38" Cast Super Star Destroyer (more then I can handle?).

[skahtul]

For the last few years, I have been working on a bunch of Bandai Star Wars models. It all started a few years back when I was inspired to pick up an old Star Destroyer that I had in my closet since I was a teenager after listening to a bunch of Tested podcasts (which is also where I first hear about this awesome forum!!). I had not done a model in a very, very long time but it turned out okay. Not too long after that, I picked up the Bandai Perfect Grade Falcon but I knew at the time I did not have the skills to tackle that project so I put it on my shelf and admired it from a far..

Fast forward a few years and I have built almost every Star Wars Bandai model they have made, I have about 5 more to go. I have really enjoyed learning all the painting processes and weathering the model is up there among my favorite things to do, which is crazy because I used to hate painting models as I had no idea what to do. Now I am more than ready to tackle the Flacon and as soon as my wife's office is done (hopefully this weekend) I will get started on it, so excited.

The Bandai kits are amazing, the engineering on how they fit is just spectacular and they are a ton of fun to build and paint. During this journey, I have subscribed to several modeling magazines, watched a ton of Youtube videos by talented model makers, read just about every book I can find from ILM on model making and the making of Star Wars in general (which is something I have always been fascinated by).

Now I have a new project. I was so excited to finally get my hands on this model as I have been watching the site for months waiting for one to become available. Now that I have it I am back to the place where I was with my falcon... This thing is very intimidating. I know the challenge is going to be in the build more than anything. The finishing work required here is way beyond what I have built in the past. This is supposed to be my birthday present, in May... So I can only take a quick glance at it right now but the casing looks great.

I know there is a lot of filling, sanding and other processes I am going to have to learn. I have really liked doing the Bandai kits but I have found myself drawn to something more 'studio scale' over the last few months. I am not sure when I will start this, I may purchase a few smaller ones to get my feet wet, but if anyone has any advice on tackling this type of build, please let me know!!

THANKS!

 

[TazMan2000]

Bandai models are pretty straight forward and the parts are designed to fit almost perfectly together.
This is a bit different, but only should require a whole bunch of test fitting, carving, filling and sanding to make it look good. Lets not forget painting. That takes a bit of practice but its easy to do a mediocre job which will still make the model look good.
Lighting is another task, if you chose to do it. It will require a bit of another skill set, but that can be learned as well.

Some may recommend epoxy to put the parts together, but I recommend CA glue. It may not be as strong, but if you make a mistake with CA glue after it has cured, it is not impossible to correct. Once epoxy has set, you may have to physically cut the piece away. CA will give it plenty of strength to do what the model was designed to do...sit on a shelf and look pretty.

Members here have lots of experience and advice, so don't be afraid to ask, and ensure that you document your build here.

TazMan2000

 

[nikter]

Great model! I built 2 of them, if you'll have questions - I'll help

 

[skahtul]

Bandai models are pretty straight forward and the parts are designed to fit almost perfectly together.
This is a bit different, but only should require a whole bunch of test fitting, carving, filling and sanding to make it look good. Lets not forget painting. That takes a bit of practice but its easy to do a mediocre job which will still make the model look good.
Lighting is another task, if you chose to do it. It will require a bit of another skill set, but that can be learned as well.

Some may recommend epoxy to put the parts together, but I recommend CA glue. It may not be as strong, but if you make a mistake with CA glue after it has cured, it is not impossible to correct. Once epoxy has set, you may have to physically cut the piece away. CA will give it plenty of strength to do what the model was designed to do...sit on a shelf and look pretty.

Members here have lots of experience and advice, so don't be afraid to ask, and ensure that you document your build here.

TazMan2000

Thanks for the advice! I will document it here for sure.

 

[skahtul]

Great model! I built 2 of them, if you'll have questions - I'll help

Thanks, I will have questions for sure.

What did you use as a filler?

Did you light either of them?

Thanks

 

[Attirex]

Is that the K------th kit? The molding on that is really nice.

 

[skahtul]

Yes, that is the one. My first exposure to anything casted and it seems pretty spot on.

 

[Hagoth]

This looks like one I want to follow.

 

[skahtul]

This looks like one I want to follow.

Thanks!

I am finishing up a few other projects, but this kit is on my 'stuck in the house during the cold winter' so hopefully, it will not be too much longer.

 

[Haui]

may i ask what kit this is

 

[skahtul]

may i ask what kit this is

Sent you a PM with the direct link, thanks!

 

[Madhatter]

Nice one! I have this kit as well which I'll be building after my current SD is finished, so I will be watching with interest this one when you start it

 

[skahtul]

Nice one! I have this kit as well which I'll be building after my current SD is finished, so I will be watching with interest this one when you start it

Awesome, we can both learn as we go! I already have received a number of great tips from some members who have done one or more of thse.

 

[Jedi Dade]

With Resin kits there are a few things that you need to do that you don't need to do on something like a Bandai kit. I'm going to speak generally not specifically to the SSD kit.

1) Wash it thoroughly with room temp water and a good detergent - nothing abrasive. I mean thoroughly. Most manufacturers will use mold release on their kits to preserve the life of their molds (and make more kits per mold). That substance leaves a residue on the resin that WILL mess up your paint.

2) Test fit all of the parts before gluing - or even opening the glue. Often resin kits will have slight to severe warping - even good kit makers get this occasionally. If the parts are warped you need to straighten them either by clamping and gluing for slight warps - or for more severe cases heating the resin in very warm water until it can bend and GENTLY bending it into shape and allowing it to cool. Its also a good time to figure out ahead of time how you will clamp the thing together while glue dries.

3) Get yourself a variety of clamps in different sizes and types. This is good in general but especially for resin kits that usually require some dry time for epoxy. CA (sometimes with kicker) is great for small stuff but for large structural seams you'll likely want to use epoxy.

4) Plan how you want to mount the model before construction. You may want to build an armature or structural supports to hold the thing after its built. If you're going to light it this is a good time to plan your power (usually through a pipe in the stand).

5) And this really should be #2 Check your kit for casting mistakes and air bubbles. Most resin kits are hand cast and there are sometimes errors in the casting. If not enough resin was used in the cast there may be parts that are not fully formed... you would need to contact the maker for a replacement part - most are pretty good about that as its obviously their mistake... send them pictures. Air bubbles will cause small pin holes in the castings... sometimes you can leave them alone as they are just another "bump" in the details - others need to be filled and sanded smooth. I typically do this after all the parts have been cleaned and dried. I usually hit that area with primer just to see if it "disappears" like its supposed to.

The rest is up to individual building preferences -= but I like to build in sub assemblies as much as I can and get the main hull together before adding details... but that's up to you we all build differently. I would suggest looking at Aztec Dummies on youtube for some of his resin kit builds... I'm not sure if he's done the Korbanth SSD or not... but he's definitely done other resin kits - his 1/1000 Enterprise D is pretty awesome... made from Fiberglass resin... in any event I find his videos useful for IDing new tips, and he's got quite a few really good ones.

Also its a good idea especially for beginners to stick with one type of paint. IF you use an acrylic primer - use acrylics for your colors. clear coat before weathering is usually a good idea.

Enjoy!

Jedi Dade

 

[skahtul]

Wow, Thanks! This is some really good info and I will for sure be referring back to this soon as I get ready to start on this project.

I actually watch Aztec Dummies all the time

 

[Star Lord]

I would like to echo my appreciation to Jedi Dade as well. Great tips. Now, where can I find a really good SSD resin kit? Can you send me a PM with a link as well? Many thanks!

 

[Jedi Dade]

The Korbanth Kit is really nice... and large. There are a few smaller kits out there but none that I was really happy with detail wise. BUT there are 2 "toys" that I would recommend. The first is older and is the "Collectors Fleet" super star destroyer. Its a pretty nice representation of the ship at a reasonable size... it used to be found pretty cheaply, but lately has gone way up in value as a collectible. but you can still find it out of the box for OK prices. there are 2 other "collector fleet" pieces that are also very nice a ISD2 and a blockade runner. Both very nice, but not quite as nice as the SSD.

The Second is the Fantasy Flight games SSD - larger at about 2ft give or take its very nice... and is also a collectible as part of a game piece... Its a fairly accurate representation - a lot of their stuff is pretty nice actually. Its pretty available as it came out last year IIRC.

Neither of these are models though... although I suppose they could be taken apart and "upgraded" to something pretty spectacular... but not really a model.

Enjoy,
Jedi Dade

 

[Star Lord]

The Korbanth Kit is really nice... and large. There are a few smaller kits out there but none that I was really happy with detail wise. BUT there are 2 "toys" that I would recommend. The first is older and is the "Collectors Fleet" super star destroyer. Its a pretty nice representation of the ship at a reasonable size... it used to be found pretty cheaply, but lately has gone way up in value as a collectible. but you can still find it out of the box for OK prices. there are 2 other "collector fleet" pieces that are also very nice a ISD2 and a blockade runner. Both very nice, but not quite as nice as the SSD.

The Second is the Fantasy Flight games SSD - larger at about 2ft give or take its very nice... and is also a collectible as part of a game piece... Its a fairly accurate representation - a lot of their stuff is pretty nice actually. Its pretty available as it came out last year IIRC.

Neither of these are models though... although I suppose they could be taken apart and "upgraded" to something pretty spectacular... but not really a model.

Enjoy,
Jedi Dade

Thanks for the additional info. I checked out the Korbanth website and the detailing on the kit looks pretty cool. I actually prefer larger kits so I may have to add this one to my Christmas wishlist.

 

[skahtul]

Thanks for the additional info. I checked out the Korbanth website and the detailing on the kit looks pretty cool. I actually prefer larger kits so I may have to add this one to my Christmas wishlist.

If all the models on my Christmas list showed up at the door, the wife would kick me out and I would be building them in my friends basement

 

[Star Lord]

If all the models on my Christmas list showed up at the door, the wife would kick me out and I would be building them in my friends basement

Agreed. After twenty years of marriage I am still paying the price for having a seven foot Alien statue standing in the living room.