1:1 Millennium Falcon Cockpit Replica - Group Build

[SofaKing01]

Re: 1:1 Millennium Falcon Console Replica

So is the cockpit going to make it to the fair?

Hey Y,

The Cockpit and Quad will be at the fair... It's going to be HUGE effort to dismantle, load, transport, unload and reassemble but it will be totally worth it. It turns out that I may be bringing the cockpit back home after the show. There is another show called QMX in early Nov that I will be attending as well - more info later.

Hope to see many of you there!

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You know... When you get this done, you're pretty much obligated to rig one toggle to signal your garage door opener. :lol

LOL! Not just the garage door opener... How about an actual driver? Can imagine seeing this rolling down the highway?

"... I saw um!"

"Saw What?"

"Semi's... Two of them, coming straight at us..."

 

[Bronson BB]

Re: 1:1 Millennium Falcon Console Replica

That cockpit needs a projector screen displaying the old Windows 'Starfield Simulation' screensaver out in front of it.

 

[SofaKing01]

Re: 1:1 Millennium Falcon Console Replica

Hi Gang,

I've run into a slight snag... I'm desperately trying to work and get answers to several potential show stopping issues. Unless a solution is found... There might not be a cockpit on display this weekend...

 

[Kevlarr]

Re: 1:1 Millennium Falcon Console Replica

The first wonder of the universe!
It looks great, just blew me away!

Are you going to have real glass where it's glass, nothing or plastic-glass?

 

[Snow Builder]

Re: 1:1 Millennium Falcon Console Replica

Hi Gang,

I've run into a slight snag... I'm desperately trying to work and get answers to several potential show stopping issues. Unless a solution is found... There might not be a cockpit on display this weekend...

What can we do to help? (I'll drive right over -should be there in about 3 days)

 

[SofaKing01]

Re: 1:1 Millennium Falcon Console Replica

The first wonder of the universe!
It looks great, just blew me away!

Are you going to have real glass where it's glass, nothing or plastic-glass?

Hi Kev,

Thanks so much... Ultimately, I would like to add plexiglass windows and an entire outer skin to the build. But then I would have to create the hallway... the the gunner tube... then the landing gear...

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What can we do to help? (I'll drive right over -should be there in about 3 days)

Hey Snow,

Other than this being a logistical nightmare... not unless you can alter time, speed up the harvest...

 

[Trooper_trent]

Re: 1:1 Millennium Falcon Console Replica

spill it! maybe we can offer some more "aha!" solutions to help you make your deadline.

 

[SofaKing01]

Re: 1:1 Millennium Falcon Console Replica

That cockpit needs a projector screen displaying the old Windows 'Starfield Simulation' screensaver out in front of it.

That would be cool!

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spill it! maybe we can offer some more "aha!" solutions to help you make your deadline.

Hi T,

It's nothing more than trying to figure out how to transport everything... It's turning into pure logistical chaos...

 

[Pwrsrce]

Re: 1:1 Millennium Falcon Console Replica

Aw c'mon...Just throw her in the back of a pickup!

Seriously...I've been wondering what the game plan was for moving this beast around. What are the overall dims of the cockpit once it is assembled?

J

 

[RexKramer]

Re: 1:1 Millennium Falcon Console Replica

I have to say, this build is nothing short of amazing. As a huge Star Wars fan, I appreciate every bit of effort you put into this!

 

[SofaKing01]

Re: 1:1 Millennium Falcon Console Replica

Hi Gang,

Despite the questionable weekend... I am marching forward as planned and getting as much done as I can...

Instead of creating a new throttle housing (which I still intend to do) I repainted the old one and I will greeblie and add the red pin stripe

Here are the images of the dual painted arch and beams

Thanks to "C17ldmstr" great IDEA! I used tape to mask off the arches.

Once I laid enough tape I then used an X-Acto and removed the overhang

I did both sides

I'll then remove the tape and "hopefully" lay flat on a board and trace the pattern

I then got back to the throttle housing - this is almost dry

I spray a light mist of flat black

I then painted one of the new instrument panels

Whew... tomorrow is the last of the details and the dismantling of the entire cockpit...

 

[C17ldmstr]

Re: 1:1 Millennium Falcon Console Replica

Thanks for the "shout out". I hope using tape doesn't give you any problems when you go to transfer the template. I'm worried it may not cooperate and stick to itself as you attempt to force it flat.

As for your logistics problem, I wish I still had my old ride (C-17 Globemaster). I'd swing in there and pick up the whole thing!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - now Free

 

[Alkali Jones]

Re: 1:1 Millennium Falcon Console Replica

Hey SofaKing01,

I'm speechless. Totally speechless! Simply Fantastic!

A word about warping though. If I can recall aright from my painter days, warping is from the uneven absorption of moisture. Since you have painted only one side of your work, moisture is still entering from the unpainted side, but if you paint all sides of all surfaces, you should see some relief from the warping. Alabama is a humid place after all. Keep up the amazing work!

Dan S

 

[SofaKing01]

Re: 1:1 Millennium Falcon Console Replica

Hi Gang,

It has been non-stop for the past several days and I still have SO much to do... I'm going to have to sacrifice a couple of tasks to wait until after the show. Better to do it right than try to rush through it... Anywho...

The console is FINALLY coming along... I applied the pinstripe to the throttle housing. I still need to add the lever plate to the underside, attach the throttle greeblies as well as a light coat of satin clear

I added all the rocker knobs and blue and white tiles

My helper taking a break

I really like the red pinstripe around the throttle housing - makes it pop

The back boxes will hide this mess...

Not sure what happens after this... Stand by!

 

[SofaKing01]

Re: 1:1 Millennium Falcon Console Replica

Hi Gang...

I had another thought... After the show, I could just fiberglass this area instead of removing the tape and hoping to trace the pattern - glassing is easy. I just don't know how the glass would adhere directly to wood - especially the edges. And there would be LOTS of sanding and Bondo involved... Anybody have direct experience with glassing to a wood structure?

 

[Yodamann]

Re: 1:1 Millennium Falcon Console Replica

That console is beautiful! I can't wait to see the rest of the cockpit lit with all sorts of blinky lights!

As for the fibreglass, I don't have any sort of experience with that. In fact, most (if not all) of my fabrication experience comes from shops class in Junior High. Sorry that I can't do anything except fawn...

 

[laellee]

Re: 1:1 Millennium Falcon Console Replica

I've worked with fiberglass and wood quite a bit. .You can actually glass the cloth right to exposed wood, it should bond quite nicely. One option would be to stretch fiberglass cloth over the open framework and resin it in place. An easy way to secure the cloth is with a good old arrow stapler (one of those big silver guys). Work along each side of an opening as you go, tacking the cloth tightly in place. After a section is covered, go back and peen all of the staple heads into the wood so they are recessed. If you keep your fiberglass cloth edges clean, you can resin over the entire deal and you'll get a pretty friendly surface. With 3 coats of resin, it's not going to be structurally indestructable, but it'll hold up very nice and should finish relatively easily. Using a wide spreader (or the top of a gallon ice cream jug cut to shape) will make pulling body filler over you work a lot easier; you should be able to skim it out nicely in a couple of passes.

Anyways, there's one option.

 

[SofaKing01]

Re: 1:1 Millennium Falcon Console Replica

Hey SofaKing01,

I'm speechless. Totally speechless! Simply Fantastic!

A word about warping though. If I can recall aright from my painter days, warping is from the uneven absorption of moisture. Since you have painted only one side of your work, moisture is still entering from the unpainted side, but if you paint all sides of all surfaces, you should see some relief from the warping. Alabama is a humid place after all. Keep up the amazing work!

Dan S

Hi Dan,

Thank you so much for the kind words. I rushed through many of the items: beams, arch, etc... I wanted to add paint just to help lift the project to a near completed look and feel. When I get back from the show I'm definately going back to fix all the minor/major imprefections and get them screen accurate.

The warping has been killing me! But painting the backside of the MDF NEVER even occured to me - especially with the larger panels - but it makes PERFECT sense! Fortunately, everything seems to fit minus a few gaps here and there but they are almost invisible. But I'm definately going to paint both sides from this point forward! Thanks for the advice!

Stay tuned for LOTS of pics from the this weekends Faire!

 

[SofaKing01]

Re: 1:1 Millennium Falcon Console Replica

Thanks for the "shout out". I hope using tape doesn't give you any problems when you go to transfer the template. I'm worried it may not cooperate and stick to itself as you attempt to force it flat.

As for your logistics problem, I wish I still had my old ride (C-17 Globemaster). I'd swing in there and pick up the whole thing!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - now Free

Thank you for the great advice! The tape began to sag this morning... When I pull the tape to trace the pattern, I won't need it to be exact, I just need a basic shape to cut so it's easier to adhere/screw into place. I can then sand down to fit the curve. Keep your fingers crossed. I am interested to see what the shape will even look like when I remove the tape.

A C-17 would really help me out right about now...

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That console is beautiful! I can't wait to see the rest of the cockpit lit with all sorts of blinky lights!

As for the fibreglass, I don't have any sort of experience with that. In fact, most (if not all) of my fabrication experience comes from shops class in Junior High. Sorry that I can't do anything except fawn...

Hi Y,

Thanks! Hard to believe that this whole project started with the idea of me creating JUST the console and then just sending it off to Chris Lee... who knew it would snowball into this!? It's been a heck of a ride!

I'm going to see how the tape template goes before breaking out the fiberglass and resin. I have a tub full of the stuff... I did enjoy the smell of the resin...

 

[SofaKing01]

Re: 1:1 Millennium Falcon Console Replica

I've worked with fiberglass and wood quite a bit. .You can actually glass the cloth right to exposed wood, it should bond quite nicely. One option would be to stretch fiberglass cloth over the open framework and resin it in place. An easy way to secure the cloth is with a good old arrow stapler (one of those big silver guys). Work along each side of an opening as you go, tacking the cloth tightly in place. After a section is covered, go back and peen all of the staple heads into the wood so they are recessed. If you keep your fiberglass cloth edges clean, you can resin over the entire deal and you'll get a pretty friendly surface. With 3 coats of resin, it's not going to be structurally indestructable, but it'll hold up very nice and should finish relatively easily. Using a wide spreader (or the top of a gallon ice cream jug cut to shape) will make pulling body filler over you work a lot easier; you should be able to skim it out nicely in a couple of passes.

Anyways, there's one option.

Hi L,

Thanks for the guidance! I have both the cloth and the mat and I think the cloth would work much better - easier to form. I like your idea about stapling the cloth into place before the resin. I still need to add more surface area for either the glass or a wood panel to adhere.

Tonight... rent a Uhaul and dismantle...