Revell Star Destroyer - UPDATE 2/27

Yesterday I continued to pass the torch of model building to my son- each model he builds expands his skill base. This time I introduced him to the Dremel and hot knife techniques.
He got for Christmas the new Revell Star Destroyer kit. Compared to the original Ertl kit it is magnificent- basic but with a lot of detail and the unfortunate 'landing gear' stand.
We went over the kit when he got it and one thing he wanted to do was to give it some battle damage (a proud moment for me). Sunday we got out my Dremel tool and I showed him how to thin out the plastic behind the hull where he planned to add the damage. I did the first one and let him do the rest. After that we got out an old Xacto blade and candle, I then opened up one of the spots and shaped the hull scarring. He watched what I did and then finished the rest.
Below is a picture of the hull as it is now- the damage has open holes which do not appear here due to lighting.
http://i.imgur.com/l9ym4H9.jpg
The next step is to add mangles styrene and greebly behind the holes to give them depth and interest.
I a couple of weeks I should have my Zvezda ISD kit and together we will be adding tiny chips of styrene and rod to the superstructure/waistband areas as we work side by side.

This is the fun part of being a dad- I am passing on to my 12 year old son the techniques I have evolved over the years. He is developing a real passion for building and is not satisfied building out of the box. Below is a photo of his last build- the USS Arizona (the third glue kit).
http://i.imgur.com/ciHPmlP.jpg

Re: Revell Star Destroyer - Passing the Torch

That SD got its butt kicked to be sure! From one dad to another... thumbs way up!

Re: Revell Star Destroyer - Passing the Torch

The Arizona looks great!

Re: Revell Star Destroyer - Passing the Torch

Excellent on all accounts.

I stuck a pencil in my sons' hands as soon as they could hold one and let them do whatever they wanted to try regarding art materials (I have everything on hand from a kiln and vacuum chambers to oils and watercolors). They both picked up modeling and handling an airbrush, but it only stuck with one, who happened to be into history and anime, so that makes sense.

All the work and patience pays off, trust me, my oldest just got accepted into the engineering school of his choice.

Re: Revell Star Destroyer - Passing the Torch

Awesome. I started building models with my dad when I was about 5, I turn 30 in a few months and I've barely ever stopped! So cool to see this project. Nice work on the Arizona!

Re: Revell Star Destroyer - Passing the Torch

Last night I taught my son another technique- showing damage beneath the hull. On this scale the holes are relatively small on this build so we only need to show some suggestions of material beneath being exposed. This is simply done with some scrap styrene, smaller than a postage stamp, with .02 chips to space it away from the hull (with the hull thinned out the gap is larger). Some small rod and chips are added to both sides of the new damage hole, then scarred with a hot blade and painted aluminum and gold. This results in some nice depth of damage when you look down inside the blast-hole, probably ont going to show well in photos but then again this is being built for fun! Below is a photo showing the original damage chips and the final look before being glued inside the hull:
http://i.imgur.com/1JTDidX.jpg

Re: Revell Star Destroyer - Passing the Torch

Progress last night-


Detail shot showing beneath hull damage (really looks better in person)
http://i.imgur.com/lRq4pw8.jpg


Last night I showed him how to add tiny styrene chips (these are .3mm x 1.5mm) using the tip of a blade to move them and just a kiss of glue to attach.
http://i.imgur.com/5yUuNKK.jpg
I showed him a couple of times and he took over from there.


Best part was that I had gotten my Zvezda ISD kit (a wonder Christmas present from my best friend) Saturday and I was doing the same thing with my superstructure pieces. This what I was waiting for, both of us, working side by side, lost in the zone as an inspirational movie (this time Return of the Jedi) played in the background.

The mental image you're creating Richard is very cool indeed. You're both very lucky to have a passion for the same hobby! And the work you do together can only get better.