Anigrand Stardestroyer

Carson Dyle

Carson Dyle

Sr Member
I got this kit several years ago, right about the time Anigrand got slapped with a C&D. I'm not sure if the company even exists anymore.

Because I'd waited so long to start construction the resin parts had plenty of time to warp. The single biggest challenge I faced was getting everything straight. Break out the heat gun, brass rod, and clamps!





In order to reinforce the hull I used LOTS of fiberglass tape and resin. No eventual hull droop from this baby!



Anigrand did a pretty good job of capturing the look of the 8-footer, but for some reason the "keel" piece was under-detailed and completely inaccurate. Using styrene strip I did my best to correct the problem. The raised hull pattern is far from being spot-on, but it's close enough.



Painting was very straight-forward: Flat black primer, followed by an overcoat of Tamiya grey primer, followed by a top coat of Tamiya AS-20 Insignia White. A mix of white and grey Tamiya primer was used for the darker hull panels. Finally, a light dry-brush pass of white oil paint was used to bring out a few details here and there.








- - - Updated - - -











Others have done a beautiful job lighting this model, but that will have to wait until my next Stardestroyer build (given all the fiberglass reinforcement I crammed into this thing it would have been a nightmare to drill all those little portals). With any luck Bandai or some other company will eventually produce an injection-molded styrene Stardestroyer in a decent scale, and then I'll go to town on the lights.

Only one more chore left to complete: building the display stand.
 
Nice work!
I'm in the middle of the building the same kit, but the fit on mine is horrible, even after loading the interior with bracing.

C
 
Yeah, I really had to man-handle this thing together. Serves me right for allowing the parts to become so badly warped (my fault, not Anigrand's). For a fleeting moment, when I first discovered the warpage, I seriously considered just chucking the whole kit. It was that bad. Fortunately I decided to take a crack at correcting the problem. Got everything straight and secure in the end, but it fought me every step of the way. If I'd added fiberoptic lights to the equation it would have been a nightmare. The good news is this is one model I don't have to worry about drooping or sagging over time (and yes, I've seen a few of these that have succumbed to the forces of gravity. NOT a pretty sight).
 
That's a thing of beauty. Well done. :thumbsup

Anigrand is still around. I recently picked up a 1/72 C-17 Globemaster for an up coming Agents of SHIELD Bus build. The warp in your kit doesn't seem too far off the mark for their kits as the C-17 is really bad. Each of the 1/4 fuselages are warped and in some cases don't even line up properly, wings warped, one of the engine mounts is warped, the landing gear has bubbles in it and for the most part are useless and have to be remade. The level of detail is minimal at best and one wing bottom has more panel lines than the other. Either they de-mold too quick or store the boxed kits someplace warm. Whatever the case may be, it's a real chore to get it fixed so I can make molds for what I need for the build. No point in casting a warped part.

Here's the front fuselage. I lined it up, taped it and just look at that fit. Fabulous!! This kit isn't for the faint of heart or someone who enjoys modeling. This thing will test sanity, break wills and cause one to question the decisions made in ones life to bring them to this point. Fun times ahead. :)
24852892741_3448e331cd_z.jpg

24319387993_cf734d240e_z.jpg

24852907851_ed4e5b62e4_z.jpg
 
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Break out the Evercoat!

Glad to hear Anigrand is still around. Resin-related irregularities notwithstanding, their ISD is reasonably accurate and surprisingly well detailed (I don't know the engineering history, but the parts have to have been grown).

I've been building garage kits for twenty years, and warpage comes with the territory. The Stardestroyer is tricky because the flat, straight-edged, linear nature of the design is such that any drooping, sagging, or bowing really catches the eye. With a curvier subject you might catch a break, but rectilinear ships are pretty unforgiving. Trying to get everything perfectly straight when you're dealing with big, thin, flat chunks of resin is a constant challenge. Let's face it, resin wants to sag. It's why I opted to forego lighting in order to festoon the interior of my model with an extremely rigid shell of fiberglass. It may not light up all pretty, but you could hang this thing from the ceiling and it will never sag. Here's hoping Bandai (or someone) eventually comes through with an injection-molded ISD at a decent scale. THAT one I'd light.
 
I hope I am not resurrecting a thread that is too old. I too have an Anigrand kit that has warped, and I am thinking of tossing it out as well. I had never thought of using fiber glass to reinforce the internal supports. Does the tape still require an epoxy coating? Is it the same kind of fiberglass tape that would be used in marine applications?

Ashton
 
Sorry for posting this here but here are pics comparing the Anigrand and the SD from the Bandai promotional video:

Anigrand
AnigrandCircles.jpg

--
Bandai

BandaiCircles.jpg

Notice the missing rectangles on the Anigrand?

Unless you are going to tell me you removed them from you build? ;)
 
I didn't have to remove the rectangles in question because they were not present on the Anigrand model. They were added to Bandai's build-up of the Anigrand model, along with a lot of other small details, by whoever built it. The so-called Bandai ISD is nothing more than the Anigrand kit with extra details.

BANDAI
Tamiya_zps9ldobayx.png


ANIGRAND
Anigrand_zpsibinla8d.png
 
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darthviper107 said:
Most likely then the Bandai custom build is built from the same 3D file
Click to expand...

What evidence do we have that it's a custom build? The simplest, most logical explanation is that Bandai acquired and built the Anigrand model, and are now using it for promotional purposes. Certainly the so-called Bandai kit has the exact same fit issues around the rear base of the "neck" as the Anigrand model. This isn't a rendering issue, but rather a production issue unique to Anigrand's moulds.
 
I have one of these sitting in a box too. So tempted by the Zveda now but I still think the Anigrand is better. Nice start on this, subscribed!
 
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