Cracker's 1/144 Finemolds Millennium Falcon Asteroid Field Diorama (3D)

[crackerjazz]

Bit the bullet and grabbed the burger-sized space burger. There should be a way to fix the jawboxes and parallel mandibles. Swing them in a bit (and put up with the resulting slanted plating which should be barely noticeable. I should be able to live with it. It's the sillhouette that's driving me crazy just looking at.). Box is misleading as it shows the 5-footer, but is really a model of the 32-inch prop. Killer detail for a 1/144 model.

Molded-on piping in the maintenance pits. Finemolds should have left the piping out so that you could fashion your own.

The color guides are a feast for the eyes. I still would use photos of the actual 32-inch prop but these guides really inspire you to build.

Got Helder's go ahead to use his Master Replicas Falcon photos for comparison. Thanks Helder.

Printed out Joshua Maruska's plans to 1/144 size and started hacking away.

Joshua Maruska plans over Master Replicas Falcon:

Off with the mandibles.

And the jawboxes, too. Wait, why do I feel like I've done this before?

Cut at strategic areas that are flat and easy to putty up afterwards.

Need to shave off some details. This part is too big - has to go. to scratchbuild later.

Now that feels better. Should've taken a photo before I modded the upper jawbox. I only have the lower one to compare it with.

 

[ozzyguanche]

Re: Cracker's 1/144 Falcon

LOL, you be a sucker for punishment, but I know were ya coming from!!!!!

Good start buddy, I may have a hack at the larger version this weekend.

Ozzy

 

[crackerjazz]

Re: Cracker's 1/144 Falcon

Thanks, Ozzy - can't help it. You know, I think JunkPilot might be right - now I understand where those Hasbro jawboxes and mandibles came from.

Oh, and got myself one of these: a genuine Scratchy canopy frame. Fantastically-detailed work of art at such a tiny size - just 20mm across.

 

[Scratchy]

Re: Cracker's 1/144 Falcon

Nice work on the mandibles and the jawbox. You know, I haven't even really looked at that area of the kit yet. I'm taking notes!

I'm happy to hear that you like the canopy!

 

[ozzyguanche]

Re: Cracker's 1/144 Falcon

Thanks, Ozzy - can't help it. You know, I think JunkPilot might be right - now I understand where those Hasbro jawboxes and mandibles came from.

Oh, and got myself one of these: a genuine Scratchy canopy frame. Fantastically-detailed work of art at such a tiny size - just 20mm across.

Hmmm yes, I am beging to think the man is a "mini him" maybe 2 foot tall with tiny hands, and what is to us 1/144th scale is to him 1/24th Only explanation for the fine miniture detail.

Nice work scratchy!

Cracker! you still thinking of doing the same to the AMT? Looking at it today, and I dont know if I want to go there. (Sorry for being off topic).

Ozzy

 

[crackerjazz]

Re: Cracker's 1/144 Falcon

That's what I thought, Ozzy. Scratchy's amazing Regarding the AMT, I'll have to make more measurements. Toe-in looks good at least.

 

[ozzyguanche]

Re: Cracker's 1/144 Falcon

Let me know what you come up with. I am in the cut and past mode, but will be done with it this week. I'll post some pics in the AMT thread., and get you back to the coooooollll! 1/144th cut and past LOL.

cath ya.

Ozzy

 

[Scratchy]

Re: Cracker's 1/144 Falcon

Hmmm yes, I am beging to think the man is a "mini him" maybe 2 foot tall with tiny hands, and what is to us 1/144th scale is to him 1/24th Only explanation for the fine miniture detail.

Ozzy

If you really must know, my 1/144 Falcon is "Life Size" for me :lol

Looking forward to the updates Crackerjazz!

 

[crackerjazz]

Re: Cracker's 1/144 Falcon

If you really must know, my 1/144 Falcon is "Life Size" for me :lol

There you go, Ozzy We have someone from "Honey, I Shrunk The Kids."

Thanks, Scratchy. Here she is after the surgery. I'll probably try some Apoxie Sculpt on the cuts. That one near the turret is staring right at me. It's a good thing I found some apoxie from my LHS, a bit expensive but still good considering the shipping cost were I to order it online.

Have to find a modeling toolbox with lock and key. My kid keeps borrowing my tools and misplacing them. Lost my Tamiya sidecutters today and he wouldn't admit. He could be telling the truth, though. I'm fighting with my memory everyday. Even that lower jawbox front plate (the one with the "lights") is missing. Rewinding the video tape in my head is no use. I just can't remember what I did with it after staring at it for the longest time and telling myself it's something I shouldn't lose as it has some difficult-to-scratchbuild details.

 

[tek2graphics]

Re: Cracker's 1/144 Falcon

LOL!! Love what you're doing! Great job!!!! Waiting for more!!!!!

 

[ozzyguanche]

Re: Cracker's 1/144 Falcon

If you really must know, my 1/144 Falcon is "Life Size" for me :lol

Looking forward to the updates Crackerjazz!

LOL:lol

 

[ozzyguanche]

Re: Cracker's 1/144 Falcon

There you go, Ozzy We have someone from "Honey, I Shrunk The Kids."

Thanks, Scratchy. Here she is after the surgery. I'll probably try some Apoxie Sculpt on the cuts. That one near the turret is staring right at me. It's a good thing I found some apoxie from my LHS, a bit expensive but still good considering the shipping cost were I to order it online.

Have to find a modeling toolbox with lock and key. My kid keeps borrowing my tools and misplacing them. Lost my Tamiya sidecutters today and he wouldn't admit. He could be telling the truth, though. I'm fighting with my memory everyday. Even that lower jawbox front plate (the one with the "lights") is missing. Rewinding the video tape in my head is no use. I just can't remember what I did with it after staring at it for the longest time and telling myself it's something I shouldn't lose as it has some difficult-to-scratchbuild details.

I know what you mean about fighting with your memory, I have the same dailey strugle. Its hard to point a finger when you can not remember what you had for breakfast. I hope you find them me old mate.

Ozzy

 

[crackerjazz]

Re: Cracker's 1/144 Falcon

Ozzy, Tek2graphics, thanks!

Had a little incident last night during more cutting - one forceful slip of the x-acto knife resulted in a pool of red hydraulic fluid streaming out of my stabbed left thumb and sending me jumping up and down. Yeeeeooooowwww!! Finemolds if you're listening, can you correct the mandibles and jawbox for your next Falcon tooling to save fans with obsessive-compulsive disorder the pain of trying to correct it? And maybe you can make a 5-footer instead of the 32-inch

This Uwe Fischer photo will be really helpful. That elongated mandible tab needs to be made longer on the Finemolds to almost meet the jawbox edge. The tips of the mandibles need to be chopped a bit to line up flush horizontally after swinging them inwards. Need to measure, too, if the mandibles need to be shortened a bit more or if it's just me that needs to stop.

Colin Droidmilk mentioned somewhere the mandibles' spacing needs to be as wide as the cockpit (and jawbox front end). Dry-fitted them on before I finally glue them in place. It's starting to look like a real Falcon now after the toe-in adjustment. When you're in the heat of doing stuff sometimes you don't want to take photos and lose the momentum, but I really should have taken a photo of how much I cut from the back of the mandibles to document every step, and especially so that I'll remember what brought about my thumb mishap.

I'm sure it will look even better when dressed in a nice weathered paintjob.

 

[ozzyguanche]

Re: Cracker's 1/144 Falcon

"Finemolds if you're listening, can you correct the mandibles and jawbox for your next Falcon tooling to save fans with obsessive-compulsive disorder the pain of trying to correct it? And maybe you can make a 5-footer instead of the 32-inch"

I think they would rather just put us on medication! its cheaper LOL:lol

Ozzy

 

[crackerjazz]

Re: Cracker's 1/144 Falcon

Worked on this fine piece of Scratchy engineering. Packed some clay under it and took my time to carve out the thin webbing. I was very careful not to cut the frame accidentally. Then sanded from beneath to remove any excess material.

 

[Scratchy]

Re: Cracker's 1/144 Falcon

WOW! Those mandibles look so much better, this will diffinatly be on the "To Do" list!!!

 

[Dedalus5550]

Re: Cracker's 1/144 Falcon

"Finemolds if you're listening, can you correct the mandibles and jawbox for your next Falcon tooling to save fans with obsessive-compulsive disorder the pain of trying to correct it? And maybe you can make a 5-footer instead of the 32-inch"

I think they would rather just put us on medication! its cheaper LOL:lol

Ozzy

The standard answer is fat chance (which also means the same thing as "slim chance" for some reason), but I wonder about this. (And this all assumes the idea that FM's license limits its accuracy--a view I don't subscribe to.) So many people who really want this kit have it. So many people--if not at first, then eventually--plopped down the money for it. And yet how many of use would be all over a new tool kit with correct mandibles? I have three 72nd scale kits, and I'd easily buy three more with corrected mandibles and jaw boxes. Corrected radar dish? Corrected taller profile? Now I'm just salivating.

Re-releasing the kit in it's current form certainly gets the attention of those almost tempted to pay $600 for it on ebay when it's out of production. But pretty soon, FM will be done with most of the remainders, and a new tool may be necessary.

 

[Randy13]

Re: Cracker's 1/144 Falcon

I really enjoy the work you’re putting into this Crackerjazz. What a big difference with those mandibles. Keep up the great work! All these falcon builds are wonderful to watch and starting to make me feel less intimidated at starting my old AMT kit.

 

[crackerjazz]

Re: Cracker's 1/144 Falcon

Thanks, guys! Randy13, glad you're enjoying the build. Don't forget to post photos when you get to it.

One downside to a really small Falcon model is the molded-on piping - the high ones in the maintenance pits will look like walls - rather hard to fix. I wanted to leave them alone but I'll try to see what I can do.

Didn't realize how sorry my sidecutter's blades look until I saw my photo. That's what I get for using it on metal rods.

Those mandibles become really nice and meaty with details on:

I'm really happy with Scratchy's prop-like glassless canopy. Dry-fitting it on. Have to fix the front a bit but it looks really nice.

 

[El Visitor]

Re: Cracker's 1/144 Falcon

OMG!!! You're insane my man, this is gonna be awesome!

I just recieved my FM in the post and I was considering a little cosmetic work around the mandibles but I'd be terrified to cut into it that much!

Looks like you've got the necessary skills though. Nice work.