Building the Falcon

I just wanted to post the link to a blog I started (no not that kind of blog) to document the impending buildup of my Fine Molds Falcon kit. PHArchivist will be building his too and I'll feature it on the site. Come success or utter failure:

http://12-parsecs.blogspot.com/

Like the URL?

 

Well, after nearly two to three hours of work (most of which was spent washing styrene), we accomplished two or three small sub assemblies. LOTS of little parts.

But the detail is AMAZING. The aspect of having all the little parts glued on (instead of molded) in really doesn't translate well enough in photography to truly appreciate what this kit "brings to the table"...

 

Ok this kit is just INSANE. But I love it.

 

Nice work on the blog - I look forward to watching your progress.

-RAJ

 

I've completed one escape pod now, and I too broke at least a couple of the parts. Problem is the parts tree has more structural integrity than the part itself.

 

<div class='quotetop'>(PHArchivist @ May 30 2006, 12:55 AM) [snapback]1252843[/snapback]</div>

You need to use those sharp Xuron snippers to remove parts...those things rock.

-Raj

 

Yay. I suceeded in finishing the second escape pod without breaking any parts.

Yeah -- this kit will definitely require some new tools and techniques... Thanks for the tip.

FWIW, I repainted my entire work surface clean white today, (just for this kit.) simply because I was losing parts in the dirty marked-up surface.

 

Thanks for checking in on us Jeeves. Hopefully the information will be useful to some people and at least vaguely entertaining to others.

I added an update today.
Good point PH on the snipping of parts. I mentioned it in the blog, also I have a pair of those Xuron snippers you mentioned and agree they are magical. hehe.

 

I've cranked through 283 parts. I counted them up on the instructions last night. I should have more to update tonight or tomorrow morning.

 

Ah well you got me beat. I'm at about 100.

 

QuartZ,

Great idea for a blog. Will you be lighting the kit?

Mike

 

<div class='quotetop'>(Forbidden Zone @ Jun 1 2006, 07:34 AM) [snapback]1254185[/snapback]</div>

Good question...the answer is YES. I must have lights on mine. I'm currently working through different ideas for lighting the cockpit and the engines, I've spoken with some falcon builders who've done theirs and I've heard some interesting and different techniques. I just have to decide what I want to do with mine.

I'm sure lighting will be coming up on the blog when I get some more things finished.

 

I too am enjoying this blog guys, its reminding me how insane this lil kit is, i cant believe i eventually finished mine with my eyes in decent shape, what with the size of some of the geeblies. Ill be checking in frequently

 

I like your latest blog update, Q.

I myself am about 1/4 done (upper hull) with cutting the notches out. Its interesting -- you use a file; I'm using an exacto. Two different paths to the same destination.

 

<div class='quotetop'>(PHArchivist @ Jun 5 2006, 12:47 PM) [snapback]1256741[/snapback]</div>

ralphee- I'm sure feeling the pain that you and every other FM Falcon builder experienced. However, it looks like the worst of the small bits is behind me.

PH- that's funny that you're doing the same thing right now only on the upper hull first, and with the x-acto. I thought about using the x-acto too but found the file method to be a breeze. I think I did all the notches in the lower hull in about 30-45 minutes. The first ones took more time as I tried to figure out my technique. Hehe. It looks like there's less notches on the upper hull. So pace yourself.

Oh and I ordered the photo etched grills and resin exhaust port details from MMI through starshipmodeler today. I should have them mid-week to evaluate. I'm still not sure about them, but I thought I'd buy them and take a look.

 

Cool. Q, I got some more info to share/discuss, so drop a line/give a ring when you can.

 

<div class='quotetop'>(PHArchivist @ Jun 5 2006, 06:56 PM) [snapback]1256961[/snapback]</div>

I added a new post this morning with some pics of the MMI photo etched parts. These are really nice pieces. plus I finished building the guns last night.

 

I got the MMI photetch pieces yesterday. They are very nice. I highly recomend them.


and someday, I will actually do more work on mine. Just need to find someone who knows electronics.

 

Very cool idea, dig the blog.

 

<div class='quotetop'>(yt @ Jun 8 2006, 07:47 PM) [snapback]1258803[/snapback]</div>

Paul - aren't they nice? I honestly wasn't expecting such high quality PE pieces...shame on me I suppose.

Well at least I was happily surprised rather than let down. Good to have low expectations. (especially when one goes to the movie theater hehe) I'm also about to begin fumbling through my lighting, I think I'll start on the engines and headlights since they are the most straight forward, and I don't have my cockpit ready for illumination yet. I was thinking about adding a 4060 chip to my circuit to make my engine lights flicker. I'd like it to be so rapid that the blue glow appears constant but has a subtle rapid pulse to it. I think it would look more alive. And, it would consume less power since the LEDs would be on half the time.

yt - thanks for the kind words. It's a blast working on this model. I feel like a junior ILM monkeyboy back in the day.

 

Holy crap I just saw this. This is great guys thanks for documenting this. If you ever get tired of hosting it I can archive it on blockhead pictures for you

JDH

 

<div class='quotetop'>(QuartZ @ Jun 9 2006, 05:24 PM) [snapback]1259089[/snapback]</div>

Building this thing really does give you an appreciation for what the guys did. And allows you to realize just HOW MANY little parts are stuck on that thing.

Hey, and how about we throw out the "1/72 scale" term? This thing never existed in reality. The FM is a model of a model, and its about half the size of the ILM 32-incher.

So I'm going to start calling it my 1/2 scale Falcon.

 

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Hey QuartZ,

Good looking build you have going there. Very nice indeed. Maybe I'll get to build mine some day. Maybe. I hope. :unsure

If you don't mind me asking... Why did you have such low expectations for my PE Grille set?? Just curious, that's all. I am happy that you are happy with them. Really. But what caused you to think they would be less than great??

 

PH - I've been thinking of this as 1/2 scale too. Since after all we're building a replica of the studio scale 32 inch.

Johnny - Thanks for the compliments on the build. To answer your question about my surprise reaction to your PE kit, from the set of photos you posted on the starship modeler site, I got the impression that the spacing of the grill lines was bigger than they appear to be in person. I knew that there's no way they could be as tight at this scale as they should be to replicate the fine grille pattern of the studio scale, but I got them anyway to have a look at them.

You'll notice that I gave the kit a great review on the quality of the parts, the craftsmanship is top notch.

 

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Yeah, that spacing. I did try to get the right and true spacing and it didn't work out so well. That was when I was doing them for the ERTL kit. So yeah, the vertical bars area little thick, and there are not enough horizontal grille lines. But at that scale... They just become a solid junk. There are certain minimums that you need for PE that you just can't get around.

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Oh, I did notice that. And thank you. I am glad you liked them, and that you said so. Word of mouth goes a long way (good and bad) in this hobby. Just wondering what the perceived issue was. Thanks.

Please, if you wouldn't mind, send me pics once you have tham all installed and painted and what not. Now go finish it up, I want to see the final build....

 

Appears part D59 is mislabeled as E59...

 

Several parts in the instructions had the correct part NUMBER, but the wrong letter (as in your example) I don't know if some parts were moved to different sprues after the instructions were finalized or what. I've also found 1 part towards the end where the diagram did not have a part number but did show it being attached. Nice. Also, some of the steps are nice enough to show your where on the hull the parts go by giving you a circled area on a small image of the entire hull...HOWEVER, I've noticed 2 times now where the sides the point to are reversed on the closeup detailed instructions with part numbers. So be careful.

Updated the blog. Ship is really taking shape now.

Also, I've been tinkering with electricals and found a 555IC chip that will do fast oscillation so I can have the engine lights flicker at say 50-60Hz (almost unnoticeable to they eye) Experimenting on that continues.

 

Looking good Q. I missed your blog update on the guns. I'm ding mine more or less in order, so I finished mine earlier.

My escape pod ports are covered in rough filler to correct the panel lines. Have been for a few days now -- procrastinating about cleaning them off.

By the way, the Ertl kit has a clear styrene disc for the cockpit back wall that fits perfectly in the FM tunnel, but the details are wrong. :unsure

 

<div class='quotetop'>(PHArchivist @ Jun 11 2006, 12:07 PM) [snapback]1260196[/snapback]</div>

I have been skipping all over the place on mine. Speaking of escape pods...here's how the re-build on my first one went:

It was pretty straight forward. Just time consuming. I only got 1 done this evening. I outlined how I did them on the blog tonight.

I'd like to see your Ertl cockpit parts in person next time we meet up. Could you post some more side by side shots of the Ertl and FM cockpit? Specifically, the exterior parts.

 

(From the blog) "Next, I used a micro file to scribe the lines into the plastic."

Q, what did you use (tool or technique) to maintain precision/straight lines?

Looks great by the way.

 

technique went something like this:

- line file edge up with hand drawn line (keeping parallel to lines already there from fine molds)
- lightly move file across plastic (the styrene scores easily)
- repeat motion using more force and the tip of the file (the first scoring mark acts as a trench/guide)

That's about it. Sure I scored too far a couple times, but I came back with the putty and cleaned them up really easily.

 

Ok... So you did in fact retain some of the original lines? And you weren't necessarily using a straight-edge to guide the file?

Also, how did you manage to separate the parts (rings) with out breaking any?

 

Q, have you put anymore thought to what we talked about regarding the turrets?

Taking a look at the kit, it may be challenging. I'm still waiting on the elusive epiphany as to how to deal with teh the fore quarter of the turret where it meets the "jaw boxes".... :unsure

On the other hand -- thanks for the heads up on the excess engine parts that don't exist in reality. I yanked them off today. Not very fun, but not to bad afterall....

 

A progress shot... Still needs some massaging...



One more...

 

Damage looks great, Q. Can't wait to start dusting....

 

Q, I came up with another accuracy-increasing custom modification today that is fairly easy to do (VERY easy actually, relatively speaking). Has about the same overall impact as cutting the notches out of the armor plates...

Gimme a buzz...

 

I finally picked this kit up last weekend. Just wanted to toss out a "thanks" to you guys for the blog. Great idea, and great ideas... Keep 'em coming. I'm still puzzling over how to get an engine ramp-up lighting effect, to simulate the engines coming up to full power.

Anyway, thanks for the blog and your progress posts.

Allan

 

Another shot...

 

Hey Allan, Thanks for the support. We definately appreciate it. I hope that you have as much fun building your kit as have. And hopefully the blog will inspire you (it inspires me and it's my blog...hehe) Speaking of which, it's almost been a week since last blog update, so there's a new one now.

From the latest update:

 

QuartZ, nice upper mandible. I assume you scratched the bits on the outside front? I was working that section last night, with my handy references, and noticed that, as good as the kit is, it's missing a few pieces. The mandible sides seem to be missing some pieces, too. Just below part # C9. Also, C15 seems to me to be a little smallish...

Looks good. Thanks for the update.

Allan

 

Great stuff.

 

Sorry for more "blow" (and less "show ), but I felt compelled to state I reached a milestone tonight. Finished all the crap that goes on the rear engine deck. Side walls are next.

I've told others I feel this kit is much like Kiera Knightley -- very nice to look at, but a little too flat.

 

<div class='quotetop'>(PHArchivist @ Jun 29 2006, 07:30 PM) [snapback]1271163[/snapback]</div>

Maybe Kiera Knightley is a lot like the Falcon "She's got it where it counts" wait...she is still pretty nice to look at so I guess not. I too hit a milestone. Ok not really, I just wanted to say I did. I did have a few glasses of wine (aka motivation, aka brave-juice) and got my upper hull turret taper completed. Still needs the details put back, but she's nice looking now:



Blog is updated with some details.

 

Very nice, indeed. Well done. And a little vino ALWAYS helps. That's a familiar looking color....

 

Spent some time this weekend on my Falcon in between steps on the shuttle I'm working on...

I have never really been hapy with the Fine Models Flcon cockpit. I thought it looked too long, and some related experts have also validated this thought.

So I rebuilt mine.

I started with an ERTL cockpit tub (which is far too short). I sliced off the front of the ERTL piece then added styrene and filler to extend it a couple of milimeters.

I then used the clear styrene insert for the front of the FM canopy (the front circle), sanded of the molded-in ribs on the clear piece and dremeled out the center clear round window. I used this piece to re-build the bottom half of the front of the new canopy.

I used the FM half-circle front canopy frame for the top half o the front of the cockpit.

I then had to rebuild the main canopy frame members using Evergreen C-channel. Finally, I extracted and re-used the vertical canopy frame members from the FM part.

Pics later.

 

pics pics pics. I was there yesterday for part of PH's adventure. It is a bear of an undertaking to say the least. I'm not sure how I'm going to approach my cockpit exterior yet. He's right though, something needs to change because the stock one looks a bit off.

New blog entry:
Building the Falcon

Here's a teaser of my completed upper hull turret taper with completed greeblies:

As you can see I'm now adding little white styrene squares to add details that are missing to the top turret plate. Wish me luck.

 

<div class='quotetop'>(QuartZ @ Jul 3 2006, 06:54 PM) [snapback]1273350[/snapback]</div>

Not very easy at all, but not the hardest thing I've ever done. Q, I have done some more finessing and its coming right along. I also added that wire to the frame to box inthe windows. THAT was fun.. :rolleyes To me, it truly captures the essence I was looking for...



<div class='quotetop'>(QuartZ @ Jul 3 2006, 06:54 PM) [snapback]1273350[/snapback]</div>

Great idea.

 

Pics

 

Will I ever get to my cockpit?? Yes. Eventually. I've just about finished everything I can do on the upper hull. Whew. From the latest blog update (2 new entries today.):


We're getting there pal.

 

Any extra ovals...?