Archive&Future
Sr Member
I've not given up on my MPC Falcon, but I realised a few months ago that building from scratch is frankly less work than trying to undo and rework an existing kit.
I drew up detailed blueprints in both 2D and 3D drawing software, cross checking measurements against donor kits.
The first step of the build was to create the infamous curved hull....this is something that I tried to correct on my MPC, but it ended up making the build more fragile than I would've liked, so I knew from the get-go that I'd need to vacuum form the hull and design a perspex framework.
John and I turned this block of beech on his lathe, which I then cut in half before laser cutting the docking corridor in perspex, blending it onto the master buck and then vacuum forming it multiple times
John's work is so accurate that I was able to laser cut components straight from my blueprints without worrying whether they'd fit to the pieces he'd made
I laser cut a ribbed perspex structure, which I tapped with 3mm thread
The idea is that the model with be as modular as possible while I'm building it, so it will fit together like a multi-part sandwich
I trimmed down the portside vac pull, the edges are pretty wonky but it's of no concern as this is the base layer which will then be plated over, including an overhang
The beauty about having used no glue so far is that I'll be able to disassemble it as I go along depending on what I need to do. Here you can see how I've countersunk the hull so that the plating will sit cleanly on top once it's ready to be glued down
I had one engine aileron left over from my Finemolds build which I had judiciously saved; I then cut up one of the actuator arm sets from the Bandai Y-wing (scary!) so that it no longer had the T-section bar running through it, and I also re-positioned the angle of the head before gluing it onto the aileron. I'm going to clay it up and mould it this week. I also moulded several other components from the Bandai Y-wing, and placed an order of about £100 worth of German AFV in 1:72 scale as donors. I don't have an insane disposable income by the way, I've just been saving my pennies for this
Here's to hoping it's worth it huh?
I drew up detailed blueprints in both 2D and 3D drawing software, cross checking measurements against donor kits.
The first step of the build was to create the infamous curved hull....this is something that I tried to correct on my MPC, but it ended up making the build more fragile than I would've liked, so I knew from the get-go that I'd need to vacuum form the hull and design a perspex framework.
John and I turned this block of beech on his lathe, which I then cut in half before laser cutting the docking corridor in perspex, blending it onto the master buck and then vacuum forming it multiple times
John's work is so accurate that I was able to laser cut components straight from my blueprints without worrying whether they'd fit to the pieces he'd made
I laser cut a ribbed perspex structure, which I tapped with 3mm thread
The idea is that the model with be as modular as possible while I'm building it, so it will fit together like a multi-part sandwich
I trimmed down the portside vac pull, the edges are pretty wonky but it's of no concern as this is the base layer which will then be plated over, including an overhang
The beauty about having used no glue so far is that I'll be able to disassemble it as I go along depending on what I need to do. Here you can see how I've countersunk the hull so that the plating will sit cleanly on top once it's ready to be glued down
I had one engine aileron left over from my Finemolds build which I had judiciously saved; I then cut up one of the actuator arm sets from the Bandai Y-wing (scary!) so that it no longer had the T-section bar running through it, and I also re-positioned the angle of the head before gluing it onto the aileron. I'm going to clay it up and mould it this week. I also moulded several other components from the Bandai Y-wing, and placed an order of about £100 worth of German AFV in 1:72 scale as donors. I don't have an insane disposable income by the way, I've just been saving my pennies for this
Here's to hoping it's worth it huh?
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