1:24 X-Wing Red 3 **WIP**
- Thread starter StevenBills
- Start date
Haha! It's been a few days with no updates, but I have been busy doing boring stuff like prepping the armature, looking at paint references, reprinting a few parts, etc... Not much to show for it, though, but progress is still being made!
Stay tuned!
SB
Stay tuned!
SB
Antsnest
Sr Member
Late to the party, but regarding the engine LEDs - for my recent Razor Crest build I printed some clear diffusers to break up the 'obvious LED' light pattern in each engine - details here Revell Razor Crest Lighting WIP
Would something like that help here?
Would something like that help here?
Yes, I saw what you did with your Razor Crest and love it! It would absolutely help here. I love how on your RC it still retains the hot, bright center, while evenly diffusing the light around to the edges of the engine!
On that note, does anyone know where I could find some different Phantom turkey feathers for the exhaust nozzles? The ones that come with the model are kind of plain.
So the last week or so I have been fighting with the armature, like I said above. I had a friend print the two parts for me because I borked the hot end of my Neptune, and I've been waiting for a new one to show up for about a week and a half now. Yes, they're red, but they won't stay red!
I used M4x12mm screws to attach the armature to the wings, but they're not quite long enough, so I have some M4x16mm screws that I'll swap them out with. I have a washer and a nut that will go on the end to hold the wings securely in place. I also need to grind down the heads of the screws so that they're flush with the inside face of the armature as well. Also, the screws come through the wall of the wing and they're almost flush with the bottom of the engine pit (is that what they're called?), so I dremeled out a groove underneath where the screws pop out so that the washers and nuts can fit onto the screws. This will all be covered by the engine inserts and SeaLab parts, so I'm not too worried about it.
I also went into Illustrator and mocked up some stencils for the wing markings, which I then used my Cricut to cutout. Took a few iterations to get them right. I used the Bandai 1:72 markings, and measured them with my calipers. However, my wings and the Bandai wings are a little different, so I modified the file to fit my wings. Version 6 looked good enough, and that's what you can see here:
I also got a coat of primer on Biggs, and an initial flat white layer as well. This was done with Model Master enamel paint, as I find that those brush much better than my beloved Tamiya paints. I also got a set of Jason's decals in the mail, so those will help a lot when it comes time to pretty him up.
That's pretty much where this is at, currently. I have hit the armature with some filler primer and it has been sanded back so it's nice and smooth, and like I said above I'm reprinting a few parts that I wasn't 100% happy with. The next update should involve some sort of 'actual' progress!
Stay tuned!
SB
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Jason Eaton did a 1/12 X-wing, and added some incredible details to the turkey feathers.
They may be some nice inspiration for yours, if you chose to doll them up a bit.
When I have a moment I’ll see if I can find a link of that build. It was magnificent!
Edit: here you go: 1/12th X-Wing Part 6
They may be some nice inspiration for yours, if you chose to doll them up a bit.
When I have a moment I’ll see if I can find a link of that build. It was magnificent!
Edit: here you go: 1/12th X-Wing Part 6
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Yes that is the build that I have been basing the construction of mine off of. I love all of the extra details that he and Josh added do make it look and feel more functional and lived-in. If I could get ahold of those turkey feathers, I'd LOVE it!
SB
Agreed! That 1:24 Red 5 that Jason built and painted up is just exquisite! I would LOVE to see their version of 1:12!
SB
Now you went and did it….you made me pull out the 1/18 x-wing. I’ll be thinking about how to add extra detail to it all night.
I’ll get even! Lol
Just for fun, a little size comparison between 1/24 and 1/18.
You can see the difference between a 1/24 Saturn can, and exhaust nozzle vs the 1/18.
Fuselage is referenced against a 18” ruler.
I cannot imagine the 1/12. It has to be MASSIVE!
I’ll get even! Lol
Just for fun, a little size comparison between 1/24 and 1/18.
You can see the difference between a 1/24 Saturn can, and exhaust nozzle vs the 1/18.
Fuselage is referenced against a 18” ruler.
I cannot imagine the 1/12. It has to be MASSIVE!
Wow that thing is massive! Makes 1:24 look like a baby! Well obviously now you have to start building this beast. Where on Earth did you get a 1/18 casting from?!
SB
Originally, this was made to be a master for a resin kit someone wanted to produce and sell. ‘Precisioneer’ was the company/maker, if I recall correctly.
I recall seeing the master on Modeler Magic about 10 years ago. Precisioneer wanted to cast and sell it as a resin kit.
It never got off the ground…I heard rumor it was because of some ‘shady’ origins behind the pattern, but I don’t know how true that is.
I don’t know much more about it than that.
I acquired it on RPF about 4-5 years ago.
Very nicely made, 3D printed. Huge!
I had Mike Reader make me an armature for it, as it is very much like a scaled up Salzo V4. In fact, that’s exactly what Reader built for me, a 50% larger armature for the Salzo kit. Fits perfectly.
One day, when I have time, I’ll build it, and jazz it up a bit.
I had thought of doing it as a ‘Blue’ squadron ship, so I could have a little fun with the finish work, and make it my own.
While admiring your work, I pulled it out of the box for the first time in a couple of years and am now pondering the possibilities. I’ll blame you for the loss of sleep. lol
Looking amazing as always!!! And I can second the Saturn, I have had 3 and currently own the 12K Ultra, it's a workhorse and a heck of a machine.
Thanks Eric! Your X-Wing and TIE builds are an inspiration! It's amazing what you can 3D print nowadays. There's definitely a learning curve though! I wish I would have kept all of the misprint parts for this X-Wing that didn't make the cut; I'd have a whole box full of stuff! 
Spent some time on this build yesterday. It may not look like much, but I'm really happy with how things are going. One thing that I've noticed while building/making stuff is that I tend to get into my own head a little too much, almost to the point where I don't want to work on anything because I have a fear of messing it up. Well, yesterday I threw those thoughts out the window and just started gluing parts down! It felt great!
Here is my poor dremel work, meant to add room for the washers and nuts that hold the wings onto the armature. I wasn't too concerned with how it looked underneath because of the Phantom engine insert that would go in later. The screw on the left is 12mm long, and eventually got replaced with a 16mm screw. Just grabbed the wrong one from the bag. This was just a test fit for now.
Next I fit the Phantom engine insert into the wing, seeing where I needed to trim it in order to accommodate the screws and nuts and the wiring from the engine LEDs. I again took to my dremel and carved out a bit too much material.
I test fit the other wing and laid it out on the table after gluing on the Saturn V cans and engines. This thing is huge! (Yes, I know, Jkirkon, it's a baby compared to your 1:18!), but I am so used to working on the itty bitty 1:72 Bandai models. Side note: it feels so good to finally start gluing parts on. For so long I've had these parts just bouncing around in a box, and so it's nice to see them all go where they're supposed to go!
I glued the greebly onto the back of the wings, but I accidentally glued it a bit too high. By the time I realized my mistake, it was too late. I figured that I could live with it. I just shoved it flush with the top of the back of the wing, but it is supposed to be moved down ~3mm or so. Oh well!
Once I was happy with the dry fit, things got serious. I ground down the heads of the M4 screws so that they'd be flush with the inner face of the armature (I'll putty and sand these so that it's like there's nothing there), and mixed up some 5 minute epoxy and slathered it on the mating surfaces of the wing and armature. There's no going back now! But that's okay, because the wings fit nice and tight! Pretty happy with it!
As mentioned briefly above, I dremeled out a bit too much of the Phantom insert for the inner wing. I modeled and printed a SeaLab part (is it an oxygen tank of some sort?), and so I moved it a bit away from the edge where it's supposed to be in order to hide my sins a little. It doesn't quite hide the screws and nuts all the way, but I think that I'm going to add some more wiring in there to help busy is up a little more. What do you think?
Overall, I'm very happy with my progress yesterday. While still being careful, I was able to get parts glued down and this thing is starting to come together! For a while I was debating about the order of operations: do I mount the wings to the armature first, or do I paint the wings and then mount them? I decided on mounting the wings first, and then thought of how the construction goes for every single X-Wing I've ever built: You end up with two sets of wings like how they're pictured above, and you just paint them how they are. So from here on out I'm just going to treat this like a big Bandai kit!
So for today, it's rinse and repeat for the other set of wings. I learned a lot on this first set, so I think things will go smoothly with the next set. Also, I think tonight is the night for gluing the fuselage halves together...
Thanks for looking, and stay tuned for more!
SB
Spent some time on this build yesterday. It may not look like much, but I'm really happy with how things are going. One thing that I've noticed while building/making stuff is that I tend to get into my own head a little too much, almost to the point where I don't want to work on anything because I have a fear of messing it up. Well, yesterday I threw those thoughts out the window and just started gluing parts down! It felt great!
Here is my poor dremel work, meant to add room for the washers and nuts that hold the wings onto the armature. I wasn't too concerned with how it looked underneath because of the Phantom engine insert that would go in later. The screw on the left is 12mm long, and eventually got replaced with a 16mm screw. Just grabbed the wrong one from the bag. This was just a test fit for now.
Next I fit the Phantom engine insert into the wing, seeing where I needed to trim it in order to accommodate the screws and nuts and the wiring from the engine LEDs. I again took to my dremel and carved out a bit too much material.
I test fit the other wing and laid it out on the table after gluing on the Saturn V cans and engines. This thing is huge! (Yes, I know, Jkirkon, it's a baby compared to your 1:18!), but I am so used to working on the itty bitty 1:72 Bandai models. Side note: it feels so good to finally start gluing parts on. For so long I've had these parts just bouncing around in a box, and so it's nice to see them all go where they're supposed to go!
I glued the greebly onto the back of the wings, but I accidentally glued it a bit too high. By the time I realized my mistake, it was too late. I figured that I could live with it. I just shoved it flush with the top of the back of the wing, but it is supposed to be moved down ~3mm or so. Oh well!
Once I was happy with the dry fit, things got serious. I ground down the heads of the M4 screws so that they'd be flush with the inner face of the armature (I'll putty and sand these so that it's like there's nothing there), and mixed up some 5 minute epoxy and slathered it on the mating surfaces of the wing and armature. There's no going back now! But that's okay, because the wings fit nice and tight! Pretty happy with it!
As mentioned briefly above, I dremeled out a bit too much of the Phantom insert for the inner wing. I modeled and printed a SeaLab part (is it an oxygen tank of some sort?), and so I moved it a bit away from the edge where it's supposed to be in order to hide my sins a little
. It doesn't quite hide the screws and nuts all the way, but I think that I'm going to add some more wiring in there to help busy is up a little more. What do you think?Overall, I'm very happy with my progress yesterday. While still being careful, I was able to get parts glued down and this thing is starting to come together! For a while I was debating about the order of operations: do I mount the wings to the armature first, or do I paint the wings and then mount them? I decided on mounting the wings first, and then thought of how the construction goes for every single X-Wing I've ever built: You end up with two sets of wings like how they're pictured above, and you just paint them how they are. So from here on out I'm just going to treat this like a big Bandai kit!
So for today, it's rinse and repeat for the other set of wings. I learned a lot on this first set, so I think things will go smoothly with the next set. Also, I think tonight is the night for gluing the fuselage halves together...
Thanks for looking, and stay tuned for more!
SB
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Looking amazing!!!
You’ll never see the little spots where you dremeled our for the nuts/washers. Especially with a little added detail, and paint.
I think the best way to build these is to paint the wings to the stage before you do any weathering, then install them in the fuselage. You can then paint the hull, and weather the whole bird at the same time.
I’ll caution you not to install the cannon barrels until after you have the whole model painted and weathered. They have a tendency to snag on everything and get in the way, and you run the risk of breaking stuff off.
Guess how I know this.
I wish I had the skill to do 3D modeling and printing. It’s pretty intimidating to me.
I’d love to be able to design and print off parts, like you, Moffeaton, and many others do.
You’ll never see the little spots where you dremeled our for the nuts/washers. Especially with a little added detail, and paint.
I think the best way to build these is to paint the wings to the stage before you do any weathering, then install them in the fuselage. You can then paint the hull, and weather the whole bird at the same time.
I’ll caution you not to install the cannon barrels until after you have the whole model painted and weathered. They have a tendency to snag on everything and get in the way, and you run the risk of breaking stuff off.
Guess how I know this.
I wish I had the skill to do 3D modeling and printing. It’s pretty intimidating to me.
I’d love to be able to design and print off parts, like you, Moffeaton, and many others do.
Thanks for the feedback, guys! And yes, Jkirkon, the cannons will go on last!
I got the other wing assembled today. The first one took 4 hours, this one took 30 minutes! It helps to have already done the first one and learned how it would best be put together. Since I took these photos, I have added the little 1mm styrene piece that goes in the engine intakes.
I also wanted to close up the fuselage, but I first had to epoxy the nut into the lower half that would serve as the sole mounting point for this bird.
Then it was time to close it up! Lots of epoxy slathered onto the lower fuselage (also onto the locating pins that go around the body to ease assembly), and a few clamps, and I let that sit overnight. I used my ring light to hold the body vertically while it dried.
I tried my best to get the excess epoxy that oozed out with Q-Tips, but it seems like I missed a few spots. I can take care of those with sanding later.
And here's a photo of the body all glued together from this morning:
So today will be some sanding, and then I want to take care of the little female plugs on the side of the fuselage. While I was sanding the body down I wrecked those, so I am thinking about drilling them out and replacing them with some copper or brass tubing. We'll see.
It's starting to look like an X-Wing!
Thanks for looking!
SB
I got the other wing assembled today. The first one took 4 hours, this one took 30 minutes!
It helps to have already done the first one and learned how it would best be put together. Since I took these photos, I have added the little 1mm styrene piece that goes in the engine intakes.I also wanted to close up the fuselage, but I first had to epoxy the nut into the lower half that would serve as the sole mounting point for this bird.
Then it was time to close it up! Lots of epoxy slathered onto the lower fuselage (also onto the locating pins that go around the body to ease assembly), and a few clamps, and I let that sit overnight. I used my ring light to hold the body vertically while it dried.
I tried my best to get the excess epoxy that oozed out with Q-Tips, but it seems like I missed a few spots. I can take care of those with sanding later.
And here's a photo of the body all glued together from this morning:
So today will be some sanding, and then I want to take care of the little female plugs on the side of the fuselage. While I was sanding the body down I wrecked those, so I am thinking about drilling them out and replacing them with some copper or brass tubing. We'll see.
It's starting to look like an X-Wing!
Thanks for looking!
SB
Not much to report today. Since I got the fuselage together, the cockpit didn't fit anymore. So I took it (and Biggs) to the belt sander and took off about 3mm from the bottom of each.
The next thing that I need to do is fix the female plugs that are in the side of the fuselage. I have some 3/32 brass tubing that looks like it'll work, so I'll drill out the holes and glue bits of tubing in there instead. Question though: All of the tube cutters I see online (even the "micro" ones) only go down to 1/8". 3/32" is just smaller than that. Would those cutters not work for something this small?
SB
The next thing that I need to do is fix the female plugs that are in the side of the fuselage. I have some 3/32 brass tubing that looks like it'll work, so I'll drill out the holes and glue bits of tubing in there instead. Question though: All of the tube cutters I see online (even the "micro" ones) only go down to 1/8". 3/32" is just smaller than that. Would those cutters not work for something this small?
SB
