SS ESB Millennium Falcon info and building thread

[DLT9]

You was very busy on the bay.:thumbsup

Search for plastic wholesaler in your region, they have those big plastic sheeds, cheap too.

I'm meeting with my modelers club on fridays,there's a guy there who own's a shop and another who does scratchbuiling a lot and i will ask advice to them.
I will get somewhere and am determend to build that falcon,it will take several month's or years but will get there.
Hoping to help some fellow builders out aswell with casted pieces,when i'm aible to cast good pieces that is

 

[jvasilatos]

Without breaking something?
No.

But I promise to check. I have an unbuilt one here. Ill see if it can provide any hints. Maybe I should have been offering the Nose cap replacements so folks could break into theirs and get to the LED then have a SPARE to replace it (mandible nose cap).

Hey Frank-

Was there any chance you were able to look into this for those of us with the defective mandible LEDs?

JV

 

[SD Studios]

I have been reading this tread. Good info! A word of advice…Listen to Frank! There is scratchbuilding and then there is “Olympic scratchbuilding”. The Falcon is definitely the latter. I was too chicken to try it, so I started a company as an excuse to get one for myself. :lol

I will add some info…hopefully it will be helpful:

On the MR replica, there are ten parts missing, as these parts had fallen off of the model over the years and were gone when we got to it. Thanks to a few folks here (there is a thread here somewhere) we were able to ID all of the missing parts and I replaced them on my model. I also completely repainted mine. It took me 60 hours…JUST to paint it! There are about 200 hash-marks all over it that had to be located precisely (many are missing or are mislocated on the MR model) and the paintjob is a bit more complex that the MR model sported. There are also three colors of “spatter” that absolutely cover all surfaces of the filming model. I remember when we saw it at the archive the first time we all said “Look at that paintjob…whoa!” The spatter pattern doesn’t show up in most pics (even closeups) but it is REALLY there when you see it in person. You can also see it in the pics in the “Sculpting a Galaxy” book. You should get this book if you don’t have it. Great reference!

The studio model is also signed by the ILM modelers. I begged Lucas to let us replicate this detailing, but they said no. There are about 20 to 25 names on the model, printed in block-style with a rapidograph. One of the guys even signed his name on the side in Korean (I think?) Some are pretty well hidden and some are pretty obvious (Michael Fulmer signed his name on the cockpit tunnel TWICE). Since I had the reference, I copied these details on my model.

We performed a “white-light” scan of the model and they told me it had 2.1 million data points. In translation, that required the MR model to have 1100 parts to be able to replicate the details correctly. Like Frank, I started very young and have scratchbuilt many models over the years. I can tell you, if you build a Falcon from scratch:

-You probably will spend more than the MR model sells for right now

-You probably won’t get it as accurate (we had a digital scan and Frank and Moe spent a looong time IDing the model parts.) The complex curves and geometry is too difficult to perfectly replicate by looking at photos…no matter how good they are.

-You will develop a drug (or drinking) habit by the time you are done.

It took about 18 months to develop our model and that included a whole crew of people. The Falcon is a tough bird!

If you decide to make one definitely show us some pics!

 

[OdiWan72]

...to Steve you listen!!!

Markus

 

[Newbie Doobie]

Hey Frank-

Was there any chance you were able to look into this for those of us with the defective mandible LEDs?

JV

Do you need LEDs? What size? I have some 5mm super bright white ones you can have.

 

[DLT9]

Never thought there would be so much intrest in my thread.

QMX Steve thanks for the the tips!
My aim with this tread is to make it a tread where any falcon builder or someone who wants to build one can get all the info they need.
Also to help eachother out with pieces(cast) to trade or to buy,....
To get advice on dimensions and measurements and points on parts.

I have had contact with some follow builders of my club,one of them his father was an experienced mold maker so i got some nice pointers from him.
Also got an address from a supplies shop and the guy makes molds of the pieces you want for some extra cash.
Received the Star Wars blueprints this week and will go to a copyshop to get it enlarged to studio scale.
Also thinking to make a basic shape of the falcon in some kind of sturdy foam,then make the shell and then add the plating???

I really hope all of you help out into making this the a thred to be for building a SS Falcon

I will edit my first post and add the books of intrest regarding the falcon.

 

[Newbie Doobie]

Thanks DLT9!

 

[DARKSIDE72]

........"On the MR replica, there are ten parts missing".........


More than that from just one kit... which wasn't found. :eek

 

[DLT9]

........"On the MR replica, there are ten parts missing".........


More than that from just one kit... which wasn't found. :eek

Anybody got any clue what parts and from whitch kits???

 

[DLT9]

Can anybody tell me what parts were used for the 6 vents on the back of the falcon?

And if 2mm styrene is good for the base shape and i thought 1mm for the plating?

Thanks

 

[ralphee]

I think the plating is .75mm, as for the vents, its Koolshade on the 5ft bird, im not so sure on the 32"...Falcon isnt my field i guess...maybe Frank will let you know?

lee

 

[Newbie Doobie]

Can anybody tell me what parts were used for the 6 vents on the back of the falcon?

And if 2mm styrene is good for the base shape and i thought 1mm for the plating?

Thanks

Try,WWW.FALCONKITS.COM Maybe they have these vents in stock. Or,you can try WWW.STARSHIPMODELER.COM WWW.STUDIOSCALE.COM might be able to help you out too! If these guys don't have it,maybe they know someone who does!

 

[ralphee]

If

 

[ralphee]

If only it were that easy :lol I think he means the kit donor for the vents on the 32" bird....which as it goes, look similar to the deck pattern on the Ticonderoga...but again, my Falcon knowledge is sorely lacking.

lee

 

[DLT9]

I think i didnt express my self that good sorry.

I mean that the vents the o shape part where the grill lays in,what part is that.
Its the same color than the hull and not the blackend grill.

 

[BrundelFly]

You know Moe and I never agreed on that one.

Moe thinks it was scratch built, I think it was kit bashed.

I based my kit bash of it on part of the Saturn rocket, and a tank part for the base.

Which tank? I cant remember. Because we never agreed, we didnt inlclude in our records of Kits parts, and the part map.

I think it was either CHURCHILL or GEPHART.

If I can find my scratch build, Ill post a picture of it.

 

[DLT9]

You know Moe and I never agreed on that one.

Moe thinks it was scratch built, I think it was kit bashed.

I based my kit bash of it on part of the Saturn rocket, and a tank part for the base.

Which tank? I cant remember. Because we never agreed, we didnt inlclude in our records of Kits parts, and the part map.

I think it was either CHURCHILL or GEPHART.

If I can find my scratch build, Ill post a picture of it.

Well it looks like i'm going to have to wait untill the saturn get reissued.
I got some info that you need at least 2 kits,thinking its used for the cockpit and its corridor to the main hull.
The rings used for the vents can hopefully be casted .

 

[ralphee]

I think i know what you mean Frank, the coned ring used on the TIE bomber too?
Dont know why, but the pattern on the Ticonderoga deck looks pretty close to my eye on replicating the Koolshade....i really do need to sit at the Falcon one day..though there are some kits on her i just cant begin to fathom lol.

lee

 

[DLT9]

....i really do need to sit at the Falcon one day..though there are some kits on her i just cant begin to fathom lol.

lee

That' why i made this tread to work together to get knolidge,measurement,ided parts,and trading casted parts when we get there.

Have bought several kits now and will be iding them,make pics of then per kits and then try to make molds of them....
Al these thing will get updated in my first post,wil have to get registerd at photobucked or something like that too.

ALSO A CRYOUT FOR CASTED PARTS OF THE ENTEX PORSCHE?OR SOMEONE WILLING TO CAST THEM FOR US FALCON BUILDERS

 

[ralphee]

Think i still have a set of the Entex tranny casts, got them off Flint, ill sell them on if you need them as ill never build the Falcon :lol There top notch casts too!

lee