Boba Fett's Slave I Build (by Fine Molds)

masterjedi322

The goal of this project is to construct a 1/72 scale model of Boba Fett’s ship, Slave I, as seen in The Empire Strikes Back. This particular model is made by a company called Fine Molds. Over the last few years, they’ve made a great line of Star Wars models. I picked up mine from a great site, Hobby Link Japan.

This is the first time in probably fifteen years that I’ve built an actual model (i.e. not a prop kit) so I’n sure I’ve got a lot to learn when it comes to construction, but mostly painting and weathering.

So stay tuned. This promises to get interesting.

I will also be documenting this build on my website at seanpallas.com!

slave1pilot

watching with interest
I bought the Jango version (back when that was the only version available) to paint up Boba style
It's still in the box LOL

masterjedi322

Yeah, I did the exact same thing. I'm actually trying to sell the Jango version as they're now sold out.

And HLJ still has the Boba version in-stock.

Sean

MasterDurangus

I was always a fan of the design of Slave I... interested in seeing how this will turn out!

slave1pilot

hmmm...
Unfortunately, i gave away the decal sheet inside as I wasn't going to use it.
looks like I'm stuck with Stoopid Jango.

Ewi

One of my favourit models ... have fun

masterjedi322

Thanks! 'Hoping to crack open the box this weekend!

Sean

masterjedi322

So while things have been pretty busy, I managed to steal a few minutes at my workbench today. I didn’t get a whole lot accomplished, but I did manage to unpack the model and take a quick inventory.

Overall, the model looks great. All the pieces are very crisp and finely detailed. The instructions, while written in Japanese, have excellent exploded drawings, clearly illustrating the model’s assembly. Also included is a large color print, which details the painting scheme and provides a comprehensive list of the various colors needed. ‘Looks like I’m going to need to pick up some supplies!




Sean

tek2graphics

Cool! Can you please take measurements? I've been meaning to get one, but not sure on size. In inches please? : )

masterjedi322

I didn't measure mine, but according to this article, Starship Modeler - Fine Molds' Boba Fett Slave 1

it's about 12" long (13" when on the display stand).

Were there other measurements you were interested in?

Sean

tek2graphics

Ok thanks!

Blackbirdcd

I built up the Jango Fett version several years ago. It was one of the most fun kits I've built in a long time. I imagine this version will be equally cool.

masterjedi322

Thanks! I'm really looking forward to building a model as opposed to a prop!

I paid a visit to my local hobby shop, Z&Z Hobbies, to pick up some supplies for the build. First and foremost, I needed paint! For the majority of props I’ve built, I tend to stick with automotive or household paints, but this model is going to require something better fit for small scale. Luckily, the incredibly detailed painting guide that comes with the model includes a comprehensive list of all the colors needed, along with equivalents of Gunze-Sangyo, Humbrol, and Tamiya paint codes. As I’ve worked with Tamiya in the past, I decided to go that route. All in all, I picked up about twenty bottles of acrylic paint, plus some clear coats and thinner.

I also scored a new sprue cutter, a bottle of Tamiya adhesive, and some Maskol masking fluid, which I figure I’ll need to achieve the complex paint patterns.

Next up, I hope to be doing some building!


Sean

Zombie_61

If you want a real lesson, build the old MPC/AMT Slave 1 kit first.

PetarB

This kit is joy to put together - construction is a snap. It's also divided into pieces that can be painted seperately. You might want to get some artist's masking fluid to help with the weathered effect all over the ship, especially on the right hand hemisphere... easier to fake that with a toothbrush flick, than try and duplicate every single splatter!

You've picked a great kit to start on your journey, I look forward to seeing what you can do!

ZOMBIEREPELLENT

I've seen people replicate the chipping with masking fluid and a torn makeup sponge. Way back when I did my MPC one I used water and sand to replicate it. It came out OK but in all honesty it was just practice for this one, and I never wound up picking it up

NAZGÛL

Agreed on using masking fluid. This kit is great. Only quality issue is the canopy glass that has a rather poor fit, at least by FM standards.

masterjedi322

Thanks for the tips, Fellas! I picked up a bottle of masking fluid, which I intend to use for the more complex paint patterns. And, Nazgul, I'll watch out for the canopy.

Today I finally put some stuff together! Following the instructions, the first assembly to put together is the cockpit. The assembly is composed of three subassemblies: the pilot’s console, the passenger seats below, and the surrounding bulkheads. The entire thing went together very quickly and easily. ‘Just snapped the parts off the sprue using my sprue cutters, filed down the excess material, and glued everything together using Tamiya thin cement, which worked really well.

I’ve decided to tackle all the assembling before I dive into painting. Next up are the wings!



Sean

LrdSatyr8

What a friggen nightmare of a buiild that was... I think I went thru two tubes of Testors putty to fill in all the seams and cracks because the two halves never did fit together properly. Did I mention I've got every single AMT/ERTL Star Wars kit ever made? Have built every single one at least twice!

TCSloan

hows the accuracy on this kit?

masterjedi322

Generally, I think the Fine Mold models are known to be of pretty good accuracy. Obviously, it's not 100% accurate, but I'd say it's pretty close. If you read some of the reviews at Starship Modeler, it rates around a 8.5 out of 10.

Sean

NAZGÛL

Well its basically a repainted Jango, with a few more parts. Some panellines and details (and scale!) are off compaired to the Boba studio model, probably because its modeled after the Jango version. Some are easy to fix, others are more tricky. Heres one Ive built. Look around the dish.



I just filled the hatches, rescribed most of the wrong lines, and added some tiny squares.



Its a nice kit for sure, and very fun to paint. They could have nailed it with better details though.

TCSloan

hey thanks for the info..what book is that?

NAZGÛL

Sculpting a galaxy.

masterjedi322

Thanks again for the tip, Nazgul. I have Sculpting a Galaxy on my bookshelf. I'll be sure to check it out for painting reference. As for the build, I think I'm just going to stick with an out-of-the-box build.

Next up are the wings. Each wing is comprised of three subassemblies: what I’ll call the outer wing, the strut, and the inner wing. There are a handful of parts for each subassembly, so progress was a little slower today, but I managed to get one wing assembled. Following the advice of this article at Starship Modeler, I decided to keep the three parts separated until after painting.



Sean