ProfKSergeev
Sr Member
Some very tricky intersections but you're doing a bang-up job!
Blockade runner/Studio scale model / tantive iv
- Thread starter modelman
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- star wars a new hope
modelman
Jr Member
Thinks are moving along at the moment. I have some holiday coming up so I hope to get a little more done on the model soon.I've fnished all the 3D work for the rear engine block and out riger. Pipes and LEDs have been ordered for the motors just have to make the turbies in the computer on and have one made in RP and cast 11 off!!!!!!!!
Have a look at the pictures more soon.
Have a look at the pictures more soon.
Can't wait to see the next update!
star-art
Sr Member
The engine section on this ship requires a tremendous amount of structural engineering. Each engine is quite heavy and most of it cantilevers off the main block. It's very hard to tell how they made the original structure's internal details, but it appears most of it was built from 1/4" (6 mm) thick acrylic. Even so, the six outboard "X" engines (i.e. what you called "outrigger") on the studio model are starting to sag now.
How did you cut your acrylic tubing? The edges look so clean that they almost appear polished. Those are some challenging angles to cut correctly. Nicely done!
modelman
Jr Member
Hi guys
Thanks for leaving your comments.
Duncanator,
The answer is with a laser. I made the whole model in the computer and used the 3D data to write a cut program for a 3 axle cutting machine. I only cuts 90°to the tube so a little finishing was done with the file. I was very quick way to start off the model and a good base to work off as all the tube where cut to a close tolerance. This is not a cheap way to go but the cost of buying new tubes if I screwed up would have been the same. The rest of the cuts were made with a razor saw from Tamiya and finished with fine sand paper and then hot flame from a torch.
Star-art
You’ve touch on one of my fears. Engine Droop this happens in older space ships and can be treated well if you see a doctor early. Yes the answer is weight. The lighter you can make the engines the better it is, I will make all the walls out of 3mm plastic card with PU foam strengthening at all the joints. I hope this will help it will be strong but light. The real problem I think they had was the lighting and the amount of cooling they had to use to stop it melting under the heat, I will use LEDs which give off little or no heat and are very much lighter in weight. Still a long way to go before we get to the engines still got some idea’s going round in my heads on this.
Joberg
Thanks for the comment. It’s getting trickier by the hour at the moment. I’ve started the head and cockpit and I’m trying to work out all the lighting. I want lots of little lights in the cockpit so I’m using fiber optics and for the light sauce I’m going to use the rear light from my bike. It’s a battey operated light and it’s got 5 leds all red, changed out four now for yellow, blue orange and white. The light has 5 blinking cycles so I change the rate the lights all blink. It all sounds completed but is isn’t when it’s up and running I will try to post a little video.
Thanks all for looking
It’s nice to know other people think this is cool.
Thanks for leaving your comments.
Duncanator,
The answer is with a laser. I made the whole model in the computer and used the 3D data to write a cut program for a 3 axle cutting machine. I only cuts 90°to the tube so a little finishing was done with the file. I was very quick way to start off the model and a good base to work off as all the tube where cut to a close tolerance. This is not a cheap way to go but the cost of buying new tubes if I screwed up would have been the same. The rest of the cuts were made with a razor saw from Tamiya and finished with fine sand paper and then hot flame from a torch.
Star-art
You’ve touch on one of my fears. Engine Droop this happens in older space ships and can be treated well if you see a doctor early. Yes the answer is weight. The lighter you can make the engines the better it is, I will make all the walls out of 3mm plastic card with PU foam strengthening at all the joints. I hope this will help it will be strong but light. The real problem I think they had was the lighting and the amount of cooling they had to use to stop it melting under the heat, I will use LEDs which give off little or no heat and are very much lighter in weight. Still a long way to go before we get to the engines still got some idea’s going round in my heads on this.
Joberg
Thanks for the comment. It’s getting trickier by the hour at the moment. I’ve started the head and cockpit and I’m trying to work out all the lighting. I want lots of little lights in the cockpit so I’m using fiber optics and for the light sauce I’m going to use the rear light from my bike. It’s a battey operated light and it’s got 5 leds all red, changed out four now for yellow, blue orange and white. The light has 5 blinking cycles so I change the rate the lights all blink. It all sounds completed but is isn’t when it’s up and running I will try to post a little video.
Thanks all for looking
It’s nice to know other people think this is cool.
blackeagles
New Member
Very, very nice Job!
modelman
Jr Member
Just a few new pictures to start with.
Getting a head.
Sorry for the title. What you see in the photos is the second attempt at the hammer head. The first one I made was a complete disaster. I made a skellington of plastic beams and discs and covered it with a thin (0.5mm) thick skin for plastic. Looked great when finished it but the next day it looked like a dead marshmallow. All the panels had sunk in. The fumes from the MEK glue had softened the plastic from the inside and they had sunk in. I had not cut holes in the bulkheads to let the fumes out. Lesson learned.
Head Number two.
Lessons learned.
1, Make it out of thicker plastic sheet
2, Cut holes in the bulkheads to get the fumes out.
With this in mind I went about redesigning the head. I made a model of the head out of PU foam minus the thickness of the plastic sheet 1.5mm.
I planned to heat the plastic in the oven and while hot form it over the model using an old t-shirt stretched over it to give an even pressure over the whole model skin while it cooled. It worked like a dream and my son and I got it down to 10 minutes, 6 in the oven at 160°C and 4 minutes cooling off over the model. I made six half parts four very good ones and two in reserve.
Next I made a flat main bulkhead running the whole width of the hammerhead and to this I fixed all the other bulkheads. The formed parts where cut to a template I made of the model and fitted together with the main bulkhead running down the centre line.
Once it was all glued up I put it out side for a day just to make sure all he glue fumes were out of the model.
Cutting out the main cockpit window and the sensors bays was a long and difficult job I was not expecting this, but as I transferred the data from my computer model to the real world things didn’t work out. In the end I did it by eye and I’m happy with it but it was two evenings work to get it correct.
I planned to have a cockpit in my model with a few flashing lights just for show. I went the cheap way. The cost of a circuit board and led lights if I went this way would be 40 euros as this model is on the cheap I went with bike back lights some wire and LED lights the lot cost me 15 euros and I’ve got 6 blinking pattons to play with.
Thanks for reading, more next time if anyone has any question please let me know and I will answer them. Sorry it’s been a long time since I updated the blog two much work and life getting in the way.
Ian.
Getting a head.
Sorry for the title. What you see in the photos is the second attempt at the hammer head. The first one I made was a complete disaster. I made a skellington of plastic beams and discs and covered it with a thin (0.5mm) thick skin for plastic. Looked great when finished it but the next day it looked like a dead marshmallow. All the panels had sunk in. The fumes from the MEK glue had softened the plastic from the inside and they had sunk in. I had not cut holes in the bulkheads to let the fumes out. Lesson learned.
Head Number two.
Lessons learned.
1, Make it out of thicker plastic sheet
2, Cut holes in the bulkheads to get the fumes out.
With this in mind I went about redesigning the head. I made a model of the head out of PU foam minus the thickness of the plastic sheet 1.5mm.
I planned to heat the plastic in the oven and while hot form it over the model using an old t-shirt stretched over it to give an even pressure over the whole model skin while it cooled. It worked like a dream and my son and I got it down to 10 minutes, 6 in the oven at 160°C and 4 minutes cooling off over the model. I made six half parts four very good ones and two in reserve.
Next I made a flat main bulkhead running the whole width of the hammerhead and to this I fixed all the other bulkheads. The formed parts where cut to a template I made of the model and fitted together with the main bulkhead running down the centre line.
Once it was all glued up I put it out side for a day just to make sure all he glue fumes were out of the model.
Cutting out the main cockpit window and the sensors bays was a long and difficult job I was not expecting this, but as I transferred the data from my computer model to the real world things didn’t work out. In the end I did it by eye and I’m happy with it but it was two evenings work to get it correct.
I planned to have a cockpit in my model with a few flashing lights just for show. I went the cheap way. The cost of a circuit board and led lights if I went this way would be 40 euros as this model is on the cheap I went with bike back lights some wire and LED lights the lot cost me 15 euros and I’ve got 6 blinking pattons to play with.
Thanks for reading, more next time if anyone has any question please let me know and I will answer them. Sorry it’s been a long time since I updated the blog two much work and life getting in the way.
Ian.
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Ohh the flashbacks! Cant we get Meds Starart Charles? Ian keep up the good work.. if you have any questions do not hesitate in asking... looking like a blockade Runner for sure!!
star-art
Sr Member
That is looking very fine! Nice work indeed. Building it that way from scratch is about as hard as it gets!
Yeah, Steve, flashbacks, indeed! Not to insult or demean any servicemen out there but I'm wondering if there might be such a thing as "post traumatic modeler's syndrome" for those who had to build under duress/deadline for the studios, etc. LOL
Yeah, Steve, flashbacks, indeed! Not to insult or demean any servicemen out there but I'm wondering if there might be such a thing as "post traumatic modeler's syndrome" for those who had to build under duress/deadline for the studios, etc. LOL
blackeagles
New Member
Perfect job Modelman !!!!
I admire
I admire
Hi what did you use for the control panels? These look great!!