1/2700 Star Destoyer on the kitchen table

[gt350pony66]

I was thinking something like this...a styrene sheet cone that will still let the light through but conceal the LED, and reflect the light back into the bell illuminating it better...in theory of course. Sorry for the kinder-garden drawing...I did it on the quick but you get the idea, right? I'm going to give it a whirl this weekend and see what it does. perhaps a simple round cut piece of styrene bent to a slight convex would do it and not necessarily a cone shape?

 

[Gimme Shelter]

cracking work - its impressive to see what can be done with these fantastic Zvezda new kits - if it helps at all, I added the engine baffles to my Randy cooper model - these had slithers of metal foil on the insides which really helped deflect the blue light back into the engine nacelle and has seemed to damped and control the glare/glow when being photographed -





looking forward to more Imperial work from your kitchen table again soon

John

 

[Gimme Shelter]

forgot to mention - before the baffles were added to the outer nacelle lip, I also added some frosted clear plastic infront of the 10mm blue LEDs used on my main engines - it diffused the light and hid the bulb nicely.

DSCF7029 by John Leah, on Flickr

 

[gedmac66]

cracking work - its impressive to see what can be done with these fantastic Zvezda new kits - if it helps at all, I added the engine baffles to my Randy cooper model - these had slithers of metal foil on the insides which really helped deflect the blue light back into the engine nacelle and has seemed to damped and control the glare/glow when being photographed -

View attachment 781052

View attachment 781053

looking forward to more Imperial work from your kitchen table again soon

John

Gimme Shelter

Really nice detailed work there mate ! Your second photo seems to show a combination of cool and warm white lighting !? Is that configuration taken from any screen shots or is it just what you wanted / liked ?

:cheers Ged

 

[gt350pony66]

hey there, good morning John,
Thanks for the tip, I'd seen those reflectors on other guys stuff but wasn't sure how well they worked. I've got the HDA PE set for this but don't see those on the sheet? Unless I mistook them for something else. Easy enough to scratch though. So what I posted DOES work, good to know, plus the 3 reflectors, very cool. Thanks for chiming in to let us know. Escape has done a lot of experimenting on this, I've been trying to get the greebs done and re-assemble the bells, then I was going to try a few things cause I wasn't happy with just the extension tubes and like Escape, I didn't like seeing the LED's hanging out there. We're having a great time with the info sharing on this build, it's been exciting and it's great learning new methods of making things better. Thanks again and don't be a stranger. Also, the Merriest of Christmas' to you my friend :thumbsup

cracking work - its impressive to see what can be done with these fantastic Zvezda new kits - if it helps at all, I added the engine baffles to my Randy cooper model - these had slithers of metal foil on the insides which really helped deflect the blue light back into the engine nacelle and has seemed to damped and control the glare/glow when being photographed -

View attachment 781052

View attachment 781053

looking forward to more Imperial work from your kitchen table again soon

John

 

[Gimme Shelter]

Hi Ged

Its actually an accident - I ran out of the original batch of 5mm white LED bulbs during the fibre optic set up stages and ordered a second batch of cool white LED bulbs. Unknown to me, I ended up building a kit with 2 shades of white LEDs. I tested each bulb before plumbing them in to the hull, and tested them once they were tubed up to the fibre tips but all this was done in daylight and did not show the difference in the 2 shades of bulbs that had got mixed up until I eventually lit the model up one night in the dark - to my horror, I had a multi-coloured destroyer !! - It actually worked to my advantage in the end; so many people have commented on the lighting shade variations saying it makes a difference and complimented me on working a way to make this big monster of a kit look different using alternative white shade bulbs - I've never confessed to it being a build oversight until now...

 

[Gimme Shelter]

hey there, good morning John,
Thanks for the tip, I'd seen those reflectors on other guys stuff but wasn't sure how well they worked. I've got the HDA PE set for this but don't see those on the sheet? Unless I mistook them for something else. Easy enough to scratch though. So what I posted DOES work, good to know, plus the 3 reflectors, very cool. Thanks for chiming in to let us know. Escape has done a lot of experimenting on this, I've been trying to get the greebs done and re-assemble the bells, then I was going to try a few things cause I wasn't happy with just the extension tubes and like Escape, I didn't like seeing the LED's hanging out there. We're having a great time with the info sharing on this build, it's been exciting and it's great learning new methods of making things better. Thanks again and don't be a stranger. Also, the Merriest of Christmas' to you my friend :thumbsup

Hi mate

Always looking to help an Imperial flagship builder out so no problem and always happy to offer a tip - below are some pictures I took way back when I first got my 3D printed engines for my RC kit - I asked one of my model club members about the main engine bulbs and he told me to place them in the tube as far up inside as possible so that the illuminated bulb did not protrude and the light would emit equally - I confess to not knowing really how to best approach this but can offer you the pictures I took below as guidance - I know its a larger scale but the process worked. I also airbrushed the engine nacelles a shade of blue and eggshell yellow/white for when the lights were not on. The clear frosted diffusing material added the final touch to control the glare from the 10mm blue LEDs and the mirrored baffles that I scratch built have made it easier to look at and seem to add a tad more realism - hope this all helps.

DSCF7174 by John Leah, on Flickr

DSCF7157 by John Leah, on Flickr

IMG-20170802-WA0004 (002) by John Leah, on Flickr

DSCF6967 by John Leah, on Flickr

DSCF6968 by John Leah, on Flickr

DSCF6969 by John Leah, on Flickr

DSCF6970 by John Leah, on Flickr

DSCF6971 by John Leah, on Flickr

DSCF6972 by John Leah, on Flickr

without the clear frosted diffusing material

DSCF6973 by John Leah, on Flickr

DSCF6974 by John Leah, on Flickr

May the Force be with you, Always..

John

 

[Escape068]

That looks cool like a car head light assembly!!

Gimme Shelter used a clear frosted cover over the LED to hide it. I will try that. It may let more light through while still hiding the bulb compared to the white cover I tested yesterday.

I think if you go with blue LEDs painting the inside of the bells blue and gray will enhance the blue glow look and if you go with white LEDs painting it white and gray will enhance the white glow look.

Of course painting it blue and gray with a white LED maybe cool also with a mixture of a white and blue glow.

One of those above combinations and the 3 baffles with a mirrored backing on each bell may be all that's needed to get the look we are all looking for......






[/QUOTE=gt350pony66;4373418]View attachment 781050I was thinking something like this...a styrene sheet cone that will still let the light through but conceal the LED, and reflect the light back into the bell illuminating it better...in theory of course. Sorry for the kinder-garden drawing...I did it on the quick but you get the idea, right? I'm going to give it a whirl this weekend and see what it does. perhaps a simple round cut piece of styrene bent to a slight convex would do it and not necessarily a cone shape?[/QUOTE]

 

[gt350pony66]

Well, that's what I was thinking anyway, not sure if he extended the LED's like we have...I do have some light diffusing acrylic I use on the Falcon rear engine panel that works really well. Perhaps I'll cut a small circular and built a platform and support struts that will slide snuggly on the extensions that way I can move it in or out and see what it does. This is almost comical trying to get the desired effect for this, but I'm certain we'll get it where we want it...eventually:lol :wacko

That looks cool like a car head light assembly!!

Gimme Shelter used a clear frosted cover over the LED to hide it. I will try that. It may let more light through while still hiding the bulb compared to the white cover I tested yesterday.

I think if you go with blue LEDs painting the inside of the bells blue and gray will enhance the blue glow look and if you go with white LEDs painting it white and gray will enhance the white glow look.

Of course painting it blue and gray with a white LED maybe cool also with a mixture of a white and blue glow.

One of those above combinations and the 3 baffles with a mirrored backing on each bell may be all that's needed to get the look we are all looking for......






[/QUOTE=gt350pony66;4373418]View attachment 781050I was thinking something like this...a styrene sheet cone that will still let the light through but conceal the LED, and reflect the light back into the bell illuminating it better...in theory of course. Sorry for the kinder-garden drawing...I did it on the quick but you get the idea, right? I'm going to give it a whirl this weekend and see what it does. perhaps a simple round cut piece of styrene bent to a slight convex would do it and not necessarily a cone shape?

[/QUOTE]

- - - Updated - - -

wow, lucked out then, well that's cool. you got any pics of that? I'd like to see it :thumbsup

Hi Ged

Its actually an accident - I ran out of the original batch of 5mm white LED bulbs during the fibre optic set up stages and ordered a second batch of cool white LED bulbs. Unknown to me, I ended up building a kit with 2 shades of white LEDs. I tested each bulb before plumbing them in to the hull, and tested them once they were tubed up to the fibre tips but all this was done in daylight and did not show the difference in the 2 shades of bulbs that had got mixed up until I eventually lit the model up one night in the dark - to my horror, I had a multi-coloured destroyer !! - It actually worked to my advantage in the end; so many people have commented on the lighting shade variations saying it makes a difference and complimented me on working a way to make this big monster of a kit look different using alternative white shade bulbs - I've never confessed to it being a build oversight until now...

- - - Updated - - -

here I am asking you for a pic, and you already had some posted :facepalm work PC has flickr blocked so I'll have to look when I get home tonight. thanks brother :thumbsup

Hi mate

Always looking to help an Imperial flagship builder out so no problem and always happy to offer a tip - below are some pictures I took way back when I first got my 3D printed engines for my RC kit - I asked one of my model club members about the main engine bulbs and he told me to place them in the tube as far up inside as possible so that the illuminated bulb did not protrude and the light would emit equally - I confess to not knowing really how to best approach this but can offer you the pictures I took below as guidance - I know its a larger scale but the process worked. I also airbrushed the engine nacelles a shade of blue and eggshell yellow/white for when the lights were not on. The clear frosted diffusing material added the final touch to control the glare from the 10mm blue LEDs and the mirrored baffles that I scratch built have made it easier to look at and seem to add a tad more realism - hope this all helps.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4490/36799225774_2b54f464cd_b.jpgDSCF7174 by John Leah, on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4482/37509548101_e136f1caaf_b.jpgDSCF7157 by John Leah, on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4390/36923530811_1b4967b71e_b.jpgIMG-20170802-WA0004 (002) by John Leah, on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4304/36041956441_5058980b81_b.jpgDSCF6967 by John Leah, on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4330/35336737474_7f3e0b3e00_b.jpgDSCF6968 by John Leah, on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4302/36041955631_8d89deb703_b.jpgDSCF6969 by John Leah, on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4307/35336737004_9a70982004_b.jpgDSCF6970 by John Leah, on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4302/36041955001_7826cae821_b.jpgDSCF6971 by John Leah, on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4307/35336736544_09cbb7d57d_b.jpgDSCF6972 by John Leah, on Flickr

without the clear frosted diffusing material

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4314/36041954491_aa7454f3ca_b.jpgDSCF6973 by John Leah, on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4301/35336736154_ab68d62b00_b.jpgDSCF6974 by John Leah, on Flickr

May the Force be with you, Always..

John

 

[gt350pony66]

Well Invar, went to the hobby shop on my lunch break, got a pack of 1.5x1.5 evergreen, and a few of some other stuff I thought I might need. I know I won't get the level of detail you have, (that looks incredible btw), but I'm going to take a good stab at it. if nothing else it'll be better than it would have been. Was also thinking of also raising the Tie hangar openings if I can do it without it getting dodgy on me. You've made this build much more challenging, but so much more fun too :thumbsup

I haven't gotten to the assembly of the engine section to the hull yet. Probably not for a couple of months yet anyway. Once I get the trench greeblies done on both sides of the bulk hulls top and bottom and all holes for FO drilled, I will then likely glue the engine section to the bottom hull section. I plan to use carefully carved styrene sheets angled at the same degree to shim the top edges to the top of the engine area assembly when the top hull is glued down to the bottom hull. I will have 1.5 mm to fill along the entire top of the engine assembly, as that is the height I raised the trenches. That will happen after light-blocking, fiber and electronics are run and placed, and the model is fully greeblied and lit. It will likely be the very last assembly I do before priming and painting.

 

[gt350pony66]

the only downer about raising the trenches is, I'll have to fit, finish, paint and wash before I install the pieces cause I've already done paint and FO on the existing :unsure

I haven't gotten to the assembly of the engine section to the hull yet. Probably not for a couple of months yet anyway. Once I get the trench greeblies done on both sides of the bulk hulls top and bottom and all holes for FO drilled, I will then likely glue the engine section to the bottom hull section. I plan to use carefully carved styrene sheets angled at the same degree to shim the top edges to the top of the engine area assembly when the top hull is glued down to the bottom hull. I will have 1.5 mm to fill along the entire top of the engine assembly, as that is the height I raised the trenches. That will happen after light-blocking, fiber and electronics are run and placed, and the model is fully greeblied and lit. It will likely be the very last assembly I do before priming and painting.

 

[Escape068]

With all this raising the trench talk I have the bug too!!

I have all the FO holes drilled in the wall that's part of the bottom hull section. I was thinking of adding a strip of .60 x .60 all across the top of the wall to raise it approx. 1.5mm but not have to add any more FO or add any detail to it. That .60 (about 1.5mm) is enough to give the trench more height but small enough that you don't need to add any FO or detail to it since it will be up at the top of the wall where the overhang will be.

I will do the same to the top of the engine block by adding a.60 strip and have it slightly past the edge and filing it on the same angle it already has

I will also not mess with the hangar opening.........just add the .60 strip over the top of the opening so that will be .80 thicker.

If I decide to raise the trench I think I will do it that way.

the only downer about raising the trenches is, I'll have to fit, finish, paint and wash before I install the pieces cause I've already done paint and FO on the existing :unsure

 

[Escape068]

Just checked heights again .60 is 1.5mm.......I may go with .40 which a little shorter at 1mm and would not need any FO or detail added to it. That will give trench 1mm of extra height and I think would look good. The .60 at 1.5mm I think would be fine also not needing any FO or detail since its at the top under the overhang.

 

[gt350pony66]

I'm right there with you brother, my thoughts as well. I went to the hobby shop at lunch and bought some .60, and some .40, just in case I decide I can't got with the taller stuff. though I think I'm going to try to add some FO, but only in the blank areas that exist below it. I'm also going to give it a go on some of the extra greeblie, but no more than I can hand paint and blend well enough since I've already done the paint, wash and FO on the lower. I suppose, like you say, if I add the stuff to the upper, I can mask and shoot cause there's no FO on the edges to worry about. The extra greeb that spans lower, I'll have to hand paint, shouldn't be too bad. Tricky work at this stage, but I think it'll be ok and well worth the effort. man this is fun aint it?! :thumbsup

With all this raising the trench talk I have the bug too!!

I have all the FO holes drilled in the wall that's part of the bottom hull section. I was thinking of adding a strip of .60 x .60 all across the top of the wall to raise it approx. 1.5mm but not have to add any more FO or add any detail to it. That .60 (about 1.5mm) is enough to give the trench more height but small enough that you don't need to add any FO or detail to it since it will be up at the top of the wall where the overhang will be.

I will do the same to the top of the engine block by adding a.60 strip and have it slightly past the edge and filing it on the same angle it already has

I will also not mess with the hangar opening.........just add the .60 strip over the top of the opening so that will be .80 thicker.

If I decide to raise the trench I think I will do it that way.

- - - Updated - - -

And I think I'll leave the hangar openings alone as well

Just checked heights again .60 is 1.5mm.......I may go with .40 which a little shorter at 1mm and would not need any FO or detail added to it. That will give trench 1mm of extra height and I think would look good. The .60 at 1.5mm I think would be fine also not needing any FO or detail since its at the top under the overhang.

 

[Escape068]

What size are you leaning towards........If you go with .40 their is not much you can add its such a small 1mm space. You can take small strips of .40 and glue in front of the .40 that you raise the wall with. Cut different sizes maybe cut little teeth into it for some design. If you have the half round .40 you can also glue small piece of that to the wall. On the parts of the wall that are thicker I plan to use wider .40 x .125 or .60 x .125 so there is more gluing area for the top.

I'm right there with you brother, my thoughts as well. I went to the hobby shop at lunch and bought some .60, and some .40, just in case I decide I can't got with the taller stuff. though I think I'm going to try to add some FO, but only in the blank areas that exist below it. I'm also going to give it a go on some of the extra greeblie, but no more than I can hand paint and blend well enough since I've already done the paint, wash and FO on the lower. I suppose, like you say, if I add the stuff to the upper, I can mask and shoot cause there's no FO on the edges to worry about. The extra greeb that spans lower, I'll have to hand paint, shouldn't be too bad. Tricky work at this stage, but I think it'll be ok and well worth the effort. man this is fun aint it?! :thumbsup

- - - Updated - - -

And I think I'll leave the hangar openings alone as well

 

[gt350pony66]

Well, I haven't sat down with it just yet, but I'm going to really try to go with the .60 so I can do a little FO and greeblie, but if it looks like it's gonna be a hassle, I'll do like you said with the .40. Got home late today and I gotta sit down and pay bills n crap. then try to add some weather to a 1/72 P38 that I'm giving to one of my boss' for his office. He's an RC nut. got like 4 really big WWII fighters...like 6 ft wing span big. then he's got a few statics in his new office, but not a P38, and I have two. One alum finish and one olive drab with invasion stripes. He's getting the alum finish cause his other office models are that as well. I'll let you know what i decide on the walls. sounds like you're going .40?

What size are you leaning towards........If you go with .40 their is not much you can add its such a small 1mm space. You can take small strips of .40 and glue in front of the .40 that you raise the wall with. Cut different sizes maybe cut little teeth into it for some design. If you have the half round .40 you can also glue small piece of that to the wall. On the parts of the wall that are thicker I plan to use wider .40 x .125 or .60 x .125 so there is more gluing area for the top.

 

[Escape068]

Yes I went with the .40 and did about 75%

I think it looks good and no need to add anything else. The only thing I added was .40 x.125 strips cut slightly smaller than the shape at the wide parts which added gluing surface while adding some detail.

Tomorrow I will post some pictures

Even going with the .60 I think you can get away with not adding any detail and it would look good and no one would ever know.

Well, I haven't sat down with it just yet, but I'm going to really try to go with the .60 so I can do a little FO and greeblie, but if it looks like it's gonna be a hassle, I'll do like you said with the .40. Got home late today and I gotta sit down and pay bills n crap. then try to add some weather to a 1/72 P38 that I'm giving to one of my boss' for his office. He's an RC nut. got like 4 really big WWII fighters...like 6 ft wing span big. then he's got a few statics in his new office, but not a P38, and I have two. One alum finish and one olive drab with invasion stripes. He's getting the alum finish cause his other office models are that as well. I'll let you know what i decide on the walls. sounds like you're going .40?

 

[INVAR]

Even going with the .60 I think you can get away with not adding any detail and it would look good and no one would ever know.

I thought about that when I began but when I raised the sides and placed the existing Zvezda trench pieces in place, the 1.5mm gap WAS noticeable to me. Especially since this model will hang from the ceiling just above eye-level (so the hangar bays can be appreciated) and the gap is much more noticeable. As I have been mimicking the 8 foot ILM Avenger, flat surface detail begs to be filled and broken up.

But then I am a silly perfectionist when it comes to doing creative things, which is why I spend so much time messing around with it.

 

[gt350pony66]

Well, I'm going to give it whirl, if it doesn't work, it doesn't. As far along as I am, and paint being done to the big pieces and the stock trench walls, it will be tricky to do but I think I can pull it off. It'll just be tedious and cumbersome to say the least. I've got a stiffy to get the extra FO and greebs!!:lol
Post that stuff when you can though Escape, it will most likely aid in my final decision to attempt it or not. I likely won't sit down for it till the weekend anyway and I sure don't want to make a mess out of this thing at this point. I did just finish the engine panel though but I won't post pis till I'm at work...the laptop just doesn't cooperate with getting the things right side up :facepalm
Invar, thanks for the encouragement to go for it. whats the worst that can happen...I'll have to do another ISD...now that wouldn't be any fun at all :lol

 

[Escape068]

What you can do for painting the trench is to get MR Hobby - Mr. Masking SOL NEO

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Gunze-Sang...822909?hash=item2383b96dbd:g:y-sAAOSww9xZCI5Z

You can cover all the FO with a little dab of this. Use one of those small round tip micro paint brushes to apply. It dries fast and comes off easily but protects from most paints. I use lacquer paint a lot and have not had any issues using this.

If you don't want to use that you can get a sheet of windows and clear parts paint mask for the 1/350 enterprise which has many small round window masks cut out of the Tamiya masking tape. They work really good and are very small and would cover all the FO when you repaint the trench.

HDAModelWorx is out of stock on this......not sure who else has it but here is the link for the product info:

http://hdamodelworx.com/WINDOW-CLEA...ise-Model-kit-Rev2-by-HDAmodelworx_p_413.html

If you are you going to use an airbrush to touch up the trench mix up some Tamiya Gray with some white to get close match to the Citadel White. Being it's the trench it would be very hard to notice any difference especially if you are going to wash with a watered down black. If you didn't seal up the top and bottom this should not be hard to re-paint and you should not have any problem protecting the paint already done on the top and bottom.


It's hard to tell now if the trench looks any higher because I can't compare anymore. I think it came really nice and I don't need to add any detail to it. I used the .40 but the .60 would have been just as good with no need for any extra detail if you didn't want to.

Well, I'm going to give it whirl, if it doesn't work, it doesn't. As far along as I am, and paint being done to the big pieces and the stock trench walls, it will be tricky to do but I think I can pull it off. It'll just be tedious and cumbersome to say the least. I've got a stiffy to get the extra FO and greebs!!:lol
Post that stuff when you can though Escape, it will most likely aid in my final decision to attempt it or not. I likely won't sit down for it till the weekend anyway and I sure don't want to make a mess out of this thing at this point. I did just finish the engine panel though but I won't post pis till I'm at work...the laptop just doesn't cooperate with getting the things right side up :facepalm
Invar, thanks for the encouragement to go for it. whats the worst that can happen...I'll have to do another ISD...now that wouldn't be any fun at all :lol