Bandai 1/144 Millennium Falcon GROUP build awakens! OPEN TO EVERYONE! :)

[Roboted]

Ok so i'm almost ready to go. Any help or suggestions welcome as I'm sure i've screwed up here a few times.

Got an AS186 compressor & 2 airbrushes, both double action, one with a gravity pot and a compressor, that frankly i'm afraid of and don't know how to set to the correct pressure.
View attachment 582297
Tamiya decktan is sold out everywhere across the UK&Ireland it seems, as the DeAgostini Falcon builders seem to have bought up all the stock(the guy in the model shop told me this )
So my first schoolboy error was buying XF78 wooden deck tan, thinking I could just use a higher ratio of flat white when i'm doing the base coat. We'll see about that.

Brought the decal sheet with me & just got paints slightly lighter in shade than those on the sheet.
Got some thinners, tamiya flat white & medium sea gray(XF83) some vallejo white grey, grey and USAF medium grey. and decided i'm gonna use a spray tin of tamiya rubber black TS82 as a basecoat, it looks a lot more warm than flat black. This is probably a big mistake, please let me know if it is.
View attachment 582298

Wanted my falcon to be a cleaner warmer colour than my previous attempts. Wondering can i make a mix of these colours and if anyone has some ratio tips i'd be grateful, if all of this isn't blasphemy and you wanna scream at me that is

i'm probably gonna chicken out and just use the airbrush for the base coat and then handpaint everything..the airbrush scares the bejesus outta me

Great stuff dude. I have the same setup. Got mine from ebay as im sure you did aswell.

A couple of things, The compressor will get very hot after 20 minutes of constant use and will cut out if it gets too hot, as it has a thermal cut off switch, so dont worry its not broken lol.

The pressure i use on the airbrush is 25psi, the gravity fed airbrush, not the one with the glass jar and pickup. The pressure on the gauge may climb past 25psi up to 30psi but when you press the airbrush it will immediatly move back to 25psi due to the way the ajustment knob works.

Make sure you keep the airbrush clean after use or it will clog up and spit. If you take it apart be very carful as the needle points are very delicate. The airbrush does come with an exploded diagram to show you how it goes together, dont loose this as you may need it when you want to deep clean the brush for the first couple of times.

Lastly, i tend to mix the tamiya paints 2 parts paint to 1 part thinner. Make sure you properly mix the paint prior to use. cocktail sticks work well and are cheap.

If you need any more advice im happy to help

 

[dimejinky99]

Great stuff dude. I have the same setup. Got mine from ebay as im sure you did aswell.

A couple of things, The compressor will get very hot after 20 minutes of constant use and will cut out if it gets too hot, as it has a thermal cut off switch, so dont worry its not broken lol.

The pressure i use on the airbrush is 25psi, the gravity fed airbrush, not the one with the glass jar and pickup. The pressure on the gauge may climb past 25psi up to 30psi but when you press the airbrush it will immediatly move back to 25psi due to the way the ajustment knob works.

Make sure you keep the airbrush clean after use or it will clog up and spit. If you take it apart be very carful as the needle points are very delicate. The airbrush does come with an exploded diagram to show you how it goes together, dont loose this as you may need it when you want to deep clean the brush for the first couple of times.

Lastly, i tend to mix the tamiya paints 2 parts paint to 1 part thinner. Make sure you properly mix the paint prior to use. cocktail sticks work well and are cheap.

If you need any more advice im happy to help

thats awesome thank you Roboted! Ive copied and pasted and saved this post! so helpful thanks!! Going to spend the day playing around and just practicing on some paper or perhaps a beat up old AMT Falcon I have.

You dont happen to know if the needle on these needs swapping out? When I tested it upon arrival I just used water and broad strokes so I'm not sure if it's any good for fine detail or not? Your works incredible so I'm hoping I won't need to swap anything.

 

[Roboted]

Thanks dude, glad i can help.

The needle in the gravity fed airbush should be 0.2mm so should be fine, i have not had to change mine yet. If you do larger work its will frustrate you because it only has a small spray coverage. it will be fine for detail stuff.

I have only tested the suction fed airbrush (the one with the glass jar and pickup tube) once. They are not that good as they lose suction alot and tend to get blocked. But it does have a 0.3mm needle and nozzle that will fit the gravity fed airbrush, great if you need a spare

You might want to get some airbrush cleaner and a cleaning brush kit inc a airbrush stand/cleaning pot,they are both cheap on ebay:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Airbrush-...hash=item2a46d67bfa:m:mo106fv6raHZ480VfHWY0gw

 

[dimejinky99]

Yeah they're definitely next on the shopping list. I'm all in now. Primed with a coat of tamiya rubber black. Gotta try figure something else out for the base coat cos the insignia white and deck tan are totally sold out and unavailable. Read this morning that Vallejo model air 045 is the equivalent of deck tan and can be mixed with flat white for a spot on base coat. I wonder. No going back now anyways.Wasnt sure whether to build and then prime..decided to do it on the sprue frames..went with it
.

 

[astroboy]

What about white and camo grey?

Sent from my SM-N910W8 using Tapatalk

 

[dimejinky99]

Really? By tamiya ?

 

[Automaton]

I had trouble getting Insignia White. I reckon it's all those De Agostini collectors buying it up From their websites, I see a few stockists have shipments due in the next couple of weeks.

 

[dimejinky99]

Yeah. I'm not that patient
think I might just try for a close as possible mix. No idea with what though yet.

 

[dimejinky99]

The DOA ESB grime mix has been suggested. A lot of the U.K. DeAgostini builders are using it.

 

[astroboy]

I just saw that greenstrawberry is making paint masks for the falcon cockpit and gunwells!!!!!

The race is on! Let's see who is ready first....Shapeways and their new cockpit cone or greenstrawberry with their paint masks!!!!!


Glass-in? Or naked frame?


WHO WILL MAKE MY DECISION FOR ME????

 

[dimejinky99]

I have a Gandalf&Bilbo bookend set and while its awesome, its a bugger for collecting dust. I'd love to do the windowless frame but my house is insanely dusty cos of my job..it'll be glass for me probably..the cockpit would be a full dustball in no time

 

[Jaitea]

I just saw that greenstrawberry is making paint masks for the falcon cockpit and gunwells!!!!!

The race is on! Let's see who is ready first....Shapeways and their new cockpit cone or greenstrawberry with their paint masks!!!!!


Glass-in? Or naked frame?


WHO WILL MAKE MY DECISION FOR ME????

Glass in for TFA Falcon,.....that's the way she's seen in the film,...glints & dirt in the corners....

if you're building it as the OT Falcon then glass out,...the only time you can really see reflections & glint on the OT big bird is on Ralph McQuarries matte of her sitting on the Bespin platform......

J

 

[dimejinky99]

wowsers

 

[theconco]

I can feel myself falling down the rabbit hole already haha. This thread looked like so much fun that I had to order a kit myself.

 

[thebeans]

That's one proud chappy right there

wowsers
View attachment 582995

 

[astroboy]

I realize that. But I'm still torn.

This one will have the OT radar dish, but considering the greeblies and panels are so incorrect anyway, I figure a glass-in one might just be a really great falcon model

 

[astroboy]

wowsers
View attachment 582995

That is glorious!

I have to say, I have never seen or heard of anyone completing a studio scale model of the 5 footer.

Has anyone else?

 

[dimejinky99]

Make the best falcon for you. That's what I'm gonna do. I'm never gonna be anything like good enough as many here and trying to match to something I'm never gonna get near right, only leads to frustration. And I'll be frustrated enough anyways with the result so just gonna go with what works

 

[Jaitea]

I realize that. But I'm still torn.

This one will have the OT radar dish, but considering the greeblies and panels are so incorrect anyway, I figure a glass-in one might just be a really great falcon model

Which greeblies & panels are so incorrect?....

J

 

[dimejinky99]

That is glorious!

I have to say, I have never seen or heard of anyone completing a studio scale model of the 5 footer.

Has anyone else?

Would it it be easier to be accurate to details building on that scale? I wonder


easier on on the eyes certainly. Screwy 1/144 making us blind