Blockade runner/Studio scale model / tantive iv

[modelman]

Well the tubes arrived today and I can start this build blog. I’ve wanted to do this model for years now. What’s been holding me up I here you say, Life, that’s the problem and money this is no cheap model. Well my kids are now old enough to help me in this endeavor I still don’t have the money but here goes anyhow.

I’ve built the model in the computer to start with and played around with it changing this and that for over a year now. I’m happy with the look of the ship, it did turn out a little longer than people are saying the real model was just over six and a half feet. Mine is 2200mm that’s seven foot three inches. But I’ve used a slightly bigger diameter tube than the original model. Any way judge for your self’s on this matter from the computer pictures.
I can’t afford to get all the correct parts for this model so I will go the way that Mr. Henning did and try to represent the parts that they used.

This model will have to be built on a budget so lots of scratch building on this job. I will be updating this blog I hope on a regular time scale. I hope you all like it. This is the biggest model I’ve made so far.

 

[moztech]

Re: Studio scale model / tentive iv

Good Luck with your build, I'll will be following. Have you seen this thread for possible parts?

 

[moffeaton]

Re: Studio scale model / tentive iv

Such a cool project - looking forward to seeing what you do!

 

[struschie]

Re: Studio scale model / tentive iv

Very nice project! I wish you lots of fun and who knows? Maybe your build impresses some guys with some of the needed parts?

 

[Vacformedhero]

Re: Studio scale model / tentive iv

One of my favourite ships , subscribed , here's a great master class in painting the runner I posted on my falcon build
http://vimeo.com/51995786

 

[modelman]

Re: Studio scale model / tentive iv

Hi All.
Some movment on the model this week. I managed to get all the tubes together and write the laser cut programs for the side tube as they were going to be the most trouble to cut buy hand. As you can see from the pictures the base board is done and the main tube is almost ready.


To keep it nice and square I’ve strengthened the main tube with flat stock plexi glass and I hope it will be enough. All the side tubes are back from the laser cutter and all look super, the program worked. It will be easy job to fit them to the main tube just a little end fitting to be done.


That’s all for now hope you like it and please leave a reply good or bad they all help.


The modelman

 

[modelman]

Re: Studio scale model / tentive iv

Well I’ve made a little progress this week. I got the main cross section in the middle of the ship finished. With the pre cut tubes the work load was down to a few hours with a file. I’ve started to cover the model with 0.5mm plastic card. As you see or don’t see in the photos I cut the plastic to size and drill small holes all over the surface. The plastic is then fixed in place it with pack bands and using MEK glue and a brush I let the glue run under the plastic using capillary action on the sides and through the holes this way I get a very large surface area glued before it evaporates. As to the photos, this model is big and I'm having a little problem with taking photos in my little work shop I will try to find an answer to the problem soon.
More in the next week log.
View attachment 494384

 

[struschie]

Re: Studio scale model / tentive iv

Good job so far -

 

[rbeach84]

Re: Studio scale model / tentive iv

Good tip (the holes...), Modelman! Happy building, it looks to be off to a good start!

Regards/ Robert

 

[joberg]

Re: Studio scale model / tentive iv

Very good job! Eager to see the next update

 

[modelman]

Re:Blockade runner/ Studio scale model / tentive iv

Hello all.

Sorry it's been a long time since the last update I've had a few problems a hospital stay and a small operation and with two months off to get better. Anyway I'm back to work and back on the model.Not a lot to see at this point. I've covered most of the tubes now with plastic card. This will make the next level so much easer.

I will start at the front and do the hammer head as I think this will make or brake the model. Get this right and the rest will be (I hope) plane sailing. As I said before this will not be a studio copy but a studio interpretation. I mean where there are parts on the real model I will try my best to represented that part. My budget will not go so far to pay for all the parts, plastic or resin. To all you guys who will make the original model with Jason I wish you all luck and I'm looking forward to seeing your models.

Jason can you please help me in the next picture you put up with all the parts layout can you please add a rule with inches or centimetres on it this would give me a good idea of the scale of the parts.

Enjoy the pictures more to come soon.

Ian.

 

[modelman]

Re: Blockade runner/Studio scale model / tentive iv

A Few more.

Any questions please let me know.

Ian.

 

[modelman]

Re: Blockade runner/ Studio scale model / tentive iv

And the last few show How I fixed the plasic to the tubes.

More soon Happy modelling.

 

[joberg]

Re: Blockade runner/ Studio scale model / tentive iv

Great updates! It's already looking like the ship we've come to love:cool

 

[modelman]

Re: Blockade runner/Studio scale model / tentive iv

Hello All.
Just alittle update this as I’m very busy with life this week. As you can see formthe pictures I’ve been doing some work on the head and the pictures are the 3Dwork. I’m happywith the size and shape now the blueprints are really bad in the part and I wouldn’t use them if I where you. If you see anything you think is wrong please let me knowbe for I start to cut plastic. Thanks for looking and please leave a few lines,good or bad.

 

[star-art]

I can truly appreciate how hard it is to recreate this subject -- especially this "signature" part of the ship. The original model makers at ILM did a rush job "grafting" the new head onto the old body. The results where the head meets the neck were pretty messy. The geometry doesn't really work, and it's not easy to get a good match to the studio model in this area.

 

[ILMwannabe]

I can truly appreciate how hard it is to recreate this subject -- especially this "signature" part of the ship. The original model makers at ILM did a rush job "grafting" the new head onto the old body. The results where the head meets the neck were pretty messy. The geometry doesn't really work, and it's not easy to get a good match to the studio model in this area.

Yep, and they were cleverly able to change the "apparent" scale of the ship as well with minimal changes to the model (just like they did with the USS Enterprise after the first pilot). I only recently realized that the forward-most part of the neck of the Tantovy IV was actually the aft half of the original cockpit! This ship is an excellent and fascinating exercise in geometry - especially the intersection of mutliple curved shapes. Nice work!

 

[modelman]

Thanks for the few lines you sent. I would like to point out this is a WIP. The real model had this problem too. It will always turn up when two primitive objects meet like this.
They got around it by adding a second layer to the connection see photos.




I hope the photos show what I mean. The second layer will cover up the joint at the sides and more kit parts on the top and bottom. Thanks anyway for looking.

 

[moffeaton]

This is wonderful!!

 

[modelman]

Ok, just aquick update here. Going from virtually to reality there is a small differencenot that much but I can be a few millimeters off on the model. The plasticdidn’t bent just the same as the virtualsurface. I’m off a millimeter or two setting the model up. Some of the angleswhere a little off. So cut, fit, refit and then glue. It’s working out so themodel I made in the computer isn’t that bad.

Have funand make something.