Bandai 1/72 PG Millennium Falcon (also the Revell Germany rebox)
- Thread starter Jaitea
- Start date
The engine glow looks incredible. Exactly how I remember it when I was a kid. Need to look back and see what you used for lighting and diffusion because it’s by far the nicest engine I’ve seen on a Falcon model.
akumazeto
Sr Member
Fantastic pic post a few more.
gt350pony66
Master Member
Fantastic! :thumbsup
Hunk a Junk
Sr Member
Thanks guys! The engines are one of those compromises where you have to pick your poison. There's virtually no way to get a screen accurate (at least OT) glow using the grid, but without the grid the "parked" look is just a white strip. That was a contributing factor in my idea to make this build represent a specific snapshot in time for the 5-foot model. The solution was pretty simple: the two rows of LED strip lights were stuck directly on the outer arc of Bandai's translucent diffuser, using the diffuser only as a support. I got the "milk glass" as an acrylic sheet at a home improvement store (Menards) and bent the cut strip using a heat gun around a metal form of the same circumference (a kitchen stock pot). Then I taped curved sheets of white styrene above and below the finished assembly to act as a both a light block and to help bounce the light around behind the acrylic strip a bit.
gt350pony66
Master Member
Excellent! I've used some higher end light diffusing acrylic in the past on my MPC adventures, works pretty good. I cut a piece of a 2x4 with the same curve as the ships read end, then I'd cut the strip of acrylic and balance it on the wood, stick it in the oven till it softened up, then reach in and pull it out with welding gloves and form it to the wood by hand till it cooled. I tried the old lady's hair dryer on hot but it seemed to take too long. my method crude yes, but effective. I love what you've done here, it looks nothing short of perfect! :thumbsup
Sweet, thanks for the summary. I may totally rip your idea off as it looks much better than the grill, to my eyes at least. Don’t get me wrong, I do like the grill, but this just brings me back to when I was a kid and first saw the Falcon. Would I be going too far if I asked what dimensions your ‘milk glass’ acrylic strip was cut to?
Hunk a Junk
Sr Member
RIP ME OFF! I rip everyone else off, it's only fair! :lol The strip is 5/8" wide. The length was determined after I bent the strip by putting it into position. I'd make the strips cut from the sheet of acrylic extra long not only so I could get a nice clean arc when I bent it, but also so I could get 2 or more strips per bending attempt. This way I was able to get 6 or so good quality engine pieces and sold the extra to other RPFers. If I ever make another one of these (and I'm considering it), I'll bend up some more and let people know when they're available.
gt350pony66
Master Member
I'll say this...even with the cost of the PG, I'm glad Bandai put this out cause I was getting tired of trying to doctor up MPC's to get them in the ball park as far as looking right. Though I will say my last attempt (#5) did turn out rather well. I still have a few in the closet as well. if and when I get around to doing another MPC, I'll have the PG sitting there to mirror off of.
Am I the only one who just gets all kinds of jollies from building the Falcon no matter what form it comes in?....I didn't think so:lol
Am I the only one who just gets all kinds of jollies from building the Falcon no matter what form it comes in?....I didn't think so:lol
That's brilliant, thanks very much mate. Appreciate the advice.
Fixing the MPC falcon to make it look decent is a right of passage
. Its what got me hooked in scratchbuilding etc. and in general took my building and finishing skills to a new level.Jedi Dade
gt350pony66
Master Member
Could not agree more, you nailed it. :thumbsup my first Falcon was after a decade or so away from the hobby and that pulled me right back in. of course it took me FIVE tries to get a decent one. I kept finding stuff I didn't do on the last one so I just started new ones rather than go back and try to fix previous errors and omissions. While number 5 is no where near a PG for accuracy, I think it looks every bit as good as a FM, and probably cost more to do than FM, BUT...the satisfaction you gain from taking an ugly duck MPC and making it well, close to looking right is awesome.
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And I'll add that without the awesome work of Tony 308 bits and Haystack's genius old school process it wouldn't have been possible
Fixing the MPC falcon to make it look decent is a right of passage
Jedi Dade
- - - Updated - - -
And I'll add that without the awesome work of Tony 308 bits and Haystack's genius old school process it wouldn't have been possible
That's my old MPC/Ertl Millennium Falcon, which I built around 1989, with modified mandibles and new sidewalls from Sheet-Styren and some greeblies from other kits, which I put on more on a gut level, than screen-accurat (well at this time the best picture to get of the falcon was the boxart ). Also tried lighting the kit. I am still keeping it in the cellar... the Bandai is still waiting on the shelf to get the more accurate an more presentable piece in the living room. (sorry for the poor quality of the pictures, the are scans from old dia-positives, when I tried to make some effect-pictures back in 1990
). Also tried lighting the kit. I am still keeping it in the cellar... the Bandai is still waiting on the shelf to get the more accurate an more presentable piece in the living room. (sorry for the poor quality of the pictures, the are scans from old dia-positives, when I tried to make some effect-pictures back in 1990
gt350pony66
Master Member
Awesome for an '89 build, heck it's awesome for now, love it! The only thing that really gives it away is the dish. So you had the skills long before I showed up to the party :thumbsup
That's my old MPC/Ertl Millennium Falcon, which I built around 1989, with modified mandibles and new sidewalls from Sheet-Styren and some greeblies from other kits, which I put on more on a gut level, than screen-accurat (well at this time the best picture to get of the falcon was the boxart
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Portaler
Active Member
Nice !! So is it possible to support the whole Falcon on a single rod ? I was considering displaying mine vertically on the wall. I guess for this orientation I'd need more than just one fixation point. Or a rod with larger OD which could actually work considering is need to run wires.
Do you have any pics of the rod attachment point ?
gt350pony66
Master Member
excellent! most excellent!!
most excellent!!
jim357
New Member
thanks!excellent!
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