WOW, this thread is amazing.
I can't help but hum the music from when Ripley takes over driving the APC to the rescue, while scrolling through your progress pictures!
I can't help but hum the music from when Ripley takes over driving the APC to the rescue, while scrolling through your progress pictures!
skiffy
Sr Member
Thank you Paulh.
I got another push-light and matched the LED from it with one of the others to give me two headlamps that now look the same.
I'll use the third one for the top-mounted searchlight. I cut it down and with a little soldering it'll now will fit into its housing - which I started work on. It'll eventually have a brass grille in front of it.
I got another push-light and matched the LED from it with one of the others to give me two headlamps that now look the same.
I'll use the third one for the top-mounted searchlight. I cut it down and with a little soldering it'll now will fit into its housing - which I started work on. It'll eventually have a brass grille in front of it.
skiffy
Sr Member
I had some time off so because we're in lock-down what else is there to do, eh?
The searchlight ref I was looking at was way off (a CG source) so the build was totally off. I have better pics so once I realised that I remodelled the light housing properly.
Here's the new light housing in pieces. I bent some styrene sheet around a knife handle and used boiling water to set it in place. I used baking foil as a light blocker (glued with contact adhesive).
It's all installed and temp dry-fit to check everything.
..and a lighting test.
Checking what the lamp looks like when the roof is on (and checking that it's straight).
Yup, that looks OK so it's glued in place. There's a slight light leak at the back but I reckon the paint will sort that.
I'll think about handling the grille in front later. There's probably some teeny-tiny brass-work in my future.
The searchlight ref I was looking at was way off (a CG source) so the build was totally off. I have better pics so once I realised that I remodelled the light housing properly.
Here's the new light housing in pieces. I bent some styrene sheet around a knife handle and used boiling water to set it in place. I used baking foil as a light blocker (glued with contact adhesive).
It's all installed and temp dry-fit to check everything.
..and a lighting test.
Checking what the lamp looks like when the roof is on (and checking that it's straight).
Yup, that looks OK so it's glued in place. There's a slight light leak at the back but I reckon the paint will sort that.
I'll think about handling the grille in front later. There's probably some teeny-tiny brass-work in my future.
skiffy
Sr Member
Haha - you made me lol. I was a soldering virgin until I bought myself a cheap rig last year. I'm no expert - a lot of my joints are 'just good enough' to pass current.
skiffy
Sr Member
Thanks Joberg.
I've been neglecting Gorman's console for too long so I thought it should get some love today. Here's where I'm at.
I printed the screen bezels months ago so I put those on and assembled the sides and the desk. The rail for the swivel chair had me stumped for a while but I came up with probably the simplest way to achieve a sliding, swivelling base.
My crappy phone camera refused to focus but you can see that at the base of the chair there's a small circular piece of styrene with a larger one under it. I made 2 rails from wire core plastic rod and the chair base sits within them. I left one end of one rail free for now so I can take the chair out when needed.
Eventually there'll be lighting behind the screens and I'm working on possible wire solutions for the grab-handles that go at each side of each screen. The whole console is a separate module that slots in place so I can work on it outside the APC shell.
I had thought of trying to get a 35mm slide transparency of the screens (in scale) that I could cut apart and glue in, and that might still be possible. Alternatively, I'll use inks to paint them in.
I've been neglecting Gorman's console for too long so I thought it should get some love today. Here's where I'm at.
I printed the screen bezels months ago so I put those on and assembled the sides and the desk. The rail for the swivel chair had me stumped for a while but I came up with probably the simplest way to achieve a sliding, swivelling base.
My crappy phone camera refused to focus but you can see that at the base of the chair there's a small circular piece of styrene with a larger one under it. I made 2 rails from wire core plastic rod and the chair base sits within them. I left one end of one rail free for now so I can take the chair out when needed.
Eventually there'll be lighting behind the screens and I'm working on possible wire solutions for the grab-handles that go at each side of each screen. The whole console is a separate module that slots in place so I can work on it outside the APC shell.
I had thought of trying to get a 35mm slide transparency of the screens (in scale) that I could cut apart and glue in, and that might still be possible. Alternatively, I'll use inks to paint them in.
skiffy
Sr Member
Just a small update today - amongst a few other small tasks I've added the rail end-stops for the top turret so it doesn't drop off the back.
I also added the rack behind Ripley and Burke's seats that houses the smart sentry gun packs.
I'm going to pop out a couple of 3d prints of them in resin. Because they've got removable lids and they'll have more detail in resin I've added a roughly modelled interior based on what reference I could find.
Well, that's it for now. I'll be back with more soon.
I also added the rack behind Ripley and Burke's seats that houses the smart sentry gun packs.
I'm going to pop out a couple of 3d prints of them in resin. Because they've got removable lids and they'll have more detail in resin I've added a roughly modelled interior based on what reference I could find.
Well, that's it for now. I'll be back with more soon.
skiffy
Sr Member
Nope - but I might have to re-create them in 1:18 scale.
Chuffy 70
Active Member
good for you, I'd be lazy and buy the box set...pity we never saw the rear cannon 'fire in anger' but it was cool to see it slide down those rails. Nice workNope - but I might have to re-create them in 1:18 scale.
skiffy
Sr Member
Thanks Chuffy 70. Just a small update today. I've been doing lots of smaller jobs - tidying up the look of the rear exterior including adding the fender-ey bits on the wheel arches and smoothing some of the joins between the styrene panels.
There's still gaps to close and some bits are taped together for now but it's looking better and my to-do list is gradually getting ticked.
Now then, best way to accurately check the thickness of a scrap of styrene? Why, Mr. Vernier to the rescue. I love my clockwork Vernier - no batteries to replace.
There's still gaps to close and some bits are taped together for now but it's looking better and my to-do list is gradually getting ticked.
Now then, best way to accurately check the thickness of a scrap of styrene? Why, Mr. Vernier to the rescue.
I love my clockwork Vernier - no batteries to replace.
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