Scratch Build: TESB Probe Droid Despatch Pod (8Rad LR232)

**marvin** · Feb 11, 2011

Hi,

So this is my first Studio Scale model. Did some srcatchbuilding before but this is the first time using studio accurate kit parts. If I like this way of modeling I'd like to work my way up to either an TESB AT-AT or a ROTJ speederbike, although I believe the consensus is that latter was mostly/fully scratchbuilt by ILM.

So these are my basic modeling principles for this model:

I'll be casting copies of parts where possible to save costs and to save parts for later use in other models
I'll be modeling it only with the mounting points that I need to display my model and not necessarily with all the mounting points on the studio model
I'll be painting it "real-world" instead of studio accurate. Basically I'd like it to look right in daylight versus under studio lighting

This is all information that I found in the other threads on this forum (thanks go out to Lee, Jason, Julien and probably others...) and is not my own work. Here's the list of kit (parts) you'll need:

5x 1/72 Hasegawa Morsel Karl (5x F28, 10x F45, 5x F34)
5x 1/35 Tamiya Schwerer Panzerspahwagen Sdkfz 232 (5x hull, 5x B13, 5x B30)
5x 1/35 Tamiya 20mm German Flakvierling 38 MIT Sd.Ah. 52 (5x A3, 5x A4, 2x A9, 3x A10, 10x A13, 2x E10, 3x E11, 5x F17)
1x 1/25 Tamiya Russian Medium Tank T-34 Type 85 (1x C9)
1x 1/12 Tamiya Lotus JPS MK III (1x L6, 1x L7, 1x L9)
5x Plastruct LF-416
5x Plastruct VHE-40

Thanks for looking!

Marvin

**RPF Support**

**marvin** · Feb 11, 2011

Hi,

So the first step. I made a small master from the two hull parts of the 8Rad and the grate that goes on the back. I also glued a styrene disc behind the turret hole.

Marvin

**marvin** · Feb 11, 2011

And these are my hull copies. I'll be putting all 5 of them together this weekend to form my basic hull.

Cheers,
Marvin

**Rick Deckard** · Feb 11, 2011

Very nice!!

**almar bouwman** · Feb 11, 2011

You know, I also wanted to do this to save costs but decided to buy 5 8Rads instead.
But you're off to a great start. Keep those photo's coming.

**ralphee** · Feb 11, 2011

Those look like amazing castings Marvin, are you planning to build both pods, using the same method?
There are times, i wish i could cast, an art i really need to get under my belt.

lee

**marvin** · Feb 11, 2011

almar bouwman said:

You know, I also wanted to do this to save costs but decided to buy 5 8Rads instead.
But you're off to a great start. Keep those photo's coming.

Yeah I thought about it. But this is about EUR 15 worth of silicone and around EUR 15 worth of resin for five copies. Together that's the same I paid for the first 8Rad.

**marvin** · Feb 11, 2011

ralphee said:

Those look like amazing castings Marvin, are you planning to build both pods, using the same method?
There are times, i wish i could cast, an art i really need to get under my belt.

lee

Hi Lee. These turned out pretty good. And you know what? All done without degassing and pressure casting. Just patience, good rubber and resin, and the secret ingredient: a mold that's lightly dusted with talcon powder....

I'd like to do the Leighter, but I believe the kit list is pretty steep and there's some expensive kist in there. I'm thinking if I'll be spending large amounts of money I'd like a model that's a bit closer to my heart.... like the AT-AT for instance. But building that armature is what's holding me back on that one.....

**MonsieurTox** · Feb 11, 2011

Awesome Marvin !

The castings look crisp and I like the way you used the chassis, you will get a very strong pod once the 5 castings are glued together !

Keep up the good work.

**marvin** · Feb 16, 2011

OK no real updates as I had a bit of a catastrophe. I had an old cabinet fall over and onto the hull mold (with the master in it) before I could pull the fifth resin copy. Ripped the mould and destroyed the master. So I'm waiting for a new 8Rad in order to make a new master..... to be continued....

In the mean time. I do have a question on the placement of some of the parts. I've seen the flakvierling ring part both right side up (pic below topside) as well as the wrong side up (pic below bottom) on I believe Lee's build. Which is correct and is the stem of the round flakvierling part cut off or do I keep it long? Thanks!

**ralphee** · Feb 16, 2011

Marvin its your call buddy, the Flak stem part, i saw as as wrong side up, others saw it the other way and may bang on how they got it right lol, personal call id say, the ref is a bit inconclusive, maybe rivets up makes more sense in a the real world lol?

The round part....leave the stem uncut, its there like that on the prop.

Really sorry to hear about the accident, it really bites when gravity betrays us on something we spend such an age on........look forward to seeing more.

lee

**marvin** · Feb 16, 2011

Lee,

Thanks! I think I'll go with rivets up for added detail if nothing else. I certainly can't tell from the two reference photo's available in the 8Rad threads.

And yes, sometimes gravity sucks. But I choose to thank it for giving me this opportunity to get a bit more practice building, modeling and casting

Marvin

**SSR** · Feb 16, 2011

Castings look great. For those who haven't tried casting yet - give it a try - you don't need to degas if you are just experimenting. Besides, how would you get to the professional degassing setup if you haven't gained some expertise in the first place !

As for the crushed mold - that's no fun; just remember - there is no gravity - the earth sucks !

**Sym-Cha** · Feb 16, 2011

marvin said:

... I had an old cabinet ...

Hi there Marvin,

Would it by any chance be an old 1970's cabinet with sliding cupboards which
... could contain the real black plastic T-track that was used on Luke and Darth
Vader's ANH lightsabers

If so then you would have something really valuable to sell and recast for all us
vintage lightsaber lovers

(Still searching for the vintage stuff, my so-called
Teee Trek

)

By the way I like your clean castings, what materials do you use and where can
we buy them i.e. here in the Netherlands or did you order abroad, if so where?

-Chaim

**marvin** · Feb 17, 2011

Hahaha..... I'm afraid not. Five year old Swedish crap :-)

Try www.polyservice.nl

They're near Amsterdam and Rotterdam and deliver to your doorstep for 10 Euro :-)

Make sure you get the orange two part silicone (comes in 2kg sets), because it runs just a tad thinner than the regular stuff. I use the longer curing resin to give the bubbles a bit more time to surface.

Marvin

**Sym-Cha** · Feb 19, 2011

Thanks marvin

-Chaim

**almar bouwman** · Feb 19, 2011

Chaim, you can also look here:

FormX Untitled Document

It's also in Amsterdam. I bought my Smooth-On stuff there.

**Sym-Cha** · Feb 19, 2011

Thanks Almar,

There's so much there, now I don't know what to choose

-Chaim

**marvin** · Feb 23, 2011

Alright. Round two!

new kit received, new master and a new mold.

Marvin

**marvin** · Feb 23, 2011

And here's five hull copies glued in place. Lining these up was a challenge to say the least, even with the added glue surface as a result of the undercarriage.

Going all resin on this means she's a heavy girl too!

Next stage is creating a mounting point and securing it in place.

Marvin

**MonsieurTox** · Feb 23, 2011

Looking great Marvin ! I notice you drilled holes on the back of your pulls, did you do that to save weight or that's another purpose ?

**marvin** · Feb 23, 2011

MonsieurTox said:

Looking great Marvin ! I notice you drilled holes on the back of your pulls, did you do that to save weight or that's another purpose ?

Hi Julien,

No I'm not so much a weight freak as I am a "structural integrity" freak. I'll be capping of the ends with styrene with a bolt glued to the back for mounting. No way am I confident that this will be strong enough so I will be pouring in a bit of resin to secure the bolt. For added strength I drilled the holes so the resin can flow into the hulls a bit and all the resin parts become one and the bolt has absolutely no place to go.

Marvin

**MonsieurTox** · Feb 24, 2011

Thanks for the explanations Marvin.

If your pod is heavy, the styrene part will indeed have a lot of stress, I would have glued the part you did with the screw inside the pod (about at 1/2 or 2/3 of the height, of course yoou have to trim it to get it fit the inside of your pod) and another styrene plate with just a hole (same diameter as you mounting pipe), this way there would be a lot less stress and you wouldnt need to add more resin (then more weight) to the pod !

Just an idea though, keep up the good work !

**marvin** · Feb 25, 2011

Good idea Julien!

I actually toyed with the idea of a central mounting point somewhere near the centre of gravity, but decided against it. I believe I reached critical mass: the point where a little extra resin really doesn't have a big impact on the overall weight anymore. Basically I'm going for a solid resin model right now.

Normally I think about the internal structure more. I usually work on vacuum formed styrene with an internal mounting structure, backfilled with polyurethane foam. This time I just wanted to be quick....

Marvin

**MonsieurTox** · Feb 25, 2011

That's OK Marvin ! And I thought my rotocasted 223 pod was heavy !

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