Building The Death Star - PRODUCTION

[PHArchivist]

still looks like paint/tape lines to me.

Its a tough call... The shots of the original model could easily be tape lines. And the only shot that really looks like add-on detail pieces (the still image from the film) could have been a "retouched" image, as has been postulated by a respected source.

 

[Newbie Doobie]

Damn it Rob! You're killing me! The suspense is awful! :lol Do you have any more update pics?:love Is that the Spruce Goose on the table,and is that thing from the Addams family in this picture? It's obvious that's Red 5-any updates on that? Oh yeah,Bob Smith indutries superglue gel is what I use on all my serious builds now!

 

[PHArchivist]

Damn it Rob! You're killing me! The suspense is awful! :lol Do you have any more update pics?:love Is that the Spruce Goose on the table,and is that thing from the Addams family in this picture? It's obvious that's Red 5-any updates on that? Oh yeah,Bob Smith indutries superglue gel is what I use on all my serious builds now!

Ok you're scaring me now (note to self: cover up SSN before posting pics on RPF!)...!

Yes on all accounts. The Goose is the same scale as the Boeing. The hand is unfinished resin cast of the original actor's hand. Yes; Red 5, largest ERTL kit

 

[micdavis]

You're not the only one creeped out. lol

 

[PHArchivist]

No real substantial updates today - added three more radials; that's about it...

 

[Newbie Doobie]

Ok you're scaring me now (note to self: cover up SSN before posting pics on RPF!)...!
Sorry,Rob! I just meant that I see a lot of people using superglue gel,and it's usually Bob Smith industries brand. I've been using this for twenty years now! I only recently swore off model glue,as it takes to long to dry,and is too messy for a smooth joint on polystyrene.
These pics are great! I couldn't help,but notice the sterilite boxes too! I use these for small parts,and paper materials. I take it you use superglue accelorator too. There are a lot of things in this picture that are very familiar. It looks like a small pair of Fiskars(scissors)in the coffee mug-this isn't my idea,but my old lady does this,along with pencils,and ink pens too! Sometimes it's handy,but only if I'm working right by them. You have a very orderly workspace,mine is usually messy,until I'm done working. Thanks again!

 

[Pappy]

You have a very orderly workspace,mine is usually messy,until I'm done working.

:lol So did i wait until you see whats on the left and bottom of the picture...scattered boxes,plastics,cans,a broom,lots of hanger,oh and water pump!!
Not to mention a bathroom on the right:sick

Good eye on the radial btw,if it was me i'll use a larger ring to measure,hehe,not much of a handy here

 

[Rhett J Martin]

What about using sandpaper as your city blocks? Maye a really high grade or something. That oughta give you some texture?

Just kinda brainstorming on that . . .saw a guy use a high grade to do walkways on his 1/32 plane. Looked completely real!

Or, taking the iea a bit further . . .use a roller over tighly masked areas with sand mixed in . . .

***shrugs** who knows?

 

[Newbie Doobie]

:lol So did i wait until you see whats on the left and bottom of the picture...scattered boxes,plastics,cans,a broom,lots of hanger,oh and water pump!!
Not to mention a bathroom on the right:sick

Good eye on the radial btw,if it was me i'll use a larger ring to measure,hehe,not much of a handy here

Thanks Pappy! That's what MY table looks like usually,but only messier!:$

 

[Newbie Doobie]

still looks like paint/tape lines to me.

Forgive me Dave! That's what I meant:$ - these look like tape lines,with styrene strips glued along their edges to emphasise the equatorial band.

 

[3d-builder]

I read this entire thing last weekend but I was so tired afterward I couldn't respond!!!:lolJust wanted to say fantastic work here....this stuff is so challenging it's nice to see people keep challenging themselves!!!:thumbsup

 

[PHArchivist]

I've been thinking about the speckled paint pattern for the cityscapes quite a bit lately as I get nearer to painting this mother****er.

Part of the reason I'm hesitant to go with a complicated, multi-stage process (i.e. airbrush or other compressed air method) is that I'd really want to lay down the speckle all at once, if going that way. BUT I don't want to be tasked with masking everything before painting. I'd rather mask off some areas, paint, then move on to others...

So I was wondering about this, and a thought crossed my mind...

I wonder if on the original, if the speckle pattern was laid down first, and the smooth grey in between came second?

I'd always assumed the smooth grey was the base coat, over which the speckled pattern was applied (and that may very well be the case), but I suppose we really don't know at this point in time.

 

[PHArchivist]

What about using sandpaper as your city blocks? Maye a really high grade or something. That oughta give you some texture?

--------------------------------

Or, taking the iea a bit further . . .use a roller over tighly masked areas

Hotshot, texture is what I'm trying NOT to have, as it would blow the scaled effect of the model. The original is quite smooth.

However, you have - coincidentally - touched upon my second near-epiphany.

Is there some type of paint roller that would produce - even if monotone - the speckled pattern?

In my mind, I've been focused on spraying the speckled pattern. But I wonder if it could be applied by hand?

As a reminder, here's what it really looks like:

 

[vaderdarth]

I can't think of a roller that would do this. I don't believe the light unspattered strips were put on last as you'd see the texture in the paint otherwise. I still feel like it was spattered on with a bristle brush or sprayed on. Try cutting the bristles short on a toothbrush. first do the whole model with black, then with gray and finally with light gray. I still think it will require masking. Getting the paint to the right "thin-ness" is the key to the coverage of spatter. Getting the bristles the right length is the key to the size of the spatter. Wish I had the magic answer.

 

[micdavis]

You're over thinking this. Spray the speckled pattern with a spray gun. Do some test runs on something else. What's the worst that can happen? You spray it all gray again and start over. Now get to it man.

 

[robn1]

A roller is definitely not the way to go, it would make repeated patterns.

I think the toothbrush idea is the best way. Test it out on some scrap sheet to get a feel for it. When you've got it down, go to town. If it doesn't look right, just paint it over and start again.

Rob

 

[Jedifyfe]

You're over thinking this. Spray the speckled pattern with a spray gun. Do some test runs on something else. What's the worst that can happen? You spray it all gray again and start over. Now get to it man.

I agree. I achieved a similar effect on my Grail Tablet. I used 4 different spray paint colors and just layered them on. The speckle pattern I got is similar to the DS...

 

[vaderdarth]

That's nice Fyfe, that's what I expect to see with a toothbrush.

 

[PHArchivist]

I agree. I achieved a similar effect on my Grail Tablet. I used 4 different spray paint colors and just layered them on. The speckle pattern I got is similar to the DS...

Brad that does look correct...

Tell me more - how far off was the spray can? Did you apply full pressure (finger pressure on the nozzle)? Details man!

 

[Jedifyfe]

Brad that does look correct...

Tell me more - how far off was the spray can? Did you apply full pressure (finger pressure on the nozzle)? Details man!

Sure,
Like you said before I did a base coat of a single color. For the Death Star I guess that would be the grayish-blue.

I then used 3-4 other colors (Light Khaki, Black, Terra Cotta and Brown) and just layered them on.

I kept the can about 10-14 inches away at some points but to get a more "speckeled" look I held the can about 2 feet away and swept over the surface letting the larger paint spots fall randomly on the surface. The cool thing about spray cans is that they spit and spatter on their own, unlike an airbrush.

If a part of the surface looked to black or terra-cotta colored I would go back with the base color and lighten it up and then hit it again with the black, terra-cotta, light khaki or brown to the desired shade that was needed.

It was not hard at all, just time consuming, but to get your DS right it will take a few hours at least.

It looks like from your up close photo that you will need about 4-5 colors:

Base - Greyish-Blue
Speckles - Black, Off White, Dark Grey and maybe another color.

I would be happy to help out Rob, just not sure of if I can get away for a whole day. I will have to ask the wife


Brad