Haystack Hair's MPC Falcon Upgrade Kit Thread

[Archive&Future]

Well I FINALLY finished making the instructions for my Millennium Falcon photoetch kit.....I put a lot of effort and thought into it, I think it really looks the business!

 

[danikin72]

Put me down for a set of both the sidewalls and the photo etch when they are done.
Save me a lot of time and I've always wanted to do a ANH version without the added landing bays.
My vote is for the 5foot version sidewalls but either way I'm down for a set.

 

[BenCozine]

I'm also interested in an upgrade kit when you have them done.

 

[Gattaca]

I've no idea how I'm going to mould all these curves....

Here's a mold I recently made of a blaster part. Maybe you could adapt this method for your curved pieces. Your pour hole could be on the backside with air vents at the ends.
Great work by the way.

 

[salmon]

I have 4 or 5 of these kits in storage, this makes me want to break out one of the boxes and start building again! Great thread and look forward to the final product.

 

[Archive&Future]

Thanks for all the comments and support guys! I'm working as hard as I can at the moment on this kit making malarky

Here are two upgrade kits (as I offer them currently) ready to be shipped out to the excellent OtherWorld Models

 

[SkunkonToast]

This is looking awesome dude. I'd be very interested in one of these kits, especially if you can get those sidewalls cast. Your photo etch is first rate also. Ive been dipping in and out of my mpc falcon for a while now and had bought a photo etch set from starship modeler but yours blows it out the water.

 

[Archive&Future]

I just snagged another MPC Falcon for dead cheap off Ebay and it's given me new drive to get this upgrade kit off the ground.

I had already started it, but with reference from the 32" ESB version. Since the MPC is based off the 5' ANH Falcon, I decided to base my kit from that. The Wankel engine halves are scratch build..I tried to putty them first but I wound up carving them from foamex board.

Should be able to mould these two walls tomorrow morning!

As you can see, the wankel engine half looks pretty poor with the parts.putty combo. I was dissatisfied so I scratchbuilt a more accurate piece from foamex. Spent a lot of time carving and filing that shape...it's a bizarre piece

Anyway fastforwards a little bit and you can see the finished portside mandible wall and then almost complete starboard side wall, in comparison to the kit part. Pretty neat huh?

 

[kruleworld]

this makes me want to break out one of the boxes and start building again!

me too, i built my MPC box-stock and it irks me, but not enough to consider updating it until now. I might have to consider Haystack's upgrade...

 

[jake88]

That last shot makes me very very inspired!!! Nice craftsmanship HH!

 

[newmagrathea]

Great work! I'm interested in getting your photo-etch set and fans. I'm also interested to see your sidewalls complete, I'd also be interested in picking them up too.

 

[Jaitea]

Yep, very nice work there HH

J

 

[Archive&Future]

First sidewall castings fresh out the mold. I was expecting these to be a bubble nightmare but actually they're fairly bubble free which is a nice surprise!

I just clamped the mandibles to hold the wall in by pressure. This MPC is pretty valuable for all the measurements and test fittings I'll need to be doing

- - - Updated - - -

sigh....the site is doing that thing again where only the last photo actually displays

 

[struschie]

Nice work, man!

 

[Archive&Future]

Well I've almost run out of resin, I think I have just enough left to get 2 more pulls. After that it'll be another hefty order from MB Fiberglass

In other news I started the inner mandible wall, it was a surprisingly tricky part to make and is not immensely accurate, however I don't think these parts will be under TOO much scrutiny once they're installed

 

[Sergiotron]

That looks very nice! I have my falcon waiting for something like this

 

[Robiwon]

Question, with the shorter sidewalls, wont the two round docking rings need to be smaller as well?

 

[Archive&Future]

Question, with the shorter sidewalls, wont the two round docking rings need to be smaller as well?

Yep, I'm scratching those as well. And the maintenance wells inside the mandibles need to be lower as well so I'm making replacement wells for the mandibles. The kit ones are mediocre anyway

 

[crackerjazz]

Amazing stuff, Haystack Hair!

 

[Archive&Future]

Thanks crackerjazz that means a lot from you!

The inner sidewalls and front floodlights complete and ready for molding. I am now officially out of resin and rubber, so it looks like I'm going to shift solely to scratch building the other parts over the next few days or weeks