Modifying and detailing My 1/2700 Zvezda Imperial Star Destroyer

Ota · Feb 8, 2017

I finally received my Zvezda SD a couple of days ago
the detail I immediately wanted to modify were the Geodes supports to fit a more Avenger-esque look.
Given the extruded nature of the piece I had to fill up the back part with some Aves Sculpt.
The geode's bottom part had its pillars cut and its stubs drilled before being assembled, in order to keep the drill pin somewhat perpendicular.

After a night of curing I proceeded to cut off the bases, while the inner core was kept in place to receive the geode,

Some styrene donuts were also supper glued to the back of the Aves sculpt so it wouldn't crack while drilling the pillar placements.

And I started placing some 0.1mm Tamiya PLA paper panels, which is basically paper thin styrene to give the geode its signature look .
the geode isn't glued yet which facilitates the panel gluing with small CA dabs, as liquid cement tends to warp such thin styrene sheets.

Now that I've started with those panels, I've got to place all 36, before I can get to the pillars,.. still some ways to go.. :cry

Hope y'all enjoy and please feel free to comment.
Fred

edge10 · Feb 8, 2017

Very nice work. I like your solution of going up from the bottom on the pillars.

Ota · Feb 8, 2017

Thanks, edge10..
So this one geode's paneling is done...

crowe t · Feb 8, 2017

NIce job on the modifications!

BTW what diameter are the pillars you are using?

Ota · Feb 9, 2017

crowe t said:
NIce job on the modifications!

BTW what diameter are the pillars you are using?

Thanks crowe t, I'm using 0.4mm brass rods.

crowe t · Feb 9, 2017

I see you added some more details. Very well done!

niart17 · Feb 9, 2017

Looking really good, no great!! I considered detailing what was there first and then considered my skill set and said, nah, I'll cheat and go printed parts. I am really impressed with this.

Bill

Ota · Feb 9, 2017

niart17 said:
Looking really good, no great!! I considered detailing what was there first and then considered my skill set and said, nah, I'll cheat and go printed parts. I am really impressed with this. - Bill

Thanks, I'll just be adding some landmarks greebles here and there to give an ESB Star Destroyer look but in the end you'll probably have a more accurate model with 3D printed parts.
Then there's the part when you have to choose which piece you are printing and where to stop at the risk of printing out half the kit and the strata sanding that will ensue

Ota · Feb 10, 2017

Finished the other geode and added some painstakingly soldered Inner struts...0.2 on 0.3 mm rods

edge10 · Feb 11, 2017

Ota said:
Finished the other geode and added some painstakingly soldered Inner struts...0.2 on 0.3 mm rods
View attachment 706091 View attachment 706097

As if the triangles on the domes were not enough, you had to go for the inner supports. Very nice indeed.

Dobber · Feb 11, 2017

Wow! That looks fantastic!

Chris

Ota · Feb 11, 2017

Dobber said:
Wow! That looks fantastic! - Chris

Thanks, Chris.

edge10 said:
As if the triangles on the domes were not enough, you had to go for the inner supports. Very nice indeed.

^^ - Yeah couldn't be avoided, they've been nagging at me for some time...
them : watabout us... wataboutus ...watchagonado-aboutit ... betya can't fab us.. Uhuun.
me: Owww! you dirty tiny struts...Gona bring the Heat onto You!

So.. a little detour to the micro rod brazing workshop.
A ceramic pad, some masking tape, some Stay-Brite flux and silver ribbon solder (which might bee hard to procure, bought some from Ron Madson Vulcan's Workshop on ebay, a couple of years ago but I believe he had a stroke and is no longer listed).
I imagine you can use any silver solder roll and flatten it enough to be cut into small pieces..
Btw this is 6% silver solder which is fine for brazing.

Tape in a 2cm piece of 0.3mm brass rod, bent to desired angle. Add a first echelon of 0.2mm rod.
Cut up some micro pieces of solder and dispose them close to the taped area.

Apply some flux with a CA applicator at the rods intersections.

Pick up with your soldering iron the prepared micro pieces of solder and apply to the intersections.
You must have a clean tip or the solder will curl up into a ball and wont be picked up by the iron.

Using a cheap (15$) 60w variable temp iron,.. feeling the need for a smaller tip, precision iron.

you should end up with something like this.

And this after some scrapping and sanding.

Then repeat 24x times ...

Also you might have to sacrifice a couple of supports to the carpet monster, to insure that the others behave.

crowe t · Feb 11, 2017

Fred, This is incredible! I can't wait to see what you do with the rest of this kit.

Ota · Feb 13, 2017

Adding some depth to the bridge central piece...and changing the angle of the "F" upper bar.

ref. pic from the Montreal expo.
Pieces aren't glued yet... just playing around...

ausf · Feb 13, 2017

Superb work and attention to detail.

If you do a lot of soldering in this scale, you may want to look into a resistance soldering unit. They're a bit expensive, but amazing. I used one to solder five piece 1/35 German tool clamps that actually work. Theres no heating of a tip, etc, just set the piece, add some flux and a bit of solder, hold it in place with the probe and step on the pedal. A quick sizzle and it's done.

Hunk a Junk · Feb 13, 2017

Okay, someone has gone beast-mode on this thing! Excellent!

Ota · Feb 13, 2017

ausf said:
Superb work and attention to detail.

If you do a lot of soldering in this scale, you may want to look into a resistance soldering unit. They're a bit expensive, but amazing. I used one to solder five piece 1/35 German tool clamps that actually work. Theres no heating of a tip, etc, just set the piece, add some flux and a bit of solder, hold it in place with the probe and step on the pedal. A quick sizzle and it's done.

Thanks, ausf
I looked into resistance soldering a few years ago, and indeed I have seen some very impressive stuff done specially with brass miniature trains...
The only problem; other than the 300-600$ price tag was that I could only find them in the States... ie.in 110v and being in France with the shipping fee + taxes, that would of doubled the price, which made the whole idea prohibitive...

Now I have a step down converter 220->110v for my US. appliances, I might look into it again.
Also looked into jewelery micro arc welders, like the PUK or Orion welders, yet again pricy and the logistics of getting Argon gas refills...I'm already having a hard time just refilling my oxy-propane micro torch.

Ota · Feb 15, 2017

Slow progress on the bridge face today ... pieces are still not glued yet, cutting, extruding, thinning and drilling ...until satisfied

Modifying and detailing My 1/2700 Zvezda Imperial Star Destroyer

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