And yet another....Niart's Zvezda Star Destroyer WIP

niart17 · Feb 2, 2017

Ok, might as well start up another WIP thread of my Zvezda Star Destroyer kit. It won't be up to the level of the others here but I hope it will still come out ok. I'm going back and forth about lighting with FO or just drilling and putting a bunch of bright LEDs inside and letting the reflective light bounce around and shine out of the holes. I figure I'll start with just the holes and if the need arises to add fibers I can go that route. I've never done a full fiber optic job so a little leary of that. Unfortunately the smallest bit I have right now is 1/32" so I'm going to have to wait til I get a smaller bit before I start drilling.

Since there are others building the kit here I won't get to much into the standard construction pics and mainly concentrate on whatever modifications I do along the way. For sure I am going to replace the engine bells and the shield generators. I know this isn't a particular replica of any one filming miniature but I still want it to be as close as possible in some areas. The engines to me are one of the weak points of this kit. So I've drawn some up and will have some 3d prints made. I've also worked out the shield generators and think I have the size and shapes pretty much right on. Here are a few pics of my 3D modeling progress. As always, comments, critiques and suggestions are always welcome.

I'm going to be scratch building some of the detail piping around the secondary engines so I've added a few details around the perimeter to tie into.

Here's the shield generator in a composite shot with a pic of the prop. I think I have the size about right.

The main engine bells.

Thanks for checking it out.

Bill

Scarecrow Joe · Feb 2, 2017

Nice of you to jump into the Zvezda SD bandwagon!

Robiwon · Feb 3, 2017

Good looking bells and globes!

niart17 · Feb 3, 2017

Thanks guys. I just hope to be half the level of y'all's builds.

As for the bells and domes, to me the most iconic things about the SD other than its basic shape, are the complexity of the engine area and the domes so I want those to look the part. IMHO the star destroyer might be one of the best sci fi designed ships ever. Such a simple menacing design, an arrow head! Brilliant. Then they offset the simplicity of it by adding really detailed complex design at the back and around the edges making it seem very utilitarian. Just pure genius. If only I had that sort of vision.

Thanks for dropping in and please steer me in the right direction it you see me going off the rails.

Bill

niart17 · Feb 5, 2017

I finally have something to show from the actual model and not just me playing around with 3D files

. I bought my weapon of choice for drilling all the holes and pretty sure I've decided to go for it and use fiber optics. You guys have convinced me that it's really the best way to go. Not the only way, but likely the best way. I got this micro drill set from Harbor Freight and using a .6mm chucked into a handheld pin vice. i know my hand will likely fall off by the time I'm done but for now it's the only way I feel safe drilling and it actually seems to be going pretty easy. I'm definitely having a hard time keeping them lined up straight but hopefully it's not too bad. You can see the first hole I tried in 1/32 and it's too big for me so I'll have to maybe fill that one in and re-drill but it is what it is.

I also have some 3D file stuff.:$ After some talk about the different bridge faces I thought I'd maybe play around and see what I might could do for the "SF" bridge, which is I think the closest to the what the kit bridge resembles. I've only started with a blank face scaled to the exact size of the kits face and in this composite shot you can see that the kit face is pretty much dead on proportionally with the filming miniature. The pic isn't exactly lined up since it's hard to find a dead on shot from the front, but you can see it's pretty darn close. I'll start mapping out the major detail components and then work in smaller and smaller until I reach the limits of 3D printing. It may be a part that could print well and actually have the holes pre-drilled for me (and NOT be uneven windows.)

Anyway, thanks for listening to my rambling and thoughts. Any comments, critiques and suggestions are welcome...heck, they're solicited.

Thanks,
Bill

Scarecrow Joe · Feb 5, 2017

Well, I feel sorry for your hands! Did a few like that and believe me....you will beg for a Tamiya Handy drill. A quick advice though. Do not go for symmetry, that is do not repeat the same holes, at the same locations over the left and right sides of the bridge face. It will look funny. Try to keep a random variation thing going. Its not easy since we like to function in patterns but randomly it will loo tones better.

niart17 · Feb 5, 2017

Thanks for the advice. I am going by a few shots of the filming, obviously not following exact, but at least trying to keep the same areas, but I wasn't paying attention to symmetry or not yet so thanks. As for the drill, I'm trying to not have to spend too much on other things so will likely stick with hand drilled...at least for now. We shall see if my hand agrees later.

Thanks, Bill

crowe t · Feb 5, 2017

Bill, Great job on the 3D parts. Your work on the space shuttle parts was always excellent and this project is no different. When I start my SD I'm still toying with the idea of using LED strip tape for the lighting and filling the holes with Canopy glue. I saw a guy on YouTube who's doing it with the LED tape and his test looked promising.

Keep up the great work!

Mike.

niart17 · Feb 6, 2017

Thanks Mike! I enjoy doing the 3d work. It cost nothing but time to "scratch build" parts in a computer program, at least not until you decide to print or not. But for layout and understanding shapes, even if you're going to build with traditional techniques, it's ideal. I just hope I don't fall in the trap of not learning and/or unlearning building skills. It's an easy crutch if you're not careful.

I saw that video and thought about doing the same. But in the end I think I may give FO a shot. I've never done a full fiber optic job so it's a skill I'd like to learn. And it looks better and makes your friends and family get all impressed when you say it has fiber optics...OK maybe not the last part, but it's cool.

Bill

Richard Baker · Feb 6, 2017

Watching all these builds and taking notes- not sure how far or in what direction I will take mine yet, but it is fun seeing all the creativity being pouredinto this wonderful kit...

niart17 · Feb 7, 2017

Thanks, not sure if you want to take notes from my build unless it's how to take forever to maybe finish a model...one day. ��

But I do actually have a small update. Drilling...drilling and drilling... Here is a rather blurry shot in front of a pic of the real deal and I think I'm at least getting the feel of the balance of the lights. Not all that I drilled is showing light through in this shot and It's not a mapped duplicate but meh,,,it's good nuf fer me..

Looking at this and those rectangular recesses compared to the real I may drill those out and back them with sheet plastic to give it a bit more depth, you can see by the shadows going behind the braces, it's actually a flat plate with cut outs sitting in front of the actual main structure. I won't do that but deepening them may help.

Bill

edge10 · Feb 7, 2017

Really nice work. I for one would deeply appreciate it if you made the shield generators, at least, available on Shapeways or similar.

niart17 · Feb 7, 2017

Thanks. I will be happy to make these available.I might make individual parts as well as groups of parts to save on shipping and the part count handling. I would prefer to order some test prints myself first and make sure they turn out right and will fit. I'd hate for someone to buy some and them not be up to snuff. Not sure exactly how long it will be before I order mine so if you don't mind hanging for just a while I'd appreciate it! I just want to tweak a few things and maybe add some stuff first.

Bill

edge10 · Feb 8, 2017

niart17 said:
Thanks. I will be happy to make these available.I might make individual parts as well as groups of parts to save on shipping and the part count handling. I would prefer to order some test prints myself first and make sure they turn out right and will fit. I'd hate for someone to buy some and them not be up to snuff. Not sure exactly how long it will be before I order mine so if you don't mind hanging for just a while I'd appreciate it! I just want to tweak a few things and maybe add some stuff first.

Bill

Excellent. Personally, I'm in no hurry, I probably won't be picking up the kit until early Summer.

niart17 · Feb 17, 2017

Well, I bit the bullet and am going to order a test shot of the pieces I have so far. Below are a few pics of the 3d models. Hope to have them within a couple of weeks. Wish me luck.

Engine bells and Shield Generators.

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Shield Generator closer

There was some discussion about the angle of the bridge top. Here is a shot of a drawing of my part with the kit's part sitting in place. Looks pretty close to me.

Bill

niart17 · Feb 20, 2017

A small update. While waiting for my Shapeways parts I've started with some more cutting and drilling. Because I'm hand drilling all these holes I wanted to minimize the amount of material I have to drill through, which meant removing a large portion of the kit's inner structure that holds the side walls. It was pretty nerving cutting into a perfectly good kit like this but I was pretty sure I could pull it off without too much struggle. Here are some shot of where it stands now. Pretty ugly at the time.

and the really scary cutting.

Sorry for the really bad pics, just had a phone and low lighting at the time.

Thanks for checking it out,
Bill

Robiwon · Feb 20, 2017

What's the update?

niart17 · Feb 20, 2017

Sorry Robiwon. For some reason my company's server won't allow direct posting to this site, but will allow me to edit an existing post. So I have start a post with my phone and then edit it to add pics from my computer. Stupid I know but it is the way it is.

Bill

Robiwon · Feb 20, 2017

My company blocks almost all photo hosting sites. At work I just see black X's!

niart17 · Feb 21, 2017

Mine is funny about what is blocked and what isn't. Most modeling sites are fine but I think because this one has mention of costuming it considers it a mature gaming site, go figure.

I received a shipping notice for my shapeways parts so should be here by Friday. Yay. Then I can see if they actually will work.

Bill

And yet another....Niart's Zvezda Star Destroyer WIP

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