Anyone had direct experience with the Greenstrawberry engine upgrade for the Revell Razor Crest?

[Cthulhu]

I am interested in lighting my Revell Razor Crest, I have a lot of experience in lighting kits, and always choose a 'fully internal' approach using touch-activated micro-sensors and some sort of removable panel for battery access.

I looked around for after-market parts, and once again am shocked by their cost, but that's not important right now.

I contacted 308 bits on Messenger, and his quote was 15 euro for Mando and Grogu, and 74 Euro for the engine parts, or around $200 AUD shipped.

While nice, that is a tad steep for me, no disrespect to 308 Bits.

The Greenstrawberry one is available locally for about $97 shipped, and while still expensive, something else about it made me pause.

On the instruction sheet it shows areas you need to clear out yourself.

Mandalorian Razor Crest engines wheel bay Revell 1/72

(Instructions download link on that page)

It appears as though I need to clear out all the resin in between the engine nozzle parts.

Now, I've worked with resin and 3D material, and this would be a fiddly and lengthy process....and one that could easily result in a broken part, resin and 3D plastic is particularly brittle.

I...HAVE a part I could hollow out...in the kit...for free!

I know there are other bits in the kit, the PE doesn't seem necessary, and I can create the transparent parts myself, the only reason I am looking is to avoid the work clearing out the nozzle, but for $100, I'll do it me'self!

Am I missing something, but if I have to spend hours clearing out the resin from the engine nozzles on a 3rd market product...couldn't I Just do that anyway with the one I have?

Has anyone who has worked with the Greenstrawberry kit let me know if I'm reading the instructions correctly, or if it's not solid plastic that needs removing?

Thanks!

 

[modelerdave]

I did buy the Green Strawberry engine upgrades for the Razor Crest and had exactly the problems you're talking about. I couldn't make them work and used the Shapeways nozzles even though the finish wasn't as smooth. It's not plastic, it's resin and I did indeed end up breaking a part of it off while cutting it from the molding block. I really like GS's photo etch but I find their resin parts are too difficult for me to work with.

 

[Analyzer]

Note, for the price of the upgrade set, at least here in the states, you could buy the AMT Razor Crest(for example places like CultMan.tv are selling for $74.99)

That would get you engine parts that area opened up with clear inserts for lighting as well as Mando and Grogu figures for the cockpit

Even if you just use the kit as a donor for the engine parts and the figures it could still be cheaper.

Of course I have no idea how readily available those might be over there, but might be worth a quick search

 

[Cthulhu]

Note, for the price of the upgrade set, at least here in the states, you could buy the AMT Razor Crest(for example places like CultMan.tv are selling for $74.99)

That would get you engine parts that area opened up with clear inserts for lighting as well as Mando and Grogu figures for the cockpit

Even if you just use the kit as a donor for the engine parts and the figures it could still be cheaper.

Of course I have no idea how readily available those might be over there, but might be worth a quick search

That is a seriously good idea!
Frankly find most after-market prices stupidly expansive!

 

[Cthulhu]

I did buy the Green Strawberry engine upgrades for the Razor Crest and had exactly the problems you're talking about. I couldn't make them work and used the Shapeways nozzles even though the finish wasn't as smooth. It's not plastic, it's resin and I did indeed end up breaking a part of it off while cutting it from the molding block. I really like GS's photo etch but I find their resin parts are too difficult for me to work with.

Yeah, that's what I had figured, guess I'll avoid them!

 

[Analyzer]

That is a seriously good idea!
Frankly find most after-market prices stupidly expansive!

If interested in more details I am currently building both and if you did go the route of picking up the AMT, you might actually want to use the whole engine assembly. There are pros and cons to each and I feel like a mix of the two kits can create a much better one than either by itself. Parts seem to be identical in size. Only real difference is in locator pin placement and assembly, but that could be modified easy enough I think

Here I am detailing the main differences

1/72 RazorCrest - Revell vs AMT (Round2)

I picked up both of these because I could not initially decide which one I wanted. Also this gives me the opportunity to display one in landed configuration, possibly in a diorama, and one in flight without feeling I have to sacrifice one or the other :D at any rate, my initial thoughts were...

www.therpf.com