1/48 AT-AT build

For floating the speeder, could you use a very rigid wire as the tow cable and attach it to one of the AT-AT legs and the rear of the model speeder?
If you keep the wire short enough, and have the model angled as if it were climbing in height, I think there would definitely be enough support without an obvious stand.
Someone else has used wire here to support the snow speeder, let me check if I can find it, I think they used clay sculpture armature wire
beautiful model and your pose is spot on
one question , are there any concerns with it having resin legs that they will buckle over time, we have some posts here that discuss large x-wings that are now drooping due to the resin not having enough integral support, would you not consider embedding tubing throughout the legs just in case, I would hate to see this happen after all your great work
 
Someone else has used wire here to support the snow speeder, let me check if I can find it, I think they used clay sculpture armature wire
beautiful model and your pose is spot on
one question , are there any concerns with it having resin legs that they will buckle over time, we have some posts here that discuss large x-wings that are now drooping due to the resin not having enough integral support, would you not consider embedding tubing throughout the legs just in case, I would hate to see this happen after all your great work

Thanks. Not sure if the armature wire will look to scale though.

As for whether the resins will buckle, read my earlier posts on how I have tried to reinforce the stress points with brass rods and even brass plates. When the AT-AT did buckle (at the ankles due to the bad resin C-clamps), the rest of the legs held up pretty well. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that my reinforcements are sufficient. At any rate, I'm waiting for the toes to arrive, and I will be travelling again for work next week. So I'll be leaving it standing for a week to see if there are any issues with the strength of the legs.
 
As you said in your previous post, the dio will have to be adjusted to the leg not touching the base (easy). I think it'll be difficult to find a wire at the proper scale, but you shouldn't be too concerned; the final dio with rock!
 
Merkava, you could also make a custom support for the model when you aren't displaying it (think of those removable braces used in shipping electronic goods...and toys!) I'm thinking something such as a squared "C" shape that would fit (and engage) with the underside of the diorama base plate then have the upper 'stroke' fit under the model's hull, supporting the weight. Having a second support from the opposite side (perhaps overlapping the other for added stiffness) would ensure stability. Sort of an anti-gravity device. ;^P

Regards, Robert
 
As you said in your previous post, the dio will have to be adjusted to the leg not touching the base (easy). I think it'll be difficult to find a wire at the proper scale, but you shouldn't be too concerned; the final dio with rock!

I'm gonna try piano wires. Haven't gotten round to getting one yet. Will update the outcome here.

Merkava, you could also make a custom support for the model when you aren't displaying it (think of those removable braces used in shipping electronic goods...and toys!) I'm thinking something such as a squared "C" shape that would fit (and engage) with the underside of the diorama base plate then have the upper 'stroke' fit under the model's hull, supporting the weight. Having a second support from the opposite side (perhaps overlapping the other for added stiffness) would ensure stability. Sort of an anti-gravity device. ;^P

Regards, Robert

Thanks Robert. Again, when I am now overseas, I am leaving the AT-AT standing on its own (with some boxes surrounding it without touching it) for a week to see if it stands. I have better confidence this time round as the C-clamps are definitely sturdier. I will be displaying it perpetually, so I don't think having supports around it will be nice. But we'll see. Thanks for your pointers!
 
Whassup guys!

I'm back!!!

Well, after a 9-month house move, I've finally gotten my workshop set up, and I can come back to my builds! Had a few damages during the move, but I'll get to repair them when I do.

So to continue where I left off, my AT-AT was somewhat warped after a 9-month cold storage. Had to "straighten" a few joints, fixed up the leg actuators, installed the toes, re-adjusted the pose, and here we are, ready for priming!

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Stay tuned! (So freakin' happy I'm back!)
 
Great to see this build back on track, the scale is great , but your pose is spot on ,
thrilled to see the progress ( you should video the painting if even for yourself , time lapse on this large model would be great )
thanks for sharing
 
Glad to see that the project is still on! Love that pic with the blue sky as a background. Trick for you: by adding a white board (angled at the bottom of your model and off camera) you could see some of the underside details without making it "artificial" looking. Eager to see the next update!
 
Great to see this build back on track, the scale is great , but your pose is spot on ,
thrilled to see the progress ( you should video the painting if even for yourself , time lapse on this large model would be great )
thanks for sharing

Thanks! I'm glad I'm back too... I was having withdrawal symptoms the whole time I couldn't pick up an X-acto... :)

I've been waiting for this for a while- want to see how that piano wire turns out ;D
It looks fantastic already!

Yes, I took some studying on that issue, and think I might have found the solution. Stay tuned!

Glad to see that the project is still on! Love that pic with the blue sky as a background. Trick for you: by adding a white board (angled at the bottom of your model and off camera) you could see some of the underside details without making it "artificial" looking. Eager to see the next update!

Thanks. I understand the use of reflectors for dark areas, but that was essentially a quick shot since I had blue skies. When the project is completed, it will be shot in green screen, and the Hoth scene superimposed as a background. :)
 
So I had about an hour after dinner, and decided to give it the base coat so that tomorrow I can start shading it to the correct tones.

I used Tamiya German Grey, and since it is such a huge beast, I decided to go the rattle can route instead of an airbrush. As a fellow builder of mine always says: "Airbrush is a sniper weapon. Use it when it matters."

A good gadget I got is a rattle can adaptor from Krylon that allows you to spray rattle cans like a spray gun. Gives you much better control of paint flow, a better angle, and reduces finger fatigue. Here's a photo of it:

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I strongly recommend getting that if you use rattle cans a lot.

So here's the beast base coated with German Grey. Stay tuned for shading tomorrow!

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Looking forward to the finished model. Glad to see it's almost there

Thanks for the tip on the adaptor. I'll have to seek out on of those since I use rattle cans a lot
 
Thanks guys!

So here's a sneak peek at the post shading. Using Tamiya Sky Grey, I spray onto the wide areas, just barely misting near the edges and panels lines, so that the base coat still shows through it. Gives the model depth and character, much like how paint fades after prolonged exposure to the elements.

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After the wide areas are done, then generally mist over the entire area to blend the colours together, so that the differences are not so stark.

Some people like to do pre-shading, which is to shade the edges and panel lines with a darker shade. I prefer post shading, as it is less likely to make a mistake. You are essentially spraying areas compared to spraying lines, which is more difficult to control.

Here's a photo of roughly one side completed. Word of advice when shading large projects: Do it part by part. That way you will not miss sections after you've cleaned up your airbrush. ;)

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And here's a look at my new workshop. Loving my little corner in this world. Haha.

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Taking a break now to do my fatherly duties, before coming back to finish the shading. Hoping to finish this stage by today, so that I can start on the weathering tomorrow. Fingers crossed, but highly unlikely since I have to bring my son to a birthday party which will last the whole evening... sigh. Stay tuned!
 
So, I managed to complete the post shading of the AT-AT. Here's how's its looking.

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Next up will be the weathering process. But before that, the beast will be given a gloss coat to seal the shading colours in, and prevent the oil washes from destroying it.

Alas, I will be overseas for the next week, so stay tuned!
 
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