Recent content by rbeach84

One thing I found is that the first stage tube in the AMT 1/200 scale Saturn V kit (#AMT846 and issued as early as 1960ish timeframe, according to Scalemates) is exactly 2 inches diameter (OD). Of coures, it has the molded detail that would have to be removed to use it... but it is styrene...

Inspiring! Thanks... Robert

Furious Fabricator! Can leap tall curbs in a single bound! Makes 50 story buildings (to scale) so fast it is hard to follow... You're like a modeling super hero! Wonderful. Thanks Mr. Barrie!

However, for the TIE Bomber I'm making using the Revell Vader TIE kit (85-1878 I think; it is the larger of the various Revell releases usually marked as '1/57' scale but with a roughly 1/32 Vader figure included..), which is 93% the size of the MPC kit, the PVC pipe (1.5 " Schedule 40) is a...

Sounds about right! ;^D R/ Robert

Mike, I think you are on the right track, aside from me getting stuck in 1/12 land (oops). Making a larger, custom model sounds quite reasonable. This could be reverse-engineered in a way by comparing the known sizes of the decals used on the model (which came from the 1/24 Airfix Harrier kit)...

One thing I learned during this build was you could use a Sharpie marker to apply a mark and then 'chip' it using a bit of Scotchbrite cleaning pad or a knife tip. The marker ink dries hard and fairly brittle, so it abrades very nicely. This is how I applied the blue stipes on the...

Indeed it does! Necronaut did an outstanding job (I especially like the level of weathering...) and after having built the beast, I *really* appreciate the amount of effort expended. I kept the moving foils, but had to build a solid 'hinge' and 'socket' for it, which was quite challenging, not...

I should point out that the link you gave is for the smaller Revell kit, not the one I was referring to, which was boxed at least twice under different kit numbers (85-1857 & 85-1878 being the two I have on hand...). Scalemates lists about five different boxings, all labeled at "1/57" scale...

Perhaps they worked making the kit masters and had to rely on photos they took when they had access to the ILM models... very easy to do if not really meticulous with your research (as Tamiya always seems to do with their 'mapping' of the 'originals'...) Ah well, certainly makes a modeler out of...

Live and learn? Without stripping it or (eek!) painting over it, it would be tough to lighten things up at this point. On another topic, related to the 'grubby paint finishes'. The effect was the result of corrosion control efforts by the airframe techs, even to the point of sometimes patching...

Could be.... hmmm. Wasn't the ILM X-1 miniature made from a standard TIE fighter? You could probably do just that, replicating the model shop's process. What makes the X-1 kit's 'ball' awful, Jimmy B? Cheers and Regards, Robert

That's life! As they say "S**t happens"... I suppose *everyone* has a story like that (part of building models...) As it goes, not one that is terribly impactful, at least everything still went together. ;^) Gotta chuckle a bit though that the instructions plainly show it backwards... so...

There certainly wasn't a 1/24 scale F-14 kit available back then, and as far as I am aware, there still isn't. However, there may be extant somewhere a 1/12 scale 'toy' F-14 made to go with 3.5 inch 'action figures'... now that would be a beastie! But scale of the F-14 donor kit would not...

Puts my effort to shame, fer shure! Excellent work! R/ Robert