Yes, I saw the link to your build and thought the same, Eric: you likely need to start over...at least on the upper body section. It wouldn't be THAT much work. But it would be recommended to go with 3/16" MDF or project board of some kind. That would add strength and allow you to use cut PVC pipe strips like Will and I did on ours. I simply epoxied them to the MDF and then poured resin on the seams/gaps...then sanded them as needed.
Strength is essential on something like this. I had to reinforce my hull walls a few times inside before I finally was able to handle the thing without worry.
Live and learn.
BOLD # 1: Actually, I would need to start over on both the top and bottom halves of the main hull. Reason being, there are also curved edges on the rear half of the underside of the shuttlecraft. That also didn't work for me on the bottom half for the same reason as the top half. So, I would need to thicken the walls on the bottom half too, in order to be able to use the cut PVC strips like both of you did.
I wouldn't need to worry about redoing the "wings" on the side or the nacelles as they're good to use as-is, so that would definitely save me some time in what would essentially be a rebuild. I would need to redo both parts of the main hull, though.
BOLD # 2: 3/16" thickness, huh? I was thinking of going with 1/8", lol. I've tried working with MDF board on one or two projects in the past, and found it was a more difficult material to cut through. As I don't have a workshop full of tabletop power tools (would be awesome if I did), only a hald-held Dremel tool, I don't know if I'd have the ability to make the necessary cuts to the material.
Going along a similar train of thought, would the tools I have on hand be sufficient for cutting through 3/16" thick PVC tubing? How did both of you cut the strips you needed to create the curved edges on your builds? Clearly the acrylic tubing's not rigid enough to hold its shape once cut up, so using that approach wouldn't be practical or productive.
Live and learn is right. Eric, I took several years on mine so don't give up. I really want to do another one with the correct internal structure that matches the frame on the full scale version. Jim, Glad the PVC idea worked for you too. I was winging it when I did mine but it worked out quite well. Your build looks great!
Thanks, Will. I appreciate the vote of confidence
I don't recall your build taking that long; all I remember is how awesome it looked when done, lol. I gotta say, I'm impressed with how both of you fabricated the rear landing gear on each of your builds. Given I have no metal-working tools in my workshop, I think I'll have to stick to styrene
I originally had plans to do up a full interior to match the full-scale version, but the parts I'd begun to make for detailing the interior are what ended up getting crushed in that accident I mentioned. I still plan on kitting mine out, with the option of a full interior. For my first build though, I think I'll stick with what's accurate and simply do the filming miniature as it was made for the show, minus interior.
You had it right before, Will...it's Jon not Jim. That's just a running joke that Cary (CYBERPRED) and I have. He always forgets my name when thanking me in his LOST IN SPACE home theater build videos. That's ok. The last of the (3) B-205s I'm making him will spell out my name on the blinking front panel to help remind him.
The PVC strip idea you had for the hull tops was a stroke of genius and is the tried and true way to go.
Jon
So then, using PVC tube strips is really the only way to go for that detail, correct? Where would find some of that? I've got a plastics shop just down the road from where I live, would they be a likely place to get some? I know they carry acrylic tubing, never seen any PVC though.
EDIT: Thanks for the responses so far, guys. I really appreciate your feedback in helping me figure out to actually get my own build done.
