Building The Death Star - PRODUCTION
- Thread starter PHArchivist
- Start date
PHArchivist
Master Member
Thought about this...
The whole process has been a learning experience (clearly), and the closer you get it to "right" the more adjustments you see can be made.
I'm near enough now that if I did a third dish, I'd build it separate from the model so that at a later date perhaps, I could install it (after all else is "done").
I think the remaining issues are that the center disc on mine is flat and should be concave, and the thickness of the plastic. Plus that stupid "bump" i purposely built in at the 11:00 position ... :facepalm I've also wondered if the extending lip is just a tad too much, but if it is, it is a fraction of a millimeter so.
There comes a point when enough is enough. It looks great. Yes, I can see the dish is too thick, but no one would fault you for leaving it as is. I certainly will not. As stated, it is the most accurate replica out there. I would like to see it all lit up!!!
Outstanding work!! Be 'done with the dish'.
Outstanding work!! Be 'done with the dish'.
Darth Ronnow
New Member
LOL,
Your sooooo going to make a third dish. And when you do, skip the "Bump" or warped part.
This is a wonderful build.
Your sooooo going to make a third dish. And when you do, skip the "Bump" or warped part.
This is a wonderful build.
PHArchivist
Master Member
That's exactly it... Totally my approach to it. As you are suggesting and Spicer is as well - time to move on...
PHArchivist
Master Member
I have to wet-sand the entire model. Or most of anyway...
Those that may remember, I bathed the model in 1,500 watts of halogen light for the better part of a year and it REALLY yellowed the clear coat. Learned today that wet sanding at 2,500 grit can "clean" the yellowing by 75% or more...
OK...
On the far left to two color tones in the red oval are original yellowed clear coat and new base grey coat added.
In the center image, the far left red oval is wet-sanded original yellowed clear coat and the right red oval is simply the original yellowed clear coat.
In the right-hand image the top oval is wet-sanded original yellowed clear coat and the bottom oval the original yellowed clear coat.
Those that may remember, I bathed the model in 1,500 watts of halogen light for the better part of a year and it REALLY yellowed the clear coat. Learned today that wet sanding at 2,500 grit can "clean" the yellowing by 75% or more...
OK...
On the far left to two color tones in the red oval are original yellowed clear coat and new base grey coat added.
In the center image, the far left red oval is wet-sanded original yellowed clear coat and the right red oval is simply the original yellowed clear coat.
In the right-hand image the top oval is wet-sanded original yellowed clear coat and the bottom oval the original yellowed clear coat.
PHArchivist
Master Member
Another advantage in wet-sanding:
Again, for those that remember, I hand-painted out the black dots that were to big with brushed on grey paint. This left little bumps all over the model, visilbe with sun-light or other powerful lighting cast on the model. Looks like the model has the measels, or bad acne.
Wet-sanding appears to be taking care of this...
Again, for those that remember, I hand-painted out the black dots that were to big with brushed on grey paint. This left little bumps all over the model, visilbe with sun-light or other powerful lighting cast on the model. Looks like the model has the measels, or bad acne.
Wet-sanding appears to be taking care of this...
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I'm studying this thread like never before, in light of these landing in the trunk at Wonderfest. Currently a cat toy, later (much later from the looks of this thread, gulp!) it'll be the East Coast Battlestation!
Your work inspires, and causes people like me to make dumb decisions - bravo!
Your work inspires, and causes people like me to make dumb decisions - bravo!
mbmcfarland
Sr Member
Ok, this I gotta see!
Good that we have that cleared up
I am under no illusions about how stupid this is to take on for me
Are there any pictures of the TOP (or even some of the bottom) of the original Death Star model? There are a few pictures of the model crawling around the web showing it on display in a museum but nobody seems to have bothered to photograph the top of it. I'm building a basketball sized model (made from two transparent bird feeder hemispheres!) and need just that info.
PHArchivist
Master Member
I am under no illusions about how stupid this is to take on for me
I figure it'll be done in 2020? Slow and low. The brisket of studio scale models.
Have I set a standard...?
- - - Updated - - -
Yes
Incorrect.
PHArchivist
Master Member
That's very helpful. Thanks!
There's not much going on on the top of the model.
There is a raised ring, and paint that fades out to the silver base-coat then clear acrylic. Since no camera angles or shots in the film really showed it, they didn't really "finish" the north pole. Interestingly though, the top portion does clearly illustrate that they extended the paint job more, after it was initially finished.
I have photos of this area but not on this PC; the machine with the pics on it is not connected to the internet.
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