fact that the original Star Destroyer is hand made, and that it has its imperfections that says something about the power of movie magic... because the Star Destroyer looks so GREAT on film; so majestic and ominous as it stretches into endless space overhead, then looming menacingly closer from the front. Then, like a shark, it swallows the 6-foot long Blockade Runner model in its gigantic docking bay, which in reality is not much more than 5 inches wide!

Thus is the spectacular illusion of miniature FX that so captured my imagination when I was a young boy watching Star Wars for the first time in 1977. And this is why the ANH Star Destroyer has always left an impression on me, making it my favorite filming model.

Because the model is hand made, there is a lot of asymmetry. So, it is near impossible to be 100% accurate replicating it. But it's not impossible to be very close. In being close enough involves having the right "feel" to the overall look. Part of the original model's charm, IMHO, is the hand-made look with all its asymmetry. That's why it's important that my replica have the hand-made look too. If I had all the parts laser cut and more symmetrical, it would lose some of what makes the original so appealing to me.

Because I have never seen the original filming model in person (ironically, even though my second Star Destroyer model replaced the real one in the "Action!" museum tour––I was contacted after it was removed), I am never entirely sure how close I am to the original's proportions from each angle. So far it looked very close from the front, but I was more concerned, and hopeful that it would look as good from the back, where the hull proportions would be much more noticeable if they were off by even just a quarter inch.

When I put a photo the real model over mine in a very similar camera angle, I was very pleased and relieved...

---

This installment is more for those who are just starting out who want to learn about resin casting. More experienced model makers know all about this, and more.

If you are thinking of building a studio scale model, you know you have to get your hands on some very rare, hard to find, and very expensive kits. It is important to learn how to save time and money by copying parts you need more than one of.

I just got in the mail one of those rare kits. It comes with two small parts that my Star Destroyer needs 20 of. So, those two parts, plus others are currently in rubber.



I never played with Legos as a kid, but they come in handy when you need a customized container to hold the silicone mix. This way you can build a reusable container to suit the part(s) you are casting so you are not wasting rubber. This is a tip I read somewhere, and this is how I cast all my small pieces.

I use double-sided adhesive sheets, cut to size and stuck to a throw-away piece of plastic. I then stick the parts to be copied on the adhesive, leaving enough around the edges to stick the Legos to it as well. The adhesive keeps the parts from floating in the mixture, and seals the containment area, or silicone will leak from underneath. It is also cost effective to cast as many different parts at a time.

The Alumilite brand I'm using here requires a 10 to 1 mixture of rubber and catalyst to cure properly. The resin requires 1 to 1.

Before beginning, it's important to prep the parts being cast. The Star Destroyer uses multiples of this 8-Rad part (many filming models of that era did). This part, below, first had to have its sides removed with a hobby knife or saw. It also has many openings that have to be plugged up. I noticed the outer edges on this part are higher than some details in the middle, so it doesn't lay flat on those edges. It was necessary to build up the outer edges with plastic so they were higher than the inner details.



Depending on the cure time of the silicone you use, it could take a day or a few hours before you are ready to cast pieces in it. The pink mix will take about a day, but for this 8-Rad part I used the yellow mix, which meant I was copying it the same day. The pink mold is softer and more flexible than the yellow. They are both durable, and will last through many castings before they lose their usability.



A good thing about resin castings is that they are easy to work with. If you haven't tried it yet, resin takes a mere 3 minutes to harden, so you don't have to wait long to have all your needed pieces.



There are experts here in dealing with resin that have more advanced ways of doing things, pressure casting, etc. But if all you need are a few parts using a one part mold, or you just want to learn the basics, this could be a good starting point for you.

Hope this helps those who always wanted to try it!

[ringa]

Now that I have some missing parts, I went back to the bottom hull. One of the parts I just made a mold of is now cast, cut and glued in place. Still need the 'dish' looking part from the 1-24 Panther G to complete this detail, but at least I have something where there was nothing before...





I also took the time to add more detail to the top of the nose...



I've begun masking the top hull where the superstructure will go so I can finally paint it!

[JAWS]

Holy moly Rick this is seriously looking just 'unbelieveable'!
Mate this is better than the original.
Your work on this build is so inspriring.
Thanks for your indepth tutorials & explenations.
They are very informative & helpful to the other builders.
Thanks mate.

[ringa]

Primed...









Still have some parts I'm waiting for, but those areas are masked. I'll paint it white in a few days.

[JAWS]

Beautiful.

[ringa]

So close to the finish line.

There are still some parts I am missing, but thanks to Jason Wright that will be taken care of soon, thank you, Jason!!!

In these photos, the superstructure and L'Eggs eggs are not yet attached, so please excuse the tissue paper stuffed in the eggs to hold them in place for these pictures.

Enjoy...

[JAWS]

Rick I love those lights. The build is so smooth & clean.

[darkimmitator]

That is one simply stunning model . Well done !!!!

[ringa]

Thanks guys!

Jason, when you are finished with your build, I hope you feel like I did when I first saw this all together last night!

Funny, I went through all this (3 times... third time the charm) since 2003 because I always wanted to see the real filming model in person. I still have not and I may never, yet now I have my very own. A good solution, yes?

[JAWS]

Doesn't get better than that mate & thats what all us nuts are trying to achieve.

[darkimmitator]

I hope to tackle this build some day , and there is plenty of reference and inspiration here !!!!!!

[ringa]

The hardest part for me was to be patient and not rush. It's easy to feel overwhelmed, but don't look at it as a huge mountain, look at it as several steps, then take one at a time. I treated every individual structure as a separate model so I wouldn't cut corners just to get it done. There were some really hard parts to figure out and build. But it is worth going through the trouble when it is finished. You can look at it and be glad you went the extra mile.

[ringa]

[JAWS]

oh crsp thats sick Rick!

[JAWS]

That looks so sick you bugger

[ringa]

[Richard_2001]

Rick,

Those are some great composites! The first time I looked at them I was thinking they were screen-caps great job!

Richard

[darkimmitator]

Holy Wowness !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WWWOOOOOOOWWW !!!!!!!!!!
Fantastic composites !

[dbhs]

WOW - great to see it in it's proper environment. really brings it to life and to full size seeing it in a composite like that. Great photography and composite work too. the lighting looks spot on.

[ringa]

Thank you! I'm glad you like them.

[ringa]

Here's my 'fleet' of star destroyer builds...

[ringa]

[JAWS]

So whats your next build going to be?

[ringa]

(10-21-2011, 05:23 AM)jase72 Wrote: So whats your next build going to be?

One at a time. I won't start anything else until this one is finished.
Can you still do those parts?