Jases Battlestar Galactica

[JAWS]

Sounds good. We look forward to seeing your beast. You got plenty done yesterday.

[darkimmitator]

Yes , It felt good to finnally do some of my own stuff !! Between you ,Phil and Mike ,you all have inspired me to get my ass in gear and do some long overdue work to the beast. I have run into the waist /centurion plate dilemma ,but the centurion plate still fits right but I have almost an extra 1/4 of an inch to play with .i can live with that and can hide most of the boo boo with the details .Besides no two battlestars were alike and this is the Pegasus ! Jase ,the engine pockets look awesome .!!!

[JAWS]

Had some things holding me up but all seems to be working out. A small update. Have been playing with a Saturn V for some test fitting before cutting. Have also been casting my Roco 215's for the bottom slope aswell as some other bits. Ive realised my engine box is short to the degree its quite a big problem...

[Richard_2001]

Jason,

Yep that is a big problem!! It seems like you will have to extend the engine a bit! What is your measurement for the 215 slope length?

Richard

[LastBattlestar]

Jase, how do the upper Rocos fit? I'd try those first before panicking. I'd heard years ago that the Rocos MAY have been trimmed a little down the sides to fit. It may only me half a mm. or so on each one. Over 13 Rocos, that will be enough to make up the half inch you have left over.

Mike

[JAWS]

Thanks Mike & Richard. Mike your right in the way that my castings have a little 'flash' on the bottom & once that is sanded off each one should bring them in pretty close to what I need. Then if I take that 1/2mm off like you suggested I should be pretty much ok. The top Roco's fit pretty good now I remember so Im feeling better already. I'll sort it out this afternoon.

[Wombat]

Everything is workable mate and we'll work something!

[JAWS]

I gotta come in 8mm as the engine plate is nearly 6mm. Its not going to be a problem once the flash is cleaned from the edges of the pieces. Once the flash is cleaned theyll be pretty much spot on I believe(have to believe!)

[Wombat]

Thats more like it,good to hear.
So how much is the total overhang with the flash cleaned up there Jase?
My backplate is the same 5-6mm thick and i'll do the same as i'm doing with the ports at present and will allocate 2-3mm of the backplate as the engine section itself.That'll have those rear Roco's overhanging onto my plate.Look forward to seeing a picture when you get a chance of how it'll look.
Keep positive up there my friend!!

[dbhs]

This is very cool, guys. I was thinking it would make more sense to build the whole frame work first and then apply the greeblies but i can see that going back and forth helps to work out all the little adjustments needed to make it work.

[darkimmitator]

(04-28-2010, 10:01 AM)dbhs Wrote: This is very cool, guys. I was thinking it would make more sense to build the whole frame work first and then apply the greeblies but i can see that going back and forth helps to work out all the little adjustments needed to make it work.

Yes , It's almost essential ,in order to make sure you have the right shape ,and amount of surface area to fit those greeblies .Test fit many times and glue only once !!!!! But the great amount of new info avilable from fellow battlestar builders ,is of the greatest help.Many thanks to all of you !!!!

[JAWS]

Ok crew good news. Ive sanded the flash off the edge of the 215 castings & its brought it in pretty much perfectomundo! So a lot of hooharr about nought Im happy & relkieved so its time to pull my finger out & get back to it. Phils probably finished his Ports & i aint even finished assembleing mine....

[Wombat]

Thats not just good news mate,thats fucking fantastic news from where i'm sitting!!WTFG there bud!!
You see,it's worked out pretty good and infact taking into account some of our backplates being part of the engine dimensions themselves then that looks about perfect i'd say.It's a fne sight thats for sure!!

Oh no rushing on them ports mate,take your time and get em as good as ya can,i haven't touched mine in days.Got things to do each night as you know and then i just haven't had any motivation once i've got home from that to touch em.But i plan to get some more done on em over the weekend hopefully.

Thanks for those pic's,you've made my day mate!!

[JAWS]

Yeah mate I agree. I aint doin anything else tonight except have a drink. Just bloody relieved & had another good score in the kits section.

[JAWS]

Well some more fantastic news i scored the Otaki D51 for $64! This morning. Thought I'd have to pay way more than that so am even more stokeder So in the last 2 weeks have picked up 2 of the rarer kits needed for this build. The search continues

[bwayne64]

(05-01-2010, 05:41 AM)jasonwright.1972 Wrote: Well some more fantastic news i scored the Otaki D51 for $64! This morning. Thought I'd have to pay way more than that so am even more stokeder So in the last 2 weeks have picked up 2 of the rarer kits needed for this build. The search continues

You guys are killing me. Where do you find these things, LOL. I love it, don't have a jealous bone in me, Glad these things are still out there. And I can't think of a better place for them to be. Just remember me, when you start casting parts, Cheers,

Joe

[darkimmitator]

Double congrats there Jase !!! First on the sorting out the fittment of the bottom row of roco placement ,and the second on the awesome score on the d51 locomotive ! Happy for ya man !!!!

[JAWS]

Thanks boys. Your a good bunch of guys that will be rewarded with some important parts for your builds. Most importantly that was a huge relief to fit those parts on as well as they did. It was simply the little pieces of flash that needed to come off. I'll start finishing off the ports tonight & get the rest of the Saturn V parts cut & shaped as I had a few reissues finally arrive during the week. The were held up by a volcano....

[Wombat]

Your on a roll at present aren't ya??Man your doing real good there on the kit hunting and again it's bloody great seeing them Roco's sitting in that picture.You almost had me worried there for a sec! LOL

[JAWS]

Well you know I was bloody worried! Startin to feel like the Grim Reaper lately... Not now the gods are throwin goodies my way. Can't wait to get in the shed this arvy but I do feel a bit warn out. Im thinkin about starting a Colonial Movers along side this Battlestar.

[bwayne64]

Jase,
Those roco's look sweet all lined up. Like little ducks in a row, Sorry I didn't have the 257's. I wish I had 5 of the buggers. I was lucky to get one. I'm just glad I have one of each of the originals. At least now I can cast all the copies I'll need. So you had to trim them to fit the length. I'll have to remember that. It's gonna be so helpful to have so many people building this thing. All these eyes looking at every little angle. Looking good mate, cheers,

Joe

[JAWS]

Joe when i cast them they had a little flash on the sides. Beez nuts worth. When I gave em a quick clean up it was enough to bring em line to where they actually should be. So their pretty much spot on as is.

[bwayne64]

(05-01-2010, 02:00 PM)jasonwright.1972 Wrote: Joe when i cast them they had a little flash on the sides. Beez nuts worth. When I gave em a quick clean up it was enough to bring em line to where they actually should be. So their pretty much spot on as is.

Thats good to know, That way I can use the Rocos to double check the engine box length. Are you and Phil gonna use 1/8 plexi for the curved nose section. I grabbed a piece of 1/8 the other day. And although it bent to the proper curve. It was really trying to spring back. Would 1/16 thick be better in that area. I figure it will be plenty strong, and easier to get the proper curve. I know you guys are in the engine section, but just wanted to know your thoughts on this. Cheers,

Joe

[JAWS]

Joe I believe we're going to use styrene over acrylic bulk heads. Like what we did with the waist section.

[bwayne64]

(05-02-2010, 09:05 AM)jasonwright.1972 Wrote: Joe I believe we're going to use styrene over acrylic bulk heads. Like what we did with the waist section.

Oh Ok, that will be easier then. I prefer styrene anyway. Got a long way to go before I start on the nose. I was gonna skin the whole thing in acrylic, But the curved sections will be much easier with styrene. Cheers,

Joe

[JAWS]

I started back on the engine ports which I gotta say was sucking big time. I got one of the Leoplold parts to check the length was right or close & guess what. Not.... Im about 3mm short & now have to do them all again. These ports really suck!

[JAWS]

Ok so I forgot the photos cause I was a lil po'd to say the least. Lucky I have a beautiful daughter that has the amazing abillity to make me laugh. She's a real kack & always makes everything seem so not worth it when Im crackn a narny
Ok so Ive got all the 215's cast for the lower slopes & just need to clean em up a lil more. You can see the what was finished port bases that weren't looking too bad but compared to the Wombats really are quite messy... Anyhoo some pictures of a few more parts cast. My moulds that were my first ever have started to come apart & lose the details so its definately time to remould which will be good as I know so much more now. The last picture shows the Leopold part that clearly indicates my walls are too short

[star-art]

Please don't think I'm trying to sound snide by saying this, but the old adage "measure twice, cut once" is very important for this project. Don't feel too bad, as the same thing happened to CR on their first build (the Atlantia). The openings weren't deep enough to fit the parts! That was of course fixed when I designed the second build.

When I made my plans available, at the time I did not yet have all the parts to check the fit of everything. Thus, they were a baseline to work from but needed some tweaking. I told everyone this when they got them, that the plans were an excellent starting point (much better than starting from scratch). You take that as a start, then lay the parts on and test for fit. Adjust as needed, then make your final part.

If you get too excited and just want to start building (or, if you assume the base pattern is good to go without checking the parts fit first), you then take the chance of running into stuff like this.

I feel your frustration, believe me. I've been through this same process hundreds of time since I started in 1998. That's why I built mockup after mockup prior to making my final structure. Even then, the final plex parts still weren't 100% perfect. You just keep tweaking and fine tuning until you get to the point where you can say "close enough" and move on.

Just keep in mind, what you guys are doing (starting with a base set of patterns that aren't too far off) is still the fastest and easiest way to get a finished model that will fit the parts reasonably well and also look like the real thing. Just imagine if you had nothing but a bunch of parts and you had to figure every dimension from scratch. . .

[Wombat]

Love the look with all them Rocos on the bottom slopes!!

Hey that suck's on your port's Jase,i'm not sure whats happened there with you to come up a lil short.I measured a couple of parts to get a length and it seems about right.Parts are our best friend,or enemy at times with this build.But even with them i'm still able to make stupid mistakes this end.So don't feel that bad about em.

I'm not sure if you need to worry about it being a little short or not?You can always just take a mm here and there from the part's and still get the same look.Just lay out some other parts that go in there and see how it looks.If it workable then it's betta than re doing all that again!

Charles,i'm not speaking for Jase,but i know we both understand they are a guide and just like you mentioned to us,need to be checked and tweeked if needed.Myself,i'm really only using your plans as just that,a guide on how things should sorta be and they are a big help in that department for sure.They are a big help to anyone contemplating building this beastie!

[JAWS]

Thanks guys I think I'll try lining them with some styrene to bring them out. That seems like the simplest way. If not I'll just do em again. Its always easier the second time!

[star-art]

Repeat after me: "Measure once, cut twice. Measure once, cut twice."

Uh, wait a minute! I mean the other way around. LOL

[Richard_2001]

Jason,

Just make a new set, it will save all the time you waste rebuilding the ones you have over and over and still not being happy with them!

Richard

[JAWS]

I agree. Im annoyed because I know I built them right the first time. I remeber I sanded them down to make them all pretty.... Thats where I lost my few mm!!! Idiota!

[Wombat]

Mine are far from perfect also mate,so don't stress.If you have to build another set you will find it a lot easier the second time and they will more than likely look even betta than the first go.I know if i did mine again i'd hope to do a betta job than what i've done with em on the first go.Anyway,it's only a small set back and so far i'm way in on the set back front of you with the amount i've amassed already!

[427 Cobra]

Look, I know we have all talked a lot of trash about making mistakes. I want to be one of the few to say that it's all part of making things from scratch. Even if you have a plan, it's no guarantee that all the parts will always fit perfectly. Don't feel bad - I'm a professional builder, and I still make mistakes ALL THE TIME! I've just learned to keep them small, and few, so that I don't waste a lot of materials doing it.

~ Cobra Chris

[darkimmitator]

The best of the best make mistakes ! That is why there are upgarde kits developed !!! LOL

[JAWS]

Can someone tell me which 'Simple Green' product removes paint from models kits. A picture of the product would also be good. Can't find Castrol Degreaser here... Gotta clean uo the Aurora Invaders kit.

[JAWS]

Ok so its Mothers Day today in Australia so couldn't hide away in the shop all day. I have got a couple of jobs out the way & cut round 2 of the engine port bases. Much easier the second time round(figure that ) So may get these together tonight or will definately have them together tomorrow so I can start getting serious

[Wombat]

Good to see you've got that side of things done again.Now for the building of em again aye?It wont be that bad and they'll probably go together that much easier than the last set.Just double check the length though.Cut part 4 and part 8 give you th elength it needs to be overall,including our backplate thickness.You can see on the Pappas dvd where part 4 is cut.

[darkimmitator]

(05-09-2010, 09:45 AM)jasonwright.1972 Wrote: Can someone tell me which 'Simple Green' product removes paint from models kits. A picture of the product would also be good. Can't find Castrol Degreaser here... Gotta clean uo the Aurora Invaders kit.

Jase ,I have also used Easy off oven cleaner ,with great success.Don't let it soak on the model for any more than 2 hours ,and rinse under cold running water thoroughly.You may need a second application if the paint is really thick .

[LastBattlestar]

I have used brake fluid for stripping paint off styrene parts....

Mike

[JAWS]

Phil I have cut my pieces at 60mm just to be totally safe. I can bring it in after the parts are on. Im not doing this for a 3rd time thats for sure. Im going to do mine like yours this time aswell. Definately the best thing to do. Kevin I'll see how this goes mate. I have heard that works but just thought Id try the non toxic way first. Mike the breake fluid way is probably the last way I will try but will give it a go one day. Any suggestions on which brake fluid you used 'safel' on the styrene parts? I should have these together today & maybe even a couple of kit parts also. Has any one figured out howm many Leopold & Morsers etc etc are needed to complete just these sections? Maybe we should add amounts to the Parts List?

[JAWS]

Back again! Sorted some parts from the Morser karl, Leopold & 88mm Flak. Just need some railing from a Heller. Ok now Im almost happy Ive had to do this again. Sounds sick doesn't it, but these have been almost tooo easy to do & theyre way cleaner & precise than the first ones. Ive used my jig again but better. Ive mad the portsin 2 halves like Phil did & it worked vertually perfectly & problem free. The Weld-On#16 glue is the best & I just won't use anything else for scratch building with styrene of acrylic ever again. Its strong, gives enough play time to alin properly & sets hard. I love it Never using super glue again, its rubbish, brittle weak stuff compared to Weld-On. So without any kicking or fussing 4 x new engine port bases. Now Im going to cut a fresh set of shelves for them which shouldn't be too much problem. To anyone else doing this I highly recomend making a jig usung the inner engine port shape to construct you ports around. Make one Master then trace all the parts out with that 1 Master & they will all be pretty much the same when you cut them.

[JAWS]

Hello again! Busy day in the shop. Really wanna get these all based up before the end of the day. Have made template of total patern & then duplicated them with the original as mentioned before. This helping to keep them all pretty much identical & easier to cut & assemble. I guess Ive had over a week of planning this in my head so its gone like a surgical operation so far. Ive got the slanted shelves all done. The jig I cut has just been the greatest help in uniformity & accuracy. I highly recomend making one to use. These are all done & its on to the final straight shelves. If I get all these done by dinner I'll actually get some sleep.

[Richard_2001]

Jason,

Looking much better! It is always smoother the second time around as you know what went wrong the first time

Richard

[Wombat]

Excellent stuff there Jase!!
It's good seeing you back to pretty much where you were beforehand once again.I'm glad it's all been going relatively well there and that you,of most things,are happy with what you've achieved there.It won't be long and we'll be hitting the engine stage itself with some greeblies.Now that should be fun!!

[JAWS]

Ok Ive finished assembleing the parts & am very happy with todays work. I might get some parts in rubber before I getr to bed & may not... The mail man just came & the Otaki D51 & Tamiya-Mokei LongTom has come home to papa

[Wombat]

I'd say it looks like it's been a really great day there for ya.

[star-art]

Tamiya-Mokei LongTom? That's a new one to me. ???

[JAWS]

(05-11-2010, 05:31 AM)star-art Wrote: Tamiya-Mokei LongTom? That's a new one to me. ???

Charles thats unbelievable. You didn't know about the Tamiya Mokei 1/21 series. Well glad to be enlightenning you on something for a change. It even has an allumminnium barrel! I will kit scan it tonight.

On the engine port side of things i made a boo boo! Ive put the legs of the shelves on upside down On all of them....... Oh well 3rd time lucky hehehehehehehehehe