My "8 foot" Star Destroyer Build

G

Govner

Active Member
RPF PREMIUM MEMBER
Hey all,
I've been lurking around all these scratch-build sites for years and years. I have always loved the idea of building a replica of a studio scale Star Wars model, but have never had the time nor resources to even think about it. I have build model kits for years, but the work I see being done on these sites - this one in particular - really inspire me to go scratch-built.

You are some fabulous artists on this site, and if I can make something 50% as good as what I see on here, I will be amazed and proud!
I love the Millennium Falcon, and I might try that at some point, but the Avenger has always captured my imagination - so I want to build it!
Will I do the whole thing? I don't know. I am going to start with the Bridge and top sections and see how it goes.

I have been doing a lot of research over the past month, having identified and purchased about 30 donor kits (most are in shipping now) so far for the build.
I have also been collecting reference material to get some dimensions worked out - which I will confess is giving me some problems. I am waiting for more kits to come in so I can start to lay things out on a mock up and see if I'm even close.

I have drawn GREAT inspiration and knowledge from the work and threads of MonsieurTox and everyone who chipped in and helped with his 8' Avenger build - just beautiful work.

I ramble - but I am sure I will have plenty of questions and challenges with this journey I am about to go on. This will be a slow road, but I am excited. I hope you all will not mind if I ask for your assistance from time to time!:p

Onward and upward!
 
Thanks mgriffin!

I have to say, it seems a daunting task, but exciting at the same time.

As I collect more kits and ID things, I plan to post the information. This thread has been indispensable as well as this one by MonsieurTox. Unfortunatly not all the part ID's made it into the threads so I'll be asking for some help in a bit.

I have been studying reference photos obsessively and have been obsessing over the shape of the bridge. I am trying to figure out if the sides of the bridge have a rake and slant, or if they are 'square':
BridgeShapeQuestion.jpg

What do you all think? I guess it could just be lens distortion?

Thanks
 
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I made mine all square and the detailing is what made a lot of the difference as far as angles. I'll check all my reference photos and see if I can see any slants. MonsieurTox would be the one to have the correct answer, his attention to detail is incredible.
 
Thank you both mgriffin and MonsieurTox! The square option is what my gut was telling me, but it is good to have confirmation.
I am humbled to have my thread looked at by anyone, much less the ISD Master himself! :wacko

Still collecting models and getting ready to work on a foam-core mock up.
Julian, (may I call you by your name?) would you mind if I sent you my dimension calculations just to see if I'm close to correct?

Thanks all!
 
Hey all,

I have been making some molds to cast some of these parts in resin, but I have run into something I did not expect.
I'm using Smooth-On products (OOMOO 30) which have yielded good results, but my master pieces are getting ruined. At first I thought it was the release agent (Mann Release 200) but I made a mold last night without the agent and the master polystyrene parts seem to get dissolved and very sticky where it meets the clay in a two part mold. I am using Sculpey for the clay and apparently this stuff eats polystyrene?? Stinks because the parts are from the Tamiya 1:700 Shinano Original Casting (was making the resins to preserve the original - guess that backfired).
I have some Chavant NSP on order - hopefully that will work better.
Anyone else experience this?

Thanks

---Guess I found my answer:
Polymer clay is PVC powder suspended in a mixture with plasticizers, fillers, binders, pigments, and lubricants. After oven curing, the plasticizers become locked in and fused with the PVC particles, making them (mostly) inert. But uncured polymer clay has free plasticizer. Plasticizer, by the way, is a chemical that makes plastic soft and flexible. If you place a piece of raw polymer clay onto the surface of an incompatible plastic, the plasticizer can actually soften that plastic and cause it to “melt”.
 
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A good clay for making dividing walls is a product called Sculptex. It's what we use in the industry, and you can get it from Smooth-On.
 
Small update on my project:

I have been doing a good amount of kit collecting as well as part ID and some beginning layout of the bridge face to check my size measurements.
The following is a list of the kits I have so far. If there are others which I would need but don't have on the list (I'm sure there are many) please chime in!
KitKit Number
Tamiya 1/700 HMS Hood31806
Tamiya 1/700 Hornet (Enterprise, Yourktown)77510
Tamiya 1/35 Marder IIMM160
Tamiya 1/35 M3 Lee35039
Tamiya 1/700 Gneisenau77520
Tamiya 1/35 Lang35088
Tamiya German 88mm Gun FlaK 36/3735017
Tamiya 1/35 Marder 1A2
Tamiya 1/35 Sturmgeschuetz III Ausf G35014
Airfix 1/76 MatildaA01318
Tamiya 1/35 M3A235070
Tamiya 1/35 Churchill Crocodile35100
Airfix 1:600th Scale HMS Ark Royal9 04208
Tamiya German 20mm Flakvierling 38 Mit Sd.Ah.52
Tamiya 1/25 Su-100
Tamiya 1/35 German Flkpnzr Mobelwagen35101
Tamiya 1/35 US M5A135313
Tamaya 1/700 Enterprise77514
Tamiya 1/12 FERRARI 312T12019
Tamiya 1/35 Russian Tank Destroyer SU-12289798
Airfix 1/24 Harrier18003
Hasegawa 1/72 Leopold
Italeri 1/35 Steyr227
Tamiya 1/700 Junyo31212
Tamiya 1/700 Rodney (also Nelson)77502
Tamiya 1/35 Matilda35024
Tamiya Models King George V Battleship77525
Tamiya 1/700 Taiho31211
Tamiya 1/35 M1635081
Tamiya 1/35 M3A235070
Airfix 1/76 SD.KFZ.234A01311
ESCI 1 TON HALF TRACK DEMAG D7 1:355007
Tamiya 1/35 Flakpanzer Gepard35099
Tamiya 1/35 "Long Range Desert Group" Chevrolet Truck35092
Tamiya 1/35 R7535016
Tamiya 1/35 Quad Gun Tractor35044
Tamiya 1/35 25-Pounder35046
Tamiya 1/35 25-Pounder35046
Airfix 1/600 Tirpitz/BismarkA04204
Tamiya 1/35 Panther Ausf A (Falcon)35065
Hasegawa 1/72 Morser Karl631032
Airfix Harrow04652-7
Entex 1/144 Scale Space Shuttle Enterprise
Tamiya 1/20 Tyrell P34 6 Wheeler20053
Tamiya 1/35 8 Radd35036
Tamiya 1/700 Mogami31341
Tamiya 1/700 Scharnhorst77518
Tamiya 1/700 Yamato31544
Tamiya 1/35 Hanomag35020


Edit - 2/3/2016: Akagi is 1:450, not 1:400 plus below table.
KitKit Number
Hasegawa Akagi Japanese Aircraft Carrier- 1/450Z13:2800
Revell USS Franklin D Roosevelt - 1/5470307
MPC Darth Vader Tie Fighter-
Tamiya Nelson - 1/700104
 
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Be aware the Tamiya Nelson and Rodney, are not identical kits. Obviously they have a lot of the same parts, but there are significant differences between them.
 
satazius said:
Be aware the Tamiya Nelson and Rodney, are not identical kits. Obviously they have a lot of the same parts, but there are significant differences between them.
Click to expand...


Thanks for the info satazius. I have added a Nelson to my collection!
 
Not sure what is used on the 8' SD. Learned the difference working on the Galactica as only the Nelson supplies all the needed parts for that build.
 
satazius said:
Not sure what is used on the 8' SD. Learned the difference working on the Galactica as only the Nelson supplies all the needed parts for that build.
Click to expand...


Gotcha - well, it never hurts to have another kit. Never know when it might come in handy :thumbsup
 
Govner said:
Gotcha - well, it never hurts to have another kit. Never know when it might come in handy :thumbsup
Click to expand...


You'll need both.

You also need the Enterprise and the Hornet, the Prince of Walles and the King George V.
The Scharnhorst and the Gneisenau.
You'll need at least 10 copies if each of these kits, sometimes you'll much more than that. Casting the parts is not really an option because most of the parts from the kits above are thin and tiny, would be too fragile.


The Hasegawa Akagi you need is not 1/700 but 1/450.

You'll need several Revell Midway kits, Be prepared to spend some thousand $ in these just only, they're quite expensive because it's a must have for naval modelers. I used 13 kits for the superstructures but need to buy more for the hull.
 
Thanks Monsieur Tox - great information!
For the midway kits, my research show several scales. I assume it would be on the larger size. What scale are we talking - 1:547, 1:542, 1:200, 1:72, 1:48?

MonsieurTox said:
Be prepared to spend some thousand $ in these just only, they're quite expensive because it's a must have for naval modelers. I used 13 kits for the superstructures but need to buy more for the hull.
Click to expand...

Good thing I planted that money tree last spring! :wacko
 

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